brasilia.

about brasilia.

Half of the Fulbright research grantees of the Southern Cone (Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay) had a research conference-- a regional conference-- in Brasilia this past week to share our research projects and meet and swap ideas. I wasn't exactly sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised by everyone's projects-- it was one of those unique situations in which you had something to learn from everyone, and everyone had something to learn from you.

The days were filled with short, fifteen minute presentations going over what your project was about, your cultural experiences, etc. In between all of these, we had the chance to tour Brasilia, the capital of Brasil, and home to many of Oscar Niemeyer's works (he planned the city from the ground up to be shaped like a cross-- it ended up looking a bit like an airplane). We also got to hike to Chapada Imperial, which was filled with lots of waterfalls, and fun plants from the Cerrado.

surf competition.

the billabong pro-surf competition is going on right now, and though the waves have been super lame these past few days, they finally rose-- and they're BIG now. today the competitions in arpoador. i'm going to go check it out in a bit.

indian food...

singing adele and the beatles in a supermarket in leblon, and good conversations with good people. rainy day loveliness.

the leblon jazz festival...

was not jazz. more like rock and roll. ugh.

Anconchego Carioca.

A cute little bar in Tijuca/Sao Cristovao that has hammocks on the ceiling, a wonderful selection of dark beer (and it's Brasilian!), and fun foods like polenta with Doritos (yes, I'm serious).

There was a bit of a wait to get in, but it's worth the trek.

graduate student lecture.

I had to give a formal presentation to the post-graduate students of my institution the other day. I discussed the results of my project, as well as reflections on my time here in Brasil, both from the research perspective, and as an expat living in Rio. It was the first time that my head supervisor actually took the time to sit and listen to my project, which was quite nice-- she's usually too busy, but she made sure to take time out of her day to listen in.

sopa no mel.

It's a saying for, basically, being in the right place at the right time-- when something happens with the perfect timing.

I heard it in the car the other day with my apartment-mate's grandmother, as we were driving to Barra for their housewarming at their new apartment.

getting the key stuck in the lock...

having your key break inside your bike lock, after some night surfing in arpoador, can be tricky. lucky for me, surfer boys and construction workers seem to know what they're doing when breaking chains...

Seven months.

Well, it's weird to say it, but I have to start thinking about home. I've got only two months left in Rio (I'm not so sure if I want to think about it right now), and for a large part of May I'll be traveling-- first for the upcoming Fulbright regional conference in Brasilia, then to Manaus to apply my research in a small town in Amazonia, Parintins (exciting!).

I can't believe how different my life is here from when I first arrived. Last night, I met up with some friends, who, ironically, I first met during one of my first weeks in Rio-- and then not again till last night. They couldn't believe how much Portuguese I'd learned, and it was so funny to be able to sit in on their conversations and actually participate. To understand what was going on. I felt like I was slowly integrating into the culture and the city-- it's not the first time this has happened to me, but it's been happening with more frequency these past few months.

Besides the language, it's very satisfying to know that a large part of my project is finished, and I'm in the final stages of piecing together my final article. I presented at a public health conference, and I'll be presenting my work again to my institution-- first as a guest lecturer to the post-graduate students of ICICT, and then again as a formal "palestra" to the whole institution. I'm also getting my article ready to submit to a journal-- nine months isn't a long time to do everything, but I've realized that patience and dedication go a long way in getting things done.

Outside of my research, these past couple months I've really been able to enjoy Rio. I've got to shows, listened to samba and chorinho, have been surfing, traveled a bit more (to the Pantanal), gone to art galleries, and been much more pro-active about my time here. Because I haven't had to go into work every day, and the weather has gotten much more bearable, it's easy for me to move around the city.

I'm anxious to see how the next two months will go. I know it's going to be quick-- and gone before you know it-- but I need to remind myself to take it one day at a time and really enjoy my time here. I started out with a bucket list of things that I want to do-- but I realized that I need to also just let things happen organically. My experience in Rio has been been interesting in that, in a lot of way, I've let the city and the people shape the way I see their culture. I hope that I can continue to do that even during the final stages.

Pantanal.

Heading to Manaus.

In a wonderful whirlwind of events, I'll be heading to Manaus in a few weeks (right after I get back from my trip to Brasilia) to conduct my research in the city of Parintins. Parintins is most famously known for its Boa Bumba festival, held every year in June. Though I'm not going to be around for the festival, I will be able to get a glimpse of what is going on through their ensaios (rehearsals). I'm going to have to take a boat to get there (Parintins has no roads because its essentially an island along the Amazon river) and I'm going with a Fiocruz Amazonas research group. Stay tuned for updates.