Festa da Iemanjá

Portuguese and culture class started winding down at the end of January and I gave my final presentation on brazilian soap operas (telenovelas).  Then it was time for ferias do carnaval ("Carnival Vacation")!  On February 2nd CIEE took us out on a boat trip so that we could partake in one of the biggest Candomblé celebrations: Festa da Iemanjá.  A large street party takes place in Rio Vermelho, a coastal neighborhood in Salvador not far from where I live, but the real celebration happens on the water.  Countless boats of all sizes (from large party boats to row boats) follow several fishermen in small motor boats out to a certain point.  A horn is blown and baskets of flowers, perfumes, and other gifts are thrown into the sea as offerings to the Mãe D'Agua, Iemanjá, also referred to as Rainha do Mar (Mother of the Water/Queen of the Sea).  It was a gorgeous day and beforehand we stopped at an island to relax and enjoy the warm Bahian sun. 

Cachoeira, Bagunçaço, & Other Updates :)

I'm picking up in English from here since the translator doesn't work very well :) Since it has been so long since I wrote, I'm going to break it down into the exciting things I've been up to instead of writing a massive post.  I left off talking about my trip to Praia do Forte.  My next trip after that was to a town called Cachoeira (which means "waterfall," but the town doesn't have a waterfall - go figure).  This was a trip with the language school, so I spent the day with all of the students in CIEE.  We started our day by touring a church that looked very similar to Igreja do São Francisco (mentioned in my first post) and then continued on to a cigar factory called Danneman where we watch the entire production process of cigars.  Our last stop was to a small Samba Museum where we danced the Samba de Roda (Samba of the Northeast region).  The day was great and we returned home to Salvador realizing the difference in tranquility between towns.  I lost my pictures from this trip, but here are a few from my friends...if I find them, I'll will post them.

 Millie & I

 Danneman Cigar Factory

 Town of Cachoeira

 Samba de Roda

Another day trip with the school was a trip to a childcare center that is located near a favela and seeks to protect children from the dangers of drug violence.  The center was called Bagunçaço and provided the children with many positive activities.  A teenage band, comprised of all boys and one girl (the leader) played music for us, then we watched a soccer game, and played with the little kids who were interested in using our cameras.  It was a great day and inspired me to find a similar place to volunteer at.

Aside from this, I have been trying lots of new things, including food and classes.  I tried my first real yoga class here, which was so relaxing and just what I needed to unwind from the busy city life.  I also joined a gym right by my house.  I love it so far!  It's almost like having a personal trainer because someone guides you through the whole workout.  Also, they offer Bahian dance classes, spinning classes, and (my favorite) jumping classes!! Everyone gets their own mini trampoline and jumps with the instructor to the music - such a great and fun workout.

Novidades

Oi meus queridos amigos!

Vou continuar meu blog em português (there is a translator at the top of the page).  Minhas aulas estão boas, mas as coisas de interesse acontecem a fora da sala de aula :)  Fui para um festival de música, se chama "Festival de Verão" na quarta-feira.  Foi ótimo!  Tinha muitas bandas do Carnaval.  Nós fomos para um terreiro de Candomblé (uma religião africana dessa região que foi iniciada pelos escravos) onde nós comemos comida bem baiana, tipo acarajé e vatapá.  Aprendemos sobre todas as orixás do Candomblé e os rituais (em baixo há uma foto da casa da Exú).  Foi interessante, mas minha viagem pra Praia do Forte foi a melhor parte da minha semana.  É uma praia linda e só fica quase duas horas daqui.  Tem praias limpas e uma conservação de tartarugas, se chama Projeto Tamar.  Quando nós estávamos aí, os filhotes estavam liberados no mar (fotos em baixo)!  Também, fizemos um caminhada na floresta e nadamos num rio lá.  Adorei todo :)  

Ontem, minha amiga americana, Millie, e eu compramos nossos primeiros biquínis brasileiros.  Também, fizemos uma aula de pular onde todo mundo tem um mini trampolim e pula com a música.  Foi bem legal e muito divertido!  Procurei para um livro na livraria ontem.  Eu não comprei nada, mas conheci um brasileiro que morava em Nova Iorque por a maior parte da vida dele.  

Hoje, fiz planos por Carnaval (a maior festa do mundo)!  Vai ser locura, sem dúvidas!  Hoje à noite estudei português um pouco (com ajuda da minha irmã brasileira).  Agora, vocês sabem todas as novidades da minha vida aqui em Salvador.  Se vocês não entender alguma coisa, me avisa!

Beijos e Abraços,

Shan

"Gotta get to the sea" 

Macaco numa árvore em nosso universidade

Farrol da Barra

Casa da Exú 

Praia do Forte

Minha amiga, Laura, e eu

 Castelo da Garcia D'avila

 Um rio em Praia do Forte

Bem-vindo ao Salvador!

So here I am in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, watching a telanovela with my host mom on Monday night :)  I've been here for a little over a week and am LOVING it so far.  It feels like I've been here for a lot longer because I'm already starting to feel comfortable despite not really having a daily routine yet.  I already attended my first Brazilian wedding and have been to multiple shows and places throughout the city.  My host family consists of a mom (Cida), a brother (Matheus, 30), and 2 sisters (Jana, 25 & Lisa, 17).  I am taking a Portuguese class and a culture class until February and then it's time for Carnaval!  After Carnaval, my semester classes will start.  I'll try to post in more detail later on, but I just wanted to get this started.  Hopefully I keep up with it this time around!

 Pelourinho - The City's Historic Center

 Lisa & I at Matheus' Wedding

 Jamile, Lisa, & I 

View of the elevator that takes you from Cidade Alta (Pelourinho) to Cidade Baixa

 Cross in front of Igreja de São Francisco (Church of San Francisco)