1/17/13

The past few days have been great. Busy, but in the best way.

The highlights would include a couple great nights out on the town, some fantastic food, increasingly more fluent conversations in Portuguese, some hammock relaxation, and making a bunch of new Brazilian friends.

Tuesday night Mitchell, Coby and I went out with Mitchell's Brazilian cousins and their friend to this club across town. It was "rock night," which normally wouldn't be my scene, but with the right company and adequate prefunking, it turned into an excellent night. Not to mention, an AC/DC cover band came on, and they actually were remarkably accurate in the sense that they looked and sounded just like Angus Young and the gang, which was nostalgic to say the least. Brought me back to middle school... just add some giant beers into the mix and some gorgeous ladies.

 Then there was last night, where Kal, Dallas, and I stumbled upon this giant dance club just a few blocks from our house. Met some homies who just got done with their college entrance exams, and to help celebrate, their teachers were actually on stage performing while the kids were getting drunk and dancing. Definitely a different dynamic than what we have in the states, and I must say, I'm jealous.

That's what gets me about this culture. People here are so NICE. It's hard to find people that aren't open to making friends, living in the moment, and trying to enjoy life, regardless of social stigmas and what not. I don't want to sound like I'm preaching, but it truly is remarkable. Who knows, at this rate I might not want to live in the US after college.

Other than just the going out, life has been great here. We've been keeping in shape, working out in the park under the sun, and eating fantastic food. No complaints as of yet... besides how hot and humid it can get, and dealing with my knee injury. However, in context, those problems are not holding me back from having an incredible experience whatsoever.

Went on a scenic tour of the city and got rather sunburned, but we finally got to see the city in its entirety. It's gorgeous, about the size of Seattle, and there's a lot going on. It's a very intriguing dynamic to witness the preparation for the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016. They're renovating a bunch of the stadiums and expanding their infrastructure all over the country. Definitely already making plans to come back for World Cup, possibly as a graduation present from UW. That would be SICK.

Heard a great quote that has been stuck in my head from a capoeira instructor (which, by the way, is one of the coolest martial arts, developed by slaves who incorporated music, rythym, positivity, and extreme athleticism into one "game," totally worth looking into if you have a moment). In Portuguese, he said "see you in the circle of life." Bringing that one back for sure.

By the way, booked a sweet hotel in Rio today for the end of our trip. Too down ~ 1/17/13