Minha Vida no Brasil

Clubbin’ no Brasil (Rotary and Regular)

My rotary district was really good about mixing inbounds (foreigners in the US for the year), outbounds (students, like me, that were headed out of the country), and rotex (people who have gone on exchange and have come back to share their knowledge of living abroad). After last night, I wish I would’ve been better prepared. Couldn’t someone have taught me 1% how to Samba? Couldn’t someone have written down how to look cool in front a room of suave dancing and attractive Brazilians? Flippin tits, of course not! Let me rewind and explain what I mean.

Last night I had my first Rotary Club Meeting. LOL, no, that’s not what I was referring to in the first paragraph. I think it should get some press time being that is amazing program that sent me here! The governor of the district came to our meeting and he was really excited to see that there was an exchange student in Sao Luis. I mean, I’m really excited to be here, but it was nice to see his enthusiasm! The way that their club meetings work are very different than the Blue Bell club. First, their meeting is at night. Everyone arrives around 8…815…830 (Brazilian time is comp diff, add 15/20 [or more] min to any arrival/departure time and that’s how people roll) and you schmooze for 15/20 min and then eat a delicious dinner prepared by Rotarians. After you finish dinner, that’s when we “get to business.” To show the governor what the Rotary Club of Sao Luis/Sao Francisco has been doing for the past couple months, a powerpoint showed pictures of events in which the club has been involved. It was nice being there. Everyone was really happy to have me and I was considered the club’s “mascot” from now on. I guess they love having Versace models as their mascots (Facial Eamon!)…lol. The meeting ended around 10 and we left around 1015 (have to say goodbyes etc). The meetings here and all night events. At home, the meetings begin promptly at 715am and end around 8ish. It was interesting to see the difference in club meetings. Next week I’m going to give a presentation about PA, Philly, my fam, me, etc. It should be pretty grool.

Okay, now onto the fun stuff. A few days ago my older brother, Leo, told me that on Thursday  night we’d be going to a show of Sertanejo. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv2hrviywLU this is Sertanejo. Essentially it is Brazilian country music. I’d argue less depressing than ours (not that I understood the lyrics, though) and more people dance to it. When I got home from the Rotary Meeting, I quickly changed clothes and then Leo, a namorada dele,  and I went to this show. We entered the venue around 11ish and there was already a band playing. We sat down at a table with some of Leo’s friends. As everyone else sang along to the band, I sat and tried to sway with the beat. Semi-successful. I definitely enjoyed it, but I probably looked like an angry person that didn’t like to sing along, or someone who doesn’t listen a band and then goes to their concert—the latter is what I was. After the first band finished, there was an interlude of Forró, the music that is native to the NE of Brasil. Side note: right now is campaign season (elections are in October) and the people who are running will pay for people’s gas in exchange for advertising the candidate on their car. Along with covering their car with advertisements, many people will blast Forró that is telling people to vote for a specific candidate. People that I’ve skyped with have probably heard it at some point from a distance. There is a special dance to this kind of music (Nope, haven’t learned it yet) and there is a huge festival in June (I think?) that everyone loves participating in because they get to dance and play in the streets and jam to Forró. Okay, so back to the club/concert venue.

The main act came on, Jonathan e Jardel. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTRsT16XpeU Like the first band to perform, I didn’t know any of their songs, but enjoyed listening. People once again began singing to them and dancing to them. Now, let me paint the complete picture of what was happening in this club/concert venue. There was me, sitting at a table, bobbing my head back and forth trying to look somewhat fun. To my right: Leo and his GF, cuddling/kissing/doing cute couple things. To my left: Leo’s friend and his GF, doing the same things. To the left of them was a friend of the girlfriend and she was waiting for her biddie to arrive. Everyone jamming away. Eventually, more people entered the club/concert venue and it was starting to get pretty crowded. Everyone at the table with me started to stand up and dance with their significant other. Of course, going as the third wheel, I had no significant other with who I could dance (fml). I told Leo I was going to go take some pictures…classic n3wb move. Like I was the only loser taking pictures and the only loser who didn’t know even 1 word to song. I tried to wonder around a little bit and blend in? Make friends? Not really make friends, but look somewhat competent in holding a conversation? Sadly, no dice. I walked back to the table and saw everyone still dancing with their biddies and still, no luck for me. It was SOOOOOO hot. I literally sweat gallons every day. Side note: during school I have to go to the water fountain in between every class because I get so thirsty because I sweat like all the time. I mean all of the sweating business, not in a disgusting way…in a natural and human way… I tried to place myself in front of the multiple fans in the club/concert venue but people usually would just push me out of the way and I’d be forced to go back to blousing my shirt to get a 1/2 mph breeze. As I tried to cool myself off I looked around at the larger crowd and saw a lot of girls dancing by themselves so I was like, “Ya know what, I’ll give that a try.” …

Okay, dancing has always been easy(?) for me? I love to dance! Wait, let me specify, I love to “American Dance” aka Bump ‘n Grind. I think I mentioned it in another post that that’s the only kind of dance we know how to do. So, like any American out of the land of Obesity, I felt like a fish out of water. As girls did two beats to the right and then two beats to the left, I did three in one direction and then one in the other. It was terrible!! I didn’t know how to find the beat and then move to it. I kept missing the time to step and my feet planting was off and omg, it was terrible. Oh, I forgot to mention, this was all going on as I leaned against the wall that was right next to the bathroom. For cereal, FML!!! If I had any hopes of a biddie looking at me, I doubt they’d find me next to the bathroom! But what was I suppose to do?! I didn’t want to go and mingle infront of people if I’m dancing like tyro. Leo told me that I should dance more in the crowd because that would increase my chances of someone asking me to dance? I decided the bathroom wall was the safest place…

A few songs passed and I got a little bored of my location so I decided to put on my single and ready to mingle cap (aka walked away from the swaying couples and ask for a water bottle from the bar). After getting my second water bottle, I walked back and decided to try this 1,2 1,2 dance again. I was then tapped on the shoulder and someone has asked me to dance! Zomg, was I doing it right?! Was I actually doing it well?! Nope, not at all. After the first few steps of off beat movement, I decided that it was in my benefit to use my nationality as my excuse for not knowing how to dance properly. Poorly accented I blurted out, “Não posso dançar! Sou Americana…” I think he understood that as, “Eh-chee (that’s the guttural ch, btw) no wonder she has two left feet.” He then started counting, “Um, dois. Um, dois.” I’ll say that we danced for a good 7 min. I twirled and everything! It was actually really fun, I definitely want to learn and then dance like that again! I thought that since this guy broke the ice a flood of boys were going to see my cause and ask to dance too. I was wrong. The guy who I danced with quickly found a new partner and I went back to the bathroom wall. tits. 

Multiple other times throughout the night I attempted to start dancing again, but I couldn’t get it. Vilma, minha mãe, said that she wants to see if I can start dance lessons. I need to get that jawn taken care of ASAP!! Overall, I really really enjoyed going out. It was fun meeting some new people and listening to something that is 110% industria brasileira. Although my dancing was a bit of a fail, it was a learning experience! Now I know what I need to practice for next time…

Beijos a gente!!

xoxo, kf