Fifteen Days Later: Things I've Discovered

Get Paid to Sit and Teach in Fancy Apartments Off Of Fabulous Avenida Paulista. For two clients, all I have to do is sit and have a casual conversation. 

I only have three friends.....Brito, Tiemi, and Mayumi, all who have introduced me to a few of their friends.  

Modern Family is aired here! 

Adjusted Sleeping Schedule... very adjusted sleeping schedule; knocked out by midnight, awake by 7am. 

Melão suco c/ leite: melon juice with milk. It's no Haagen Dazs but it is only $2.50 and probably 1/2305082308 of the calories. Acai smoothies are notorious here and are suppose to be nothing like American ones. I must try soon. 

I like to call this self-creation the poor man's chow mein noodles. Costs me about 75 cents to make. It's basically steamed noodles with soy sauce, sesame oil, hoison sauce, and pretending it tastes as good as real food. No Vietnamese restaurant with pho exists in Sao Paulo, so this will have to suffice in the meantime. ='(

Hair Mousse DOES exist in Sao Paulo, granted it is 3x as expensive for a generic brand . $15 for good hair, no thanks. I'm going to make my mom include it in my care package. 

LIFE EXISTS PAST 8PM. I don't have to be confined in my room when it gets dark! 

I FOUND SRIRACHA. And a huge ass block of marshmellow w/ coconut flakes.  

Some of my favorite people are visiting me in Sao Paulo in a few months. LIFE IS SWEET. 

Six Days Later: The Things I Miss

My Stable Job at SDSU 

A Large Group of Friends

My Favorite American TV Shows Any Time I  Want

Adjusted Sleeping Schedule

Haagen Dazs that doesn't cost US$15 for a pint. PINT.

Pho

Hair Mousse 

Freedom To Do Whatever I Want By Myself After It Gets Dark

Sriracha

I wish I could take the people from my California life and move them to my Sao Paulo life.

R | E | C | A | P

DAY ZERO:
Packed til 3am. Got no sleep and went straight to the airport for a 6am flight.
Layover in SF.
Layover in Lima, Peru. Wanted to do something to mark my pseudo-Peru-trip so I ordered this:

Sopa A La Criolla: milk, beef, egg, noodles. 

Had five meals within a 24 hour span. oh my god? I love airport and airplane food.

DAY ONE:
Marino picked me up from the airport.
Jetlagged, excited, drained, nervous, Disneyland stage.

DAY TWO:
Walked around Avenida Paulista for four hours.
Ended up in Liberdade aka Japantown/Chinatown of Sao Paulo.
Ordered yakisoba and beer at this shady side restaurant. Felt like home. Yakisoba tasted gross, beer tasted great.
Dropped by work, which just so happens to be around the corner from my apartment. Woooohooo, that means I can get up 15 mins before work, look haggard, but still be on time! Best employee of the year right here!
Dinner with new friend, Brito at this fifties diner-themed American restaurant called... The Fifties - Traditional Burger. The milkshake there costs $13...which would make it the same price as my burger... wtf, it better be made out of diamonds and babies.

DAY THREE:
Farmer's market. Spoke Chinese to someone and there's a chance I might teach his kids English. I am a FOB! Day three and I've already found a client.

Gotta love old ladies flipping you off on a Saturday morning.

Met my host grandparents and Tiemi. Had my first sip of caipirinha (Brazilian's national cocktail. It's like Budweiser to America. But... it actually tastes good and Brazilians are actually proud of it) and first taste of feijoada, a popular, traditional bean, rice, and meat dish. Let me google the image:

Feijoada - traditional bean dish with rice, collard greens, and farofa (some kind yellow cassava flour). I had to google all of this information because I was too busy eating to remember all the details during lunch. 

Later, Tiemi took me to Augusta to visit Lomography. Where there is a Lomography, there are hipsters. And gays. Everything I love.
.

The token flannel, yup, we're in the right area. Yoohoo, honey bunny. 

Passed the fuck out because I'm still kind of jetlagged. That is a lie, it is because we walked all day in the somewhat humid weather and I am lazy.

DAY FOUR:
Went jogging in Ibirapuera Park. I guess the "Central Park" of Sao Paulo. Dude, I am out of shape. It's the instant ramen.

Crazy Lake Murray Duck Lady takes over Sao Paulo. 

At the Afro-Brazilian museum inside the park.

Counteracting the workout. Marino makes the best food. I think I might be five pounds heavier thanks to him.  He is my little Maria. 

Italian POTATO PASTA. I know, right?!

My very own first caipirinha! I'm a big girl now!

With Japanese sake and kiwi.

One drink away from the Asian glow at 3pm on a Sunday afternoon. No shame. 

Remember how cool these were in middle school? Yeah well, they are so cool to this day in Brazil that they cost US$114. Yeah.

Went to the Ibirapuera mall to figure out a phone/data plan.
Supermarket. Then another supermarket.
Instant ramen.
Nap.
Instant ramen again.

I'd take more photos, but you know, trying not to get the true, full Brazilian experience of getting mugged & all. One thing I don't need to cross off on my list. But I will do what I can. Except joke would be on him, I'm broke as a joke. Kinda.

Ugh my memory is horrible. I had to do this recap entry based off of an email I sent to my mother a few days ago.

Still haven't prepped for tomorrow's lesson.
Fuck.

Instant Ramen, Instant Happiness, Instant Health Issues

It ain't home until instant ramen is involved. I bought six packs of Brazilian instant noodles. I have no shame. In fact, I will go make my second serving of the night right now. I like to put ketchup, balsamic vinegar, and hoison sauce. I am a disgusting human being.

what's up, sao paulo.