Experiment and see...

The realization hit this weekend that I only have two more weeks in Maceio and one week in Rio until I head back to the states, so I have re-found motivation to be productive and get the most out of this time in Brazil. Yesterday I was certainly productive: morning walk with Toby, breakfast, Bible study, work out class, Pimsleur portuguese lesson, trip to the natural foods store (for my beloved flax), prep for chemistry, trip to the supermarket, work-out class #2, watch some TV with Luiza, attempted work-out class #3 (but the prof was sick), went to talk to 3 english schools about volunteering, watched the novela with Luiza and Zaira, talked with Muri, bed! AND it was raining!

I also noticed that I'm getting more comfortable here. I went to the grocery store yesterday and decided that today was the day that I was going to try the things I've been wanting to. So I bought a couple essentials and then bought some stuff like some fruit that looked interesting, pão de queijo, dulce de leite in a can, stuff to make brigadeiros (aka condensed milk), and grape/pineapple mentos. There is a reason they don't sell grape or pineapple mentos in the

united states, and now I know. It made me think of another experience I've had...

There was this time, walking through a soap store, I saw a pale purple bar labeled "lavender." My memory rushed back to a magnificent experience where I ran my hand over the rough, semi-dry head of the flower. With a little pressure the flower popped of and I rolled the little disk flowers off of the composite head in order to release the fragrance. I closed my eyes and tilted my face towards the sun, felt the breeze playing around my legs, and inhaled God's perfect combination of scents contained in that pale purple flower. So in that soap store I closed my eyes, leaned down to the bar, and inhaled deeply only, to my surprise, to be attacked by a smell burning a path through my sinuses, constricting my lungs as I reel back, eyes wide, trying to wheeze the offensive impostor's scent out of my system! I should carry a sharpy for times like these so I can write "NOT" on the label. NOT lavender soap, NOT grape mentos!

The brigadero's, however, were a much better experience. Luiza showed me how she makes them: condensed milk, nescau - BAM: brigaderos. So much easier than the recipe I found online... Murilo will be happy I discovered this so I can make/eat them ALL THE TIME, NOW!! AHHH! Right honey? So excited for me, right? ;)

I also tried to eat one of the fruits I bought yesterday. It's called goiaba. I don't think they eat it much in raw form around here, because the whole family was polled when I asked if it was ready to eat/ how you eat it. My favorite answer was from Kelson who said "Experiment and see what part you like to eat." So I did, and found out that 1) I should have waited a couple days to eat it, 2) the green part is NOT tasty 3) the seeds are really hard and should not be attempted to be chewed before swallowing. I plan on buying a couple more, waiting a couple days, and trying again. The pink part in the middle was very pleasantly, mildly sweet. I think it has promise.

I think the other one I bought was called Maracuja, but I haven't tried to eat this one yet. Luiza said something about "with water," so I think I have to cook it first? Maybe I should google it...

Today it rained quite a bit again, so I stayed inside and played with my food. I cooked the pão de queijo (slash-took them out of the bag in the freezer and put them into the oven). They turned out great - maybe I should have been the baker in our family... although Murilo made a pretty mean honey wheat. (Love, what was that special ingredient in the honey?) I also made whole wheat pasta with alfredo sauce, peas, broccoli, and roasted garlic. So good! Although in the left-overs the pasta soaked all the sauce up... doit! And it needed a little salt... either that or I've been permanently affected by the amount of salt in all the food here.

Toby and I also went for a perfectly timed walk during the only 20 minutes of sun today. I tried to count the number of poles and trees he peed on, but lost count around 60... he only willingly bypassed 4. After a while he just goes through the motions, but there's nothing left to contribute. I also noticed today that we make a great booby-trap: he's little and blends in with the foliage, the leash line is black and looks like a crack in the sidewalk... kid running at full speed - CLOTHES LINED! I try to walk directly behind him to avoid this from happening, but I'm pretty sure I look a little crazy walking from one side to the other: tree, pole, tree, pole...

Alright, an hour and a half until my next work-out class... I better go eat a brigadero now so I can burn it off!! (how's that for exercise logic...)