At the end of 2014, There were many new challenges and new things that were coming my way that I haven't experienced before. Having to work at night at the hostel two days a week, and a full schedule during the day, it made me more alert and more responsible. I was enjoying my new place in Copacabana. I was starting to get better with my português thanks to my new Brazilian host family.I made the most of my opportunities while living in the heart of Copacabana. I had a chance to meet up with my best friend more Bernard who worked five minutes away from me at the hostel where he worked. I would past by everyday and I would go over there and we would plan on going out later on during the night. Living closer to the English courses had its advantages. I had the beach which was 5 minutes walking distance from my new apartment. It was the first time, since being in Brazil I had a sense of peace calmness and tranquility. Things were also going very well with my English classes. Living closer to Copacabana gave me the opportunity to build some really good friendships and business relationships with the locals. Having places to shop and eat locally made me think communicate more and be more open to find my place and self in Brazil. for this reason I started to get more private classes, and in the process my Portuguese started to improve. I made the best of my opportunities everywhere I went. I would make small talk with the locals and try to build and friendship and partnership with them. Being around Copacabana I started to get more private English classes and more time to do things like go the museums, malls,restaurants, art galleries, art shows,jazz concerts,and tourist hikes and sightseeing tours. I took the time when free, to explore the beautiful mountains of Rio and get a real glimpse of the Marvelous City. I would walk on the sidewalk of Copacabana and Ipanema at least twice a day, for a morning and a evening run, followed by a refreshing swim in the ocean. During my time, I would meet Brazilians from other cities and interact with them. It my time interacting, I became more engaged and curious about knowing more about the culture and its people.
One of my best time for me, was working at Kariok Hostel. For me it was my second domain, which I called my second home. There it was the place with all the access, where you can encounter different people from different cultures and different walks of life, sharing and leaving their imprints about the countries they came from. This was for me, when the main reason why I choose to work there, it was like being in school without actually attending school. The another good thing about working at the hostel was working with my friends. Daniel whom had just started working there starting in the middle of May 2014, was my best friend in Brazil. There I would past by the hostel almost everyday on his work shift or mine and we would enjoy and make the best time at the hostel. He was my best friend in Rio. We sometimes would go out after work and have a drink or two and talk about the things that was going on in our lives. He was the perfect person to talk to, because of this my Portuguese improved dramatically We were really good friends, and we made the most of our time. Daniel was a person, who taught me alot, He taught me over time the importance of being a professional and how to take pride in myself. It was something that was missing from my mental aspect of thinking on a regular basis. Over time, our lives got busier as time went on. It sad, though sometimes how life can give you great friendships, and all of a sudden distance between two friends can make you grow apart.
The best moment for me was in 2014- 2015 when I had the opportunity to travel to Bahia Salvador. It was my third trip outside of Rio de Janiero. One of the most unforgettable experience I had. Taking a bus 28 hours was well worth it. Before arriving in Bahia Salvador, I knew very little from what I had learn in School.
The Historical Center known as the Pelourinho, located at the heart of the city's historical center, is a big open-air shopping mall that offers numerous artistic and musical attractions. There is a concentration of bars, restaurants, boutiques, museums, theaters, churches and other monuments of great historical value all located in the Pelourinho area. Now is a revived and colorful Pelourinho, thriving with cultural activities and events, especially the Pelourinho. At night the drums would be heard beating and the voices could be heard ecoing in th streets. People enjoy the specticulaes and shows they have there frequently. During my few days there, i had a chance to see some reggae roots shows, samba shows and also Jazz shows at some of the post popular spots in Salvador.
In my time there I had a great time going to the beaches and talking to the local people on the streets. The people unlike the Cariocas in Rio De Janerio, talked with a different accent, kind of like a high pitched bird singing in fast pitch tune. The people of Salvador Bahia are generally very friendly and hospitable. They are very kind and they take the time to get to know. They are generally laid back and very easy going people. What I enjoyed watching the Bahian people were their playful nature. They were always laughing and cracking jokes with each no matter where they were. I enjoyed eating many of Bahia's food. Acreage is made from shelled fradinho beans (similar to black-eyed peas), which are mashed together with ground shrimp and other ingredients and formed into a ball, then deep-fried in dendê oil.It was my favorite food to eat there by far. I had it when I went to the beach everyday. For the next few days I spent it getting to know the local churches, local parks, waterfronts, shopping malls, downtown historical buildings and museums. For me, it was an extension of my knowledge from what I knew about Brazil. Each time I was finding out about new amazing stories and artifacts that I had never heard about before. It was a shame because I didnt have all the time to complete all the things I wanted in such a short time, so I promised myself I would go back there a second time to finish the Bahia Tour. The second time, I look forward to finish my quest to find out what makes Bahia such a vibrant destination for tourrist.
