Living in Brazil Part 3

Things were moving in the right direction. I had a set schedule  at the English course. I had just made a new friend Bernard Alveres. We would make Lapa our every Friday hangout spot. That was where all the madness started and where it ended. You name it I saw it, Nightclubs, Restaurants, Bars, Large crowds, Drugs, Alcohol, Sex, It was the main spot for locals and tourists both near and abroad. The streets would be swarmed with people on both sides. The woman would come out with their  most sexiest outfit and the men would come out with their best chances to get a girl, which involves alot of times going shirtless. Many would dress to impress which some literally try to flex their muscles to draw attention. For me, I really on my sense of humor and Witt, to open the gates of communication, but their was still a problem I still had to learn Portuguese. For the first three months, I found it difficult to speak to woman. First, the language, but secondly cultural differences and behaviors. In Brazil as I had to learn more with time, You cant seem to be too available because in Brazil it comes across as a weakness, but at the same time you have to show a level of interest. The most importantly, you have to let then come to you. Its like a game of chest with many rules, but the its important you don't show all your moves right away. You have to appear mysterious and desired so they chase you as well.

      Getting back to the Lapa madness, the scenes there was no place I have ever witness. People flooding the streets heading to local concerts and bars hangouts. What I enjoyed most more about Lapa was going to the Famous Lapa Steps and having drinks with my friend singing and dancing with foreigners from abroad.  For the first four months in Brazil every weekend was the spot. What I really liked about hanging out in |Lapa besides the steps, where the arcos de Lapa. The bands would come out and perform street dance Samba for the crowd, After along week,It was the perfect place to dance and release some energy and meet some new people. Things would really get on the way as I started to develop some really good friendships in the Hostel. Miguel Barradas Daltro Santos. We spent most of early mornings at the hostel smoking our normal wake and make remedy and watching old classic American and Brazilian films. I really like having conversations with him because he had a really open-mind. He had a professional way about handling things when it came to his job, but he also was a very outgoing person, At times, which seemed to not have any boundaries, He was the longest employee working at Bellas Artes Hostel. He  stuck around 7 months more after I arrived at the Hostel. It was difficult for me to see him go, but at the same time he needed to make his transition and from the conversations we had, I knew it was that time for him to move on. The thing I remembered most about him was his love for video games and his curiosity for the love of science and philosophy.

    Another great person I had a chance to know at the hostel was Rodigo Castro. He was the manager at Bellas Artes. I had a chance learn and adopt alot of things from him. He told me alot about the culture of Brazil. He was always looking out for me. When I was in trouble or if I need something he was there with words of encouragement and wisdom. He was the type of person who looked out for his friends. People like him don't come around very often when they do its hard not to forget them. The first few months, was a bit of a struggle for me in Brazil. He was always there to assist me or give me a helping hand. It was then I started to understand the Brazilian culture even more. We had some great moments in the hostel, especially when it came to  exchanging Portuguese and English.

   There was an American girl working at the hostel. Her name was Emily Everett. She was a Southern girl from Mississippi. She was the only American contact I had when I first moved into the hostel. It was kind of reassuring for me at times because we would listen to American music, and talk about issues going on back in the states. We would have our moments when the guest would leave we would crank up the music really loud and dance and sing to hip hop oldies. Our favorite song was Ice Cube´s Today Was A Good Day. We had our moments really. I had a really good time getting to know her. She was not your typical American girl. She had done alot of traveling and spoke three languages. She was very artistic and expressive. She was also very down to earth. We shared alot of laughs and I learn a great deal from her. She didn't stick around very long but she had a long lasting impression.

   Approaching Christmas. I started to become a little homesick. I spent many times alone. After Emily had left, I started to drink and smoke to keep myself occupied. Ines MarquesBastos was from Portugal. She was only 20 years old, but from the way she spoke and carried herself, it seemed as if she had been on the earth for quit a while. She took the place of Emily working at the reception. She was very intelligent, sensitive, adventurous, and very worldly. She was a very good communicator. When she spoke people gravitated towards her. We had alot in common. We both had much curiosity about the world and we wanted to do great things in it. We shared our past future hopes and optimism for the future. We went out and explore the city of Rio and had some really good times.After a week, I felt like I  met a really good friend. We went to the beach and explored the city of Rio together. In the weeks ending, we finish the year with a bang!  On New Years eve, She and I along with guest at the hostel went to Copacabana beach and witness a spectacle like nothing we had never seen. Fireworks lite up the skies of Copacabana beach, where the millions of people on the streets came from all over the world. It was a magical time and a great time because it was a transitional period. Things will started to take a dip in the following weeks coming.