Chatter Box

Since we last chatted, a lot has been happening, as promised. I did end up going to that church on Thursday so that I wouldn’t be late today. Thursday morning, I spent about an hour online trying to figure out what bus route I needed to take to get to my destination. I also looked up how to say, “Can you tell me when we get to Rua Silvestre?” for the bus driver. See, the thing is, the buses here are easy, if you know where you’re going. On subways and metros, they alsway announce which stop is next, and when you get there, they let you know. Not here. No sirree. You gotta know your stop. Which can be interesting if you’ve never been somewhere…

So, when I got on my bus, I went to the driver and started by saying in Portuguese, “I speak VERY little Portuguese,” and proceeded to ask my question. All I wanted was a yes or no answer. But no, instead, my question was met with very fast Portuguese, of which I did not understand. When I gave him a confused look, he gave me a disgusted one. When I specifically say I don’t speak Portuguese and don’t understand when they speak to me in Portuguese, I am the idiot. Right.

So, I sat in the front, hoping that he would signal me. Note to self: never sit in the front on a bus. Ignorance is bliss...

After my harrowing experience, I finally made it in one piece, albeit a little nauseous, to the church, which was closed… Gah. Luckily (well, not really), and old man from across the street came over to help me. I say not really because he barely spoke English. And by barely, I mean, he knew numbers. I was able to tell him in my limited Portuguese, and I quote, “I want to see where the church is, because I arrive on Sunday.” When he asked if everything is ok, I replied with, “I want to speak to pastor, but he is not here. No problem. I arrive on Sunday. Thank you very much.” Arrive was the only word I could think of at the time. And the past and future tenses make me tense under pressure. Pun intended.

Friday, I wasted half my morning rearranging my dining room and living room, only to realize, it looks like crap any way other than the way it was/is again. We also watched the movie, Colombiana. So cool. Love a girl who kicks butt.

Yesterday, I came to the realization that efficiency in errand running is impossible here. I went to the Chinese Market (my favorite place for cheap stuff) and the grocery store, which is directly across the street. The entire trip took me an hour and a half, and I only bought about 15 items. What? I don’t know how it happens. Later in the afternoon, Miguel left for Portugal again, so I spent the night alone. Well, not alone. Just me, a glass of red wine, dark chocolate, and Audrey Tatou in Amélie. Stunning evening.

Mad Men has recently caught my attention, so I watched my third episode of that. It’s difficult to watch. I think I could write a whole thesis on the themes of racism, alcoholism, and sexism in the show. It’s a bit difficult to watch, yet strangely addicting. Another note to self: don’t watch sad stuff before bedtime.

Today, I went to church which, in all honesty, I didn’t really enjoy. Eighteen people (I counted), 12 of which were tourists from the UK. All but a (roughly) 35-year-old mother and her baby were over the age of 60. Not really my scene… Oh well. That’s how you learn. On to the next one, I suppose. Then I caught up with my family and Biff (best friend) over Skype. The joys of technology. How I miss them.

Tonight, I plan on watching some more movies that I “rented” (I call it renting because I delete them after I watch them…). Then my hubs will be home around 1 AM. I should probably take a nap if I am expected to be awake at that time.

So that pretty much sums up my week/weekend. Until next time kids. Keep it classy.

Care to hear a current Portuguese craze? It’s everywhere. You can’t escape it… I know the words. That should tell you something.