Momentos

Son los momentos,

De cada día,

Cada minuto que se va,

Esos momentos de nuestra vida

Que nunca se olvidarán.

No los dejes pasar.

-Reik, Momentos

It's now been a little more than two months since I arrived in Brazil, which means there's only a little less than two months until I go home- Talk about a scary thought. I had half-hoped to be able to stay for the insanity that is going to be the World Cup, but I ended up unexpectedly getting an internship with the Bank of Evil (known by some as the World Bank) in Washington DC, which means I'll have to return home even before my semester has officially ended. Not ideal, but then again, who am I to turn down an obscenely well-paid internship furthering capitalist subjugation of the Global South (I'll actually be working in the Latin America Poverty and Gender Equality division, but I guess that's basically the same thing, at least according to some of the professors I had last semester). 

Perhaps the most interesting development of the past month has been my change of accommodations; I was originally living with a host family, but last week I moved into an apartment with two Brazilian students. Much as I loved my host family, it proved to be just too frustrating living far away from the campus- usually about an hour away by bus. I'm a big fan of my beauty sleep, and having to wake up at 6AM every day just doesn't do it for me. On top of that, the money I was paying for rent ended up being about three times what most other study abroad students were paying, and there honestly just weren't enough benefits to justify that insane increase. It proved to be difficult socially as well, since I was one of the few foreign students not living with a college-age Brazilian, and didn't have any as neighbors either. My only host sibling was 10 years old, and I mostly wanted to throw her out of a window anyway, which didn't really help. 

I'm now living in an apartment about 10 minutes away from the campus, and I couldn't be happier with the situation. Well, perhaps I could be if there were air conditioning inside, or if my new room were slightly larger than a closet, but considering that I'm paying a third the price for way more convenience, better company, and better food, I really can't complain too hard. There's something to be said for being able to wake up 10 minutes before the start of class, or being able to walk home after a night at the bar, rather than having to wait until the buses start again in the morning at 5AM. 

I have no good reason for including this picture, I just thought it was a cool bug.

By now, I've more or less settled into the routine of classes, transit, homework, and social life. As it turns out, the last bit of that equation has become somewhat more important than the others; classes in my university seem to be almost entirely focused on testing and essays rather than regular homework. Most grades will be made up completely up of a test or two, an essay, and a final exam or project. The great part about this that I can go through entire weeks without doing a single moment of academic work outside of class. The problem, of course, is that if I screw up on one assignment, then I have very, very few other opportunities to make it up.

 The other problem, which honestly isn't a huge problem yet, is that it's allowed me to enjoy a certain amount of glorious hedonism I haven't been able to do for years. I've had many a day full of exploring the city, followed by an evening at one of the city's many bars and a night at a club somewhere with friends. I do fear that it's going to (or already has) lure me into a false sense of complacency, in which I suddenly realize I have a huge volume of assignments or other work I've completely forgotten about, or left until the last minute. Sort of like my normal semester at Middlebury, except worse. But for now, I'm enjoying the luxuries of being able to take a few days off thinking about school in general, and enjoying my life how I want to. I'm not sure when I'll ever be able to do it again.

Belo Horizonte from the top of the Serra do Curral, a small mountain/large hill overlooking the city

My friend Davide enjoying the view

Davide and Deissy

This was the third time I've visited this particular lookout. I regret nothing.

Over my two months here, I've really, really come to love Belo Horizonte. It's the first time in a while I've been able to stay put in one place and really enjoy it, which of course I've been doing a lot of. I've picked up the mineiro accent and mannerisms while speaking Portuguese, become an avid fan of one of the local football teams, and learned some traditional recipes for the wonderful local food. Best of all, I've been able to take the time to explore some smaller corners of the city; the local restaurant with cheap, delicious food and an incredibly friendly owner, the quiet, leafy plazas that are perfect for sitting and reading a book or playing music, the bustling shopping centers with overpriced clothing, tempting bookstores, and the ever-tempting foreign fast food chains (Lebanese fast food? Yes please.). Even though it's a huge city, it has somewhat of a small-town feel compared to the world-class cities I've visited, like São Paula, Ha Noi, or even La Paz. There's the sense that, if I were to stay, I really could get to know it like the back of my hand, and that's something I really value in a place. 

Who could have thought aquarium stores were fun for photography?

Of course, there are some things I could like better; the transportation is hectic and unreliable, the internet is reliably slow, and the bureaucracy is insufferable. The other day, I spent a total of seven hours waiting to register with the federal police, only to be told that the fingerprinter had gone home early, so I had to come back later. As of now, I'm still somewhat of an illegal immigrant, which is a little frustrating. Nonetheless, I'm really not looking forward to leaving, despite the fact I'm incredibly excited for the summer and beyond.

You know what else is fun for photography? The local market.

I really should write more, considering how long it's been since my last blog entry (remember when I mentioned laziness?), but my bus for Rio de Janeiro is leaving soon, and I really should head out to the station. And oh yes, there will be LOTS of pictures after that particular vacation.