My New Brasilian Friends

Two weeks ago one of the students in my Saturday afternoon class came up to me after class to ask about my life, where I am living, what I am doing in Brasil…the typical questions. After a short conversation, she said that she really wanted me to come over to here house…but not today, and not next week because they were leaving town, but the following week. I said, sure, and then she introduced me to her husband, Alex, who has a class at the same time…in the more advanced class. Once I met him Aline stopped speaking English to me, and made her husband translate everything. Neither of them are excellent, but they both can usually communicate, and this is perfect for me because it forces me to use some Portuguese. They offered to drive me home even though they live in the complete opposite direction. They didn’t let me refuse…luckily neither of us are too far. Anyway, two weeks later, as I was preparing for class I began to wonder if the invitation still stood. I hadn’t seen them for two weeks and it was possibly that they forgot. But as soon as class was over Aline came up to me to make sure that I was still coming over. She then tried to explain that they didn’t have time to prepare, so she wanted me to come later. I said sure, but my first thought was, ‘man, how am I going to figure out how to get to their house by bus…this was going to be a pain.’ But then Alex and Aline exchanged some words and Alex asked if he could pick me up at 7:00pm. Great. So I got ready on Saturday around 6:30pm and did some internet surfing while I waited. Brasilians are usually late, so I would have been surprised if he was there at 7:00pm, but around 7:30pm I began wondering if I should call him. Nah, I decided that 30 minutes is still pretty normal, so I will wait a little longer…at 8:00pm I started wondering why he hadn’t called me yet, to say that he was late or something…were they standing me up? I totally felt like I was getting stood up for a date with a couple…it’s a little strange to even have a first date with a couple, let alone to be stood up. At 8:20pm, I was sort of getting tired and I though about going to bed, or eating something. Well, at 8:30pm they called to say that they had gotten lost. I talked them out of where they were and they picked me up around 8:40pm…really this isn’t that unusual here in Brasil, but I’m still not used to it. We went back to their house and the whole way they were excited to tell me that we were going to have hot dogs and corn bread. Yum. (‘yum’ is said sarcastically because really hot dogs and corn bread is not my favorite meals, but they are both palatable, so I think it will be ok.) Well let me tell you, Brasilian hot dogs are nothing like what I am used to. The dog itself is the same but they boil them in a tomatoe past with onions, peppers and …I don’t know what else. Then they put then in a French bread roll, with corn, peas, raisins, and little fried potatoes…like miniature French fries. Then you can add ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise if you want. It was like nothing I have had before…actually it was quite tasty. The corn bread was more like a corn cake with coconut…also very good. And the dessert was like a chocolate pudding/flan…it was amazing!! After dinner they wanted to see my house in Pittsburgh, so we went online to google earth and we played with that for a while. I showed him my house (from the street view) and they showed me both of their parent’s houses. They are both from Rio, and Alex’s mom doesn’t live too far from the beach…definitely a good contact to have. I was starting to get tired so they took me home, but we decided to see a movie together on Sunday. Great a second date!
On Sunday, they picked me up again and we went to see a movie at the mall. They had chosen and American movie with subtitles so that I could watch it too. The whole time that we spend together I am in a Portuguese lesson and they are learning English. It is really a nice trade. But it’s a little funny because everything that we walk past Aline points to and asks me how to say it…then she tells it to me in Portuguese. It’s really great.
Well, they had already bought the tickets on line and they didn’t let me pay for the popcorn and soda, so I am trying to figure out a way to pay them back.
During the previews…I don’t even know what the preview was for…but the guy held up the book “Everybody Poops.” I know this book because it was a gag gift for one of my friends in college. It is a children’s book, I think designed to help children get potty trained. Anyway, it of course has a funny title, and they put the Portuguese translation up as well. Aline started laughing and then she had seen the English word too, so she looked at me and said, “poop?” and then Alex, who wasn’t looking and had missed it asked why she was laughing. She couldn't stop…but finally translated poop for him. Then he looked at me (and he is very serious about learning English), and with a completely straight face asked, “to make a poop?” That of course set me off, and I couldn’t stop laughing….to make a poop!? Apparently that is how they say it in Portuguese. I had to correct him, “no, to poop is a verb, I poop, you poop, he/she/it poops….” then again it just occurs to me that I am conjugating ‘to poop’ out loud in a crowded theater. I could hardly stop laughing. Then Alex asks, “and the number 1?”… “pee”. “pee and poop?” “yes.” I said. Wow, that was definitely the funniest conversation that I have ever had about the English language. Unfortunately we were so busy laughing about pee and poop that I never got to learn the Portuguese version.
After the movie Aline started telling me how important it was that I get a cell phone. Well my phone was stolen on the beach in Recife, and I just didn’t have enough money to replace it. She told me that she works for a cell phone company and can get me a phone. So immediately we went to Extra…which is like a Super Wal-Mart…because it was the only place still open and I bought a sim card for US$8. Then we went back to their house where she had an extra phone laying around. She just gave me this cell phone! And she explained that I can call her collect for free, because of her work.
I am just blown away at the generosity of Brasilians…and this is a young couple…so they can’t have that much money or anything, but they are literally the nicest people ever!