Um Sesta in Seattle

Well hey there gang! It is a lovely day of rain here in Salvador, but instead of Seattle decked out northface coats and timberland waterproof shoes, we got havianas and short sleeves integrated with umbrellas and dodged projectile raindrops. Whilst the rain dots the streets and clothing alike, the temperature remains a lovely constant warm and enjoyable temperature. It is a beautiful city, we have gotten to explore more and more of it in our last fews days in Brazil, and learn but a bit more about culture and what it means to be Brazilian. While we do live in hotel/apartment rooms four stories high with views of the beach, we are on an anthropology trip! Margaret and Melanie (our professors leading our trip here in Salvador) have made as much of a possibility to realize that the Barra neighborhood is not what Brazilians know Salvador to be. We have taken trips around the residential areas where over 80% of the population of Salvador live, and got to see life in these neighborhoods which definitely reflect better the more impoverished areas of the city. It is a beautiful city no matter where you choose to live, and is lively and has such strong cultural ties, despite being a more dangerous Brazilian city during night time. We spent the evening last night at a festival inside of the plaza infront of the church of Sao Francisco, which is Salvadors most famous and more adorned church. It is a beautiful piece of architecture and home to such passionate individuals. The festa involved a lot of dancing and Forro music, as well as the streets decorated with acaraje vendors and kabob grillers, providing individuals a taste of Bahian food and Capirinas, which are made from the ever so popular Cachaça (a hard liquor closing resembling tequila, it is made similarly to rum, but instead of distilling and fermenting molasses which is boiled and refined, where Cachaça is made from fresh sugar cane). This as well as Nova Schin and Skol, which are the two most popular beers in Brazil (both being pilsners, I am yet to find anyother kind of beer here in Brazil). Everything here is delicious, and most of the time made with dende oil, which is a rich oil that is extracted from the fruit of the palm, which gives their food extravagent and rich flavors unrivaled by coconut or other lower beta-carotene oils. Though of course, often dende-newbies have stomache irritation, but I have seemed to power through to enjoy my plates of carne e frango and follow it with an icy Skol. Life is good here, we are all tired from our experience in SAJ, but so sad that it came to an end, just as our time in Salvador is. The individuals here, both Brazilians and Americans are great people. I feel so lucky to have spent time getting to know everyone.
Tomorrow is our last full day, which we will continue to learn about Salvador and the culture and people that turn the city from simple clusters of buildings to a live breathing organism, one that breeds Cadomble and soccer, that will host a great deal of the world cup, that has Bahian pride and Brazilian life all throughout it. Friday morning we find ourselves flying back to ]the States where we will spend a night in Miami (hopefully Mr. Nice Guy will Smith will hang out for a bit), and then finishind our journey to Seattle Saturday. I cannot wait to be able to share stories and see the faces of my Seattlite friends and family, and hate that I cannot see and hug the ones down in the Yay, or in the Bahamas. Though short lived, it will be great to have a night to celebrate before embarked just 36ish hours later to Indonesia. I will have to share more, hence back in the arms of Obama and the orignial 13 colonies.