Mass, the bus, vegans, and mandioca

Sunday was fantastic. I woke up at 7am and went to mass. I can´t help it, I just prefer 8am mass. I usually go to the 10am or 6pm mass but those masses are so crowded, and there is so much singing, and the priest/congregation talks so much. We all have our limitations, and mine happens to be that I don´t like crowded, talkative, singy masses (unless it is St. Augustine´s in Washington Dc where the sining is AMAZING!). I want to like them, I try to like them, and I don´t. I constantly remind myself that I am at mass to thank God, not for my own pleasure....and yet....why fight to like something when I have the peaceful 8am mass? I also returned the secret santa bag I had picked up a few weeks before, filled with goodies for an impoverished 9 year old boy that I have never, and will never, met. I was suposed to buy him clothes and 1 toy. I did buy him a rocking tshirt and board shorts, 1 toy, and three books. I couldn´t help it! I had to include books. My aunt suggested that I buy him clothes from Walmart but I hate Walmart, in much the same way I hate corndogs (with a physically nauseating passion), and I didn´t want to buy him lots of cheap stuff. I know, I know - it isn´t very practical. He is poor, receiving a christmas donation for a gift, so perhaps more is better. I spent a fair share of money on him (much more then I spent on my cousin´s), so if I had gone cheap I could have definitely spent more. He is poor, but he still probably knows what is cool (if my Gotas kids are any indiation) and it was with them in mind that I bought him what I did. I only pray it serves him well.


After that early start I jumped on the bus (the bus and I are now buddies, I´ve even bought the Bilhete Unico card that allows for me to transfer for free - when I whip it out I really feel like a native) and headed to the 2nd Annual Vegan Xmas Bazar. Xmas Bazars are very typical here - churches, NGO´s, communities - you name it - and they are putting together some sort of event to sell goods in the days before xmas. This was a Vegan Bazar so all the products were animal cruelty free, and loads of activists and NGO´s were attending - I had to go. It was the most challenging bus ride to date, for sure. To get there the bus drove down a freeway type avenue called the 23rd of May and I had to randomly select a spot I thought may be good - but had no clue since I´d never been there before. Cars whizzed by as I cluelessly followed some people up a hill. The fact that I arrived, in relatively short order, must have been divine intervention. Once there I loaded up on purchases. I bought my cousin her birthday present, my roomies some rockin´ buttons, a vegan cookbook just about corn, and lots of soaps from Sampamazonia. Their stuff is so cool. It is animal free, environmentally conscious, and kinda fair tradish (not officially). I´m headed back to their official store location and loading up for my return to the states.


I can´t believe I´m headed back. I am starting to feel very sad. I´m not ready to leave my grandmother. I still have so much português to learn. I still have so much mandioca to practice preparing. I made a mandioca coconut cake last night.It wasn´t that good; undercooked and flavorless, but my aunt raved about it. (She is so sweet, I will miss her too). The recipe called for shredded coconut, I didn´t add that because I don´t really like it, but otherwise I followed the recipe exactly - even added vanilla. There just wasn´t enough flavor. I´m brainstorming and have some good ideas, once it comes out better I´ll post.



Personal Update:

-I have a second phone interview on Friday. The more I learn about the company, Summer Search, the more excited I get.

-My uncle was released from the hospital today. If you do that kinda of thing, pray for him.

-My apartment is all set, they received the check my mom sent for me. I can´t wait! Well, I can wait a little because I´m so sad to leave my family in Brasil. But...my roomie and I are already planning a party for Jan.19th (hopefully to coincide with a lil cuzin´reunion that is in the works).

-I don´t know what I would do without my mom. I CAN´T WAIT TO SEE HER AND MY POPPA!!!! My aunt is trying to say there isn´t enough room for me to meet them at the airport but wild horses aren´t keeping me away.

-Boys. Ugh. Double ugh. I don´t know what is going on with my brother, with my ex, or with my friend NYT (alias). Boys are so confusing. I am just going to keep doing the work by Byron Katie and praying. There is one male that makes me smile and doesn´t complicate anything - my Jump instructor. He is great to look at, he doesn´t talk much except to say "you can do it" and "good job melissa", and he´s always happy to see me. What more can a girl ask for. Tehee!