MOM, Karine, Gabriel

Hi All,
This will be short (ill write more later), but just wanted to let you know things are good. My mom is coming November 9-23 and I think I’m gonna take her to Sao Paulo and my teachers beach house on an island...we´ll see. The hotel she is gonna stay at is the nicest in Vitoria, has a private dock, a descending ski lift type thing. That weekend I have a mandatory trip to Cacheira...I still don’t know why it’s mandatory, maybe because eap is paying for it, but I don’t know the academic signifance--okay I won’t complain.

This week was interesting, because it was the first week I have really had to bust my butt here. It reminded me that I have a paper to write soon, its my final....about whatever topic I want, but it has to pertain to afro-Brazilian culture. I’ll probably write mine on identity, but I’m not sure.

LATER......................
Okay, two funny stories...
Yesterday I busted my sister. Tere and I had gone to Frio Gostoso, and Tere got an ice cream cone (I quit frio for myself because it’s a bad addiction). By the time we get to my house, Tere has ice-cream dripping down her elbow, and requests a place to dispose of her soggy cone. So, I point her to the kitchen and take off for my sister’s room. When I knocked, I swear she told me to enter, so I tried but the door was locked. She opens the door with a notebook and pen in her hand like she is doing homework....I simply just wanted to say good evening, and to let her know I was home (I hadn’t seen anyone in two days cause of test). The air in her room was so thick, I couldn’t find the words to tell her why I even came to talk to her. It was clear by the way she was looking at me that I wasn’t supposed to be there. I got so nervous (my family has really intense eyes) that I dropped my keys and didn’t notice that Tere had been asking me where to put her cone. I turn around and walk back to the kitchen to open the door and I couldn’t. My sister comes running down the hall, knocks and starts asking Gabriela to open the door. I though that was strange since there was no light on under the door....it was night time after all (maybe like 6pm) We knocked for 20 seconds or so and then I start telling Gabriela to open the door (I thought it was my brother Gabriel, but she was saying Gabriela.) This girl I have never seen opens the door looking tossed up and gets a glass of water...meanwhile; my sister is kind of blocking the doorway. I kinda give her a shove look over her shoulder and see the light on in the back (in my tio´s room.) I turn around and tell Tere to enter the kitchen so that she can toss her cone, and then realize she is in....when I turn around again the girl goes out the back door, and I remember whats going on and go after her to see who is there. My sister walks in front of me and blocks the doorway to the back and I push past her and realize that the light is no longer on in my tios room, and the door to the service entry (back stairwell) is open. Gabriela then takes off without really introducing herself (very rude in Brazilian culture) while my sister is yelling something at her....who knows what, way cryptic Portuguese. When I tell my sister I won’t tell on her, but I’m just curious to know who was there, she says Gabriela sol? hmmm so I go take a shower, laughing all the way to the shower, then Yalie comes over.. /While I’m in the shower, Yalie and Tere talk in the living room and hear a male voice. (I forgot to mention this all took place while I would have been normally napping, my brother outside, and mom at work...I was off schedule). Anyway when I come out Yalie says that this was a team operation...instead of investigating we just speculate ways Karine´s man could have got out of her room...since her was probably in there when I felt the strange vibe. Two seconds later we here two pairs of barefeet slapping against the wood floor then the back stairwell door slam shut....sneaky. I told her I knew Velor was there, but she insisted no, and that she would see him tomorrow... it was funny... I really felt like a big sister for once....

So you know how I told you my brother Gabriel is 13, but looks 8? He acts like he is my dad! The other day I was talking on the phone and my mom told me to get off for lunch. As soon as I sat at the table, the phone rang again. My little brother told the maid that if it was for me, to tell whoever I was not at home.....he looked embarrassed when I told him that wouldn’t be necessary....he didn’t know I understood what he said.. it’s funny because he is careful what he says around me now, and I hear him tell his friends that I understand things now, so to be careful...he’s so cute though. The other night he made this nasty concoction he was proud of that consisted of condensed milk and chocolates....he loves chocolate more than anything in the world...I think even more than Nike...maybe even more than Linkin Park....he calls them Linkin Parkie cause that’s just how they do it here.

At dinner last night I told my mom that I needed to go get a phone card for my cell, and he jumped up and asked me if I would like him to go for me. I told him no, cause sometimes the banco doesn’t have my type and he said he really wanted to go for me, and would go to every banco he could till he found one....he’s so cute...he came back with one of my friends 2 seconds later so happy that he got my card in record time...it was sooooo cute. He is the sweetest kid over (when it comes to me)....he can also be horrible to the maid and sometime rude to his mom (scared at the same time though cuz she still spanks him, but he absolutely adores her so).

Saturday mornings its usually just me and him, but he slept in this Saturday....I got up to go pee, and saw him sleeping on the floor with his baseball cap on....he was trying to hide from the sun....so cute.

Okay...enough about my family....Ill write more later,
Ps. I got an email from my US mom stating that I should edit my live journals before I send them....I think I’m embarrassing her, sorry. But, you have to understand its a journal, and if I edit it it will compromise the quality its a journal for me that I am sharing with you, so I am sorry if its not aesthetically or intellectually pleasing.... also, I pay for net so I don’t have time and it would take away from the time I just write....this is just a free write...but, if you want some stuff that is better articulated, send me an email and Ill send you a class essay or something....also, if you want a post card you have to send me your address too. Okay, hope all is well. Tchau o

Oh yeah, sorry I don’t have pix for posting cause my mom suggested I leave the digital at home and its hella expensive to make a disk from film....so after mom gets here its on, and Ill send you a dotphoto link....mom please bring my blank disks under my vanity (if you can).