Classes are in session!!

My learning labs are officially in session, and my students are coming in to see me for help with their English writing skills and listening comprehension. Their English levels vary significantly. I have students who speak almost perfect English, and they sound like native speakers. I also have students who are just learning English for the first time. It’s lots of fun and really interesting when I have to teach English in Portuguese. My students help me with my Portuguese and I help them with their English!

Actually, I started taking Portuguese classes last week. I’m in an intermediate course with Jeff, Sam, and Emma at the university where I teach. Jeff and Sam are international exchange students from the United States.

They are taking mechanical engineering courses at UFPA until the end of the semester in July. Emma is from New York and has lived in Belém for about a year now. She is also an English professor at another school in Belém. She is married and her husband is from Pará. She is brushing up on her Portuguese even though it is already perfect—she’s got that nasal sound, down pat!

I am super stoked about my Capoeira classes that also started last week. I’ve been pretty busy, but I’m having a blast!!

The first day, we were introduced to the various instruments that are played during the “lutas,” or fights. These instruments include the pandeiro (tamborine), atabaque (Afro-Brazilian hand drum), the reco-reco (güiro), the chocalho (similar to maracas), and probably the most important, the berimbau (a single stringed percussion piece from Brazil that is somewhat like a music bow without the arrow). I learned how to play the berimbau—I’m pretty amazing… amazingly bad!! Hahaha!!

I met a girl from Colombia in class. Her name is Lily, and she is a beast in the circle. She sure knows her Capoeira! We’re the only foreigners, and it’s so nice to have someone with whom I can speak a more familiar language. Although, when I speak Portuguese, my students will stop me occasionally to let me know that I’m actually speaking Spanish. I mix the two all the time, and I get caught speaking Portunhol!

My partner for our first practice was Jhuno. He’s the most awesome little kid and such a great teacher—the kid is talented! He was in a handstand for sometime and jumped up into a back flip. I could barely do a cartwheel. He was really patient and walked me through the steps slowly. Just a couple more practices before I can take on Jean Claude Van Dam in the sequel to Only the Strong!!

Check out my instructor-he's singing while he fights...crazy!

On Friday, my students invited me to breakfast at Poema, one of the most beautiful places on our campus. I was in complete awe when I saw it. I could not believe this was still the university. Seeing all the trees, the wet sand, and the small creatures that would come up from the ground made it feel like we had walked straight into the jungle.

We had breakfast on the dock overlooking the river.

There was a cool breeze as we sat and enjoyed the bread, sandwiches, and juice that my students brought. It was such a great time!

Small fishing boats passed us by and one came right underneath the dock.

Most of the fishermen live along the river with their families. One of my students explained that it is very common for boats to come up to people near the water and ask for food or clothes.

My students offered some of our food and brought it down to them. I was so impressed by their kind gesture.

They even offered food to another student who joined us to practice his English. A mother came by with her daughter to sit and watch the river. My students gave her food too, and she didn’t even ask! I feel that people here are generally very compassionate even to absolute strangers.

We walked around a bit after breakfast to take pictures. My students are crazy about pictures!! They take more than I do, and I take a lot! They made me laugh so much, and I had such a good time even though it was really hot and we were all pretty sweaty by the end.