Well its March in Curitiba an autumn has commenced. It's a little weird to say that, since obviously I'm used to saying that spring is in the air during March, but I swear the weather is just the same as it is in South Carolina-lots of rain and it can get cold overnight, then after a few days of sweatshirts it's back to the t-shirt and sunglasses, and maybe a light jacket for the evening. Just as unpredictable, so I guess I should be used to it! I have to admit I didn't quite believe those who told me that Curitiba gets cold, but I have been converted! I am not looking forward to the winter here, but I guess I'll deal.

If living in a different county is cultural experience and going to plays and art shows and concerts and the like is also a "cultural experience", then I have been getting a cultural cultural experience. :o) This past week Curitiba hosted the largest Theater Festival in South America and I went to see my share of the "spectaculos". I began with a comedy about two boys who have to expand on a lie in order to stay out of trouble, but which then causes everyone in the play minus one of the boys to be killed and sent to be judged in front of Jesus, who has an afro, and the devil, who has horns. It was amusing, but not one of the best stage productions I have seen. It was also a little hard to understand. Why is it that people think that in order to be funny they have to speak about 200 words per minute? But the next play was quite good- a musical based on Shakespear's Othello, but based in a Samba School in Rio de Janeiro in the 20's. I enjoyed that one, and the music was really nice. The next day I decided to do a double-featurea and saw the matinee production of "Oscar Wilde me Disse" and the midnight showing of "Jack Estripador." The first one was a romantic drama about two actors and during a rehearsal of Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest," they use Wilde's words to talk about their own relationship. I was blown away by the play and the emotion of the actors- definitely my favorite play of the entire week. I managed to take the poster of the play with me, and even talk a little bit to the director, so it was a full afternoon. My host sister and her boyfriend and I went to the midnight play that night and I really enjoyed it. It was a musical about Jack the Ripper, and quite enjoyable. My two companions either did not find it interesting or were very tired, because Ricardo was out 10 mins into the action, and Samara kept nodding off towards the end of it. I think that was just about as funny as the script, personally. Especially since before the play Ricardo was trying to convince Samara that we should all go to a bar afterwards and dance. Oh irony. :o)

Life is setteling down into that "semester groove" as I like to call it, and I only have 3 classes to take here, so that leaves me plenty of time to read my homework. Believe me, I need all the time I can get for it, too! But I did have a nice time standing in the rain at the busstop in my completely soaked pants waiting for my bus, and then getting on the right bus going the wrong direction and having to wait again about 20 mins (its later now, so colder) was quite a hoot for me.

I will say one thing, the people who have opened up to me have been more than a Godsend- in Curitiba people are more "fechado" (closed) and don't really like to talk to new faces, and that been a little bit of a challenge for me. But the people in the Yoga studio and some of the students in my classes and especially my host family have been so welcoming. It really makes being in another country a little easier. I know being from the South I have a good idea of Southern Hospitality, but I really have been inspired to be super super nice to people in a new place because its just such a nice feeling to have people that really want to let you into their lives as well as their city.

Oh, and one last thing- Grits has gone global!! I'm serious! Today for lunch I ate a mush made from corn (thats nothing other than grits) topped with ground beef in sauce. May not be exactly what I'm used to eating, but it was so close that I got really excited! And I really liked it. I beleive here that particuar dish is called ..ummmm... something that begins with a P. hehe. Oh, and I was feeling the lack of peanut butter in my life so my wonderful parents sent me a jar and I promptly sat down to eat an apple and peanut butter- possibly one of the most heavenly snacks ever. So I now have peanut butter, and a form of grits in my geladeira, so I couldn't be more happy, now, could I?