Day 12, Thursday, was a laundry day, so I ended up wearing my aloha shirt to school. The Internet told me not to bring ¨Hawaiian shirts¨as Brazilian people despise them.
At school, no one seemed bothered buy it, no one commented… until the break between class, one of the women who work at the desk told me she noticed my shirt and loved it. I told her it was an aloha shirt, and that I had been warned not to wear it. We got into the meaning of “aloha” and how Hawaiian culture is not my culture, but how as an Asian American I get extended certain privileges by local people in Hawaii, and what the aloha shirt means when I wear it.
In the afternoon I spent some time at the apartment while my phone charged. For lunch I walked into Copacabana and had lunch at a kilo buffet, then bought some souvenirs on the walk back.
When I made it back to the apartment, I realized I had left my bag at the restaurant. I told the doorman “Esqueci a mochila” and he was like “Esqueceu a mochila!” I walked all the way back, got my bag, bought some more souvenirs, and stopped at Copacabana Beach, which was already in the shade.
Later I had dinner again at another buffet by the kilo, and waked west into Ipanema, where the neighborhood turns into a ritzy shopping mall. I don’t really care for that, but I was able to buy a new backpack for the flight back, as the souvenirs are starting to accumulate.
On the street I saw F, I told her “¡Hasta mañana!” Later I stopped to have a beer and a salad with some of the guys at school.
I took a shower and went to bed, and then around 11pm I woke up hungry, so I made myself some sopita.
This morning I had breakfast at the 24-hour buffet by the kilo and then practiced a little ukulele in the plaza, and had a second coffee at the Aussies.
I was on time for class, but F didn’t show up, so it was just me. My instructor and I decided to waive the presentations, waive the break, and move the class to a nice location. We had a nice conversation about bossa nova and Brazilian literature. I ended the class an hour early because the weather was too nice.
I had some lunch, and then went to Ipanema Beach. It’s not hot but the beach is full of people on chairs and under umbrellas, so I just waked in the sand a bit and bought some cheap sunglasses from a lady at a bench. She showed me two styles of the same model, one squarer and one rounder, and I chose the rounder one and paid R$50 BRL. She insisted I take the protective sleeve. As I left, she wished me “Boa pride!”
Back at Aussie now, blogging. Getting sleepy, it’s a good time for a nap. I might make pork adobo for my roommate tonight.
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