Compare and Contrast :)

(these are most of the top phone companies in Brazil...or their logos at least. Oi means "hi", Claro means "it's clear...or of course" and Vivo means I live)

Soooo.....a lot has happened...as usual....over the past few days and I haven't had the time to keep up on my blog, lol. First things first! I got a cellphone FINALLY. I've been searching for nearly a week but the cheapest new cell phone that you can buy is like $70.....but Fernando had a friend (a.k.a. TANK) who sold me his old one for $30. The cool thing in Brazil is that, due to the high percentage of poverty (and to the fact that landlines in homes are even moreeee expensive than cellphones) cell phone companies have more options here than in the U.S. ......So, for example, you can have a phone....and not EVER have a plan on it....not EVER pay for minutes....and if you dial 9090 before punching in the number you want to call, what will happen is when the person answers the phone, an automated voice will say something like "If you answer this person's call, you will be paying for the minutes. If you still want to take the call, press 1". It's great because this way, I can have a phone without paying for ANY minutes and still be able to contact who I need to contact. And some people who are wealthy enough already have unlimited minutes anyway...so they aren't really "paying"for the call....they're just keeping me from having to pay. Brazil has a lot of "progressive"things like this that I would have never even thought about if I hadn't come here. It makes me wonder what else works differently in other parts of the world.

(these pics show the inside half of the Mutley club...pretty cool,eh???)

I'm really excited about tonight :) All the teachers from my school are going to have a "barbecue"party after the lessons are over. Apparently there is an American guy names Lamar who is dating one of the teachers at my school. He's really wealthy and lives in a realllllly nice apt in Taubate so it should be a lot of fun. Brazilians know how to have fun ;) Afterwards there is a club called Mutley that we're going to (probably around midnight or so). Brazil has such amazing weather that some clubs, like Mutley, are able to actually be outside...or well, half outside. It sounds strange, I know, but I've been to one before and they're really nice. You have a dance floor and a bar, and the landscaping is always beautiful....they usually have lights hanging all over the trees and everything....of course there is fencing around the area as well....but the bands are always live so there is great music. It's a lot of fun....I wish Oklahoma had nice enough weather year round to have something like this.

This is where Brazilians "barbecue". Nearly every single house, and even some apts (if you live in a penthouse) has one of the areas with a stone oven, outside of the house....usually in the backyard. This is where they cook shish kabobs of steak, pork, chicken, and veggies while drinking beer and eating peanuts or olives, etc. Brazilian barbecues usualllllly start very early in the day (2pm) and often last until midnight or later. You just cook, drink, eat, and hang out with friends and family all day. It's SO much fun. No burgers or hotdogs here, Lol....just GOOD healthy food.