Things I Have Learned on the Farm

Leave it to an American to assume they know everything about the world, right? I got to Brazil and even though I am a very open-minded person who frequently prides herself on her ability to accept the fact that she is not the most informed person about all things, I still found myself completely flabergasted about a variety of things in the past week.

1) CHICKENS SLEEP IN TREES. Seriously, who knew? I spent my whole life thinking they slept on the ground. But NO!! They climb up trees to sleep for the night---even the babies jump from one chicken's back to the other to get up to the top. They even fight over the best spots---occasionally you will see them fall out of the trees, as if it were raining chickens.

2) In Portuguese, the word nervoso means both nervous and angry. What I had been using for angry, estar com uma raiva, actually means so angry I am ready to fight you, not just angry or pissed off. I guess that I have been communicating that Humberto and I have been ready to punch each other, then just angry from time to time hahahah

3) Brazilians are scared of communisits. Especially Brazilans in Rondonia. This spells bad news for me. Someone with pretty strong communist tendancies.

4) Back to Chickens... Chicken fights are not Chicken Fights. Remember that game we all played in the pool where you got on one another's shoulders and tried to knock the other off. This must have originated from Chcken Sex. I proclaimed one night "WOW! All the chickens are fighting tonight!!!" Actually, they were having sex. Needless to say, we must either elimate Chicken Fighting from our childhood games repitoire!

5) I am rooting for Botafogo, Humberto's father's soccer team. The two times I have been to Brazil, they have played the day I was arrived against Humberto's family's team and won... I have a feeling this means I have to root for Botafogo. However, when they are not playing each other I'll just root for São Paulo, Humberto's team, or Botafogo, his father's team, whichever is on TV.  I hate choosing sides.

6) I LOVE NOVELAS. TEMPOS MODERNOS is about the most addicting thing I have ever watched. Every night Humberto's dad and I rush to take showers so that we can watch it---and if we miss a part we make sure to tell the other what has been happening while the other was in the shower. I am sorry for making fun of all those Latin Americans who love novelas....

7) On a clear night, the moon and stars are actually brighter than lights from the city.

8) Brazilians eat all day. Non stop. I can't even sit down for a real meal becuase all I do is eat all day. All this weight I have worked so hard to loose over the past year.... I fear it is making a return.

9) Going for a run on the farm is a dangerous endeavor. I ran into a cow. That just had a baby. Let's just say I will not go running on the farm again.

10) CHICKENS SLEEP IN TREES! This ceases to make me die of laughter... every night around 5 or 6, when they start heading up to sleep, I just sit. Staring. In disbelief. It's the most absurd thing I have ever seen. Chickens, in a tree. Sleeping.