Lessons in Portuguese: Look at those stars!

I'm not sure why, but about 4 years ago, I really started to love stars. Some think they're not quite as entertaining because "they're just stars" -cough cough- but there's something about just laying on the ground on a summer night and looking up at the stars that I LOVE. Sometimes I look for constellations, or make up my own, or watch for shooting stars (not to be confused with lightning bugs... lolz), and other times I just like to lay on the ground, in silence. I know, sounds glorious right? Laying in dirt getting eaten alive by mosquitoes... what's not to love!?

Anyway, last night the stars here were GLORIOUS! I couldn't stand it. It was almost making me sick just looking at them because of how beautiful it was! Last year whenever the stars were especially bright, I would try to take a picture of them. I always imagined it looking something like this:

Unfortunately, my pictures always turned out like this:

I even had a pal from good ol' TIU that would "take pictures of the stars" and send them to me..... they were all black screens. Sweet.

Anyway, its been an exciting couple of weeks!
I've been able to have "full responsibility" for teaching the 5th and 6th graders and its been great. I like to call it full "POWER" because it makes me feel like I'm real cool.

My cooperating teacher :)

Last weekend, after a little fender bender, a few other teachers and friends and I went out to Poco Azul (blue well). After a B-E-A-UTIFUL hike/ walk/ stroll, we got to the waterfall. We took turns jumping (only off the high cliff because the low cliff is for sissys), "grabbed" some lunch, walked under the waterfall, practiced skipping rocks with human targets (yes, my friend Dawna actually hit the director of our school square in the forehead), and went exploring. :)

Pose was my idea... lolz

The trail to the falls :)

Teacher friends after we chowed.

A few days later, all of the staff from school went out to a real-life Brazilian steak house. I don't think I've ever seen so much meat in my entire life. About every 2 minutes (or less), a waiter would come by with a different type or cut of meat and you can take as much as your little heart desires! Speaking of hearts, yes, I ate chicken heart. One other thing they had which I've learned to love since being here was sushi, sushi. sushi, out the wazoo! They even had sushi with fruit inside! Even KIWI! "Delicious and Nutritious!" This was a highly controversial topic at the table because fruit sushi isn't "real sushi," but I still love it.

Brazilians eat chicken hearts like popcorn... handfulls at a time. (Joking)

Since March is "Reading Month," we had a reading celebration on the last day of the month. Top readers from each grade got prizes and there was a big celebration complete with water games. After all the organized events were over, it turned into a mad dash to get every person who was anywhere on school property, drenched. I lasted about 30 seconds. This 2 hour water fight ended with an impromptu dance party complete with the electric slide, cupid shuffle and the classic YMCA!