Today’s Breakthroughs: I am pleased to announce that after almost a week of being completely immersed in the Portuguese language today, I, Sarah Kyle McClellan, was able to maintain (mostly) a full conversation with my family!

Things we discussed:

• How long she’s been here
• Where she was born
• Where her filho (son) lives
• What my plans for the evening are
• What my American parents are like, etc.

Granted, my Portuguese is still VERY, I repeat, VERY broken but we have been able to keep up the “talking” since almoço (lunch).  No more sitting silently listening for this girl!  It’s very exciting 🙂

Daily rundown:

 9:00am: This morning lecture at UFBA was very interesting.  Prof. Inês Dourado, MD, PhD spoke to us on HIV/AIDS and health disparities research among key populations in Northeastern Brazil.  Dr. Dourado has been in residence at Brown University this past Spring and gave a lecture at GSU right before Spring Break (I unfortunately was unable to attend).  The number of AIDS cases is grown considerable in the North of Brazil (Amazon), however, in the south, there is already a high prevalence but it has begun leveling out in areas like Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.  Key populations in Brazil include; men who have sex with men (MSM), drug users (DU), sex workers (FSW), and young/gay men.  In 2014, the overall prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the general population is less than 1% (0.6%) qualifying as a “stable epidemic.”  The incidence rate of HIV/AIDS in Brazil is 20.2 cases/100,000 people.  However, the prevalence is significantly higher among key populations; MSM (14.5%), DU (5.9%), FSW (4.9%).  The transgender population has the highest prevalence of HIV (19%) and a 48.8 times greater odds of HIV-infection when compared to the general population.

When Anu, Naomi and I were walking to Shopping Barra in the rain on Thursday, I decided that if I was ever to live and drive in Salvador, there is one key phrase I would need to know…so I decided to ask Mauricio (our Portuguese teacher), “Mauricio, como se diz, ‘I will hit you with me car!’?” … and there you have the title of today’s post 🙂

2:45pm: The afternoon was spent shaking it with Antonnio Cozido.  The most INCREDIBLE dancer!  He has been dancing for 30 years.  He said that he used to be kind of large but then he found dance and started eating VERY healthily and after 3 years was slim and fit.  The best way to describe him would be Michelangelo’s David,  with perfect sculpted arms and abs you just want to touch and boy can he move!  I’ve always been jealous of the control dancers possess over their whole bodies.  Also, like ALL Brazilians, Antonnio looks 15 years  younger than his actual age.  He said he was 53 years old but with the body of a 30 year old.  Note to self: must find out Brazil’s secret and bottle that sh!t (I think it’s all the fresh suco).

     

 9:00pm:  Sânia Miranda de Macêdo, Naomi and Angie’s Mãe, took Naomi, Angie, Anu, Irasema, Alex and I to small bar called Bar Toalha da Saudede (Batatinha) where we listen to a live band, danced, and drank 14 bottles of Sol (cerveja) and Caipirinhas.  The drinks here are between 5 and 9 reais or <1 to 3 dollars…I’m never coming back to the States.

Isso é todas as pessoas (rough translation of ‘That’s all folks”)