Yesterday (Saturday) was a free day. I wanted to talk to my family and Chase in the morning while they were available so I got up around 7, ate breakfast, and went for a short run. I took the run com tudo calma because I want to give myself plenty of time to adjust to the food, climate, and traveling. Parque Grande is very close to here and it seems like a great place to run. There are police officers around and tons of kids and other people running. The mornings are very pleasant and there always seems to be a nice breeze here since it is so close to the coast. When I got back I took a quick shower and got to use the Internet at my house to talk on Skype for a while. I started a list of new vocabulary words and had lunch with Conchita and Isa (the 30 yr. old daughter). Isa invited me to go with her to a soccer game of her favorite team, Victória, and listen to farró music later that night at a boate (night club). Salvador has 2 teams but Victória is in Division II, though Isa is sure that they will pass to Division I soon, and the other team, Salvador, is only in Division III. Her boyfriend, Favio, picked us up and we met up with some of their friends at the game. May I just say that Brazilians are amazing soccer players. Victória won 4:0 in a fine display of futebol. The tickets were R$10 (~$5 USD) and we went in a special section only for people with an orange bracelet which Isa’s friend gave us. She told us that the other parts of the stand are more chaotic and indeed, they were. People set off firecrackers, played drums, waved huge flags, and danced through the whole game.

After the game we stopped by a restaurant and talked to a few friends of Isa and Favo, then Isa and I picked up some bread for Conchita and went back to the house. We left for the boate at 10:15 and picked up Favio. Once again Isa seemed to know all the right people and got us 3 VIP passes for free entry. All the women were dressed to impress and it doesn’t seem to matter the body type, they all strut it! We met with more of Isa’s friends and Ruben, another student in the program (although I thought that he was Brazilian at first). I learned that the name farró supposedly came about during WWII when there was a big dance that the Americans said was “for all” and which the Brazilians understood as farró (pronounced as fa-ho). I learned how to dance to it pretty easily. It’s just two steps to the side with a little kick. Ruben’s host family took me home (because Isa wanted to go to Favio’s house), and I cleaned up and slept until this morning when I woke up to the sound of a soccer game in a field near my apartment. I ran again this morning and took a nap. Isa invited me to go with her to the beach and another soccer game but mass at the church near the house is at 6, so I told her I’d go with her tomorrow. I’m going to take the day to rest and watch TV with Conchita, who sits and stitches all day watching TV programs. I’m not used to so much TV, but it is helpful to hear the Portuguese with visual clues.