I have been here three days and already done so many things! I have had many experiences with this thing called the "senha." A senha is the number that you get to hold your place in line. Normally I only encounter this only at Publix to buy lunchmeat, but here they use it for everything. It's quite nice--instead of standing in line you just pick up a number and sit until you're called.
One of the things I had to acquire was a CPF, which is the Brazilian version of a social security number. But now I am officially a person according to the Brazilian government! I exist!
Besides registering with the government, researching cell phone options, procuring all sorts of paperwork, catching the bus, and doing LOTS of walking, I have gotten to do many cool things. The other day Marta and I went to this neat little coffeeshop that sits across from a big park in the city. It's close to her house so we just took a stroll through the park to get home!
Today I went to my campus (in the "valley"), met my advisor, and chose my classes! My schedule is going to be great! I'm taking four classes (a normal class load here is eight or nine) and I won't have class on Mondays or Fridays! My classes are Syntax, Phonology, Psycolinguistics, and Pragmatics, which are all linguistics classes. I'm a little nervous about doing them all in Portuguese though.
Tonight is Bible study and will be my first one in Portuguese! Marta and I are going to make pão de queijo and I’m really excited to meet everyone!
You're taking psycholinguistics and pragmatics?! Jealous!!!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I just had pão de queijo at a wedding reception last weekend, and my friend named them "puffballs of glory." I said they had "all the delight of goldfish with the added sophistication of bread."
Yes! And the phonology and syntax classes are specific to Portuguese, which will be so helpful!
ReplyDeletehaha, I just told my friend about your little nickname for pao de queijo and she almost choked she was laughing so hard!