work is work and that's why we call it work

Sorry for the lapse in blogs. I have been busy.

An english teacher left, so now I have a full schedule. I really don't mind working 30-40 hours a week, because I like to be busy, but I should be getting paid more!
In this aspect I miss the U.S., you can work hard there and have the money to show it.
In Brazil for a lot of jobs you work your ass off and it gets you nowhere.
For instance, the money I will make here in two months is LESS THAN HALF what I would make working this much at home, and at home if I worked full time I could get benefits, vacation-time, etc.
I think I will ask for a small raise for next month since I am working so much more than originally agreed upon......

Anyways, I have signed up at a gym here. It's nice because its cheap and I automatically get a personal trainer assigned to me, which I would have to pay a good deal for in the U.S. So I have been working out harder than ever before, if all goes well I should return with a smokin' hot bod right?
They also did an entire physical evaluation, with height and weight measurements, percent body fat, everything and then told me a weight loss goal and designed a workout plan in order to achieve this goal.
Well they told me to lose 9 kilos (i.e. almost 20 pounds!!!) which is definite bullshit. No way I want to lose 20 pounds-I'd be a skeleton, but I think they just tell you the lowest healthy weight for someone your age, height, and sex. And telling you that you need to lose 20 pounds makes you feel fat and therefore want to continue your membership at the gym.
Brazilian women dress alot different to work out, crazy colorful spandex bodysuits with cutouts!

Examples! (note that I did not take these pictures- I'm not that creepy!)

stranger in a strange land

Like I said before, I am in a pretty small city that doesn't get many foreigners. This has given me an interesting minor celebrity status. It also gives me an interesting insight into what some Brazilians think about Americans, and general stereotypes of the U.S.

So I don't look like an average Brazilian- the combination of being pale, having green eyes, wearing different (more conservative?) clothes, it makes me stick out pretty well without even having to open my mouth. Everywhere I go in this city, people stare at me. Well, not exactly stare, they try to be more discreet about it, frequent long glances, turning around and staring once I walk past them.....
In India, where staring is generally socially acceptable, it was much more noticeable, well that and people blatantly photographed and videotaped you, even running up and posing, then running away again. Compared to that I really don't mind people here being curious about me. I just get uncomfortable, people always looking at me.

Most people are just super friendly and say really nice things, like "its so cool to meet an American" (surprising to me, you actually like americans?), and "say more things in english, its so cute when you talk" but here are some of the more amusing assumptions/comments/questions I've encountered so far:

-"Wow, you aren't fat!" (I expected this one I guess)
-"Oh, I thought you would have big boobs!" (sorry to disappoint)
-"Oh my god, you're so pale.... branquela, branquinha, leite" (literal translation: whitey and milk)
-Everyone assumes I'm super rich, especially if they see my macbook or ipod because as expensive as they are in the U.S. they are ridiculously impossibly expensive here
-"Did you get butt implants?" (I realize that silicone butt implants are more common in Brazil, but really?!)
-Then there was a little girl at the pool who saw me in my swimming suit and asked, "Do all Americans' ribs look like that?".... no but, thanks for making me feel more self-conscience about it.

but hey, no one here has assumed I'm stupid/ignorant which is the other general American stereotype. In fact, most people seem happy that I seem to know things about their country and downright grateful that I have even attempted to learn their language.
Also most people I talk to also tell me "you are so courageous!" for coming here hardly knowing anyone, leaving my family (this is a much bigger deal to brazilians than most), not really speaking the language, not having a job lined up, etc.  I certainly don't feel courageous. The first couple weeks here I was scared! Well, maybe that's the point, you don't ever really 'feel' brave. You are courageous when something is scary, but you do it anyways. But anyways, I consider coming to Brazil as exciting but not as that much of an adventure (you know not dangerous or anything), but I appreciate people here thinking I have guts :)