ok... so no blogging in over a month *slap wrists*

Some things that have happened in the last month:

We had a party at the school, I went with a friend to the supermarket (1.5 blocks down the road) and some guy grabbed my bag, along with my wallet, phone and camera, pulled me over and ran off.

The police are on strike (yep, the POLICE) so I can't report the theft and get my insurance.

Zara, Laura and me took a weekend away to Penedo, Foz de São Francisco and Pontal de Coruripe. Penedo is old and colonial but really really run down. Foz de São Francisco are these beautiful dunes where Rio São Francisco meets the sea, so we went and ran up and down the dunes and swam and sunbathed and ate some little coconut cakes. Pontal de Coruripe we stayed at a really nice hostel with cats and the most amazing breakfast, for 25 reais (abour 7 pounds). On the beach the next day some people came up to us and asked us if we were tourists... errm yes... "can we have outr picture taken with you?"

It's strange - the coast is beautiful and there are hotels, restaurants, tourists everywhere, but they're almost all Brazilian.

Another good weekend trip, this time with the school, was to Porto de Galinhas - another really beautiful beach town, and the kids there make these amazing things out of leaves like really intricate fishes and roses. We also went for a crêpe in the evening at this little stand, which had a CD player, and the woman selling grabbed all of the men she knew (aged about 15-70) and got them to dance with us to forró.

I have also started getting forró lessons, which is hilarious cos its all middle aged brazilian women, really really camp dance teachers, and me (before there were a few other students that went too but they have all now leaft!)

This month I've started doing volunteer work. Four days a week I go to an adoption home in the afternoon, and 2 mornings I go to a girls project - basically where girls from really poor families that have to work long hours can go during the day, be taken to school, fed, and then go home to their families at night.

But the adoption home is so upsetting - the kids are there from 0-7, apart from a few older ones with serious disabilities. The toddlers have nothing to do really apart from a few trikes scattered about for them to share. There are plug sockets on the walls at ground levels, and a few holes that used to be plug sockets and are now just wires. There is also a high set of metal shelves that they like to climb unsupervised. I'm probably gonna fall for one of them and come back with a lil Brazilian child.

So if anyone can think of cool cheep things to enterntain small children then let me know! I was teaching the girls from the girls project today to make friendship bracelets which was cool, and I have a few ideas... but any others craft ideas, or fun ways to teach a bit of english are welcome!!

Anyway, I have to get back home for my dinner of caldinho de feijão!
x x x