I´ve had two significant language blunders thus far. My first was an attempt to compliment my new Brazilian friend, Ana, on her dress. My pre-meditated sentence, "Eu gosto seu vestido" got a very confused/surprised look in return. Apparently, the word seu, Portuguese for "your" is pronounced similarly to seio meaning "boob." Fortunately we cleared up the confusion and all had a good laugh. The second was Linnea and I´s misunderstanding of the word barraca. With no grandiose Carnival plans we accepted a last minute invitation to go to Guaramiranga- a small, colorful town in the mountains that has a renowned Jazz/Blues Festival during Carnival. We went with Gisa, who we were introduced to only a day before, and a whole group of her friends. The four hour bus ride there was a celebration alone. We arrived late Friday night with our backpacks and hammocks to discover barraca means camping. And Carnival camping- due to the crowds- means we had rented out someone´s backyard that was literally at a 60 degree slant and had 10 other tents more or less pitched on top of one another. Having to invest mental energy to make sure you don´t roll down the hill while your sleeping, along with the tradition of Carnival being a 24 hr. celebration doesn´t make for the best nights sleep. However; lots of friendly Brazilians, some hiking/swimming in nearby waterfalls, a chocolate shop on the main street, great jazz/blues infused with Brazilian samba and forro made up for any lack of shut eye.
