Samba! Samba! Samba!

We have Internet! Yahoo! Our very own Internet. Ahhhh....

Our run yesterday was canceled because Rosani had to go out of town, but we have rescheduled for next week.

My second topic regarding this past weekend is a HOT one ... SAMBA! Mariana and her sister Renata are seriously like rockstars in Uberlandia. They know everyone, and they know what places we need to be!

Before we get into Samba, I need to show a little bit of the food we have been eating (pictures for a certain someone, ahem, Danyel :)). Mariana took me and Jonathan to a place called Acai da Terra (http://acaidaterra.com.br/). This place serves pure acai berry for dessert. It is amazing. You can eat it with many different toppings/sides - we went with ice cream, bananas and granola. Before we had the acai berry, I ordered the Wrap Texano and Jonathan ordered the Sanduiche de Picanha (remember how I told you picanha is better than filet mignon?):

My Wrap Texano

Jonathan's Sanduiche de Picanha

Acai and ice cream

Just a little side note: Mariana has a little girl, Melissa, that is absolutely adorable. She is probably one of my favorite babies that I have ever met. Her hobbies include eating paper and playing with butter knives. She loves knives! It is so funny to watch. Oh, and she smiles at cameras when you tell her to ... and she is only 11 months old! See for yourself:

Love her!

OK ... time for Samba!

The night we were going, Mariana told me to put on my short skirt and high heels. I told her I don't own a short skirt. She said everyone was going to be in short skirts and tight clothes, so I should improvise, ha!

She, Renata and Gustavo (Renata's boyfriend) picked me and Jonathan up from our apartment at about 10:30 p.m., and we headed to the Samba club. Mariana's husband, Daniel, was unfortunately out of town, so he couldn't come. When we arrived at the club, it was raining, and there was a line outside, but Mariana wasn't having that! She burst through the line, told the doorman something in Portuguese, and the next thing I know, we have passed about 50 people and are standing inside. I looked at her and said, "What did you say to him?"

She said, "I told him that I know the person that is throwing this party, and she told us to go ahead and come in." This is technically true, Mariana does know the girl. But I don't think she was in actual attendance at that moment, and she surely didn't tell us to come on in! The guy didn't even question her, he just let us in. One point for Mariana ;).

Once you get into the door at these clubs, it is much different than the U.S. There is a desk where staff members take your tickets to get into the club and give you a card that has a list of drinks on it. Every time you order a drink, the bartender marks on the card what you ordered and gives it back to you. Jonathan asked Mariana what would happen if you just walked out - how would they know you didn't pay? When you leave, the doorman stops every single person and asks to see the bill (it should have a stamp on it saying you paid). If you don't have your stub, you have to pay 250 or 500 reias (I can't remember which) even if you didn't drink one thing!... equal to about 150 or 275 dollars. So, don't drop your stub!

After we made it past the first doorman and the desk, there was yet another curtained room (it looked like it was only for VIP people, there were only five people in that room at this point). There goes Mariana. She walked up to the guy at the curtain, said something in Portuguese, and then waved for me and Jonathan to come with her through the curtain. Again, I asked, "What did you SAY to him? Furthermore, Mariana, who are you??"

She started laughing and said, "I told him that I have never been to this club, and I have American friends with me that I want to show a good time in Brazil, and if he doesn't let us through, we will leave!" And here we go again, straight through the curtain. Two points for Mariana!

The curtained room was where the Samba band was going to play; by letting us through the curtain before the herd of people came in, we were able to get a table with chairs  by the ONE air conditioner :). While all of this is happening, we finally realize that we have lost Renata and Gustavo! Mariana called them to find out that the guy wouldn't let them through the curtain. Renata said, "Come to the curtain and bring Darla with you! I told him we are with the Americans, and they don't believe me!" We started laughing so hard, and then Mariana and I went to get Renata and Gustavo. About fifteen minutes later, the rest of the folks were allowed to come through:
 

Renata and Gustavo

The crowd!

Once the band started to play, Jonathan and I watched with amazement. I really don't think I can explain how non-judgmental Brazilians are. Everyone was dancing, and everyone was singing the song being played. In the U.S., if a person can't dance, and he/she gets on a dance floor and starts breaking it down, we all know that people are probably going to stare and scrutinize every move he/she is making. Not in Brazil! It doesn't matter what you look like, who your daddy is, where you come from - they are all just about having fun and being happy. So, when it came time for Jonathan and I to start learning how to Samba, I didn't feel as embarrassed as I think I would if I had been learning in a similar environment in the States.

 

The girls!

After a couple of hours, everyone had loosened up and a pair of huge, hot pink glasses somehow appeared. Jonathan, of course, was going to take full advantage of that:

Jonathan and I

 

Mariana and Jonathan

The guy in the background above is thinking, "Who is this crazy pale man? Probably an American."

The girls continued to show me Samba and help with the moves. It's not as easy at they make it look! Your feet are moving so fast, and then you have to shimmy your hips from side to side at a different beat than your feet - but don't shimmy too much, or you will look like you are standing on one of those Shake Weights (the most ridiculous weight loss tool. Ever.). To get my feet right, they told me, "Killa de cock-a-roaches!!" (a.k.a. kill the cockroaches, but I love the way they sound when they say it!).

I finally got the hang of it and started screaming "La Cucaracha, La Cucaracha!" as I danced. Don't ask me why. That is Spanish, these people speak Portuguese.

I don't remember exactly at what point the next event happened, but I do remember trying to hide. Mariana, went to the stage and requested that I do my Samba on the stage with the band. Of course. Of course they wanted the non-Samba, non-Brazilian dancing American to get up there. I looked at Mariana and told her she was nuts! Renata and the girls started the encouragement to get up there, and I finally agreed ONLY if Mariana did it with me. That way, if I got lost I could just mimic what she was doing!

So, we get on stage for two songs. At one point, the lead singer says in Portuguese, "Let's show this American how to dance!" Lord, did they. It was so hot on that stage, sweat was pouring off of me and Mariana by the time we were through:

The next thing I know, it is 3:30 a.m.! I can't remember the last time I stayed out that late. The energy in the bar was so addicting, you don't even realize how much time passes by. It is a lot like being in a casino. Now I understand how Brazilians party until 6 a.m.! However, Jonathan and I figured it was time for us to head to the house, so we said our goodbyes and grabbed a taxi.

I think we are becoming part-Brazilian, and we love it! :):

We are headed to Mogi-Mirim for the weekend. More stories on Monday!