I have no good way to organize my last few days in one theme so I'll pull out the bullets. I love lists :-). These past few days have been an array of great and miserable, joy and pain, production and laziness.

•Saturday after my crappy class, Ricardo, his friend Caio and I decided to feed homeless. So we bought some bread buns, bananas, and juice and they also found some clothes they didn't want. We only had to walk a few miles radius from where we live to find people in need. Most were nice and grateful and interestingly preferred a warm shirt or pants than food (with the rain lately it's actually cold at night). One guy took a t-shirt and smelled it, clearly so happy to have a fresh shirt. Another man, clearly crazy argued with Ricardo and requested rice and beans. It was interesting and nice to see them grateful.
•Sunday was a great day, woke up to clear skies and bright sun (finally) and we met our friends at the beach. I ran (and was able breathe fresh air for once), relax and hang out with our eccentric group (which I'm def going to miss because we're an interesting mix of cultures and couples and we never run out of conversation).
•then after the beach, Kim and Mike went to watch NFL, Robin went to has beers with friends and Ricardo went home. And Fanny and I went to the much-anticipated Latin Festival, full of food and music and dance shows. The Mexican food was too expensive and not as good and Fanny didn't even visit the Chile table but Colombia. That's where the good stuff was!! My student who invited me there made fresh, authentic Colombian food and gave us some free samples. It was delicious, and the Colombians are so much fun to hang out with and talk to. The dance shows were great too, mostly indigenous and historical music and dancing. I liked Peru. So we had a blast, and while Fanny had a sense of home I realized how much more I like other parts of Latin America than Brazil. The language, the music and the personalities. I like Brazil but I only know Rio and that's a small part. But I'm thinking Mexico (of course) and Colombia are my top. I would die to go to Colombia again. The Caribbean, the music (salsa and currulao) and the good vibes. Also, I've realized how much I now appreciate the bus systems in Costa Rica, the humility in Nicaragua and the modernity of Panama. Rio, clearly has good things also but it's not for me. I don't get the same feeling.
•after all the fun on Sunday, I got home exhausted and roasted. I mean toast. Burnt to a crisp. I haven't been burnt like this in years. Every movement hurts. It was hard to sleep. But it was totally worth it and my fault (sunscreen is expensive here!!!) So I'm suffering the consequences and caking aloe Vera and lotion a few times a day. Hopefully Saturday I'll be back in the sand smelling the salty breeze again.
•Besides every move hurting, I had a good class Monday morning and came home to the best surprise ever. Better than gold. I received a package, totally surprised, from my mom full of all the things I've been pining for. I couldnt believe it. Her and Ricardo have been talking and planning what things I probably wanted most (see, my whining to him paid off!!) and it just got better and better: peanut butter, dark doves, corn tortillas, Mexican sauces, tobasco!!! And other goodies. I felt like a kid at Disneyland. It's amazing how after a corn tortilla and dark reeses cups, suddenly Brazil didn't seem as bad.
•as I've already mentioned in my last blog, Monday was a big day. Besides the golden package I finally went to Corcovado to see Cristo Redentor, one of the most famous sights in Rio, and Brazil actually. It was cool. I used to think it strange that Cariocas (locals from Rio) never go or only have been once in their life (i guess I never go to the Grand Canyon and New Yorkers don't go to the Statue of Liberty) but it's because it's expensive. Considering the low average wage here and take into account there are 3 to 5 people in a family. How could they? In Costa Rica, national citizens have a discount to all the touristy things like volcanoes and waterfalls.

Now today is back to normal life, working, going out for wine with the girls, watching movies with Ricardo. I'm busy the rest of the week but that's ok, busy means it'll go by faster.