Bon Appetite

Sometimes people wonder why it's so hard for foreigners to adapt in Brazil.

Isn't it all just like, beaches and partying and good times?

That always makes me laugh.

Let me tell you about my Sunday afternoon.

First, there's something you should know. I'm a recent born again vegetarian. Yeah I don't know, it's not that I hate meat... I just... since I've become a domestic slave, provided with opportunity to enhance my culinarily skills, I've been seeing a lot of dead meat. And I don't know, but one day it just started to really gross me out and I wasn't really eating meat anymore even once it was cooked. So, I guess it was just a natural turn of events. I still eat shrimp and fish once in awhile, but chicken or red meat.. it's just gross.

So.

We went to Deison's moms for lunch yesterday, as it was a speciality lunch. Feijoada. Which is beans, with pig parts mixed in. And by pig parts I mean ears, tail... everything. Yeah. I'm.. not so much a fan. But it's a huge treat, and Brazilians just love it. So I'm thinking ok, I don't want to be rude.. and then Deison says to me, "oh, there's some parts in there with the pig hair still on.. not sure if you wanna eat that." Thanks. I actually don't want to eat at all now.

But I did.. I mostly scooped out some bean broth and added it to my rice and covered it with salad so no one would question me.

Ok. I survived the lunch.

Then, as we're leaving... someone makes this comment:

"Wow, you're filling out hey. Your legs look like they're really loving Brazilian food!" And then a few people chuckle.

And then we leave. Because that... is totally acceptable, and no one thinks twice. The entire way home on the back of the motobike there's one part of me saying "don't... just keep your mouth shut." And the other part knows I'm going to start a fight about it when I get home.

BECAUSE THAT IS NOT OKAY! Where is that okay to say ANYWHERE in Canada? I realize I'm not IN Canada, but I'm a freaking Canadian. You wouldn't say it as a joke, you wouldn't say it to your best friend, or even to your worst friend. So I try bringing this up with Deison, and he's like "Yeah I know you think it's mean but what's the big deal? It wasn't meant to offend you."

I know. I KNOW. And to be honest it doesn't really offend me, but it IRRITATES me. Ohhh it just irks me! All I want, all I really need is for someone to just look at me in that moment and say, "I get it Heidi. You're right, I can't believe it either."

But no one will say that. Because no one gets it. Because everyone is Brazilian except me.

I tried to explain later, calmly, to Deison that once he gets to Canada it is completely inappropriate to make any kind of remarks or jokes about people's weight. And he responds with, "So like, if I have a fat friend I can't yell to him on the street, "hey fatty!"

I was like um.. no. You can't. Ever.

Well, that's all for now. It was our 6 month anniversary on Saturday. Here's a photo of Deison, me, and my Brazilian food-loving legs. :P