Carnaval!!!!!

Carnaval was a crazy, amazing, unforgettable experience. I am so lucky to have been able to take part in a celebration that is an important piece of Brazilian culture.  I have been watching the Carnaval parties in all the different cities on the tv. Apart from Salvador and Rio (the two biggest and most famous ones), Sao Paulo has a giant costume competition. People who want to participate in the competition, join together and form what is called “a school of Samba”. Then they think of a theme and decorate a float and hundreds of costumes in association with that theme. The coolest one I saw was a superhero theme that had Batman costumes and decorations for the people who marched in the street and the float was a giant rotating wall that had people dressed as Spiderman climbing and balancing on it. How they stayed stuck to it for the hour it takes to reach the end, I have no idea! I also learned that there is a band following the float and they are lead by a very pretty girl called “the Queen” who carries the flag for the city she is representing and a guy that dances around her who is like a Joker. I really enjoy learning about different cultures, I am fascinated with the lives people live that are so different from my own. The day of our Carnaval in Salvador started off with Briani (a dancer in the Brazilian cast), Stephany, Brandon and I getting off the ship to get our company shirts from the booth. We had payed for a VIP building so we could watch the parade of cars and people on the balconies. In order to get into the VIP place, you need to wear the shirts they provide for you and a bracelet for the bouncers to scan at the front. We got our shirts and then returned to the ship to customize them. Briani had bought gold butterfly decorations for us girls and shiny sequins to glue on and glam up the shirts :D. Once the decorating was done we got together with the other people who were going in our group, 3 Brazilians that also work on the ship, and got into a taxi. The streets were already pretty crowded and it was only 2 o’clock! We walked around Salvador, taking pictures of the gorgeous lighthouse by the beach, the cars lined up waiting for the parade to begin, and our VIP place. It quickly became even more crowded as the night went on and we danced to the live music in the club and walked along the streets with the cars of famous singers and their dancers atop the floats. It was a lot to take in and by 1 o’clock in the morning my body was exhausted from all the dancing. We headed back to the ship and fell asleep, happy that Carnaval had been such a success for us :D

Good Karma

Today, I saved a fish. It was a tiny little fish and it had been swept up onto the shore so I scooped up the sand beneath him and threw him into the water. Shortly after, I found a coin in buried in the sand. KARMA people, believe in it :D

I am compiling a list of things I want to accomplish on this contract. I want to swim with dolphins, snorkel, scuba dive, jet ski, etc. I am trying to be more productive with my time because I don't want to take what I have in front of me for granted. My short term goal is to do something new everyday and today I took a taxi boat to a new side of Buzios, Brazil. It was a lot like jet skiing because you hit the waves and FLY (and get soaked :DDDD)The guy let me jump off in the middle of the ocean!!!!!! :o It was very exhilarating! I have always had (and will always have) a fear of the ocean but I can't help to love it at the same time!!!!

I'm not sure what tomorrows plans are but I need to purchase a new swimsuit :/ My tan lines are terrible so I need a strapless swimsuit. I plan on buying a lot of clothes in Brazil, because the exchange rate is AWESOME, and save my money for the food in Europe!!!!! Listen to me, I sound like such an experienced traveler...HA.

I'm looking forward to my parents coming to the ship and hopefully Ryan and Jill!!!!! Sean and I had a blast!!!! I love having family visit me and I miss seeing familiar faces in the audience.

It should be soon that I get the official list of the ships for 2010: the shows they are doing, the schedule, and their itinerary. Then I can narrow my options based on my sign off date and when rehearsals begin :D I think I can see Asia and Australia in my future but KNOCK ON WOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhh I'm not jinxing it!!!!!!!!!!!

I miss you all so much!!!!!!!!
KISSES