The Best Valentines Day Ever.

I've always enjoyed valentines day because I have always liked the special candy they sell and to give out stuff to my friends. I still believe it is a Hallmark holiday that makes no sense and that people take to serious in a romantic sense, but as a day to celebrate friendship, family, and those important to you, it is a pretty cool thing.

So, there was a chocolate exchange at school with some of the Venezuelans that I was going to participate in and then decided not to on the base that I didn't have any money on me at the moment. I had one class and the rest of the day off and my class was done at ten! I saw my friends from the exchange and went to talk to them. I explained how valentines day is different from country to country. For example I celebrate with friends, so does venezuela, but Brasil celebrates it in June and it is strictly between people in relationships. The 14th of February means nothing to them. As I was explaining this one of the guys sitting there gave me the rest of his chocolate!! I didn't even know him before! It was a nice friendly gesture that made me feel more at home!

Then I went home to meet a friend for lunch. This friend is brasilian but has lived in Venezuela for about six years now. We went to her house where I had some delicious pasta in a serve-yourself all-you-can-eat style! Here in Venezuela, they usually serve my plate for me and there is never extra food siting around for leftovers, I never really feel full-full, and never ever Thanksgiving stuffed. I had three helpings and it was delicious and filling!

Then we hung out for a while and spoke in portuguese and some Spanish. We watched the official brasilian channel "globo" and talked about my soap opera I'm missing dearly because I don't get tht channel! (Brasilian soap operas run for about 9 months and then they end, and I really got into one about human trafficking and prostitution while I was there in January).

After that we made brigadeiro, which is a delicious typical brasilian dessert, that is similar to a chocolately fudge. We ate the whole pan except for a little we set aside for my American friend, Anna! It was delicious and I left her house feeling like a stuffed pig, so happy!

We caught a bus back to my college, VENUSA, and I sat around for a while while she had class. We had plans for a delicious all-you-can-eat dinner!

After she got out of class and some of my American friends did too, we headed to a brasilian restaurant! It is called a churrascaria and it has a meat rodizio which is where men come around with different types of meat and serve it to you on your plate. It is like Fogo De Chão, if you've ever eaten there. I liked this better though, it was so delicious. I ate so much meat and helpings of potato salad, rice, and a tomato onion salad called vinagrete, that I couldn't even laugh without it hurting a little. I felt like I was going to explode, but I have never had such a wonderful valentines day or such a wonderful day in Venezuela!

My day ended with me getting a job teaching someone's five year old daughter english, then I crawled into bed and dropped into a content food coma.

Hope you had a wonderful Valentines Day!

Besos,
Aletha