some like it hot

just got back from spring break in Brazil this morning (5 am - ugh!). tired and jetlagged and i could not think of anything better than coming back a day early to take naps, veg out, do laundry and pay bills. i've also had a chick flick marathon watching You've Got Mail, My Best Friend's Wedding and some cheesy movie called Wedding Date. yes, i lead an exciting life. ah, what a nice day (minus the 30 degree weather in contrast to the 90s and 80s in brazil, sigh says the california girl).

on my two weeks in hot hot hot Brasilia:

• Americans are waaay too suspicious/cynical of kind actions from strangers. Brazilians are so nice and friendly that i think my friends felt they were always out to get something (money, booty, etc). i can't even imagine what tourists to the States must think of us...
• why do bathroom stall doors in airport bathrooms open inwards? we're all dragging around big pieces of luggage for god's sake. don't the airport designers get that (p.s. o'hare is the only one i've found that has stall doors that open outwards - go o'hare designers! minus that weird 70's-neon-lights-i'm-on-drugs walkway)
• Did you know Brazil is the 5th largest country in the world?
• i have sweet feet - i got 10 bug bites on this trip, 6 of which are on my feet. ouch and itch!
• on a related note, i didn't take those malaria pills. and now i have all these bug bites. hmm. but it takes 6 months to incubate. but i stole back a leaf in the jungle that's supposed to cure malaria in the form of tea. hmm. oops. was i not supposed to say that?
• deet is scary (esp that lethal 98% jungle juice stuff). it took off nail polish, color from clothes and a layer of my purse. but clearly it didn't keep the bugs away - go figure.
• tans are overrated and that's not because i'm jealous that i didn't get a chance to lie out more...
• Brazilians in every age, shape and form are NOT afraid to wear dental floss and/or speedos for swimsuits
• The women are hot, the men are not
• Our encounters with Brazilian men included "can i go home with you?" "let me tell you how hangliding is like sex," "arigato" (with hands clasped and bowing), "are you japanese?" and a slow drive-by complete with staredowns and kissy noises. yeah, i know, it was hard for us girls to hold back
• We got to visit Iguacu Falls, the Amazon and Rio De Janeiro - Brazil is such a beautiful country - animals, bugs, heat, beaches, waterfalls and all!
• We seem to attract trouble: We got pulled over by officials with their hands on their guns and a couple of our guys got the pat down. A girlfriend got into a yelling match with a brazilian guy outside of a club. A handful of us got pulled over by immigration officials at the airport for "massive trouble" - we must just look all mysterious and dangerous like. yeah, that's it.
• I'm gonna miss my friends a lot when we graduate. what a great, different group of ppl i never would have ever gotten to know if i had not come to school - i think we had 5 ethnicities, vegan, vegetarians, east coasters, west coasters, midwesterners, ex-bankers, marketers, nonprofit and a dozen other ways to slice it. i got to see a little more of glimpse into each of them on this trip and it just reinforces to me that there's a lil somethin beautiful in everyone when you take the time to look. miss you guys already brasilia crew!