Friday: Mixing Things Up

Given my latest post and mounting feelings of slipping into a dull routine, I decided to mix things up a bit on Friday night. Every time when I take the bus home from Edumed, I pass by the strip of restaurants in Barao Geraldo that are a 15 minute walk away from my home. So yesterday, I finally decided to get off the bus early and try one of the restaurants. Professor Sabbatini had recommended one in particular, a seafood restaurant called Dom Alvarez. I decided that this would be the perfect time to try it out.

The restaurant was completely void of patrons when I walked in, as it was still early for dinner by Latin American standards. I actually asked one of the waiters whether the restaurant was open for business, and he assured me that I could choose any table I liked. Outdoor seating was available, but I opted for a window seat just inside the restaurant. The first thing I ordered was a chopp, and then an order of salmon sashimi as an appetizer. As I waited for the sashimi, I contemplated my entree choice. I was having difficulty deciphering just what types of fish they had to offer, as the only two on the menu I recognized were salmao (salmon) and truta (trout). On a whim, I settled on Abadejo, and asked the waiter for a recommendation as to which dish of Abadejo to enjoy. He suggested one, and tried to explain what an abadejo was - a saltwater fish, tasty.

The sashimi came and I was impressed by both the quantity and the thickness of the slices. The wasabi was on the weak side, but the quality of the fish was quite excellent. Good texture and balance of meat and fat, and very fresh. Needless to say I was surprised.

The sashimi

The main course came and I attacked it, accompanied by another chopp. The abadejo, which I now know is codfish, was cooked with a sauce of small shrimps, mushrooms, and capers. The dish came with steamed vegetables and a side of risotto. All parts of the dish were quite good, although some parts of the cod were slightly overcooked and chewy.

The main course

I finished my meal and paid, then left to walk back home. After arriving and settling down, I got a call from Rodrigo inviting me out to Outback with his girlfriend and his cousins. I explained that I had already eaten, but I would love to go and hang out. So Joao, the same cousin that let me drive his car a few weeks ago, drove by and I hopped in. Though we arrived at pretty much peak hours at the restaurant, the five of us got the next available table thanks to Rodrigo's other cousin's hookup - she works at that Outback as a waitress.

For the next couple of hours we sat, talked, ate, drank, and laughed. Rodrigo's cousin spoke perfect English, and we talked for a while about our respective travels. She lived in Orlando for about 6 months working at Universal Studios: Islands of Adventure, and lived another year in Ireland. She also worked on a cruise ship for a year, and got to see most of the Mediterranean, as well as some countries of Eastern Europe. I told her of my own travel experiences and strongly endorsed a trip to Asia.

After a while, another one of their friends, Terrence, arrived. He was also a nice guy, and spoke pretty good English, although he was shy to use it at first. He explained how he had learned a lot of English from working for IBM for a few months, where they would make daily calls to the divisions in the US. Now, though, he works at Abercrombie in one of the shopping centers as a sales rep. Like most Brazilians, he complained how much of a markup imported goods carry when they're sold in Brazilian stores. An Abercrombie t-shirt, for example, regularly costs 100 Reais, or $50! And, like most Brazilians, he dreams of seeing the United States, maybe taking a few months to travel around the country. We also talked about jobs and the difficulty of finding a well-paying job that will allow for financial stability. Clearly, job shortages are apparent not only in the United States.

I always find it interesting meeting new people and hearing their stories - what they've done, what they're doing, why they're doing it, and what they want to do. It's ever more fascinating when the people are somewhat close in age to myself, because then I can project my own perspective onto their situation, and really see how different, or similar, life can be depending on what country or culture you grow up in. During my time here, I've met many interesting people thanks to my relationships with Tiago and Rodrigo. I just hope I'll get to see some of them again before I leave, so we can continue discussions we've started. Further, it'd be nice to maintain contact with them after I go back home, just to see if they're able to achieve their goals as I hope to achieve my own. And after all, if they do end up visiting the States, I'd feel obliged to return their hospitality and show them around.