a birthday party

Saturday evening was the big birthday party for Shaun's girlfriend, Gabi. They had been planning and brainstorming about this for awhile and very excited to host the event. They both spent a lot of time making a massive four layered cake which tasted wonderful.

To get there, I took the Metra and caught a cab. This was the first place where my guide book has gone wrong. It recommended tipping the taxi driver; when in fact, it's not necessary and he rejected my offer. I won't complain. And, now I am feeling more comfortable with the transportation systems in place here.

The party was at a place called the Ekoa Cafe. This place just opened about three weeks ago and is getting great reviews in a few Sao Paulo newspapers. The Ekoa was built around environmentally sustainable concepts, so even the light fixtures (pictured here) have been made from reused materials. In this case, some old coffee filters. Gabi works in sustainables and environmental projects, so it was the perfect place for her to host her party; and the atmosphere at Ekoa Cafe is warm, inviting, cozy, and comfortable.

Most of Gabi's friends speak English. I have rarely been in a room full of people from so many places and who, collaboratively, have traveled to nearly every end of the world. Many of these people have worked as part of an international student internship program. It's great to see so many people here and they have all challenged themselves by being here and learned Portuguese as part of the process.

There were a couple of "firsts" for me at this party. The first was chimarrao (definitely follow this link for a better explanation); also known as mate. I have seen and heard of it before, but this was the first time I tried this beverage. When I arrived, we were a small circle of people gathered. When one person finishes their drink, they fill the gourd with hot water and pass it along to the next person. This warm beverage tastes like tea. The bomba (straw) draws from the bottom of the cup where the water has filtered through.

This, of course, was my first Brazilian birthday party, and my first opportunity to meet a group of people here. I met a lot of interesting people and heard many unique and interesting stories from all sorts of folks.

After the cafe closed, we went to a pub down the street. The area we were in, Vila Madalena, is known for it's nightlife, so we found a place where the 10 of us who remained to sit around a table together. Most folks got beers, but I was encouraged to try caipirinha (another "first" for me); a uniquely Brazilian drink. I was not disappointed. I ordered the traditional caipirinha with limes, sugar, and cachaca (Brazilian liquor from distilled from sugarcane). Fernanda was enjoying one made with strawberries. It was great and one was enough!

I was a bit worried about traveling back to the hotel by myself, and so relieved when a couple at the party said they would drive myself and two other girls back to our part of town. I don't mind having the transportation figured out for me; rather than negotiating times and taxis. We ended up being dropped off around 1:45am; quite the night of socializing!