what i mean to say is

sorocaba surprised me today.

yes sunday's post was mostly a lament on my total lack of life outside of work here. my unfortunate lack of integration into brazilian culture. even in niamey, niger where getting a fanta and peanuts at the grand hotel was the best outing you could hope for, i would come home from the hospital every night and have a super interesting conversation over dinner with ghaichatou and her family, the nigerienne woman i lived with - it was wonderful and i felt i had something to look forward to, to release into after the draining experience of working at a fistula pavilion.*

here, the draining days at lua nova spill over into each other with very little in between.

BUT. as i said, i had an extraordinarily pleasant day thanks to this city i so easily threw to the wolves in sunday's post:

after teaching my morning english class (yes, there is one small thing outside of work! haha! i'll have to tell you more on it later), i ventured out into the city on foot on a long long walk. the clouded sky meant i could do this without completely drenching my clothing in sweat, and i managed to find a bookstore cum cafe. and next to that a beautiful old little church cum garden. i sat in that cafe, and then in that garden, read, wrote, and generally felt at peace. at home.

small victories! but i tell you it was so renewing. so needed.

so thanks, sorocaba. my faith in you has been restored.

um beijo,
joojie.

*i also had ali with me. who is one of my fave people in the world and i can never discount the joy her presence gives me. love you babe.

**photo of me in the lodhi gardens at twilight in delhi. aaaaah!!! 500 year old tombs! sooo rad!!!