talk to me

we are in an advanced state of illiteracy. i cannot flip through the pages of my Lonely Planet Brazilian Portuguese phrasebook quickly enough to accomplish anything. Que? Quanto custa? Que horas sao? Voce poderia falar mais devagar, por favor? Nao, nao entendo, nao!
our first major outing was to the grocery store, Carrefour. it was like being a little child playing house. nothing looked familiar except Dove shampoo, and everything else was in very small packages labeled in Greek. Rach and i picked items solely based on their pictures and prices. i figured mid-range was safe. in a state of sensory-overload, i checked out my groceries in the "under-ten-item-only-get-in-this-line-if-you-are-extremely-efficient lane".
later we went to the feria (market) in Guara' for fruits and vegetables. luckily, you do not need a dictionary to recognize a tomato. i did, however, need Cara (our hostess) to distinguish the zucchini (shaped like a mallet), sugar, maracuja, and a few other very large vegetables. that tomato i mentioned and purchased is as big as my head. i don't have a very big head, but still. at the vegetable stand, i was very pleased to find an ability to navigate the purchase of all of the veggies with a sweet, elderly woman, even to the extent of asking for only half of a bunch of scallions. i also recognized that she asked me if i was a French girl, and was amazingly able to answer, "No."
my new-found confidence ended minutes later at the pasteleria, where we stopped to get snacks. a "pastel" is a common Brazilian treat. it is a deep-fried pocket (big pocket) filled with any myriad of insides: could be bananas, cheese, and cinnamon; meats and spices; hearts of palm; eggs---lalala. rachel got a pastel dripping with cheese and a dash of chicken. i ordered a carne with tomato and oregano in very-broken Portuguese, "...ahhh, um pastel com carne, aaaa...tomate, e' oregano, por favor??" the woman on the other end of exchange wasn't as sweet and patient. in fact, she was one of those tough girls. with her raised eyebrow and smirk, she looked at me like i was a pathetic idiot. she didn't weaken with my giggle and apologetic smile, but at least she gave me a very delicious pastel. when she asked me if i wanted a straw (canoto, sounds like noodle) and i had no idea what she was talking of, i thought she was going to throw something at me. thank goodness Cara stepped in for some translation. i was discouraged at the failure at such a simple exchange, but not too much about the girl. tough girls never like me at first, anyway.
rach and i stopped in to another grocery store to grab a few forgotten items. when we got in line, a middle-aged woman leaned in from behind us and said in a beautiful accent, "i know you are not from Brazil, because you are in the Pregnant and Old Woman Line." we started laughing and explained that we were so focused on staying out of the express lane that we noticed nothing else. she assured us it was okay and that we were still welcome in the country.
since basically every country except the United States uses the metric system, Brazilian measurements are also foreign to me. at a restaurant yesterday where we paid for our food based on the weight on the plate, i was completely unable to read signs posted around. after i paid and left the restaurant, i noticed i'd been short-changed 6 reais (pronounced "hay-eyes" sort of; equivalent to 3 dollars). i felt awkward paying, not understanding anything, so didn't double check my change as i normally would in my world where i know what is going on. i didn't go back to fix anything, how would i have explained or had any sort of authority to speak of money?
to not understand language, read signs and information, value money, or comprehend customs---all very new to me and quite exasperating to me. what a disadvantage is illiteracy on so many levels! (and mine still such a privileged lack of skill.) it is so easy to be taken advantage of, to be made to feel foolish, to be intimidated and not expect equal or respectful treatment. good to experience this, it's a great motivation for improvement.