Out of place...

Yesterday I learned what it feels like to be a monkey in a zoo.  Surrounded by groups of people staring at you, whispering about you in an unknown language and waiting to see what you will do next.  Except I was not actually in a zoo--I was in a Brazilian public high school.


Let me preface this story by explaining that a few days ago while watching a futsal game I met a Brazilian English teacher who after speaking with me awhile asked if I would mind coming to her class, talking to her students and showing them some pictures.  I, of course, replied "yes," and volunteered Rachel along as well.


Yesterday morning Rachel and I motortaxied our way to the high school bright and early and were awoken by swarms of Brazilian teenagers.  The teacher met us and after thanking us about twenty times for coming, accompanied us into a classroom.  The classroom was much larger than expected and filled with teenagers.  As we took our spot in front of the classroom, teenagers continued to flood the room, well surpassing the fire hazard limit.  The students spoke about us in Portguese (although I didn't understand much, it's not hard to recognize the word "Americana") as the teacher tried her best to yell over the voices of the students.


The next twenty minutes consisted of the students staring at us and managing to successfully ask us five questions over the chatter of the other students.  1. What is your name?  2. Where are you from?  3. How old are you?  4. What Brazilian soccer team do you like?  and 5. Do you have a boyfriend?


After posing as a show and tell item, I proceeded to show the students pictures of the English speaking countries I have visited while they looked on in amazement. 


"I love you," one of the boys in the back of the classroom shouted to the front as the others burst into laugher. 


Once the class ended the students rushed to the front to take pictures with us.  As they lined up to take pictures with me, I couldn't help but wonder what exactly made me so special in their eyes.  Was it the fact that I had blonde hair and eyes just a shade lighter than theirs?  Perhaps it was the fact that I happened to be born in the same country as Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber.


A group of students eagerly invited us to attend their dance class that began in a few minutes and Rachel and I took them up on their offer.  We watched on in awe as the teenagers partnered up and performed the most sexual dance I have ever seen.  Who knew that they practiced this in school?  I didn't want the dancing to end because it was unlike anything I had ever seen and because I had a gut feeling that they were going to make me try once they finished.


I was right.


The next four minutes were among the most tortuous minutes of my life.  Dancing with the Brazilian dance teacher in front of forty or so Brazilian students whose legs (and butts) were made for dancing, could quite possibly have been the most embarrassing thing I have ever done.  But also one of the most fun...