so, i haven’t written a single poem since i’ve been here. pitiful, huh? i’ve been taking notes for a while, and thinking, and visualizing, but have not crafted a single piece. i feel it coming though. i feel it like that first tickle in my throat before i get a cold. it’s already in me, it’s just waiting to blossom. i might have to make it a lil easier, and actually sit down and write more often and more consistently. i need to provoke it. massage the letters out of my fingers. i need to read. my poet self is hungry. she hasn’t been nourished properly in this last month. she needs quiet and stillness and space. i think she might have gone into hiding. she must be in shock from all the movement, all the brilliance, all the people. but hmm, i think she’s learning, adapting to this atmosphere. and soon she’ll be back =)

dear philly,

i miss you. of course i miss my fam and my homies, but somedays i miss my city, too. i miss my apartment and the trolleys rolling outside my window. i miss the neighborhood characters, familiar and strange. i miss tofu hoagies and chicken cheesesteaks. i miss the subway, oddly. i miss the nighttime city. i miss dancing to old school hits. i miss the park. i miss my bed. i miss my bars and my corner cafe. i miss the library. i miss my thrift stores. i miss silly and thoughtful conversations on the stoop. i miss hearing my friends call my name outside my window like i’m rapunzel. i miss great big trees and cobblestones. i miss murals. i miss tall shiny buildings. i miss the cira center at sunset, even though i still don’t miss those tacky lights. i miss lincoln drive, but i don’t miss driving. i miss my kitchen. i miss midnight snacks and sitting outside in the early morning before the day begins. i miss summertime in the city. i miss bbqs and picnics. i miss singing along to the car radio. i miss lazy days with my girls. despite all the things that i miss, there is plenty here that i’m enjoying. just sometimes, in the middle of all the alegria, i get a little pang of saudades. i am not ready to leave brasil at all, but there are moments when i look forward to the day that i return to my real home. this was one of them, but it too has already passed.

until later,
aichlee

sup errbody

im here in an internet cafe typing on a keyboard with no apostrophe marks so pardon the poor punctuation. while having an amazingly busy and intense week and a half in brazil, i have managed to have enough time to finally finish reading the brief wondrous life of oscar wao. and i must say that i was rather disappointed by the end. i loved the narrative voice and the characters, but i wasnt crazy about the plot. i dunno what alternate ending i would have rather read, but i just wanted to put my opinion out there. i guess i was expecting a bit more, just because i love diazs work so much, and because the book has gotten a lot of hype. dont get me wrong: the book deserves every ounce of praise it has recieved. i just wish that the ending hadnt felt as forced…ok, my brain hurts still from typing so much in english. im to lazy to reread so sorry if things dont make sense.

peace and many good wishes all the way from brazill!
a