Calor!

Olá! I think it's been three weeks exactly since I last wrote--sorry! But I think that's a good thing--I'm spending more time out now instead of staying home and doing nothing.
It's really hot today (title: heat)--I think it got up around 90 (or 30, depending on the sistem :D ). I got home and drank 5 glasses of water. I'm almost glad I'm going back to the US for July and August, just because I won't bake there (but knowing our weather, I probably will anyway). I have mixed feelings about going back--I'm excited to go back, but I know I'll really miss portugal when I get there.
Time flies by so quickly, I have to use my agenda to remember what I've done the past few weeks. One weekend i went to the Alentejo--the part of the country between the southern coast (Algarve) and Lisbon, which is very traditional. Lots of fields with cork trees and livestock. It's really pretty, and it was wonderful to breathe the "country air." We went to visit Xuxu's aunt and uncle's farm, where they raise pigs (to make ham to send to Spain, go figure), which was beautiful! There we ate a traditional lunch of lamb with vegetables on bread.
I also went to a going away party for an AFS friend, who left early with a bunch of other exchange students (from Bolivia, her country) to travel around Europe. It was fun to see lots of exchangers. The party was in Cascais (down the coast), so we took the train there, and then came back on the last one at 1h30 am! I still think I prefer parties that end sooner, but it was fun.
Last sunday was the dia da nossa senhora--celebrating the day when (in 1917) three children saw an apparition of the virgin mary, who talked to them. Because of this there was a procession in my area saturday night, which I went to with the band. 2 hours of walking up and down hills heavily uniformed, playing clarinet. It was interesting. But quite interesting--four people carried a display of flowers with a statue of the virgen mary, one person sang songs through a microfone as we walked, and a lot of other people walked with us carrying candles. There's something I wasn't used to seeing back home!
Today I went to the Museu da Etnologia (ethnological? don't remember how to say it in english), which was small, but interesting. Beforehand had lunch in Belém, a very touristy part of Lisbon, that has a particularly good sandwhich shop. Last week I went to the same sandwhich shop, then went to see a tropical garden there, which was quite pretty adn relaxing.
Oh I remembered one more thing--a couple weeks ago I had a dinner with my dance class in an indian restaurant in the baixa (downtown) which was really cool! I think I was the youngest person there, but it was fun. I really like my dance classes; it'll be sad to leave (though I'm really looking forward to trapeze and fabric....only 2 more months! hehe)
Next week I have 4 tests, so this weekend's basically going to be filled up with studying, for the tests adn for the SATs. yikes! I've been reading harry potter in portuguese, but I've also tried to read something in english to remember vocabulary and things.
Well adeus and I'll try to keep the blogs coming...