Author: Shayna

At 25, she was an auburn-haired beauty: slim, athletic, and an excellent dancer. She had no shortage of admirers. But on this particular Saturday evening she found herself dateless; …

One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned from capoeira is how to modify my rolê when life switches up directions on its rabo-de-arraia. Or in other words: sometimes …

  This is going to be much harder than I thought. It’s not about reverse culture shock – objectively musing about how tough it is to eat dinner at …

It’s funny being fluent in a second language. I’ve hit the point where Bahians sometimes hesitate because they’re not sure whether to ask me what part of Brazil or …

Man, the time passes quickly here in Bahia; suddenly my flight to the U.S. is less than two weeks away. Now that the date is so close, I find …

I had an amusing moment of exaggeration yesterday. For a long time I’ve kind of puzzled at the fact that foreigners go wild over capoeira, practice and research it …

Things I won’t miss about Bahia The attention I constantly and inevitably attract here as a young white woman. I can’t go anywhere without being approached, harassed, or commented …

SEE FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!! Vai ser tão bom matar a saudade! To see people I’ve been separated from for over a year, to talk to them face-to-face and not …

My trip to Montevideo was uneventful and not terribly exciting. The city is small – half the size of Salvador – and tranquil; there was not much going on …

As of today, I’ve been in Brazil for one full year – unbelievable. It’s funny… yesterday mom asked me to make a list of things I want to do …