Me and good ole Brasil have been "dating" now for about a month. I want to reflect on what I love and what I would do differently.
MY TRUE LOVE - Brasil!
#1. I love the way people honk as they drive through intersections. It is to warn people that they are running a stop sign or not yielding but it always feels like someone is saying hi.
#2. I love the fruits - they are so delicious.
#3. I love that my family is crazy but intensely devoted to eachother.
#4. I love getting hugs everyday.
#5. I love eating lunch with my grandmother. I love her complaints, worries, and obsession with forcing me to take food with me.
#6. I love that Brasilians almost always greet eachother and say goodbye, whether an old friend or stranger, often with a hug and kiss.
#7. I love how you can always do something for free before you committ. I have a free Pilates lesson on Monday morning. I worked out at my gym for one week, no cost, and was allowed to take all the classes - to see if I liked it. I am taking a free Samba Rock lesson on Thursday night. Woohoo.
#8. I love the ALONG (stretch) class that I take. I love that the instructor asks people what their name is if they are new and strives to remember it.
#9. I love that at the bank, grocery store, etc there is one cashier dedicated to the elderly and handicapped. Much of this country is not designed for those with impairments but I believe that Brasilians genuinely care about other people.
#10. I love that my aunt lovingly forces me to be independent and treats me like I´m smart. She refused to make my hair appointment, she encouraged me to walk everywhere, she´s sending me to a favela with a stranger to see if I want to teach English. I like that she expects a lot out of me because often I feel like people treat me like I am slightly dimwitted and slow, when really it is just that I can´t speak the language very well. It´s giving me a deep sense of humility and appreciation for what foreigners must go through in the States.
IF I COULD DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN....
- I would take two or three weeks of language classes upon arrival. But hey - I´m going to start taking them now....
- I would stay at the bank when the ATM ripped me off and figure it out.
- I would flirt with the cousin´s friend and the cute storyteller.
And that is it! I wouldn´t even call them regrets, just lessons to learn from. It will be interesting to see what I love at the end of my time here.
p.s. I´m getting sick - boohoo! And I still haven´t received my packages. Que pena!
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Friday, September 28, 2007
Food Fiasco
This past Sunday I was at a birthday party for one of my cousins (Victoria). One of my other cousins - Flavia - set up a "date" with my Tia Sô for Thursday evening to come over and chat with both her and me. She speaks English perfectly, but more then that we other have similarities, and I´ve always had an affection for her. Well - we set this up in the presence of two of my other female cousins so we invited them along as well. I didn´t feel like I could stop there so I invited all my female cousins to come to dinner at my house - that I made. Only two made it - Flavia and Monica (thank goodness).
FOOD FIASCO: I decided to make the Mushroom and Sun-dried Tomato Risotto from Vegan with a Vengeance. Mistake #1= making something I had NEVER made before. I went to the grocery store and couldn´t find dried shiitake - so I bought dried porcini instead. No problem. But then I couldn´t find sun dried tomatoes, rosemary, or nutmeg. Yesterday afternoon I got home around 3pm - plenty of time for the insanely late dinner we had planned at 8ish/9ishpm (how do Brasilians do it???). I started by making scones for the strawberry shortcake. I didn´t have time to make homemade vegetable broth so I had bought a vegetable buillon cube at the grocery store....or so I thought.
I couldn´t find them anywhere yesterday, and by the time I was ready to prepare the dish it was too late to run to the grocery store. Mistake #2= making something I know nothing about without several key ingredients. The recipe in VwaV serves four so I decided to double it. The whole process went fairly well. Risotto is labor intensive but I didn´t cut any corners (just ingredients) and 45 minutes later it looked like I thought most risottos should look, thought it tasted bland (obviously). Mistake #3 = letting the risotto sit in a hot pan for two hours. When it came time for dinner I was left with a gelatinous gluey mucky mess. They loaded up on cheese and olive oil and nobody said a word. My first inclination was to comment on how overcooked it was but I couldn´t decide if that would then invite more criticism or I would have to deal with protests of denial. You never know with Brasilians - they can be very nonconfrontational and complimentary or they can be brutally honest - and I wasn´t really in the mood for either. The strawberry shortcake was okay. I made the Macadamia Créme the night before and it would have been very good if I hadn´t burnt the nuts while roasting them. I didn´t have the time to redo it the day of the dinner so I didn´t serve it. I made the strawberry sauce the night before which is not a good idea - the strawberries lose texture and the taste is slightly alcoholic. Luckily I had another box of strawberries that I cut up and used. But I don´t really think it was to their taste - except for Tia Sô who ate four scones. I should have just made the avocado mouse I have perfected (we eat avocados sweet here, not salty)
On a scale of 1-10, one being the worst fiasco ever and ten being an enjoyable food fiasco, I would rank it as a 4. The food wasn´t very tasty but (hopefully) it didn´t make anyone sick and wasn´t burnt or green. What makes it SO bad is that now I will always be that American that says I like to cook but can´t really cook. It is like an affirmation that I should have just ordered out or left the cooking to the maids. AND I´m sure this information will spread like wildfire through the family: "Melissa´s dinner wasn´t very good, watch out if Melissa says she wants to cook, the food wasn´t that tasty...." But never fear - I will perservere! Teehee. Flavia plans on inviting me to dinner at her house. I am just going to make something and take it (only if it is really good) and say I am so bummed the risotto sucked and lets try this.
And don´t worry - I won´t starve. Between my aunt´s grocery shopping, my grandmothers insistence that I take food from her house, and my biological father´s very good cooking, I am only gaining weight!
Besides all that I am doing well. I received a postcard. Woohoo. I love mail.
FOOD FIASCO: I decided to make the Mushroom and Sun-dried Tomato Risotto from Vegan with a Vengeance. Mistake #1= making something I had NEVER made before. I went to the grocery store and couldn´t find dried shiitake - so I bought dried porcini instead. No problem. But then I couldn´t find sun dried tomatoes, rosemary, or nutmeg. Yesterday afternoon I got home around 3pm - plenty of time for the insanely late dinner we had planned at 8ish/9ishpm (how do Brasilians do it???). I started by making scones for the strawberry shortcake. I didn´t have time to make homemade vegetable broth so I had bought a vegetable buillon cube at the grocery store....or so I thought.
I couldn´t find them anywhere yesterday, and by the time I was ready to prepare the dish it was too late to run to the grocery store. Mistake #2= making something I know nothing about without several key ingredients. The recipe in VwaV serves four so I decided to double it. The whole process went fairly well. Risotto is labor intensive but I didn´t cut any corners (just ingredients) and 45 minutes later it looked like I thought most risottos should look, thought it tasted bland (obviously). Mistake #3 = letting the risotto sit in a hot pan for two hours. When it came time for dinner I was left with a gelatinous gluey mucky mess. They loaded up on cheese and olive oil and nobody said a word. My first inclination was to comment on how overcooked it was but I couldn´t decide if that would then invite more criticism or I would have to deal with protests of denial. You never know with Brasilians - they can be very nonconfrontational and complimentary or they can be brutally honest - and I wasn´t really in the mood for either. The strawberry shortcake was okay. I made the Macadamia Créme the night before and it would have been very good if I hadn´t burnt the nuts while roasting them. I didn´t have the time to redo it the day of the dinner so I didn´t serve it. I made the strawberry sauce the night before which is not a good idea - the strawberries lose texture and the taste is slightly alcoholic. Luckily I had another box of strawberries that I cut up and used. But I don´t really think it was to their taste - except for Tia Sô who ate four scones. I should have just made the avocado mouse I have perfected (we eat avocados sweet here, not salty)On a scale of 1-10, one being the worst fiasco ever and ten being an enjoyable food fiasco, I would rank it as a 4. The food wasn´t very tasty but (hopefully) it didn´t make anyone sick and wasn´t burnt or green. What makes it SO bad is that now I will always be that American that says I like to cook but can´t really cook. It is like an affirmation that I should have just ordered out or left the cooking to the maids. AND I´m sure this information will spread like wildfire through the family: "Melissa´s dinner wasn´t very good, watch out if Melissa says she wants to cook, the food wasn´t that tasty...." But never fear - I will perservere! Teehee. Flavia plans on inviting me to dinner at her house. I am just going to make something and take it (only if it is really good) and say I am so bummed the risotto sucked and lets try this.
And don´t worry - I won´t starve. Between my aunt´s grocery shopping, my grandmothers insistence that I take food from her house, and my biological father´s very good cooking, I am only gaining weight!
Besides all that I am doing well. I received a postcard. Woohoo. I love mail.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Today was a bummer....kind of
BAD NEWS: Gotas de Flor com Amor has been an non-governmental organization (ONG in portuguese) for 15 years. They have several properties - but the first and primary property is where I work on Rua Vicente Leporace. It is a place where kids go when they aren´t at school, they offer "classes" in the morning and in the afternoon. Gota´s is committed to each child´s development as citizens of their community and the world. Kids get to go to museums, they went to the fazenda last Friday, they do school exchanges (Liceu Pasteur and Mobli), they take computer classes, dance classes, they read fairytales and create art work, they go to the library and basketaball court once a week, they have access to a psychologist and dentist. Older students work to make recycled paper (I helped one day). The work is amazing. Gotas makes sure the kids are fed - either breakfast and lunch or lunch and a snack. Gotas allows them exposure to cultural realities they would not otherwise be able to access. I benefit greatly and contribute very little from volunteering there. I work three to five hours a day, I process some books and play with kids. Really, up to now I have done nothing of any consequence. Today I went to Gotas in the afternoon - there was a meeting for the teachers in the morning. When I arrived the librarian Rose told me that Gotas was experiencing financial difficulties and the meeting that morning was to fire two professors, an office administrator, and the dentist. Instead of attending Gotas everyday kids will only be able to attend twice a week. These drastic measures are in order to avoid having to close completely. It is so sad. The librarian´s job is safe because her salary is paid for by a large corporation (C&A) and apparently Gotas receives significant assistance from Oracle. I would give anything for circumstances to be different - one of the teachers leaving is the one other adult (besides Rose) that I talk to. But circumstances aren´t different and so I will do my best to assist them in this incredibly difficult transition. I´ve never been more grateful that I am here instead of somewhere else (DC, Boston, NYC - who knows with me!)
Lemonade out of lemons: (not all was bad....some highlights today)
- I got my glasses fixed. (I stepped on them Sunday) I went to the mall and they are almost returned to their original state. My tia gave me the HARD sell to buy a new pair (mine are ugly, I need a backup, my grandmother will buy them for me). I was considering it until I remembered how ridiculous it would be to spend almost 200 dollars on something I don´t need. I have contacts and I only wear glasses at night. I work with some kids at Gotas that can´t afford one pair of glasses. Paulo - one of my favorites - is blind as a bat and everytime he breaks his coke bottle glasses he has to wait weeks for them to be fixed. It is so easy to fall into the consumerism trap - especially at the mall. But I resisted and am using my perfectly fantastic glasses at this very moment.
- I found rice milk today, with NO SUGAR added. I love rice milk. And I usually try to go one day a week sugar free but I haven´t been able to since I arrived in Brasil. (everything has sugar in Brasil- soy milk, bread, etc) Now it is a possibility, woohoo!
- I ran hard. I love running. And I had a great stretch class.
- I talked to Vanja on skype. Skype rocks. Why? #1) it is FREE #2) the connection is great #3) it is free! And Vanja is great. woohoo. If you don´t have it, get it, and we´ll chat
- We got mail today. I personally didn´t get any mail but my aunt did. Which means....the two packages I am waiting for can´t be far behind.....
Lemonade out of lemons: (not all was bad....some highlights today)
- I got my glasses fixed. (I stepped on them Sunday) I went to the mall and they are almost returned to their original state. My tia gave me the HARD sell to buy a new pair (mine are ugly, I need a backup, my grandmother will buy them for me). I was considering it until I remembered how ridiculous it would be to spend almost 200 dollars on something I don´t need. I have contacts and I only wear glasses at night. I work with some kids at Gotas that can´t afford one pair of glasses. Paulo - one of my favorites - is blind as a bat and everytime he breaks his coke bottle glasses he has to wait weeks for them to be fixed. It is so easy to fall into the consumerism trap - especially at the mall. But I resisted and am using my perfectly fantastic glasses at this very moment.
- I found rice milk today, with NO SUGAR added. I love rice milk. And I usually try to go one day a week sugar free but I haven´t been able to since I arrived in Brasil. (everything has sugar in Brasil- soy milk, bread, etc) Now it is a possibility, woohoo!
- I ran hard. I love running. And I had a great stretch class.
- I talked to Vanja on skype. Skype rocks. Why? #1) it is FREE #2) the connection is great #3) it is free! And Vanja is great. woohoo. If you don´t have it, get it, and we´ll chat
- We got mail today. I personally didn´t get any mail but my aunt did. Which means....the two packages I am waiting for can´t be far behind.....
Sunday, September 23, 2007
What I miss
I´ve been in Brasil for three weeks now and there are a few things I miss. Luckily, for everything I miss there is a "replacement" of sorts.
1. I miss my mom and pops. Four months is the longest I think I will go without seeing them (in like the past 10 years). - Replacement: all my wonderful extended family and biological father.
2. I miss watching college football - especially MSU. (4-0 baby). There may be a pub where I can watch some. Keep your fingers crossed. -Replacement: rubgy. I am starting to really like it.
3. I miss my running crew (RICH). We were more then just running partners - we were motivators, cheerleaders, and friends. -Replacement: my IPOD. Not quite the same thing but keeps me motivated to run hard.
4. I miss my friends. I´ve been very lucky and I have some amazing friends. During my time in Cali I didn´t make many friends but the friends I had I was very close to (Sarah, Elena, Michelle) and I think I´ll be friends with them for life. The short time I was in DC I had a much larger network of super fun, if somewhat more casual, friends (Mike, Lauren, Kaitlyn, Alyssa, Chris, Landyn, Sallie, Moose, Chorizo, above mentioned running crew). And in both places I had the old timers (Vanja, Donaldo). Either way I always had something to do Friday/Saturday night (if I wanted) with people I really liked. -Replacement: My 85 year old grandmother. Okay - so maybe that doesn´t count, but hey - it has only been three weeks and it takes me a while to make friends. If my portuguese improves or I met some English speakers my odds increase.
5. I miss Moose and Chorizo. I miss Moose´s pasta salad and fantastic planning abilities. I miss Chorizo´s obsession with pumpkin muffins and her meat eating ways. -Replacement: gchat.
I don´t miss peanut butter or cashew butter because I can buy it here. Oh yeah!
I don´t miss any particular food. I´ve been super lucky with what I eat - from family support to dad´s great lasagna.
I don´t miss movies because Blockbuster is right down the street and my aunt has like 10 movie channels.
I don´t miss email because I do that every day - at least twice a day. (it borders on addiction).
I don´t miss mass because I can walk to church and go at least twice a week. Though I do kinda miss knowing the prayers.
I don´t miss talking on the phone because a long distance relationship cured me of liking talking on the phone.
Regardless of who or what I do miss, I ´m glad I am here. It´s been a dream of mine for years and everything in my personal and professional life aligned to make it possible. I´m truly blessed.
1. I miss my mom and pops. Four months is the longest I think I will go without seeing them (in like the past 10 years). - Replacement: all my wonderful extended family and biological father.
2. I miss watching college football - especially MSU. (4-0 baby). There may be a pub where I can watch some. Keep your fingers crossed. -Replacement: rubgy. I am starting to really like it.
3. I miss my running crew (RICH). We were more then just running partners - we were motivators, cheerleaders, and friends. -Replacement: my IPOD. Not quite the same thing but keeps me motivated to run hard.
4. I miss my friends. I´ve been very lucky and I have some amazing friends. During my time in Cali I didn´t make many friends but the friends I had I was very close to (Sarah, Elena, Michelle) and I think I´ll be friends with them for life. The short time I was in DC I had a much larger network of super fun, if somewhat more casual, friends (Mike, Lauren, Kaitlyn, Alyssa, Chris, Landyn, Sallie, Moose, Chorizo, above mentioned running crew). And in both places I had the old timers (Vanja, Donaldo). Either way I always had something to do Friday/Saturday night (if I wanted) with people I really liked. -Replacement: My 85 year old grandmother. Okay - so maybe that doesn´t count, but hey - it has only been three weeks and it takes me a while to make friends. If my portuguese improves or I met some English speakers my odds increase.
5. I miss Moose and Chorizo. I miss Moose´s pasta salad and fantastic planning abilities. I miss Chorizo´s obsession with pumpkin muffins and her meat eating ways. -Replacement: gchat.
I don´t miss peanut butter or cashew butter because I can buy it here. Oh yeah!
I don´t miss any particular food. I´ve been super lucky with what I eat - from family support to dad´s great lasagna.
I don´t miss movies because Blockbuster is right down the street and my aunt has like 10 movie channels.
I don´t miss email because I do that every day - at least twice a day. (it borders on addiction).
I don´t miss mass because I can walk to church and go at least twice a week. Though I do kinda miss knowing the prayers.
I don´t miss talking on the phone because a long distance relationship cured me of liking talking on the phone.
Regardless of who or what I do miss, I ´m glad I am here. It´s been a dream of mine for years and everything in my personal and professional life aligned to make it possible. I´m truly blessed.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Portuguese: I´m happy to report that I will be starting Portuguese lessons at EIGHT am on Thursday. My teacher is 90 years old and has enormous St. Bernand that hates me. I had my doubts, and I was hoping to join a school since I met such cool people the last time I was here and did that (Diana, Patricia, Cordy, Charley). But three hours later - walking home from my fantastic stretch class - I found myself repeating what she had taught me in the 5 minute introduction I´d had to her alphabetization method. That convinced me to give it a try. And really, the more time I spend with those 80 and over the better!
Love: I´m feeling really good. My exboyfriend seems less interested then ever - which probably means he is interested in someone else, so that isn´t why I feel good. (it does make the conflict over whether I will get back with him upon my return kind of a mute point) No, I feel good because I had a momumental revelation. I was watching a film this morning about a 53 year old woman looking for love. I wanted to call my exboyfriend right away. Partly because I love him and miss him, but mostly because I´m frightened of the prospect of being alone in 25 years. And that is when I realized that I am scared of being alone - not right now - but in the future and that is a cause of a lot of angst. I don´t know if my exboyfriend is the one - I think we have the ability to make any variety of people a soul mate. For example, this morning at the boomobile I developed a minicrush on the storyteller who donates his Saturday´s mornings to entertaining the kids. I don´t know if he is married, gay, or a cannibal (and I´ll never know because I don´t know how to ask)- but he was super cute and so funny and great with the kids. And I had a thought - when I get to Boston I am going to continue this type of work, I´m sure I´ll meet someone with the same values and I´ll be attracted (and I promise to flirt). I mean - before I left DC I met someone who piqued my interest - so it helps me not feel so bummed about my ex (who I dumped) moving on. Because whether he was the "one" not and even more important then finding a boyfriend or a husband, I don´t want to live in fear of being alone. I just want to live - for right here , right now. Maybe I will be alone in 25 years or maybe I´ll pass away tomorrow. All I can do is live for today. I didn´t read Bryon Katie three times, do the Landmark Forum, and watch the Peaceful Warrior twice for nothing! It does feel like everyone in my life is in love and getting married, or married and having kids. Which is great. I can´t wait to support friends, that I love like family, in these big life altering events. A big part of me wishes I had that too - but right now I don´t and that is what allows me to spend 4 months here. So for the rest of my time here instead of worrying about love - I am going to focus on living without fear of the future. Wish me luck (or pray for me if you do that) and remind me when I forget....teehee.
Food: I am so lucky - despite repeated offers to eat food that isn´t vegan (Freegells don´t have gelatin!) - my family is SUPER supportive of how I eat. Tia Lecy took my grandmother and I to Moinho de Pedra, the vegetarian restaurant I´ve been to three times now (of the four times I have eaten out). Tia Sô (who I live with) went shopping crazy at a all natural grocery store near her therapist. She must have spent 100 dollars on foods that definitely don´t have eggs or milk. Have I mentioned how much I love my family!?!
Television: Soap operas here are high class entertainment. Tia Sô is redecorating her apartment. When the interior decorator came over (an hour late - another Brasilian trait) at 9pm they sat down and watched Paraiso Tropical (this is the last week) and didn´t discuss the remodel until the soap opera was over. Soap operas are primetime television. They don´t last years, usually less then one year, and I love them. Paraiso Tropical is insanely interesting right now because tons is happening. One woman has left her husband twice this past week - the first time I don´t understand why, but the second time was because she thinks he got some other woman pregnant! What makes a soap opera different here? It´s nighttime slot, the great acting (including two actors from Primo Basilio - a pretty popular movie in theatres right now), and it´s short run gives watching it a greater sense of urgency. My favorite shows to watch on TV are soap operas or movies (like the 40 year old Virgin) dubbed in Portuguese. Hilarious!
Love: I´m feeling really good. My exboyfriend seems less interested then ever - which probably means he is interested in someone else, so that isn´t why I feel good. (it does make the conflict over whether I will get back with him upon my return kind of a mute point) No, I feel good because I had a momumental revelation. I was watching a film this morning about a 53 year old woman looking for love. I wanted to call my exboyfriend right away. Partly because I love him and miss him, but mostly because I´m frightened of the prospect of being alone in 25 years. And that is when I realized that I am scared of being alone - not right now - but in the future and that is a cause of a lot of angst. I don´t know if my exboyfriend is the one - I think we have the ability to make any variety of people a soul mate. For example, this morning at the boomobile I developed a minicrush on the storyteller who donates his Saturday´s mornings to entertaining the kids. I don´t know if he is married, gay, or a cannibal (and I´ll never know because I don´t know how to ask)- but he was super cute and so funny and great with the kids. And I had a thought - when I get to Boston I am going to continue this type of work, I´m sure I´ll meet someone with the same values and I´ll be attracted (and I promise to flirt). I mean - before I left DC I met someone who piqued my interest - so it helps me not feel so bummed about my ex (who I dumped) moving on. Because whether he was the "one" not and even more important then finding a boyfriend or a husband, I don´t want to live in fear of being alone. I just want to live - for right here , right now. Maybe I will be alone in 25 years or maybe I´ll pass away tomorrow. All I can do is live for today. I didn´t read Bryon Katie three times, do the Landmark Forum, and watch the Peaceful Warrior twice for nothing! It does feel like everyone in my life is in love and getting married, or married and having kids. Which is great. I can´t wait to support friends, that I love like family, in these big life altering events. A big part of me wishes I had that too - but right now I don´t and that is what allows me to spend 4 months here. So for the rest of my time here instead of worrying about love - I am going to focus on living without fear of the future. Wish me luck (or pray for me if you do that) and remind me when I forget....teehee.
Food: I am so lucky - despite repeated offers to eat food that isn´t vegan (Freegells don´t have gelatin!) - my family is SUPER supportive of how I eat. Tia Lecy took my grandmother and I to Moinho de Pedra, the vegetarian restaurant I´ve been to three times now (of the four times I have eaten out). Tia Sô (who I live with) went shopping crazy at a all natural grocery store near her therapist. She must have spent 100 dollars on foods that definitely don´t have eggs or milk. Have I mentioned how much I love my family!?!
Television: Soap operas here are high class entertainment. Tia Sô is redecorating her apartment. When the interior decorator came over (an hour late - another Brasilian trait) at 9pm they sat down and watched Paraiso Tropical (this is the last week) and didn´t discuss the remodel until the soap opera was over. Soap operas are primetime television. They don´t last years, usually less then one year, and I love them. Paraiso Tropical is insanely interesting right now because tons is happening. One woman has left her husband twice this past week - the first time I don´t understand why, but the second time was because she thinks he got some other woman pregnant! What makes a soap opera different here? It´s nighttime slot, the great acting (including two actors from Primo Basilio - a pretty popular movie in theatres right now), and it´s short run gives watching it a greater sense of urgency. My favorite shows to watch on TV are soap operas or movies (like the 40 year old Virgin) dubbed in Portuguese. Hilarious!
Mail: STILL NO MAIL!!! Apparently the workers that are striking are those that deliver the mail. GREAT! But I have been mailing letters out, hope you are getting them! Even better, my Tia Sô just bought me the most beautiful postcards. They are delicious. I only have 5 but I plan on getting more.
P.S. - I know I should be a librarian because when I go to the gym I can´t help but put the weights in the right order.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Ode to maracujá
Maracujá is passion fruit - but I have never seen passion fruit in the states like in Brasil. (I have to be careful with spelling and pronunciation because just one vowel separates this fruit from a swearword). It is actually incredibly ugly - inside and out. It smells wonderful but tastes somewhat bitter and unpleasant. I love it as juice - with loads of sugar. 
Here is the way "we" make it (Tia Sô and me): scoop out seeds and pulp, place in blender with 8 oz. of water, blend. Strain mixture to remove grainy black seeds. Place remaining liquid, a few ice cubes, and sugar to taste back into the blender. Whirl away. Drink. Hmmmm....yummy. Unfortunately, Tia Sô´s maid doesn´t make it that way. They way she makes it is kinda gross and I don´t ask her to make it, she just does it because she knows I like it. So what can I do? I drink one glass in front of her and dump a little (or a lot depending on how bad). I made the juice to the right.
Speaking of food - I am sure I am eating non vegan foods. Why? Because for every 10 foods I refuse, I accept 1. For example, the students at Gotas love these candies called Freegells - which I am sure has gelatin. I think they are gross but I often am given some various flavor. Like I said, after about 10 refusals I am usually worn and will accept one. Usually I don´t have to eat it, I can give it away, but sometimes the ´giver´will sit there and watch me. It is really hard to refuse food being offered as a token of friendship and affection. Or food being offered as a cultural exchange. Rose - the librarian- offers me a variety of foods daily. I take my own lunch to Gotas - even though they provide food for the children and staff - which everyone finds very odd. Rose, to whom I explained I am vegan, sums it up by saying I don´t like Brasilian food. (that is NOT it). Rose will always offer me something, usually a dessert, and say "it doesn´t have meat". In my head I think - "the list of what I choose not to eat is a lot longer then that". But for the most part, as long as I don´t eat out, and pre-empt offers by taking a juice or some rice in lieu of non vegan food, I am able to maintain my nutritional lifestyle.
Speaking of Rose - she told me today she is going on the trip on Friday. Great! I´ve already refused and made other plans. Well, at least my loyality is established. And I guees I don´t regret it too much - a day long (8:30am to 6pm) trip with a bunch of (great but WILD) kids repeating what I say because they are deeply amused by my accent, with a small petting zoo or something odd on a mini fazenda isn´t exactly the day tirp of my dreams. Though I am sure it will be fun. Next time, next time....
Mail - I saw a postal delivery truck today, I think that is very promising. Additionally, I went to the post office and it was open so I mailed a card today. I can imagine letters zigzaging the Atlantic as we speak.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Ela fala mal/má, mas ela entende melhor
"She speaks badly (or wrongly - I couldn´t decipher which adjective she used), but she understands better."
I went to the NGO Tertio Millennio this morning and when the director was on the phone that is how she described my Portuguese. Regardless of the adjective it´s true! But despite that, I may be teaching English to their adolescent mothers on Wednesday´s. My Portuguese may be crap but my English sure is up to par. Teehee.
The best part about today - lunch with my grandmother. She is so fantastic. Why?
#1) My very wealthy and prestigous uncle is having a birthday bash to DIE for on October 4th - no nieces, nephews or grandchildren are invited in order to keep the guest list to 200. He is turning 70 and by law must retire from his judicial position. The party is going to be uber chique (chic). So today my grandmother told me that she is worried/scared. Everyone wears high heels to be chic but she can´t - they hurt her feet too much. What is she going to do? She is seriously concerned. I hope I conveyed to her that people aren´t going to judge an 85 year old woman harshly for not wearing jewelry or high heels.
#2) I asked my grandmother how old she is. She was aghast - she will never tell! Her reaction was priceless.
#3) I took our dishes in the kitchen and started to wash mine - she ran in, with a mouth full of food, and started swatting at me with a rag, mumbling "não, não". She refused to let me clean the dishes.
#4) She always loads me up with food when I go there for lunch. I have to eat a lot, but more then that, I have to take food with me. And her argument is always "it isn´t fattening", even if it is.
#5) I asked what she was going to do with the rest of the day and she said she was going to clean the dishes, take a shower, and watch tv. Then she told me "I love TV!" She said when she watches TV she doesn´t think about anything, like how my cousin Alé - who is 6 months pregnant - is in Chicago right now on business. That worries her a lot. She especially likes detective/police tv shows. We watched Criminal Minds before lunch. She doesn´t have a thought in her head when she watches tv - that is how she described it. (Alé, Vó, Me)
#6) She tells great stories. She told me how her family are a bunch of drunks and that is why she has never had one drink, not one!
#7) The street outside of her house is undergoing major construction, which causes major traffic, and every time the cars stop she points out the window and insists I look and see the horrible traffic.
#8) She calls herself "your lazy grandmother". She is working on two crochet/knitting projects (I can´t tell the difference) but she says she is too lazy to complete them - she just wants to watch tv.
#9) She never calls anyone by the right name the first time. I´m usualy Lec-Melissa or Cami-Melissa. But she does it with everyone - and so do my aunts.
#10) She doesn´t understand my accent (I had to say nove three times today for her to understand I was saying nine) or my wrong & bad Portuguese, but she still tells me how intelligent and wonderful I am.
I am doing pretty well. I didn´t sleep well last night because I was stressed about getting a cab and going to Tertio(not sleeping as a result of worrying runs in my family). Tomorrow I have to go to the bank and try to figure out why the ATM charged me for money I didn´t take out - without a receipt or the ability to speak anywhere near fluently. I am sure I won´t sleep well tonight either. Ugh!
I went to the NGO Tertio Millennio this morning and when the director was on the phone that is how she described my Portuguese. Regardless of the adjective it´s true! But despite that, I may be teaching English to their adolescent mothers on Wednesday´s. My Portuguese may be crap but my English sure is up to par. Teehee.
The best part about today - lunch with my grandmother. She is so fantastic. Why?
#1) My very wealthy and prestigous uncle is having a birthday bash to DIE for on October 4th - no nieces, nephews or grandchildren are invited in order to keep the guest list to 200. He is turning 70 and by law must retire from his judicial position. The party is going to be uber chique (chic). So today my grandmother told me that she is worried/scared. Everyone wears high heels to be chic but she can´t - they hurt her feet too much. What is she going to do? She is seriously concerned. I hope I conveyed to her that people aren´t going to judge an 85 year old woman harshly for not wearing jewelry or high heels.
#2) I asked my grandmother how old she is. She was aghast - she will never tell! Her reaction was priceless.
#3) I took our dishes in the kitchen and started to wash mine - she ran in, with a mouth full of food, and started swatting at me with a rag, mumbling "não, não". She refused to let me clean the dishes.
#4) She always loads me up with food when I go there for lunch. I have to eat a lot, but more then that, I have to take food with me. And her argument is always "it isn´t fattening", even if it is.
#5) I asked what she was going to do with the rest of the day and she said she was going to clean the dishes, take a shower, and watch tv. Then she told me "I love TV!" She said when she watches TV she doesn´t think about anything, like how my cousin Alé - who is 6 months pregnant - is in Chicago right now on business. That worries her a lot. She especially likes detective/police tv shows. We watched Criminal Minds before lunch. She doesn´t have a thought in her head when she watches tv - that is how she described it. (Alé, Vó, Me)
#6) She tells great stories. She told me how her family are a bunch of drunks and that is why she has never had one drink, not one!
#7) The street outside of her house is undergoing major construction, which causes major traffic, and every time the cars stop she points out the window and insists I look and see the horrible traffic.
#8) She calls herself "your lazy grandmother". She is working on two crochet/knitting projects (I can´t tell the difference) but she says she is too lazy to complete them - she just wants to watch tv.
#9) She never calls anyone by the right name the first time. I´m usualy Lec-Melissa or Cami-Melissa. But she does it with everyone - and so do my aunts.
#10) She doesn´t understand my accent (I had to say nove three times today for her to understand I was saying nine) or my wrong & bad Portuguese, but she still tells me how intelligent and wonderful I am.
I am doing pretty well. I didn´t sleep well last night because I was stressed about getting a cab and going to Tertio(not sleeping as a result of worrying runs in my family). Tomorrow I have to go to the bank and try to figure out why the ATM charged me for money I didn´t take out - without a receipt or the ability to speak anywhere near fluently. I am sure I won´t sleep well tonight either. Ugh!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Strange Day
Today was.....well.....odd. Why? For several reasons.
-DREAMS: Every night since I have arrived in Brasil I have had the most vivid dreams - from missing a flight to Russia, to my exboyfriend calling me and telling me about his new wife, to two former high school "frenemies" becoming good friends. Last night I had another incredibly realistic dream that had me waking up some what out of sorts, it involved serial killers and home improvements. I blame the dreams on the incredibly hard mattress that is status quo in Brasil.
-WORK: I got to work a little late today - as I was walking I ran into two students. They just got out of school and were headed home before going to Gotas de Flor com Amor. It was great to run into them but them didn´t seem to realize that English and Spanish are not the same lanuage - they asked me to teach them Spanish. Once I got to work I was excited to learn that we started computerizing our very basic bibliographic records (in essence author, title, and date). Meetings are often held in the library and today Umparo - 2nd in command - hosted some college students that were interviewing her about Gotas (just yesterday reporters were filming the library). When she saw me she said she wanted to talk later. When Rose heard that (the librarian) she leaned over and whispered that I was going to get invited to something on Friday and I had to refuse and say I was working in the library because Rose hadn´t gotten invited. I did get invited and I did refuse. I mean - I really want to go to the "mini-fazenda" but Rose has been great to me and next time I will just pretend I didn´t understand.
-BANK: I left Gotas early, and the apparently world over work drama, to go to the bank and get some money. Now - this took some courage. Brasilians have this AMAZING ability to tell the scariest most fear inducing stories prior to an action. My aunt has reportedbly told me how dangerous it is to get money from an ATM each time we drive by a bank. Addtionally, on Sunday, at my uncle´s very fancy luncheon, my aunt related my desire to go to the bank and my daily walks. This brought up the story of my cousin Rodrigo and his wife Carol. Two weeks ago they were held up. This included a revolver being held to Carol´s head, their watches, credit cards, and cellular being stolen. Even scarier, they were held by one thief while the other went to the bank and accessed their account. They were eventually released - with more emotional trauma then physical (thank God). This happened on Republique do Iraque, a street I walk on everyday. They tell me this for what reason I don´t know. Now - before my beloved ones worry, Rodrigo´s watch is worth more then my credit card, cellular, digital camera, sneakers, and backpack put together. My cousin Flavia seconded my thoughts by verbally confirming that I am not a target like her brother. I´m happy to relate that each ATM was occupied when I went to the bank and no one was held up while I was there.
-SIDEWALK: As I walked home from the bank I saw a little boy - 4 or 5 - with his mother. What made this strange? He was peeing in a bush with his underwear down by his ankles on a VERY busy street (Jose Diniz). Even odder? No one seemed to notice. My initial thought was I wish I had a camera to take a picture of this but then I realized if I posted that type of picture I would probably be arrested for child pornography. Trust me when I say it was flagarant and obvious - there was no attempt to move behind the bushes or by the mother to camoflague her son.
- EX: Almost two months after I broke up with my boyfriend and I still have days where I suffer a lot. Today was one of those days. I want him to be happy and find love and I want him to never get over me and get down on one knee and propose. I´m excited to meet someone Catholic and interested in travel and yet I feel like I never want to hold someone else´s hand. Strange day indeed.
-DREAMS: Every night since I have arrived in Brasil I have had the most vivid dreams - from missing a flight to Russia, to my exboyfriend calling me and telling me about his new wife, to two former high school "frenemies" becoming good friends. Last night I had another incredibly realistic dream that had me waking up some what out of sorts, it involved serial killers and home improvements. I blame the dreams on the incredibly hard mattress that is status quo in Brasil.
-WORK: I got to work a little late today - as I was walking I ran into two students. They just got out of school and were headed home before going to Gotas de Flor com Amor. It was great to run into them but them didn´t seem to realize that English and Spanish are not the same lanuage - they asked me to teach them Spanish. Once I got to work I was excited to learn that we started computerizing our very basic bibliographic records (in essence author, title, and date). Meetings are often held in the library and today Umparo - 2nd in command - hosted some college students that were interviewing her about Gotas (just yesterday reporters were filming the library). When she saw me she said she wanted to talk later. When Rose heard that (the librarian) she leaned over and whispered that I was going to get invited to something on Friday and I had to refuse and say I was working in the library because Rose hadn´t gotten invited. I did get invited and I did refuse. I mean - I really want to go to the "mini-fazenda" but Rose has been great to me and next time I will just pretend I didn´t understand.
-BANK: I left Gotas early, and the apparently world over work drama, to go to the bank and get some money. Now - this took some courage. Brasilians have this AMAZING ability to tell the scariest most fear inducing stories prior to an action. My aunt has reportedbly told me how dangerous it is to get money from an ATM each time we drive by a bank. Addtionally, on Sunday, at my uncle´s very fancy luncheon, my aunt related my desire to go to the bank and my daily walks. This brought up the story of my cousin Rodrigo and his wife Carol. Two weeks ago they were held up. This included a revolver being held to Carol´s head, their watches, credit cards, and cellular being stolen. Even scarier, they were held by one thief while the other went to the bank and accessed their account. They were eventually released - with more emotional trauma then physical (thank God). This happened on Republique do Iraque, a street I walk on everyday. They tell me this for what reason I don´t know. Now - before my beloved ones worry, Rodrigo´s watch is worth more then my credit card, cellular, digital camera, sneakers, and backpack put together. My cousin Flavia seconded my thoughts by verbally confirming that I am not a target like her brother. I´m happy to relate that each ATM was occupied when I went to the bank and no one was held up while I was there.
-SIDEWALK: As I walked home from the bank I saw a little boy - 4 or 5 - with his mother. What made this strange? He was peeing in a bush with his underwear down by his ankles on a VERY busy street (Jose Diniz). Even odder? No one seemed to notice. My initial thought was I wish I had a camera to take a picture of this but then I realized if I posted that type of picture I would probably be arrested for child pornography. Trust me when I say it was flagarant and obvious - there was no attempt to move behind the bushes or by the mother to camoflague her son.
- EX: Almost two months after I broke up with my boyfriend and I still have days where I suffer a lot. Today was one of those days. I want him to be happy and find love and I want him to never get over me and get down on one knee and propose. I´m excited to meet someone Catholic and interested in travel and yet I feel like I never want to hold someone else´s hand. Strange day indeed.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
The joys of family
My cousin turned 33 on Saturday. Woohoo! I was invited to his birthday lunch at Fogo de Chão but I didn´t want to go. I was tired from my morning of ´brinca na rua´ and Fogo de Chão is basically a meat buffet. My pops loves the place so I´ve been there often. (I have two dads - so for clarification I call one pops and one dad) But refusing family invites, especially for special events, isn´t an option. So I went, and I am so glad I did. It gave me a chance to appreciate life with extended family.
Tia Sônia, my grandmother, and I walked in just after 2pm and it was Lou (the birthday boy), Lou´s girlfriend, Camilia (Lou´s sister), Tia Lecy (Lou´s mom), and Ze (Lou´s brother-in-law). All family. Except for one of Lou´s friends. Just one. Hmmm...I thought to myself, that is odd. We all sat down at the bar and chatted for a bit, waiting for my uncle. **Sidenote: thank goodness I ate a little before I went because we didn´t sit down in the restaurant until after 3pm - I would´ve been so moody and hungry. I´m still getting used to the "timing of eating", which is what I blame on why I eat a lot at 6pm (snack) and then again at 8:30pm (dinner)**. At the table Lou made sure to sit his friend across the table from me.
I didn´t say much to the friend because he doesn´t speak English and I speak a disgusting Portuguese (I say things like "she come to birthday" instead of "he came to the party"). I did get to talk to Ze (who is married to Ale - the sister that wasn´t there) and Camilia. That is one of the best things about being in Brasil - spending time with family. The two of them are so funny. Laughing and getting to know my cousins didn´t give me time to think about why Lou made an exception and invited his friend - apparently they both spend a lot of time together studying to take an exam to become a judge. After lunch we went back to Lou´s house, cut some cake, and then my aunt and I had to leave to go get a pedicure. As I got in the car and my tia Lecy asked the aunt I´m living with (tia Sônia) if I liked the friend. Ah hah - my suspicion was confirmed! She then went on to tell me all the reasons I should like him - he is calm, organized, and the clincher - Catholic. She wrapped up by labeling him the kind of man one should marry. I laughed so hard. She convinced me I should be interested as I was driving away. Alas, I missed out on connecting with the kind of man I should marry. Tia Sônia thinks it is because I am too timid. Maybe, maybe. (my friends will laugh at that and I think it only applies to men). I find it very easy to flirt with guys I´m not interested in AND I´ve spent most of the past 7 years thinking I knew who I was going to spend my life with. I´m accepting that the man I thought I was going to marry, my first love, won´t ever show love the way I want so I need to move on - and flirt with the ones I actually like....but he will probably have to speak English for me to have any success. Lets see if I get any other opportunities......The family´s attempted hookup, rather then annoying me, made me feel so loved. The fun part is I didn´t grow up with lots of family around "looking out for my best interests" - so I´m still getting into the rhythm of getting clothes they think will look good on me, being advised on haircuts, and having my weight noted each time I see someone. Along with my best interests is finding a husband. Anyway...the point being that I´m so glad I am here to have my family meddle in my life. It feels good to be called (sometimes 6 times a day), questioned, poked, prodded, encouraged, and most of all loved. Family is great!
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Saturday, September 15, 2007
Brinca na Rua
I have gotten quite a few concerned comments by those in the know about my walk to work. Perhaps I have exasperated this by posting pictures that make the walk seem perilous, with homes fortified for guerrilla warfare. It is actually a beautiful walk. It is spring here so the weather is warm and sunny every day - but not yet quite humid (which leads to a lot of locals complaining about the dry air). And I´m in love with the mailboxes here - there is all variety and colors and styles - all located safely within a fence or gate. (sidenote - the postal workers are on strike right now, hopefully not for long)Besides the mailboxes what else is different about Brasil?:
- MASS! The elements of mass remain the same (liturgy of the word, liturgy of the eucharist, etc) and it is still clearly recongizable as a Catholic service but there are distinctive differences. Perhaps I notice it more since I understand so little of what is being said. During the Eucharistic prayer the assembly has SIX responses - in the US we have one. On Friday we didn´t do intentions, we went straight from the homily to preparation of the offering. But more then that the feeling of mass is different. There always seems to be an added Hail Mary here or there, the singing seems more fervent (though not necessarily better), and the assembly seems more eager to participate. But, as with all my observations, they are based on a few encounters in a few places.
- Mops. Here the mops looks like a windshield wiper with a much longer handle. On the rubber end they wrap an old dry rag and sweep and then with a wet rag wash and with a clean dry rag dry. All the rags are reusable so it seems more environmentally friendly.
- The standard of cleanliness. Most middle class families have a maid to clean and cook a few times a week. The more money you have the more laborers you hire - cook, maid, nanny, driver, etc. My aunt has one maid, Maria, that comes for about 6 hours a day 4 times a week. My bathroom is cleaned four times a week. Imagine! By my standard the two of us aren´t very dirty but Maria seems to have plenty to do to keep her busy. She cooks a few items for me - beans and rice - but I try to prepare the rest. I make my bed everyday, though Maria would do it. I try to straigten up my room but when I come home she has always rearranged it to her own organizational scheme. She does my laundry and irons my clothes. There is no dust in my aunt´s house. Really, in comparison, I am a filthy dirty person. Left to my own devices I can let the floor go unswept, the clothes unwashed, and the bathroom untended for quite a while. Maria just may be the reason my aunt and I get along so well. Teehee.
- Abundance of manual labor. People can afford maids beause labor is very cheap in a Brasil. There are (too) many people with little to no education that come to São Paulo for the hope of a better life. I don´t know if what they find here is better then elsewhere, and migration has diminished, but with almost 20 million people here and a relatively high unemployment rate (10-20%), there are a lot of people that are willing to work for very little.
Obviously there are more differences, language, culture, cuisine, etc. But those are big picture differences. In my time here I am trying to capture the daily moments that constitute an entire lifetime.
Today I work at Gotas de Flor - we have a grand festival - the "brinca na rua". It is basically a street fair where all the children and their families are invited to come and enjoy. There will be face painting, free hair cuts, maincures, etc. I´m definitely going to try and get some pictures.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Short visual on fear
I don´t know if you can see the images clearly but this is an example of what fear looks like in reality. Most homes have some sort of security measures in place. The property on the left has a concrete wall which is topped with broken glass and wiring that will electrocute a person upon contact. The house on the right has no surrounding fence - slighly atypical for Brasil. Instead it has the electrical wiring running along the roof and fairly impressive barb wire. There are some houses, interspersed among these well fortified homes, that simply have a short pointy fence and a mean looking dog. It is something to be walking down the street and see these type of anti-theft measures. There is a tremendous disparity of wealth in this country, and it really means something to be rich here, but it comes at a cost - constant fear that someone will attack and try to take it from you.Tuesday, September 11, 2007
I don´t eat french fries but French sure sounds cool
Gotas de Flor com Amor (Flower drops of love - which represents the founders belief in floral therapy) has a well established monthly exchange program with Liceu Pasteur - a very chic, and expensive, French school.
About the school:
At Liceu Pasteur all subjects, math - geography - history, are taught in French. In addition to that students are required to take English, French, and Portuguese classes 4 times a week. They must then choose between Spanish or German, which they take 3 times a week. If they plan on going to Europe they typically chose German, if they plan on staying in the Americas they choose Spanish. But that is not all - they also have the option of Latin. But only students with the aptitude for Latin are allowed to remain in that class. In theory they graduate the school fluent in up to 5 languages. Wow. The students are definitely fluent in Portuguese and French, I didn´t test their English. But I know that 5 classes a week doesn´t get most Americans anywhere near fluent. I do think their language education is more rigorous then our own. Their basketball/soccer area was larger then all of Gotas. Now mind you, Gotas isn´t a school for history, math, etc, but still... And all this costs more then what most Gotas parents make in a year. (oh, and the kids look VERY american with Blink 182 t-shirts and Nike hats)
Okay - about the exchange:
One month - like September for example - students from Gotas get on a bus and got to Liceu. Next month the students from Liceu will come to Gotas. Today at Liceu we made "Mabre" ao chocolate - a cake. What a hilarious experience. The kids were supposed to seperate the yolks and beat the egg whites. One group didn´t even bother seperating the yolks from whites, one group put in the whies and tried to beat the yolks, and most groups didn´t have the stamina to beat the whites very much. But it was fun watching the children interact - the boys were definitely much more welcoming then the girls. What is the matter with females?
Overall observations:
- When we were driving back to the school we drove past a favela (I´ll explain why I don´t take pictures later) and one girl said "that´s my house". At first I thought she was kidding, but then others chimed in and we saw one girls mom. It will never cease to amaze me what incredibly difficult circumstances these children endure.
- I could never teach in the states again. I was walking around today and Matheus - about 12 - came up and gave me a big hug. When he didn´t want to help with dishes later I laughingly dragged him into the kitchen. Later a girl I don´t even know, from Gotas, gave me a hug. Affection has ruined me for North American standards.
- Fear is a serious business here in Brasil. I get warned over and over again to watch out. I walk by a favela every morning and evening and I think my family is suprised I´m never accosted or even approached. My aunt today told me about how a man approached her as she entered a bank. He asked for directions and she said she didn´t know where the place was. The guard at the bank told her the stranger wanted to steal her purse. He didn´t but the message is clear, everyone is out to get you. I feel perfectly safe walking to and fro each day - but I keep it very simple - no jewelry, no camera (the reason I have a dearth of photos). I question Michael Moore´s legitimacy but I agree with his proposal that fear is what maintains the status quo. Poor people here live in a misery that can hardly be imagined, as is true of much of the world, and fear is a tool for keeping things the same.
- The news here is so much more interesting then in the States. They don´t talk about celebrities here. Imagine!? They report on corrupt judges and police officers accused of assassinations. They may propagate the fear but they don´t glorify the unimportant.
About the school:
At Liceu Pasteur all subjects, math - geography - history, are taught in French. In addition to that students are required to take English, French, and Portuguese classes 4 times a week. They must then choose between Spanish or German, which they take 3 times a week. If they plan on going to Europe they typically chose German, if they plan on staying in the Americas they choose Spanish. But that is not all - they also have the option of Latin. But only students with the aptitude for Latin are allowed to remain in that class. In theory they graduate the school fluent in up to 5 languages. Wow. The students are definitely fluent in Portuguese and French, I didn´t test their English. But I know that 5 classes a week doesn´t get most Americans anywhere near fluent. I do think their language education is more rigorous then our own. Their basketball/soccer area was larger then all of Gotas. Now mind you, Gotas isn´t a school for history, math, etc, but still... And all this costs more then what most Gotas parents make in a year. (oh, and the kids look VERY american with Blink 182 t-shirts and Nike hats)
Okay - about the exchange:
One month - like September for example - students from Gotas get on a bus and got to Liceu. Next month the students from Liceu will come to Gotas. Today at Liceu we made "Mabre" ao chocolate - a cake. What a hilarious experience. The kids were supposed to seperate the yolks and beat the egg whites. One group didn´t even bother seperating the yolks from whites, one group put in the whies and tried to beat the yolks, and most groups didn´t have the stamina to beat the whites very much. But it was fun watching the children interact - the boys were definitely much more welcoming then the girls. What is the matter with females?
Overall observations:
- When we were driving back to the school we drove past a favela (I´ll explain why I don´t take pictures later) and one girl said "that´s my house". At first I thought she was kidding, but then others chimed in and we saw one girls mom. It will never cease to amaze me what incredibly difficult circumstances these children endure.
- I could never teach in the states again. I was walking around today and Matheus - about 12 - came up and gave me a big hug. When he didn´t want to help with dishes later I laughingly dragged him into the kitchen. Later a girl I don´t even know, from Gotas, gave me a hug. Affection has ruined me for North American standards.
- Fear is a serious business here in Brasil. I get warned over and over again to watch out. I walk by a favela every morning and evening and I think my family is suprised I´m never accosted or even approached. My aunt today told me about how a man approached her as she entered a bank. He asked for directions and she said she didn´t know where the place was. The guard at the bank told her the stranger wanted to steal her purse. He didn´t but the message is clear, everyone is out to get you. I feel perfectly safe walking to and fro each day - but I keep it very simple - no jewelry, no camera (the reason I have a dearth of photos). I question Michael Moore´s legitimacy but I agree with his proposal that fear is what maintains the status quo. Poor people here live in a misery that can hardly be imagined, as is true of much of the world, and fear is a tool for keeping things the same.
- The news here is so much more interesting then in the States. They don´t talk about celebrities here. Imagine!? They report on corrupt judges and police officers accused of assassinations. They may propagate the fear but they don´t glorify the unimportant.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Sunday wrapup
(all the pictures the kids have given me)My observations for the week
RELATED TO BRASIL:
- I had some very deep conversations with my aunt this weekend - she is a psychologist or psychoanalyist or something. Anyway - we talked about several social "ills" in Brasil today. She mentioned that alcohol and drugs are a big problem here. That shocked me. Before I left the states I had read that there were several groups advocating for changing the drinking age back to 18 - the reasoning being that binge drinking is caused by too much restriction. But restriction is not a problem in Brasil. (I just found out that there is law here that you must be 21 to drink at bars and nightclubs but it isn´t really followed.) In Brasil they say the reason kids drink too much is because of not enough restriction. It seems to me if young adults are drinking whether there are strict boundaries or not, then perhaps the issue is deeper. Has technology - that which has given us so much convenience and comfort - also alienated and isolated us? Hmmm...
- This is the first time I haven´t felt fat when in Brasil. I don´t know if that means I am more comfortable with my body or the people around me are getting bigger.
- Regardless of the above statement, beauty is very important in Brasil. Small bikinis, a certain type of wax job, striking women - this is the cultural export of the country. Women spend hours at the beauty parlor getting nails done (which can be more painful then you ever imagined - they cut the cuticle here like it is a fungus), get hair colored, cut, shampooed, and teased to extremes, and then get every other hair on their body exterminated. Beauty isn´t just to look good, it is the national identity. (that along with music, dancing, and soccer). My mom told me that there has never been an Nobel Prize winner from Brasil. Imagine if America was adored and exalted for basketball, rap, and swing dancing. The worldly image of a nation shapes individual perceptions and insecurities.
- My aunt told me there is a saying here in Brasil that the Portuguese came to take what was valuable and they weren´t interested in creating a civilization here. Brasilians believe that mentality exists to this day - export the best and don´t worry about improving what remains. I´ll have to think about this one for the next 4 months.
UNRELATED TO BRASIL
- I am 28 and cannot figure out how to get along with my brother, who is almost 23. Here I am, thousands of miles away, and I still fight with him. We have ALWAYS had a very tumultous sibling relationship - but from the end of May of 2006 to June 2007 I thought we were doing great. And then it goes to crap. Ugh! The one person I would really love to love and I cannot figure it out. I can´t help but feel that is reflective of some flaw in me. Double ugh!
- My aunt has two cats. I would love a cat - but I´m so resistant to the idea of fulfilling the librarian stereotype to the letter: single, glasses, a bun, with a cat. I did cut my hair so no more buns. I wear contacts occassionally. And maybe I won´t be single forever. Teehee.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Pictures!
Ahhah! So here are some pictures - finally. At the advice of my fantastic poppa I reduced the size of the images and now can post them online. Woohoo. To the left we have some essentials - my portuguese grammar (impossible!) and some frozen foods. I hope Moinho de Pedra is open today so I can buy some more or I´ll have to resort to cooking for myself. Which in theory I love to do - but in practice.....to the right is the infamous bidet. People continue to tell me that it is fantastic. But look at those three knobs - what do you do? And in the middle is the wonderful belly of my beautiful and quite pregnant prima (cousin) Alessandra.
I don´t know that I can take photos of the children at Gotas de Flor com Amor but I´ll give it a try. The first week was amazing. I have no set schedule but each day I work for a little bit in the library and with some group of kids. They are divided into 6-7, 8-10, and 11-13. I assisted with the English class for 11-13. I taught parts of the body by playing head, shoulders, knees, and toes with them. Gotas has a basketball court and some soccer nets. The 11-13 year olds asked that I teach them a basketball lesson, I hope I get to do that. The 8-10 year olds are my favorite, I have spend the most time with them. These kids are definitely survivors. Many of them are quite frank about getting hit by their parents and have no shame in living in a favela - and nor should they. Nearly every day they draw me a new picture for me to put on my fridge. I´ll take a picture of their pictures.
Yesterday was Independence day and I was quite lazy. I sat around and watched soap operas (a great way to learn the language - really!) Translating Portuguese in my head is quite exhausting, so I took naps. I received my first letter and am inspired to correspond. I love the act of writing a letter. It is almost cathartic.
But now I must go to the hairdressers - I´ve resisted nearly 7 days, though being offered many times- and must get my legs waxed. It´s been a long time, and the pain will enormous. Wish me luck.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Tia Melissa
I just completed my second day of `work´at Gotas de Flor com Amor. I´ve inherited about 100 nieces and nephews. (All adults at GFA are called tia or tio). It has been a wonderful few days. I think the pattern will be - in the mornings I help out in the small library on the second floor. In the afternoons I´ll assist in the 8-10 year old classroom (they like to make fun of my portuguese and ask me to say their names in English.) Today was a little different. The amazing librarian, Rose, her husband (who drives the bookmobile), and I moved and cleaned the `onibus´-as we refer to it. I went inside a favela today with Rose and a student. We needed brooms to sweep because we were supposed to be filmed on the onibus (which didn´t happen at the last minute). The favela (which is actually much nicer than most) was another world. I can´t even imagine growing up there.
Overall, I have noticed some significant differences in the care of school children here vs. the United States.
#1) These children are very quick to fight, and that may be true of poor kids anywhere, but the teachers never yell at them and the kids get over it in an instant. Today a young, VERY energetic, boy named Paulo slapped Jose across the face when Jose said he couldn´t stay in the game. Very calmly the staff pulled the two boys aside, resolved the issue in two minutes, and let Paulo continue to play. I feel like kids get away with a lot here, but they are such great kids it can´t be too bad of a thing. #2) We have a book in the library with pictues of naked people and their genitalia - it was written for 6-10 year olds. It is about sex. Umm....I don´t think we even let 18 year olds look at books like that. #3) Teachers and adults here don´t hate teenagers. In the States, whenever I said I taught 11-14 year olds people screamed in horror. That is supposedly the worst age ever, right? Not here. Maybe the difference can be atributed to a culture that encourages people to hug and kiss each other as a greeting. It is hard to be moody and alienated when you are getting hugged all day.
Some non related observations:
- Upper class Brasilians seem to have a real self-hate of their country. My uncle thinks the English are so much better at planning and organization, my cousin thinks everything American is fantastic. It is a little odd. I am basing this on a small sample set but I know that historically Brasilians have long felt this way - they used to be Francophiles and now they are Anglophiles.
- It seems that the upper class really thinks there isn´t a race problem here. Huh? You don´t have to be in Brasil for but a few moments to realize there is a significant racial division, which would be construed by most as a problem.
- There seems to be a consensus that North Americans proved how hippocritical and racist we are with Katrina. I agree. But Brasilians seem to be blind to the fact that their own people, typically darker skinned, live in very similiar conditions every day for years and years - they´re called favelas.
- Bidets, in theory, are great. But really, how are you supposed to use one?
- If you don´t live in a very touristy spot it is hard to find postcards. I think that is true everywhere.
- Brasilians must be smarter then Americans because they have to conjugate about 1000 verbs 10milion different ways - this language is impossible! I may need to take a class.
So how am I? I´m loving it. I miss my parents and a boy I shouldn´t miss but I couldn´t be happier to be here. My family has been SO supportive of my diet and I´m lucky because vegan isn´t a word in the portuguese language. The first day I felt like I understood 80% of what people said, Sunday I thought I understood 10%, today probably 30%.
p.s.I tried to upload pictures but it won~t let me. Argh! I can´t even email them. I´m going to figure out a way.
Overall, I have noticed some significant differences in the care of school children here vs. the United States.
#1) These children are very quick to fight, and that may be true of poor kids anywhere, but the teachers never yell at them and the kids get over it in an instant. Today a young, VERY energetic, boy named Paulo slapped Jose across the face when Jose said he couldn´t stay in the game. Very calmly the staff pulled the two boys aside, resolved the issue in two minutes, and let Paulo continue to play. I feel like kids get away with a lot here, but they are such great kids it can´t be too bad of a thing. #2) We have a book in the library with pictues of naked people and their genitalia - it was written for 6-10 year olds. It is about sex. Umm....I don´t think we even let 18 year olds look at books like that. #3) Teachers and adults here don´t hate teenagers. In the States, whenever I said I taught 11-14 year olds people screamed in horror. That is supposedly the worst age ever, right? Not here. Maybe the difference can be atributed to a culture that encourages people to hug and kiss each other as a greeting. It is hard to be moody and alienated when you are getting hugged all day.
Some non related observations:
- Upper class Brasilians seem to have a real self-hate of their country. My uncle thinks the English are so much better at planning and organization, my cousin thinks everything American is fantastic. It is a little odd. I am basing this on a small sample set but I know that historically Brasilians have long felt this way - they used to be Francophiles and now they are Anglophiles.
- It seems that the upper class really thinks there isn´t a race problem here. Huh? You don´t have to be in Brasil for but a few moments to realize there is a significant racial division, which would be construed by most as a problem.
- There seems to be a consensus that North Americans proved how hippocritical and racist we are with Katrina. I agree. But Brasilians seem to be blind to the fact that their own people, typically darker skinned, live in very similiar conditions every day for years and years - they´re called favelas.
- Bidets, in theory, are great. But really, how are you supposed to use one?
- If you don´t live in a very touristy spot it is hard to find postcards. I think that is true everywhere.
- Brasilians must be smarter then Americans because they have to conjugate about 1000 verbs 10milion different ways - this language is impossible! I may need to take a class.
So how am I? I´m loving it. I miss my parents and a boy I shouldn´t miss but I couldn´t be happier to be here. My family has been SO supportive of my diet and I´m lucky because vegan isn´t a word in the portuguese language. The first day I felt like I understood 80% of what people said, Sunday I thought I understood 10%, today probably 30%.
p.s.I tried to upload pictures but it won~t let me. Argh! I can´t even email them. I´m going to figure out a way.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Woohoo
I´m here. Where you ask? Brasil! Teehee.
Looks like my life here will be very busy and I´m oh so glad. It will also revolve around me learning portuguese and my family fretting about what I eat. Being here makes the list of what I don´t eat seem very, very long.
I did go to a fantastic vegetarian restaurant today, Moinho de Pedra, and the head chef/owner personally told me - in English - what the vegan options were. I may just live there. They also have produtos naturais e organicos so I was able to stock up on some supplies. I have my favorite cookbook with me and plan on including a culinary adventure on my Brasilian journey.
I am off to a family party, taking my own food, and will post pics soon.
Abraços e beijos
Looks like my life here will be very busy and I´m oh so glad. It will also revolve around me learning portuguese and my family fretting about what I eat. Being here makes the list of what I don´t eat seem very, very long.
I did go to a fantastic vegetarian restaurant today, Moinho de Pedra, and the head chef/owner personally told me - in English - what the vegan options were. I may just live there. They also have produtos naturais e organicos so I was able to stock up on some supplies. I have my favorite cookbook with me and plan on including a culinary adventure on my Brasilian journey.
I am off to a family party, taking my own food, and will post pics soon.
Abraços e beijos
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