Confusion and Contrasts.

On Saturday, as we had been planning all week, Miracy and I went to her friend's apartment for lunch. On the way, we stopped at the grocery store for some ice cream (which is divine here... more on the sorbet side, but oh so delicious), and then drove the very short distance (three blocks) to the apartment. It took a bit longer than expected to get there, though, as Miracy's car kept stalling out. When we were actually in motion, the car was shaking ridiculously. That needs to be addressed. 

This apartment complex was super swanky, with a doorman and all. We rode in a mirror-clad elevator up to the second or third floor, where there were more mirrors on the walls. I've found that there is either an over-abundance of mirrors or none at all. I think they are used to reflect wealth (pun intended), in many cases. We rang the doorbell, and the door was flung open within seconds. Standing there was Miracy's friend, looking utterly confused. She and Miracy exchanged a few quick words, and we were invited in. The woman was young, in her forties, and the husband was not so young, in his seventies (Miracy had gone on and on about their marriage before we arrived. A different situation, no doubt). We sat down in their living room, which had a balcony overlooking the city (well, maybe not overlooking, exactly, seeing as we were only a few floors high, but anyways, it was a lovely view). Everything was so white in their apartment: slick white tiled floors, white walls, white curtains, white furniture... ah! bright!). Naturally, everything was also incredibly clean. As we sat and awkwardly talked, the housekeeper scrubbed the floors vigorously, explaining the high level of sanitation. 

Very abruptly, the husband and wife got up, bid us goodbye, and left. I thought they might be running and errand or something, but then I realized that they said, "Nice to meet you!" Plus, upon glancing at the dinner table, I noticed only two places were set for dining. Huh? Finally, after some time of not receiving an explanation, I asked Miracy what was up. Apparently, the couple forgot we were coming over until Miracy called to confirm that morning, and they had already made plans for their daughter to do some modeling work. They arranged for the housekeeper to prepare lunch for just us. I guess they felt bad about the mix up and didn't want to cancel? 

We sat down to lunch, just Miracy and I, and were served by the housekeeper. She brought out the food and poured our drinks. While we eat, she talked to us on and off while continuing her cleaning. The whole situation was simply uncomfortable. 1. We were eating in someone else's house... alone. 2. This sweet woman was serving us like a waitress. Unnecessary! I did not understand why she was not dining with us. Miracy seemed to not think anything of all of this, which I guess makes sense. Before coming here, I was told that most middle class and upper class families still had hired help. Often times, families have someone employed to just cook and someone else to clean, etc. In households without a full-time housekeeper, someone is still hired to clean at least once a week, staying the entire day, even washing clothes. The families cook lunch for the housekeeper sometimes, but it seems like dining together does not happen. Anyways, it is definitely commonplace to live such a lifestyle. I've noticed that in some apartment buildings built in the eighties there are back rooms for live-in help, or I guess at that point in time, servants. 

I know even in the United States, upper class families have servers and cooks, but something about this was different. I think the clear difference in class is what bothered me. This family had far lighter skin than the housekeeper, Ana, which I have found is pretty common. Judging from billboards and t.v. shows, light skin is definitely idealized here, unfortunately. Often times, these people featured on billboards have blond hair, which is not impossible for a Brazilian, given the great amount of Europeans here, but still... the majority is not being represented. 

Miracy's friends were by no means mistreating Ana or acting in a condescending way towards her, but every interaction made me feel uncomfortable, probably because of such cultural differences. As Ana cleared the table, I wanted so badly to help, but insisting upon such would have been inappropriate. Ay, I still don't quite know what to make of the situation. Ana seemed content, but she did mention to us the immense amount of work she does in order to meet her employers' standards (she works in several households during the week). Such a dear woman, though, and full of spirit. I loved listening to her talk about her family, especially her grandchild. Her heart truly lies with her family, which I think is what motivates her to work so hard (her son doesn't work). 

After lunch, we returned to the living room and watched some t.v. Nope, the family had yet to return; 'twas just Miracy and I watching their television. We did step out on the balcony for a bit to see the skyline. In one glance, I could see the skyscrapers in the distance and a flavela, or slum, right next-door. The street beside the apartment complex suddenly changes from paved to bumpy dirt, lined with small, boxy houses. All made of thin building materials and corrugated metal roofs, these homes were so very much the opposite of where I was standing. According to Miracy, with the onset of development in this neighborhood, Boa Viagem (one of the nicer neighborhoods in Recife), people living in flavelas are being pushed out. The government has been creating new homes for them in other locations, and these homes must be of equal or greater value than their old homes. Though these people are being placed in a "better" place, the location might be inconvenient or far from their families. A tough situation, for sure. 

Before leaving, we snuck a peek at the family's parrot. He chatted a little bit with us, but mainly just walked back and forth on his little perch/wooden bar. Man, I felt bad for the little guy. His cage was so small, and he trembled constantly. 

Alright, now that I have inadvertently made this family look heartless, I would like to say that they were actually very kind (in the little time that I interacted with them), and their lifestyle was nothing out of the ordinary for a Brazilian middle class family. I was merely taking it all in, and struggling with the many contradictions and cultural differences. It was an odd afternoon, no question. I never expected to learn so much or even chill alone in someone else's home. Thus is Brazil, though. A constant learning experience, full of the unexpected. Always! 

Craft Fair, of the most grand variety!

Yesterday, Friday, can only be described as odd. For one thing, I was in a sleepy daze for a good portion of the day, making everything seem just a little off. Also, we had many lovely new adventures, but whenever we tried completing our normal activities, nothing seemed to really work out. 

To start the day, Miracy invited Annelise over to join us for a grand lunch. Because we needed to catch the bus by 12:15 pm (it takes at least an hour to get to the university), we planned on eating promptly at 11:00. Come 10:15, though, Miracy was still in her jammies, talking about plans to run out to the grocery store. No big deal, right? At this point, I knew lunch would be late... very late. This woman never leaves the house without dressing her best. Oh, and she still had plans of serving breakfast at this point, before departing for the store! Oh my. 

Of course, breakfast was delicious, but I was stuffed. Even by 11:45 when we sat down to eat, I was still full! Oh well. Lunch was wonderful, though, per usual, as this woman is a master cook. Annelise and I were both glancing at our watches as inconspicuously as possible, so concerned about the time. Miracy had been so kind to cook for us, though, and we were having such great conversation that we could not find it within ourselves to break away from the meal early. Her advice and wisdoms are priceless. 

Naturally, we left for the bus stop at 12:45. Indeed, we were a bit frantic. We could only get to the bus stop so fast, though, as our backpacks were weighing us down with textbooks and notebooks (good thing we weren't still toting around the class set of books!). Once at the bus stop, we waited... for about forty-five minutes. Good grief! The bus usually comes every twenty minutes. Clearly, something was up (in retrospect, I attribute it to Friday the 13th. solid reason). By the time we actually boarded the crowded bus, it was time for class to start. Luckily, one of the students had our number and called, wondering about our whereabouts, so we went ahead and canceled class. Good thing, too, because we made it to the university right around time for our second class to begin. Gosh, I felt so bad. Those students took a good deal of time out of their days to travel for our class, and we completely wasted that time. Plus, we do not have much time left (only two more weeks of classes!), so every minute is important for these guys. 

Class period two was just as productive. None of my students showed up. Granted, this weekend is a holiday of sorts since Monday is Recife's Patron Saint holiday. I had a feeling that attendance would be low, but my goodness. Again, I did what any teacher would do in an empty classroom: pleasure reading time! I found a wonderful collection of novels in English at a nearby bookstore, so I picked up Ray Bradbury's The Illustrated Man, which I highly recommend. Though a novel, the book is a compilation of short stories that have no connection, but share common themes and relate to the overall plot of the book. 

After sitting in the classroom for forty-five minutes, I deemed it appropriate to run out for a computer and bathroom break. Upon returning to the classroom, I found that one of my students had showed up! Really? I didn't quite understand why anyone would come to class over an hour late, but it turns out she planned on going with Annelise, me, and some of the other students to a big craft fair, so she came to the university for that reason. Phew! I was starting to feel bad for leaving the classroom! Either way, I was starting to feel like I couldn't get anything right that day!

Once Annelise finished with her class, we took a bus to a mall, met up with Wellington and his friend, and took a shuttle to the craft fair. An annual event held a Recife's convention center, the fair showcases artisan goods from all over the country. We had no idea just how ginormous this fair would be, by my, it was incredible. First, we visited booths from certain cities in Pernambuco and then from regions in Pernambuco. Later, the booths were from other Brazilian states and finally from other countries (at least seventy countries were represented). I could have easily spent a few days there, as each booth had so much to look at! Woodwork, pottery, woven textiles, and paintings were among the things found there. We breezed through some parts, as Wellington pointed out that we only had a few hours and we would never make it to the end if we looked at every booth (plus, I could tell he was hungry, and the food portion was at the end). I really enjoyed looking at all of the crafts, wishing there was some way to take everything home. Also, my students were able to explain the cultural significance of many sculptures and trinkets, which made the experience even more worthwhile. 

Sure enough, we made it in time to grab a bite to eat, which helped Wellington to be a little less frantic. Also, he introduced us to a man running a German food booth, who is apparently his friend. From what I saw, it didn't look like the man recognized Wellington at first, but eventually the connection was made and introductions ensued. 

We took the shuttle back to the mall where we could catch a bus. As we were getting onto the shuttle, I noticed one of the workers ushering people into the van. I knew him! He had a very distinctive face, and though I could not recall where I knew him from, I very much remembered his kind spirit. Just as he was closing the door, he recognized me, too! He shot me a huge smile, saying what a coincidence it was, and proceeded to close the door. From the window, I could see him enthusiastically related the story to another worker. Clearly, he remembered where we met, but I simply could not figure it out. Later, though, I talked to Wellington, and since he had to take the second shuttle, he heard the guy explain the story. It turns out (and with the little reminder, everything came back to me), back in the beginning of our trip, Annelise and I had been trying to get back from Boa Vista Shopping, a mall that is in a not so great part of town. It was at night, and we still had yet to perfect the bus system. He heard us trying to figure out which bus to take and decided to help us out since he knew a little English. Once he found out where we were headed, he excitedly said that he was going there, too. Immediately, Annelise and I put up a wall, as we feared his possible intentions. Was he truly just going to the same neighborhood, or was he planning on following us, etc.? He stood with us on the bus, but we tried to avoid talking to him. In the end, he got off before us, so our fears were completely unwarranted, but despite our slight coldness he was still friendly and kind to us. Anyways, what a crazy coincidence, seeing him again at the fair, a place swarming with thousands of people. I am constantly amazed by such occurrences. 

Though it took everything in our power to not pass out on the bus and metro rides home, we thoroughly enjoyed the day. A normal day it was not, but I was definitely pleased with how everything turned out. I have definitely learned that everything is a process, and dwelling on the small roadblocks and mishaps is unnecessary. Still, I hate that I missed my first class, but all one can do is move on! 

More to come tomorrow! I am too sleepy to relate today's events, so until tomorrow! Thank you for reading, and many blessings!

Porto de Galinhas (and some other interesting tales)

Before coming to Brazil, I was told by many Brazilian friends of mine that Sunday was the day for beach-going. So far, we had not ventured to the beach very much, only a few times. Each trip was just beautiful, though, and pretty breathtaking. This past Sunday, we headed a little ways south to Porto de Galinhas (Port of Chickens) for a most spectacular beach experience. 

Our traveling troupe included Annelise, Wellington, Criz (a friend of Wellington's), Tiberio (our friend from the American Consulate), and me. Tiberio kindly drove us, chatting the entire way about his personal interests and hobbies. The man is incredible. Working for the consulate as the officer of relations between the state of Pernambuco and the state of Georgia, he works to strengthen international ties and promotes non-profit work. It was evident very early on that this man has a huge heart. 

Upon arriving, we were greeted by gorgeous blue waters, natural pools, and chickens galore. Many sites say that Porto de Galinhas could easily be one of the most beautiful beaches in Brazil, and this I do not doubt. Dark reefs were emerging from the water, and children were climbing all over them. Small boats of all kinds were floating in the water, waiting for tourists wanting a ride. The initial beachfront was covered with plastic tables and umbrellas, packed with people. 

First view of Porto de Galinhas! 

We decided to walk along the water to a less crowded area down the beach. As we walked, we delved more into Tiberio's interests, especially Latin American societies. He possesses so much knowledge of Latin America, as he has been to most every country in that region. I think the most interesting observation of his was that of the Colombian national pride. He is most drawn to Colombia because the citizens, despite the extreme societal issues that they must overcome, are so proud of their country and are going to great lengths to improve their communities. 

Eventually, we came to another beach that was far more tranquil and known for it's surfers. We parked it at a small restaurant and ordered some coconut water, which was definitely the best I have had so far. Cool and not too sweet. 'Twas perfection. My, I am certainly going to miss coconut water when I return home. We buy these coconuts everywhere (any and all street corners have a stand selling them) and the water is so filling. Plus, once you finish the coconut, the vendors will slice it open and cut off a piece of the outside husk/shell. Open it up, use cut slice as a spoon, and dine on the coconut meat! Such a wonderful snack. 

Anyways, returning to the beach trip, we also had a light lunch and finished just as a major storm came through. The sky became oh so dark, which was beautiful in contrast with the ocean. We sought shelter inside the actual restaurant, and while we were waiting for the rain to stop we met a most interesting man named Victor. He heard us speaking English and eagerly jumped into the conversation. In his fifties or sixties, Victor was from Mozambique, but spent time in the United States and Europe, explaining his impeccable English. He dove right into a dense discussion of foreign policy. He also related to us some interesting stories about his time in the military and his travels around Europe (we are now among the privileged who know every detail of his Hepatitis in the Netherlands experience). 

After exchanging Skype information with Victor, we caught a shuttle bus back to the village of Porto de Galinhas. The village was simply precious. The streets were made of dark cobblestone and little tourist shops were everywhere. Plus, if this place wasn't wonderful enough already, there were giant chicken sculptures everywhere. From any point one could turn and see a chicken, most of which were decorated and painting very artistically. I was in heaven. 

We poked our heads in stores and made our way to the beach front, which had cleared out a bit since the rain. Naturally, a very large surfing chicken was hanging out by the beach. Which chicken was my favorite, you may ask? As lovely as all of these statues were, the chicken that truly stole my heart was the chicken phone booth. Yep, chicken phone booth. Trouble imagining such a fantastic sight? Picture time!

After our walk through the town, we packed up the car and headed back to Recife. Upon returning, Annelise and I headed straight to Recife Antigo (downtown) in an attempt to catch an antique fair that happens every week. On the bus ride there, the most incredibly adorable older man boarded. Stout and quite short, he was wearing finely ironed khaki pants and a short-sleeve, pink button down shirt. To top is off, he was wearing a little ivy hat. As soon as I saw him, he captured my heart. After paying, he began searching for a seat and ended up dropping some of his change in the process. Eager to help the little guy (and just to find some way to talk to him), I leapt across the bus to pick up his change. He smiled so sweetly and thanked me. Made my day. 

Once in Recife Antigo, we booked it to the mall, only to find that a photography exhibit had replaced the antique fair for the week. True, we were disappointed, but we still enjoying viewing the photographs and later found ourselves chilling in a nearby bookstore, reading and coffee drinking. 

The next morning (Monday), Annelise and I had some errands to run before going to school. We caught the bus by the airport (far later than we had originally planned) and hoped we would be able to get everything done and still make it to school on time. We needed to get off in an unfamiliar part of town, so of course we jumped the gun and disembarked a stop early. Keep in mind, we were toting all of our TOEFL textbooks with us (about four or five books each) because we had not been able to leave them at school the previous day. Dreading the extra few blocks we then had to walk, we set off, preparing for much sweat and exhaustion to ensue. After a few minutes of walking, I spotted a familiarly stout man ambling in our direction. Crisply dressed and wearing an ivy cap... no way, it couldn't be him. Upon passing each other, though, he looked up and sure enough, 'twas my dear friend from the day before! We exchanged smiles and kept walking our respective directions, and after going a little ways I turned around and saw him running/waddling back in our direction! He started jabbering to us in Portuguese, wishing us a wonderful day and expressing his excitement. After holding our hands for a minute and grinning like no one's business, he bid us goodbye. Suffice to say, I couldn't have been happier. What were the odds? We were in a completely different part of town than where we saw him the day before. Plus, if we had actually gotten on the bus on time, we would have missed him! Not to mention, getting off at the wrong stop ended up being a blessing, as otherwise, us crossing paths would not have been possible at all. My, I am still in awe of the situation. Too wonderful. 

Monday evening, we had our first experience at the movies here. We went to see To Rome With Love, the latest Woody Allen picture. The line to get tickets was insane, despite it being a weekday night (and 10:00 in the evening). Somehow, we managed to get our tickets in time to even beat the previews. The movie was in English with Portuguese subtitles, which made all the difference. Because of our long day, I definitely almost nodded off a few times (it didn't help that the seats were the most plush theater seats I had ever seen). Anyways, the movie was lovely, humorous, and generally very lighthearted. I approved. 

The next morning, Annelise and I were dragging to the max. We got back so late from the movie, as catching a taxi took ages. Oh, and interesting note: we went to the theater in a nearby mall, and after the movie let out, everyone exited through the mall. Questionable? It was around 12:30 pm, so the mall was technically closed. Everyone was roaming about, heading to different exits. Security guards on Segways were trying to usher people around, but their efforts were not too successful. I found it so curious that we were not sent out a direct exit. Interesting. 

In any event, the two of us were pathetic characters the next morning, as we departed early (7:30 am, anyone?) to meet Tibeiro, the consulate friend, in Olinda. Tuesday was his last day in Brazil before departing for Colombia, so he wanted to spend some time with us. Per usual, it was pouring rain, so after a few phone calls with Tiberio, it was decided that we would wait at a mall near Olinda and he would pick us up around lunchtime, with hopes that the rain would finish up by then. Luckily, both of us woke up in time to catch our stop, and we ventured into the mall, beelining it to the coffee places. I took to a table to get some grading done and Annelise wandered about. A productive morning for sure. 

Colors everywhere!

By the time Tiberio arrived, the rain had stopped and our energy levels were more of approaching normal. Lucky man! I don't know how he would have reacted to our 7:30 am selves. Anyways, we made the short drive to Olinda, where Tiberio teaches and works. He showed us the coast and other various spots in the old city. We eventually made it up to the highest point, where we went up in an observation tower to see a fantastic 360 view. One can easily see Recife, Olinda, the ocean, and so much more! Though we have been to Olinda on several occasions, it is always just as beautiful. I love the brightly colored houses and Dutch/Moorish architecture. Fun fact: the houses are all painted so many colors because when the city was created numbers were not used to identify houses... only colors! Too fun. 

View of Recife from Olinda.

After poking our heads in the touristy shops, we paused for a quick lunch, tapioca! Olinda is pretty famous for tapioca, and most everyone had told us to try it there. Up until Tuesday, though, we had yet to follow this advice. Again, here we have another food that I will no doubt be missing next month. It's hard to describe, but it is like a chewy, slightly granular white pancake, folded in two. Usually, tapioca is filled with cheese and coconut, but one can order it with just about anything (they even have dessert ones, too! chocolate, strawberries, and coconut are some favorites).  Here is a link for a possibly better explanation: http://gobrazil.about.com/od/fooddrinkglossary/g/tapioca.htm. Advice confirmed: best tapioca to date. Not to mention, we had a great conversation buddy during our lunch, the daughter of the tapioca lady. This girl was so talkative and very bright, constantly asking us new words in English. She was sassy, too, which made everything that much more entertaining. The rain returned just as we were finishing up, so we scurried on back to the car. Good timing, though, as we got to school a few minutes late! 

Tiberio and me posing at the observation tower!

Like many days recently, class attendance was quite low. The students are starting to realize that they might now be taking the TOEFL exam soon, but instead one or two years from now. Such a decision is logical, as the exam is quite pricy and is only valid for two years. I hate that the students are slowly dropping the class, though. Also, the university strike is impacting their vacations, so most of the students figure that now is turning into their holiday time, so they want to take this opportunity to travel. Oh well. I really am going to miss those guys. The few students that come are trying so hard and complete every assignment I send their way. I can really see improvements in their skills these days. We have been doing an incredible amount of writing, and their efforts are paying off, for sure. 

Tuesday evening, we took it easy, as we were still wiped out, despite the copious amounts of coffee we consumed throughout the day. Wednesday, we headed to school later than usual, as we were feeling a slower morning. When class time rolled around, I was set and ready at my desk, books and attendance sheet laid out, all ready to go. 1:30 pm, no students. Hey, that's alright, we start late on most days. 2:00 pm, starting to wonder, but still trusting that someone would show up. By 2:30 pm, with only thirty minutes of class remaining, I accepted the fact that class period #1 was a no-go for the day. I got some planning and reading done, so I can't complain. My anal side was fretting over suddenly being a day behind in the grand plan, but all was well. Catching up is possible. Luckily, I had a lovely class of three for class #2, so we plowed through more of the textbook. The questions we tackled were far more difficult than others, so it was definitely an extreme learning experience. With those questions, the students had to insert a brand new sentence into the passage, choosing the most logical location. Challenging, for sure. An eye for wording is key, which can be tricky for ESL students. We are going to need some more practice in that area. 

This morning, Annelise and I set out for the beach, hoping to walk and explore a bit before heading to school. I am not sure how, but we were delayed getting on the bus (surprised?), so we had to switch up the plan. In the end, we found ourselves downtown, which was perfect, for both of us needed new board markers, and the office supply store is downtown. I have only found a few stores that actually sell dry erase markers, none of which are near our homes. Yep, my students had been getting some serious listening practice the past few days; my only two markers were way past dead. Markers obtained and coffee in our bellies, we caught bus #2 to school. Oh, and I might have already mentioned this, but coffee can be purchased at most street stands, but it is served in little plastic cups. Super hot coffee + super thin plastic cup = plastic-tastic coffee. Carcinogens for the win! Resource and money efficient, but definitely not healthy. 

Baby sharks. 

My classes were larger today, thank goodness. The two hour and a half periods flew by, per usual. After class, we joined Mauro, one of my students, on a field trip to the Fishing and Aquaculture department at UFRPE. Earlier that day Mauro had arranged a short tour for us so we could see the sharks they study! We could tell arrival was imminent, as the smell (stench, more of) of formaldehyde was impossible to miss. The student researchers showed us many shark heads in aquariums and explained to us the shark situation in Recife. Because of construction and port building, several populations of sharks have been forced to relocate to the Recife area, hence the recent increase in shark attacks. 

Two gals and a thresher tail. 

Also, we got to see and hold a four-five foot shark tail from a thresher shark (look them up... their tails are insane!). Even better, we got to hold several dead baby sharks that had been removed from the deceased momma sharks. It was sad to see so many dead sharks in one room, but the students explained that because of their research, community awareness and appreciation was growing. After some pictures (many of the goody variety), we headed out to the main road to wait for our ride to dinner (who doesn't want to dine out after handling formaldehyde-soaked sharks?). 

Sharky shark.

We dined with several of our students and their friends at a fantastic sushi restaurant. I was impressed, which is saying something, seeing as I am usually not the biggest fan of sushi. We went at it buffet-style and enjoyed some great conversation with new friends. One guy, whom we just met, was definitely worthy of best friend status. This guy speaks English almost perfectly, loves science fiction/ had heard of the Pendragon series (big points), free dives to the extreme, creates video games, and has been teaching himself Korean for the past three years (with great success). Such a cool guy. Plus, he ate wasabi like a champ, putting it on everything like ketchup. Oh, and tonight was his first time eating wasabi, and sushi, for that matter. He adapts quickly. 

The rain returned with a vengeance tonight, reaching its strongest as we were waiting at the bus stop. The storm must have been extra fierce, as later this evening the power went out on our side of town. No flashlights here! Luckily, the sky remains orange all night from the general light of the city, so the apartment was illuminated a bit.

Well, now we have reached my current state: droopy-eyed Rachel, sitting in bed, furiously writing away. We are pretty much caught up at this point, so I shall pause for now. Until tomorrow or sometime soon!

Graça e Paz

4 July, 2012

Being abroad for the Fourth of July (or 4 July, as they would write it here), I feel almost obligated to write about my Independence Day experience. Typically, back at home, I do not go crazy with patriotism; I definitely enjoy the holiday's festivities, but aside from that, I don't feel especially American, a proud citizen, or anything to that extent. Yesterday, though, there were a few moments when I actually felt patriotic, amazingly. 

To start the day, we grabbed one of the few buses that was running (did I mention that the official bus strike began yesterday? we had to cancel classes for the day) and traveled to ABA, Associação Brasil América, to give a short presentation abut American history. This week, ABA was hosting an American immersion program for a large group of high school students from all over northern Brazil. Annelise took the lead on this presentation, designing it around American music and how it reflects changes in culture throughout history, but regionally and nationally. We each spoke about some very distinctly American genres of music, like Motown, Bluegrass, and Blues.  

Afterwards, we fielded questions from the students, which was probably my favorite part. These students, though most of them were self-taught English speakers, had an amazing command of the language; it was almost like teaching a class of fluent speakers. The students asked questions about music, American culture, and our views on Brazil. One student, though, was far more forward than the rest. Many times, he kept prodding until he got a complete, in-depth answer to his questions. Near the end of our time, he asked us how much we knew about Brazil's independence day. We were stumped. Since being in Brazil, we had heard about this day, but not enough to spout information. The student continued on, pointing out that in the United States, most people probably know nothing about Brazil's independence. Granted, he was totally right, making Annelise and I gradually more uncomfortable standing in front of the class. In fact, I think the entire room tensed up a bit. Finally, the student wrapped up his point by saying that here in Brazil, the Fourth of July is well known and often times even celebrated, but for the reason that once the United States did become an independent nation, a change was made in the world. By no means is the U.S. perfect, but other countries needed to see such a bold move, and in consequent years the U.S. has continued to impact the world in incredible ways. My, at this time I did feel proud to be a citizen of the U.S. Yes, I still do feel fed up with the selfish tendencies of our country, but there are definitely so many redeeming qualities about the U.S. that I never stopped to consider. Here again the importance of outside perspectives is brought to light. 

After the class, we joined the students for their Fourth of July celebration, which included national anthem singing (both American and Brazilian), listening to a few words from Heidi Arola, a foreign service worker at the American consulate, meeting American Morman tourists, and eating Brazil's version of hot dogs and hamburgers. The celebration was definitely different than those in the U.S. but fun was had all the same.

We took it easy for the rest of the afternoon and later headed out for an American-style dinner with our students. We dined at a burger join called "Saturday's," where every item on the menu was named after a state. Delicious! Again, the burgers were different (they seemed to have some slight breading cooked on?), but they were still very yummy and reminiscent of the U.S. The best part was easily the milkshakes, of course. French fries dipped in a chocolate milkshake is one of my favorite summer meals. 

Following dinner, we made a pit stop at the beach front to see the moon over the water. The breeze made the temperature perfect, and the view was gorgeous, naturally. Upon returning home, I watched the end of an exciting soccer game between Brazil and Argentina. Because of Brazil's victory, there were indeed fireworks that evening, but not for July Fourth. Either way, there was much national pride to be felt, which was beautiful. 

One last flashback

Early in June (Monday, June 11, to be precise), I had the pleasure of venturing to yet another countryside town, Salgueiro. Using the map posted yesterday, one can see that Salgueiro is even farther west than all of my previous destinations. By car, one could probably make the trip in six to seven hours, but by bus (our chosen mode of transportation), it is around an eight hour journey. 

First order of business: background. Why Salgueiro? Wellington has a friend, Kennya, who lives in this town and teaches at a local college. Kennya recently assumed the responsibility of providing the student body with culturally-enriching activities, and her latest idea was a lecture series. So far, the series had been a bust, as the speakers were failing to show up. She asked Wellington and me to come speak on the similarities between language prejudices in Brazil and those in the United States. Apparently, there is great prejudice against those living in northern Brazil, as in the eyes of southerners, the northern accent indicates a lack of education. Sounds familiar, no? Kennya desperately needed speakers and we were both intrigued by the subject, so off we went! 

Returning to Monday the 11th...

After finishing our second day of school, Annelise and I boarded the bus for what ended up being a three hour ride home (in retrospect, what a sad, but humorous thought! silly American girls! with our minimal knowledge of the bus system, we were taking at least two buses each way to school. unnecessary). Arrival time at Wellington's apartment: 8:00 pm. Departure time for bus station: 9:30 pm. After a whirlwind of packing, eating, and showering, we full out ran to the bus station (carting luggage and the like), as our bus was scheduled to leave at 9:40 pm. Luckily, we made it in time (somehow we always do?), and we even had a few moments to breathe before the bus took off. After about twenty minutes on the bus, Wellington started to get antsy because we had not made much progress; this ride was looking much longer than forty minutes. Word from a fellow bus rider confirmed Wellington's fears: we were in for another hour on the bus. Seeing as we needed to reach our destination (a larger bus terminal) by 10:50 pm, this was not going to fly. After talking to the bus driver, we hopped off the bus at a random stop, assured by the driver that another, more direct bus would come our way soon. Good, except that we were waiting in a deserted, poorly-lit area, essentially in the middle of nowhere. Even former tour guide Wellington, with his vast knowledge of the state had never been to this spot. After about ten minutes of internally questioning how on earth the trip would actually work out, our bus  arrived, and got us to the terminal early (a two minute bus ride). Yes, I was pretty amazed. Again, somehow things always work out here. Okay, maybe not always, but quite often. 

Because Salgueiro is so far away, most people prefer to travel there overnight, which is definitely a time -saver. I had never ridden an overnight bus before, let alone a double-decker! Woohoo! Better yet, we scored the second floor. Happy Rachel. The seats were huge and very plush, so there was no doubt that I would be getting some real sleep that night. Not to mention, the seats reclined to the point of being almost completely horizontal! I really have been missing out. Anyways, very quickly into the trip (after consuming some delicious treats provided by the bus company, including wafers, wafers, and more wafers), I assumed the fetal position and proceeded to pass out for the night. The bus ended up being extremely cold, but luckily Wellington brought blankets. Roundabout 6:00 am, I awoke to the familiar, dry countryside outside my window. Wellington had long been awake, as he had found difficulty sleeping. He had some fancy chocolates ready for "breakfast," which were delicious, but quite a lot for such an early hour. After the chocolates, I realized that I was not quite ready to handle the day, so I went back to sleep until our arrival in Salgueiro an hour later. 

Waiting at the bus terminal was Kennya. What a dear, welcoming us so early in the day! We took a taxi  to our very temporary home, which was actually someone's home. Our hostess was not around when we first arrived, so Kennya simply instructed us where to put our bags and insisted that we get some rest. Kennya rented a room in this house at one point, so she knew the owner well, along with the house's layout. Wellington got the spare bedroom and I was assigned the hostess' room. Nope, that's not a typo. I was indeed staying in the room of our hostess, who I still had yet to meet. With plenty of hesitation, I curled up on her bed... only to be woken up minutes later by a random man who burst in the room. We were both pretty surprised by the other's presence. Plus, the language barrier made the situation even more interesting. Later, I learned that this was the hostess' son, who also lived in the house. 

After the surprise disturbance and some reassurance from Kennya, I warily went back to sleep. My, I felt so strange and out of place in that room. I was tired enough, though, that I soon fell into a solid sleep. Not too much later, Kennya called us for breakfast, which turned out to be quite the feast. Many different types of cheeses, corn cakes, yogurt, granola, and several types of bread were served that morning. Oh, and surprise! Hostess had returned! A middle aged woman named Louisa, she could not have been a more comical woman. She was short and pretty loud, always laughing at the littlest, most insignificant things. At that point in time, my Portuguese comprehension was not the greatest, so the only thing I could understand was her preaching about granola. Over and over she repeated how she eats granola every day, without fail. I've found that lots of people in Brazil have their certain foods and the health benefits of said foods. Repeatedly. Very interesting. 

Sunroom!

Anyways, after breakfast I parked myself in the house's sunroom and Wellington hit up nap number two. One wall of the sunroom was open-air, so I relaxed with a nice breeze, which ended up being the perfect time to do some writing... and some planning for the lecture, which was to occur that evening. Since the lecture was a joint endeavor between Wellington and I, we needed to do some serious planning together. The fact that such planning had not already occurred was making me nervous! 

Eventually, Wellington woke up and Kennya returned, ready to show us around the town. I really do love these country towns, as they more closely resemble Boone. I feel so much safer walking down the streets, which are most often made of cobblestone. The streets in Salgueiro were primarily lined by rows of houses, all unique. Houses in Brazil are quite similar to those in many other Latin American country, where the front is a decorative wall with a sliding garage door (usually constructed of metal). Each homeowner truly seizes the opportunity to personalize their home-front, which I love. 

Decorative stonework surrounding a home,
 plus some delightful  tree-trimming!

After the short tour of town and a grand buffet lunch, we returned to the house for crunch-time planning. Wellington and I threw around so many ideas and eventually created a powerpoint. He was responsible for the majority of the lecture, discussing the current situation of prejudice in Brazil; near the end of the lecture, I would speak on how people living in the south of the U.S. experience a very similar prejudice. The more Wellington and I discussed, the more intrigued I became by these similarities. So often we forget the closeness of global societies. 

That evening, we arrived at the lecture hall right on time (woah!). Technical difficulties prevented us from actually starting at the scheduled time, though; at first I perceived these difficulties to be a setback, but they turned out to be a blessing, as many of the students were traveling from other towns, and the buses there do not run very frequently. Students were rushing in even after we started an hour late. 

Wellington spoke first, which gave me some time to collect my thoughts. Again, because technology was not working in our favor, we spoke without microphones (I was secretly delighted about this, as I always sound so silly through microphones). When it came time for me to speak, I began with a welcome in Portuguese, "Boa Noite! Pra mim é um prazer enorme estar esta noite aqui com vocês peço desculpas não poder falar Português, mas Wellington vai me ajudar!" You better believe I butchered the entire welcome, quite easily. Plus, the students really seemed to appreciate the effort. Either way, I got them to smile. From then on, Wellington translated for me, which turned out to be easier than I anticipated. The breaks in speech provided the opportunity to prepare for the next point.  I concluded my portion by asking the students to take pride in their language and their accent, as language is such a beautiful reflection of one's culture and history. 

After the lecture, we held a question and answer period, and the students were so passionate about the subject of discrimination, even discussing how they felt undervalued for living in the countryside. They explained how hard they work for an education and the great lengths they go to each day just to get to the college. I so admire these students, especially for their will to receive the education they deserve. The lecture was definitely a success, and I am so thankful to have met these students. Their had such huge hearts and open minds. 

So many happy flags! 

The next day, I awoke to Wellington pounding (with no sign of stopping) on my bedroom door, calling, "Rachel! Rachel! RACHEL!" Nope, no fire, no emergency, just time for breakfast. The night before, I definitely asked what time I needed to be up the next morning and was told to sleep as late as  I wanted. Apparently, though, I held up breakfast, though it was only 8:30 am. I felt so bad! Oh well. No one seemed to hold it against me once the eating commenced. 


Later, we did some more touring of the city. My favorite stop was at the main church in the center of town. So beautiful. To my great delight, the church square was decorated for the holiday month! I cannot get enough of these festive flags. Touring was followed by lunch, which was naturally topped off with nap time. In the evening, we returned to our double decker bus, ready to journey back to Recife. Sleep was more difficult to come by on this trip, but I managed enough to get me through the next day, which included returning to teaching! I truly loved our trip to Salgueiro, despite the short length and busy schedule. Spending time in a town is such a refreshing break every now and then, and  I definitely returned to Recife recharged. 

More recent occurrences

What is this, you may be thinking... two posts in one day? I live for unpredictability, that's why.

No, truthfully, I just have had a boatload of time on my hands today, as since late Friday night, I have been out of commission thanks to a little stomach virus. No worries, though, as things are definitely looking up, and I should totally be back in action tomorrow. Unfortunately, I didn't make it to school today, but Annelise covered my classes (thank goodness she got over the virus before I caught it, otherwise, no class?). Since I wasn't totally wiped out today, I was able to catch up on lots of things (blogging included, obviously).

Anyways, before passing out for the entire weekend, we had quite the wonderful opportunity on Friday evening! The American Consulate in Recife held a celebration for the Fourth of July. Luckily, we looked more into this event before going because at first we were told that the attire was just typical July Fourth clothing... not so much. This event was a step above cocktail dress, so we had to skip over to the mall. None of us brought anything near worthy of such a fancy occasion!

Decked out in our dresses, heels, and freshly done hair, Annelise and I departed for the celebration with Wellington. Our journey there was nothing short of typical. Step one: catch the metro (thank goodness for it not being on strike anymore, otherwise our trip would have taken SO much longer), step two: wait about fifteen to twenty minutes for bus, step 3: board extremely crowded bus and proceed to sweat bullets, step 4: disembark and wander until taxi is found, step 5: take taxi to event and try not to appear to disheveled. We like to keep things interesting, no matter the destination.

Once there, we walked in along a red carpet (appropriately colored for the occasion, I suppose) and were introduced to the U.S. Ambassador to Brazil, Thomas A. Shannon Jr. 'Twas a brief introduction, but we got to talk to him more later in the evening, and he's a pretty laid back guy. I approved.

All of us with the U.S. Ambassador (third from the left, rocking the snazzy tie).

After listening to an unique rendition of our national anthem and several speeches from dignitaries, mingling commenced! The room was huge and packed with spiffily clad ladies and gents. English and Portuguese were spoken interchangeably, so for the first time in a while, language was not as much of a hindrance! We dined on many shrimp hors d'oeuvres (plus the surprise lamb dish?) and met several people working in the foreign service, all of whom were very interesting individuals. Even better, almost everyone in our group of teachers were able to make the event, so we were reunited after almost a month! All in all, a very good night.

Countryside Voyages

Alrighty, we are going to do a bit of backtracking, as I was a stinker and never blogged about some pretty fun events.

Within our first two weeks here, it was time for our group to split up: four of us to teach in Recife (at UFRPE), one to teach in Garanhuns, and one to teach in Serra Talhada (all federal universities). The two guys in our group volunteered to venture to the countryside towns. The weekend before starting classes, Eric departed for Garanhuns by bus, leaving Brody here to be transported by car. Wellington, Annelise, and I went along for the ride, as it was a wonderful opportunity to see the countryside (plus, Wellington needed to help Brody get settled in). Thus, the adventure began.

For reference purposes, here is a handy map of Pernambuco, which includes each location mentioned in this story.

Alright, reference established. Note, 'tis quite the distance from Recife to Serra Talhada, our first destination. Around five to six hours, give or take. Wellington, Annelise, and I left the apartment at 8:20 am (far later than we intended) to catch the metro. Of course, at that time the metro collective was on strike, so we had a little less than ten minutes to book it to the metro station before the doors closed. Sweaty as all get out, we made it in time. After a slight wait, we got on the metro, disembarked after a few stops and transferred to another metro line. From this metro, we transferred to a bus (nope, our trip hasn't even started yet), which eventually got us to the university, probably around an hour late. At the university, we waited for our driver, who finally rolled up in a pickup truck. It was going to be a close-quarters kind of trip!

On the road! We only had to drop by a nearby apartment to pick up Brody and the actual trip would begin. Oh, wait, got my hopes up too soon! After about a two minutes in the car, we pulled over, and Wellington leapt out of the car, saying he would only be gone for a bit. After about five minutes, Wellington returned with another driver! Apparently, our first driver needed to return by 6:00 pm, that same day, and we had been planning on doing an overnight trip.

After the driver change and Brody pick up (which wasn't easy, as no one had the correct address... not to mention, we were two hours late at this point), we were off! The landscape changed so quickly as we headed west. First hilly, then jungly, then dry shrubbery. Soon, the land was completely barren with random rock formations and isolated mountains. We passed through the occasional town or two, but they were quite infrequent, as the dry conditions of this part of the state were not favorable for living.

One of the towns we passed through.

Why hello, gorgeous rock formation!

We stopped for lunch at a gas station restaurant, which was super classy (even taken out of the gas station context). It was a self-service restaurant, as most restaurants are, I am finding. Oh, and this place had the nicest bathrooms I had found yet. I was pretty excited. This gas station, like many others we passed on the highway, were also home to hotels above their adjoining restaurants. Makes sense!

Once lunch was finished, we had about three more hours until arrival. Our driver did manage to shorten that time, as he was a little speed demon, passing trucks left and right (okay, maybe not right, but he did seem to be all over the place!). Eventually, we requested that he tone it down... a lot, especially after we passed two dead horses and a motorcycle wedged under a truck. Enough convincing! The rest of the trip was mainly spent driving through this amazing, dry landscape. Each of us got in at least one nap, as it had been a long day. Just as the sun was setting, we arrived in Serra Talhada. What a beautiful town! Set beside a huge, sharp mountain, this town was just picturesque. First, we drove into the university, just outside of town, to meet up with Brody's new coordinator for the summer. Again, so lovely. The campus was tucked behind the mountain alongside a lake.

Serra Talhada campus

Brody seemed pretty stoked to be living in such a gorgeous place, and we could not have been more excited for him! His coordinator, Paulo, was pretty awesome, too. Such a young, fun guy. When he spoke English, often times he would have a British accent. Paulo took us to a local restaurant for dinner, where we tried many meats and cheeses typical to the area (the countryside is very well-known for their meats!). We had sun-dried beef and Coalho cheese, among many other delicious things. After dinner, we bid Brody goodbye, and he went off with his new family. Since it had gotten so late (it was already around 8:00 pm), we decided to spend the night in Serra Talhada instead of heading on to Garanhuns. According to Wellington and our driver, the road to Garanhuns is not the safest at night, mainly because of the high number of stray goats wandering around. In any event, we found a lovely little inn, where we only had to pay 90 R$, which is around $45ish USD. Our room was super clean and had air-conditioning. Such a treat! Plus, we got to hop on the internet for a while, which was always a blessing. Before heading to bed, I went out by the roof-top pool to do some moon-watching. The sky was so clear and unobstructed, and the town became quite dark at night. 

Daytime version of the pool area!

In the morning, we had the pleasure of eating a delicious, traditional Brazilian breakfast, including Tapioca, fruits galore, cakes, pastries, rice, and couscous. Oh, and not to mention, coffee and juices! All of my favorite things. By 8:00 am, we were off again, as we needed to get to Garanhuns as soon as possible (Wellington had some important business to take care of there). The drive was relatively short, especially compared to the day before. Three hours, and we arrived! Garanhuns is a larger town than Serra Talhada and is in a very different geographic area. In Garanhuns, the terrain was quite mountainous and the temperature was slightly cool (honestly, it felt pretty perfect). Upon our arrival, we met up with Eric, his coordinator, and host. He seemed to be settling in well, which was great to see. After Wellington handled his business, we got back on the road (yep, we were only in Garanhuns for maybe an hour). We made a few random stops on the way back to Recife, like at a random gas station/hotel in the middle of nowhere, where Wellington handled more business and then a restaurant for a full-blown beef and cheese spectacular meal (the food was served on a raised skillet above a fire, very traditional). With full stomachs and cramped legs from another three hour ride, we returned to Recife around 6:00 pm, just in time, as that's exactly when the driver needed to be back. Phew! We covered so much ground in so little time. Ay ay ay. I so enjoyed the trip, though, as I never knew there was such great geographical diversity within Brazil. One does not usually picture vast expanses of desert, especially so close to the rich tropical zone of the coast. Eye-opening, for sure! 

Seeing as I've done an overload for a post again, I will stop here. One last picture, though! 

Driving up to Garanhuns. 

Thank you again, my dear friends, for reading (and putting up with my sporadic posting habits). 

Blessings and Peace!

Rachel