Post #36: Butterflies

Today during our lunch break and between conference sessions, we headed to a sanctuary with a butterfly pavilion. Lush, all-encompassing foliage, fanciful birds, and pretty butterflies. Yes, we must be in the Amazon.

Post #35: In the Air

Our Specialist grabbed this photo on our way from São Paulo up to Belém. Indeed! A new day, a new part of the country. Today, we are in the Amazon in the state of Pará, just 2909 km (1808 miles) from our last destination.

Post #34: Ibirapuera Park

Today, we took time to stroll in São Paulo's largest park as it was teaming with locals out for a stroll, bike ride, or a meeting with friends. Tropical plants overtaking the pathways and leading us from one corner to the other, we found peace in the middle of the metropolis.

A free library in the middle of the park

Post #33: Volunteachers

This is a quasi work post. Today, we went to a public school in São Paulo with our Specialist to work with volunteachers. These volunteers come from all walks of life and have one thing in common: they have learned English and want to give back. On Saturdays, these professionals don blue shirts and teach classes of students from the community who want to learn English. We sponsored a training and found such energetic, awesome energy among the teachers that must be passed along tot their students. Take a look, below, and learn more, here.

Post #31: Not So Scary

Brazil has had it rough in the press. During my Portuguese classes in Washington, we talked incessantly about the military intervention in Rio, Lavo Jato, favelas, protests to release Lula from jail, the truckers' strike that shut down the country in May, and general problems with the economy, disparity, and crime. Carefully mulling these topics gives one the impression that Brazil is a country in which it is almost too dangerous to leave your home, especially in big cities like Rio and São Paulo. The image is compounded by urban legend and the stories of teachers, classmates, and colleagues who have been mugged or know someone who has been the victim of a crime.

After my latest security briefing and rereading the State Department travel website, I packed carefully and did not wear a single piece of jewelry on my trip. Not even my plain, gold wedding band. I packed a fake wallet and took care to pull out my extra id and debit card from the purse I carry every day. When getting in taxis, I was sure to put my laptop in the trunk and not open my cellphone in the car.

And I was made to feel silly when I started observing the people around me. You know, women wearing jewelry and people talking on their cellphones on the street. In the neighborhood where we were staying in São Paulo, it was possible to walk to restaurants and even do so alone at night. In fact, there were a lot of people, regular people, just carrying on with their life. I don't want to minimize the crime rate or issues that people may have in Brazil with safety and security, but it was a reality check. Of course, the city is also home to the people who live in it. There are great opportunities for culinary adventure, culture, shopping, and arts -- ones that would be a shame to miss while shuttered in a hotel room.

I am glad that the city is not as scary as envisioned and very much look forward to exploring (carefully) its treasures.

Post #31: Greetings the Brazilian Way

When you go to a new country, it is important to know how to meet new people. Can you shake hands? Can you touch a person of another gender? Is it taboo to use the left hand (or the right)? Do people display affection when meeting friends by hugging? Are air kisses appropriate? And how many? And does it matter if the interaction is female-female or female-male or male-male? If you know the rules, you can at least get that far with an interaction and start a conversation, no matter what your language skills are like.

You can go wrong. Try hugging an Estonian friend or acquaintance, for example, and you will immediately detect discomfort from the recipient. Try kissing a Slovak a third time and you might find yourself in an inappropriate lip lock. Aggressively try to shake hands with an Indonesian of the opposite sex and your interlocutor will try to shirk the gesture (with a smile, of course). I still remember an American Peace Corps Volunteer when I was in Slovakia who would see the air kiss coming and feign tying her shoes to avoid what she thought was overly familiar contact with a stranger. You get it.

So, how does it work in Brazil? Apparently regional rules apply, I find myself constantly questioning if I am doing it right. The initial meeting might be a handshake... or a single air kiss on the cheek. The farewell from that first meeting could be a hug or a kiss or a double kiss or a triple kiss. Or, if you are cold, confused American, it could be an awkward combination of all three. Different parts of the country seem to work slightly differently, and, although Brazilians can laugh at an awkward exchange, they also move around and aren't sure of the rules.

When I've asked, most Brazilians say that they too are caught wondering. The awesome thing about Brazilians is that they are friendly and laugh it directly off without making you feel too weird. I like that... a place where you can commit a social faux pas, laugh it off, and move on!

Post #30: The Mega City

Today I am in São Paulo, one of the largest cities in the world. Having breakfast this morning, I had the impression that the skyscrapers went on and on and on into the horizon and infinity. The largest city in the Western Hemisphere and the largest city in the Southern Hemisphere, São Paulo greater metropolitan area is home to more than 20 million people. Actually, it blows my mind that it is the biggest city in two different hemispheres and is the 12th largest city in the world. That means that the other 11 cities on that list are all in the Northern Hemisphere and the Eastern Hemisphere (I wonder why that is from a human development perspective). You can feel the city thrumming from the moment you land with the hustle of New York. There is big business here and there is a lot of humanity here. I admit that I kind of like the mystery of it, even if my own Wyoming roots find the same enigma of the city overwhelming. What a place this is. What a country.

Post #29: Out Sick

Apparently it only took a month for the South American germs to take me down. Upon visiting the doctor today, I was asked if I got the winter flu shot. No, indeed, it did not occur to me to get a flu shot in July, I sniffled. Just a bit of a cold but it is knocking me out of blogging for today.

Post #28: At the Pharmacy

So, there are also germs in Brazil. Between late nights, travel, cold weather, handshakes, and air kisses, I must have been exposed. Today, amidst sniffles, I headed out to the pharmacy to buy some medicine. There was a whole section labeled for colds and the flu, so it was easy to find what I needed. What was interesting was that you can buy cold medicine in the smallest of small dosages, sometimes a single pill or two at a time. I bought a collection of medicines that I thought would deal with my cough as well as the sniffles and could test them out without committing to an entire box. I have seen these kinds of individual dosages before, often to make medicine more affordable (although I am not sure if you add up all the dosages if it is cheaper than a box).

Another observation I have from shopping in general is that there are not boxes of tissues in the paper goods section of the grocery or drug store. Now, it was particularly necessary, and I had a laughable Portuguese language exchange with the clerk when I asked about paper for noses! No large boxes of tissues, but definitely pocket-sized ones for drippy noses.

I'm now at home wrapped in a blanket, sipping tea, blowing my nose, and sucking on some sort of eucalyptus-type cough drop.   

Post #27: Candelabra Trees

According to Wikipedia:

Araucaria angustifolia, the Paraná pine, Brazilian pine or candelabra tree (pinheiro-do-paraná, araucária or pinheiro brasileiro), is a critically endangered species in the conifer genus Araucaria.

According to me, they are just fun-looking trees dotting the (cold) sky of Caxias!

Post #26: Brrr... this is Brazil?

Post #25: Down South

Today, I traveled waay down south to the rolling hills of Brazilian wine country for a teachers' conference in Caxias do Sul. Even from the plane, I could see the soft hills and green mountains that reminded more of the terrain of parts Europe than what one would normally associate with the tropics. No wonder this area was settled by many Italian immigrants in the late 1800's. Brazil is the size of an entire continent, so it shouldn't be surprising that it has such geographic diversity, but I am consistently struck by its size and heterogeneity.

 

Why were we so far down south? For a meeting of 1,500 teachers of English, of course, and the bi-annual BrazTESOL international conference. It was a large event hosted at the pretty campus of the University of Caxias do Sul. I was impressed with how polished the event was, including some really thought-provoking speakers, both international and local Brazilian. I sat in on conference sessions, listened to plenaries, met with alumni and potential partners, and got to know lots of teachers... all in the backdrop of this beautiful place and over a few glasses of delicious wine from local vineyards. The conversations here about the field and professionalism and a responsibility to support and reach out to public sector teachers resonated with me on many levels and I look forward to continuing conversations over the next three years.

Here are a couple of shots from the conference. I have solidly amazing colleagues in the Regional English Language Office in Brasilia and felt surrounded by the warmth of the Brazilian teaching community. This is going to be a great tour.

The all-star RELO team in front of our booth

The dinner we hosted for friends and alumni at BrazTESOL

Our English Language Specialist Dorothy Zemach interacting with participants after her plenary talk

Raffling off free materials in front of our booth

Post #24: Wishes and Ribbons

Colorful ribbons are everywhere in Salvador. These souvenirs or lembranças do Senhor do Bonfim da Bahia are hard to miss. In the tradition, someone who is a native of Bahia ties the ribbon around the wrist of a visitor with three knots, each knot symbolizing one wish of the wearer. After receiving the ribbon, the recipient must wear the bracelet until it falls off, at which time the wishes will become true. The ribbons are named after the colonial church of Salvador and part of a long tradition. Of course, I took part! My colleague has been wearing hers since she visited last October (9 months!), so I am curious how long it will take for mine to wear off. I'll let you know when my wishes come true!

Post #23: Bahia

Today I was in Salvador, Bahia, almost another universe from the dry, organized highlands of the capital.



Although I only was there for 24 hours, I had a few experiences that are worth sharing and are definitely enticing enough that I know I will be back not only for work but also for pleasure! Take a look.

The sunset as seen from the hotel in Salvador

Beautiful restaurant visit for dinner at Casa de Tereza

Eclectic and traditional decor

Gorgeous meal of traditional Bahian food, including a moqueca (in the caldron) or type of fish stew. Sooooo yummy!

Post #22: First Flight

Today, I embarked on my first work trip in Brazil and had my first airline and airport experiences. Those well-acquainted with my job know that I am on the road constantly and spend a serious amount of time hanging out in airports going from to and fro. Here are a few observations from my first trip out:

- Brasília's airport is situated a short drive from my house and it is not traumatic or congested to get there. This is going to make life really wonderful.
- The airport is pretty organized. Brazilians have a culture of lining up and no one seems to cut, even though the lines often move pretty slowly. No one invaded my personal space or tried to elbow past. Another good point for travel here.
- Online check in, clear signage, and availability of Uber makes departing and arriving more straightforward and less stressful on both ends.
- July is the month of vacation and families were everywhere with small, medium, and big-sized kids in tow. The airport was busy and a bit noisy!
- Gates can be a bit difficult to navigate. Sometimes the gates change minutes before departing and the loudspeakers do not necessarily announce your flight. I will have to be alert.
- Airlines here are legit and have nice, roomy planes. I would say it is on par or a step up from flying in the U.S.
- Prices for airline tickets will not break your wallet if you plan in advance. Sometimes you can get to Rio or Sao Paulo for around USD $50-60.
- There are good places to stop for snacks, including a roasted nuts, gelato, and coffee.
- Many connections go directly through Brasília, making this a decent hub, even if the population centers are elsewhere in the country.

All in all, I was excited to check out the experience and to know that flying is not likely to be one of the stressors of travel here. Hooray!

Post #21: Pão de Queijo

Pão de Queijo or Cheese Bread is a delectable Brazilian treat enjoyed with cup of coffee in the morning (or afternoon). When hot, the center is still a bit soft and oozes cheesy deliciousness. These puffy little balls are tasty, addictive, and even gluten free! So far, they are my favorite part of breakfast in Brazil... my only fear is that if I enjoy them too much that I may turn into a round cheese puff!

For the uninitiated, I've included a video, below, and NYTimes Cooking's recipe.

Post #20: New State

Today we ventured outside of the Distrito Federal (the area around Brasília designated for the capital) to the state of Goiás. The target of our 80 kilometer expedition? A cachaçaria dating back to the 1800s for a tour from the 7th generation owner, tastings of a range of award-winning spirits, and a lovely lunch overlooking the surrounding terrain. Cambéba was a tasty foray into our neighboring state and good inspiration to get out and explore. We rented a van and driver for the trip so that we could all freely enjoy the libations (there is a zero tolerance law here in Brazil for alcohol consumption and driving, so best to err on the safe side) and I really enjoyed watching the flat plain of the city give way to dry hills and craggy greenery. There may be a lot more than I had previously assumed was accessible from Brasília for day and weekend trips. Even our little car, when it gets here, might be able to cope with roads like this one as it was completely paved and pretty smooth going.

But you would like to know more about the cachaça, right? We learned about its production at this completely organic facility and even went into the cellar where the spirit is being aged in Tennessee whisky barrels and one is almost intoxicated just from breathing the air. We came home with some bottles to make caipirinhas and a finer seven-year brew to sip and savor.

Post #19: Work Culture

I attended a seminar at work today on cross-cultural leadership that has left me pondering a thing or two. One of the items we considered and discussed was a blog post on Seven Ways Brazilians Work Differently than Americans. The generalizations posited by the author generated a lot of comments from the two cultures attending the seminar about observations of culture and places where they have felt tensions because of different priorities or values. 

I sat as a silent attendee on the periphery. As a newcomer to Brazil, I do not feel like I have a voice yet on such topics. However, I listened and absorbed and thought. One of my thoughts so far about landing in Brazil is that this is too easy. The differences do not appear as blatantly to me and they do not feel as great as they have in other workplace cultures. I feel less cultural distance here, and I am wary that it will be those sneaky differences that jump out of nowhere once I am safely in my comfort zone. I also have the idle thought about cross-cultural competence and global mindsets that maybe the world becomes more of a soup as you aggregate experiences. Not that differences do not exist or that they are less important, but that my awareness and acceptance of them is greater. I also start to feel less connected to my home culture in some of these values the more I work in international settings, so the distinctions become less tangible between us and them. I do not know if this is good, bad, or just naive, but I guess that time will tell as we sink into our life more deeply here in Brazil.

Post #18: Salseros Brasileiros

It seems like it is useful to pick a couple of things that you do as a normal person and to continue with those things you enjoy in a new setting. It is a great way to make local friends, for one. It also maintains your identity as a person and not just as an itinerant. One of our things has been dancing, and, after doing so much dancing in the DC area, we are hoping to be regulars here in Brazil. So far, almost any social event has involved dancing, which is a good sign that this hobby will be easy to pursue here.

We tried to tap into a community and organized with a group of people to go out on Friday. The information was not all that clear, but we were committed to giving it a go. However, just as we were about ready to leave the house, one of the members of our group sent a message to let us know that there was no music at the venue and there would be no dancing. 

We were all dressed up with nowhere to go.

So, we looked up a recital flyer we saw earlier for a dance group associated with the university. We took an Uber there and arrived more than half way through the performances. Nevermind, we were also only charged half price. The recital was mostly young people from the university who were learning a variety of Latin dances. It was excellent. The mood was positive and there were a range of different levels and abilities of dancers. At the end of the performance, the emcee invited everyone to go dancing at the venue we were originally supposed to go to.

Of course, we went. And we found a really nice group called Corazón Salsero. One of the members recognized me from another event with the embassy (we are discovering that sometimes this city of 3 million feels like a very small place). We are now in the loop and hope to do some more dancing in the weeks that come!

Post #17: Appreciating Uniqueness 9 Years Later

Today, we mark 9 years of marriage and almost every moment has taken my breath away. I am so grateful for life's riches we share and the intrepid way we support each other in all kinds of unknown adventures.

Our vows were prescient and are worth restating again and again...

Ulrich, I stand here beside you today to tell you that I love you and that I want you as my husband.  I promise that I will cherish you as my partner and respect you as an individual. I promise to be faithful to you.  I promise to nurture our love and never take it for granted. I will cry with you. I will celebrate with you. I will grow old with you.  I will do my best to make our house a home and the people in it a family. I promise to draw out your sense of humor and make laughter a part of your life.  I pledge to appreciate your uniqueness. Ulrich, I am committed to us and I vow to honor you for the rest of my life.

Some days it feels like there is a lot of uniqueness to appreciate and humor and laughter are essential ingredients for marriage. I am so grateful to have such a generous partner with which to share my celebrations, tears, and love for life. Today we celebrated with a romantic steak dinner by the lake here in Brasilia. It was an elegant and delicious way to mark our marriage.

Post #16: Perfect Weather Every Single Day

Perhaps you are wondering what winter is like here in the Southern Hemisphere. The answer is that it is lovely with hot, dry days and cool, temperate nights. Because Brasilia is at a higher altitude and part of the inland highlands, it does not have the sticky heat of the northeast or the humidity of the coasts. There are two seasons: dry and rainy. And we are at the beginning of dry season. I'm told that it won't rain a drop until sometime in October.

At the hottest part of the day, it is around 80F (27C) and at night it cools down to around 50F (10C). The sleeping is fine and mornings and evenings are cool enough to require a sweater or light jacket, at least for us.

This last Friday, we came home after midnight to find our doorman sitting with a beanie pulled down around his ears, gloves, and a heavy flannel shirt. He remarked how cold it was and we had a good laugh as he looked at us in shirtsleeves and sandals. Perhaps after a year or two here we will also bundle up for winter in Brazil!

Post #15: It's Nuts

Haven't you always wondered if Brazil nuts come from Brazil? Mystery solved. You no longer need to wonder. They do come from Brazil, they are very healthy, and they taste even better when bought freshly from the market. Warning: apparently, although they are healthy, consuming too many can be dangerous (selenium overdose!), as several Brazilians have pointed out upon seeing me purchase several hundred grams!

Post #14: Hiking

Today, we were lucky enough to head out of town to a nearby hiking and water hole called Poço Azul, or Blue Well. Bumping along unpaved roads about 45 minutes from Brasília, we came to the park entrance and began to make our way down a dusty, red path towards the valley and waterfalls. The baked soil of the high plains made way to surprisingly blue waterfalls and a running river. We hiked through and up and around, catching views of the landscape and also stopping to watch the locals dive from some of the cliffs into the water. It was a great trip out to see the area and get a sense of place, even if we all came back a bit dehydrated, sunburned, and spent after traipsing around in the full heat of the unrelenting "winter" sun.