Ooooi!
You know, when I first arrived in Brazil, I didn't know anyone there other than the people from AIESEC and Saci, the school, who received me and whom I had 'met' online before leaving Holland; I didn't speak the language, and was feeling a little bit lost for the initial period. It was so different when my friend Bryley arrived at the Rodoviaria Novo in Rio de Janeiro, three and a half months later. And it was such a funny feeling in the beginning to see her there in Brazil. We often said in Brazil that we made a good traveling couple, as I speak the language and she has a great sense of direction, so together we made our way around easily. Of course, Bryley has even traveled in more challenging countries than Brazil and on her own, and I always admire people who have the guts to just go anywhere and everywhere by themselves, and wonder if it takes a certain type of person to do that, or it's something you can learn as you go about it?
In Rio, we stayed at a hostel in Copacabana recommended to me by my friend Roberta, which, I remember, we had to put some effort to find initially once we got off the crowded, rambling city bus. We should just have stayed where we got off as the hostel was just around the corner, but instead we actually decided to try our luck with a cab... the driver had no idea (hmm?) where to go and just drove us in a circle before setting us off somewhere close to where we started, but it was a funny conversation, as it involved a random conversation in Portuguese between me and the driver about where we came from and, since we were from Holland, about the Brazil-Holland game two days later. Bryley just arrived so I'm not sure anymore how much she understood, other than what I might have translated for her benefit. I just remember it being really funny, so that I didn't even grit my teeth too much that we paid the taxi ride money for nothing, since our hostel was really so close, we just didn't know. And I remember the guy thought that Holland would win the game... and well, he turned out to be right. In any case, he must have been pretty entertained as even in a busy tourist area such as Copacabana they still probably seldom get such random gringas (with such good Portuguese skills ;)).
After spending a couple of days in Rio and getting about a bunch of tourist things like seeing Christ the Redeemer and the Sugarloaf Mountain, on Friday we ended up going out till 5 30 am in Lapa on the night of my birthday, with a big group from the hostel that quickly reduced itself to me and Bryley following this random Brazilian guy for a little while who came by the hostel every weekend or something to take the whole lot to Lapa. But as we weren't satisfied by the quality of the first place he took us to which was full of seriously horny guys grabbing you at every corner (it was a seriously intense atmosphere hahaha), and we kind of figured that the guy was just trying to show off by demonstrating how many friends he has, we made our own way for a while. We ended up in this funk place (it's a music style) in the middle of Lapa, where we found our hostel roommates again and their friends, a bunch of Brazilian guys! One of the girls knew them from her previous stay in Brazil, as I remember... well, I can only hope that I can come back to Brazil and show off such a cool friends-pack at a party hehe (I'm sure I can). The funniest thing was, they even acted as our protectors from the other guys around who wouldn't leave us alone (there were some annoying ones). Time flew and it was early morning by the time we left and climbed back into bed, to roll out too late the next morning to have breakfast at the hostel, so we had to go eat our sandwiches and drink our juice at a local cafeteria, perched on high chairs by the counter, listening to the sounds of fireworks around, which were in the honour of Argentina losing so impressively to Germany in the Cup. If Brazil didn't get to use up the fireworks the day before, this was the day to do it... apparently, in JF, it was the same case! Fireworks, just for Argentina!
That afternoon, after perusing the area of the city with the beautiful Teatro Municipal which is similar to the one in Paris, and another coconut-water stop-over by the Ipanema beach, we headed to Petropolis, a small near-by town in the mountains (right on the road between Rio and JF) famous for having been the summer retreat of the Portuguese kings during the colonial period. The kings left several famous castles and building around the city, which is a small but beautiful place surrounded by green mountains, and is relatively cooler than Rio, which explains its popularity with the cariocas from the capital (and thus the Portuguese kings), when the heat is just too much to take even lying sprawled on Copacabana beach. And yes, it is one of the towns that was recently affected in the floods that took place again in Brazil... There was a big flood in Rio where I was still in Brazil myself, but this was unfortunately even more serious, so as I have been to two out of three places that were hit (the others towns were Teresopolis and Nova Friburgo, and I've been to the latter) I was quite sad to read the news on the floods in Brazil... it's interesting how much more you find yourself paying attention and how much more it means to you when something happens somewhere in the world if you have a connection with that place. So I hope that things will soon get better in these towns.
As for the moment, back to that day in Petropolis... (well, yes, it was my birthday... who would have thought that I'd spend my 23rd birthday in Rio and Petropolis, in Brazil!) We were met there by Amanda, a girl I met through Aiesec, whose family lives in Petropolis. So we came over to her family's lovely, comfortable house (so nice after three nights in a small hostel room), where we met her family and her cats, had some dinner, went out to get a movie (the famous Brazilian comedy I already wanted to see before, called 'Se eu fosse voce' - 'If I were you'), and as we were tired, fell asleep soon after it ended (Bryley fell asleep during, haha). The next day we went to explore Petropolis for a few hours, starting with our visit to the top of the hill popular with sporty-outdorsy paragliding people, to seeing the richly done homes of the Portuguese kings, to even a German-inspired party that just happened to be taking place in Petropolis that weekend. I remember Bryley's reaction to it, because it was one of the first things she did in Brazil... a German party.
It was a short, but lovely trip to Petropolis, and hopefully not the last one! In the following weeks, we did a lot of traveling, that's for sure: we traveled to Belo Horizonte, Ouro Preto, Cabo Frio and Buzios, met up the other trainees in Rio again... and after a weekend back in JF, we headed together for the exotic Bahia in the north-east of the country. Well, I do hope there will be more adventure in Brazil next time for me! (Who knows, I might even have the guts then to travel by myself a little bit, too!).
Hope you enjoyed reading!
Beijos! :)
Saudades, beijos, meu Brasil
Sunday, 23 January 2011
Saturday, 15 January 2011
Brazilian zusjes in Holland :)
Olá meus amigos!
You know it's a curious thing to suddenly have a full house, with dear foreign guests to take care of. I had this feeling when my host-sisters from Brazil, Mariana and Cacau, came to visit Holland recently. When they arrived at my house, everything was new to them, so of course they were a little shy in the beginning, so I had to try and make them feel at home... after all, I stayed at theirs in Brazil :) We've never really had many guests stay over at our house, let alone international friends, so it was a new role for me too - that of a host. But I learned a little bit about host families and living at somebody else's house in another country while I myself was in Brazil, so now it was my turn to be a host-sister, and it was great, I miss having a full house, preparing coffee and breakfast for my zusjes, taking them around. I'm glad we could experience living at each other's houses in turn, within the same year! :) By the end of their stay, the girls felt so at home here, they cooked a whole Brazilian meal for me, my mum and Bryley, including real brigadeiros (a chocolate dessert) brought over from Brazil! I think I had so many brigadeiros that night, I was on a bit of a sugar rush.
The girls arrived here the day before Christmas Eve, and I still remember the feeling of anticipation when I went to pick them up at the airport. Actually, I've never really picked anyone up at the airport either, at least alone and in the last ten years, and it was very special for me... it's a funny feeling, standing in front of the arrival gates, waiting for your friends from across the world to arrive... don't you think? It's so surreal. Seeing them suddenly there, coming out with four large suitcases, those special friends from Brazil who you said good-bye to a few months ago on another continent. Actually, it felt just as surreal when we went back to the airport when the girls were leaving Holland. But then it's a little sadder of course, as two weeks together have flown by so quickly.
Together, we explored the surrounding cities, had a lovely Christmas Eve and Christmas (with snow!), exchanged gifts, watched the new Ivete Sangalo show from New York (that I was so happy to receive as Xmas gift from the girls!), hung around on the couch at my house watching movies, and much more! Also, as a lucky coincidence, our annual Christmas dinner with friends was in the week the girls were also here, so they got to meet my close group of friends, too :)
Amsterdam, of course, could not be missed either! The funniest thing ever is still Mari trying to take some naughty pictures in the Red Light District. Which were not allowed and had to be deleted, and our group once even had to relocate ourselves. Oh, and the search for the condomerie that Mari was so excited to visit and buy souvenirs for her friends at! (I must say, it's a very cool store). Among others, we made a stop at the Anne Frank's House, and believe it or not, I've never been there before! But what a great and inspiring museum to visit.
The five of us in front of the famous IAmsterdam sign :)
After exploring the great things in Amsterdam for two days, we even managed to make a stop over in Utrecht, where the Brazilian girls tried the Dutch broodje kroket, patat friet from the ever busy Manneke Pies, and the Belgian beers at cafe Olivier, the coolest bar ever.
And then it was the end of 2010 and the arrival of 2011 already! Hard to believe how hard time flies, but how great that we could spend New Years Eve together with our Brazilian host-zusjes here, in Holland! And our group for NYE was huge too, with friends from both sides of the ocean. Free (at least, before midnight) champagne and olliebolen, which are special Dutch pastries sold around this period, roasted marshmallows, (slightly late) fireworks at the big square: a great way to celebrate the coming of 2011, with great friends! Happy New Year everyone! =D
And, of course, Paris! We made our trip together there a couple of days after NYE, where we stayed in a very nice hostel full of Brazilians (of course), and kept up with a busy schedule of hitting all the famous Paris landmarks (and there are many) in that January cold, brrr! Eiffel Tower, Arc du Triumphe, Champs Elysees, Louvre, Monmartre, Notre Dame, all the beautiful sights of Paris are difficult to describe of course!
Trying to speak (although Bryley was impressively good at it) French, trying out French food i.e. crepés, buying Parisian souvenirs and black-and-white cards with the romantic city scenes, being shocked at the prices of coffee and even coke in Parisian cafés, wishing it was summer and warm and making plans to come back when it actually is (so we can hit all the cafés in Paris despite the ridiculous prices), taking the boat tour in the evening along the Seine river, holding a mini photo-shoot in front of the Eiffel Tower, dragging our butts around on the kinda-expensive (it turned out) pub crawl in the red light district of the city with a guide from Holland, looking for Amelie Poulain's café, buying all those mini-Eiffel towers (I think Mari got like 30 key-chains... and more than 10 mini-towers... ok, I got a couple of mini-towers too ;))... life á la Paris is full of glamorous randomness... or random glamour? ;)
Beautiful girls in front of what is probably the most famous landmark in the world! ;)
After the Paris trip, the girls only had a couple of days more in Holland, but we squeezed in a little trip to Delft, a small but lovely Dutch town where all those white and blue ceramics come from (too bad the weather was so... blah); and a wonderful Brazilian dinner at my house, after wich we watched together the Dutch movie Mari has been wanting to see since I was in Brazil and told her about it: Zwartboek.
But I have to say again, what a pleasure it was to see my Brazilian zusjes cooking and taking charge of my kitchen... eeeee! =D
It was strange bringing the girls back to the airport, as the time flew by so fast. But Bryley and I waved them off on their trip back to Brazil, with loaaaads of gifts for friends and family (remember the 30+ Eiffel towers?), knowing that either here or there, or anywhere, we will see them again soon! Zusjes re-united again :)
Au-revoir my friends, till the next post ;)
Beijos :p
You know it's a curious thing to suddenly have a full house, with dear foreign guests to take care of. I had this feeling when my host-sisters from Brazil, Mariana and Cacau, came to visit Holland recently. When they arrived at my house, everything was new to them, so of course they were a little shy in the beginning, so I had to try and make them feel at home... after all, I stayed at theirs in Brazil :) We've never really had many guests stay over at our house, let alone international friends, so it was a new role for me too - that of a host. But I learned a little bit about host families and living at somebody else's house in another country while I myself was in Brazil, so now it was my turn to be a host-sister, and it was great, I miss having a full house, preparing coffee and breakfast for my zusjes, taking them around. I'm glad we could experience living at each other's houses in turn, within the same year! :) By the end of their stay, the girls felt so at home here, they cooked a whole Brazilian meal for me, my mum and Bryley, including real brigadeiros (a chocolate dessert) brought over from Brazil! I think I had so many brigadeiros that night, I was on a bit of a sugar rush.
The girls arrived here the day before Christmas Eve, and I still remember the feeling of anticipation when I went to pick them up at the airport. Actually, I've never really picked anyone up at the airport either, at least alone and in the last ten years, and it was very special for me... it's a funny feeling, standing in front of the arrival gates, waiting for your friends from across the world to arrive... don't you think? It's so surreal. Seeing them suddenly there, coming out with four large suitcases, those special friends from Brazil who you said good-bye to a few months ago on another continent. Actually, it felt just as surreal when we went back to the airport when the girls were leaving Holland. But then it's a little sadder of course, as two weeks together have flown by so quickly.
Together, we explored the surrounding cities, had a lovely Christmas Eve and Christmas (with snow!), exchanged gifts, watched the new Ivete Sangalo show from New York (that I was so happy to receive as Xmas gift from the girls!), hung around on the couch at my house watching movies, and much more! Also, as a lucky coincidence, our annual Christmas dinner with friends was in the week the girls were also here, so they got to meet my close group of friends, too :)
Amsterdam, of course, could not be missed either! The funniest thing ever is still Mari trying to take some naughty pictures in the Red Light District. Which were not allowed and had to be deleted, and our group once even had to relocate ourselves. Oh, and the search for the condomerie that Mari was so excited to visit and buy souvenirs for her friends at! (I must say, it's a very cool store). Among others, we made a stop at the Anne Frank's House, and believe it or not, I've never been there before! But what a great and inspiring museum to visit.
The five of us in front of the famous IAmsterdam sign :)
After exploring the great things in Amsterdam for two days, we even managed to make a stop over in Utrecht, where the Brazilian girls tried the Dutch broodje kroket, patat friet from the ever busy Manneke Pies, and the Belgian beers at cafe Olivier, the coolest bar ever.
And then it was the end of 2010 and the arrival of 2011 already! Hard to believe how hard time flies, but how great that we could spend New Years Eve together with our Brazilian host-zusjes here, in Holland! And our group for NYE was huge too, with friends from both sides of the ocean. Free (at least, before midnight) champagne and olliebolen, which are special Dutch pastries sold around this period, roasted marshmallows, (slightly late) fireworks at the big square: a great way to celebrate the coming of 2011, with great friends! Happy New Year everyone! =D
And, of course, Paris! We made our trip together there a couple of days after NYE, where we stayed in a very nice hostel full of Brazilians (of course), and kept up with a busy schedule of hitting all the famous Paris landmarks (and there are many) in that January cold, brrr! Eiffel Tower, Arc du Triumphe, Champs Elysees, Louvre, Monmartre, Notre Dame, all the beautiful sights of Paris are difficult to describe of course!
Trying to speak (although Bryley was impressively good at it) French, trying out French food i.e. crepés, buying Parisian souvenirs and black-and-white cards with the romantic city scenes, being shocked at the prices of coffee and even coke in Parisian cafés, wishing it was summer and warm and making plans to come back when it actually is (so we can hit all the cafés in Paris despite the ridiculous prices), taking the boat tour in the evening along the Seine river, holding a mini photo-shoot in front of the Eiffel Tower, dragging our butts around on the kinda-expensive (it turned out) pub crawl in the red light district of the city with a guide from Holland, looking for Amelie Poulain's café, buying all those mini-Eiffel towers (I think Mari got like 30 key-chains... and more than 10 mini-towers... ok, I got a couple of mini-towers too ;))... life á la Paris is full of glamorous randomness... or random glamour? ;)
Beautiful girls in front of what is probably the most famous landmark in the world! ;)After the Paris trip, the girls only had a couple of days more in Holland, but we squeezed in a little trip to Delft, a small but lovely Dutch town where all those white and blue ceramics come from (too bad the weather was so... blah); and a wonderful Brazilian dinner at my house, after wich we watched together the Dutch movie Mari has been wanting to see since I was in Brazil and told her about it: Zwartboek.
But I have to say again, what a pleasure it was to see my Brazilian zusjes cooking and taking charge of my kitchen... eeeee! =D
It was strange bringing the girls back to the airport, as the time flew by so fast. But Bryley and I waved them off on their trip back to Brazil, with loaaaads of gifts for friends and family (remember the 30+ Eiffel towers?), knowing that either here or there, or anywhere, we will see them again soon! Zusjes re-united again :)
Au-revoir my friends, till the next post ;)
Beijos :p
Wednesday, 22 December 2010
'Chorando se foi, quem um dia só me fez chorar...' The musical story of my Brazilian experience
Minha gente!
I remember in one of the last weeks in Shanghai, my Brazilian housemate and project teammate Pedro turned on a bunch of Brazilian music in the living room of our small Chinese apartment. With other housemates probably quite amused, Pedro taught me a little how to dance forró, the traditional Brazilian dance in pairs. Thanks to Pedro, I also heard some other music from Brazil, among them I believe a very popular sertanejo (a sort of Brazilian country-style romantic music usually sung by two men) song called 'Chora, me liga', which my friend Vico later taught me to sing the full chorus of. This is how I advanced my Portuguese while in Brazil, by learning to sing silly Brazilian (mainly sertanejo, because they're easier) songs :)
Songs I learned thanks to my friends! :) The title song may not say much to you, but it is actually a song you will certainly recognize the sound of, widely known as the 'lambada'. Ring any bells? ;) I learned a part of the chorus from a girl called Silvana, whom we met in our travels in Bahia, I remember her teaching it to me as I was trying to practice my samba footwork on the beach in Morro de Sao Paulo, as the four of us were waiting for the sun to come out after all the rain. The second half of the chorus my host sister, Mariana, taught me when I came back to Juiz de Fora. As you can see, Brazilian music reflects my experience there, doesnt it?
There are several other examples... Tammy and Mariana taught me a couple of other sertanejo songs, such as 'Te deu o sol, te deu o mar, pra ganhar seu coracao...', a very popular song by the young Brazilian Luan Santana, a somewhat Justin Bieber-esque singer currently on the rise in Brazil. And I have to admit, silly though it may be, I actually like this song, and it brings all these memories to mind :)
My friend Fernanda from Saci, the school where I worked, helped along too in my Brazilian musical knowledge. Not only did she copy a bunch of CD's for me, but she taught me to sing a rock/pop song about how love is the heat that warms up the soul and it has the taste for the person who will drink its water.... how about that :) And that was again while traveling, as we were shooting back Brahmas at a cafe in Buzios, a small beautiful beachtown.
And it was at a Saci Festa Junina party, where amidst selling drinks to thirsty parents and their kids and making popcorn, that Fe taught me the song that was just playing at the time, 'Voce nao vale nada mas eu gosto de voce... Tudo que queria é saber porque'. 'You're not worth anything but I like you... All I want to know is why'... doesn't that sound ironically familiar ;)
Probably the funniest song I learned was during Vico's Portuguese classes, the classic 'Lanca perfume' by the Brazilian diva Rita Lee, where our favorite, most memorable line was 'Me deixa de quatro no ato...'. I won't translate this that so you actually google it yourself, and believe me it's worth knowing what this means ;)
And it was there that I learned the song 'Sutilmente' by the rock/pop band Skank, which Fe incidentally copied for me, and which now still sends so much saudade through me as I hear it... Why do I torment myself so? ^^
It was when I got back from Brazil that I could actually listen properly to all the music Fe copied for me, as well as learn all the Ivete Sangalo songs from her live show CD's that I bought myself, as I was already fond of Ivete while in Brazil. It is Ivete who contributes much to my continuing learning of Portuguese... 'A minha sorte grande, foi voce cair de ceu, minha paixao verdadeira, viver a emocao, ganhar teu coracao, pra ser feliz a vida inteira...'
As you can see, Brazilian music accompanied me much through my experience. I could give more examples, but I think the idea is clear ;) It's funny isn't? Which is why I wanted to write this now in addition to my post yesterday, where I talked about Brazilian music and language, and of course, saudade. No wonder the music brings so many memories, so many emotions... It's not uncommon, of course. But it's like I could write my Brazilian story from Brazilian music! :)
Beijos galera!
I remember in one of the last weeks in Shanghai, my Brazilian housemate and project teammate Pedro turned on a bunch of Brazilian music in the living room of our small Chinese apartment. With other housemates probably quite amused, Pedro taught me a little how to dance forró, the traditional Brazilian dance in pairs. Thanks to Pedro, I also heard some other music from Brazil, among them I believe a very popular sertanejo (a sort of Brazilian country-style romantic music usually sung by two men) song called 'Chora, me liga', which my friend Vico later taught me to sing the full chorus of. This is how I advanced my Portuguese while in Brazil, by learning to sing silly Brazilian (mainly sertanejo, because they're easier) songs :)
Songs I learned thanks to my friends! :) The title song may not say much to you, but it is actually a song you will certainly recognize the sound of, widely known as the 'lambada'. Ring any bells? ;) I learned a part of the chorus from a girl called Silvana, whom we met in our travels in Bahia, I remember her teaching it to me as I was trying to practice my samba footwork on the beach in Morro de Sao Paulo, as the four of us were waiting for the sun to come out after all the rain. The second half of the chorus my host sister, Mariana, taught me when I came back to Juiz de Fora. As you can see, Brazilian music reflects my experience there, doesnt it?
There are several other examples... Tammy and Mariana taught me a couple of other sertanejo songs, such as 'Te deu o sol, te deu o mar, pra ganhar seu coracao...', a very popular song by the young Brazilian Luan Santana, a somewhat Justin Bieber-esque singer currently on the rise in Brazil. And I have to admit, silly though it may be, I actually like this song, and it brings all these memories to mind :)
My friend Fernanda from Saci, the school where I worked, helped along too in my Brazilian musical knowledge. Not only did she copy a bunch of CD's for me, but she taught me to sing a rock/pop song about how love is the heat that warms up the soul and it has the taste for the person who will drink its water.... how about that :) And that was again while traveling, as we were shooting back Brahmas at a cafe in Buzios, a small beautiful beachtown.
And it was at a Saci Festa Junina party, where amidst selling drinks to thirsty parents and their kids and making popcorn, that Fe taught me the song that was just playing at the time, 'Voce nao vale nada mas eu gosto de voce... Tudo que queria é saber porque'. 'You're not worth anything but I like you... All I want to know is why'... doesn't that sound ironically familiar ;)
Probably the funniest song I learned was during Vico's Portuguese classes, the classic 'Lanca perfume' by the Brazilian diva Rita Lee, where our favorite, most memorable line was 'Me deixa de quatro no ato...'. I won't translate this that so you actually google it yourself, and believe me it's worth knowing what this means ;)
And it was there that I learned the song 'Sutilmente' by the rock/pop band Skank, which Fe incidentally copied for me, and which now still sends so much saudade through me as I hear it... Why do I torment myself so? ^^
It was when I got back from Brazil that I could actually listen properly to all the music Fe copied for me, as well as learn all the Ivete Sangalo songs from her live show CD's that I bought myself, as I was already fond of Ivete while in Brazil. It is Ivete who contributes much to my continuing learning of Portuguese... 'A minha sorte grande, foi voce cair de ceu, minha paixao verdadeira, viver a emocao, ganhar teu coracao, pra ser feliz a vida inteira...'
As you can see, Brazilian music accompanied me much through my experience. I could give more examples, but I think the idea is clear ;) It's funny isn't? Which is why I wanted to write this now in addition to my post yesterday, where I talked about Brazilian music and language, and of course, saudade. No wonder the music brings so many memories, so many emotions... It's not uncommon, of course. But it's like I could write my Brazilian story from Brazilian music! :)
Beijos galera!
Tuesday, 21 December 2010
'A minha sorte grande, foi voce cair do ceu...' Let's mix it up ;)
Hey everyone!
It's been a while again since I've written here, so I made a new year's resolution to write more often on my blog, so I can finish up my story about Brazil and start up on other topics, so as to become a frequent online blogger, and further my writing career ;)
As the old year is coming to an end and the new one is approaching, and my Brazilian host sisters ('zusjes') are coming to visit Holland (yayness!), I guess the thing to do would be to give some kind of year overview and summary... but I won't do that all in one go, because it's all worth a whole blog - or maybe even a book! - by itself, isn't it! A year ago I was celebrating Christmas and the coming of 2010 in Shangai, China, and a few months later I was in Brazil, trying to learn how to dance samba... it's all kind of surreal, and yet I know I was there and all these things happened! I would still like to write more about China here, too... but all these different cultures, experiences and influences are getting so mixed up now, how to keep them apart is the question! Although, I'd like to think that I don't have to keep them entirely apart, and I couldn't really, they all make up what I am now, after all. It doesn't seem to me that I came back a different person per se, and yet I know I'm not all the same as before, and the course of my life may be different now to what it would have been if I hadnt been to China and Brazil, especially the latter :)
I know that the people I met and the hospitality they showed me in Brazil was the main factor which enchanted me with the country. I never imagined that I would be there, in Brazil, although I always dreamed of going to South America, but the dream came true in a rather unexpected way and time, and here I am, perfectly aware of what Brazilians mean when they talk about 'saudade'. But other than missing the people, and the beautiful scenery, and the warm temperature (I write this while we are still covered with snow in Holland... although I do like the way the snow crunches under my feet when I try to make it to the bus stop at 7 in the morning), there are many other things I miss about Brazil. It's funny how a person can become so attached to another culture! I've traveled around, and I spent two months in China, and lived for years in Russia and Holland, yet my 'saudade' for Brazil is very special... and it's so difficult to explain how this happened!
I know there are a couple of things other than what I already mentioned that I love about Brazil - the language, that dancy, musical sound of Brazilian Portuguese, the language I had so unexpectedly gotten to learn! A few years ago, I was still determined to know Spanish, but now my heart went out to it's close linguistic relative :) And now I try to keep it up as much as I can; perhaps sometime I will try to write parts of my blog in Portuguese (and not make any native speakers laugh at my silly mistakes... although in Brazil I spoke with plenty of mistakes for sure, which never stopped me from talking anyway).
And what's definitely related to my love of the language is the Brazilian music. From samba to axé and música popular brasileira, I cannot believe we still know so little about it here in the Northern hemisphere, other than some vague knowledge about samba percussion and the 'Girl from Ipanema'. I really love Brazilian music, and the sound of it keeps my saudade bearable (but sharper at the same time). When I went to a small concert by the Brazilian artist Ceumar (who is living in Holland) a couple of months ago, and she sang so melodiously in the beautiful Portuguese language, it was like honey pouring through me.
Where I will go from here, I don't know. When I will be in Brazil again, I don't know, but I hope as soon as is possible right now. So much still to see and experience, to eat, to dance, to talk non-stop, like the Brazilians do... hahaha! The most honest secret behind my learning Portuguese? Brazilians just don't shut up, and the gringa just has to learn to keep up with them!
Well, and here I will stop talking for the moment! But be sure to hear more, much more, from me soon! Até breve!
Grande beijo para todos, meus amigos!
It's been a while again since I've written here, so I made a new year's resolution to write more often on my blog, so I can finish up my story about Brazil and start up on other topics, so as to become a frequent online blogger, and further my writing career ;)
As the old year is coming to an end and the new one is approaching, and my Brazilian host sisters ('zusjes') are coming to visit Holland (yayness!), I guess the thing to do would be to give some kind of year overview and summary... but I won't do that all in one go, because it's all worth a whole blog - or maybe even a book! - by itself, isn't it! A year ago I was celebrating Christmas and the coming of 2010 in Shangai, China, and a few months later I was in Brazil, trying to learn how to dance samba... it's all kind of surreal, and yet I know I was there and all these things happened! I would still like to write more about China here, too... but all these different cultures, experiences and influences are getting so mixed up now, how to keep them apart is the question! Although, I'd like to think that I don't have to keep them entirely apart, and I couldn't really, they all make up what I am now, after all. It doesn't seem to me that I came back a different person per se, and yet I know I'm not all the same as before, and the course of my life may be different now to what it would have been if I hadnt been to China and Brazil, especially the latter :)
I know that the people I met and the hospitality they showed me in Brazil was the main factor which enchanted me with the country. I never imagined that I would be there, in Brazil, although I always dreamed of going to South America, but the dream came true in a rather unexpected way and time, and here I am, perfectly aware of what Brazilians mean when they talk about 'saudade'. But other than missing the people, and the beautiful scenery, and the warm temperature (I write this while we are still covered with snow in Holland... although I do like the way the snow crunches under my feet when I try to make it to the bus stop at 7 in the morning), there are many other things I miss about Brazil. It's funny how a person can become so attached to another culture! I've traveled around, and I spent two months in China, and lived for years in Russia and Holland, yet my 'saudade' for Brazil is very special... and it's so difficult to explain how this happened!
I know there are a couple of things other than what I already mentioned that I love about Brazil - the language, that dancy, musical sound of Brazilian Portuguese, the language I had so unexpectedly gotten to learn! A few years ago, I was still determined to know Spanish, but now my heart went out to it's close linguistic relative :) And now I try to keep it up as much as I can; perhaps sometime I will try to write parts of my blog in Portuguese (and not make any native speakers laugh at my silly mistakes... although in Brazil I spoke with plenty of mistakes for sure, which never stopped me from talking anyway).
And what's definitely related to my love of the language is the Brazilian music. From samba to axé and música popular brasileira, I cannot believe we still know so little about it here in the Northern hemisphere, other than some vague knowledge about samba percussion and the 'Girl from Ipanema'. I really love Brazilian music, and the sound of it keeps my saudade bearable (but sharper at the same time). When I went to a small concert by the Brazilian artist Ceumar (who is living in Holland) a couple of months ago, and she sang so melodiously in the beautiful Portuguese language, it was like honey pouring through me.
Where I will go from here, I don't know. When I will be in Brazil again, I don't know, but I hope as soon as is possible right now. So much still to see and experience, to eat, to dance, to talk non-stop, like the Brazilians do... hahaha! The most honest secret behind my learning Portuguese? Brazilians just don't shut up, and the gringa just has to learn to keep up with them!
Well, and here I will stop talking for the moment! But be sure to hear more, much more, from me soon! Até breve!
Grande beijo para todos, meus amigos!
Thursday, 7 October 2010
Brazil (& BRIC): thoughts on development
Oiii everyone! ^^
This last Sunday (the 3rd of October) Brazilians brought out their votes in the first round of electing the new president of Brazil, the successor of Luiz Inacio - Lula - da Silva. Although she gained more votes than her opponents, Lula's most likely successor (thanks to his support, too) Dilma Roussef didn't gain the majority needed, so Brazil will need to vote again at the end of October. It is difficult for me to put forward my own views on Brazilian politics as I have not lived there for nearly long enough to know, but I got the impression from some of my friends that there is a certain lack of enthusiam this year over the elections and the candidates... The day of the vote, I read a long and sophisticated article in Holland's quality newspaper the NRC about the elections and the ways in which Brazil had changed (i.e. its economy had grown substantially) in the past eight years thanks to Lula's policies, which follow what his political predecessor had started already, apparently a plus point for Lula, who is much loved by many in Brazil. It is curious because I believe that at the same time as Brazil had begun gaining so much economic development in the past decade, a similar economic trend can be observed in Russia, which, since the start of the new millenium, has also grown to become one of the world's leading economies (I won't start on the political implications of the economic growth in Russia though).
Brazil will certainly be in the center of attention in the coming years, as the host of the 2014 World Cup, and I believe as the first country in South America to take the pride in organizing the Olympic games of 2016 (2 years after Russia will host the Winter Olympics, and Russia, too, will be the host to the World Cup in football in 2018. It seems, as you see, that there are indeed certain parallels between these two BRIC nations). As I have lived in and loved Brazil, I am now following the developments and news as I wouldn't have before. It rarely occurred to me before that Brazil is actually a very important world player. That is, I figured as much, but didn't really give it the thought. A friend of mine in Brazil had pointed out that many people (I guess, particularly in the West) still think of Brazil as a developing country, while it is actually pretty much developed already, and I trust her judgement. I've seen it myself too, Brazil is a very developed country, I can gather that just by looking at the amounts of money I've had to spend there on traveling and going out..!
Some may argue that Brazil's level of development is questionable given the pertaining amount of poverty and social/economic inequality, but couldn't you say the same about the world's biggest economy, the United States? At the same time, yes, all BRIC countries still have many challenges facing them on their way to catching up (and arguably taking over eventually) Western countries; challenges of social, political, and economic nature. I'm not a BRIC expert, but if anything, I did live for several months in China and Brazil, and grew up in Russia, and can say that the economic inequality in each country in this respect can be quite mind-blowing, and often penetrating... but it's part of each country and its society, and of course it will take much more work and joint effort to try and lower the level of this inequality. But there is the matter of cultural and social diversity within each country, too, and of course it is often a good thing. And the whole situation is too often also very, very complicated.
I will illustrate with an example from personal experience: when we traveled in Brazil, we got the chance to come to Buzios, a small beach-town in the Rio state, known for being 'discovered' and put on the vacation map by Birgit Bardot, and it is loved by many visitors of higher social standing. Buzios is really beautiful, although we may not have come there if we weren't invited by our friend to stay there for a couple days at her aunt's holiday house which turned out to be an amazing, gorgeous mansion. Buzios' center is a pretty fancy place, and a stroll along the stores already gives the idea of the crowd they're aiming at. We loved our time there, and even went to the beach one day in an awesome open-roof car, which attracted many looks from passers-by. And I remember Bryley saying something like, "this is so cool, we do this now, and then in a couple of days we'll be going to a favela in Rio, it's like we're getting to know the opposing sides of Brazilian life". I guess that much is true.
And so, a few days later we went to Rocinha, the largest favela on the continent, home to some 200,000 people or so, spread around the hills of Rio de Janeiro. And there, of course, it is a different sight. It is thousands and thousands of houses built on the hills around, one house almost on top of the other... narrow footpaths in between, a whole other lifestyle, shall we say. And yes, it is one of Brazil's main challenges, how to improve the quality of life there, but at the same time many people we passed on the way looked happy as they are. And why not, nothing should be able to take away their right to be happy, right?
We even ran into a girl from the UK who has worked at a child-care center there for a few months, and was absolutely loving it there. And in its own way, the view of the favela is beautiful, breath-taking as it surely is.
Many people (interestingly, several Brazilian people) also reacted with various levels of shock when we told them we were going/went to the favela. "You went to a favela?? Why? What are you looking for there?" And oh dear, it's dangerous, isn't it. What were we thinking? Well. There are many preconceptions about favelas, and I won't play as if I know what it's like to live there, of course it comes with certain dangers, such as even occasional stray bullets from gang fights which injure and kill innocent people. Of course life in a favela is not easy, but it's not all like "City of God". It is a community, with people just like anyone of us who want to lead normal lives. And it felt like a community, too, and our guide certainly seemed to know everyone passing by, who all returned his friendly greetings. And he even told us this: "the guy who will shake your hand today in the favela may rob you in Copacabana tomorrow". Turns out there may be more chance to get into trouble outside the favela than inside it (though I still woundn't advise you to just go around prowling by yourself, as then you are likely to get lost and possibly get into some kind of problem). So go figure.
What's curious is that in the recent years favela tours in Rio have become quite popular with tourists. My guide book even warned that some tour companies even drive tourists around in jeeps, thereby treating the place as "an African game park" (it literally said this in the book). Of course, we don't want that, we could just walk through the favela on foot. A friend of mine in Holland, who is half-Brazilian herself, pointed out that some tourists just go there because it's like a new cool thing to do. They know to expect poverty, dirty streets, problematic housing. So why do they go, if they're not gonna do something about it? This is an interesting point for sure. I've studied about a favela before and never imagined I would get to visit one, that I would be in Rio de Janeiro in the first place. Myself, I went to complete what I had already learned and because I am interested in Brazilian society, and let's see what I can do with that in the future.
Of course, the issue is much more complex than I can discuss here; this is what I myself have learned from experience, and given the current political developments in Brazil, I thought I would share some insights. And I hope I will be able to keep learning, to broaden my perspectives. For the moment, let's see how the elections go further, and how Brazil develops in the coming years.
Beijos!
This last Sunday (the 3rd of October) Brazilians brought out their votes in the first round of electing the new president of Brazil, the successor of Luiz Inacio - Lula - da Silva. Although she gained more votes than her opponents, Lula's most likely successor (thanks to his support, too) Dilma Roussef didn't gain the majority needed, so Brazil will need to vote again at the end of October. It is difficult for me to put forward my own views on Brazilian politics as I have not lived there for nearly long enough to know, but I got the impression from some of my friends that there is a certain lack of enthusiam this year over the elections and the candidates... The day of the vote, I read a long and sophisticated article in Holland's quality newspaper the NRC about the elections and the ways in which Brazil had changed (i.e. its economy had grown substantially) in the past eight years thanks to Lula's policies, which follow what his political predecessor had started already, apparently a plus point for Lula, who is much loved by many in Brazil. It is curious because I believe that at the same time as Brazil had begun gaining so much economic development in the past decade, a similar economic trend can be observed in Russia, which, since the start of the new millenium, has also grown to become one of the world's leading economies (I won't start on the political implications of the economic growth in Russia though).
Brazil will certainly be in the center of attention in the coming years, as the host of the 2014 World Cup, and I believe as the first country in South America to take the pride in organizing the Olympic games of 2016 (2 years after Russia will host the Winter Olympics, and Russia, too, will be the host to the World Cup in football in 2018. It seems, as you see, that there are indeed certain parallels between these two BRIC nations). As I have lived in and loved Brazil, I am now following the developments and news as I wouldn't have before. It rarely occurred to me before that Brazil is actually a very important world player. That is, I figured as much, but didn't really give it the thought. A friend of mine in Brazil had pointed out that many people (I guess, particularly in the West) still think of Brazil as a developing country, while it is actually pretty much developed already, and I trust her judgement. I've seen it myself too, Brazil is a very developed country, I can gather that just by looking at the amounts of money I've had to spend there on traveling and going out..!
Some may argue that Brazil's level of development is questionable given the pertaining amount of poverty and social/economic inequality, but couldn't you say the same about the world's biggest economy, the United States? At the same time, yes, all BRIC countries still have many challenges facing them on their way to catching up (and arguably taking over eventually) Western countries; challenges of social, political, and economic nature. I'm not a BRIC expert, but if anything, I did live for several months in China and Brazil, and grew up in Russia, and can say that the economic inequality in each country in this respect can be quite mind-blowing, and often penetrating... but it's part of each country and its society, and of course it will take much more work and joint effort to try and lower the level of this inequality. But there is the matter of cultural and social diversity within each country, too, and of course it is often a good thing. And the whole situation is too often also very, very complicated.
I will illustrate with an example from personal experience: when we traveled in Brazil, we got the chance to come to Buzios, a small beach-town in the Rio state, known for being 'discovered' and put on the vacation map by Birgit Bardot, and it is loved by many visitors of higher social standing. Buzios is really beautiful, although we may not have come there if we weren't invited by our friend to stay there for a couple days at her aunt's holiday house which turned out to be an amazing, gorgeous mansion. Buzios' center is a pretty fancy place, and a stroll along the stores already gives the idea of the crowd they're aiming at. We loved our time there, and even went to the beach one day in an awesome open-roof car, which attracted many looks from passers-by. And I remember Bryley saying something like, "this is so cool, we do this now, and then in a couple of days we'll be going to a favela in Rio, it's like we're getting to know the opposing sides of Brazilian life". I guess that much is true.
And so, a few days later we went to Rocinha, the largest favela on the continent, home to some 200,000 people or so, spread around the hills of Rio de Janeiro. And there, of course, it is a different sight. It is thousands and thousands of houses built on the hills around, one house almost on top of the other... narrow footpaths in between, a whole other lifestyle, shall we say. And yes, it is one of Brazil's main challenges, how to improve the quality of life there, but at the same time many people we passed on the way looked happy as they are. And why not, nothing should be able to take away their right to be happy, right?
We even ran into a girl from the UK who has worked at a child-care center there for a few months, and was absolutely loving it there. And in its own way, the view of the favela is beautiful, breath-taking as it surely is.Many people (interestingly, several Brazilian people) also reacted with various levels of shock when we told them we were going/went to the favela. "You went to a favela?? Why? What are you looking for there?" And oh dear, it's dangerous, isn't it. What were we thinking? Well. There are many preconceptions about favelas, and I won't play as if I know what it's like to live there, of course it comes with certain dangers, such as even occasional stray bullets from gang fights which injure and kill innocent people. Of course life in a favela is not easy, but it's not all like "City of God". It is a community, with people just like anyone of us who want to lead normal lives. And it felt like a community, too, and our guide certainly seemed to know everyone passing by, who all returned his friendly greetings. And he even told us this: "the guy who will shake your hand today in the favela may rob you in Copacabana tomorrow". Turns out there may be more chance to get into trouble outside the favela than inside it (though I still woundn't advise you to just go around prowling by yourself, as then you are likely to get lost and possibly get into some kind of problem). So go figure.
What's curious is that in the recent years favela tours in Rio have become quite popular with tourists. My guide book even warned that some tour companies even drive tourists around in jeeps, thereby treating the place as "an African game park" (it literally said this in the book). Of course, we don't want that, we could just walk through the favela on foot. A friend of mine in Holland, who is half-Brazilian herself, pointed out that some tourists just go there because it's like a new cool thing to do. They know to expect poverty, dirty streets, problematic housing. So why do they go, if they're not gonna do something about it? This is an interesting point for sure. I've studied about a favela before and never imagined I would get to visit one, that I would be in Rio de Janeiro in the first place. Myself, I went to complete what I had already learned and because I am interested in Brazilian society, and let's see what I can do with that in the future.
Of course, the issue is much more complex than I can discuss here; this is what I myself have learned from experience, and given the current political developments in Brazil, I thought I would share some insights. And I hope I will be able to keep learning, to broaden my perspectives. For the moment, let's see how the elections go further, and how Brazil develops in the coming years.
Beijos!
Wednesday, 15 September 2010
Writer's Blog: Thoughts on Rio
Ola!
Last night I came across a website called iamexpat.nl on which I read an article by a professional writer living in the Hague and writing non-fiction in English who argues that living abroad is already an interesting enough subject for anyone who wants to write. So, one need not begin with a whole book right away, but keeping a blog, writing for online sources and so on, is already a good start. She also recommends aspiring writers to just spend 10 minutes a day writing something - even anything that comes into their head - which will help train them to get into the writing mode. So, I thought that's a good idea, and though maybe every day may not work, at least right away, I will try to write little snippets as often as I can (maybe not every time here though). If you have to read all that goes through my head, or anyone else's, so often, I think you will get crazy! One's own thoughts are already enough aren't they?
As this blog was originally set up for Maschmallow's Adventures in Brazil, and I still have much to write about it, I will start with some thoughts on this subject, connected by the first theme: today, Rio de Janeiro.
Rio de Janeiro, as I have written before, is lovingly called the cidade maravilhosa, the 'wonderful city' by the cariocas themselves. Some of you may remember seeing my first entry on Rio, a few months and entries ago, from my first trip there (it's the entry with all the pictures of Rio.. hard to miss). It's strange to think of it now, my first trip to Rio, and I have to say, it is one heck of a city. Random thought occurred to me earlier, you know how people compare Buenos Aires to Paris? I've been trying to think which European city one could compare Rio with, and I still haven't found the answer.
That said, Rio is a beautiful place. Well, maybe not on the first impression as you leave the rodoviaria (bus station) and ride on the bus through the down-trodden areas in the zona norte... but even there, the city seems to have a specific power over the (first-time) visitor. As you make your way from the zona norte through the centro to the zona sul, it's like you enter a different world. Do you see this picture? That's Ipanema, from my first visit there. Some of you already know, I loved Ipanema, it's hands down the most beautiful beach I've ever seen, and just people watching there is very entertaining. Next to Ipanema is Copacabana, which used to be the beach in the past, but is now considered to have lost much of its former flair. Nevertheless, Copacabana is extremely interesting to hang out, as it's full of options for things to do (and generally cheaper than in Ipanema, actually).
I've done an array of tourist things in Rio. I've gone up to the Corcovado to see the Christ statue twice, and I have to admit, it was one of the most amazing sights I've come across in Brazil. I've been to the Pao de Acucar (Sugar Loaf mountain), been to Lapa several times, and once during the day, I went to Niteroi, the neighbouring island, I've been to the centre, Botafogo, lay on the beach in both Ipanema and Copacabana... and I've even been in a favela, Rocinha, which may be pretty much the biggest favela in South America.
Actually, among my first encounters with Brazil was when I followed an introduction course in anthropology back at university, and we read an anthropologist's book about life and gender issues in a Rio favela based on her own observations there (not Rocinha though). Never did I think back then that one day I'd visit a favela, not because I wouldn't want to, but because it didn't even occur to me to think of it... so imagine that. During this course was also when I saw Brazilian movies for the first time, the famous (and slightly infamous) Cidade de Deus (City of God, of course) and Bus 174. Equipped with that knowledge from my studies, I went into the favela (or rather, zoomed up on the back of a motorbike) with a tour group, to have a peek at what life is actually like there. But perhaps I should leave the discussion of Brazilian social and economic realities for later. Let's just say it was a worthy trip to make.
Rio offers many great views and tourist attractions, but what's also great is just finding yourself somewhere random in the city center (in daylight, preferably though!), to just take in the daily life around. After our trip to the Corcovado, we were dropped off somewhere in the center because I wanted to go check out this small pretty colonial church (the most beautiful in Rio, according to the guide book), and the driver dropped us an almost 10 minute walk away from there. So while we made our way to the church, we enjoyed just encountering a new neighbourhood in the city. Check it out. Isn't it pretty cool?
Then again, I've always been the type who just likes hanging around a place, walking, stopping, continuing, seeing old and new things around, taking in the life. Perhaps people are different in that respect though... and in a city as big and culturally rich as Rio, the amount of things to do is pretty unending. It is a city some don't like, too, I've heard... and some love. The city is indeed very complicated, quite controversial and sometimes challenging... but it's an experience in every way.
So, this was not 10 minutes... I'm gonna try to time myself! Kidding... nothing wrong with writing for an aspiring writer... but I think I will leave it at this just now. Hope you enjoyed my wonderings ;)
Beijos!
Last night I came across a website called iamexpat.nl on which I read an article by a professional writer living in the Hague and writing non-fiction in English who argues that living abroad is already an interesting enough subject for anyone who wants to write. So, one need not begin with a whole book right away, but keeping a blog, writing for online sources and so on, is already a good start. She also recommends aspiring writers to just spend 10 minutes a day writing something - even anything that comes into their head - which will help train them to get into the writing mode. So, I thought that's a good idea, and though maybe every day may not work, at least right away, I will try to write little snippets as often as I can (maybe not every time here though). If you have to read all that goes through my head, or anyone else's, so often, I think you will get crazy! One's own thoughts are already enough aren't they?
As this blog was originally set up for Maschmallow's Adventures in Brazil, and I still have much to write about it, I will start with some thoughts on this subject, connected by the first theme: today, Rio de Janeiro.
Rio de Janeiro, as I have written before, is lovingly called the cidade maravilhosa, the 'wonderful city' by the cariocas themselves. Some of you may remember seeing my first entry on Rio, a few months and entries ago, from my first trip there (it's the entry with all the pictures of Rio.. hard to miss). It's strange to think of it now, my first trip to Rio, and I have to say, it is one heck of a city. Random thought occurred to me earlier, you know how people compare Buenos Aires to Paris? I've been trying to think which European city one could compare Rio with, and I still haven't found the answer.
That said, Rio is a beautiful place. Well, maybe not on the first impression as you leave the rodoviaria (bus station) and ride on the bus through the down-trodden areas in the zona norte... but even there, the city seems to have a specific power over the (first-time) visitor. As you make your way from the zona norte through the centro to the zona sul, it's like you enter a different world. Do you see this picture? That's Ipanema, from my first visit there. Some of you already know, I loved Ipanema, it's hands down the most beautiful beach I've ever seen, and just people watching there is very entertaining. Next to Ipanema is Copacabana, which used to be the beach in the past, but is now considered to have lost much of its former flair. Nevertheless, Copacabana is extremely interesting to hang out, as it's full of options for things to do (and generally cheaper than in Ipanema, actually).I've done an array of tourist things in Rio. I've gone up to the Corcovado to see the Christ statue twice, and I have to admit, it was one of the most amazing sights I've come across in Brazil. I've been to the Pao de Acucar (Sugar Loaf mountain), been to Lapa several times, and once during the day, I went to Niteroi, the neighbouring island, I've been to the centre, Botafogo, lay on the beach in both Ipanema and Copacabana... and I've even been in a favela, Rocinha, which may be pretty much the biggest favela in South America.
Actually, among my first encounters with Brazil was when I followed an introduction course in anthropology back at university, and we read an anthropologist's book about life and gender issues in a Rio favela based on her own observations there (not Rocinha though). Never did I think back then that one day I'd visit a favela, not because I wouldn't want to, but because it didn't even occur to me to think of it... so imagine that. During this course was also when I saw Brazilian movies for the first time, the famous (and slightly infamous) Cidade de Deus (City of God, of course) and Bus 174. Equipped with that knowledge from my studies, I went into the favela (or rather, zoomed up on the back of a motorbike) with a tour group, to have a peek at what life is actually like there. But perhaps I should leave the discussion of Brazilian social and economic realities for later. Let's just say it was a worthy trip to make.
Rio offers many great views and tourist attractions, but what's also great is just finding yourself somewhere random in the city center (in daylight, preferably though!), to just take in the daily life around. After our trip to the Corcovado, we were dropped off somewhere in the center because I wanted to go check out this small pretty colonial church (the most beautiful in Rio, according to the guide book), and the driver dropped us an almost 10 minute walk away from there. So while we made our way to the church, we enjoyed just encountering a new neighbourhood in the city. Check it out. Isn't it pretty cool?
Then again, I've always been the type who just likes hanging around a place, walking, stopping, continuing, seeing old and new things around, taking in the life. Perhaps people are different in that respect though... and in a city as big and culturally rich as Rio, the amount of things to do is pretty unending. It is a city some don't like, too, I've heard... and some love. The city is indeed very complicated, quite controversial and sometimes challenging... but it's an experience in every way.
So, this was not 10 minutes... I'm gonna try to time myself! Kidding... nothing wrong with writing for an aspiring writer... but I think I will leave it at this just now. Hope you enjoyed my wonderings ;)
Beijos!
Friday, 10 September 2010
Vai, Brasil, Vai!!! Copa do Mundo 2010 no Brasil =)
Oiii galera,
So now it is time to talk about the one and only... the World Cup! Well, at least the one and only every four years ;) I was very lucky for sure to have been in Brazil during the world cup, as Brazil is the reigning 5-times champion (although I was hoping for 6 this year... damn).
Although I heard people say that this year Brazilians were not as confident of victory and therefore less enthusiastic about the games than usually, I still got a pretty good idea of how crazy people get over football here. Brazil played 5 games, and each brought with it many yellow-and-green crowds, flags, and vuvuzellas. The streets were yellow-and-green, the building I lived in had a huge banner with Brazilian colours strung from top to bottom (20 floors!), there were so many decorations around and Brazilian memorabilia to buy... I still have a small Brazilian collection of things from the World Cup, and two T-shirts, both of which were gifts. I still remember the craze in Juiz de Fora, especially in the center, before the first game began. The traffic, the noise, the crowds. Crazy! The day of the game, I would consistently wake up to the noise of the vuvuzellas, hours before the game... and after the games, the main party area in town with all its bars would fill up for hours... it was like Carnaval over and over again. And though I - and others, I'm sure - believe the Brazilian team could (and should next time!) have played better, watching the games with friends was the best part of the experience. Sometimes we would have so much fun with just hanging out with all of us, we'd forget to watch the actual game.
I've watched the games at a variety of places, my first was at the house of one of the teacher's at Saci, whose daughter also studies there. Then, we've had much fun watching the game at my friend Vico's house, disco-ordering the beer to be brought to us rather than going out in search of it ourselves hahaha. And I remember Vico running around the house trying to be a good host as to accomodate everyone to their needs while it was already 3pm, and he hadn't even eaten that day yet.
We watched the third game, against Portugal (which ended in a dissapointing 0-0 score), with a bunch of AIESEC people. It was such good fun, and I remember meeting my friend Tammy beforehand, and it was 11am, and like a good Brazilian football supporter, she had a beer in her hand. Puts a smile on my face to remember it. Though the game didn't deliver a goal, it was still great fun to watch it together with everyone, as you can be sure that Brazilians are rather passionate football supporters.
The best Brazil game in terms of the actual game was a few days later, against Chile. That game did again finish up as usual in one of the bars in the party area, by which moment it was clear that the coming Friday Brazil was actually going to meet Holland in the quarter-final, just as I'd calculated a couple of weeks before. I've been asked a billion times who I was planning to support should that be the case... so let me state this again for the record, that I was actually supporting Brazil, in a Brazilian T-Shirt, on Copacabana beach in Rio... and my Brazilian heart was very sad when Brazil didn't pull through. Boo.
That said, I'd planned the trip before I realized this is when Holland and Brazil would take it down. It's not like I was planning the escape route. And I remember my friend from Holland, Bryley, arriving a couple of days before, bearing all this orange stuff in her bag. LOL. She actually did make us wear the orange glasses, though I kinda wanted to fit in ;) But having realized that the party would be over if Brazil lost, she too, gave in. But, after a promising start for Brazil, the game went a very unexpected way... imagine watching all that on Copacabana beach! In the heat, among hundreds of people, if not more. People were going crazy. And now imagine the sad-faced, heads-hung-down, Brazilians who headed home after their country lost... For a few days after, I would tell people I'm from Russia, and that Bryley is from Australia, and stop there ;)
But if the nation was sad to be kicked out of the cup, the following day was like a party in Rio - fireworks were going off, there were happy cheers to be heard in the street... Ah, the Brazilians were celebrating Argentina's impressive 4-0 falldown (to Germany?) in the Cup. Argentina and Brazil are like a cat and dog when it comes to football. Like Germany and Holland... but bigger!
When Brazil lost to Holland, I got nervous... how was I gonna show my face in JF to all my friends? To people at school? Oh God. But luckily, sensing this was not their year, and admitting that better results were to be expected from the team, Brazilians were very cool about it, and by the time the final had rolled in, I think most had forgotten that Holland had kicked Brazil out. Because we had so famously watched the final - Holland vs Spain - at a Brazilian bar in JF, with our Brazilian friends, who had dressed up in orange clothes just for us... we took up a significant portion of the bar in front of the big screen, taking lots of orange-clad pictures and attracting much attention from everyone else. But I hadnt caught a single look of "oh you stupid people supporting Holland", just lots of curious stares. Hahaha... it was so great.
And a few days before the final in which Holland had sadly lost, Bryley and I had made history by appearing in the sports section of a real newspaper, Tribuna de Minas! I got this random call from a guy called Philipe who wanted an interview about the Dutch final... as I've already been contacted from students of the faculty of communications about the same topic, I thought this was another student. But when we came there, we met a real sports reporter, and a photographer with a huge camera... surprise! :p So, now there is a Sunday-before-the-game issue of Tribuna de Minas, featuring two photos of me and Bryley with Dutch flags, and wearing the afore-mentioned crazy orange glasses... and, of course, there was an interview, too. But, naturally, since the octopus had predicted Spain would win, so it did. Oh sigh. For weeks after, when we said we were from Holland, instead of the usual Dutch liberalism (*cough*), people would talk to us about football, and how sad it was that Holland lost. And me and Bryley would just... shrug our shoulders, hahaha.
I hadn't lived the experience of the Brazilian Carnaval this time around, but with the World Cup, I came pretty close for now. It was sooo great to experience.... and even land a place in the local newspaper. Can't wait for the next one, in... Brazil, of course =D
Hope you guys enjoyed the new story... keep reading ;)
Beijos!
So now it is time to talk about the one and only... the World Cup! Well, at least the one and only every four years ;) I was very lucky for sure to have been in Brazil during the world cup, as Brazil is the reigning 5-times champion (although I was hoping for 6 this year... damn).
Although I heard people say that this year Brazilians were not as confident of victory and therefore less enthusiastic about the games than usually, I still got a pretty good idea of how crazy people get over football here. Brazil played 5 games, and each brought with it many yellow-and-green crowds, flags, and vuvuzellas. The streets were yellow-and-green, the building I lived in had a huge banner with Brazilian colours strung from top to bottom (20 floors!), there were so many decorations around and Brazilian memorabilia to buy... I still have a small Brazilian collection of things from the World Cup, and two T-shirts, both of which were gifts. I still remember the craze in Juiz de Fora, especially in the center, before the first game began. The traffic, the noise, the crowds. Crazy! The day of the game, I would consistently wake up to the noise of the vuvuzellas, hours before the game... and after the games, the main party area in town with all its bars would fill up for hours... it was like Carnaval over and over again. And though I - and others, I'm sure - believe the Brazilian team could (and should next time!) have played better, watching the games with friends was the best part of the experience. Sometimes we would have so much fun with just hanging out with all of us, we'd forget to watch the actual game.
I've watched the games at a variety of places, my first was at the house of one of the teacher's at Saci, whose daughter also studies there. Then, we've had much fun watching the game at my friend Vico's house, disco-ordering the beer to be brought to us rather than going out in search of it ourselves hahaha. And I remember Vico running around the house trying to be a good host as to accomodate everyone to their needs while it was already 3pm, and he hadn't even eaten that day yet.
We watched the third game, against Portugal (which ended in a dissapointing 0-0 score), with a bunch of AIESEC people. It was such good fun, and I remember meeting my friend Tammy beforehand, and it was 11am, and like a good Brazilian football supporter, she had a beer in her hand. Puts a smile on my face to remember it. Though the game didn't deliver a goal, it was still great fun to watch it together with everyone, as you can be sure that Brazilians are rather passionate football supporters.
The best Brazil game in terms of the actual game was a few days later, against Chile. That game did again finish up as usual in one of the bars in the party area, by which moment it was clear that the coming Friday Brazil was actually going to meet Holland in the quarter-final, just as I'd calculated a couple of weeks before. I've been asked a billion times who I was planning to support should that be the case... so let me state this again for the record, that I was actually supporting Brazil, in a Brazilian T-Shirt, on Copacabana beach in Rio... and my Brazilian heart was very sad when Brazil didn't pull through. Boo.
That said, I'd planned the trip before I realized this is when Holland and Brazil would take it down. It's not like I was planning the escape route. And I remember my friend from Holland, Bryley, arriving a couple of days before, bearing all this orange stuff in her bag. LOL. She actually did make us wear the orange glasses, though I kinda wanted to fit in ;) But having realized that the party would be over if Brazil lost, she too, gave in. But, after a promising start for Brazil, the game went a very unexpected way... imagine watching all that on Copacabana beach! In the heat, among hundreds of people, if not more. People were going crazy. And now imagine the sad-faced, heads-hung-down, Brazilians who headed home after their country lost... For a few days after, I would tell people I'm from Russia, and that Bryley is from Australia, and stop there ;)But if the nation was sad to be kicked out of the cup, the following day was like a party in Rio - fireworks were going off, there were happy cheers to be heard in the street... Ah, the Brazilians were celebrating Argentina's impressive 4-0 falldown (to Germany?) in the Cup. Argentina and Brazil are like a cat and dog when it comes to football. Like Germany and Holland... but bigger!
When Brazil lost to Holland, I got nervous... how was I gonna show my face in JF to all my friends? To people at school? Oh God. But luckily, sensing this was not their year, and admitting that better results were to be expected from the team, Brazilians were very cool about it, and by the time the final had rolled in, I think most had forgotten that Holland had kicked Brazil out. Because we had so famously watched the final - Holland vs Spain - at a Brazilian bar in JF, with our Brazilian friends, who had dressed up in orange clothes just for us... we took up a significant portion of the bar in front of the big screen, taking lots of orange-clad pictures and attracting much attention from everyone else. But I hadnt caught a single look of "oh you stupid people supporting Holland", just lots of curious stares. Hahaha... it was so great.
And a few days before the final in which Holland had sadly lost, Bryley and I had made history by appearing in the sports section of a real newspaper, Tribuna de Minas! I got this random call from a guy called Philipe who wanted an interview about the Dutch final... as I've already been contacted from students of the faculty of communications about the same topic, I thought this was another student. But when we came there, we met a real sports reporter, and a photographer with a huge camera... surprise! :p So, now there is a Sunday-before-the-game issue of Tribuna de Minas, featuring two photos of me and Bryley with Dutch flags, and wearing the afore-mentioned crazy orange glasses... and, of course, there was an interview, too. But, naturally, since the octopus had predicted Spain would win, so it did. Oh sigh. For weeks after, when we said we were from Holland, instead of the usual Dutch liberalism (*cough*), people would talk to us about football, and how sad it was that Holland lost. And me and Bryley would just... shrug our shoulders, hahaha.
I hadn't lived the experience of the Brazilian Carnaval this time around, but with the World Cup, I came pretty close for now. It was sooo great to experience.... and even land a place in the local newspaper. Can't wait for the next one, in... Brazil, of course =D
Hope you guys enjoyed the new story... keep reading ;)
Beijos!
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