Adventures in Brazil: the First Four Weeks!

My study abroad trip is about halfway over, I’ve been in Brazil almost 4 weeks, and I have yet to really update anyone on my travels. So, here you go…and I’m going to try really hard to do better the next couple weeks. Once I started talking to my parents on skype, I forgot that it’s important for me to actually write down everything instead of just telling it. Be prepared, this will be a long post, but I’ll try to organize it into sections.

My first weekend:

Everything went well with my flight, though we flew through an absolutely amazing lightning storm. I probably should have been worried, but I was too awestruck at how beautiful it was. I got into Sao Paulo just after 8am Friday (6/19) and met up with my group without too much trouble. We took a bus to the temple where we met the families we would be staying with. I'm rooming with Rebecca, the only other person from my Portuguese class the past 2 semesters who decided to come on the study abroad. We spend pretty much every waking moment together, so you'll be hearing about her a lot.

Rebecca and I are staying with a 75 year old widow named Maria. Her daughter Celia lives in the house behind Maria's with her husband and 2 kids (she also has a daughter who's married and lives close by). Maria's son and his wife and their 3 kids live in the house in front of us. I'll try to put up some pictures, but the best way I have to explain it is to picture a long, skinny rectangle divided into 3 sections. The houses are kind of connected, but they're not connected at all inside. Or you can just google earth it like my mom did :) (Rua Andre Saraiva, 841 Vila Sonia 05626-001 Sao Paulo, SP Brazil).

Maria is very sweet, but very hard to understand. She speaks super fast and has a thick Portuguese accent (from Portugal), which makes it even harder. Last Friday went by in a blur, but we were pleasantly surprised when Celia's oldest son, Diego (18) came by when he got off work and he spoke English! His English isn't perfect, but it's definitely better than our Portuguese. He talked with us, told us how to get wireless on our laptops, and also volunteered to take us to Institute (a church class for young adults) with him on Saturday, the added bonus being it's in the same building as our classes, so we learned how to walk there from Maria's house.

Saturday went by slowly. Rebecca and I didn't know where anything was and we didn't really know how to talk to anyone so we were pretty stuck. Plus, in case you ever need to know, Netflix online and Hulu.com don't work outside of the U.S.! Nevertheless, 5pm did come and we went to Institute. Even though I understood very little of what was being said, it was comforting to be in a church building, with members, speaking about Christ and the Bible and quoting familiar names. Later on Diego took us to the nearby mall, and then a party at a ward building next to the temple. It was for Festa Junina, and everyone dresses up like caipira (a hill billy) and being from Georgia I found it pretty amusing. All the same I still felt lost. We ran into some of the guys from our study abroad group there and it was nice to see familiar faces.
Sunday was refreshing, though I don't think I've ever paid as much attention in church as I did that day. I was concentrating so hard to try and pick up any familiar words. I was able to understand some general ideas, which was comforting. We learned that Lani and Olga, the other two single (Olga's married but her husband isn't here, and Lani's actually engaged) girls in the study abroad were also in our ward. We spent some time with them, while Lani showed us where to go and did some simple translating. The rest of the day passed like most Sundays, resting and eating a big lunch over at Celia's house.

First week of school!:

It takes us about 20 minutes to walk to school everyday. We all start off together, for a simple devotional and announcements, and then we split off into classes. There are only 4 people in my class with Camila: Jeff, Michelle, Rebecca and I. We’re taking 201 (language class) and 211 (conversation class). Everyone else speaks pretty good Portuguese, so they’re studying linguistics, history, and literature. Class ends around 11 and then the rest of the day is ours (which for Rebecca and I means the rest of the day is ours to follow everyone else who can speak Portuguese). J

During the first week we explored several different places around Sao Paulo. Monday I felt like I was in the middle of the Primary hymn about pioneers, “and they walked…and walked...and walked…and walked…” because we walked around for several hours figuring out where everyone lives and attempting to go to the pool. We visited USP (Universidade de Sao Paulo) which wasn’t too impressive, they were on strike and the campus isn’t in great condition. We went to an oceanography museum there and saw a few funky fish. We went to MASP (museu de arte de Sao Paulo) and a park that was across the street. Some floors of were a bit too out there for me, I really don’t understand a lot of art, but on the bottom floor they had an exhibit featuring the work of Vik Muniz. It was really cool, totally worth looking him up on google and checking out some of his work.

Rebecca and I went downtown with Aaron, one of the guys in our group, to find some of our other classmates. We never found them (I miss the convenience of cell phones!) but we ended up having a lot of fun wandering around. We went inside Catedral da Se de Sao Paulo, the main Catholic Cathedral in downtown Sao Paulo and it was absolutely beautiful. There’s no comparison to the bright, clean, peaceful feel of the temple, but all the same, it was nice to step inside and immediately leave behind the hectic, noisy, dirty city, and enter the calm of a place of worship. Plus I had a proud moment while in there…I asked a guard if I could take pictures (very simple phrase) and he seemed very surprised that I asked in Portuguese and then complimented me. Even though it was extremely simple, it was a nice boost after feeling lost and stupid in a new country. Downtown we also went to BANESPA (Banco do Estado de Sao Paulo aka state bank) where you can go to the top and look out over the city. Sao Paulo is such a large city, it was neat to be able to see so much of it at once. The skyscrapers seem to go on for days… Interesting Sao Paulo fact- they have one of the largest helicopter fleets in the world. The traffic is so bad and so busy that the rich in the city take helicopters to work. When you look out you can see helicopter pads on many of the surrounding buildings. I was told that Sao Paulo is second only to New York City, but I don’t know if it’s true… Before leaving we went through the monastery in Sao Paulo and we rode on the metro (subway) for part of the way home.

That following weekend we took our first day trip to Campos do Jordao, a few hours away from Sao Paulo. It was a nice little town, but nothing too exciting. It was nice to feel like you could breathe clean air again. We went up a few mountains and saw some beautiful views, though it was overcast and often we could just see clouds. In Campos do Jordao we saw some manmade waterfalls, went horse back riding, and rode up a teleferico (picture an old ski lift). The teleferico was fun though a bit nerve-racking because it looked 50 years old. I was super excited to go horseback riding, but it was disappointing, nothing like going out with my Grandpa and riding his horses. The horses looked pitiful, but hey at least I can say I’ve ridden a horse in Brazil!

Second and third week in Brazil- Sao Paulo, then off to Rio and Belo Horizonte!

We went back downtown together as a group and visited BANESPA, it looked pretty much the same as it had a few days before. We also went to Rua 25 de Marco (a street named March 25) where they have tons of shops and people selling stuff on the street for cheap. I wasn’t a big fan though because it was crowded and just didn’t feel good. I don’t know how to explain it, but sometimes when it’s loud and busy and people are smoking everywhere and I’m trying not to get lost or robbed, I just feel exhausted and I need a little peace. I also went with some people to a nearby mall (Shopping El Dorado) and we had dinner and watched the new Transformers movie. It was in English with Portuguese subtitles…I found it entertaining, but I don’t know if I’ll see it again. It’s interesting though, for those couple hours I could have easily been anywhere in the U.S. It was a Cinemark movie theatre and it was weird to walk out and think, “Oh wait, I’m in Brazil!”

The day before leaving for Rio we visited a science museum. It was in a sketchy part of town, but it was awesome. It’s the kind of place that would be really fun to visit in Elementary school. It was a little bit harder for me, just because words about space, biology, etc. aren’t really things I’ve learned in Portuguese…and some of it I don’t even remember in English! They had lots of hands on activities like making bubbles and even a giant intestine you could walk through (lovely huh? J). They also had a rock climbing wall. It was an interesting setup- you would climb up to different pictures of famous people, like Leonardo da Vinci, Julius Caesar, etc and when you got to them a sensor would cause them to start talking to you, telling you a little about who they are. I couldn’t understand much, but it was still fun.

Sao Paulo to Rio de Janeiro was a long bus ride, but we survived. On the way we stopped a few times, including in Aparecida. The city is named after the patron saint of Brazil, Senhora Aparecida. Legend has it that 3 men were fishing and not catching anything when they caught this statue that was missing a head, soon after they found the head, and then after that they found tons of fish- a miracle! Well, after many more miracles, eventually the Pope declared her the patron saint of Brazil and there are two Basilica’s in Aparecida that are very famous, especially in the Catholic Church.

The first thing we did after arriving in Rio was run down to the beach for a few minutes. We stayed busy the rest of the trip. We visited Petropolis, toured o Palacio (Palace), o museu imperial (Imperial Museum) that used to be the home of Dom Pedro. We also went to a Casa do Santos Dumont, who invented the airplane (there are some pretty strong opinions concerning him and the Wright brothers) and other cool things like the wrist watch. We visited Maracana stadium, one of the most famous soccer stadiums, but I felt a little guilty because even though I loved playing soccer in high school I don’t follow professional soccer at all. Of course, all the guys with us were thrilled. For dinner that night we went to a Pizza Rodizio and stuffed ourselves with Pizza. My favorite dessert pizza was a key lime mousse one. Rebecca and Eric began a competition that finally ended after they both ate their 19^th slice of pizza.

While in Rio we also visited Cristo Redentor and Pao de Acucar (Sugarloaf). It was neat to ride a train up to Cristo Redentor and stand in front of something I’ve seen in so many pictures and paintings. The view was also great, though once again it was cloudy and hazy. I don’t want to undervalue the Cristo Redentor statue at all, but just like in the Cathedral, I was struck by the difference between it and the Christus in Salt Lake. The feeling was different. It was hard to really enjoy Cristo Redentor due to how many people were up there with us, but don’t get me wrong…it was really neat to see in person. On our way back to the hotel we passed by the biggest/most famous favelas in Brazil (I think), very interesting and sad. Favela is basically the slums or ghetto, but they’re built up on hills and it’s like its own little community, typically ruled by drug lords and somewhere that the police/government have no control over whatsoever. We played at the beach a little bit that day, sticking our feet in, and once I got hit by waves up to my waist. I also went to downtown Rio with some people and had acai for the first time. I loved it! Worth trying if you can find it anywhere in the states (though it seems to be a love or hate it kind of thing). That evening we went to Pao de Acucar. We took two different bondinhos (telefericos aka cable cars) up to the top. The view was amazing. Being able to see the beach and the city at night was probably my favorite thing. Sadly pictures just don’t do it justice, especially with my camera. But, if I had to pick…it’s my favorite thing we’ve done since being in Brazil. We went to a Churrascaria for dinner, and had a very unique 4^th of July celebration. There was a piano player in the restaurant and so one of the guys asked if he would play while we sung the national anthem. Tanner, a guy in our group sang, but by the end we had all joined in. It felt special to be standing in a restaurant in Rio de Janeiro, standing with my hand over my heart, singing our national anthem, surrounded by Brazilians. I’ve enjoyed Brazil, but I’ve also gained a greater appreciation for the United States and I’m grateful I have something to remember about July 4, 2009. We ventured to a ferinha and I found some brincos (earrings).

After church in Rio we went to Jardim Botanico (Botanical Gardens) in Rio and it was a peaceful way to spend Sunday, walking around the gardens where things felt clean and safe. We went down to the beach one last time and then spent a quiet Sunday evening. 3 of the guys in our group were robbed the first night in Rio because they were on the beach after dark, but other than that we all made it through one of the dangerous cities in Brazil for tourists with no harm!

We traveled to Belo Horizonte, in the state of Minas Gerais and spent 2 days there. We visited Ouro Preto (literally means black gold) and Congonhas, where we saw many, many, many churches. They were mainly done in a more Baroque style, whereas I enjoy the Gothic style cathedrals better. One of the churches we saw in Ouro Preto has over 400 kilos of gold, the second most of any church in Brazil. It’s pretty, but very busy. I don’t find it very peaceful, but I admire and appreciate the culture. I got a few neat soapstone sculptures in Ouro Preto and I’m hoping they make it home in one piece! We also went down into an old gold mine, which was fun. Our second day in Belo Horizonte we went to a rock and mineral museum, a Mercado (market), and finally to a cave. The cave was awesome; I just wish I had been able to take better pictures! Caves can’t really be adequately described, but it’s amazing what kind of masterpieces can be found in nature.

Fourth week in Brazil:

After arriving back in Sao Paulo I had a day of tests and then left again for the weekend. My roommate Rebecca has family here in the state of Sao Paulo (her mom is Brazilian). They live in Piracicaba, which is about 2 hours away from where we live. It was neat to meet her family and spend a relaxing weekend. It also was a good self-esteem boost. Typically mealtimes at Maria’s house are pretty quiet, but with Rebecca’s family we were able to communicate and actually have dinnertime conversation. They were easier to understand mainly because they would speak slower, repeat their words if necessary, and explain things multiple ways if we couldn’t get it the first time. It felt good to know I could spend the weekend with a family that only speaks Portuguese, and communicate enough to have a good time.

For one of our group activities we went to Ibirapuera park and rented bicycles to ride around on. It was nice to be outside in a nice, clean area and get some exercise. I’ll admit though, it had been so long since I had last ridden a bike, I was a bit nervous that I would make a fool of myself. No worries, I didn’t have any big oops moments! We also went to a Crime Museum at the Police Academy at USP. It wasn’t particularly exciting, mainly just a simple historical museum of the Sao Paulo police force, but I was very excited to find something from Atlanta. They had a wall full of police patches from different locations and one was a MARTA police patch. Go figure!

Finally, today we went to the Portuguese Language Museum. It was quite the adventure! The main theme was “language/words without borders.” The presentation was creative, but I have never been in such a bizarre museum. Everything was presented in a very unique manner and I really don’t know how to describe it. It’s certainly fascinating though to see how many cultures and languages influence a single language, such as Portuguese. Afterwards we went to Liberdade, the Japanese area of downtown Sao Paulo, similar to Chinatown. Jeff, one of the guys on our trip, went to Japan on his mission and wanted us to taste real, authentic Ramen (Lamen). It was certainly much better than the top Ramen we’re accustomed to! After dinner we made our way back to Shopping El Dorado to watch the 6^th Harry Potter movie. I enjoyed it, but it was very different from the book. It’s always hard to see how movies are modified in comparison to the books they originated from. Tomorrow morning we leave for Foz de Iguacu, so I’ll have to write about that later! If you made it this far, thanks for reading!

Weird things about Brazil/ What I miss from the U.S.:

Probably the strangest thing to me is that you don’t flush toilet paper. Used toilet paper always goes in the trashcan and if you accidentally forget, you have to fish it out fast! Lovely huh? I also miss having hot water all over the house. Only the shower, dishwasher, and possibly washer, have hot water. Washing my face in the morning can be painful at times, when the water is so cold it literally takes my breath away.

I’m sad that it’s winter because of the time change. It begins to get dark around 5:30pm, which means that after then I shouldn’t walk outside without at least a couple guys. The guys in our group are great about walking Rebecca and I home when it’s dark, but I miss the independence of leaving the house whenever I wanted and feeling relatively safe while doing so.

I have a greater appreciation for our roads in the U.S. Every time I get in a car here I feel like I’m on a bad roller coaster ride. Likewise, I had no idea how clean Atlanta and SLC are. The streets are so dirty and it makes me sad. There are also so many people that smoke…combine that with the pollution, and often I feel dirty just breathing on the streets.

I miss free water! Most people who know me well, know that I typically drink water all day long. Here however, you have to drink bottled/filtered water, which means when you go out to eat it costs you a couple reais just for one cup/bottle of water. I also miss milk and cereal for breakfast! The box milk is okay with chocolate, but it’s not something I drink frequently.

I could probably go on for a long time about random things, but I’ll save that for another time. I have yet to buy a single postcard or stamp, but hopefully I’ll get on that soon. I’ll write more soon! For pictures, check out facebook.

Tchau!