California! Here We Come!

We’ve been on the run, Driving in the sun, Looking out for #1, California here we come, Right back where we started from.... Califorrnnniiiaaaaa, here we come! Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll have no doubt heard of the The OC theme song ‘California’ by Phantom Planet. If you haven’t – youtube it now. Diogenes and I have been singing this song over and over because...

...CALIFORNIA HERE WE COME!

In short, we have decided to make the bold move and head to the United States, packing up and leaving Brazil. What? When? Why? How? You ask. As you may have gathered from my implicit (and often explicit) sentiments in previous blog posts, Brazil is a complicated country. Diogenes and I were at a point where we weren’t really sure how to make a life work for us here without huge sacrifice and an unknown (and very extended) period of uncertainty. Uncertainty in a country like Brazil is not easy. There is little security if things go wrong. We are both ambitious people who really value the freedom of building our own futures, careers and lives. On our way back from Ubatuba we received a call from the US offering Di an internship through Ohio State University in Monterey, California. We had disconsidered the idea of leaving Brazil and were really focussing out efforts on making things work for us here. However, when this opportunity came along it all seemed too good to be true. After lengthy discussions with both our families and much research, we concluded that moving to the US would not only give us more opportunities and more freedom to reach our goals in the short term but it would also be an adventure – and hey? When you’re 21 and 23 life should be an adventure!

So Monterey California is where we’ll be at the end of September/ beginning of October. It's a gorgeous part of California with roughly 500,000 people in the whole county, some of the cleanest air in the US, a stunning natural coastline and mountainous terrain. Its about an hour away from San Francisco and a bit north of Los Angeles. To top it off, because its on the west coast we can enjoy the sunset over the ocean every evening. It's perfect for us! We are currently in the middle of the frustrating and timely process of organising visas and travel arrangements. I have to laugh because I was really just starting to be at peace with Brazil and really started to feel comfortable and ‘at home’ here, and now we’re off again. I’m definitely not finished with this country though, and I know I will come back and master it one day (maybe with a bit more money, stability and fluency of the language). Nevertheless, the US is a place I never considered going before and probably wouldn’t otherwise go to on my own accord, so I am grateful for yet another opportunity, experience and interesting twist in my life. Deep down I’m thrilled, nervous, excited and I can already feel my ambition starting to boil as I start thinking about all the opportunities I will strive for. Conversely, I have to say that the thought of finding my feet in yet another country already tires me out... but of course I need to look at the bright side, at least my blog will live on!

MAP: Where Have I Been?

The other day on one of my Skype chats to home, my mum suggested I create a map of the various places in Brazil I've been/go to in an attempt to give everyone some perspective. I am mostly based in the South of Brazil in a state called Parana. The capital city is Curitiba and this is Diogenes' and my base. We also spend a lot of time in Pato Branco which is far west of Parana near the Argentinian border. Diogenes' family lives there and it is where he grew up. Our recent adventures took us to the state of Sao Paulo (SP) a few times (and briefly to the state of Rio de Janeiro, RJ). Leme is in the mid north of SP. Ubatuba (SP) and Paraty (RJ) are the coastal towns we went to last week. You can click to map below for a larger view.

The yellow states on the map, Santa Catarina (SC) and the southern Rio Grande do Sul (RS), are two more states which Diogenes and I will most likely visit later this month or next. We will visit the capital cities Porto Alegre (RS) and Florianopolis (SC) as well as another town Balneario Camboriu (SC) which Diogenes' family goes to regularly.

PHOTOS: Life in Brazil

I have finally managed to upload some photos. You can find them here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/syvs/sets/72157624661277237/with/4918569040/ Flickr is a great website for sharing photos, and thanks to Elise who bought me a Flickr-Pro account, I can now upload as many photos as I want, any time. Enjoy!

Australian Patriotism

It’s been over a month since I arrived in Brazil and nearly 2 months since I left home. I’m not homesick yet, but lately I’ve been feeling a greater sense of patriotism for my country. Brazil is a particularly loud country in its patriotism. There are flags everywhere and a strong national identity connected to soccer, beaches, beans and rice, well... a lot of things actually. People always ask me, why Australians always want to leave Australia and travel, and is Australia less patriotic because it has so many religious and cultures, and other like questions. Given the current Federal Election in Australia I have been googling everything Australian-related like crazy recently. I youtubed two songs which always touch my heart when I hear them in an attempt to connect to home, ‘ I Still Call Australia Home’ and ‘(I am, You are) We are Australia’. I never realised before how strong the lyrics are and how they really summarise the good ‘ole Aussie spirit. I’ve attached the lyrics below, because I’m inspired by them and truly appreciate what they mean about Australian history and the Australian spirit.

I STILL CALL AUSTRALIA HOME

I've been to cities that never close down

From New York to Rio and old London town

But no matter how far

Or how wide I roam

I still call Australia home

I'm always travelin'

And I love bein' free

So I keep leavin' the sun and the sea

But my heart lies waiting over the foam

I still call Australia home

All the sons and daughters spinning 'round the world

Away from their families and friends

Ah, but as the world gets older and colder

It's good to know where your journey ends

And someday we'll all be together once more

When all the ships come back to the shore

Then I realize something I've always known

I still call Australia home

No matter how far

Or how wide I roam

I still call Australia home

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbGuqmaDgLA&feature=related

(I AM, YOU ARE) WE ARE AUSTRALIAN

I came from the dream-time, from the dusty red soil plains

I am the ancient heart, the keeper of the flame.

I stood upon the rocky shore, I watched the tall ships come.

For forty thousand years I've been the first Australian.

We are one, but we are many

And from all the lands on earth we come

We share a dream and sing with one voice:

I am, you are, we are Australian

I came upon the prison ship, bowed down by iron chains.

I cleared the land, endured the lash and waited for the rains.

I'm a settler, I'm a farmer's wife on a dry and barren run

A convict then a free man, I became Australian.

We are one, but we are many

And from all the lands on earth we come

We share a dream and sing with one voice:

I am, you are, we are Australian

I'm the daughter of a digger who sought the mother lode

The girl became a woman on the long and dusty road

I'm a child of the depression, I saw the good times come

I'm a bushy, I'm a battler, I am Australian

We are one, but we are many

And from all the lands on earth we come

We share a dream and sing with one voice:

I am, you are, we are Australian

I'm a teller of stories, I'm a singer of songs

I am Albert Namatjira, I paint the ghostly gums

I am Clancy on his horse, I'm Ned Kelly on the run

I'm the one who waltzed Matilda, I am Australian

We are one, but we are many

And from all the lands on earth we come

We share a dream and sing with one voice:

I am, you are, we are Australian

There are no words of comfort that can hope to ease the pain

Of losing homes and loved ones the memories will remain

Within the silent tears you’ll find the strength to carry on

You’re not alone, we are with you. We are Australian!

We are one, but we are many

And from all the lands on earth we come

We share a dream and sing with one voice:

I am, you are, we are Australian

There are so many heroes whose stories must be told

They fought the raging fires of hell and saved so many souls

From the ashes of despair our towns will rise again!

We mourn your loss, we will rebuild. We are Australian!

We are one, but we are many

And from all the lands on earth we come

We share a dream and sing with one voice:

I am, you are, we are Australian

I'm the hot wind from the desert, I'm the black soil of the plains

I'm the mountains and the valleys, I'm the drought and flooding rains

I am the rock, I am the sky, the rivers when they run

The spirit of this great land, I am Australian

We are one, but we are many

And from all the lands on earth we come

We share a dream and sing with one voice:

I am, you are, we are Australian

I am, you are, we are Australian.

We are one ….. We are many ….. We are Australian!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSoGJQkKDYk&feature=search

Brazilan Motels

Type Motel into Brazilian Google and you might be surprised. Motels have a different meaning here. They are effectively hotel rooms you can hire for 1,2 or 12 hours to... umm... ahem... They are completely private , and you drive in anonymously and pay with your credit card on the way out. Coming from a generally conservative country, the notion of going to a Brazilian ‘Motel’ was, well, different to say the least. Many young adults live at home with their parents until they’re married here in Brazil. Hence a motel is seen by many as a convenient place to have some ‘intimacy’ time. They have names like ‘My Garden’ ‘You Decide’ ‘Adam and Eve’ and other names carrying innuendo. There are certainly a lot things that come to your mind when you think about motels, but in my opinion it’s probably better not to think too much. I was naturally intrigued to see what a motel was like, rather than enjoy it for its intended use and purpose, and Diogenes was equally intrigued to see my reaction about one given my generally prudish nature.

Another important detail about motels is that they are significantly cheaper than hotels. Diogenes and I were coming back from Ubatuba one our way back to Pato Branco (an effective 2 day trip thanks to road works and the additional hours it takes to tackle Sao Paulo City traffic), and we arrived at our mid-way destination significantly later than we had hoped. Not to mention our 9 month anniversary together and my one month anniversary in Brazil was a few days away hence we had cause to celebrate and indulge a bit. Instead of staying in a hotel we thought we’d enjoy the opportunity to see what a motel was like and book out one of the fanciest rooms (of course, if it was too weird we’d leave and go to a normal hotel). So... what was it like? Well, it was incredible to say the least. It was like a 5-star hotel room that you would pay $600US a night for. We had a sauna, a giant hydro-pool with a waterfall, a 50” plasma, 2-story apartment, double-king pillow-top bed, a fire-place, a private room for room service deliveries such as our complimentary breakfast, everything, all for the equivalent of $70US... There were a few little twists though... such as porn channels on TV (alongside normal Cabel TV), a room service catalogue with whips and vibrators (in addition to food, drinks, etc) a mirror and blue light above the bed a lazyboy-esque chair with handles... Umm.... Awkward! We nevertheless had a seriously relaxing and luxurious night in our stunning apartment enjoying the sauna and spa, drinking wine and feeling gloriously pampered. In summary, what did I think of my first Brazilian Motel experience? I was surprised, indeed, about how high quality it was. Diogenes and I both were. I would recommend anyone to stay in one over a hotel, and hey? If you kept the TV off, I would even recommend the room to my grandma!

Ubatuba Getaway

After we left Leme we travelled to Ubatuba, Sao Paulo, to enjoy a few days at the coast. Since I arrived in Brazil, we hadn’t really had any time to relax and enjoy Brazil. A few days enjoying the fresh air of the Atlantic Forest coastline, the sun and the sand and the warm Atlantic Ocean water was definitely a grand opportunity to enjoy some of Brazil’s greatest assets. We met my old colleague from Australia, Debora, in Sao Paulo City and drove to the coast together where we stayed in her Beach House in a part of Ubatuba called Itagua. Something changed in my perception about Brazil on this trip. I look back at my last post, Life vs Travel, and I can strongly recall the feelings of uncertainty and the contrasting undercurrents of life in Brazil. For some reason, I had imagined the coastal city would be devoid of all the aspects I find unsettling about Brazil. But for the first time I realised that it doesn’t matter where you go in Brazil, you can’t escape Brazil. With this in mind, I suddenly felt a freedom to really experience and enjoy where I was.

Ubatuba was breath-taking. The long journey through the Sao Paulo countryside and through the Atlantic Forrest down the Serras (mountain roads) was beautiful. Australia is such a flat country, and Brazil is such a contrast with its mountainous terrain and coastline. There were few people in Ubatuba, as it is a summer/weekend getaway for most. But the freedom to ride bicycles everywhere, walk around bare-foot, do yoga with my feet buried into the sand and take deep breaths of fresh air straight off the sea was incredible. Not only that but the people and the life in Brazilian coastal towns is a huge contrast to the other regions. Everything is much more laid-back and similar to what I’m used to at home. I felt a soulful connection to home and Mother Earth. We ventured to some small towns up the coast and crossed the border into Rio de Janeiro state to the historical town of Paraty as well.

Debora often invited friends around and knew many people in the town. She also took me to my first Brazilian Beauty Parlour where I had my first waxing session. My god it was good. Incredibly quick, detailed and painless... and ridiculously cheap. Diogenes and I also had a few talks with Deb, from an objective third-party perspective, about our future – like where we would/should/could work/live/exist. It really opened a new dialogue for us, and with open minds a number of possibilities have already opened up. My arrival in Ubatuba marked my third week in Brazil and a deeper self-acceptance and self- appreciation of my presence here. The resistance I once had is dissipating and I feel a great sense of peace and happiness, which still pertains to this day.

Life vs Travel: Part I - The Challenges

This is going to be a long one (Warning: Read with ample time!) & don't forget to read Part II.

If you’re travelling, you hardly care about the little things. Travelling is about experiences new moments, enjoying unknown opportunities and stepping outside your comfort zone. Travelling enables you to learn, feel, see, touch, smell, love, appreciate, observe, explore. There are no norms when you’re travelling, and you take things as they come, without a worry in the world. Of course it gets tiring after some time and you start craving the nice hot, heavy-water pressure showers you are used to at home, the routines, the little things you once had. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter because you’re just ‘travelling’ ... But it’s a confusing situation when you move to the other side of the world, trying establish a life, a routine, the ‘norms’ of daily life, and you find yourself neither travelling nor living daily life. Rather, existing somewhere in between. Every day I am experiencing the same opportunities and new moments that I would if I was travelling, yet my experience of them is completely different. When temperate, low water-pressure showers become the prospect of your daily life, not just an experience you leave behind at the end of your travels, it’s much harder to appreciate those new and different moments. In theory, I like to look at the more challenging moments in life as mere stepping stones and character building blocks. However, I am being challenged every day here in Brazil from the smallest examples (like showers), to the much more extreme challenges like poverty, drugs and death. I have to admit that after a month in complete physical, geographical, emotional and psychological limbo (ups and downs), I’ve often felt like I’m near the end of my tether.

On our way back from Sao Paulo, we passed 12 Road Trains (huge trucks) turned over on the side of the road in the mountains and on the highways. There was one truck perched up, almost vertical, in the middle of road on the concrete road divider – it look like something out of an action movie! I have no idea how many people died in each instance, but on a mere single journey, I reiterate, there were TWELVE large vehicle accidents. I have never seen so many accidents as on this one journey in my entire cumulative life. Diogenes and I are really starting to come to an understanding about many topics surrounding drugs, politics, discrimination and the like. Topics like discrimination are very sensitive here in Brazil because there is so much of it, everywhere, on varying scales. Conversely, Brazilians really ‘disapprove’ of it and are completely intolerant to subtle humour or anything related to discrimination. Living in the developed world, I’ve never connected that the drugs used by developed society are fuel for the drug-trade responsible for many deaths and poverty in countries like Brazil. I’ve watched two films ‘Cidade de Deus’ (City of God) and ‘Tropa da Elita’ (Elite Troops) about Favela (Ghetto) life in Rio de Janeiro. Both films are true stories, happening every day in Rio, and I’m struggling to erase the scenes from my mind. Drugs, guns, violence, rape are an everyday reality for tens of millions of Brazilians.

We became lost on our way home from Sao Paulo and nearly ended up in a favela. This was a very scary experience for me. Until then, the favelas were merely clusters of distant suffering to me. My biggest challenge is facing the ‘reality’ that is everyday life in Brazil for most of the population. Generally the locals ‘block out’ the poverty. Many don’t notice it or know any different because they’ve never known any different. However, I’m the type of person who always notices the details, and I believe it’s important to see everything so you don’t become naive or ignorant. The world is not black and white for me, and I like to paint a colourful picture of reality. There are SO many contrasts here from the micro to the macro to the global scale, it’s impossible to ignore them. But to survive here you have to block them out... and I’m just not sure I’m ready to... or if I even want to. If I block out the poverty and all the things that shock me, then I’m just feeding the System, and if everybody here continues to pretend everything is okay, then how will things ever change?

Brazil recently scored higher on the Happiest Countries List than Australia, and so I ask myself regularly - if all the people are happy here, then who I am to tell them to change or to be different or to live a different life? (By the way, I never stand from the perspective of an ‘Australian’, rather a perspective based on my international experience). So often I try to relax and ‘accept’ my new reality and enjoy it for what it is. But poverty, pollution, chaos is everywhere in every corner. It’s not so much the smaller towns that shock me, but the bigger cities like Curitiba and Sao Paulo. It would be easier if we were in a small, less-developed or even rural region because the contrast would be explicit, and hence the differences would be ‘acceptable’. But we’re in a part of Brazil which tries to compare with the developed world, and I struggle to comprehend that the big cities are classified as ‘developed’. Of course the houses are smaller than what I’m used to in Australia (a country which has infinite space per capita), and there is high-density living so many families live in apartments. But people generally live in good conditions by any standard in any country. The contrast comes when you step outside and the road is unsealed or in need of serious repair, the sidewalk pavement is cracked and uneven, the curb is dishevelled, the powerlines above are monstrous, the air is thick with pollution (a pollution the locals don’t even notice) and poverty lurks around the corner. There are just so many contrasts to my idea of ‘developed’, I find it hard to accept that it is so. It’s just all relative. I’m starting to learn that ‘developed’ and ‘developing’ status here in Brazil refers largely to the people, not the infrastructure. It refers to the level of education, relative income, etc, of the people, rather than the living conditions themselves.

Brazil is really unlike any country in the world. It can’t be compared to its latino neighbours because of its population, but it can’t be compared to its populous companions like India, China, USA, Russia because of its culture. In regard to their size and culture, I have to say, they’re doing okay. I used to think having the Church connected to the State was a bad idea because it’s generally known to impede development, but here in Brazil I can see how important it is for the country to maintain such a connection. The Church in Brazil provides a space for community, morals, values and hope to be maintained, and I definitely support that.

Continuously experiencing daily life in a developing country is a great challenge, and I’m still trying to figure out how to experience it with a warm and open heart, embracing it for what it is, whilst maintaining my values and vision of hope for humanity by not neglecting or ‘ignoring’ the problems. Nevertheless, I hear Brazil has come leaps and bounds in the last 20 years and maybe I’m expecting too much from this country. Nevertheless, I’m learning so much every day and my perceptions are changing all the time, and I know I will find the balance soon.

Life vs Travel: Part II - The Prospects

I often feel like I communicate many of the negative aspects of Brazil without sharing my enthusiasm for its merits. I think this is primarily because the greatest contrasts and ‘new’ experiences come from the challenging moments. They’re also the most interesting for us ‘gringoes’ to read about. I also think that is because many of the perceivably negative aspects I discuss are general observations of larger issues, and the more positive aspects are generally more personal. I don’t really like to discuss personal matters on the internet, but I’ve had a really lovely week and have really enjoyed experiencing what Brazil is most renowned for: its people! I met Diogenes parents this week, and we had a delicious Australian meal at a famous Australian restaurant in Curitiba ‘Outback Steakhouse’ on our first meeting. It was definitely a relief to enjoy some familiar flavours. We drove back to Diogenes’ home town Pato Branco out in the Parana countryside, near the Argentinean border. It was my favourite place we’ve visited in Brazil so far. The air was clean, it was surrounded by glorious nature. The town was a mere 60,000 person population (although the high density living makes it look like a 5,000 person size city in Australia). The city was the most developed of any city I’ve seen in Brazil, and I could see it would have been a beautiful place for Di to grow up.

It was Brazilian Fathers Day on Sunday and we enjoyed a delicious traditional Brazilian BBQ. Pig is on the menu EVERYWHERE here, it’s impossible to escape, and much to my demise I am trying to learn to like it to make life easier. It was such a nice sensation being part of Di’s family, sitting in the sun drinking Caipirinhas, enjoying having a garden (I miss that so much!), and most of all enjoying family interactions. The jokes, the love, the commitment, the happiness, and all the things that define ‘family’ were present on Sunday, and I felt so content and so blessed. It was a funny sensation being in Di’s house. I feel like I’ve known him my whole life, and feel so comfortable with him that I feel as if his house is my house. However it was my first day there, and despite my comfort I realised I needed to not make myself too much at home, too quickly. The Brazilian people are very open and slightly boisterous, yet they are opposingly very traditional in many ways (parents are called with prefixes, for example). I’m still learning how to ‘fit in’ to a Brazilian family (having incredibly broken Portuguese doesn’t help, mind you), but it’s important for me to have a close and open relationship with them, so I know everything will develop in time. I felt very welcomed and very comfortable with the situation. For a few days it was nice to feel what it’s going to be like when Di and I finally start building our own life here, and stop living in this Life vs. Travel limbo-scenario.

We are currently in Leme again, as Di made it to the top 10 of a 5,000 applicant job position. Unfortunately he didn’t get the job, and now we’re starting to consider what to do next... again. We’re both learning so much, day by day, and despite the challenges, it’s definitely making us closer and stronger. They way he supports me, and of course the way I try to support him, is invaluable in this experience. Tomorrow we’re going to Ubatuba (THE BEACH!!! YAY!!!) with Debora, my work colleague from Australia, for a little while. It will be a good opportunity for us to relax a little and refresh. There are many interesting things I like about Brazil, for example, the food here is really interesting. Aside from all the amazing fruits and vegetables at incredibly cheap prices, the excesses of different types of meat, and the underlying healthiness of most meals there are some other cool perks. Buffet style is really common here. It’s almost impossible to find al a carte. Tonight we went to an Italian restaurant where for roughly $11AUD men walked around to all the tables with 40 different kinds of delicious wood-fired pizzas and we could choose (unlimited) which ones we wanted. This style is common with meat at buffets as well. They bring around different cuts of barbequed meet and cut it off from a large stick and put it on your plate. We had Quince, Caramalised Banana with Cinamon and Brigadeiro Chocolate pizzas for dessert. I love this country!

Diogenes’ father made a great joke on our way to Pato Branco which has stuck with me. He said, when God created the Earth he gave Brazil everything; beautiful beaches, mountains, forests, land, animals, everything was perfect, and when the rest of the World complained ‘It’s not fair you gave it all to Brazil!’ God replied, ‘Wait until you see the population I’m going to give it’. I really liked this joke, because Brazil is inherently a beautiful country with a beautiful culture, but the huge population here creates enormous problems for the country. Once I am really settled here and am more fluent in the language, I can see so many programs and initiatives I’d like to get involved in and develop here. There are so many opportunities to make a difference in this country, and really restore its beauty. Despite the challenges, I feel like I’m in the right place. I feel really happy here, and I feel the prospects of what I am going to learn and achieve when everything settles down are going to be enormous.

Day by day, I feel more capable and competent to face the harsh realities and the beautiful prospects of life in Brazil. I’ve been an advocate for seeing the beauty in all situations my whole life, learning to accept and appreciate what is, so now I’m really being given an opportunity to practice my compassion and openness to the gloriousness in all life. At the end of the day, all I can say is – how lucky am I? Very, indeed.

1 Month into the ‘Rest of My Life’

Tomorrow marks 2 weeks since I arrived in Brazil, and exactly 1 calendar month since I left Australian shores. I’m currently in a little Brazilian city called Leme in Sao Paulo state. I watched my first official sunrise (in my whole life) this morning with my boyfriend from our hotel balcony. I have experienced many ‘firsts’ with him, and I know there are many more to come. The air is much thicker in Sao Paulo state, but I’m not sure why... and that scares me a little. This little town is lively with people, kids on bikes play in the street at night, the streets are clean, people live in proper houses – the community vibe is just lovely here. Diogenes is at a traineeship program again, and I’m having a few moments to myself. So how I am feeling on my one month anniversary of the ‘rest of my life’? I was a little sad to miss my mother’s birthday and miss not being able to see/call friends and family whenever I want. But I’ve travelled a lot my whole life, and know that my connection to ‘home’ will never fade, no matter where I am or how long I’ve been away. I’m currently enjoying existing in a state of ‘unknowns’, and I feel like I am only at the very beginning of a very long journey. It’s both a little scary and exhilarating at the same time.

This week has been quite a social week, as well as a productive week. Diogenes and are I are starting to see clear, definitive light at the end of the tunnel in terms of ‘what happens next’. The light is still a little hazy for me to properly communicate, but watch this space. I went to a Bikram Yoga class on Monday night. There is only one Bikram Yoga Centre in the whole of Brazil, with a tiny yet gorgeous studio that fits about 10 people (max!). It really revitalised and grounded me after a month of travelling and uncertainty. The instructor had lived in the US for 15 years, and most people in the class spoke fluent English so I felt really included and ‘at home’. Despite the fact everyone is so lovely here, everyone speaks Portuguese, and it can be a little isolating at times. Most people I’ve met CAN speak English, and some DO speak it, but most revert back to Portuguese in a matter of minutes. English is not integrated here in Brazil the same way it is in Europe or Asia. But... I am slowly learning, and my comprehension is getting much better. I have few problems with reading, albeit the grammar still confuses me, and I am actually starting to speak Portuguese in conversations as well. It’s hard when your boyfriend speaks English because all you want to do is talk/communicate with him, and so our Portuguese training often gets neglected. Nevertheless I am meeting his parents tomorrow (who don’t speak English at all) so hopefully we can practice a little more on our 7-8 hour drive home tomorrow. All Di’s friends have been very welcoming and we were invited to go to a family party of one of his friends. The party took place on a country style ranch, with lots of beautiful animals, amazing decorations (for a 2 year olds birthday!) and delicious home-made cakes and a traditional Brazilian BBQ. It was very typical ‘Brazilian’ and it was definitely one of the highlights of my week. Oh, and another highlight is that I smoked a hookah pipe for the first time too!

Like usual there are a lot of things I’d like to say, but have not yet found the words for them. My perceptions are changing daily, and even my ‘educated’ perceptions about poverty, globalisation, capitalism, environmentalism and sustainable development and governance are continuously being shaped day by day. We have been watching Brazilian movies about politics, ghetto life and the harsh realities of aspects of Brazilian life. Not to mention driving across the country also opens my eyes to many new sights. The social problems here in the bigger cities and high-density poverty areas in cities (the countryside poverty is a little more humble), are just incomprehensible for me. I can’t explain how ‘shocking’ it is, because I had read many books and many words about this before coming, but until you witness it for yourself it’s impossible to understand. Until you actually take part in the society, it’s just impossible. My Brazilian experience is going to deepen again when we go to Pato Branco, Di’s hometown, on the weekend for a week or so, and the pursue some more travelling for a few weeks after that. All in all, I feel very satisfied with my first month of the rest of my life. A good beginning, I would say.