I have been home about 5 days and here are a few things that initially hit me hard when getting off the plane:
-Everyone is so WHITE
-So many overweight people
-I can understand every conversation! weirdddd
-Buildings and roads are so clean
-When I greet someone and try to hug them/kiss them they aren't quite as accustomed to it :) Opps!
-So much green space
-Fast food everywhere
-So much wasted energy in my house
-I have too many things
So far, it has been a pretty easy adjustment. I think this is partly because I have already spent so much time reflecting and thinking about my experiences that I understand where I am coming from and where I am going. I know there will be some rough patches adjusting back into this culture after being away for so long, but I hope to remember all my initial impressions to better understand the culture I live in.
July 21, 2010
There is a season for everything
Like they say, there is a season for everything and it was time for my time in Brazil to end and to rejoin my family and friends in Illinois. I would make this a long reflective blog, however, I feel like I have done enough reflecting and I'm just pumped to be home. As you can tell, I had the time of my life, but I have also come to value a lot of things from home that I used to take for granted. Grass, corn, clean streets, driving, and country music are just some examples :) However, though I am leaving Brazil, I am taking with me some things that I love about the culture and hope to integrate into my own life in the US:
1. Keep it simple. Simpler lives are happier lives
2. Don’t forget to help others
3. Live without stress… or at least try
4. Don’t pre-judge, sometimes after you get to know someone they are much different than you first thought
5. Bread and cheese for breakfast… mmmm!
6. Walking whenever possible
7. Meet new people whenever possible
8. Energy conservation! Unplug everything that is not being used, don’t waste anything
9. Keep practicing Portuguese
10. Keep in contact with Brazilian friends
11. Last minute trips with no planning usually end up being more fun!
12. Hug and kiss more =)
13. Just DANCE! Doesn't matter if you are good or not.. just do it!
14. Remember the value of family
1. Keep it simple. Simpler lives are happier lives
2. Don’t forget to help others
3. Live without stress… or at least try
4. Don’t pre-judge, sometimes after you get to know someone they are much different than you first thought
5. Bread and cheese for breakfast… mmmm!
6. Walking whenever possible
7. Meet new people whenever possible
8. Energy conservation! Unplug everything that is not being used, don’t waste anything
9. Keep practicing Portuguese
10. Keep in contact with Brazilian friends
11. Last minute trips with no planning usually end up being more fun!
12. Hug and kiss more =)
13. Just DANCE! Doesn't matter if you are good or not.. just do it!
14. Remember the value of family
My tattoo
So my third to last day in Rio, I may or may not have gotten a tattoo ☺ Don’t worry, it wasn’t as rash as it sounds. I have been thinking about it for over a year and I felt like Rio was the place to do it.
It is the design of the Christian fish. Back when Christianity was outlawed in the Roman Empire, Christians lived under great fear. When meeting someone for the first time, to discover whether the other was a Christian, they would casually draw an arc in the sand in the shape of the upper swoop of the fish. If the other recognized the symbol, they would complete the lower swoop of the fish to indicate they were also Christian and the two would talk about their faith without fear. If the other was not a Christian, the swoop in the sand caused no suspicion and they easily erased it with their toe.
Under the fish, it says “Prov 3:5” in beautiful old script. The verse is the following:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will direct your path.”
This passage has many meanings to me. First of all, when I was a child, my parents used to sing this proverb to me whenever I was upset. I chose to put it on my foot as a calming reminder that God is guiding my steps. All you need to do is trust Him. When I was confirmed, I chose this passage as my confirmation verse. Not only that, but Jesus taught us to be “fishers of men” and this serves as a reminder of that. Now, not only does it remind me of all of this, it also reminds me of my time in Rio and of the friendships I made there.
And let me tell you, the mere experience of getting the tattoo is a memory to go down in the books. I went to “Helio’s Tattoos” in Ipanema, which apparently is pretty famous. The guy that runs the place, Helio, is one of the most eccentric and artistic people I have ever come across. First, he called us into his small workroom to talk while he was painting a huge tattoo on a naked woman’s back. No one seemed to mind and he just kept working while we chatted. Then, while we were waiting to he brought my friend and I into a small room he came out to watch youtube videos of bossa nova to “unwind.” He also showed us his photography and took pictures of our eyes to add to his collection, which he wants to make into an art piece someday.
Finally, after about 2 ½ hours of waiting, brought us into his workroom and put in a music video of tango and turned off the lights as he chatted to us about his life as a former alcoholic and about his beautiful family. The tattoo itself hurt a bit, but not as much as I thought it would. It only took 20 minutes or so and he did an amazing job. Afterwards, he showed us pictures of his family and then began explaining to us how Spiritualism encompasses all religions. He talked about that for the next 10 minutes and even gave us a book on it. Did he realize he just put a Christian symbol on my foot?
Needless to say, I couldn’t have asked for a more memorable experience.
It is the design of the Christian fish. Back when Christianity was outlawed in the Roman Empire, Christians lived under great fear. When meeting someone for the first time, to discover whether the other was a Christian, they would casually draw an arc in the sand in the shape of the upper swoop of the fish. If the other recognized the symbol, they would complete the lower swoop of the fish to indicate they were also Christian and the two would talk about their faith without fear. If the other was not a Christian, the swoop in the sand caused no suspicion and they easily erased it with their toe.
Under the fish, it says “Prov 3:5” in beautiful old script. The verse is the following:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will direct your path.”
This passage has many meanings to me. First of all, when I was a child, my parents used to sing this proverb to me whenever I was upset. I chose to put it on my foot as a calming reminder that God is guiding my steps. All you need to do is trust Him. When I was confirmed, I chose this passage as my confirmation verse. Not only that, but Jesus taught us to be “fishers of men” and this serves as a reminder of that. Now, not only does it remind me of all of this, it also reminds me of my time in Rio and of the friendships I made there.
And let me tell you, the mere experience of getting the tattoo is a memory to go down in the books. I went to “Helio’s Tattoos” in Ipanema, which apparently is pretty famous. The guy that runs the place, Helio, is one of the most eccentric and artistic people I have ever come across. First, he called us into his small workroom to talk while he was painting a huge tattoo on a naked woman’s back. No one seemed to mind and he just kept working while we chatted. Then, while we were waiting to he brought my friend and I into a small room he came out to watch youtube videos of bossa nova to “unwind.” He also showed us his photography and took pictures of our eyes to add to his collection, which he wants to make into an art piece someday.
Finally, after about 2 ½ hours of waiting, brought us into his workroom and put in a music video of tango and turned off the lights as he chatted to us about his life as a former alcoholic and about his beautiful family. The tattoo itself hurt a bit, but not as much as I thought it would. It only took 20 minutes or so and he did an amazing job. Afterwards, he showed us pictures of his family and then began explaining to us how Spiritualism encompasses all religions. He talked about that for the next 10 minutes and even gave us a book on it. Did he realize he just put a Christian symbol on my foot?
Needless to say, I couldn’t have asked for a more memorable experience.
World Cup Madness
The past month and a half, the city has been alive with World Cup madness. Fifa set up a huge TV on Copacabana beach where I (and thousands of others) watched the majority of the games. It was interesting hearing the Brazilian perspective of the Brazilian team compared with the international commentary. For example, many Brazilians told me they didn’t think the team was strong enough to win because the coach hadn’t selected some of the best players to play for the national team. Coach Dunga was a controversial choice because he likes his team to play very regimented and technical, much different than the energetic flair of Pelé that Brazilians pride themselves on. Also, the strong rivalry with Argentina was never more prominent than when Argentina lost to Spain? After Brazil had already been knocked out. By celebrations that took place after the game, you would have thought Brazil had won! However, quickly after Brazil lost, the city returned to normal and seemed to completely forget that the World Cup had even happened. The hype is already beginning for the 2014 World Cup in Rio!
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