An African Abroad - Grace's adventures in Brasil

I’m back…!

Grace Andrews — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 03:45:42 +0000

Hello blog readers, sorry for my delinquency in writing posts promptly and uploading pictures. I’ll be remedying that today! Let me explain myself. I’ve not been writing for a multitude of reasons, the first one being that I’ve been a tad tired/lazy. The second week I was here, I spent a lot of time just sleeping and napping a lot…we’ll call that delayed jet lag. The other reason has been that I’ve been having difficulty deciding what to write about and what direction that I want the blog to take. I’ve decided that there will be no real direction for my time here in Salvador. When I get to São Paulo, there will be more talk of the work that I do and less details about what I spend my free time doing (this makes sense since I’ll actually be working, instead of going to school, then hanging out all day/feeding and talking to stray creatures). The last and most important reason is that I’ve not been sure what to say. I know those of you who know me are probably on the floor laughing so hard that your spleen may burst, but it’s the truth. My one desire for this blog has been to capture your attention, make you laugh, while also sharing my own personal observations with you as I currently experience it. I want all of my readers to feel as invested in my time here as I am; quite frankly, I want it to feel like you’ve moved to Brasil with me and are meeting the amazing people I encounter each day. I want to paint a picture with words that distance cannot erase (was that too corny and poetic? it felt that way, but I really do mean it…I promise =-)

Well, now that’s been said, let’s get down to business. My next series of posts after this one will be out of order, disjointed, and at times hard to follow (deal with it please…I’ve got a lot to share). Oh yeah and some of them may be quite long. Please make sure you have time to read a post in one sitting, I find them to be more entertaining that way!!! I’m trying to take Rebecca Walters advice to post a little at a time and not overwhelm you all with text…after all, she is the digital guru!

Happy reading!

Just a few thoughts

Grace Andrews — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 03:00:10 +0000

I’m feeling emotionally overwhelmed today. I’ve been in a bit of a news bubble and finally caved in and went to CNN.com and BBCNews.com. As someone who used to be a self admitted news junkie, I’ve taken some time not reading the news daily for hours at a time because quite frankly it’s depressing. Today was both depressing and uplifting to read the news and reminded me of how universal our experiences can truly be. After saying good bye to a few new friends in Salvador, then watching strays (both human and canine) wander the streets, my heart is a little more exposed and I‘m feeling quite raw. Seeing more and more pain and suffering doesn’t make it easier to handle and then to see the current state of the world is even more depressing.

Did you know that 600,000 children are on the brink of starvation in Somalia? Or that food aid programs for children around the Horn of Africa are at risk of being dismantled due to a lack of financial assistance? Or that the entire region is going through a severe drought (the worst in 60 years) that is threatening to decimate entire populations of the old, young, and weak? Where in the world have I been, I didn’t know that. I had to watch a AndersonCooper360 full length interview with Bono and K’naan to find out about parents choosing which children to feed and walking for miles to Mogadishu just to beg for food. Then I click over to another link and I find that looting is continuing in the streets of England, whole the American and European markets bottom out. Where is the hope you ask? Well, I finished the news reading session by reading an article about a little boy who’s father died in a helicopter crash while in service to our country. Don’t worry, that’s not the uplifting part…the uplifting part is the fact that that 10 yr. old boy decided to post a video online expressing his love for his father in hopes that the world would “see his face.” He didn’t want his father to be just another person who had lost his life while fighting for his country. The outpouring that followed for that small child has overwhelmed him as well. As I read a few of the responses to the kid’s post, I was reminded about how acts of kindness begin. Like small specks of snow that collect and form into larger creations, our love for others should be the same. No matter what opinions we have on war, famine, and suffering, one thing is true– no one should experience those unnecessary burdens, nor should we undervalue the sacrifices and experiences others have.

My time in Brasil is reminding me of the essentials of life and while I prepare to work with social impact companies, I can’t help but be reminded of why things such as “social impact” even matter. Brasil is breaking me down, I hope in order to build me back up…! I am fortunate to have never went hungry, slept in the streets, or begged for only a few meager cents, nor have I lost a parent, an appendage, or my hope. Yet, you dear reader and myself could easily be a part of any of the stories I mentioned. I’m not going to give exact titles of articles because honestly I’d rather not be sued or harassed for not having the copyright or whatever to retell the story/publish it on my blog. If you want to read more, just check out any major news source. Yet the fine details are not the point, it’s the pain, the heartache– so much of it and yet we are concerned only for ourselves and those who we feel are directly effected by our actions (if even that). I’m constantly asking myself what the solution is for some of the most pressing issues of our time, and I can’t help but see how innovation must be used in tackling problems.

Tonight, I’ll say a special prayer for the world, especially those who cry out in despair hoping anyone will come to their aid. May God remind us that we have the ability to be angels here on earth and instruments of change.

Eu não falo português…rainy days and garbage disposals…CONT…

Grace Andrews — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 19:19:05 +0000

And so we’re back…! talking about the issues plaguing the beautiful nation of BRASIL! *in the distance someone says over a loud speaker…”TELL THEM WHAT THEY’VE WON JOHNNY!”*

Once again, I’m just kidding! =)

Ok, so I was at the dinner table with my family, where we were eating a typical light dinner of frutas, bread, and a few other yummy but light weight foods when I asked “What’s up with this county?” I of course didn’t ask it like that– I’ve got a tad more tact and so I started by bringing up the current economic progress of this great nation do Brasil (of Brazil) :)

This of course elicited a tremendous discussion that I understood 88.3% (don’t ask why I chose these numbers, just go with it). In the span of an hour, I learned something I already knew but in an entirely different way. Ok, so this part of the story gets a little tricky to tell, so pay CLOSE attention! I’m about to start weaving together a series of moments, experiences, and words that occurred over the course of 3 days! Yes, I know that’s a lot, but this is about to be the longest blog post you’ve ever read….so if you have something to do in the next 10 minutes, read this when you have at least 20 or 30 minutes. It’ll be worth it

Ok, back to the dinner table…so I begin by talking about how the world thinks that Brazil (yes, I’ve been spelling it both ways interchangeably and NO, it‘s not a typo…oh you‘re bothered by the inconsistency? It‘s called adding some visual flavor, so don‘t let it disturb you) is a possible world power of the future and a shining light of how quickly a country can grab fate by the horns and ride it into a well constructed and selected destiny. I also mentioned the interest of nations such as China and the U.S. in the current market here and the amount of FDI (foreign direct investment) coming in and the risks of not properly handling the growing population, the number of older Brazilians who are living longer, the increase in violent crimes, and muggings– you name it, I said it!

Dona (sign of respect, but not as formal as Mrs.) Sandra begins by telling me that the issue with Brasil is that the education system is unsatisfactory for those who can’t afford private schools. As a result the children don’t go to school and if they do, it doesn’t help them in the long run because the quality of education is so poor. She also mentioned that the government and police system are not “serious about their jobs.” this is an EXTREMELY rough translation (READ HERE: I’m having to translate from a language I just started learning 2 weeks ago to English…so there’s a chance the words didn’t leave her lips in that order and that it is not, I repeat NOT a direct quote, despite having equation marks…).

At this point, I asked about how poverty, education, and government could change in time for the World Cup 2014 and Olympics 2016, basically how sports was going to save Brasil. No, I was not mocking or making light of the conversation, but instead hoping to understand how a country with such unlimited potential could meet the expectations of a world that is being crippled by stagnant economies and delinquent governmental leaders (hey, Eurozone, I’m talking to you…hey Congress, that’s you too and no, this is not the kind of shout out you want from my blog. Two words, one command: FIX YOURSELF!)

Her and Seu (I believe this is also a sign of respect…we discussed it in class and when I went back to look for it in my notes, I couldn‘t find it, so I‘m hoping so!) Jose went on to explain how crime is high because children are basically running around and the lack of real opportunities for the poor gives them few options when it comes to making a living. Ok, now let’s jump ahead to the following day (July 18th). So after my first capoeira class, I came home to my familia brasilera and chatted them up! I have got to get that language practice (READ HERE: I will shamelessly butcher your language…I do not care…and by that I mean I‘m trying =) So I made myself at home at the formal dining table in the living room which we don’t eat at, we eat at the table in the kitchen, which is better anyways because then my glutinous face is closer to the food as our my sometimes lazy feet. So anyways, I was doing my usual game of bartering English words for Portuguese ones when my host father and I began talking about how expensive everything is. I already mentioned that the prices here are HIGH…and are only going to get higher when I get to Sao Paulo (not happy about this). Well, Jose, began crunching some numbers for me in order to show just how expensive things are here. So a brand new Honda Civic is about R$56,000 which is about $36,000. After he told me that, I had to shout incredulously “A Honda Civic….WHAT…wait A HONDA…oh no…really A CIVIC?” (Dear Honda, please don’t sue me…I’m just a very expressive grad student, plus I’m broke. Sincerely, Got-no-$ Grace) He then notified me of the fact that Brazil makes a car called the Honda City which is like a Civic and sold here and in Mexico. However, in Mexico, it costs R$ 27,000. This markup for Brazilians disturbed me. How in the hot mess are you going to make something IN COUNTRY, then charge your people more to buy it but some stranger much less. I’m no mobster, but you got to take care of your own, or no one else will, at least not in this economy! Well, since I wasn’t upset enough, he decided to show me an example with gas prices. In Brasil, gas is R$2.80 per Liter, I know that makes most Americans say…”oh cheap gas, me-likey!” But once you break it down, me, no-likey. If you do a conversion that is not that easy, it breaks down to 1 gallon of gas being equal to 3.9 liters, which means that if gas is $4/gallon, then it’s $1.03 per liter and over twice as much here in Brasil (actually 70% more, if the math is wrong, I’m blaming my host dad…he did it!!) After picking up my jaw and rolling up my tongue to prevent from tripping my self, I was having a sneakily familiar feeling…I was in shock. Don’t worry, this happens in almost every place I move, contiguous U.S. included. Nonetheless, the real KABOOM came when he told me that the average brasileiro earns between $350-500 a month. At that point I had a daymare/flashback to the mall where I saw clothes and shoes (READ HERE: cheap tanks and shoddy shoes) that were on “SALE” for about $25 in American Money…and this was non-designer. When I say non-designer, think Target or Wal-Mart tanks being sold at this price. I AT THIS POINT WAS SHAKING FROM FINANCIAL STRESS. In a country like Brasil, how do you feed your family, make sure your kids go to a school where they will be learning, afford housing, and still make time to actually be a tight-knit family unit? Well if you ask me, it’s time to get into the mugging business. But seriously, I was disturbed and not surprised by high crime rates and instances of robberies, kidnappings, and anything that earns money illegally. I’m not making excuses, but I’m empathizing hard core. It’s rough out here for any human being, but then to make so little in relationship to what things are priced is ridiculous. And let’s not forget, taxes here are about 40% on many items because they’re paying for things like public education….now the questions is, “where the hell is all that tax money going?”

Now let’s fast forward to yesterday (July 19th). I’m going to call this part:

OHH, that dog has a touch of the mange and those cats are traveling in packs!

Hey reader, you still there? I know it’s a lot to digest and follow, but trust me, I’m going somewhere with this.

So that night, we went to this great outdoor concert and free drumming that takes place in the heart of Salvador in what was the colonial center when the Portuguese were here. When I say that Pelourinho is beautiful, I do not tell a fib. Google this place, no really, open another window or browser and look at some pics. It is evident why it was the first place that the Portuguese landed and how Bahia was the heart of this former colony of Portugual. I was blown away by the quaint beauty of the place, then I noticed all the stray dogs and cats roaming around. I’d noticed the number of dogs here and assumed before that they were kept dogs who just didn’t wear collars, leashes, or have humans attached to them. Maybe my blinders were up? I’m an unabashed animal lover and I LOVE dogs and own one who currently holds the spot of canine daughter/best-friend/running partner/exercise motivator/love of my life (after my nephew Isaac– who will be able to read in about 5 years and can read this shout out to him from his favorite Aunt!) Anyways, the point is I like creatures. So the dogs here are unusually well-kept looking. Some are skinny, but look like they’re at fighting weight and most have shiny coats and bright, expressive eyes; to the point that I thought a stray looked, dare I say it, GROOMED?!

Well after a night of seeing tons of strays and even seeing someone throw a pizza crust down for one of the thinner of my canine brethren, I noticed something. The strays here are not mean, people here do not throw sticks at them, rocks at them, yell, or even shoo them away. Dogs and humans interact in a way some would even describe as being considerate of one another… weird, right? Oh it’s about to get even stranger. For instance, I’ve witnessed a stray sit underneath an outdoor restaurant table of about 6 people and none of them do anything but look down and acknowledge the presence of the dog. While standing outside on the cobble stones of the Pelourinho (which after dancing on for 3 hours and then going salsa dancing at a Ghanaian owned salsa bar felt like I was standing on spears, despite wearing my walking Pumas (Puma, sponsor my blog, I need some corporate financial backers on this bad-boy)) I had one of the most moving experiences I’ve ever had.

*Prepare the Kleenex.

Across the street from me was someone who was clearly homeless, there’s a bit of that here, talking with a lovely older Bahian woman who had been selling bread at a her little street vending station. The man appeared to be mentally unstable, and yet the old woman remained un-phased. She quietly listened to his ranting and wailing while eating the unsold bread of the day. She of course gave him some and let him collect the plastic around her area. Quick explanation: I think recycling here is worth money because during the concert and dancing, street children (which will be another post) and homeless/extremely impoverished men and woman were collecting cans, plastic cups, anything that looked salvageable in trash bags.

As I continued to people watch, I noticed a poodle designer dog mix under the woman’s table. It clearly was a looker in it’s day but was currently suffering from a touch of the mange (sub-title explanation happening right now) and in need of a flea treatment and vet visit. As Fluffy, that’s what I’m calling her, scoured for food, Black Beauty (a smaller beagle, lab, looking mix with a shiny coat and low hanging teats) walked up. In my mind, street dogs were about to fight over crumbs and if Michael Vick and any of his former shady colleagues had been there, money would have been flying all over the place…! Yet, the dogs looked at each other, recognizing the supreme want for food, affection, and overall lack of care that plagued their lives and greeted each other with slow wagging tales and face licks of respect. They both roamed around in a 2 foot radius looking for food and looking heartbreakingly pitiful. Here’s where the most amazing thing transpired:

The old lady, let’s call her Betty White, without hesitation threw down 4 very large chunks of bread. The dogs each took two, with Black Beauty eating faster than Fluff the Puff. She seemed to be having some difficulty chewing the bread, I’m assuming proper dental care hadn’t been a part of her current life plan. Her other piece of bread was also too close to the sidewalk for her to access with her large fluffy paws. So, of course the ranting man, let’s call him Charlie Sheen, came over and pushed it closer her way. Fluff preceded to look at him thankfully and nibble the bread into chewable bites like a proper lady.

I was of course watching this scene and making commentary about the quality of stray dogs here the entire time, but that shut me up. Why hadn’t Charlie taken Fluffy’s bread. He was looking a little magro (Portuguese word of the day; means skinny) and I would not have faulted him for taking it. Especially since most of you are thinking, “Well its ONLY a stray dog!”

Well after that, I noticed the disgusting herds of stray cats that were roaming the streets together…OMG…I was not liking the look of that wolf pack! Anyways, Black Beauty and Fluffy started to make their way to the kitties o’er the other side and I felt a Tom and Jerry episode about to take place in real-time. But nope, the two warring factions walked down the street whisker to whisker while singing Kumbaya. Ok, there was no singing, but there was no fighting either.

Now you’re probably asking yourself if I’ve been bitten by a rabid dog and am foaming at the mouth while writing this post. The answer is no and yes, I’m going to give you a present and WRAP THIS BLOG POST UP!

Let’s return to the kitchen table conversation of July 17th. So, dona Sandra said that the Olympics and World Cup would undoubtedly create opportunities for brasileiros across the country and that if the government used the money right, it could really help the nation. She continued by saying that there are two Brazils, one is rich and educated, and the other poor and uneducated , and that these two worlds must be reconciled if this country is to ascend into the greatness it can be. Her greatest fear was that the government would try to only create short term solutions for deeply entrenched issues such as poverty, inequality, and education so that these sporting events could occur with no real progress being made. However, she mentioned that the Brazilian police had been making trips to the U.S.A. to be trained…! I thought that was interesting, but I digress. She ended by saying that “Even though we [the country] don’t have much, we have an abundance of what really matters.” For those of you whose adult ADD kicked in while reading, what they have my friends, is called love. We then had a conversation about how much Brazilians care about each other and how love of family and love of country prevail in the hearts of all. She had no doubt that Brasil would be ok and neither do I. I say if there’s a place where one species can care for another even when they can’t care for themselves, where dogs can literally rummage with cats for food, and quite frankly where cats actually like each other, then there’s hope.

After such a heavy conversation, My host father ended by saying that people would always make sure that they had enough and then proceeded to eat a little more dinner while saying in Portuguese and then repeating in English, “I eat everything/all.” I proceeded to call him a garbage disposal (title explanation happening right now) and explained a favorite colloquial saying of mine concerning those who like to eat (that’s me, by the way). He loved it, laughed at it, and told me to write it down and translate it for him! Needless to say, we left the table exactly how we had gotten there– with laughter, joy, hope, and a touch of Grace (that‘s me, by the way).

Granted, it took me a few days to digest what they had told me about this amazing paradise and the harsh realities of daily life. And seeing the way people interact, not only with each other but with those non-humans around them continues to impress me and I’m still digesting. But I am unwavering in my faith in this country that I’ve only been here for less than a full week. I can’t tell you the last time I’ve seen as many of my fellow Americans care about someone else as I have the people here for each other and everything around them, let alone a disease infested, noise making, filth creating animal.

In a world where people are dying over religion, natural resources, ignorance, and hate, even in countries as wonderful and quite frankly, cheap as America, we can’t stop fighting long enough to push a piece of bread a little closer to those who need it, or tolerate the ones on the periphery who are ranting and raving because they just want someone to listen and to care. It’s amazing that I learned that in 3 days, from less than a dozen people, and gazillion (ok, not really that many) strays.

May we all be as kind and unaware of our selflessness as my friends Betty, Charlie, Fluffy, Black Beauty, and those gajillion (ok, there weren’t that many) cats that I refuse to even dignify with names (don‘t worry they‘re growing on me)! Imagine a world full of them.

Until tomorrow – até amanhã

Eu não falo português…rainy days and garbage disposals…

Grace Andrews — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 02:47:15 +0000

Hello there faithful readers! I’ll be starting each blog post with a creative and attention grabbing title that makes you scratch your head and laugh.

Don’t worry…the blog post will tie in all aspects of the title and be understandable by the end of the post or series of posts– HAPPY READING.

Once upon a time…just kidding! So yesterday (July 17), I had the pleasure of meeting my host mother’s mother or avó (grandmother and Portuguese word of the day!) She was delightful and older and knows about 4 English words…needless to say communication was strained since her Portuguese was much faster than my ears. After a bom almoço (good lunch), we headed out to the shopping center. Once to the shopping center, I was moved to the point of tears/heart attack because I couldn’t afford a single item I saw. I’m not quite sure when a non-name brand pair of jeans costing $60 USD was considered a “Sale.” The prices were outrageous…I thought I had died and went to an expensive store in the UK.

That of course was the beginning of our shopping experience. The Shopping Center of Barra, was quite impressive to me and apparently one of the smaller ones here in Salvador. I just want to say that the mall in Salvador would eat the mall in my hometown of Dyersburg, TN as a small pre-dinner snack and make the mall in Monterey, CA scared of the competition. It was a proper mall with 3 levels, tons of stores, and a few little supermarket style stores!

Once we were done shopping, we conveniently ran into Sandra’s (my host mother’s) brother who gave us a ride home! By conveniently, I mean he called and happened to be in the mall with his son at the same time. Apparently, night time = do not be a womanwalking alone in the streets time…Brasilera or not!

Later on that evening, I was invited to a family gathering/birthday party for Sandra’s nephew. The family was not surprised to see me, gave me abraços e beijos (hugs and kisses) and conducted themselves as if I were a fluent portuguese speaking member of the family. Hence my current mantra that I tell anyone who steps ten yards in my direction and starts speaking “Eu não falo português/I do not speak Portuguese.” You see here in Bahia, where the African influence is very heavy, I look “baiana” or as Brazilian as anyone else. Therefore people assume I can speak the language. Upon meeting me, grandma asked where in Brasil I was from and if I was from Bahia! It’s good to be able to blend in and when I master this language like the first peoples mastered wild horses, I’ll be good to go! =)

In conclusion, the party was a great experience and more of a get-together than anything else. I got to eat a cake made from cassava, which I’ve never had before. I grew up eating cassava because it’s a Ghanaian staple, but as a cake…me oh my DELICIOUS! I’m going to be leaving Bahia with that recipe in my bag! And I got to just immerse myself in Portuguese language and Brazilian culture. Watching the family interact– cousins, aunts, moms, and children, I felt extremely at home. Sandra’s sister made some jokes in my direction, called me nice and said I had a kind/pretty face (who here doesn’t LOVE a compliment…I know I do!). The Brazilians I’ve met are living up to their stereotype of being warm and welcoming people– it’s like coming home to a place you never knew you’d missed.

Now on to the more intellectually stimulating stuff.

So my host family and I have not let my Falsaguese (False portuguese) get in the way of our communication. Where there is a will, there’s a Grace and I’m not afraid to butcher anyone’s language.

Today (July 18th) we got to talk about the economic issues facing Brazil, how the world sees Brazil, how it really is, and what the solutions are…stay tuned that post will be up in a day or two.

By the way, the first part of the title has been explained! I hope you’ve been paying attention!

Boa noite e muito mais amanhã (good night and much more tomorrow)

I’ve arrived!

Grace Andrews — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 21:55:01 +0000

After a full day of travel and about 14 total hours sitting in a plane, I’m glad to be in me new home!

My host family is great and basically speaks NO ENGLISH…which should be fantastic for my language acquisition. My host father speaks more than my host mom, so we trade. I tell him the words in English and he tells them to me in Portuguese! I’m hoping that learning the language remains this relaxed. All my language books tell me that if I relax, take breaks, and REALLY try, I’ll be able to learn a new language. I just want to avoid the dreaded immersion headache that can sometimes occur one- to two days after being in a place you can’t understand what others are saying.

As a result of all the learning I’ll be doing, I’m probably going to be putting up a Portuguese word of the week or meal of the week, or something pertaining to my experiences that’s culturally related.

My host family is great. They are happy and warm people and my host mother is a GREAT cook. Even though I speak very little/no real Portuguese, I’m an ardent dictinary user and I make words/phrases up by mixing the french and spanish I know…it’s been working thus far. I can’t wait to learn real verbs and words to practice with my host family. They’re supportive of my fake Portuguese and still talk to me even though my sentences are slow and unsure.

I believe this living situation will be a happy one. There’s also wireless in my house, which thrills me beyond belief. If there’s one thing I’m not crazy about having to find and pay for, it’s Internet…I love when it’s everywhere I go and FREE!! =)

As a start to my blog, I want all my readers (hopefully faithful and consistent ones) to know that for the first month or so, I’ll be chronicling my acclamation to the culture, people, and language of Brazil. The frontier market part will be starting in August when I ship out to Sao Paulo. From then I’ll still chronicle my adaptation, but I’ll be talking about my work at the business incubator Artemisia more than anything else.

After a long day’s travel, I just wanted to get a post up that let everyone know that I am alive, safe, and happy. Less than 10 hours in the country and I can see why people love Brasil so much!