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Published: June 11th 2006
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The contrast between foggy Valparaiso and tropical Bahia here in Brazil was expected, but did still come like a minor shock. It does take some days of adaptation after having changed climate, culture, language, friends and lifestyle. But now, when three weeks have passed which, except for a few days to start with in Salvador, all have been spent in the tropical little paradise of Itacaré, I feel pretty integrated into the Bahian way of life. Of course some things are easier than others to pick up...
To start with, not really doing anything is a hobby that quite a few people seem to be enjoying here. It's actually quite amazing how another day passes by and you once again realize that you didn't have time to wash your clothes, study Portuguese, buy mosquito repellent, get a haircut, defrosting the freezer (to be able to fit in some more of the lovely tropical fruit juices) etc. because you were to busy doing nothing. Actually it's not completely true because there's one thing that I have done more than others here, which is training capoeira - usually between 4-6 hours a day. But still when the evening comes and it's time
to start sipping on the first caipirinha for the night I have usually gone through quite a few more hours than that. But no need to worry, it's completely normal here. The local style is usually to distribute the time spent doing nothing between a few of the different beaches here during the days, which I guess in a way tricks you into thinking that you have done a lot just because you have moved around between different beaches.
Now, before going on, I would just like to stress that the reflex ions and observations of the Bahians, which I'm sharing with you, are almost exclusively based on one of the sexes. The male one. The reason for this is very simple. About 95 % of the people that I have got to know here in Itacaré are men. This is due to two, also quite simple explanations. One is that whenever you go out here, as a foreign woman, the people that will come up and talk to you are of course men (in addition to this fact, there are a lot more men than women going out to the bars and dance clubs in town). Two is
that the rest of the people that I have got to know are from the capoeira group that except for a few foreign women and some younger girls only exist of Brazilian men. Now the reason for this is little bit more complicated and also something that Mestre Jamaica, the leader of the group, has started to worry a bit about. His theory that the young girls that training capoeira usually stop early since most of them have their first babies when they're still in theirs teens, might not be that far from the real truth. Of course, usually it takes two to make a baby but I have so far not met one father that's taking care of his children, even though virtually all the men that I do know, that are older than 18, have at least one child.
But anyway, no matter the reason for it, it is a fact that I during my stay in Itacaré got to know very few women and therefore, when saying that people don't really seem to be doing that much, I generally speak of the men. It does actually seem like there are a lot more women then men
working here. However even the people that actually are working seem to do it in a very chilled way. A few days ago a woman stopped by our house with some sort of official-looking clothes and an important-looking notebook, asking for permission to come in and check possible dengue fever hazards. She entered the house, closed the door and put her signature on a little paper that I had never noticed before, but that was attached in the upper right corner of the door. Then she turned around and was just about to leave, when Sabine, my flat mate, asked if she wasn't going to check the whole house. "Well" she said "do you have any containers of water standing around anywhere?” "No, I don't think so" Sabine replied. "Well, then you have nothing to worry about, bye, bye" she said and turned around and walked out. I guess, at least we have the signature...
So, other than taking a tourist or two on a tour every now and then, or working a few days at some local restaurant once in a while, the average Itacarean man spends his days surfing or chilling on the beach, evenings sometimes playing
a bit of capoeira and nights drinking caipirinhas, dancing forro and flirting. Now I'm not just talking about the single guys here, but all guys, with no exceptions. Boyfriends, husbands, fathers and lovers everyone goes out dancing with the intention to "pull" another woman. Fidelity doesn't seem to be a known concept in Itacaré. A woman going out dancing without male company sends the signal that she's looking for a partner for the night. It doesn't matter if she has a boyfriend, husband or whatever, the fact that he isn't there means that he doesn't really count. The usual questions asked on these places are: 1. "Do you have a boyfriend?” 2. "Is he here?” 3. "Then, what's the problem?”
After a while you realize, and learn to live with the fact that you, as a woman (and especially one with blond hair and blue eyes), never are "safe" together with any man (I don't mean safe as in safe from danger, but safe from somebody trying to flirt and get onto you). Sooner or later everyone will try it. Not because they all fall in love with you. It just seems to be the way you do it
in Itacaré.
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Graham
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World cup
Hej Jo, Sorry Sweden are pants at football, though I better not say too much until tuesday! Dont worry at least one Swede will get to hold the world cup!! May I suggest you make time to wash your clothes, or you might find the flirting stops!!! Take care and stay beautiful. Graham x