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Published: August 7th 2007
All the thanks in the world go to Mark for planning out my short weeks stay in Brasil. I reflected on my time there as having shown me the different aspects to what the country was like, given the time I had to see it.
Rio was a traditional tourist town, showing the exterior side of Brazilian life. From the Carioca (Muscle Beach-ish) mentality to the glimpses of the favelas.
Brasilia showed me a different take on a capital city, a rather surprising lack of security from what we have in Washington DC, yet it seemed more secure. I also had a glimpse into family life and the open arms of the Brazilian Culture.
Ouro Preto showed me the spirituality of the people, the simplicity and happiness of a town full of hills anyone else would probably curse at.
Lavras Novas showed me the functionality of a small town hidden beyond dirt roads, as did the even smaller area of Chapada.
And then came Belo Horizonte. This was Mark's home city and my last stop on the whirlwind trip. It was here that I saw friendship.
Mark had arranged for me to have
a 2 hour Forro/Samba lesson with him before we were to go out dancing that night. I enjoyed working with his teacher as I got a better glimpse into Forro - a traditional dance. Parts of it felt like dances I already knew, but the dance position was much closer - like that of an Argentine tango. I felt very comfortable with this dance. Brazilian Samba was a whole other monster though! Their approach is much different to that of the United States, but the lesson was a lot of fun regardless. We worked on both couple and solo Sambas.
Before heading to the Forro club that night, I joined Mark and a friend at a juice bar. With over 100 options of fresh fruit juice, it was a bit overwhelming. I settled with the Guarana juice having already been exposed to it with the soft drink - and wow, it definitely left me a bit wide eyed! It was after this that I also went to a Churrascaria, a Brazilian steakhouse. I had already been to one in the states, and they were very much similar. In these steakhouses, it is all you can eat with waiters that
bring meat on swords to cut in front of each person as requested. You don't leave hungry!
And then came the Forro Club. There was a little security area where the men get patted down to ensure safety, probably something that the states could benefit from in areas, and then it was time to enter the club. I loved it! Couples all over the place in this dark room, twirling about, to the sounds of forro. Bits of accordion are woven into the songs giving it a distinctive sound. I was reminded of something like a Salsa club meets an Argentine Tango club, but there really are no better words to describe it. I had so much fun just watching everyone - and dancing, that I hated to leave! I wish I could have gotten video of the whole spectacle, but the lighting wouldn't allow my camera to see anything.
And that was only the end of my first day in Belo.
Given the intensity of the previous days in the week, I was glad for Friday to be a bit slower. We drove up to Pope Plaza, an area that the Pope had given a message
from. The view was beautiful as it overlooked Belo. From there, we went to the central market. It felt much like a flea market, only with areas for butchers, clothing, and even animals. That's what struck me the most about the market. Cages stacked together with anything from dogs and cats to chickens, turkeys, and ducks. There were even peacocks sitting on top of the cages! We later saw a rooster and hen in our parking garage across the street. I think they were lucky enough to escape.
The main event Friday was the party though.
We drove 30 minutes outside the city to the family's farm. It's common for middle class families to have second homes outside the city, in this case, it was in a gated community, with a pool in his backyard, greenhouse, and more amenities than I could imagine. Their middle class lives well.
We prepared for the party, we had brought the steak that was to be cooked for finger food, along with the fried yucca. Both proving that Brazilians definitely know how to entertain over the typical American chips and pretzels! The "beer man" was called to deliver the 3 cases
of beer - 24 bottles of much larger than normal sized bottles. He arrived on a motorbike with the order very soon after. With the house opened up, and our light jackets on because of the chill in the air, it was time to wait for everyone to arrive.
I immediately felt accepted with all his friends, it was the first time I was meeting almost all of them. This feeling of warmth was the same I had felt during my entire stay. As the party went on, the music went into the night. There were toasts and dancing, sing-alongs, food, and smiles. ...And alot of beer and cachaca - a Brazilian sugar cane liquor. Despite all the drinking, and there was alot of it, I was pleased to see that it didn't end like many American parties. There was still moderation and not the loss of control that is so common in the states. One by one, each person would excuse themselves to bed as the rest of the party continued on in the kitchen, the focus of any gathering.
The next morning, everyone regrouped into the kitchen for Breakfast. Some parted ways for work, and a
few of the guys honored the time old tradition of nursing a hangover with a few more beers. Mark's dad was back on the property and showed me the greenhouse out back. The land was beautiful, and I learned that he'd rooted almost everything off of a few original plants. It was breathtaking. Even more interesting were the orchids growing wild in the woods.
As I packed up my things to head to the Airport in Belo, I was glad to come home after such an intense week, but sad at the same time. I had made many friends here in my short time, but it was time to return to my life in the States to bring with me the powerful lessons I had learned. Mark's dad drove us to the airport (where myself and Mark would fly to Rio, and then him to Panama for a week, and myself back to home in the states), and we discussed what I had learned in my stay and my thoughts on everything. He had been born in the states as well, and found himself in love with a Brazilian woman around my very age, so he identified with my
Pets at the market
Chickens, Puppies, Peacocks, Cats, even Chinchilas!observations.
Things like the wild fires that creep along near the roads - we panic in the states, but with their stone homes it's not the same concern. As a matter of fact, it's seen as the natural cycle of the environment, and the nature of the dry season. We also talked about the phenomenon that are drive-ins and motels. Motels being hotels, but by the hour. In a culture where the children live at home, often past college age, solutions have been created for the romantic urges. On the same line are drive-ins. Garage stalls, with a curtain, also rented out hourly. We talked about parenting differences. How Brazilians are a bit more likely to give freedom to their children as part of the learning process, and allowing them room to grow, whereas in the USA, parents try to keep tighter reins. We discussed how we believe this plays a role in the closeness of the families because there is less reason to rebel. As a result, even the children's friends find bonds with parents of their friends.
To Mark - I can never thank you and your family enough for opening your homes to me, showing
me an amazing country and the planning that you put into my trip. Your consideration and willingness to accommodate me raised the bar on anything I could have ever imagined. I learned so much more than I expected, and I grew much more as a person than I thought possible in a week. THANK YOU!
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