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Published: February 28th 2007
Alto Iris
The house my mom grew up in.I am in Florida Paulista, a small town near where my mother and her family grew up. There are an aunt and some cousins still here. It's about a 10 hour bus ride from Sao Paolo, and a half hour from a city. I used to spend summer vacations here, hanging out with friends and family. The last time I was here was about 8 years ago. A lot has changed, my friends have moved to other places. I have enjoyed spending time with my aunt and hearing stories about our family. My grandparents were part of a big wave of japanese immigrants that moved here looking for work. Brazil was the last country in the world to abolish slavery in 1882. After that time, there was a great need of new workers, so a call was put out, and many Japanese and Europeans came here. Japan was in a big economic depression after WWI, so many people came to Brazil for better opportunities, like almost all immigrants in the world. Sao Paolo has a huge concetration of japanese immigrants, as most stayed in this region.
My grandparents were farmers, and some of my cousins continue in this area. They
run a chicken farm and processing plant, a frangorifico. Most of the economic business in this area used to come from cow hearding. Now, it is switching to growing sugar cane, used mostly for the alcohol made from this crop to run vehicles. Although more sustainable than drilling for oil, the sugar cane fields carry their own concerns for the environment, such as the chemicals used on the plants, and the way they are grown, in a monoculture, which strips the land of nutrients. So, more chemicals are used to help them grow.
Aside from the ecologic destruction, the sugar cane fields, and the surrounding landscape, are beautiful. So serene. The sky is huge, like in the southwest, and everywhere I look is picturesque.
Life in Florida is slow, and takes a bit to get used to. I am doing a lot of reading. I am also learning to cook some japanese and brazilian food, like yakisoba, pastel de palmito (heart of palm), and brigadeiro, a sweet chocolate chewy candy thing with chocolate sprinkles. Spending time with my younger cousins is really fun. I really enjoy seeing the world through their eyes, and the youngest one, who is
Flórida Paulista
A field of sugar cane in the background and a small herd of cows. 6 years old, has me cracking up in stiches. Connecting with everyone here is a real blessing.
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Dori
non-member comment
How lovely
Just wanted to drop by and tell you how much i enjoy reading your blogs. I am a Brazilian from Paraiba (North East). I have been living in America for 10 years now. I have a son, he is fourteen months old. I am leaving this thursday to go visit my family in Brazil. After having my son, i have realized how much i want to instill my culture in him. So, i think is exciting that you are there to reconnect with your family!