Vera no Canadá

I know its been a while but, for whoever might still be reading this, I've started a new blog:

verannensa.blogspot.ca

Enjoy!

Preciso melhorar minhas linguas

Before I arrived in Brazil, I stressed about loosing my Spanish language skills. Now that I'm back in Canada, I stress about loosing the Portuguese that I've learned. My French language skills have also suffered a substantial blow, considering I hadn't practiced it during the last few months. My French roommate's parents had come to visit him from France. When speaking with his mother, who only speaks French, I found myself thinking and translating my sentences from Portuguese to French before responding. It's funny how the mind stumbles over a language I've studied for many years.

During the first month back in Canada, I would find myself responding to the people in my life in Portuguese, forgetting that I was no longer in Brazil. My responses were often met with a long silent pause, as I slowly realize where I am and who I'm speaking to. Such situations are no longer as common as before, thank God.

So what have I done to maintain my Portuguese? The same thing I did when I was first trying to learn the language: listen to music, watch movies, read articles...etc. During my months of hibernating, hiding away from the Canadian winter, I spent many hours cuddled on the couch and watching foreign movies. I'm thankful that my family was, most of the time, understanding of my readjusting mindset at the time. Some of the Brazilian films I watched include:

There are other movies that I watched but these 3 were very interesting. 

• Onibus 174 is based the true story of a hostage situation on a Rio de Janiero bus. After watching this film, I watched a documentary, A Ultima Parada 174, that analyzed the poor handling of this hostage situation, even interviewing the hostages, and providing a less "Hollywoodized" biography of the gunman. 
• Although not Brazilian, Manda Bala was an interesting documentary that takes a look at corruption in Brazil and the frequent kidnappings in Sao Paulo, even going as far as interviewing a "professional" kidnapper. It shows the lavish lifestyle of a plastic surgeon that specializes in repairing victims' ears that were cut off during their kidnapping and the successful business of bullet proof vehicles. This documentary is actually banned in Brazil, which really surprised me.
• Antonia reminded me a lot of American movies about life in the ghetto, in this case the favela, and just trying to get out. It's the story of 4 childhood friends that come together to form a singing group while trying to overcome their hardships. I particularly liked their rendition of "Killing me softly."
• A Deriva was a film a watched during the Portuguese Film Festival in May. The audience was made up of people from Lusophone countries and it was entertaining to hear the different accents of Portuguese speakers after. Also the movie was good also, watch it if you can. :)

In the past, I've used podcasts from the iTunes store to practice listening to French and Spanish. I managed to find a useful podcast called "Ta Falado." University of Texas Professor Orlando Kelm and his team provide lessons on Portuguese pronunciation and grammar. This is especially useful for those who have a background in Spanish. I wish I had found it before arriving in Fortaleza, however it has been useful in recognizing the different pronunciation of Portuguese and Spanish.

I also came across a Portuguese Blog focused on all things Brazil. From food recipes and culture to Portuguese vocabulary, slang and pronunciation, this site has some useful information for gringos going to Brazil. I haven't found it as useful as Ta Falado, but again, this website would have been very useful for me before going to Brazil. 

I never imagined I would learn Portuguese, but I have. Now I'm left with the task of balancing, improving, and perfecting my languages.

Voltei!

Goodness, has it already been 4 months since I've been back in Canada. I can't say it has been an easy 4 months trying to readjust to life, but it has certainly been a process. I arrived back in the dead of winter, rarely leaving my home because of the cold weather. For someone who's spent most of their life in Canada, I still find winter a tough season to get used to, especially after spending months in a tropical location. I tried to reintegrate myself back into my Canadian life by spending time with friends and looking for work. I've met up with some of my Brazilian-Canadian friends who were curious about my experience and my impression of their country. I still keep in touch with alot of the people I met in Brazil, through email, facebook, and texting. We often just reminisce about the fun times we had, then the repeated question of "When will you come back to Brazil?" is asked. At this point, my answer is simply "Sei la meu amigo/minha amiga."

Camarao ao alho e oleo

I often find myself longing to be back in Brazil. The combination of constantly exploring my environment, meeting new people, and independence is what I miss most (oooh and the FOOD, camarao ao alho e oleo, baiao-de-dois, caranguejo....eeeittta fica tranquilo meu estomago). I've always had a passion for travelling, one of the reasons that I chose to pursue a career in international development. The world is limitless and I want to see as much of it as I can. I always find myself applying to different opportunities abroad, who knows what country I might end up in next.

Since coming back, continuing this blog has been in the back of my mind. Jos, one of my Niagara College bosses, had mentioned that he had enjoyed reading my blog and encouraged me to continue developing my writing skills. I guess all those traumatizing essays I wrote in university did pay off. Like I mentioned in previous blogs, I don't want this blog to die off into the infinite depths of archived internet blogs. So what finally brought me back to writing here? Yesterday I read an article about the development of Brazil's northeastern region and I simply wanted to share that article with whoever might still be reading my blog.

Brazil's historically poor northeast finally gets its boom by Vincent Bevins

In the article, Bevins describes the trend of Brazilian people migrating from the southern and interior regions of Brazil to northeastern cities, such as Recife and Fortaleza, as a result of the economic boom these cities are experiencing. Although I spent less than a week Recife during my month of travelling, it was clear to see that things are moving in the city. However, the heavy rains in Recife and Olinda were a hindrance to my experience in the state of Pernambuco. Bevins states that:

"The area around Recife, the capital of Pernambuco, has benefited from huge government and business investments...Government aid has also helped struggling families improve their lives, which has lessened the need to move elsewhere."

Windmills at Canoa Quebrada

In the last 12 years, Recife has experienced a decrease in unemployment rates, from 14% to 6.2%, and there are little signs to show that the city's development will slow down. Bevins further goes on to say that "...billions of dollars in government investments and projects have made the northeast — home to nine states and 50 million people — the fastest-growing population center in Brazil's economic success story." Fortaleza is one of the northeastern cities that has also received an increase in investment. During my time there, new hotels were being built, specifically on Beira Mar, the main location for tourists. On my way to Praia do Futuro, I would often pass by parked trucks that had giant windmill propellers in the back. In fact, wind energy is becoming a huge business (if it isn't already) along the northeast region.

Now that I think back, many of the people I met in Fortaleza were from other parts of Brazil. Funny story, I remember nearing the end of my stay in Brazil, I was talking to a friend that I had met during my first month. While conversing, I had stopped him mid-sentence to confront him with the fact that he spoke differently from Fortalezans. It had taken me 5 months of learning Portuguese to finally hear his distinct regional accent (I forgot which city he was from, forgive me). He simply laughed at my reaction and explained that he was from the interior of Brazil but came to study in Fortaleza.

The 9 states of the Northeast

Back to the article, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done in order decrease poverty in the northeastern region. The northeast has often been regarded as the "backwards/country" part of Brazil, similar to the stereotypes North Americans make about the southern states of USA. However, its promising to see that people from other parts of Brazil are recognizing the great potential the northeast has. The economic neglect the northeast has experienced is no longer an issue as it was in the past.

During my first trip to Rio de Janiero, I had written about the clear gap in investment between Rio and Fortaleza. Although Fortaleza may never experience the same magnitude of investment that Rio receives, things are changing for the better. All countries experience this economic trend of businesses and people moving to other cities for better economic opportunities. What these northeastern Brazilian states need to ask themselves is, "will this last or is it just a current trend?"

I will continue to write sporadically, but mainly when I come across something interesting and Fortaleza/Brazil related.

Until the next post...

Foto da Semana 31

I landed in Canada February 1, 2012. My mother picked me up from the Toronto airport and we drove 4 hours to Ottawa. It's feels good to be home...minus the cold weather and the snow. CAKE!

Tchau meus amigos

I arrived in Fortaleza early Friday morning with Larissa. Although we're both extremely tired, we didn't want to waste our day sleeping. We had breakfast at Maredomus Hotel, the same hotel Amber and I stayed at during our first nights in Fortaleza, 7 months ago. Where has the time gone? I've been repeatedly asking myself this question for the past few months.

I had planned my trip so that I would spend my last weekend in Fortaleza. On Friday night, I went to the Nando Reis e os Infernais concert in Cumbuco. Although I didn't know any of the band's music, I simply enjoyed reuniting with the friends I came to miss during my travels. On Saturday night I took part in the Pre-Carnaval celebrations. I could hear the bands clearly from my apartment window. The streets were filled with street venders and Fortalezans enjoying the show. I've grown attached to eating street food in Brazil. Despite all the warnings to stay away, I can't resist street food. On Sunday, I spent most of the afternoon at beach for the very last time. For dinner I went to the fish market to enjoy my favorites dishes, camarao ao alho e oleo (shrimp fried in garlic and oil) and baiao-de-dois (rice mixed with cheese and beans). Later on that night I met up with more friends at Dragao do Mar for some drinks and final goodbyes.

It felt strange to know that my days were numbered. I jokingly asked one of my guy friends to elope with me so that I wouldn't have to leave. But of course I wouldn't resort to such extreme measures hahaha. I just have to make sure I come back to Brazil again.

I mostly spent the weekend reuniting and celebrating with the great friends I've met these past 7 months. Before I left for my travels, I thanked everyone that helped make my internship possible. This time around, I would like to thank the friends who have made my experience memorable. It can be difficult making friends in an environment where not too many people speak your language. However, the people I met were patient enough to teach me, correct me, and joke with me. From going to concerts to relaxing at the beach,  they always tried to include me in their plans. From singing Brazilian songs (the good and the bad) to learning local slang, we've made great memories and inside jokes together.

I'll miss all of the people I've met in Fortaleza greatly and I hope we can meet again soon.

Beijos galera!

Foto da Semana 30

'Tis the season for pre-carnavale, all of January throughout Brazil. As I mentioned in my previous blog, I'm in Olinda to celebrate pre-carnaval. I didn't take too many pictures because of the intense rain but it doesn't hurt to post the few I did take. Enjoy!

The store owner had a giant doll made in his likeness. I wonder how much it would cost for me  to get one.

The celebrations started early.

In-between the rain, people would reemerge from the shelter to continue the celebration. 

He's soo tall.

Dancing in the streets.

Various bands were playing throughout the night.

When the rain wasn't pouring, the streets were full.

My gringo pack and my long lost son Rodrigo...or was it Rodrigues O_O.

Muitos lugares, tao pouco tempo

Pedro, Johan, and I making silly faces

I decided to spend my last 2 days in Olinda in another couchsurfer's home, Johan who has worked in real estate in various countries in Europe, Africa, and South America. When I arrived at his place he was speaking French to his business partner in Senegal through skype. Although I wasn't eavesdropping, it was nice to know I can still fully understand French.

Olinda is Pernambuco's old colonial city center, about a 15 minute drive from Recife. The colorful buildings reminded me of Salvador's Pelourinho neighborhood, very colonial in design. I mainly wanted to be in Olinda to take part in the pre-carnaval celebrations. The stone streets of Olinda were filled with people by early afternoon. Street vendors had already set up shop and were selling food and drinks to those who came to enjoy the show. However, my Sunday night was cut short because of the heavy rain. The weather has been working against me. It has been raining heavily throughout my last 5 days in the state of Pernambuco...I guess its time to move on. I left Olinda on on Monday night with Larissa, another solo traveler from Austria studying a year in Sao Paulo.

Larissa and I leaving Olinda

A few months ago, before the Mulheres Mil program started, I had blogged about taking part in a number of meetings to start up the program. One of the other professors, Goretti, had helped with the planning during the meetings. However, she moved back to Natal, the capital of Rio Grande de Norte, before the program was even launched. For months now she has been inviting us interns to come visit her. Well I decided to finally take her up on her offer. I arrived in Natal at 4am with Larissa but we would be staying different parts of town. I, somehow, managed to navigate to Goretti's home safely, bright and early in the morning. Her 20 year old daughter is travelling at the moment, so I she let me take a nap in her bed. As much as I prefer taking the overnight bus to my destinations, its still not comfortable enough for me to fully fall sleep.

Goretti and I at the mall

Her friend, Paulo, picked us up for lunch and showed me around town. Natal is about the same size as Ottawa, yet it seemed smaller. We went to the main beach, Ponta Negra, and a large shopping mall, which has a great view of the whole city. The city was settled on Christmas day in 1599 by the Portuguese, hence the name. There are various Christmas decor that stay up throughout the year to commemorate the city's name.

By the end of the night, Goretti and I were on a way to Pipa, which is about a 2 hour drive from Natal. Pipa is probably one of the most beautiful places I've been to in Brazil. The beaches are calmly stunning and very quiet. If I hadn't gone to Rio de Janeiro to celebrate New Years Eve, I probably would've joined my Fortaleza friends who had been here a few weeks before. I wish I had taken more pictures but, unfortunately, my camera broke the day I arrived to Natal :(.

Tim and I in Olinda

I had originally met Tim, a student from London who's studying a year in Rio de Janeiro, in Salvadar. Although he was in another hostel, he would often come over and spent time with people from my hostel. We coincidentally met again in Olinda when it turned out we were both staying at Johan's place. We made informal plans to meet up again in Pipa if I had the time. I hung out with him and his classmate, Gabriella, from France. We were a fairly international group exploring the beaches of Pipa.

Although my visit was short, I wouldn't have gone to Pipa if Goretti hadn't had taken me there. I'm extremely grateful for her hospitality, for taking me around her city and her favorite getaway. She now works at the Instituto Federal (IF) in Natal. I hate to say this but the IF in Natal looks way better and bigger than the IF in Fortaleza (I hope my colleagues don't read this). I sat in front of her class as her students hammered me with various questions. They were curious about my impression of Brazil, what I did in Fortaleza, how Canada is like, and...etc, etc. I have to admit, I have been speaking a lot of English this past month since I've hung around many gringos, non-Brazilians. Only a few short weeks of speaking English and I am already having issues speaking Portuguese. I'm scared about what will happen when I go back to Canada. O_O

I was in Pipa for a short time and in Natal for an even shorter time. Where am I going next?...Fortaleza :)

Foto da Semana 29

Before I came to Brazil, my mother warned me to stay away from favelas and shark infested waters.  I took her motherly advice and stayed away from the latter :)

Obrigada por sua hospitalidade

This week I'm in Aracaju, population 570, 937, and the capital of one of Brazil's smallest states, Sergipe. Aracaju is a pleasantly quiet coastal town and doesn't have too many touristic attractions. Thankfully, I managed to secure a place to stay through couchsurfing. I ended up staying in Daniel's lovely apartment where he grew up. This is only my second time couchsurfing, the first being in Rio during the September conference. Daniel was an amazing host that took me around his city, when he wasn't working of course, and tried to keep me entertained. However, I found that some days I was simply happy staying in and watching movies from his vast collection.

Daniel (on the floor), his friends and Amber having a good time.

I also got to meet Luciano and his girlfriend Luciana  (I didn't make up their names) while I was in Aracaju. I have been talking to Luciano for the past 6 years about everything...seriously there's a lot that can be discussed during that time. We never thought we'd see the day when we would meet in person, but it just goes to show anything can happen. My time is Aracaju was quiet and short, it was good to have that weekend to relax and get some Niagara College work done.

Kyllderes, me, and Thiago from CS

On Wednesday morning, I arrived in Recife (Pernambuco) bright and early, in time to take the crowded metro train with people heading to work. I was the only one looking ready for an adventure with my large backpack, flip flops and floral print dress. I decided to continue couchsurfing since I had such a great experience in Aracaju. I spent my first two nights in Kyllderes' apartment, I'm still struggling to pronounce his name (sorry). The walls of his apartment are covered with DVDs and I mean thousands of movies. Since it rained for the days I was there, we spent an afternoon playing Wii dance games. By the way, that game console is a work out, I'm even contemplating buying one so I never have to go to the gym.

Since Kyllderes had to travel for work, I spent friday night at another couchsurfer's home, Samuel who I had met during a CS meeting the night before. Samuel's an interesting guy that loves to cook and lives in the Boa Viagen neighborhood, a fairly touristy area. He has taken over 20 cooking classes throughout his life, learning how to cook multiple international cuisines. He even took the time to teach me how to make tapioca. It was pretty simple and I'm surprised I didn't learn earlier while I was in Fortaleza.

In the past 7 days I have slept in 3 different homes. Although carrying a heavy backpack with all my clothes around can take a toll on the back and shoulders, I'm glad to be seeing different parts of Brazil from the perspective of locals. They have all welcomed travelers to their homes before and always seem to have entertaining hosting stories, the good and the bad experiences. I hope one day when I have my own home, I will be able to host travelers like me, and show them the same hospitality I have been shown. Thanks guys!

Next stop...Olinda

Foto da Semana 28

I was lucky enough to be in Salvador to celebrate the Festa do Bonfim, which is a major annual celebration. Taking place on the 2nd Thursday, the streets are filled with many people wearing all white. Starting at the Basilica de Conceicao da Praia, the ceremony is lead by a large group of Bahian women dressed in traditional white Bahian clothing. They then walk 7km to the Bonfim Church to clean the steps. This is done to honor the Candomble patron saint, Nosso Senhor de Bonfim and Oxala, the god of gods. Throughout this walk the women dance and sing chants in Yuroba Language (Nigeria). I didn't get a chance to see the group of women that lead the ceremony since they started very early in the morning, however I followed other groups that were part of the celebration. I ended up going with people I had met at the hostel in Pelourinho. In total we walked 14km, there and back, probably the longest walk of my life but it was worth being part of such a major celebration.

I went to university with Nina from Sao Paulo. We just happened to meet randomly in Salvador, oh destiny.

The other travelers I met at the hostel.

Man dancing on stilts, talent.

Just some clowns to amuse the crowd.

She has wonderful balance.

There was a lot of people out that day.

We finally reached our destination.

One of these is mine.

Thousands of ribbons are tied onto the gates and the front door.

Sorria, voce esta na Bahia

I've been really wanting to go to Salvador (Bahia) ever since I landed in Brazil and I finally got my opportunity. I was a little nervous at first, now that I am travelling alone (Bye Chris and Andrela!). However, through my trip in the Dominican Republic last year, I learned that many people often do travel alone. I just have to be cautious as to who I hang out with and where I go. Hostels are a great way to meet other lone travelers who have the same sense of adventure as I do. In Salvador, I stayed a week at Galeria 13 Hostel where I met many people from many countries everyday. I met a lot of people from the UK, France, Japan, Brazil (of course), the Netherlands, Canada...etc. Although I knew them for one day, meeting the Canadians was one of my memorable nights. These two guys would go back and forth with sarcastic comments about everything. Their sense of humor is one that I am used to and miss greatly. Their sarcastic humor kept me laughing the whole night, almost couldn't breath. They made me feel kind of homesick, wanting to speak to my friends in Canada.

On the night I arrived I met Eri, a Japanese girl that had been studying in Argentina the past few months and decided that she wanted to see Brazil before she returns to Japan. Also travelling alone, we spent most of our time together sight seeing, going to the beach, and going out. She also helped me when I stubbed my other toe for the 2nd time (the 1st time had been 2 days earlier in Rio and Andrela had helped me, thanks!). I definitely need to lift my legs when I walk and watch where I step :(. Eri and I have a very similar view of the world and we are both eager to conquer it. Next time, we'll travel to Chile together, we girls can dream right?

My hostel is located in Pelourinho which was once the city center during Portuguese colonialism. Founded in 1549, this neighborhood is filled with old historical monuments and buildings that date as far back as the 17th century. It should be noted that Pelourinho also had the first slave market on the South American continent. Most, if not all, of the architecture is very colonial in style and each building is painted in different colors. And yes, this is the other location that Michael Jackson shot his music video that I talked about in a previous blog post about the Santa Marta favela in Rio.

Each day as I walk on Pelourinho's stone paved streets, the spicy smell of acaraje is always in the air. I made sure to have one each day while I was in Salvador, however I did get sick of it after the 5th day. At every corner of the plazas, there are women dresses in traditional Bahian attire and selling the local dishes. Influenced by old African fashion, these Bahian women stand around Pelourinho while tourists take pictures with them. Their dresses are both elaborate yet beautiful. The headscarf reminds me of current Nigerian fashion, which I love. 

I was very surprised to see how strong the African culture has stayed in Bahia. Like the history of African-Americans, Afro-Brazilian slaves were often forced to forget their African traditions, religions, and cultures. However in Salvador, the people have been able to maintain their blended African traditions, mainly influenced by Nigerian and Angolan culture. From the food to the clothes and religion, the African influence is strong here. One week was not enough, I will definitely come back to Salvador.

Next stop....Aracaju :).

Foto da Semana 27

Located in the Guanabara Bay, Pao de Acucar (Sugarloaf in English) is one of Rio de Janeiro's most famous morros, and trust me there are a lot of morros. I didn't get a chance to visit Pao de Acucar during my first trip to Rio because of the cloudy weather. We were told its not worth going unless the skies are clear. This time, after a few rainy days Chris, Andrela, and I went to Pao de Acucar. Here are some pictures that we took. Enjoy!