A proverb says that, “Travel broadens the mind, and raises the spirits.”
While traveling in Brazil, it felt important to soak in whatever we were experiencing at that moment. It is good to come home and put the whole adventure into some perspective. I do feel that my mind has been broadened and my spirits lifted. The highlights for me, as a teacher librarian, were the educational lectures and school visits we made. I have written about those in other blogs. Here I want to reflect on the other aspects that I am so thankful to have experienced.
The language barrier was a big struggle for me. I have not had formal training in Spanish or Portuguese. Most of the other students in the program were quite fluent in Spanish and said this helped them understand the majority of Portuguese. I had dabbled in Portuguese through an online course, but the speed at which the natives spoke often left me grasping for meaning, even with words I thought I had learned. My second language is German. After studying for three years in high school and another three in college, it was exciting to be able to use it during my travels in Europe. I was equally excited to see our Nebraskans using their language training, but wished I understood Portuguese and could get more out of our trip. Sometimes in frustration, I would find myself knowing that English would not be understood, so blurting out German, as that was all I had in my language arsenal. While in Rio, I met a gentleman whose first language was French, but also spoke Portuguese, Arabic, and English. He was a sociologist, and because he knew my language, was able to share his observations. This revealed the exponential power his words carried. He was able to share his ideas with so many people. I hope that we continue to teach our youngsters the importance of and skills in world languages.
Another aspect of culture shock that I struggled with was the relaxed view of time. We had been told this would be different from the US, but I found I had to experience it to fully grasp its effect. In one of our lectures, Professor Van Speier told us, “You are never sure what is going to happen in Brazil until after it happens.” We had a well-planned calendar of events for our trip, but could never be sure that we would actually do what was scheduled. It was common for lecturers to be stuck in traffic, so late for our sessions. Sometimes the lecture or trip we had planned was canceled, and we found something different but productive to do with our time. We often lingered over meals much longer than I was used to. Because we were traveling and all other responsibilities were suspended for three weeks, this was not too stressful for me. I did wonder how I would respond if I had other responsibilities or people waiting on my timeliness. I think it was good for me to relax and enjoy the moment, rather than being so tied to my agenda. This is something I hope to practice with family and friends at home.
They say that doing something twenty-one times makes it a habit, and some of the habits formed in Brazil will be hard to break. I am experiencing withdrawal from walking on the beautiful beaches each morning and most evenings. I miss seeing the beautiful tropical scenery and the varied architecture of Rio. I miss the lectures, discussions, and excursions that introduced me to new ideas each day. I am missing the wonderful Brazilians and Nebraskans I met while in Rio. I am so thankful to have been part of this incredible experience!
While traveling in Brazil, it felt important to soak in whatever we were experiencing at that moment. It is good to come home and put the whole adventure into some perspective. I do feel that my mind has been broadened and my spirits lifted. The highlights for me, as a teacher librarian, were the educational lectures and school visits we made. I have written about those in other blogs. Here I want to reflect on the other aspects that I am so thankful to have experienced.
The language barrier was a big struggle for me. I have not had formal training in Spanish or Portuguese. Most of the other students in the program were quite fluent in Spanish and said this helped them understand the majority of Portuguese. I had dabbled in Portuguese through an online course, but the speed at which the natives spoke often left me grasping for meaning, even with words I thought I had learned. My second language is German. After studying for three years in high school and another three in college, it was exciting to be able to use it during my travels in Europe. I was equally excited to see our Nebraskans using their language training, but wished I understood Portuguese and could get more out of our trip. Sometimes in frustration, I would find myself knowing that English would not be understood, so blurting out German, as that was all I had in my language arsenal. While in Rio, I met a gentleman whose first language was French, but also spoke Portuguese, Arabic, and English. He was a sociologist, and because he knew my language, was able to share his observations. This revealed the exponential power his words carried. He was able to share his ideas with so many people. I hope that we continue to teach our youngsters the importance of and skills in world languages.
Another aspect of culture shock that I struggled with was the relaxed view of time. We had been told this would be different from the US, but I found I had to experience it to fully grasp its effect. In one of our lectures, Professor Van Speier told us, “You are never sure what is going to happen in Brazil until after it happens.” We had a well-planned calendar of events for our trip, but could never be sure that we would actually do what was scheduled. It was common for lecturers to be stuck in traffic, so late for our sessions. Sometimes the lecture or trip we had planned was canceled, and we found something different but productive to do with our time. We often lingered over meals much longer than I was used to. Because we were traveling and all other responsibilities were suspended for three weeks, this was not too stressful for me. I did wonder how I would respond if I had other responsibilities or people waiting on my timeliness. I think it was good for me to relax and enjoy the moment, rather than being so tied to my agenda. This is something I hope to practice with family and friends at home.
They say that doing something twenty-one times makes it a habit, and some of the habits formed in Brazil will be hard to break. I am experiencing withdrawal from walking on the beautiful beaches each morning and most evenings. I miss seeing the beautiful tropical scenery and the varied architecture of Rio. I miss the lectures, discussions, and excursions that introduced me to new ideas each day. I am missing the wonderful Brazilians and Nebraskans I met while in Rio. I am so thankful to have been part of this incredible experience!
Denise, I share much of the same insights that you have expressed in your final blog. The relaxed notion of time was very difficult to get used to and then very difficult to come back to a very rigid use of time back in the States. I also shared the struggle with language with you! Having very little Spanish, it was quite relieving to come back to understanding each word and concept. I will certainly miss the landscapes and ocean and will be saving up and counting down until I can travel abroad once again!
ReplyDeleteYou never know what will happen in Brazil until its over. What a great sentiment for what we went through. New program, new culture, new people. It was a great way to let things happen. Still, there were things that seemed to happen like clockwork when it really needed to happen.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with both Morgan and Mark. My first language is actually Spanish, but I was surprised by how difficult I found it to understand fluent Portuguese. It was certainly a humbling experience to not always be able to communicate with someone in their own language. With that being said, it also inspired me to continue to pursue the language and hopefully one day become fluent. (Yes, I am setting this goal very high.)
ReplyDeleteAs for the flexibility of time, I found that the easiest thing to get used to. It might have something to do with my own laid back personality, which is if something it happens, it happens, but if not then sitting around regretting it will not fix anything, you just continue on. I think I might feel different about it if I actually had to live there for a long period of time, but for now I enjoyed the time flexibility.
After the initial disappointment of returning to Omaha from a beautiful city like Rio I had a chance to reflect on the three weeks we spent learning about Brazilian critical issues. Although I learned a lot from the lectures we had about Brazilian issues such as race and ethnic relations, healthcare, and environmental issues, the most interesting things we learned were these small cultural differences such as the relaxed time notion you mentioned.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, what I'm going to miss most about this trip (besides this great group of people) is the foods they have in Brazil. The freshly cut coconuts you could buy on the beach, the freshly squeezed mango/kiwi/pineapple/caju/passion fruit/açaí juices we had every meal, the barbecue, the rice and beans, the small cheese breads (pão de queijo), and the coxinhas we ate will all be foods I will be craving for until the next time I am back in Brazil. The only thing we did not have time to try in Brazil was the Brazilian national dish, the feijoada. I'm glad that this is something I did not try, because now I have an excuse to come back in the next few years!