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| Molly, Adrienne, Ozzy and Chloe |
After 3 weeks
together in Brazil, our group managed to see many of the highlights that Rio de
Janeiro has to offer. As the readers know, we were able to stand atop Pão de açúcar, Cristo Redentor, and climb favela
stairs; some of us even took a sunset helicopter ride. It is in hindsight that
I am able to say, three weeks is not enough to see and do it all.
We spent the last few days
outside of the city of Rio de Janeiro in a colonial town called Paraty. Like
most of the rest of the group, it took a while to get the pronunciation correct
– it is pronounced “PAR-AH-CHEE”. PUC-Rio was able to send an
international student worker with us – João Schmitz – and together, we were
able to have a wonderful farewell dinner with none other than Mr. Tom Farrell,
the Vice Provost for Global Engagement for the University of Nebraska. It was a
great way to end a fast, intense three weeks.
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| Sunset over Ipanema Beach |
In previous blogs, other
students have cited the Brazilian musician Tom Jobim with his
quotation “Brazil is not for beginners”. I completely agree. Outside of the
normal ethnocentric ideas that we had about Brazil, our group was able to
experience some of the highs and lows of Rio. We stayed in the glamorous part
of town, Ipanema, yet spent hours in local favelas. We navigated the subway
system, local buses, and taxi’s as if we were natives, and cheered on the “team”
at the Flamengo soccer game. We frequently watched the sun set over the ocean,
and enjoyed a beautiful 75-80 degree “winter” season. We watched polluted bay water under treatment, and spoke to many different Cariocas about their various hopes for the forthcoming World Cup and Olympics.
Rio
de Janerio is an amazing place. It has the big city feel of New York, the ocean
personality of Key West, and the residents have the heart of Nebraskans. I
would like to personally thank the University of Nebraska for allowing me this
once in a lifetime opportunity. Our experiences in Brazil were life changing
and talks of returning were overheard numerous times during the 8,000 miles of
return flights.
I couldn't agree more with you...three weeks is not enough time to see and experience it all. However, this was not only a very different experience for me, but it is also an experience that will travel with me forever even after the trip. That is the beauty of traveling; even when you are finished with your travels, the memories continue to travel with you through life. All that I have learned in so little time, I know will be of tremendous benefit in my future profession and other many areas of my life. Not to mention, the advantage it has given us as students simply to have had this opportunity to experience Rio de Janiero, Brazil in the flesh.
ReplyDeleteEven though we were only able to experience a small portion of Brazil in the three weeks that we were there I feel like I have grown so much as an overall person. I am glad you mentioned our walk up the favela steps. It is one thing to think and mention that people that live in the favelas have to walk more than twenty stories of steps on a daily basis, but to actually experience walking up the steps made the experience unforgettable. I have hopes to one day go back as maybe a little more than a beginner, and learn and understand more about Brazil.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you bring up Jobim once again. No matter how much reflecting I do about our trip, his cheeky and insightful quote is always at the forefront of my consciousness. We are still beginners to Brazil, and in some ways, we always will be. I think the strongest underlying idea to that statement is that, as human beings always learning new things, we are always beginners in everything we do. Herodotus said many many years ago that we never step in the same river twice, and one thing our trip to Brazil has reminded me, is that our lives are not cycles. They are exponentially expanding lines, and even as we go about our daily, weekly, and yearly routines, each moment is different because of the moments we gathered before it. We have all been deeply changed by our experience in Brazil, in ways we do not fully realize now. That visa lasts ten more years, and I think I can speak for us all, when I say we'll be back down there soon enough. And when we do return, it will be an entirely different place once again, because we will have changed so much in the interim.
ReplyDeleteVery well said Adrienne. So much was done in such a little time. All those great places you listed will be a part of me forever. One thing you forgot to mention was the beach. Nothing represents Rio de Janeiro than the beaches of Leblon, Ipanema, and Copacabana. There you see people of all walks of life, and it does not matter who you are, where you are from, or where you are going; the beach was the place to be, whether it was day or night. It was impressive to see so many people working out every day, whether it was running on the beach, playing soccer in the sand, or just having fun showing off their skills in volley-soccer. It was just a wonderful experience to sit in the sand, drink a coconut and watch waves slams against the sand on the shore. Like Mark Darby said once, "Although Cariocas are perceived as laid-back and care free, reality is a different story. They are like the waves of the sea, they never stop working." It did not matter what time it was, they worked all hours of the day. Before the sunrise Cariocas were waiting for their favorite suco bar or cafe to open so they could start their day, and many would not close shop until the last customer left many hours after midnight. I agree with Sanjuanita when she says she has learned so much and that the knowledge she gained will be a resource to tap into as we step into our professional lives. Karina you are right when you comment about growing as a person. I too grew as a person when I reflected back on all the things we take for granted in the United States and I realized how people with so much live miserable lives. It was an eye-opening experience, how with so little, people can still be happy, friendly, and empowering to others. Patrick, I am glad you bring up the status of our visas. I was just thinking about that myself. I plan to return for the World Cup if not for the Olympics in order to experience Brazil in a different way. There is still so much to learn and explore including Portuguese, Samba, Sao Paolo, and especially Capoeira. Not to mention I would love to experience the addicting tastes of foods like Guarana, Acai, and pao de quejio.
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