Learning Portuguese and Immersing Ourselves in the Brazilian Culture

Our day began at PUC (Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio de Janeiro) with our second lesson in Portuguese.  As a native Spanish speaker, I thought our first lesson was very easy to follow; we learned numbers, the alphabet, and pronunciation.  As the second day began, I realized that although Portuguese can be very similar to Spanish, there are also differences.  I struggled with the pronunciation, which at times is softer on consonants and has a more nasal sound than Spanish.   Sometimes words are spelled very similar; that can make things even more confusing.  However, it makes a big difference when you have a dedicated professor that is enthusiastic and is actively immersing students in Portuguese.  She avoided using English in class, forcing students to listen carefully, take good notes, and practice among each other in order to learn the language. 

After completing a short review of the previous lessons, we jumped into common phrases like "quanto custa, quero ir a la praia, eu nao entendo, e eu quero dancar samba," which translates to "how much does it cost," "I want to go to the beach," "I do not understand, and I want to dance samba."  These phrases became more useful as we mingled with residents of Ipanema and as we immersed ourselves in the culture.  I have really enjoyed her style of teaching which incorporates not only language skills but also short stories or songs that are memorable.  In today's lesson, she introduced us to "Bossa nova," or New trend, a well-known style of Brazilian music introduced in the 1950s.  The song we listened to was called "Rio," written by Menescal e Boscoli, which describes Rio de Janeiro and how cariocas see it: a place to relax, where one can admire its beauty...a place like no other, a place called home.   Below is the first verse of the song, translated into English, that gives us an insight on why Rio de Janeiro is simply unforgettable.

            Rio who lives at sea

            I smile at my Rio

            that has in its sea

            beautiful flowers that grow brunette

            gardens in the sun

            Rio, velvet mountains

            I smile at my Rio

            that smiles at everything

            that is gold almost all day

            and cheerful as the light...

Ipanema Beach

We returned to Hotel Vermont where my roommate and I reflected about our experiences in Ipanema.  Ipanema is a neighborhood in the southern part of Rio de Janeiro, a beach that was made popular by the song "The Girl from Ipanema" (or "Garota de Ipanema"), written by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes.  As we talked, we realized that these conversations were some of the most valuable learning experiences we had so far.  We reflected back on the first time we crossed the street, ordered dinner, haggled with vendors at the local market, and observed the night life. 

On our way to dinner, we had to be aware of our surroundings because cars have the right of way and not the pedestrians.  Even motorcycles were running red lights and zigzagging through traffic.  For dinner, we selected a  "Sucos Bar" or Juice Bar called Big Nectar.  These restaurants are popular because of the wide variety of fruit grown in the country; for example, there are more than six common varieties of bananas eaten nationwide, not to mention other fruits like passion fruit, star fruit, pineapple, and guava.  Furthermore, locals like these sucos bars because fresh fruit juices help satisfy their thirst in the hot tropical weather.  Before ordering, we observed our surroundings.  One thing that stood out was the formal way in which Brazilians eat.  They use a knife and fork to eat their sandwiches and French fries.   Unlike Americans, they do not pick up their food with their hands.  Instead, they use their eating utensils as a scoop, placing their sandwich in a napkin before proceeding to eat it.  

Suco Bar

Our first experience in the local market gave us the opportunity to apply what we learned in class.  Many classmates bargained with the vendors until the agreeable price was reached.  We helped each other as much as we could as we handed over money that to us resemble monopoly money due to the variety of designs and colors.  Souvenirs like bracelets, paintings, t-shirts, and even musical instruments were purchased as we gained confidence in our pronunciation and understanding of the language. 

At the end of the night, we found ourselves walking on the boardwalk along the beach and we noticed a different Ipanema.  Many businesses were opening for the first time, ready to serve cold beverages to customers; others were setting up their nets for a round of volleyball.  As Rohther mentioned in chapter four, The Tropical Lifestyle, "beach life is complicated marked by differences based on class, race, age, sexual preference, and even regional prejudices." Many casually walked, ran or biked, and finally others sat down for a late dinner snack.   There is so much to see and to do that it is important to keep an open mind.  To get the most out of the local culture, we have learned that once in Rio, do as cariocas do and follow their lead.