So Brazil smells like fruit. I've decided that Brazil is the fruit capital of the world. There is greater variety and quantity of fruit than I've ever had.
The other day I ate goiaba (guava) in 4 different forms:
1) fresh guava
2) guava juice
3) guava acai (a smoothie liek thing with acai and guava topped with granola)
4) goiabada (guava paste)
Rio de Contas
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Catch Up
I am failing at blogging, but once again it is pouring on the weekend, so my beach plans have been cancelled, so I will try to catch up on the past month or so. Sorry if this isn’t very organized.
So some bullet points on things that I’ve done with my program:
• Lectures on racism and human rights, culture, traditional healing, a Sistema Unica de Saúde (SUS- Brazil’s public health system),
• Visited a Candomblé Terreiro
• Went to a small village, Alecrim, for 4 days, lived with families, and learned about how SUS works in a rural community
• Visited a few hospital (for various reasons)
• Visited many HIV/AIDS facilities and organizations
So it’s been really busy. Everything has been very interesting, but at times it’s been a bit frustrating because we are in school from 9-4, which means that I have to leave my house at 8, and I don’t get back until 5. On top of that we have homework, which means it can be very difficult to do anything else, such as dance classes, capoeira, or meeting friends outside of the program. We also are in and out of the city, because we have many excursions, such as the one to Alecrim. I think that I thought that I would have a chance to be more settled, but I’ve come to accept that my experience isn’t really going to be about settling down in one place, but rather about experiencing lots of different things. Although I still have about 2 months left in the program, I will only be in Salvador for about 3 more weeks, because we have 2 trips and then we begin our ISPs, the Independent Study Projects, and I will probably go outside of the city for that.
But now, I’m going to try and look back on my time here:
Fica Vontade
Fica Vontade, basically means “make yourself at home” and has been the theme of my time in Brazil, especially while I was in Alecrim. Alecrim is a small rural community in the Recôncavo, a region of Bahia that surrounds the Bay of All Saints. The Recôncavo is the birthplace of the Samba, and Cachoeira, one of the largest cities there, is known as the heart of Afro-Brazilian culture. We went to Alecrim to experience life in a rural community and understand how the PSF, the primary care units of the Brazilian public health system, function. It was undoubtedly one of my best weeks in Brazil.
The week before had been particularly difficult for me. We were trying to finish our ISP proposals, which was not only stressful because we have to pick a topic, but also because it’s extremely difficult to research the necessary secondary sources because we don’t have consistent internet, and the libraries close soon after we get out of school. I was also stressing out because it was very difficult for me to do the things I had imagined- take dance classes, capoeira, meet people outside of my program. I think I was also at the 3 week points in any trip, when things are no longer brand new and exciting, but things aren’t comfortable or easy either.
So basically, I was not having such a great week, and then we got on a bus, drove 2 hours, and we were in this beautiful small community, with lots of green, fruit trees, and fresh air. I love Salvador, but it was so nice to get away from the concrete, street vendors and hustle and bustle. It was also really nice to be a part of a small community. This was the first time that SIT had stayed with host families in Alecrim, so it was a very new and special experience for everyone. For some of the people in the community, it was their first contact with people from the United States. The community went out of their way to make us feel at home, and my host mother said “Fica vontade” at least 20 times every hours.
While we were there we visited the PSFs, went to community events, such as a screening of documentary about the history of the region, talked with a traditional healer, and then the community had a Samba de Roda on our last night. Samba de Rosa is the type of Samba in Bahia, and it is often called the most authentic type. It was born in the Recôncavo, and it very linked with West African dance traditions. We all danced, ate the best Acaraje I’ve ever eaten (a traditional Bahian street food), and by the end of the 4 days I didn’t want to leave. It reminded me a lot of my experiences in La Isla, El Salvador, the community had the same strength and unity. We all cried while we were leaving, and I’m trying to figure out how to get myself back there.
Sickness and Health
Ok everyone, this section is not here to make you nervous, so please don’t worry. But my semi-illness has been a large part of my experience, so I wanted to relay it to you. I am learning about public health through visceral experience.
I’ve had a cough for 3 weeks now, and because of this cough I’ve been offered many many traditional remedies, in addition to various biomedical treatments. Nothing has cured it, but some things have helped. My favorites were probably the fresh black pepper that someone in Alecrim picked off of a tree for me. It definitely cleared my sinuses. Also, my host mother in Alecrim had to hear me cough all night, every night and she would wake up in the middle of the night to make me various remedies. The most common was basically a hot orange Julius- fresh squeezed orange juice, which was heated up and then combined with sugar and powdered milk. I never thought it would work, but it actually did. Once I got back to Salvador, I moved on to a “chazinho” (little tea) with garlic, onion, lime and some leaf/grass. It didn’t me from coughing, but I’m sure that it made me healthier somehow.
Last week we were going on house visits through a public health system program and I fainted. That was fun. We think it was probably because I’ve had some congestion in my ears that threw off my balance.
After this, my host mother decided that I no longer had a choice about the matter and that I was going to the doctor. I had kind of tried to avoid it because I didn’t think it was serious, but by this point I was so tired of coughing all through the night I was willing to do anything.
My host mother works at a public health clinic at UFBA, the federal university, so I got to have some very experiential learning about the public health care system. I got very fast and attentive care, and more medical attention that I think I’ve ever gotten. I got some radiogram of my heart (I don’t think that’s what it’s called) and an x-ray of my chest. So no one worry, we’ve ruled our TB and Pneumonia.
So now- after traditional remedies and a lot of SUS health care, I’m on antibiotics, cough syrup, and allergy medication, and at least one of them is working because I can actually sleep through the night without waking myself up coughing.
This Wednesday I'm going to Ilha de Mare, a rural island on the ocean!!!!
tchau amigos/as
So some bullet points on things that I’ve done with my program:
• Lectures on racism and human rights, culture, traditional healing, a Sistema Unica de Saúde (SUS- Brazil’s public health system),
• Visited a Candomblé Terreiro
• Went to a small village, Alecrim, for 4 days, lived with families, and learned about how SUS works in a rural community
• Visited a few hospital (for various reasons)
• Visited many HIV/AIDS facilities and organizations
So it’s been really busy. Everything has been very interesting, but at times it’s been a bit frustrating because we are in school from 9-4, which means that I have to leave my house at 8, and I don’t get back until 5. On top of that we have homework, which means it can be very difficult to do anything else, such as dance classes, capoeira, or meeting friends outside of the program. We also are in and out of the city, because we have many excursions, such as the one to Alecrim. I think that I thought that I would have a chance to be more settled, but I’ve come to accept that my experience isn’t really going to be about settling down in one place, but rather about experiencing lots of different things. Although I still have about 2 months left in the program, I will only be in Salvador for about 3 more weeks, because we have 2 trips and then we begin our ISPs, the Independent Study Projects, and I will probably go outside of the city for that.
But now, I’m going to try and look back on my time here:
Fica Vontade
Fica Vontade, basically means “make yourself at home” and has been the theme of my time in Brazil, especially while I was in Alecrim. Alecrim is a small rural community in the Recôncavo, a region of Bahia that surrounds the Bay of All Saints. The Recôncavo is the birthplace of the Samba, and Cachoeira, one of the largest cities there, is known as the heart of Afro-Brazilian culture. We went to Alecrim to experience life in a rural community and understand how the PSF, the primary care units of the Brazilian public health system, function. It was undoubtedly one of my best weeks in Brazil.
The week before had been particularly difficult for me. We were trying to finish our ISP proposals, which was not only stressful because we have to pick a topic, but also because it’s extremely difficult to research the necessary secondary sources because we don’t have consistent internet, and the libraries close soon after we get out of school. I was also stressing out because it was very difficult for me to do the things I had imagined- take dance classes, capoeira, meet people outside of my program. I think I was also at the 3 week points in any trip, when things are no longer brand new and exciting, but things aren’t comfortable or easy either.
So basically, I was not having such a great week, and then we got on a bus, drove 2 hours, and we were in this beautiful small community, with lots of green, fruit trees, and fresh air. I love Salvador, but it was so nice to get away from the concrete, street vendors and hustle and bustle. It was also really nice to be a part of a small community. This was the first time that SIT had stayed with host families in Alecrim, so it was a very new and special experience for everyone. For some of the people in the community, it was their first contact with people from the United States. The community went out of their way to make us feel at home, and my host mother said “Fica vontade” at least 20 times every hours.
While we were there we visited the PSFs, went to community events, such as a screening of documentary about the history of the region, talked with a traditional healer, and then the community had a Samba de Roda on our last night. Samba de Rosa is the type of Samba in Bahia, and it is often called the most authentic type. It was born in the Recôncavo, and it very linked with West African dance traditions. We all danced, ate the best Acaraje I’ve ever eaten (a traditional Bahian street food), and by the end of the 4 days I didn’t want to leave. It reminded me a lot of my experiences in La Isla, El Salvador, the community had the same strength and unity. We all cried while we were leaving, and I’m trying to figure out how to get myself back there.
Sickness and Health
Ok everyone, this section is not here to make you nervous, so please don’t worry. But my semi-illness has been a large part of my experience, so I wanted to relay it to you. I am learning about public health through visceral experience.
I’ve had a cough for 3 weeks now, and because of this cough I’ve been offered many many traditional remedies, in addition to various biomedical treatments. Nothing has cured it, but some things have helped. My favorites were probably the fresh black pepper that someone in Alecrim picked off of a tree for me. It definitely cleared my sinuses. Also, my host mother in Alecrim had to hear me cough all night, every night and she would wake up in the middle of the night to make me various remedies. The most common was basically a hot orange Julius- fresh squeezed orange juice, which was heated up and then combined with sugar and powdered milk. I never thought it would work, but it actually did. Once I got back to Salvador, I moved on to a “chazinho” (little tea) with garlic, onion, lime and some leaf/grass. It didn’t me from coughing, but I’m sure that it made me healthier somehow.
Last week we were going on house visits through a public health system program and I fainted. That was fun. We think it was probably because I’ve had some congestion in my ears that threw off my balance.
After this, my host mother decided that I no longer had a choice about the matter and that I was going to the doctor. I had kind of tried to avoid it because I didn’t think it was serious, but by this point I was so tired of coughing all through the night I was willing to do anything.
My host mother works at a public health clinic at UFBA, the federal university, so I got to have some very experiential learning about the public health care system. I got very fast and attentive care, and more medical attention that I think I’ve ever gotten. I got some radiogram of my heart (I don’t think that’s what it’s called) and an x-ray of my chest. So no one worry, we’ve ruled our TB and Pneumonia.
So now- after traditional remedies and a lot of SUS health care, I’m on antibiotics, cough syrup, and allergy medication, and at least one of them is working because I can actually sleep through the night without waking myself up coughing.
This Wednesday I'm going to Ilha de Mare, a rural island on the ocean!!!!
tchau amigos/as
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Body Notes #1
My body is so happy right now. I just had possibly my favorite dance class ever, a delicious nourishing meal, a jump in a pool, shower and pineapple jello. Really, could it get better?
We had an Afro-Brazilian dance professor come today, and she led us through some capoeira, dance of the blocos afro and samba. She was one of the most beautiful women I've every seen, with pulsing muscles and curves. She didn't speak English, but was one of the best communicators I've every met, using her body, voice, sound to let us know what we were doing. (Also, my Portuguese is rapidly improving.)
Usually when I dance, I have some level of self-doubt and self-consciousness. Even though I love to dance, in a class setting I feel like I am trying to prove myself and my title as a "dancer." At the beginning of the class I felt a little like that, because I've talked with a lot of people about dance here, but I really tried to focus on being in my own body and not compare myself to anyone. By the end, I felt completely present in my body, just moving and sweating and singing.
The fact that I am such an outsider actually helps to some extent because I feel like I have very little to prove in my capabilities, I am here to learn. When I was younger I often felt that I had to "prove" my black identity through dance. And even though dance is such an important part of black identity in Brazil, I've matured to a point where I no longer feel that pressure and since I am definitely not Brazilian, it is obvious that I will not ever have a black-Brazilian identity. With that pressure off I'm able to let go and enjoy myself much more.
This class was perfect because one of my major goals for my time here is to take dance classes and this instructor teaches a class twice a week that I plan to take and I'm thinking that she might be a great resource for my ISP. Just in all, everything feels so right. I just have a sense that I'm in the right place, at the right time.
tchau!
We had an Afro-Brazilian dance professor come today, and she led us through some capoeira, dance of the blocos afro and samba. She was one of the most beautiful women I've every seen, with pulsing muscles and curves. She didn't speak English, but was one of the best communicators I've every met, using her body, voice, sound to let us know what we were doing. (Also, my Portuguese is rapidly improving.)
Usually when I dance, I have some level of self-doubt and self-consciousness. Even though I love to dance, in a class setting I feel like I am trying to prove myself and my title as a "dancer." At the beginning of the class I felt a little like that, because I've talked with a lot of people about dance here, but I really tried to focus on being in my own body and not compare myself to anyone. By the end, I felt completely present in my body, just moving and sweating and singing.
The fact that I am such an outsider actually helps to some extent because I feel like I have very little to prove in my capabilities, I am here to learn. When I was younger I often felt that I had to "prove" my black identity through dance. And even though dance is such an important part of black identity in Brazil, I've matured to a point where I no longer feel that pressure and since I am definitely not Brazilian, it is obvious that I will not ever have a black-Brazilian identity. With that pressure off I'm able to let go and enjoy myself much more.
This class was perfect because one of my major goals for my time here is to take dance classes and this instructor teaches a class twice a week that I plan to take and I'm thinking that she might be a great resource for my ISP. Just in all, everything feels so right. I just have a sense that I'm in the right place, at the right time.
tchau!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Getting Oriented
Hey Hey Hey,
I started orientation today. I feel very orientated and I'm very excited not only about the content of our program, but also about the philosophy and methodology behind SIT. Our director is an awesome physician/psychiatrist/anthropologist/health activist. Our program it definitely going to be very busy, with lots of excursions and outings.
I've had a bit of culture shock because I went from the city center during Carnaval, which was full of music and dancing and constant stimulation, to a very nice house in the suburbs by the airport. It's kind of like a retreat. We even have a swimming pool!
But during Carnaval we were on our own schedules with lots of different people, but here we really just sit around and get oriented- except we don't really know where we are in the city.
But tomorrow in addition to my first official Portuguese class we have an afro-Brazilian dance class! I am so incredibly excited, especially because I think that I will focus my independent research on the role of dance in empowerment. Damiana, our director, was really excited about the topic and supportive.
Also, I have been eating the most delicious food here, which is a huge step up from my ramen diet at the hostel. There are so many delicious vegetables, fruits and juices. Below is a photo of the spread. Bring on the delicious Brazilian food!!!
Also, here is a link to a picasa album with the few photos I took of Carnaval
I started orientation today. I feel very orientated and I'm very excited not only about the content of our program, but also about the philosophy and methodology behind SIT. Our director is an awesome physician/psychiatrist/anthropologist/health activist. Our program it definitely going to be very busy, with lots of excursions and outings.
I've had a bit of culture shock because I went from the city center during Carnaval, which was full of music and dancing and constant stimulation, to a very nice house in the suburbs by the airport. It's kind of like a retreat. We even have a swimming pool!
But during Carnaval we were on our own schedules with lots of different people, but here we really just sit around and get oriented- except we don't really know where we are in the city.
But tomorrow in addition to my first official Portuguese class we have an afro-Brazilian dance class! I am so incredibly excited, especially because I think that I will focus my independent research on the role of dance in empowerment. Damiana, our director, was really excited about the topic and supportive.
Also, I have been eating the most delicious food here, which is a huge step up from my ramen diet at the hostel. There are so many delicious vegetables, fruits and juices. Below is a photo of the spread. Bring on the delicious Brazilian food!!!
Also, here is a link to a picasa album with the few photos I took of Carnaval
 |
| Brazil 2011 |
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Real Life Begins
Today is the first day of my real life in Brazil. It's the last day of Carnaval, but we have to miss it to go to the airport, meet our group and begin orientation. Carnaval has been a great time, and we've all had a wonderful vacation, but it will be nice to have regular meals and sleep more than 4 hours. I don't know if I have the stamina to continue the Carnaval pace of life anymore.
I'll have orientation for 5 days and then move in with my host family and begin classes on Monday.
I'll have orientation for 5 days and then move in with my host family and begin classes on Monday.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Food #1: An Introduction
Ok, since I'm obsessed with food, I thought I would give a little food blog.
This should be the first of many, because unlike most other times I travel, I haven't actually eaten that much different kinds of food because I know that once I move into my host family I will have copious amounts of delicious Brazilian food fed to me on a regular basis. So currently, I am feeding myself as cheaply as possible, with lots of Brazilian ramen nooodles, but I have tried a few things
*Caiparinha- the national drink with cachaca, lime and sugar
*Feijoada- the national dish. It's a bean and meat stew served over rice. I had it at a not so stellar restaurant (Mom, yours was better) so I'll give an update once I've tried more
*Cheese on a stick- this street food has become a staple of my diet. It is literally a rectangle of cheese, which tastes sort of like mozarella, which is on a stick, then they grill it on a little pot of coals. It's best when it's topped with herbs and this sweet molasses/honey sauce. It sounds weird, but it delicious.
*Lots and lots of fruit
*Acai- Ian, thanks for giving me the heads up about this one. It is a delicious thick smoothie made with acai and the fruit of your choice (mine is mango) and then topped with granola. You eat it with a spoon and it is the best icy treat in this weather.
Other than food I have been dancing in the streets in Carnaval and sitting on the beach during the day. I tried to take pictures, but my disposable camera was stolen 5 minutes into Carnaval on the first night, so I decided to wait until after Carnaval to start taking picture. If you want to see pictures, you should look Salvador Carnaval up online, because that's pretty much what it looks like.
Overall, I'm loving Salvador. There is literally ALWAYS beautiful music playing, people sitting in the streets and sunshine. My hostel has been really fun, full of fun travelers in addition to about 7 people who will also be on the SIT study abroad program.
That's all for now. Lots of love.
This should be the first of many, because unlike most other times I travel, I haven't actually eaten that much different kinds of food because I know that once I move into my host family I will have copious amounts of delicious Brazilian food fed to me on a regular basis. So currently, I am feeding myself as cheaply as possible, with lots of Brazilian ramen nooodles, but I have tried a few things
*Caiparinha- the national drink with cachaca, lime and sugar
*Feijoada- the national dish. It's a bean and meat stew served over rice. I had it at a not so stellar restaurant (Mom, yours was better) so I'll give an update once I've tried more
*Cheese on a stick- this street food has become a staple of my diet. It is literally a rectangle of cheese, which tastes sort of like mozarella, which is on a stick, then they grill it on a little pot of coals. It's best when it's topped with herbs and this sweet molasses/honey sauce. It sounds weird, but it delicious.
*Lots and lots of fruit
*Acai- Ian, thanks for giving me the heads up about this one. It is a delicious thick smoothie made with acai and the fruit of your choice (mine is mango) and then topped with granola. You eat it with a spoon and it is the best icy treat in this weather.
Other than food I have been dancing in the streets in Carnaval and sitting on the beach during the day. I tried to take pictures, but my disposable camera was stolen 5 minutes into Carnaval on the first night, so I decided to wait until after Carnaval to start taking picture. If you want to see pictures, you should look Salvador Carnaval up online, because that's pretty much what it looks like.
Overall, I'm loving Salvador. There is literally ALWAYS beautiful music playing, people sitting in the streets and sunshine. My hostel has been really fun, full of fun travelers in addition to about 7 people who will also be on the SIT study abroad program.
That's all for now. Lots of love.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
First things first
Hello Friends!!!!
I finally started a blog.
I will try to keep this updated. My goal is to write at least one blog a week. Hold me to it, because I will probably start slacking.
Here are a few random notes:
· So far things have been good. I arrived yesterday and was very proud of myself because I took a bus into town from the airport, and then I managed to use my limited Portuguese to ask for directions.
· My Portuguese is steadily improving. I’m sure I sound like an idiot a lot, but at least I’m trying.
· Yesterday I mostly just walked around, ate some food and had my first Caipirinha, Brazil’s national drink. It’s lime, sugar and Cachaca- a sugarcane liquor.
· I’ve met up with two women who will be on my study abroad program, and also some British students who are on their gap year. We all went to the beach today, and I got my first Brazilian sunburn.
· It’s really hot and sunny. There is music playing all the time.
· Carnaval starts tomorrow, so I don’t promise any updates for the next week, but I’ll try to give you the highlights when its over.
Tchau!
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