To be honest, it feels as if I have been in Brazil for weeks now! Quite a lot has happened, more than I can fit into this entry today. It took a while for me to get Internet access, but my host brother spent an hour updating my computer and sorting out my Ethernet so that I can use the wireless at my house! I try to be on Skype when I return from school, usually at 5pm Vermont time.
To begin…I lost my wallet at the Miami airport. It didn’t have too much money, but I did loose my credit card, debit card, drivers license, health insurance card, AND social security card! That was cool. Luckily my parents are wonderful and have taken care of everything for me. It was actually extremely stressful when I realized how hard it was to contact people, with no Internet and no cell phone of my own, and almost no service. No worries though, it was just the first of many bumps in the road.
Speaking of bumpy roads, whoa! Our ranch that we stayed at for orientation was about 40 minutes away from Belem on this very awful dirt road. It had so many HUGE potholes and what looked like frost heaves everywhere. Often the Kombi driver (Kombi=the off-road version of a VW bus) had to actually drive off the road with the whole car tilting over, in order to get around the potholes. Along the way, there were groups of houses and market areas. Here there is so much poverty and it’s not limited to one isolated area. Rather there are houses with swimming pools next to houses made of ragged scrap wood. And from many of these very small deteriorating houses, we could see TVs glowing from inside. It was all quite shocking to me. I later learned that because here in Belem it is always so warm, people really only use their homes for sleeping. Therefore, Brazilians often invest much more energy into maintaining their yards and gardens, rather than their houses. This helped explained a little, but the poverty here is undeniable.
Orientation at the ranch was a bit boring, and I think it stressed me out more than anything. Again, not being able to contact the US was really stressful with my money and identity potentially being stolen. I like the group and am starting to get over the initial awkward steps of making friends, yay. At the ranch I saw a HUGE cockroach, I don’t have the picture, but I’ll upload it when I find out who does. It was about as long as my hand, and was actually quite beautiful. I also saw a tarantula, and someone saw to monkeys.
We were able to go to a mangrove forest in the Amazon, which was awesome. A mangrove has no land, only water and mud. The tides here are the largest in the world, about 5 meters, because the land is so flat. So in a mangrove there is a lot of seawater that comes in and out with the tide. Therefore, anything that lives there must be tolerant of lots of salt, no oxygen, and varying conditions throughout the day as the tide changes. As a result of these extreme conditions, there are very few species that can survive in mangroves; only 4 types of trees, crabs, shrimp, and many fish come to spawn and attract birds. The mangroves don’t offer much for timber, but boatloads of crabs are harvested everyday, beyond what is actually sustainable. Also, now people have begun to make shrimp farms which fence off an area of the mangrove, to keep the water in and allow the shrimp to grow much larger than normal. Under these conditions, the plot is extremely likely to be infected and so the farmers must use antibiotics. Eventually, the bacteria become resistant and the antibiotics stop working after about 2 or 3 years. Then the plot is abandoned and the antibiotic-contaminated waters are drained back into the mangrove. This and the overexploitation of crab are threatening the mangrove ecosystem and thus threatening those communities that depend on the mangroves.
This trip was actually really wonderful; we got to ride into the Amazon on a really loud and small boat for about 2 hours. After the mangroves, we went to a beach and swam in waves that must have been at least 6 feet high. Then we went and ate lunch at a fisherwoman’s fish house. A fish house is where people stay during the week when they must fish. These are one small (15 by 15 feet) rooms raised up on stilts and pieced together by scrap wood. There was a rusty refrigerator in the corner that didn’t work, but helped keep bugs away from the catch. The bathroom was the ocean or a tree…whichever you prefer. The sink was a bowl of water and a hole in the floor. A North American company wants to build a port in this area, and is claiming it will bring great development. Brazil is close to agreeing to this, as they expect is will create many jobs, increase trade and industry in the region, and ultimately improve standard of living. However, as the fisherwoman explained to us, those new jobs will not go to the populations living here because they do not know how to operate machinery. No fish will stay around if there is a port here, and so what will the native people do for food and a job. People will move here, in great numbers, and with this there will be crime, drugs, and prostitution. This proposed project is a great example of the need to assess whom development is for. If this port is built, it may improve the national GDP, but it will not improve the lives of the communities of the region. Instead they will be indirectly forced to give up their way of life, and become part of the urban poor.
To say the least, it was a terrifying moment when the van drove a way and people began to stare at me inquisitively. And I knew what was coming, as I had read a previous student’s blog, so I can only imagine the shock everyone else in my group had when they realized what they had to do. But, it was actually one of the best afternoons so far! The first man I asked was really nice but I couldn’t understand much of what he said. I then asked an older man who turned out to speak Spanish. From him I was able to get answers to both my questions. So after 30 minutes, I was ready to leave but still had 2 and a half hours to wait for the van. I decided to continue talking to people, and am glad I did. Once I was able to convey that I knew how ridiculous my situation was, people really opened up to me. We would all laugh together at my lack of understanding and people really tried to help me. After another 30 minutes I decided to take down some notes and rest on the beach. After about 40 minutes, two young girls approached me. They sat and talked to me for the rest of the time. When I say talk I mean I asked a silly basic question in really broken Portuguese and Spanish, they laughed answered and repeated until I understood or could pronounce their words.
I was completely blown away by how friendly everyone was and how they were willing to help such an obvious American stranger who wasn’t buying anything from them. This really is the point of the drop off; to show you that communication is more than grammar and vocabulary, and that it is ok to make mistakes…in fact it can be fun!
So espedate is the name of a large fish, a hotel, and the port that they want to build in the mangrove. Tourism is extremely important to the village; in fact it is how they survive! Again, houses were very small and simple with no furniture and no privacy. But the people are so happy and good spirited!
After this experience I was placed in Intermediate Portuguese…I know, surprising right? We’ve only had a few classes, but I’ve improved so much already. I can understand a lot more than I can speak. I think the hardest part is the pronunciation, as it is very complicated and counter-intuitive to those who have studied Spanish. Living with my host family is definitely the best learning experience.
About my host family, they are wonderful! My host mom is so kind and patient. She keeps saying that she is so happy I am here with her. She has 2 daughters, but I’ve only seen them once or twice. Her son, Arthur, has only been here for 2 days. He’s a really nice guy and he laughs a lot, especially at my lack of understanding. He gives me lots of treats and was a huge help with figuring out my computer issues. My host-cousin also lives here, but I don’t see him much. He speaks English really well, which is helpful when I really need to understand something. Yesterday I got to meet extended family and friends and left feeling very content. I talked with two older men most of the time, who were so kind and welcoming. One is learning English and so he asked me many questions about my studies, Obama, and the culture of Jeffersonville ☺ ! I could tell he is extremely smart, but has not been given an adequate education. He wants to go to the US so badly, in order to learn English and be immersed in a different culture. When I asked him where he said New Orleans, New York, or maybe Miami. I hope he can one day. The conversation reminded me how fortunate I am to be here.
It’s been a week of highs and lows. Lots of new food, some good (fried fish) and some bad (liver), lots of new friends and family, lots of new vocab, etc etc. I leave tomorrow for a 3-day excursion to Sao Francisco. We will be looking at how the forest recovers and changes with deforestation. I will have more updates when I return!
I miss everyone so much! I hope everyone is enjoying life, wherever you are. To my dear grandfather, I will miss you always. You have influenced me in more ways than one, and I would not be here with the mud and bugs if you had not shown me nature’s beauty. Rest in peace.
There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society where none intrudes,
By the deep sea and the music in its roar;
I love not man the less, but Nature more.
-Lord Byron
There is rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society where none intrudes,
By the deep sea and the music in its roar;
I love not man the less, but Nature more.
-Lord Byron
