Volunteer in Mission to Brazil

06 November 2005

And the beat goes on

It is so difficult to find the "perfect time" to write--I will need to learn to record just a few things and not wait until I have hours to record everything I had in mind. But to catch up from a previous post, banks are quite different here. First of all, they have several type of ATM machines, but many of them are only for specific types of transactions (i.e. not withdrawing cash) and are only for customers of that specific bank. Knowing this from my previous visits to Brazil, I went in search of an ATM machine that I thought would do the trick. There are several banks in my neighborhood, so I saw one had a sign with the kind of ATM I needed ("24 hours") and ventured inside. After several unsuccessful attempts to withdraw money, I decided to try to go inside to the teller area, that maybe the machine was there or I could ask somebody. There was a revolving door manned by a security guard, and I tried unsuccessfully to enter--the revolving door would not push any further--and the security guard asked me if I had any metal objects. Who knew?? It looked like a regular revolving door to me, but apparently it's equipped with a metal detector more sensitive than the ones at the airport. After removing my keys and trying to figure out what other metal objects I could possibly have besides coins, the guard finally let me through on the 3rd try. It turned out that the type of ATM I needed was actually down the street at the drugstore.

I'm slowly learning the bus system. It's interesting because each bus here is manned by two people, a driver and a ticket taker/money collector, even though most of the buses now accept electromagnetic cards on which you can deposit money and have the bus fare automatically deducted by holding the card up in front of the sensor. You can also buy paper tickets for specific bus routes. These tickets are often provided by employers (and frequently sold by the employees).

Unless you are a senior citizen or other exception, you enter the bus through the front door and squeeze through the turnstile to go to the back 2/3 of the bus, where you sit or stand, and from which you'll exit. I was relieved to see that I am not the only person who has difficulty with getting past the turnstile and that it's not solely a function of your size but also what you're carrying, the age of the particular bus, etc.

Although the bus system is probably the main form of transportation for the majority of folks, there is also a flourishing illegal taxi/bus service that is nicknamed "perueiro," taken from the name of a popular type of van, the "perua." These vans/cars will wait at the major bus stops and holler out their destinations, which follow the major bus routes. If they don't round up enough passengers at the main stop, they will continue to drive along the bus route, stopping at the various stops along the way to holler out for more passengers. The perueiros accept the bus tickets as well as cash. Generally, people that live in a more distant neighborhood will ride only with perueiros from their neighborhood that they know. I have not attempted the metro/subway system yet because it does not come to my neighborhood.

Many of the cars here operate on alcohol, natural gas, gasoline or a combination of two or more of those. Gas is very expensive (about 2.25 Reais/liter which works out to approximately $3.70/gallon). Despite the number of environmentally friendly vehicles, the pollution here is still formidable because of the numerous diesel trucks and buses that spew black smoke into the air.

I already knew that I would not feel comfortable driving here because it makes New York, Boston and even Italy look tame. You have the motorbikes that zoom in and out of traffic, pedestrians appearing from nowhere (even on the highways sometimes), and then the added throwback of horse- or mule-drawn carts (moreso in the suburbs). Even the ambulance drivers here have to play "chicken" to get through the traffic. And although it's been said many times before, stop signs and even traffic lights are just a "suggestion" much of the time.

It's spring here, and the rainy season, although the rainy part didn't really kick in until this past week. The temperatures have ranged from about 65-75 F last week and 68-90 F the week before (which was unseasonably warm). It's funny that when it's less than 70F, you see a few people in turtle neck sweaters and such.

This state is called Minas Gerais ("General Mines") and the people are called "Mineiros." They are known for their love of cheese and bread, among other things. Cheese appears everywhere at every meal. Pinto-type beans and rice are a staple of every lunch, and the barbecue meat that can be found throughout the country is also popular here.

One of the fascinating things about experiencing a new culture is to see how different flavors are used and combined. For example, I bought some mint/pineapple tea in the store. One of the country's popular sodas is called "Guaraná," and it is made from a fruit which grows on trees in the Amazon region. It has a lot of caffeine and was described by a visitor as tasting like a combination of apple juice and ginger ale. The selection and taste of tropical fruits here is great. I'm not sold on the oranges or tomatoes, which always seem to be a little underripe.

The Brazilian people are really spectacularly beautiful. I think you can see every possible permutation of features derived from the combination of African, European and Indigenous peoples. It's funny that you never know where very curly hair will pop up on a fair-skinned, blue-eyed child, or light-colored eyes or straight hair on a darker-skinned child. Despite this thorough mixing of the races and cultures, there is still a very distinctive color line. The middle- and upper-classes are very noticeably lighter-skinned than the lower-class, and this is seen in neighborhoods, in workplaces and also in the churches. The worship service I attended at the Liberdade Project, which was not affliated with a particular church, had a majority of brown people, but the three Methodist churches I've visited thus far have been predominantly White. At first glance, I was discouraged because the congregations seem somewhat detached from the disadvantaged population, but then I have to go back to learn more about their programs in the community, and, besides, this situation is very similar to that of the Methodist churches in the U.S.

So far, Brazil feels like one big family. For example, the woman with whom I'm staying has connections not only to her biological children and extended family, but also "adopted" individuals who are honorary family members. It seems like everybody knows somebody that you know, so the degrees of separation are much less than six. People that just meet you invite you for dinnner or to call them if you need anything, and they are serious. Although I've only known the people at the Liberdade Project for three weeks, they already feel like family, and I feel like hero returning from the war everytime I simply show up. The staff, volunteers and children at both projects are very warm, friendly and helpful.

To wind things up for this post, I had my first "live music" experience last night, when I went with new friends to a restaurant that was featuring live "forro" music (kind of upbeat country music to which many people dance). You don't pay the cover charge until you want to leave, which is very different from the U.S. As a matter of fact, you can not leave without the receipt saying you've paid for your cover charge plus anything else you ordered. All the waiters I've seen here so far have been men. The crowd was a nice mix age- and color-wise. So even though they may not so much equality or mixing at home, work or church, there definitely is more on the social circuit.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home