What have I learned?

Sadly, I am preparing for my flight back to the United States.  I have honestly loved every moment of the last 5 months I have spent here in Brazil and it's going to be difficult to reflect back on everything I have learned and how I have grown as a person, but I'll try here:

First of all, this is the first time in my life I have moved to a completely foreign country.  I have lived in the United States and Italy, but my mother is American and my father is Italian so it really does not count as "foreign" in my book.  I previously had little to no contact with the Brazilian culture and the Portuguese language.  In addition to this, I arrived here completely alone.  Without knowing anyone in Belo Horizonte.  Yup, I was crazy.

The first (obvious) thing I learned was Portuguese.  Before I arrived in Brazil, I studied the basics (e.g. grammar and like 1,000 vocab words) in order to get by.  I practiced it a bit while I was on dialogue in Switzerland with my Brazilian professor, Denise Garcia, and the first time I went to Brazil in May for 2 weeks to visit my friend Ricardo in Recife.  However, I developed my skills the most since I arrived here in Belo Horizonte.  I still remember during my first week when I met people and I had to constantly look up words in my phone dictionary that I did not know.. or worse yet... when I kept going to Subway and they kept adding some mystery meat item to my sandwich, to which I would have to tell them I am vegetarian and look apologetically as they threw away the sub they had just made. 

Nowadays, I am fine with Portuguese in any situation.  I read, write, and speak it daily and I have no issues expressing anything I want to say.  I guess this is what happens when you only speak Portuguese every day for 5 months and your only friends are Brazilian.  

Again with the obvious observations, I learned a lot about Brazil itself.  Before I came here, my knowledge of Brazil was limited to Dilma, the names of a few cities, the Amazon, and the fact people here speak Portuguese.  Now I can tell you the name of all 26 states and their capitals.  If someone speaks to me, I can tell you exactly where in Brazil they are from.  I can name all of the influential presidents, architects, and other figures in Brazil's history.  You get the point.  Living somewhere is different from studying it because the facts are literally all around you.  I cannot tell you how many times I have heard "This building was built by the famous Oscar Niemeyer" or "Lula did this." Then of course, the biweekly protests also add to my knowledge of Brazilian politics.

In regards to safety, I have learned to become more aware of my surroundings, "street smarts" if you will.  I was assaulted once and there is no way I am letting that happen again.  Living in Brazil, you need to always be aware what is happening around you and be prepared for everything.  Never have I lived in a place where I have had to use these skills (Hawaii? Boston? Rome? Yeah no) so this experience in Brazil has allowed me to improve my guard and learn how to protect myself in violent countries.

Lastly, I have learned that you do not need much to be happy.  In recent years, I have become less and less materialistic.  Here in Brazil, there are so many people who do not have a lot - yet you will never see their smile fade away.  I am also blown away by how nice everyone is.  Here in Brazil, you know everyone.  The shopkeeper, the baker, the grocery store manager.  They know you name, they know your story.  You're friends with everyone you interact with.  However, in Boston and most other places, this is a very foreign concept.  

In general, there is this sort of vibe in Brazil that I have never found anywhere else, and it keeps me wanting to return here after I graduate.  

Chasing Waterfalls as Usual

Ever since I arrived here in Belo Horizonte I have wanted to go to Serra do Cipó.

Backstory:  As most of you know, I grew up in Hawai'i where I always used to go on crazy hikes and hunt for waterfalls.  During my first month here, everyone kept telling me that there was a place near Belo Horizonte where I could do this called Serra do Cipó.  Unfortunately, it was nearly impossible to find people to go with me, considering well - all of my friends are Brazilian and many are caught in the "work, study, sleep" flow and have a lesser desire to explore.

That was until I met Camila.  We all know her! She's been in a few of my posts already.  On the first day I met her over 3 months ago, she promised me we would go to Serra do Cipó together, and on Sunday, we finally went.

My adventure started when I somehow woke up at 6am.  I am not an early riser, like I have mentioned on numerous occasions, but I will wake up for an adventure.

I ran around to gather my hiking gear and my GoPro.  Camila told me to head outside my apartment at 6:30 and wait for her friend Priscilla to pick me up.  Soon enough, she screeched by in a large truck with her boyfriend, Reinaldo, and their friend, Breyner.  I hopped into the truck and we were off to pick up Camila.

It was just about over 3 hours until we reached Serra do Cipó.  However, we did for breakfast halfway through out in the countryside.  This was a typical meal of coffee and pão de queijo (Brazilian cheese bread).

After arriving at Serra do Cipó's parking lot, Reinaldo told us it was time to apply the sunscreen and the repellent.  Not only was there going to be a ton of sun shining directly on us, but the rainforest is full of mosquitoes as well!

We prepared ourselves accordingly and then headed to the main entrance in order to rent bikes.  Yes, rent bikes.

Backstory #2:  Previously, I had ridden a bike once in my life.  I was sixteen and I rode through a parking lot back in Hawai'i.  I honestly have no idea how I ended up agreeing to do this path on a bike - but hey, it's an adventure right?

The credit card machine was not working so I had to pay in cash.  It came out to 50 reais, or about 15 dollars.  I only had 45 reais and the renter said it would work.

 This is another cultural difference I would like to point out.  In the United States, exact change and exact payment is a lot more common than in Brazil.  Usually in Brazil, if you're one or two reais off from the listed price, the attendant will work with you.  In addition, if you're receiving change, you may not receive exact change.  In fact, you may receive either a little less or a little more than you should have.  This is because many places here do not have a lot of change at their disposal to give to you.

Before embarking on the 30 kilometer journey.  Yes.  30 kilometers.  Camila and I drove around the parking lot in our bikes to practice our techniques.  She, of course, had no issues.  I was pedaling around on the gravel like a lost child for about 10 minutes before I could finally find some sort of balance on the bicycle.

From there, we took off.  We were heading straight to Caniôn dos Bandeirantes.  This trip was about 13 kilometers straight along a path which constantly went from wide to narrow, dirt to rocks, large swaths of mud, and crossed streams of water.  I was, naturally, the last person out of all 5 of us in the group to reach every landmark along the journey.  After a few minutes, I'd either drive directly into a wall or unwillingly stop in a patch of sand.  Throughout it all,  I could actually feel myself burning from the sunlight as I pedaled for my life to reach the canyon.

Along the path we also found tons of fruit such as pineapples and mangos.

About 3 kilometers before reaching the canyon, we had to wade through a river and I ended up completely soaking my sneakers and the bike.  The water was freezing but refreshing.

Once we arrived at the canyon, I gladly tied my bike to a tree and we began the next part of the adventure: climbing rocks.

This part was easy for me.  In order to reach the natural pool further in the canyon, we needed to pass hundreds of large rocks and boulders.  I effortless skipped across them while everyone else was taking a bit longer.  I felt I needed the confidence boost after my horrible bicycle experience.

The view was beautiful at the part of the hike, and soon enough, we had lunch and dove into the water.

But then I found the water too cold so I ended up getting out to climb more rocks alongside the pool.

After enjoying the water and the views for about an hour, we decided it was time to head to Farofa Waterfall!  In order to reach this waterfall, we would need to head back around 7 kilometers on the trail we had just done and take a fork in the road in a different direction.

Arriving at the fork was no easy task.  After having relaxed and swam for an hour, I was completely unable to pedal my bike.  It was as if all of the learning I had done went out the window.  With time and patience, I eventually made it to the fork and everyone in the group asked if I was willing to continue to the waterfall.  I did not even think twice, I mean, of course! I was not going to come all of this way without seeing a waterfall!

Camila's tire flattened unexpectedly and we had to make a call to the bike rental company to bring her a replacement bike.  In the meantime, Priscilla and Breyner stayed relatively close to the fork with their bikes to await the replacement as Camilla, Reinaldo, and I crossed a very narrow bridge and began our last leg of the journey to the waterfall.

Before long, we ended up wading in patches of still water.  The mosquito presence could definitely be felt.  Honestly, at this point, I was just glad we had left the bikes behind.

I found us a path through the water and after another half hour hike towards the valley, we arrived at the amazing Farofa Waterfall.  A rainbow span the width of the cascade, greeting us with its colorful presence as soon as we arrived.

We decided to lay on a large rock near the waterfall for a while.  Was it a half hour?  Was it an hour?  It was extremely relaxing, but we were soon reminded by Reinaldo that sunset was approaching and we needed to arrive back in civilization before nightfall.

I just remember pedaling into the horizon, trying to maintain my speed with the little energy I had.  After all, I had learned more biking in a few hours than most people had in four years, right?  When I finally arrived with the others at the main entrance, it was already dark.

Camila and I jumped into the car and laid down while everyone else talked outside for a bit.  Resting was well-needed.  But then, it was time for food.

There was a town nearby with a ton of restaurants all next to each other.  We found a nice pizzeria and all of us split a few pizzas.  I looked at my phone and it was already 10pm.  I had to wake up early for work the next day and we were still about 2 hours from Belo Horizonte.  Yeah, Monday was not going to be fun.

We got back into the car and Priscilla blasted some heavy metal on the radio.  I fell asleep.

Next thing I knew, it was 12:30am and I was arriving at home.  Once I got in, I collapsed in my bed.  Not taking time to look at how beat up my legs were from constantly ramming the bike into them and being bit by hundreds of mosquitoes.

Although it was challenging, I will never forget this crazy experience and now I am convinced I can do anything.

Serra da Piedade and Ouro Preto

As I grow older and live in more places,  I become more familiar I with the fact that living somewhere is vastly different from visiting.

When you are visiting somewhere, you are in the tourist mentality – your time is limited.  When I went to São Paulo earlier this month, I was waking up early and running around the city every day of my trip.  Why?  Because, well, I was in vacation mode.  Who knew when I was going to come back?   I only had a few days to explore everything the city had to offer!

I have been in Belo Horizonte for nearly 5 months, living.  The worst thing about living somewhere is the fact that you develop a routine.  The first period (a few weeks to a month) of your time spent living somewhere is called the “honeymoon” period because everything is still new.  You still appreciate everything as a tourist.  After this phase, you start to accept you are living somewhere relatively long-term and your day-to-day life becomes a dreary broken tape on repeat.  This has happened many times to me before, such as when I moved to Boston.  I love it here in Belo Horizonte, don’t get me wrong – I just hate the idea of being stuck in a routine when in reality there is so much to do.

I did not realize realize how stuck I was in a routine until I checked my calendar and realized I only had a month left in Brazil – that hit me like a load of bricks.

Since then, I have transformed my perspective.   Yes, I am still working both of my jobs, but I am now striving to use my free time more wisely opposed to watching Netflix and eating the same food every day.  

Two Fridays ago, I wrote in my journal (inspired by a few friends who did something similar) detailing my “Minas Gerais Bucket List.”  Minas Gerais is the state I live in.  In this list, I have included upwards of 80 restaurants, botecos, towns, and natural wonders that I am determined to explore before leaving Brazil.

So far, I have been pretty successful.

On that Saturday after work, I grabbed my friends Lucas and Paulo and we took an hour-long bus ride out of the city to Serra da Piedade.  This mountain is a tourist attraction for its natural beauty as well as the famous church, Nossa Senhora da Piedade, which lies at its peak. 

 What we did not know was that the bus was only going to take us to the foot of the mountain and we would have to find our own way to climb it.  Yikes.

There were 2 options:

1.        We could walk up the zig-zagging 5 kilometer road until we reached the top.

2.        I noticed a shortcut that would take us directly to the top through climbing the mountain itself.

I convinced Paulo and Lucas to go through with option 2 with me, I was not about walking 5 kilometers on a winding road.  

I was the leader of the group as we ascended the mountain on foot.  We climbed through bushes, navigated around cacti, and scaled rocks for upwards of an hour.  The trail was not extremely clear so our course itself was not too straight-forward.  However, we kept finding rouge beer bottles along the way which assured us that someone, at some time, had made the same journey.  Did I mention I was wearing flip-flops?

The view was spectacular by the way.

Once we reached the top, an hour later, it was time to relax.  Luckily, there were water fountains and a restaurant to greet us once we arrived.  The restaurant had unfortunately closed for lunch but they allowed us to take some pastries and cheeses for a whopping $4.  From the restaurant, we could see panoramic views of the countryside.

After leaving the restaurant, we took a footpath up to Nossa Senhora da Piedade.  The church was very beautiful and overlooked the valleys below. 

 However, I could not take pictures from within the church.  Also at the top of the mountain were hidden crypts and an observation deck to view the scene below.  The reward we received at the top of the mountain was well worth the trek, but as they always say – the fun is in the journey.

None of us were exactly thrilled about the prospects of hiking back down the mountain. It would take at least another tiring hour.  Instead of risking it, a few of us approached a tour bus and asked if they would shuttle us down to the bottom.  The nice leader agreed and we hopped on the bus – standing in the aisle.  It turns out the bus was a Christian tour bus for the elderly!  The entire way down, everyone prayed and sang Christian hymns in Portuguese.  I received some weird stares for not knowing the lyrics.  A woman with a thick Carioca (Rio de Janeiro) accent next to me told me “Well, now it’s a good time for you to learn!”

We eventually reached the bottom and thanked everyone for the ride.  Then we were stuck waiting at the bus stop, in the cold, for about 45 minutes.  There was no civilization in sight and only one of us had cell phone reception.  A rogue dog joined us at the bus stop and kept us company.  Unfortunately, we were not able to take him home with us.

Once we arrived back in Belo Horizonte, we took the metro to Santa Tereza, a neighborhood on my list that I had never visited.  Here, there was a boteco called “Fundos da Floresta.”  It was a mystical fairytale themed restaurant set in a forest in which the waitresses were dressed as fairies, there were mushrooms everywhere, and pixies were flying around.  We decided to order a few plates to share, which the menu touted, were “magical.”  These included fried biscuits with cauliflower, carrots, and peas (which were actually very good), and fried mandioca.  Mandioca is a root-based plant which resembles potatoes.  On the side, we ordered a “Fairy Nectar” drink to share which had a bunch of crazy ingredients that I do not remember.  However, there was chocolate.

After the restaurant, we all went home.  I, in fact, needed to prepare for the next day.

On Sunday, I woke up at 7:30am to meet my friend Camila at the bus station.  We were destined to go to Ouro Preto, one of the former capitals of Brazil.  Today, Ouro Preto is visited by tourists from all over the world coming to enjoy its natural beauty and clean golden colonial baroque-inspired town environment.  Ouro Preto means “Black Gold” in Portuguese by the way; this gives you a clue as to why the Portuguese settled here so soon.  It was once the richest city in the New World.  

After a two hour bus ride into the countryside, we arrived at the Ouro Preto bus station.  

As we stepped out of the bus station and into the brisk morning, we wondered where was the right place to start out adventure here in Ouro Preto.

Perhaps the giant church right in front of our faces?

This church was named Nossa Senhora das Mercês.  We walked around to the other side and found an incredible view of the city down below.  Unfortunately, the doors to the church were bolted shut so we were not allowed to enter.

In search of more information, we asked some women standing nearby the church about its history and its name.  A nice old lady, a self-proclaimed “born and raised” in Ouro Preto “gal,” came over to us and overloaded us with rich information about the history of the church and the city of Ouro Preto.

“Hey I’m heading into town to do some errands, would you both like to come with me?”

We followed her down towards the city center as she told us about what life was like growing up in Brazil’s former capital and social issues she continues to experience as an Afro-Brazilian woman.  

When we reached another central plaza with yet another panoramic view of Ouro Preto’s beauty, it was time to bid our new friend farewell.  She gave us each a hug and a kiss on the cheek before telling us to, if we ever come back to Ouro Preto, mention her name to someone on the street so she can find us and accommodate us.

We relaxed in this plaza for a view minutes, taking in the view, before deciding it was time for breakfast.  We had only eaten a pão de queijo before our 2-hour bus ride so the hunger was definitely starting to settle in.

Once we entered the main square, Praça Tiradentes, I immediately found somewhere that suited my interest.  “Chocolates Ouro Preto”  Yes, the word “Chocolates” was the buzzword that triggered my interest.

The kind hostess told us we could sit where we liked, so Camila and I found a nice vacant table in the center kind-of near a window with a view of the cobblestone street below.  

The menu was intimidating.  I wanted to order everything.  However, I was on a budget and I was also not trying to gain 100 pounds on a day trip, you know?

I settled with a traditional hot chocolate as a beverage, accompanied by Broa de Milho.  Camila told me that this form of corn bread was typical of the region we were in.  Update: It tasted amazing.

After enjoying our breakfast, we headed to Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Carmo.  This church was only a two minute walk up the road. We paid a quick entrance fee and took a stroll around the church.  Finished in 1772, the final product was gigantic, extravagant, and well – beautiful.  We walked through the mass area, the chapel, the altars, and everything else!  Camila also told me that back in the day, Brazilians were buried underneath the floorboards of the church.  Once the smell began to interfere with church services, the churches decided to build graveyards next door in order to move the bodies to a more secure location.  Because of this, about every church in Ouro Preto has a cemetery alongside it.

After leaving this church, we headed next door the Museum of Oratories.

This is where I learned something completely new.  Oratories, back in the days of colonial Brazil, were statues that families carried with them on their journeys for prayer.   Richer families tended to have larger, more extravagant oratories.  Poorer families, especially of African origin, generally constructed smaller oratories of cheaper material.

The museum had three floors of oratories and I found it extremely interesting to behold the different sizes, shapes, colors, and materials which composed each work.  Some of them were so large that it was impossible to imagine that someone would carry it on such a long journey!

After the Oratory Museum, Camila and I advanced to the Museum of the Inconfidentes.  The Inconfidentes are the rebels who were not confident in the Portuguese rule of Brazil during the colonial era and favored separation.  In this museum we found many cultural artifacts, oratories, and weapons from the era.

If you have not understood this yet, Ouro Preto is essentially full of museums and churches.  We were determined to visit all of them – or at least most.  We proceeded out of the main square down a side street to find Casa dos Contos.

In 1784, it was originally established as a center for tax collection.  Later on, it became a prison for the Inconfidentes and the headquarters of the Administration and Public Accountability of Minas Gerais.  Today, it is a museum which houses historical documents pertaining to Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, and Brazil as a whole.  In addition, it houses old coins and banknotes which date back to the founding of Brazil.  As an avid coin collector, I found this part pretty interesting.  

Afterwards, we decided to head further down into the city.  If you have not understood this by now, Ouro Preto is a city of hills – a lot of them.  We entered at the top, and to get around the city we have to constantly go up and down cobblestone-lined hills and turn along historic side streets.

Camila pointed at a sign which stated we could take “historic photos” for 10 reais each.  Why not?

We walked into the store where they were making the offer and the attendant dressed us both in colonial Brazilian clothing from head to toe.  This was the result:

Of course, we walked into yet another church.  Basílica de Nossa Senhora do Pilar.  Funny thing, one of my housemates was baptized here.  The church was probably my favorite one yet.  It was completely filled with gold and beautiful art designs from the walls to the ceilings.  A nice tour guide decided to give us a complimentary tour of the facilities and we left him a nice tip at the end.

Hunger returned yet again, and Camila and I journeyed back into Praça Tiradentes and descended into a basement to find an Italian-inspired Mineiro restaurant.  The waiter, around my age and wearing boardshorts, did not seem like he was from Ouro Preto. We talked a bit and I found out he was from Recife!  We talked about how amazing Recife was and he mentioned how he was already planning to move back.  After he served us our food, he threw on some old 80’s rock music and left Camila and I to our meal.  

Camila explained to me how on Sundays, Ouro Preto has a famous artisan market.  Christmas gifts perhaps?  We went there and I bought basically everything.  I am not going to post pictures because… well… I do not want people knowing what gifts I got for them.  On a funny note, every time I bought something, the saleslady tried to get me to pay an extra 20 reais for a bottle of Jabuticaba-flavored cachaça (essentially Brazilian vodka).  I decided it was better to buy more permanent gifts – and not alcohol.  Call me boring.  

We looked to my list for places I wanted to hit in Ouro Preto and there were still a few left.  A few meters away, we were able to find Igreja de São Franciso de Assis.  However, we were not able to enter.  We then found a church nearby down the road.  But, the gate leading us to this road was locked!

Long story short, a homeless man nearby told us if he were us, he would just jump the fence.  So we did.  Camila and I hopped over the rock wall and scurried down the street to the unknown church.

The fence to the church, opened, has a large sign on it “Access forbidden.”  Well, I mean, the gate was open right?  So Camila and I entered the yard of the church anyways.  

We sat on a nearby rock wall, listened to the Brazilian country music blasting out of a nearby house, and tried to figure out what the name of the church was in front of us. There was no name or sign telling us what the church was.  We decided to ask Google.  

No luck.

All of the churches in Ouro Preto essentially look the same on the outside, so it was a lost cause.  

Camila and I then gazed at the panoramic views surrounding us.  I counted five churches within sight.  I do not think I have ever seen so many in my life in one place!  There was one on the very top of a gigantic hill.  We had no idea which one it was!

Camila googled “Igreja no alto de Ouro Preto” and we received our answer.  Igreja Matriz de Santa Efigênia.  This church was made for the slaves, and actually on my list. Unfortunately, there was no way we would be able to reach it before our bus left to Belo Horizonte.  I would have to come back next time!

We slowly made our way back up the hill, anticipating our last moments in Ouro Preto.  Not wanting to leave so quickly, we decided to stop at a local coffee shop to buy some coffee, tea, and desserts.

After leaving the coffee shop, we headed back up the hill to the bus station and enjoyed the sunset.  It was an amazing day in Ouro Preto, and I can only hope one day to come back!

Crime?

So I was contemplating whether or not I would post about this.

I decided to write about what happened to me yesterday because I want everyone to be aware of the fact that while living abroad, unexpected things can happen and you should always be prepared.  In addition to this, this is relevant for anyone who plans to visit/work in Brazil.

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Ever since I arrived in Brazil, my friends would tell me stories about how they were robbed at gunpoint.  Their mom was threatened to handover her handbag with a knife at a stoplight.  They were attacked by a group of teenagers in broad daylight and their phone was stolen.  I always listened to their stories and tried to learn from them.  However, it was hard to a certain extent because I had never seen anything like this happen in front of my own eyes.

When I first arrived in Brazil, I was very cautious.  I used to never use my cellphone in the street no matter where I was.  I used to always look around me one hundred times per minute and check for any suspicious activity.  I did everything the textbook tells you to do.

However, what they don't tell you is, that when you live somewhere - you get comfortable.  Going four months without ever having to personally deal with a dangerous situation, I never really thought anything would happen to me.  Everyone I see in the "safe" neighborhoods uses their cell phone on the street and blasts music into their earphones, so why can't I?

Yesterday I was leaving my job at the school where I teach English thinking about what I was going to make for dinner.  It was still bright and sunny out since it's summer and well - the sun sets later on now.  In addition, this neighborhood is essentially one of the safest in my city.  Everyone always has their phone out, there's usually a lot of people on the street, etc.   I ended up talking to my mother on the phone about my day, like I always do around this time.  You already know what's gonna happen right?

All of a sudden I heard someone yell "EY" from behind me.  A large hand grabbed mine as I clenched onto my phone and two older men surrounded and assaulted me.  They continued struggling with me for a few seconds to grab my phone and they yelled for me to hand it over to them... when I remembered something my friends always told me:

Never fight back when someone is trying to rob you here in Brazil.  If they have a knife or a gun, they can kill you.

At this point I gave up.  I was flustered and I did not immediately see a weapon, but for all I know, they could've had something hidden in their pockets.

They took off running with my phone towards the nearby park and I, without thinking, took off running behind them.  As I ran, I yelled to everyone on the street "HELP ME THEY STOLE MY PHONE"  pointing at the bandits.

To my surprise, nobody really did anything.  They just stared awkwardly.  This was weird for me because I feel if this happened in most major cities in the United States, during the day around a large group of people, that someone would provide some assistance.  (I later learned this is because bystanders usually do not know if the assailant has a gun or other weapon on them and do not want to end up as victims as well)

The two men ended up running across the main avenue and disappearing out of sight.  I was sweating and full of adrenaline when I realized that people were yelling at me that there was a police car nearby.  The policemen told me to jump in and we went on a high-speed chase to find the crooks.

We ended up driving against traffic and going over sidewalks as everyone on the street kept telling us which streets the men turned onto.  They actually made it pretty far into the city center.

As we turned onto one avenue about 8 blocks down, we saw them slow down because they perceived they were safe.   The policemen jumped out of the car and quickly put them in handcuffs.

"This is them right?"  "Yeah I believe so."

I mean when you get attacked and robbed how easily do you really remember the faces of people?  I just remember a bright red shirt, which one of them had taken off and carried in his hands.

The policemen retrieved my phone from one of the men and I ended up hugging everyone.  They were telling me "No! Hug that officer, he's the one who found it!"  We ended up laughing and I ended up quickly going into the car to text my mother that I was ok.

For anyone who wasn't following, I was on the phone with her when I was attacked and they ran off.  She heard everything and, understandably, was freaking out.  In fact, I ended up receiving tons of texts from random friends I had not talked to in a while asking if I was ok.  My mother had published a long post on my Facebook Timeline telling everyone about the phone call and asking if anyone in Brazil knew where I was.

I came out of the car to find that, somehow, one of the criminals had punctured a hole in one of the tires and flattened it.  Shocked, the policemen led me into another van and we left to the police station.

As we arrived, I sat down - still trying to process everything that happened.  I went into an office and a policeman who was not originally with us turned to me.

"So, you came from the United States all the way here to commit a crime?  What a shame"

I looked around confused, maybe I understood him incorrectly?  "Uh sir, I'm not the criminal here.  I'm the victim."

He apologized and everyone laughed.  Then he asked me for some information for processing the paperwork as I talked to all of the policemen in the room.  Everyone was extremely kind and seemed shocked that I spoke Portuguese as a foreigner.  (Note: I can only imagine how much harder this entire situation would be if I didn't speak Portuguese)

I ended up in that room for a good two hours.  Then I ended up sitting outside in a different waiting room for another four.  My phone was on 1% and they kept asking to use it for evidence processing so I ended up pulling a book out of my backpack and reading.  At the same time, a lot of the officers who kept filing into the station asked me how living in Hawaii was and why I was living in Brazil.  I actually really enjoyed talking to everyone, but at the same time, I was dying of hunger because I had not eaten dinner.

My housemate ordered a pizza that arrived at 11pm but I was not even back home yet.  At 1am, a woman called me into her office for more processing and paperwork.  She then told me:

"Look, I'm going to give you my phone number on Whatsapp.  If you need anything, let me know."

At the same time, a lawyer who happened to be in the office as well started giving me a sales-pitch for his company and we talked for a good twenty minutes about how he wanted to expand to the United States.

At the end, the woman told me "Oh hey!  We might go out this weekend with some of the other officers.  Would you be interested in going to a club with us?"

Wait.  A bunch of police officers invited me to go out to a club with them?  Ok this definitely is not a thing back in the United States.

I said we'd keep in contact, but I was shocked more than anything.  Then she offered me some snacks as I waited to give my final statement to one of the officers.

Afterwards, they released me at 2am.  I ended up calling an Uber with my nearly non-existent battery and getting a ride home.

The Uber driver's name was Mike as well.

"Você foi assaltado?"  "Yeah"

As I got home, I heated up some pizza and fell asleep at 4am.  I had to wake up at 8 to work the next day.

--

At the end of the day, I am not trying to say that Brazil is a crazy dangerous place.  Like I mentioned in another post, Brazil is essentially a compromise.  Here in this country, terrorism is non-existent. Additionally, there are never any natural disasters such as hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes to worry about.  However, you always need to be wary on a small-scale about what is happening around you because large wealth disparities have made street crime and robbery very common.  A good portion of people I know have been assaulted and robbed at least once, many with weapons.

I was lucky that a gun was not drawn on me and that I ended up retrieving what was stolen from me.  Many people are not as lucky.  If you ever do come to Brazil, just like anywhere, you need to always take precautions and not get too comfortable.  I can safely say I will not be using my phone on the street at all for the remainder of my time here in Brazil.  It is always better to be on the safe side.

Regardless of what happened yesterday, I still love this beautiful country and I believe everyone should come here at some point to visit.  There will always be setbacks when living abroad but I am taking this as a lesson learned and making sure it never happens again.

Culture Shock? Difficulties in Moving to Brazil?

Everyone always asks me how difficult it was to move to another country.  Of course there are so many good parts, but what about the bad and the ugly?  I'm going to talk about that now in a candid post to all of you!

First and foremost, these are MY personal difficulties and they will not be the same for everyone.  Some people struggle more with other areas of their transition, or struggle less.

The first thing I want to talk about is this "Culture Shock" phenomenon we all talk about.

If we're going off the title, I don't really think the Brazilian culture necessarily "shocked" me at all.  The culture here is very similar to two cultures I am extremely familiar with (Hawaiian, Sicilian) in that people are very friendly and hospitable, you greet people by kissing and hugging, etc.

I actually have a theory that people who live in warmer climates, closer to the Equator, share a lot in common culturally.

Anyways,  adjusting to the culture itself was not really difficult.  However, culture shock theory talks a lot about different periods of adjustment.  For example, when you first move somewhere, you're in that "honeymoon phase" where everything is perfect.  Then after a while, things get a bit tough as reality sets in and you start to realize "wow I really live here."  Then at the end, everything normalizes and you feel at home.

This is essentially what happened to me here in Brazil.  July felt like a dream.  I was new to the country, new to the city.  I was so overwhelmed to be living in this amazing place.  Everything was so new and fresh.  But then later in August and September, the difficulties I had came right in front of me (which I will address now).

1.  Loneliness -
Let's not forget that I came to Brazil knowing essentially nobody.   The first few weeks it did not necessarily bother me since I was in "adventure" mode and I was just starting to meet new people.  But after the first month, I realize I did not have any close friendships and on the weekends I had nobody to hang out with.  As a social person, it's very hard to enjoy time alone at times.  In addition to this, being in Brazil for a set time, I wanted to meet as many amazing friends as I could and do as many things as I could.  Given that this wasn't coming easy, it really bothered me during this period.

2. Travel-
This one ties into what I just said.  Given that I am not from Brazil and I am here for a fixed amount of time, I naturally want to travel around and see things I may not get a chance to see again.  Here in Minas Gerais, my state, there are tons of historic cities (Diamantina, Ouro Preto, Tiradentes) and fun parks such as Serra do Cipó (which boasts tons of waterfalls and hiking trails).  I still have not been to most of them because I cannot find anyone to go with me.  99% of my friends are Brazilian and when you're living somewhere, you're in the mode of "study, work, repeat" and you don't really have time to go on crazy expeditions into the countryside.  I wouldn't necessarily go alone because I'm not too much of an introvert and because traveling alone in Brazil isn't exactly the safest thing in the world.

3. Not Saying No -
Ok I lied, there is one difference in Brazilian culture that gets me - and it's this.  A lot of people here do not like saying "No."  For example, if I make plans with someone for Saturday and they say "yes," there is still a good chance I will get a call on Friday night with them explaining "I'm sorry Mike I can't tomorrow something came up."  In order to combat this, I have learned to make tons of plans and whatever falls through, falls through.  I have also started doing the same thing actually and I need to stop because outside of Brazil I don't know many places which tolerate this.

Anyways,  as time went on, these difficulties gradually disappeared.  I started to feel more at home here in Brazil and now it really will be difficult to leave.  Actually, some people think I am Brazilian (which I find hilarious).  They ask me if I'm from the South where people tend to be more fair.  Sometimes I go along with it, but usually if I speak long enough people will hear my foreign accent.

This generally happens anywhere I go though.  Except when I go back to Boston or Hawaii it is usually the first two stages on repeat and not the third one.  Actually fun fact, when I moved to Italy I stayed only in the first phase.

A lot of people may think that language is a difficult part of transition, but to me, that wasn't really on my list of difficult adjustments.  Portuguese is very similar to Italian and Spanish, which I already speak, so during my first month I could basically understand everything even thought my speaking was a little weak.  I mean, I did have trouble when I was new here and I had to call school directors and give public speeches - but it got easier with time.

Anyways, that's all I have to say about my difficulties with the transition.  All in all, it wasn't that bad and I hope everyone finds the time to visit this amazing country one day.

Adventures in São Paulo

Last week I was sitting in a van with one of my supervisors and a few other international employees at the Prefeitura when our supervisor told us that we were having an extended vacation the next week.  Wednesday, Dia dos Finados, was a holiday for everyone.  However, we would also be having Thursday and Friday off since we were officially "public employees" and there were some other weird holidays.  I don't know honestly, Brazil has tons of holidays.  Needless to say, I ran home after this news and booked a plane ticket

to São Paulo. 

Given that it is the largest city in Brazil, with a size comparable to New York City - it must have tons to see, right?  Everyone in Belo Horizonte kept telling me how São Paulo did not even feel like part of Brazil, with such a rushed culture, Starbucks dotting every street, and large immigrant populations from Japan and other countries.  I was curious to explore this city, and so I did.

- Day 1 - 

On Wednesday morning I arrived in São Paulo.  It was only an hour flight but of course I was exhausted because I took a morning flight and, well, Mike is not a morning person.  I arrived at the centrally-located Congonhas Airport and then took a 20-minute Uber ride to my friend Luan's house near the city center.

I had previously met him in Boston and he told me that if I ever went to São Paulo, I would be able to stay with him.  Little did he know I would take him up on his offer.

Once I arrived, I set down my things and raced out the door.  After all, São Paulo is gigantic - I don't have a minute to waste, right?

It was a public holiday so my friend and his roommates suggested I go to Parque Ibirapuera, a local park that apparently compares in size to Central Park in New York.  I decided to jump onto the avenue and use Google Maps to the best of my ability.  However, I am absolutely horrible with Google Maps (I never know what direction I am actually going) so I resorted to running into random shops and restaurants to ask people where the park was located.

I ended up first walking 10 minutes in the wrong direction, but then I turned around and immediately found myself on Avenida Paulista.  This is the main avenue, or perhaps, the "42nd Street" of São Paulo.  Everything seemed to be closed but there was some Zumba class happening nearby.  I took a Snapchat because #YOLO and then I continued on my journey to the park.  I ended up walking about a half hour down this one avenue (Brigadeiro Luis Antonio) before I finally reached an entrance to Parque Ibirapuera.

My friend warned me I would get lost in this park, and well, I did. I found tons of ponds, playgrounds, and museums spread out throughout Ibirapuera which kept me entertained while I was essentially alone.  My friend had some work to do at home so I was essentially solo-ing today.  After walking around and taking in the beauty for about an hour or two, I stumbled upon the Museum of Modern Art.  I paid the 3 Reais entrance fee (which is less than a dollar) and walked in.  The theme of the exhibit had to do with "wombs" and "femininity" so there were plenty of abstract paintings and sculptures depicting these themes.

While I was admiring the artwork, I heard someone speaking English.  In Brazil, English-speakers are far and few between, so I was naturally curious to who this person was and where she was from.  She was trying to explain to her two Brazilian friends what a pedicure was so I awkwardly jumped in and explained it to them in Portuguese.  Then I introduced myself and the girl, who I learned was Australian, introduced herself to me as Alison.  Then she looked and me, noticed I was alone, and said "Do you want to join us?"  I thought, hey why not, and I did.

We walked through the rest of the exhibit and then Alison demanded we take pictures jumping up and down by a wall with street art outside of the museum.  The results were pretty hilarious.

Afterwards, we walked through the park and more and more people kept joining our group.  Alison told me she had only arrived in Brazil a week ago but she was already wildly popular.  After 10 minutes, we legitimately had a gang together, strolling through the park and intimidating everyone in our path (not really).


After relaxing by the pond and talking about life, Brazil, and all other topics under the sun,  It was time to have dinner.  A friend and I went to a restaurant called "America" which was generally an American-themed restaurant that vaguely-resembled Denny's.  I order a veggie burger, which I thoroughly enjoyed, then we decided it was time to explore a new part of São Paulo - Beco do Batman.

Beco do Batman is a famous alleyway in São Paulo filled with street art.  People, especially tourists, usually come here to take photos with the art in the background.

Afterwards, we went down Avenida Europa, which is lined with luxury cars from all around the world.  I was tempted to buy one, but of course, I do not necessarily have the funds to put a downpayment on a Mercedes Benz or a Lamborghini.  Looking at the cars was enough for me.

Lastly, we stopped in front of the Museum do Futebol and then it was time to head back to Luan's.  I had just endured a long day with tons of activities, so naturally, I passed out the second I hit the mattress.

-Day 2-

Today was Thursday. I woke up refreshed from my long slumber and decided to run to Starbucks for breakfast while planning my mode of attack for the day.  As I was in Starbucks on Avenida Paulista, I took out my black notebook along with a guidebook of São Paulo and scribbled in the names of places I intended to go before leaving the city.  The list was pretty lengthy, but I was determined to do everything on it.  Next to each item, I put a check box so I could check them off as I visited the places next to them.

My first destination was the Museum of Art of São Paulo (MASP).  This is one of the most famous attractions of São Paulo and it is essentially a red modern-style building located on Avenida Paulista.  It took me only about 5 minutes on-foot to reach the MASP, looming over me with intimidation.

The first floor of the MASP was art relating to Brazilian culture, mostly indigenous.  There were native tools, etchings, pottery, and anything else you can imagine.  I personally found it interesting since I did not know too much about the native tribes that existed in Brazil before colonization.

On the second floor, the artwork was more Euro-centric.  There were hundreds of paintings and sculptures pertaining to European cities, Christian figures, and foreign idols.  I was surprised to find this collection here in Brazil as it seems so far removed from Brazil itself but I did enjoy looking at the different pieces of artwork.

After examining the MASP, I found myself crossing the street and stumbling into Parque Trianon.  The park was not nearly as large as Ibirapuera, but it featured tons of tropical flora and I felt as if I was lost somewhere in the Amazon.  No really though, it felt like paradise in there.

I then returned to Avenida Paulista en route to the metro station.  My next goal was to head downtown to the center of the city.  I was abruptly stopped by a news reporter who shoved a microphone in my face and asked me inquisitively "Is your father bald?"

I began to mouth the word "Não," but then I decided to play along.  "You know, he is getting a little bald"

 The reporter, excited, asked me more questions.  "Are you worried that you too will be bald one day?"

"I try not to think about it, you know?  I'm only 20 years old"

The reporter and her cameraman then thanked me for participating and ran off.  I did not know if I was actually on the news or on some Brazilian version of "Jaywalking" but at least I made my debut on Brazilian television, right?

I continued back onto my trajectory and descended into the depths of São Paulo's Subway system.

When I bought my fare with the nice attendant, she kindly gave me as well as directions to the center of the city.  I would have to take the train to Paraíso, then transfer to Line 1 and go to Sé.  It actually was not too complicated and I quickly found myself in the sprawling city center - standing in Praça da Sé.

Praça da Sé is a beautiful square in the middle of São Paulo but is also a bit dangerous so everyone told me to be a bit cautious.  Looming over Praça da Sé was Catedral da Sé (behind me in the photo), one of the most noteworthy cathedrals of São Paulo.

I stepped in and I was immediately amazed by the beautiful architecture of the cathedral.

I continued to the back and suddenly found a staircase I had not seen earlier.  A nice man handed me a pamphlet and I walked down.  It turns out, the bishop was holding a service in the basement!  I was honored to have witnessed this service, and even though I did not recognize all of the chants and prayers in Portuguese by heart, I definitely enjoyed the experience.

After leaving the cathedral, I continued onto the Bank of Brazil Cultural Center.  We have a version of this in Belo Horizonte as well but apparently the one in São Paulo is the "main" headquarters.  I took the elevator up to the top floor and walked through an exhibit on architecture and airships.  It was only one room, and then I was done.  I thought I was mistaken because there were essentially no other exhibits on any other floors.  I walked back down to the lobby and a few employees were hosting a musical on the history of Brazil.  I stayed for a few minutes and listened, but then my stomach got the best of me and I ran next door to grab lunch.

Lunch was at a Portuguese Café and I settled on ordering Acerola juice and a mozzarella tomato sandwich.  I chose the perfect table near the window on the second floor so I could overlook all of the hustle and bustle happening below in the city center.

Having relaxed a bit, I decided it was time to get-going again and find Edifício Martinelli.

I tried using Google Maps again to find this building but I ended up getting lost so I resorted to asking random people on the street for directions.  I walked in a 20 minute circle but then I realized that the tower was literally across the street from the café.

Once I arrived at the edifício, a nice woman directed me to a line where I waited with about 10 other eager tourists.  We filled out our basic information on a clipboard and then we were directed into the elevator to head up to the top of the building.

Edifício Martinelli was the first skyscraper to be built in São Paulo, in 1929, and offers panoramic views of the city.  Once I reached the top, I was amazed by the view in front of me.

I met a few other tourists and they asked me where I was from.  I told them I was from Hawai'i but living in Belo Horizonte.  In fact, they were from Belo Horizonte as well.  One of them (Janine) used to work in my office and knows all of my co-workers.  Small word much?  We decided to take a picture to show my co-workers and then she offered to take me to the Central Market.  I couldn't turn that offer down!

After descending from the skyscraper, we walked past the São Bento Monastery and headed down Rua 25 de Março which is famous for cheap glasses, purses, decorations, and well - anything.  After finding a purse for Janine, we continued onto the Municipal Market.

Here at the market they had everything.  Fruits, spices, artesenal goods, antiques - you name it.  We passed by a fruit vendor and he offered to let us sample some of his hybrid fruit.  He gave us kiwi bred with banana, French grapes, and many other interesting combinations.  I had never seen, let alone tasted fruit so interesting and different in my life!

We then decided to sit down, drink a coffee, and enjoy some typical dessert.  I ordered a Quindim which is a traditional dessert made from egg yolk and sugar.

Janine and I parted ways after the market and I headed to Liberdade, the Japanese neighborhood, to enjoy a traditional dinner.  Liberdade is essentially a Japanese enclave within São Paulo.  There were Japanese products everywhere, signs in Japanese, and the restaurants were Japanese galore.  I walked into a random restaurant and sat myself.

It was hard to decide what to eat, but I ended up settling with a Yaki Soba and a passion fruit juice.  I was the only one in the restaurant so I decided to talk a bit with the wait staff while my food was being prepared.  They asked me about life in Hawaii and threw around the Japanese I learned back in high school but partially forgot.

I devoured my Yaki Soba the minute it came, and then afterwards, the kind waitress offered me a complimentary tea to finish my meal.

Upon leaving the restaurant, I promised the wait staff I would be back!  At that point, however, my only thought was on sleeping.  It had been a long day and I had ticked off a great chunk of the list I had devised earlier in Starbucks.

-Day 3-

I was really enjoying São Paulo, you know?  But when I woke up this morning, I knew it was time to switch things up.  After stopping by Starbucks and having them spell my name wrong again, I descended back into the Metro and took it to Jabaquara Station - where I bought a bus ticket to Santos.

Santos is a beach city about an hour from São Paulo and also Brazil's busiest port.  I have two friends who are from here but unfortunately live elsewhere at the moment and could not show me around.  I was determined to explore anyways!

After my hour-long bus journey through the fog and the rain, I arrived at the bus station in Santos.  I had no idea where I was in the city so I asked a man at the information booth to kindly give me a map.  I quickly scanned it to find my first point of attack.  The place that called my attention was the coffee museum.

I walked down Santos' cobblestone streets and breathed in the salty air on my way to the coffee museum.  Once I arrived, I paid my entrance fee of 3 reais and walked on in.  Here in the museum there were two floors of coffee-growing artifacts, historical information pertaining to coffee and the slave trade, and also information and artifacts relating specifically to the history of Santos.  It was very informative and at the end, I had the opportunity to drink some coffee in their café.

Upon leaving the museum, one of my friends told me the best place to hit next would be Parque Municipal Roberto Mário Santini.  I took an Uber from the main square and ended up in front of the park which was conveniently on Santos' shoreline.

The park had an amazing view of the city skyline along with the beach and a secret island crowded with palm trees.

There was also a sculpture here which was engineered in a way that which you could hear the sound of the waves through it.

After exploring the park, I picked up a quick lunch from a hole-in-the-wall pizzeria across the street and took a local's advice to head to Mirante Niemeyer.

Mirante Niemeyer was located in a neighboring city, São Vicente.  São Vicente is famous for being Brazil's first city.  At the mirante, which means "lookout" in Portuguese, I gazed at the amazing view of the city down below.  I noticed a restaurant next door with glass walls and it conveniently had an even better view of the coastline.  I decided to buy a cheap drink and sit by the wall in order to enjoy the landscape.

After delighting in the wonders of São Vicente, I called an Uber to take me back to the bus station.  The Uber driver told me he lived 20 years in São Paulo and he has been dreaming of moving to Santos and traveling all throughout Brazil.  On a side note, I dream of traveling more throughout Brazil too.  It is truly a large country with so much to see, and I have barely scratched the surface.

After returning to the capital, I decided wholeheartedly I wanted to eat dinner at Bixiga, the "Little Italy" or "North End" of São Paulo.  I went to a restaurant called Lazzarella and ordered a colorful antipasto along with Penne all'Arrabbiata.  One word to describe the meal when it came: amazing.  It was easily the best Italian food I had ever had outside of Italy.

-The Rest-

Saturday and Sunday, my last two days, were a bit slower than my previous three.  I decided I had seen a lot of the city and it was time to relax a little.  On Saturday I met my friend Camila from Belo Horizonte at Livraria Cultura, apparently the largest bookstore in Brazil.  It's located on Avenida Paulista and has three floors of literary wonder.  I ended up buying 2 books from the travel section (of course) - she bought 6. 

That night she went to a folk show with her friend Michelle and I went down Avenida Paulista and Rua Augusta with some other friends I knew to explore the nightlife there.

The next day I rested up and did some last minute sightseeing.  I went to Casa das Rosas (House of Roses) on Avenida Paulista.  Then afterwards, I met Camila and went to the antique fair under the MASP.  Avenida Paulista on Sundays is truly remarkable.  The entire street is closed off to traffic and instead it is filled with people walking, biking, and enjoying the beautiful weather.  In addition, there are public music shows at every corner, food trucks, and artisan fairs.  After enjoying the fair, I sadly departed for the airport. It was an amazing trip and I definitely was going to miss São Paulo, but who knows?  Maybe I will be back one day.