What a Difference a Year Makes!

I have just finished reading my entries from our first week living in Sao Paulo, and I had to smile at the memories.  It reinforces my idea that writing about our experience here will serve as a great reminder of this phase of our lives in the future.  No, I haven’t forgotten the hectic stress we dealt with, as we tried to settle into our new life here, but like a mother who eventually forgets about the pains of labor and childbirth, the pain of adjusting to life in Brazil has begun to fade.  In the past year, we have become comfortable with driving all over the city (and beyond), we have learned the language (some better than others), we have learned to eat and prepare typical Brazilian cuisine, we have traveled to many beautiful and interesting places, and above all, we have made many wonderful friends.  We have met a few people who have a difficult time adapting to this city, making their time here very difficult; however, like so many others, we have made a conscious effort to embrace living in this city so far from “home”.

A friend once told me that I live a “charmed life”.  While I am aware of, and very grateful for the many blessings in my life – I give thanks for them every day – I also feel that I am somewhat responsible for the positive things that have come my way……..

…. Two Months later

Apparently, my writing got interrupted sometime in February, and here it is, the end of April.  As I read over the words I was typing, I feel even more strongly about the message I was trying to convey.  Since beginning that entry, we’ve had visits from friends and my parents, and their awe at the way we’ve adapted reaffirms what I feel – that we’ve done a pretty good job of making life in Brazil work for us.  We are officially at the half-way point of our time here, which is really hard to believe, and I’m looking forward to another year (and then some) of broadening our horizons.

I’m not sure I can pick up exactly where I left off, though I know I started the entry after a yoga class.  Yoga has been largely responsible for the calm, centered state of well-being I am experiencing lately.  There are several ladies, from all around the world, who gather twice a week for this class – we come from Australia, Sweden, Canada, India, Colombia, and the U.S.  We have a beautiful (inside and out) Brazilian instructor who comes to our condo, and in recent months, we’ve been having our classes outside beside the pool.  With the glistening water to our left, and the canopy of palm trees to our right – along with the occasional monkey who comes out to spy and the birds calling to one another from the treetops – it is hard not to marvel at the beauty that surrounds us.  While I breathe and hold my downward dog position longer than my arms and legs would like, I try to focus on the good that has come from moving to this city.  Aside from the enriching cultural experience (new language, different pace of life, amazing food), the friends that we have made here are by far the biggest bonus of having come to Brazil.  Unfortunately, as expats, we know none of us is here permanently – though that doesn’t make it easier to say goodbye to one another.  We have seen our friends Rafa and Pilar leave for Mexico City, and have learned that several others (my walking buddy and sweet friend, Nancy among them) will be leaving in June.  We can only hope to meet up again in another part of the world – and thanks to the internet (and facebook) - we’re only a mouse-click away from staying connected. 

 

Seeing how far the kids have come in their adaptation has been remarkable – they still miss home and can’t wait to move back, but they are like any other kid here.  School is going well, though getting Alex to do his homework continues to be a struggle.  Their Portuguese is quite good, though they hate to speak it unless it is absolutely necessary – one evening, Matt took Ian out for sushi and Ian is the one who communicated with the waiter (Matt’s Portuguese has stalled since he never has to use it, nor the time to study).  The boys have also really been enjoying their Kung Fu classes, and are ready to test for their yellow belts – I look at this as a great accomplishment, given that the classes are taught in Portuguese with all Brazilian kids and adults.  They have also enjoyed all of the travel we have been doing – they had a great time in Argentina and marveled at how many relatives we have there, and they loved the visiting the city of Buenos Aires, especially the unbelievable cemetery in Recoleta.  While my parents were here, we took an unforgettable trip to Iguazu Falls – it is impossible to describe the power and beauty of those waterfalls, and the pictures we took, while beautiful, do not do them justice.  It was wonderful to be able to share the experience and make those memories with Nani-Chichi and Papi.

   

Having had visitors here for several weeks took me out of my regular routine, but I wouldn’t trade any of my time with my friends or parents for the world.  It was so great to have my friends, Cilissa, Kim, and Judy here for a few days.  I loved showing them around the city and sharing some of my experience with them – and it was interesting to see Sao Paulo and Brazil, in general, through their eyes.  As with most people who come here for the first time, they were quite impressed with the traffic and motorcycles, but there were also so many other things that I now take as “normal” that had them very intrigued.  My friend, Kim, is convinced I should write a book – about the domestic helpers and how they are still treated as lesser beings by so many Brazilians (think, “The Help”), about the crazy unwritten rules of driving (it’s OK to make a left-hand turn from any lane, you don’t have to stop at stop signs, you can run red lights after dark), about the favelas that are seen all around, etc.  We had a great time in Rio, despite the grey, cloudy skies on our first day – we didn’t even get a good view of the Christ statue – but we had a fantastic time listening to Samba and even dancing a bit at Rio Scenarium that night.  They thoroughly enjoyed caipirinha after caipirinha, and have taken cachaca home with them so they can continue to enjoy them!  They also took advantage of the shopping in Embu, at Legep, and the mall – I believe they took home half of the Havaianas store!  Our time together passed quickly, and I was sad to see them go – but I am so grateful that they took the time out of their busy lives, and left their kids with husbands and grandmas (I’m grateful to them, too!), to come and spend a few days with us.

A few days after the girls left, my parents arrived.  Again, I put on my tour-guide hat and drove them around the city, showing them the places I have gotten to know here.  My dad, who doesn’t like being away from home, likes to be the one in control, and doesn’t know how to relax, actually shocked me by happily going along with the plans I had for them.  I think he had no choice, as he was quite overwhelmed by the magnitude of the city and the chaos of traffic.  I offered to let him drive to a nearby store one day and he politely declined – this is the man who taught me how to drive!  It was nice to see him sitting, reading, and resting – I think it’s the first time in my life I’ve ever spent so much time with him – and the first time I’ve ever seen him kick back and relax (I really didn’t think he had it in him!).  Some things never change, though, and he still does not enjoy shopping – so we left that for after his departure.  Mom and I really enjoyed our time together – we figured out that we hadn’t spent so many days together since before I was out of college.  We talked and ate and drank more coffee than we should have, she accompanied me to Kung Fu, to bazaars, and even for a visit to a Buddhist temple.  And, we shopped!  She helped me choose my dress for an upcoming gala, along with the shoes and earrings to complete the look.  These may not seem like big things, but for me, they were precious moments together – when you live so far from “home”, these are the moments you long for when you don’t have the chance to be together.  In all, Dad stayed for two weeks, and my mom was here for about 25 days – I am thrilled that they finally got to see where we live and what our day-to-day life is like here.  We said goodbye, knowing we’ll see one another in just a couple of months; but, as Ian put it once the elevator doors closed after saying goodbye to his Nani-Chichi, “I miss her already”.

Once Mom left, it was back to business for me.  Since the start of the year, I have taken on the role of Volunteer Coordinator for the Community Action Committee of the American Society (that’s a mouthful to say!).  I am in charge of recruiting and placing volunteers into the various organizations that the American Society supports, as well as organizing volunteers for our two big events of the year.  One of those events, Volunteer Day, was held this past Saturday – it mostly involved countless email exchanges with the many people who signed-up to help and was good practice for the much larger Angel Party that we have coming up in November.  I wrote about the Angel Party a few months ago, and have a feeling that my involvement this year will be one of the biggest challenges I will face during my time here.  I often wonder how I ended up in this role, but realize it all goes back to what I was trying to say when I started this entry (the first time) – some people sit back and wait for things to happen, while others seek opportunities for change.  I have come to realize, that while I do feel many things just happen, I am one of those “seekers”.  So, yes, my life may be charmed, but I have put effort into being where I am – where we are as a family – and I will continue look for opportunities to grow and develop into the person I want to become, and I will continue to count my blessings every day.