It’s 3 am in Brazil and birds are singing outside my bedroom window. As I recall, in the US don’t most birds sleep at night like the rest of us? However, I adore these nighttime songbirds as a symbol of the unique pleasure of Brazil.
I’m so content living in Brazil that sometimes I start singing, too. I can do this when I’m sober, by the way, and my Brazilian wife takes no notice of my behavior. Other times, my expatriate exuberance manifests itself in sleeplessness. During the night I’ll awaken to the songbirds, stirred from my dreamy slumber with thoughts of the upcoming day. I don’t want to sleep for fear of missing anything.
Could it be that, like me, the birds can’t control their exuberance and are forced to sing instead of sleep? Are they are so filled with wonderment at the joy of living in Brazil that they need to express themselves continually?
It seems everyone in Brazil is having too much fun to sleep. Brazilians are singing all the time. Like other Latin American cultures, Brazil personifies the living customs of an ancient oral tradition. Simply stated for my tired brain: Brazilians love to communicate — in words, songs, or gestures.
Brazilians will strike up conversations anywhere at any time with anyone: clerks, strangers, cashiers. In fact, it’s considered rude for a Brazilian to enter a room without speaking. For example, the waiting room in a doctor’s office or an occupied elevator requires at least a hello to the strangers. In the US, it’s considered impolite to speak to anyone you don’t know.
Learning to wait on long lines is an acknowledged rite of passage in Brazil. I’m not saying there aren’t lines in the US. Even there, teenagers will spend seven hours waiting for AC/DC concert tickets. However, while standing on line at the post office in the US, it’s not common to begin a conversation with a stranger. Brazilians who visit the US return home and describe to their astonished friends how they’d seen Americans on lines reading, rather than talking to those nearby. When I mentioned this custom of silence to a Brazilian woman, she replied, “Why wouldn’t you talk to people in line? It helps to pass the time.” What an excellent technique for adapting to adversity, I realized — talk your way through it.
Talking is so ingrained in Brazilian culture that it’s not considered rude to repeat yourself. Even talking (or singing) to oneself is acceptable. And not only do Brazilians love to talk, they enjoy listening. Thus the popularity of telenovelas. Visit any store or office in Brazil, and you will hear the employees talking about last night’s episode of the soap opera. (more…)
about Brazil, Paraíba and João Pessoa
On Saturday the 18th of September 2010 there was a small get-together of friends at Scorpions Paintball in Joao Pessoa, Paraiba, arranged by www.paraibaparadise.com
It seems that a great day was had by all and even before the event was over people were asking to do it again.
We will try to arrange it again for Saturday the 30th October and will let you know via the Paraiba email list.
Below are the pictures of the event.
about Brazil, Paraíba and João Pessoa
If there is a connection between cleanliness and public affection, it is being played out on the streets of Brazil. Here people continually exhibit their passion for both rituals.
Brazilians shower twice a day and brush their teeth after every meal, which might be five or six times every day. They power wash their sidewalks and store fronts and keep their homes fastidiously clean and neat, thanks to the powerful hands of the family maids.
In Curitiba, a stroll down the street, at any time on any day, reveals another task-force consisting of hundreds of men (and a few women) employed to sweep the streets by hand. Orange-suited cleanliness heroes pick up trash, fallen leaves, and even scrape weeds from between the cracks of the cobblestone sidewalks.
Likewise, public affection is the everyday norm. Although most often practiced by the young, it is not their exclusive domain. Few couples refrain from a romantic moment: witnessing the likes of rainbows in waterfalls or seaside sunrises.
One night I went to the movies at the local mall and discovered a discount promotion. My wife and I could obtain half-price tickets if we kissed in front of the ticket counter. (more…)
about Brazil, Paraíba and João Pessoa
Holidays in João Pessoa!
Tati, Dona Buba, and Thiago
Saturday, October 24th, 2009
Yes, that’s right… Finally I got holidays! Being freelancer, I’m my own boss and my own worker, either. It seems to be really good, but I’m such an evil boss, because I never gave myself a holiday (or vacation)! Trully! And since we married, 4 years ago, Nando and I never had our honeymoon… So, I believe we deserved this trip. We spent 5 days in João Pessoa, Paraiba (about 191 km from Natal).
One thing that’s certain… João Pessoa is pretty much better than Natal. I’m in love with this city, and have to confess I’m planning to move there. Cost of living is very cheaper, specially speaking about real state. Beaches are wonderful, all city is wooded and people are nice! I’m not saying that as tourist… Natal, where I live, is really crappy! (more…)
about Brazil, Paraíba and João Pessoa
Tom and Luciana Stowe: We are full-time evangelical missionaries in Brazil in a city called João Pessoa where we are starting a new work for the Lord. Our goal is to plant many churches throughout the region, filling the Northeast of Brazil (the least reached region in the country) with Bible-teaching churches to help people to know Jesus.
I have to admit, I really have very little idea of what people think about us living here in João Pessoa. I have never conducted a survey or even casually asked around to get people’s opinions about the subject. I do know however, that most of the Americans that I talk to about Brazil think it is this tropical paradise and that we are living this beautiful life soaking up the rays at the beach. Of course, this couldn’t be farther from the truth.
In preparing to write this, I felt a strange sense of fear because I know that people have all sorts of opinions of what missionaries are supposed to be like or how they should think. They can never be negative because they are serving the Lord. I know that I could upset readers and possibly even lose supporters of our ministry because of what would be perceived as complaining. But I want to write about what life is really like here and the things we really experience on a daily or weekly basis. So here we go. (more…)
about Brazil, Paraíba and João Pessoa
