Day 78 Clubbing and Travel Update

The other night we went out to a nightclub and saw a local band with Patricia’s sister Priscila and her husband Dede. Can tell by the picture that I had the best view of the stage? The large Brasilian woman leading the band started off by doing a surprisingly uncanny imitation of Michael Jackson singing Billie Jean. I was impressed…at first antway. Later, intermixed with the capably done Brasilian top 40, they attempted to do a few other American songs, most notably was the worst rendition that I have ever heard of Owner of a Lonely Heart by Yes. It was painful. Of course a good part of that pain was due to our position directly in front of the speakers at the front of the stage. At times it was so loud I almost felt as if someone was scrambling my brains.

An interesting bit about clubs here is that they record your ID and give you a card on your way in. They mark the card as you buy drinks and then you pay on your way out. Some all you can eat restaurants do the same. Whatever you do, don’t lose the card or you are in for a hassle. Particularly if your Portuguese is as bad as mine.

Travel update:

I am staying in Brasil until 12 December and heading back to Portland to pick up my son Eric and then we are off to Rome, Italy and then Venice for Christmas. After that I take Eric back home and go back to Madrid to continue my exploration of Spain, Morocco, France, and Italy, until I head back to Washington DC in March for the Foreign Service Assessment. Eric will be flying out to spend spring break with me in DC and then I will be off to Brasil again for a month to see Patricia again. From there I head back to Rome to finish going around the Mediterranean.

I had not planned to fly much on this trip, but life happens. To put this deviation in perspective, here is a summary of my air travel from the beginning of the trip through my return to Rome in May:

Portland-JFK-Baltimore-JFK-Dublin-London-Faro-Porto-Madeira-Porto-Madrid-Miami-Sao Paulo-Brasilia—Sao Paulo-Dallas-Portland-Newark-Rome-Newark-Portland-Chicago-Madrid-Rome-Munich-JFK-Sao Paulo-Brasilia-Sao Paulo-JFK-Vienna-Rome.

That is a total of 27 planes, 61,500 miles and over 6 days of actual flight time. Whew! And yes I did sign up for frequent flier miles.

I have also been on 5 different metro systems, 7 long distance buses, and 5 trains.
If I calculated how much time I have spent waiting in line to buy tickets, waiting on metro platforms, and waiting for buses and trains to arrive/leave, I think I would be scared. Patience is definitely a virtue for travel.

Day 75 More Culture

Coming from a culture where labor is expensive and technology is cheaper, it took me a while to understand the cultural implications of cheap labor in Brasil. The huge division between the people with money and those without creates a labor market that makes services, that only rich people can afford at home, accessible to middle of the road people like me. It affects many aspects of their lives here that I never have considered.

For example:

Most middle-class and higher people with children have live-in maids, even in apartments, and sometimes drivers. It is around $200/month for a maid that cooks, cleans, does laundry, and cares for your children. The impact this has on the lifestyle of working parents is huge: your meals are waiting for you and your children on the table and you leave the mess for someone else to clean up; no making beds, vacuuming, wiping counters, moping floors, cleaning windows, or doing laundry; if you are late from work or want to go out, someone is there to care for the children; and you have someone watching your house during the day. Basically, you get more quality time and peace of mind with your children. However, maids usually get the weekend off so you are on your own for a couple days a week. Oh, how rough! Having a driver for your children is also cheap and a great idea. He can take the children to and from school, wash and vacuum the car, and also do things around the house, including serving and cleaning up at dinner parties.

A side effect of this affordable luxury is that since cooking is relegated to someone else, the kitchen is not a focal point like in America. The kitchen is frequently hidden and purely functional. Food preparation is often only a communal event at family gatherings. It is needless to say that this is strange for me, coming from a culture that entertains in the kitchen. They actually use their living and dining rooms here! I don’t want to give the impression that they don’t like gourmet food, they just go out to eat rather than making it themselves. That said, I have to say that I have only seen half a dozen homes/apartments and have had limited exposure on which to base my observations.

Another effect of cheap labor is the lack of a do-it-yourself attitude here. Why would you want to fix things for yourself when it is so inexpensive to have a skilled person do it for you? Even things that, to me, are incredible easy to fix are left for the “appropriate person” to do. This is good and bad. It frees up people’s time and creates employment, but often things are left in need of repair because they have not gotten around to getting someone to fix them. Not surprisingly, there is a much more relaxed acceptance of broken or damaged things here. They don’t have a driven task orientation and need for perfection as Americans do. If something does work correctly, that is okay, it will get fixed…eventually.

Time is not money here; relationships are more important.

Here in Patricia’s parent’s house we have two maids, a driver, a gardener, pool guys, and other people that come as needed. All this and they are not wealthy people. It is a lifestyle to which it is delightfully easy to grow accustomed. Now I am off to take a dip in the pool while thinking about how cold and rainy it is back in Portland. Life is good!

Day 65 Brasilian Culture Notes

This is my new favorite bridge in the world, the JK Bridge (Ponte JK)named after former president, and visionary builder of the city Brasilia, Juscelino Kubitschek. It is a beautiful and graceful creation that is best viewed while driving over it at night.

My collection of interesting Brasilian culture tidbits is vast and will have to be spread over a few entries. My favorite topics are touching, personal responsibility, and the entreprenurial spirit.

The very first thing to strike me as different here is the personal contact comfort level and expectation. We Americans tend to like our personal space and draw a very specific line in the sand about what is acceptable invasion of our bubble. The Brasilian bubble is smaller and more flexible.

I thought I was prepared for the cheek kissing when I came; afterall, I had known Patricia in DC and spent time in Spain. Even so, the sheer quantity took me off guard. Everytime you come or go, it is expected to kiss all female friends and family or it is rude. Men get a hearty handshake and a pat on the shoulder, or a manly half hug. As a touchy person, I was very pleasantly surprised with all these people who seemed to share my affinity. The real surprise for me as a North American was in the pool at Caldas Novas. Patricia's family all stayed very close in the pool and I was often touched by peoples legs or grabbed on the arm or leg with no thought whatsoever. And I don't mean touched as in bumping against each other, I mean resting against one another up close and personal. It did not bother me, but my own cultural alarm bells automatically went off the first few times. The same thing in a pool at home would have been awkward. Brasil is definitely a good place for people who like physical touch and a nightmare for germophobes.

The Brasilians, luckily, have yet to discover the benefits and drawbacks of overly-efficient personal liability lawyers. Anywhere I go, I see accidents waiting to happen. Maybe it is only my building management experience talking, but I have seen many things that would be begging for a lawsuit in the states, for example: pool side tile at a resort that is so slippery when wet, it is nearly impossible to walk on safely without being very careful. I saw several people fall and dozens almost fall. Also, holes, open grates, sharp objects, and tripping hazards are normal for walkways and sidewalks at businesses. In general, people are expected to watch out for their own safety. After having heard of so many frivolous lawsuits in the states, I can really appreciate this difference, although, I think the best situation would be somewhere in between. There are a lot of negligently unsafe conditions here and there are a lot of negligently inattentive people in the US. Hopefully Brasil will go halfway and stop.

Do you need a cloth to mop your floor? Sunglasses? Newspapers, candy, water? What about cheese? These are only some of the items that are offered to you while you wait at stoplights here. People sell all sorts of items everywhere. All they need is a table and product. Sometimes not even a table--just a cooler and a chair--or in the case of the guys standing in traffic, just an armload of product. Notice I didn't say a "sign." This last part is the most perplexing to me as a foreigner; often I have no idea what they are selling or for how much. Take for example the minivan on the side of the road with the back open and a couple of plastic chairs and tables. People are gathered around eating something out of paper wrappers. I can't see what they are eating and there is no sign whatsoever. Or even better, is the guy with a chair and a cooler on the sidewalk. Everyone around here knows what these people sell and for about how much so they don't bother with signs. It turns out that it was hotdogs and fruit salad respectively.

Another fascinating example of the entreprenurial spirit running contrary to American sensibilities is the parking arrangement at Patricia's work. Ostensibly, it is a city lot in which it is free to park. In reality, there are five guys that manage the lot. They laid claim to lot and charge people to park there. I know my fellow Americans can feel their indignation rising in their throats at people with such unashamed audacity, but wait. The lot has spaces for about 60 cars. The payment arrangement is this; for 10 dollars a month you park where they tell you and you leave your keys with them. They double or triple park the cars, moving them as needed when people come or go and they can double the amount of cars that fit in the lot. With limited parking available this is a fantastic service. And not only that, for a couple dollars, they will wash the inside and outside of your car while you work. For a whole 20 dollars a month, you get to keep your keys and they always give you a good spot (because they cannot move your car). The whole arrangement is smooth, benefits everyone, and is completely against everything Americans would expect. Here it works very well.