Brazil In a (Brazilian) Nutshell

Imagine for a moment that you're designing a foreign-exchange program for German students.  You fly in a group of 16 students, send them to Detroit for a week, send them home and tell them they have seen the United States.

That's a little how I feel about my experience in Brazil.  Porto Alegre is very much Brazil's Detroit: very industrial, poor, unsafe in many areas.  The city is a very different and important reality that I wish I felt I had experienced in a week there.  Instead, we spent 9-10 hours a day in class, our nights at the most touristy restaurants in town, and precious few hours exploring the city, markets, etc.  I realize the absurdity of trying to visit "Brazil" in a week, but I must say that the program really failed us on this leg of the journey.  My frustrations were apparent in the entire group as everyone got a little testy and combative that week.

Nonetheless, I don't mean to whine for longer than necessary.  The highlights:

1.       Obviously the Arcade Fire show.  While I recognize the irony that seeing two North American bands is at the top of my list, the show was honestly the closest I came to feeling like "wow, I'm in Brazil."  The crowd was crazy in the best ways, and I actually had the chance to talk to people and meet locals--something that, surprisingly, was sorely lacking during my trip.

2.       A visit to a cooperative farming community outside of the city.  The co-op formed about 15 years ago when a group of landless peasants began squatting on a plot of government land, protesting the government to allow them to use the land to produce food.  After years of struggle, during which the government tried nearly every tactic including bombing the encampment, they acquiesced and granted the peasants a plot of land that belonged to a state prison but went unused.  Now 27 families live in a tightly knit community, producing rice, corn, vegetables, milk, raising animals, and a whole host of other things.  They are successful and happy and it was a really hopeful and wonderful place to be.  Their struggle also marked the beginning of what is now a huge land-less workers' movement in Brazil and Paraguay among other places. 

3.       Portuguese.  I now, after a few classes and a week of listening, like I can understand the great majority of Portuguese I hear.  My speaking is still absolutely horrible, and as my Spanish continues to improve my Portuguese will no doubt worsen.   But it's nice to know that I have a survival level of comprehension of a third language.

4.       Guarana.  Holy crap, they make perhaps the best soda I've ever tasted in Brazil.  When I return to the states, if I can find Guarana and Argentine Yerba Mate in some kind of specialty food store, I will pay whatever it takes.

Photos on the other blog in the next few days, and reflections on Paraguay soon.