It is time for me to leave. I am so glad that I had the chance to enjoy such a wonderful place on Earth!
I have to confess that I was very intimidated by the idea of experiencing the two sides that Brazil has to offer: the immense and overpopulated city of Rio de Janeiro and the immense and inhabited lands of the jungle in the Pantanal. After hearing crime news set in Rio and after reading the stories of the British explorer Percy Fawcett in Mato Grosso (where the Pantanal is located) I was asking myself if I was really ready to face the adventure.
Rio turned out to be like any other big city; you need to know the places you should avoid. It is a city you cannot miss. One thinks of Rio as an anthill between the ocean and the mountains, and that is how it looks from the air. It is just overwhelming! Once you start wandering around and climbing the mountain picks (Pão de Açúcar) you start admiring the wonderful combination and contrast of constructions and nature (blue ocean, white sandy beaches, tall buildings, colorful fabelas, green lushly mountains. I guess I have to come back and climb all the way to the Cristo Redemtor who was having a facelift these days. Brazilian people are beautiful! It is the also the combination and the contrast of different cultural backgrounds (African, Asia, European, Native) that make Brazilians gorgeous.
In the Pantanal, I never, not even for one second, thought to be invading these animals habitats, on the contrary I felt invited and totally comfortable here while I was on the boat or walking on the elevated pathways. Even those intimidating alligators seemed to have accepted the fact that we were not a threatening predator. Because of this lack of predators (once in a while a hungry anaconda) the population of alligators is becoming a problem in the Pantanal. Thousands and thousands of them can be found even around the CESC compound!
When the two boats broke, the idea of having to walk back to the compound was not even funny, especially for those who were wearing flip-flops and shorts. The idea of any splashing in the water was also out of the question as you could see the piranhas ready to feast on you (specially on Tom, whose skateboard wounds could attract them by the millions!)
As Tim pointed out, I will miss the incredible feasts we had for breakfast, lunch and dinner while here. And the coffee, umhhhh the coffee!
I came to realize that the Brazilians know how to enjoy life better than us in the USA. Time is not so important, and a good conversation around the table does not need to be all business but a way to share and get to know each other better. They like to laugh and they good listeners. Although sometimes the conversation seems to turn into an argument when they start raising their voices, it is just a way to express their excitement. They are extremely welcoming people. They have super friendly smiles that are always accompanied by a warm hug and two nice kisses on both cheeks.
They are curious about you; they want to know about the place you came from but without invading your privacy. They are very respectful and polite.
There is no doubt that TCS can benefit from a collaborative curriculum with CESC Escola de Encino Medio where an exchange of students and teachers will learn from each other by bringing two very different cultures together.
I am leaving Tim, Tom, Colin, Reta, Emily, Morgan and Hannes in good hands. They are busy working with their Brazilian brothers and sisters on different projects, enriching each other’s lives in a way we could never imagine. I know that at the end of this trip the boys are going to master the Samba moves. The girls, for what I saw during the "Fiesta" the other night, they have it down.
I wish I could stay longer!
Até breve, Brazil!
I have to confess that I was very intimidated by the idea of experiencing the two sides that Brazil has to offer: the immense and overpopulated city of Rio de Janeiro and the immense and inhabited lands of the jungle in the Pantanal. After hearing crime news set in Rio and after reading the stories of the British explorer Percy Fawcett in Mato Grosso (where the Pantanal is located) I was asking myself if I was really ready to face the adventure.
Rio turned out to be like any other big city; you need to know the places you should avoid. It is a city you cannot miss. One thinks of Rio as an anthill between the ocean and the mountains, and that is how it looks from the air. It is just overwhelming! Once you start wandering around and climbing the mountain picks (Pão de Açúcar) you start admiring the wonderful combination and contrast of constructions and nature (blue ocean, white sandy beaches, tall buildings, colorful fabelas, green lushly mountains. I guess I have to come back and climb all the way to the Cristo Redemtor who was having a facelift these days. Brazilian people are beautiful! It is the also the combination and the contrast of different cultural backgrounds (African, Asia, European, Native) that make Brazilians gorgeous.
In the Pantanal, I never, not even for one second, thought to be invading these animals habitats, on the contrary I felt invited and totally comfortable here while I was on the boat or walking on the elevated pathways. Even those intimidating alligators seemed to have accepted the fact that we were not a threatening predator. Because of this lack of predators (once in a while a hungry anaconda) the population of alligators is becoming a problem in the Pantanal. Thousands and thousands of them can be found even around the CESC compound!
When the two boats broke, the idea of having to walk back to the compound was not even funny, especially for those who were wearing flip-flops and shorts. The idea of any splashing in the water was also out of the question as you could see the piranhas ready to feast on you (specially on Tom, whose skateboard wounds could attract them by the millions!)
As Tim pointed out, I will miss the incredible feasts we had for breakfast, lunch and dinner while here. And the coffee, umhhhh the coffee!
I came to realize that the Brazilians know how to enjoy life better than us in the USA. Time is not so important, and a good conversation around the table does not need to be all business but a way to share and get to know each other better. They like to laugh and they good listeners. Although sometimes the conversation seems to turn into an argument when they start raising their voices, it is just a way to express their excitement. They are extremely welcoming people. They have super friendly smiles that are always accompanied by a warm hug and two nice kisses on both cheeks.
They are curious about you; they want to know about the place you came from but without invading your privacy. They are very respectful and polite.
There is no doubt that TCS can benefit from a collaborative curriculum with CESC Escola de Encino Medio where an exchange of students and teachers will learn from each other by bringing two very different cultures together.
I am leaving Tim, Tom, Colin, Reta, Emily, Morgan and Hannes in good hands. They are busy working with their Brazilian brothers and sisters on different projects, enriching each other’s lives in a way we could never imagine. I know that at the end of this trip the boys are going to master the Samba moves. The girls, for what I saw during the "Fiesta" the other night, they have it down.
I wish I could stay longer!
Até breve, Brazil!