Happy in Brazil

It has come to my attention, that I seem to be "fawning" on Brazil and the Brazilian people. Why, if I seem to like most places and people I have met, is Brazil so "special" Well, to be honest this question has also been on my mind, and lo and behold I have an answer.

First, for the last two years I have had nothing but good impressions of both the people and the places I have been, with the notable exception of Russia (read the RUSSIA JOURNAL. Which to be honest, I am more surprised at, than anything else, as I have a number of friends who have spent a lot more time there than I, who have nothing but great comments on the country its people.)

Back to Brazil. Why is it so special, or why do I perceive it to be so special. For one, it is truly a very special country and its people help make it so. But for a deeper answer it lies in "core values". The moment I set foot in the country, it was clear that we shared something. In actual fact a lot of somethings. Since I left Switzerland, nearly two years ago, things changed. The countries outside of Europe, were a stark contrast from what I am used to. First the Arab countries of North Africa and the middle east, then the ex-soviet block countries of Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan. Then to Russia, Mongolia, back to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and China. Further on to Pakistan and the sub continent, India, and Nepal. All countries in which have people and histories radically different than mine.

The fact that nowhere I went could I be mistaken for anything else other than an tourist. The difficulties with the language and the radically different cultures all lead to a sense of alienation as a traveler. People, were universally friendly (with exception of...), and it was really interesting to talk to people and take some small part in their lives. But there was rarely if ever real common ground on which we could talk, laugh, cry or complain. All the topics we discussed were invariably innocuous, weather, roads, the bikes, the trip etc. You get the picture. Somehow you were always a little scared or careful, maybe dare I say considerate, and refrained from discussing (other than in very general terms, what religion are you?), religion, unemployment, woman's rights, economy etc. If it was brought up you tended to simply nod your head and go with the flow. The fact is that in my opinion western solutions and criticism are not really useful here, and the fact that you could only look from the outside in so to speak, created a barrier to getting closer and maybe a better understanding. It simply takes more time than it was possible to spend in the various countries. It was simply not possible to carry on a discussion on topics which you could only speculate about how it really was.

Now, why is Brazil different. First for those of you who have actually read my Bio (all three of you) know that I was born in Panama. So for starters we share a lot of common history. Furthermore, Brazil is an extremely homogeneous country and has a culture that mirrors this. What does that mean, well, I can go anywhere, and not stand out as a sore thumb. Making it possible to very quickly or quietly to take part in actives an not become part of the attraction in the process. The moment I open my mouth the effect is spoiled, but nevertheless it is very refreshing and I truly enjoy the freedom that this provides. Something as simple as being asked for directions on the street, I find extremely enjoyable and satisfying. Never-mind that in the end we got get a big laugh out of the in effect we are both "lost". The end effect is that once they get past the language, we can try and talk about things we both know about, whether it is new world conquest or the "virtues" of a good wave (surfing). This makes getting a deeper understanding of what makes the Brazilians "tick" a lot easier, we both share a lot of core values or at least have a lot more experience with them.

The end effect is that I feel much more at home here than anywhere I have been so far, and I am a little surprised that it makes that much of a difference. So if could just learn a little Portuguese it might make it even more fun to be here, if that is possible.

Has anyone noticed that there suddenly seem to be a lot more blog entries? Enjoy it while you can, once I get my bike, I heading north to some warmer climes, and I doubt that I will have such good connectivity...

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