World Cup Fever

It is no secret that Brasilians are into football, and when it comes to the World Cup they show a patriotism and dedication to the sport as none other; in fact a CNN article characterized Brasil as the country "where perhaps the tournament means more than anywhere else." The whole country has World Cup Fever and it shows; shops, businesses, cars and homes proudly display the flag, green and yellow products are available everywhere, from tic tacs to razors, m&m's and more! Not to mention the cheering paraphernalia; hats, wigs, bracelets, sunglasses, nail polish, clappers, buzzing lips, horns and, of course, the vuvuzelas! All to show support for our team.

Now sadly for us, the Cup is over and we must wait another four years for our chance to add to our five World Cup wins (the most that any one country has won in the tournament's history). This is my first time experiencing the World Cup in Brasil and I am by no means a football (or Brasilian culture) expert, but let me share a few stories that illustrate how the World Cup changes our world here...

When Brasil plays, the streets are empty. If you know anything about São Paulo traffic, that is saying a lot! My Portuguese teacher said that when Brasil plays, you could lie spread-eagle on "main street" and not be touched. We live on a pretty busy street and here is the view during a Brasil game (yes, I diverted my attention for a minute to snap a pic!) Just don't go out in the hour before the game; everyone is scrambling to get home to watch it!

When Brasil plays, everything shuts down; banks, stores, businesses. Some employers let their employees go home early, or they show the game on a big screen at work. No matter how you cut it, no one is working during the game! The McD's across the street from us closed it's gates and we could hear the employees cheering as the game progressed. Here is a photo of a sign at the local supermarket which says, "Dear Customers, during the hours of the games of Brasil in the Cup, this store will remain closed. We are together, cheering for our team. After the game, we will open as usual. Thank you for understanding. Next game: Brasil x Portugal, Friday 25/06/10 at 11:00am".

During the Cup, you can start a conversation with a perfect stranger with the words, "It's 1:1" and they will know exactly what you are talking about; the game that is currently on. Last week David and I went to tour the hospital where I will be delivering our second child in August and were met at the door by two very serious-looking security guys. Later I had to go to the bathroom and David commented that as soon as he mentioned the score of the game that was on at the moment, the security guards relaxed, opened up and they chatted away about the Cup.

As we approach the final we are comforted by the fact that Argentina didn't make it any closer to the finals than we did and we'll watch and cheer someone on, but when the day comes (and it will :)) when Brasil again wins the Cup, there will be dancing in the streets!

Ask before you order...

Last week, we went out for a late dinner to a diner around the corner. It's an upscale American-style diner; serving assorted appetizers, burgers, fries, milkshakes and a variety of entrees. American-style food with a Brazilian twist of course. Looking for some comfort food, I scanned the menu and was delighted to see Mac and Cheese. The menu is all in Portuguese with a few English names here and there. We've been to this place once or twice before and have always gone for burgers, but that night I wanted something else. 

When I imagined the plate of Mac and Cheese that would be placed before me, I could smell a creamy, cheddary dish of steaming oozy cheese, maybe baked so the top would be crunchy. (never mind that we don't really have cheddar cheese here!) So I quickly scanned the item description and saw a bunch of words which I supposed to be a combination of cheeses - ok, so it would be more like a four-cheese kind of dish. That was fine with me. I ended up ordering the "Louisiana Mac and Cheese" which came with spicy sausage added into the mix. That was fine with me.

When the dish actually arrived - well, it looked pretty good (not as I had imagined) and smelled pretty good, and was baked with a crunchy top, but after a few bites, I tasted something I didn't like - mushrooms. Wait a minute, I never saw mushrooms in the description! To my mind they have no place in a macaroni dish. So I asked dad, "what's the word for mushrooms?" Of course, once he told me; cogumelo, I vaguely remembered skimming over the word, assuming it to be a kind of cheese.

Two lessons learned. One; always read the menu and ask about new words before you order. Two; the Portuguese word for mushrooms is cogumelo. That's one word I won't easily forget now.

Oh, and the Mac and Cheese was pretty good (once I picked out all the mushrooms)! 
   

Toddlerhood...

You know you're a mother of a toddler when...

1. You're very glad that you're no taller than 5 foot 8 so you can easily reach that hand that is grabbing up for yours,
2. You never wear heels that are more than an inch and a half because they make you too tall (see #1),
3. You make up songs about pee pee time, bath time, lunch time and every other time in-between,
4. Sleeping in means 7:30,
5. You are ambidextrous by necessity,
6. You cut up your food into bite-sized pieces so you can feed two mouths at the same time (see #5),
7. You could change a diaper with your eyes closed, but don't because it's too dangerous,
8. You've already got in an hour of exercise by 8:00am and you weren't even trying,
9. You can't wait for nap time and hope to keep it going till your kid goes to school,
10. You barely have time to write down a 10 point list, let alone think of #10!

Lost in translation, or just lost?

Have you ever had someone talk to you in a foreign language and not give you the opportunity to explain that you really have no clue what they're saying? All you can do is smile and nod and hope that you aren't getting yourself into too much trouble?

Have you ever been in a group where everyone speaks two languages but you? You know you could speak English, but the conversation is flowing and carrying on quite well without you and you're not exactly sure when is a good time to interrupt?

These are two situations I have found myself in a lot in the past few months. As a result I have become an expert listener and observer. As my Portuguese has been improving I am able to understand a lot more but I seem to know just enough to get myself into trouble!

I have noticed one thing that differs significantly from my experience living in Asia. There is no question in India or Bangladesh of whether I am a foreigner. It is quite obvious. Also, due to the heavy influence of British colonialism there is a lot of English around and about. There was an immediate expectation that I didn't speak the local language and so many people would approach me and try to speak English. On several occasions in Dhaka I was asked if I would mind if a complete stranger practiced his English on me!

In São Paulo I have experienced something quite the opposite. Being in a large cosmopolitan city along with the already diverse racial mix of Brazilians it is not so obvious that I am a foreigner. At least if I am not a native Brazilian it is expected that I speak the language. And so I land myself in situation #1 on many occasions. On one hand this cosmopolitan nature is something I love about Brazilian culture. On the other hand, it means I have to really put myself out there to make myself understood and not being able to speak fluently seems to be perceived as a real drawback. In Asia I felt that people were more impressed by the fact that I spoke English rather than offended by my inability to speak their local language. Not quite sure what to make of that.

And so I press on, slowly working on my Portuguese knowing that the cost of not learning in the end will be far greater than the cost of time, effort, embarassment and work that must go into learning this language now. At times like this I wish I was more like my dad. He has such a gift for languages and grew up speaking two and understanding at least one other language. He also loves to talk to anyone and everyone and has no qualms about making a fool of himself trying to make himself understood. He already wants to start learning Portuguese.

I guess I have to remember the saying, "nothing ventured, nothing gained." Everyone knows we learn best through our mistakes and once you've spoken something in error, you're not likely to make the same mistake twice. If I don't say anything I won't make any mistakes but I won't learn too much either! So I pray for confidence, humility and the ability to laugh at my myself and try to step out in my dad's shoes.

Caution: High Voltage

Warning signs are there for a reason; something dangerous, something to be cautious of and a reminder to be prepared. You don't just go waltzing into a high voltage zone, or stick your hand into the circuit box. When presented with an outlet you don't recognize, you're very likely to go check the voltage to make sure you won't blow your appliance or the wiring in the house. Its also useful if the plug matches the outlet. :) Wouldn't it be nice if we could have some kind of warning when entering a new culture or situation? A reminder that we're in a new context and need to be prepared.

Living in Bangladesh for a number of years we became accustomed to living with a different voltage. Everything there is wired to 220 volts, so either you check your 110v coffee maker at the door or get a transformer. You get used to reading the small print on your plugs.

The point I'm trying to make is this; at home, you don't have to think. You take the standardized electrical system and corresponding appliances for granted. You plug things in and expect them to work. You don't have to worry about sparks flying or that terrible smell of burning plastic. You don't even think about the small print on the bottom of your tea kettle.

Likewise, our own culture is something we take for granted until we are confronted with something unfamiliar, something which conflicts with a tradition, belief or attitude we hold.  Something that hints at a different electrical system. When faced with a conflict we must approach with caution. There's a reason culture clashes can be so potent. As the "outsider" the impetus is on us to make adjustments; find the right tools to interact so neither side gets burnt out.

So what's hard about adapting? Not much; you just have to be determined, open-minded, willing to change, humble, persistent and patient. And if you're being immersed into a foreign culture, you have to be aware of this all the time. No wonder people experience culture shock! It takes time to figure out how things are wired and to discover the adapters and transformers that allow you to "work" in this new culture.

For me the hard thing has been this constant sense of questioning, double checking, reading the fine print to make sure I'm going to fit. I feel like I'm losing my confidence. I have to rely on other people to get the simplest of tasks done, (something which can be painful for an very independent person!) How long will I be second-guessing my every move? How does my unique cultural identity fit?

Only one question remains; what is my unique cultural identity?

Expatriate vs. Compatriot

I am Canadian. I think. After all, that's what it says on my passport. I wasn't born there and I've spent more than half of my life outside of Canada on three different continents. I grew up with friends from India, Nepal, Thailand, England, Australia and New Zealand (to name a few). I spent 7 years of school at a boarding school in South India while my parents were missionaries in Bangladesh. So in some ways Dhaka was "home" but in a more real way my boarding school was "home" and my friends were my family. (We'll leave the whole concept of "home" for another discussion!) There wasn't a second culture to fit into because it was a multicultural context. For most people who live and work overseas, their community is multicultural, be it their work community, missionary network or volunteer agency. And they enjoy the sense of being an expatriate among a diverse group of others who also identify themselves as such. As I've thought back over my time in boarding school, university in my "home" country and subsequent years of teaching and living overseas, I've come to realize that I truly love that kind of expatriate experience. You are not required to lose your "home" culture and are able to pick up things from other cultures. Most people do not immerse themselves so fully into the foreign culture that it becomes their own. In a way the expatriate community that surrounds them acts as a buffer with the second (foreign) culture. Here's my question; can a foreigner, an outsider ever really be considered a compatriot? Are they destined to forever be labeled as a stranger? And how do we reconcile ourselves to this reality?

These have been my thoughts as I've entered a new culture, possibly for the long haul. My husband is Brasilian and so it feels as though I've not entered an expatriate community (as I have in the past) but am attempting to integrate straight into Brasilian culture. This is where my idea of dual voltage comes in - I feel like I'll always need an adaptor to "work" here.

Any thoughts?