“Sometimes I wonder if the world’s so small, that we can never get away from the sprawl” – Arcade Fire
Upon landing in São Paulo and seeing non-stop buildings out of the window for 10 minutes, I realized this was going to be a much different cultural experience than I had previously anticipated. Despite spending most of my life in a large Canadian city, the sheer size and vastness of these Brazilian cities is something to behold. After airline strikes, 20 hours of travel, and a first day of hopelessly wandering in search of a grocery store, my daily routine began to take form and I really started to appreciate my new surroundings.
Goiânia is a fantastic city; very vibrant, green and with a large population of young learners at both the youth and university levels. Walking around the parks your ears get stimulated through the traffic noises, construction or the loud hollering of the resident Siamang monkey. It’s been awesome discovering this city, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the support and generosity of the locals. Our hosts in Goiânia have been extremely welcoming, driving us around and introducing us to all the teachers we’re working with, and taking us out for some local cuisine. So far, Christa and I have been treated to pamonha, a sweet or savoury dish of boiled corn, and some refreshing acaí. I’m glad to have learned some Portuguese before coming here as there is not a lot of English but even through broken communication, the locals are very patient and helpful. We even went to dinner recently and met two who spoke English, and after helping us navigate the favourites on the menu, they gifted us some local side dishes.
A Brazilian welcome is indeed very warm! When we first arrived at the public junior high school, its safe to say I was quite humbled by the reception we received. Christa and I were first greeted by our partner teacher Claudia, as well as her entire class who had posters and greeting cards with pictures of us (including an unflattering close-up of me). They also had a “red carpet” lined up at the entrance when we walked in; it really made us feel welcome and appreciated. Brazilian people are very expressive and they show this through touch, as we have often exchanged hi-fives, handshakes or fist-bumps with the students. It’s been really interesting seeing the differences in this regard between Canada and Brazil in terms of student-teacher relationships. I’m so looking forward to seeing more of Goiânia and Brazil, and we’re planning an excursion to a gorgeous colonial town with more than 50 waterfalls to visit, and where a music festival will take place.
Boa tarde de Goiânia!
