Smile and wave boys, smile and wave.
That has been much of my communication over the last five days. Though I can understand much of Portuguese, I’m rather (read: very) limited in what I can say. Needless to say, I have spent a lot of time smiling, nodding, and waving. I spend an hour every night practicing the language and I feel I’ve made some real progress! Por exemplo, I’m incredibly skilled at saying “I don’t speak Portuguese. Do you speak English? Do you speak Spanish?” in Portuguese. Spanish usually works.
Sometimes, you accidentally end up in the Elite Corral in a foreign country.
A street in Brasil.
Anyway, I’ve arrived at my first research site- São Paulo, Brasil. São Paulo is a very interesting case study for the project as it has had several very high profile sexual assault cases covered in the media. As it is a university funded by the state and there was a legislative investigation into these cases. Since then there has been high pressure to change their policies. Most recently, a group of nearly 100 professors has joined together to serve as a “support system” for anyone dealing with sexual assault. I cannot wait to see what I learn when talking to students/professors.
For the city itself, it has been quite an adventure getting to know it. Day 1 was overwhelming as I found myself in an unknown city after 24 hours of travel, little sleep, and only airline/airport food. I spent much of it settling down and orienting myself. Several people at home just smiled at the understatement of “overwhelming.”
Since then I have found a running path, explored several parks, gone on a walking tour of “Old São Paulo,” run the São Paulo Meia Maratona, and explored the Universidade de São Paulo. It’s been a great time.
Some things I’ve learned/observed/been told about Brasil and São Paulo:
- – São Paulo is pronounded San Paulo.
- – “São Paulo has terrible economic inequality. There are the ultra rich, a very very small middle class, and tons of poor people.” –Taxi Driver, in a traffic jam.
- – São Paulo has the second highest helicopter traffic in the world. The aforementioned ultra-rich class of São Paulo doesn’t like traffic jams.
- – People from São Paulo are known as Paulistas.
- – There are motor cycles everywhere.
- – Brasilian coffee is very bad.
- – Brasil is very beautiful.
- – São Paulo has 12 million people in the city and 21 million in the larger metropolitan area, making it the tenth largest city in the world.
- – Brasilian mangos (mangas) are delicious.
- – Everyone in São Paulo thinks that I would have had more fun in Rio.
I have the several interviews for the project coming up this week. I’ll report back soon. Até mais!