Falling in love with Brasil

Adapting to life here in Brazil following arrival here is a real undertaking for anyone who has not visited the country before. While we all go through culture shock to some degree it can be pretty scary for someone arriving here with little or no prior knowledge of the country.

I know exactly how that feels, when I came to Brazil over ten years ago now I went directly to Manaus, Amazonas and at least in the area where I lived I was the only 'gringo' who had ever set foot there much less lived in the bairro.

That fact was really kind of overwhelming in the beginning, but I spoke Portuguese at an upper intermediate level albeit with a horrible accent and the people were so amazing that I soon abandoned all my initial fears.

I was not only accepted into the community, but I was also treated like visiting royalty, really! I was there to build a school for poor kids and everybody knew it. Everybody in the bairro wanted not only to get to know me, but also be around me whenever possible.

Despite the warnings from my friends in São Paulo (which I would really recommend others listen to very carefully) that I shouldn't let anybody know I had a computer, digital camera, camcorder and the like for fear of being robbed everybody knew about them. All the men in the bairro called me to bring the camera and take photos of their almost daily soccer games. The kids (all poor, street kids and from the favela) came to the school to play on the computer. I was invited to dinner every night in the favela and if I didn't bring the camera along and snap photos they actually were rather hurt. Taking a camera into a favela and taking pictures is something I would absolutely discourage others from doing because of its inherant danger, but the way I was received in the area everybody in the favela wanted photographs with me, of their kids, their dogs,everything imaginable.

Truth was that at that point I must have been living in the safest house in all of Brazil because all the street kids, budding bandidos, etc., were keeping watch over it and over me. I had my own private army of little 'bodyguards' almost 24 hours a day. They also put word out through the very effective favela grapevine here in Brazil that nobody was to mess with me or they would account to some of the scariest people you would ever want to know. Scary to you, but to me they were just my new friends.

It can be like that for you too, it all depends on the way you treat people here and the vibes you put out. I had no plans of staying in Brazil, but after my experience in Manaus it was impossible for me to leave this country. I never will because I love Brazil and the Brazilian people too much. I could never be happy anywhere else.

In my humble opinion Brazilians have to be among the most wonderful people on earth. They are warm, receptive, friendly and very collaborative. For the most part they really love us 'gringos' especially if we speak their language. One thing that I will say about the Brazilians is that the Brazilian heart is one of God's true miracles... they are overflowing with a unique kind of solidarity and caring for others.

In some countries, in any large city if you drop in the street with a heart attack you're guaranteed to die. People just step right over you without a second thought. I've seen that. Thankfully in my home country (Canada) somebody will come along right away who will help you in any way he/she can. But, here in Brazil they'll carry you to the hospital on their back if need be. I've not only seen that with my own eyes, but also experienced it firsthand when in the past I had a heart attack on the sidewalk while strolling around the Lagoa de Pampulha when I lived in Belo Horizonte. I owe my very life to two young lads whom I had never seen before or since. They tried desparately to call the fire rescue and an ambulance but nobody was available to respond according to the telephone operator. They then attracted the attention of a passing police car, explained the situation and the two police officers and the lads gingerly placed me into the back seat of the police car. I was rushed to Odilon Berendts Hospital where I remained for the following week.

That is just one of the reasons that I have a deep and abiding love for the Brazilian people and respect them so very much. I defy anyone to say anything bad about them as a population... you're in for a big fight if you do! Sure there are some pretty nasty individuals here, but there are bad people everywhere in the world - even so-called 'First World' countries. They are however way outnumbered here by the average Brazilians who are truly wonderful people. I am speaking from the bottom of my heart and from over ten years of experience living in various locations in Brazil.

With deep admiration and respect,
William James Woodward - Brazil Animator, Expat-blog