World Cup decorations line every street!Saw this today in the nearby favela! How happy!
Do you ever have one of those mornings where you wake up and stay lying in bed letting thoughts drift around your head? I love lazy mornings like that. It's as though your brain has been left in sleep mode and wisps of dreams and random thoughts are free to mix and mingle.
I had this dream again that I'm overjoyed to be home, and no, it's not because I miss my country all that much or because I'm visiting family (I miss them, of course), but in these dreams, I always find myself at the grocery store blissfully running through the cereal aisle or smiling as I notice all the variety of flavors of Doritos. This morning I was wandering happily around Trader Joe's considering cheap wines. I guess deep down I miss the American grocery store experience? :P Not in a real lamented way, I just think my subconscious is telling me something, and I know what's one of the first things I'll do next time we come home to visit. Straight off the plane, "Take me to Publix!"
So the World Cup is upon us. Now, I had only barely been aware that there was such a thing most of my life, but suddenly I find myself plop down in a country that literally lives for this time every 4 years! What enthusiasm! What excitement! What a surprising show of patriotism! I was starting to think Brazilians never really thought much of being Brazilian, but I just hadn't been around for an international soccer game! Soccer seems to be the uniting force for this country, the thing that really brings them together whereas they remain pretty apathetic when it comes to military service or pride in their government (and who could blame them with raging corruption and a history of brutal dictatorships).
But Brazilian pride is on open display! I need to take some pictures to show you! Every house, butcher shop, bakery, nail salon, and car repair shop is strung with green and yellow streamers and big, happy, green, blue, and yellow flags! Our neighbors even painted a giant flag the width of the street! My immediate thought- This would not fly in my old neighborhood in Georgia! The Rivershyre neighborhood committee would have a cow! They would be calling the cops and shutting thing down before they even got started! In Brazil, there are no such committees, nor would the police do anything if there were, and you might try bribing them to look the other way. It's much more the attitude of do what you want, until someone stops you. Bearing this in mind, I wonder if everyone would be cool with me painting a big Hello Kitty on the street in front of my house so friends can find my house more easily...
Here's the neighborhood flag!
Speaking of the flag, I think it is really lovely. The colors aren't so symbolic of battle as reds and whites. Looking at it you think of nature, lush green palm trees and brilliant blue skies. But I always have to puzzle at the slogan in the center - Ordem e Progresso - "Order and Progress"?? I'm not saying these aren't legitimate goals, but they hardly seem so high on the Brazilian agenda in light of everything I'm witnessing. I propose an obvious change. How 'bout getting rid of the lofty government slogan, and putting something that really explains the heart, the core of Brazilian love of country, the same flag with one simple all-encompassing idea at it's center: "Futebol!"
At school all my students' have ceased to think about anything else. Thursday they were begging me to let them out early for the opening ceremony, but I played the American who doesn't care about soccer and told them they would stay to the end. I'm no sadist, but hey, they're just some middle schoolers looking for any excuse to leave early, and besides, their class next week is already canceled to watch the first Brazil match! I feel no guilt. It's fun though explaining to my students that America simply doesn't care about soccer. "But Teacher, what then do you do??" By the responses I get, they both pity us and our lack of taste and think we have serious mental problems. "Who doesn't love soccer??"
Everyone is telling me that it's going to be really incredible. Everyone stops what they're doing! Brazil stops! Banks close! The post office shuts down! The highways are empty! At work (if you haven't been sent home early) they just set up a big TV and everyone watches together! Nothing could be more important, and whenever Brazil scores, the country erupts with cheering, and neighbors run to the streets kissing and hugging and celebrating together! I'm excited!
I feel I should fill everyone in a bit more since it's been so long since I last wrote. I'll share a few more thoughts and stories. :)
Yesterday was Brazilian Valentine's Day, it's really more for people who are dating. I had to work, but when I got home I made special lunch. I had gone to the farmers' market and got some pretty leeks and shrimp. I cooked them together in a cream sauce with pasta. Something I learned in my time in France. :) I love how fresh the food is here. Mangos, avocados, and coconuts all year round! And everything is relatively preservative-free. Meal preparation takes a lot more work because you working all with raw ingredients, but the result is awesome, wholesome food!
Classes continue to go well, and my first semester will be over the end of this month! I'm really enjoying it, but I've asked to have two less classes for the coming semester. I was feeling a little over-worked at about 50 hours a week. I want some more free time, especially as Gui and I are starting to do more projects in our neighborhood trying to start a Bible study, maybe even a house church. I really think that's a more worth-while use of time. We recently got to attend a week long conference with a really amazing Australian author, Michael Frost. You should check him out, he has some really radical - radical in the true sense of getting back to the roots- ideas about what the church should look like, what it should be seeking. It's got us thinking and praying hard about the way we live! It's so exciting to be learning and growing together!
Gui's studies are going well, and God has really been blessing us as we draw close to Gui's graduation in December and the next step into the unknown. He has put some caring and helpful people in our path. With Gui's new free time, he's able to study, read, research, and he's been building up valuable relationships with professors. Right now he's attending a special two-month long seminar with a really great professor from the University of Miami. This guy graduated from Gui's school and is giving Gui a lot of helpful advice and encouragement about the process for Brazilians to enter into foreign universities. What a blessing to be able to get advice from someone who's already been through this process!
No idea where we're headed come next year. It really depends on where and if Gui gets into a Masters Program. We could still be in Brazil, maybe in the US, maybe in the UK, who knows?? The great thing is I have a lot of peace about where we are right now. And looking into the future, I can't help thinking of this verse- "A man's heart plans the way, but the Lord directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9
