Time for Reflection

As I get ready for a trip back to the U.S., I'm left with an opportunity to reflect back on the first six months or so of my life in Brazil. Since it's now been a more significant amount of time, I am starting to get asked when (or if) I am returning for good to the U.S. Although I believe I have a lot more clarity now on what I want my experience to be like here, it is still a tough question to answer. I am psyched to for my trip to the U.S. for many reasons but on a bigger picture level, I am looking forward to returning so that I can experience it with a much different perspective. I have a few American friends that live here and each has told me separately that they never experienced culture shock when coming to Brazil, however, they experienced it immensely when they returned to the U.S. for the first time. It was very interesting to hear that. Ultimately, this trip will really help me understand the differences between these two very distinct worlds. I will also be able to indulge in the things that I have been missing (I literally can not wait to eat Chinese food), while, at the same time, I surely will feel the absence of the things that I have come to love here. After a few weeks up north, I think I will know deep down what I really want to do. Of course, a lot of this will hinge on work opportunities. As much as I would like to surf and hang on the beach all day with bikini clad Brazilians, it's probably not in the cards. Plus, there is always that yearning for a challenge, which is more prevalent in each passing day. But, all of that aside, most of all I am greatly looking forward to spending a lot of time with my friends and family, who I have missed dearly. I wish the trip was a little bit longer but thanks to my Brazilian lawyer, it might just be! You'll understand in a minute.

With all of the life introspection aside, there is not much to say about how I feel about my experience so far other than it has been totally unreal. Outside of the incredible amount of fun I've had, I now speak another language, I have new friends for the rest of my life, and I have lived in one of the most spectacular places in the whole world. What else can you possibly ask for? No matter what I end up doing in life, I will never forget these first six months. You learn an amazing amount about yourself when you are removed from your comfort zone. Throw in a different language as well and all that does is press the fast forward button. Not to sound pompous, but I really feel like I succeeded in getting through that first big hurdle. There is no question that the bigger the risk, the bigger the reward that awaits you. As one of my favorite sayings goes, "Fortune favors the bold."

I had a few random thoughts over the past few days and, as always, I like to share them with you.

I am trying my hardest to learn Portuguese. I study for an hour a day by myself and I also have class three times a week for two hours each class, yet I'm still pretty far away from being totally fluent. However, every once in awhile, I will meet a Brazilian who learned English simply by watching American movies and listening to American music. If you ever meet someone who is learning a new language and you want to make them feel like a total idiot, tell them that you learned English by watching Indiana Jones 200 times...

One of the things that I think is really funny is that Brazilians who speak English have an accent that derives from wherever they learned the language. For instance, if a Brazilian learned English in Australia, he/she will have an Australian accent. If a Brazilian learned English in London, he/she will have a British accent. I have no idea why but it throws me for a loop every time. When they are talking, I look at them like they have three eyes. It's hard enough learning Portuguese. Now you're telling me I need to try to understand a Brazilian speaking English with an Australian accent? I swear when this is all said and done, I can at the very least get a job with Rosetta Stone, right?

I have a list of things to do that I started when I first moved here. I cross things off as I complete them. One of the items that I still have on there is, "Transfer cable into my name." You would think that this would be a fairly easy task. Call up the company, request the change, and be done with it. Not in this country, my friend. I think that one is going to stay on my list for a long time right next to "Pick out headstone for grave."

I am still amazed by the amount of hitchhikers there are in Brazil. You would think that in Brazil, which has a reputation for being very dangerous, people would be unwilling to pick up strangers on the side of the street and take them wherever they may be going. I think it's just another example of how welcoming Brazilians are in general. Of course, it also has to do with the fact that most of the hitchhikers are women wearing tight stretch pants.
"Hop in. Where you headed?"
"I'm going to Sao Paulo."
"Really? What a coincidence. Me too."

Last, but certainly not least, I need a visa in order to stay in Brazil. The only way for me to do this was to apply for an investor visa. Essentially, I set up a corporation, send money from the U.S. to the corporation, and my visa suddenly appears. As I was told, it is not complicated, but it is a process that requires a lot of steps and navigating Brazilian bureaucracy. Therefore, I hired a lawyer, which is typical. I met with him back in March and all was good. I told him that I was leaving for the U.S. in August, and he assured me that we would be well finished by then (I have to be in the U.S. to get my actual visa). He gave me a few updates along the way and all seemed to be in fine order. After not hearing from him for awhile, I called him last week to get an update. Let's just say that the conversation didn't go so well. To make a long story short, he basically failed to do anything for the past two months or so. I have to give him credit though. He did not have a single excuse. It was more along the lines of, "Ahhhh, well, ahhhh, ok, ummmm..." I asked him how he intended to solve the problem. He responded that I could just wait in the U.S. until it's done. My head literally almost exploded. I told him that obviously I live here now and that's not exactly an option. Anyway, I dropped the hammer on him, and hopefully he is working on it day and night (although I highly doubt it). We'll see how it goes but it's going to be a close one. When all is said and done, I think I'm going to pay him in Monopoly money. I'm guessing he won't know the difference, and if he asks what kind of money this is, I'll simply respond, "Ahhhh, well, ahhhh, ok, ummmm..."

As per the norm, to the side are some pics from the past week or so. I'm looking forward to seeing many of you soon!