Brasil: Lesson Learned

Spending most of February in Rio amounted to a month long party. And the party doesn't stop in Rio, it goes throughout the entire country, and it doesn't stop in February- it goes all year round. Though I had had enough by the time I left, this party life-style is just one faucet through which the Brasilian attitude emanates... You can get hints of it on the roads, where street signs are merely suggestions. You can see it at the beach by way of sungas and bikinis, or even walking down the street where sarongs, shorts and sandals are the dress code; bras and tee-shirts optional- even at work. You can see it on the faces of those in the slums and the favelas, and in the eyes of the folks asking for your empty beers to recycle. You can see it in children swimming in dirty water amongst plastic water bottles and wrappers. You can hear it in the Brasilian accent, and relaxed speech.

This attitude is so prevalent that it emanates from every aspect of the Brasilian character and life-style. It doesn't have to be spoken- it is felt, and understood. In a few days one realises that there is something different about Brasil- something spectacular. In under a week it becomes clear what exactly is going on.

Since leaving, I have continued to meet a plethora of Brasilians. Many in their young twenties study abroad, where higher education is more affordable. In these folks, too, is their attitude omnipresent- it is the Brasilian character. It's simple, serene, and accepting. It doesn't matter what one looks like, where they live, if they missed their bus, or how they'll find their next meal- to be Brasilian is to accept life, and enjoy it- to be able not just to say, but to believe, "Don't worry..."

Playa del Carmen, Mexico

When I arrived in Cancun I had no idea where to go. With no hostel reservations or bus tickets, I walked out of the airport feeling completely liberated. Standing outside, looking around at all of the buses lined up, I decided to check out Playa del Carmen, a town which I had first heard of through a guest at the bar at which I had worked, and then read a bit about in Fly Solo,* a book with travel ideas for women vacationing alone. When I got off the bus an hour later it was easily 32° outside, sometime after 12:00, and I hadn't slept in over 24 hours- I was bogged down by heavy jeans, my backpack, and the extra piece of luggage I was awkwardly carrying for friend; my face was glistening and back sticky with sweat. Feeling overwhelmed by both wonder and fear, I wandered around town looking for a place to stay, and a shower. Pacing up and down the same road, Avenida 5, the most touristy avenue in town, I began to feel that I was going about it the wrong way... After about an hour I found an internet cafe and searched for hostels. I quickly found one, which I chose solely because of its proximity to the internet cafe, and went off in search for it. After about another half hour (the place was roughly three minutes walking distance away) I finally walked into Maria Sabina. I could tell instantly I had made the right choice, if for the wrong reasons- Maria Sabina is the Patron Saint of mushrooms and gonga.

Maria Sabina was a phenomenal place, good vibes, good people, and a place at which I instantly felt at home! I had initially booked two nights there, still not sure when I would want to either try another hostel or go to Cancun, and also mindful that there were likely other nearby places to explore; I ended up staying there my entire time in Mexico, save for my last night. Every morning I woke up and thought, 'nope, still not ready to go!' My room mates and I quickly bonded, as I did with most of the guests and staff at Maria Sabina. One of my roomies, whom I will visit when I eventually hit Europe, was an adorable French girl on vacation by herself. Another was a vagabond like myself, who left Scotland with the same intentions I had when leaving the States. She constantly exclaimed to me, 'stop being me!' That's what makes staying in hostels often so amazing- I will likely never see some of the folks I hung out with again, but there are many more with whom I know I'll cross paths in the future; I will be back to Playa someday, I will go visit my friend in France, and I will travel with the Scottish vagabond.

So Playa del Carmen... amazing place. Very touristy but not for Americans- they all stay in Cancun while the Europeans and South Americans go to Playa. It's a beach town, with some of the most amazing beaches in the world; the Caribbean truly is magnificent! It's also ridiculously safe- open air restaurants stay open after closing, you could literally walk in at three am when no one was there, but would quickly be arrested by the constant and massive police presence. The two main streets are Avenida 5, which runs parallel to the Caribbean, and is a complete tourist area, and Calle 12, which runs perpendicular to the beach, and is where all of the night clubs are, many of which extend onto the beach for an outdoor evening of drinking and dancing. The Blue Parrot Beach Club is located at the end of Calle 12. Every night at 10:30 they have fire dancers on the beach, right next to the outdoor dance platform, adjacent to which is a covered bar. In Playa, even the locals go to the beach all day, and then to the clubs all night, work and weather permitting.

Playa was a great location from which to visit other nearby towns like Tulum, the only place in Mexico with ruins on the beach, and Akumal, another (though slightly less) touristy beach town with great surf, and famed for their snorkelling and sea turtles. I took day trips there with other folks from town. I of course met them at the hostel, but many of them were foreigners who were living in Playa, some but not all of whom worked at the hostel. Most of the people I met and befriended were folks who had visited Playa at one point, and then came back to live. This allowed me to enjoy the safety of the town but experience it as the locals did, eating and shopping at the places they would, rather than the expensive and touristy places on Avenida 5.

Eventually, sadly, I had to leave, I had a flight to Rio I didn't want to miss- after all Carnaval awaited! So my last night in Mexico the French girl and I went to Cancun together (she and I both had flights out at near the same time, and stayed in the same room for the entirety of both of our stays there). All I have to say about Cancun: it sucks!

Here's the thing, when I arrived in Mexico, I still hadn't realised what I was doing and how I was going to do whatever it was. I was a bit overwhelmed at the newness of everything, and too timid to use the little Spanish I knew. By the time I left, I felt confident in my abilities to communicate, aided much by my new friends who helped me to improve my Spanish while I was there, and excited for my next adventure.




*Rodriguez Williamson, Teresa. Fly Solo: The 50 Best Places on Earth for

a Girl to Travel Alone. New York: Perigee Books, 2007.

My Twelve Days in Rio

On my first day in Rio my friend said to me,
"Let's go hit the town and party!"

On my second day in Rio a Brasilian said to me,
"Hop on my bike and hold on tight and we'll tour the city!"
Then he showed me how to party...

On my third day in Rio Sugarloaf said to me,
"From my peak I view the streets, the mountains and the sea!"
And we watched the city party...

On my fourth day in Rio our driver said to me,
"You're the most fun I've ever had, while as a cabbie!"
That's 'cause we know how to party...

On my fifth day in Rio my friends said to me,
"Let's score some drugs, we'll have some fun and make felicity!"
And then we shall really party...

On my sixth day in Rio the police said to me,
"You'd better fucking chill or we'll end our hospitality!"
We still hit the town to party...

On my seventh day in Rio Carnaval called to me,
"We're thousands deep, we fill the streets; stronger than the sea!"
Then it washed me into the party...

On my eighth day in Rio my instincts said to me,
"You ought to leave at home your camera and money!"
To Lapa- a giant street party...

On my ninth day in Rio my conscience said to me,
"Now you have no camera 'cause you were foolhardy!"
Still we went to another party...

On my tenth day in Rio the bouncer said to me,
"Welcome to the Sambadome, enjoy the grandiosity!"
Man, they sure know how to party...

On my eleventh day in Rio the Sambadome spoke to me,
"Feel the beat, find a niche, and live the fantasy!"
Then he and I made our own party...

On my twelfth day in Rio my body said to me,
"It's been fun, but you're insane, I'm ageing too quickly!"
Shit, Rio knows how to party!

Nintendo Wii: Slowly Defeating My Arguments Against Video Games

I have never been a fan of video games. Super Mario Brothers and Contra were just about the only video games I ever enjoyed, and I never had my own consul. I have always held that the games were isolating, keeping children indoors staring at television sets, rather than playing stick-ball with neighbourhood children; that they were a large factor in the growing anti-socialism in the youth of the last couple of decades. Similarly, that they helped to foster the current child-obesity epidemic, as kids sat in front of the tele in lieu of exercise. And while a game may have popped up intermittently that contained some modicum of educational value, they weren't big sellers, and when mom bought them, they got dusty on the shelf while children preferred to shoot ducks or find the princess.

When Nintento came out with the Wii, I had to admit, they almost defeated all of my arguments. With games like Wii Fit, players were able to get some form of exercise, whether playing tennis or golf, or doing a classic floor mat routine. However, I still had a problem: why are kids playing baseball with faceless voices from across the country, when they could be out front or at a park with their neighbours and class-mates?

Then there were the Senior Bowling Leagues, in which over 1000 seniors play among the 186 teams. The thing about this league is that, aside from the players now participating in something that is somewhat physical (though less so than actual bowling, it's on par with what their bodies are capable of), seniors participate as a community. Although the teams play with others from across the nation, the teams themselves are usually made up of folks residing in the same retirement communities or nursing homes, and it's not just the bowlers that participate- they are cheered on by their co-residents.

With this market of gamers newly discovered, more games, such as Brain Age, by Wii, are being geared towards seniors, and maintaining their cognitive abilities. Now, if we could just get the children to follow suit, before they reach their seventies...

Isn't that cool?

Last month I spent two weeks rooming in a hotel with a young woman, Sara, whom I instantly felt to be my long-lost little sister. One night, while we were playing games in our room with another young woman on the trip, I mentioned in passing my sisters back home. The second young woman looked at me with awe, exemplified by her wide-eyes, then to Sara. "I know, her sisters are black. Isn't that COOL?!' Sara exclaimed.

It truly is a great day when the next generation's reaction to my inter-racial family is: cool!

Latin Tongue Twisters

Persevera, per severa, per se vera.
Persist through difficulties, even though it is hard.*

Cane decane, canis? Sed ne cane, cane decane, de cane; de canis, cane decane, cane.
Do you sing, o white-haired old man? But please don't sing about your dog, o venerable old man; Sing about your old age.*

Quantum materiæ materietur marmota monax si marmota monax materiam possit materiari?
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

*Borrowed from Archimedes' Lab, Discover, Learn, Train your Brain & have Fun with Puzzles!

The Catholic Church: Moving Forward

The Roman Catholic Church has always had a reputation for strict adherence to its doctrine; rich with traditions, the RCC prefers its members to stick to stick to them. Historically, it has been unacceptable for a Catholic to practice something specifically contrary to a church doctrine, however, that modus operandi seems to be changing under the leadership of Pope Benedict XVI. The Church is moving forward with a more lenient arm around its member's shoulders. From neighbourhood churches to Papal policies, the Vatican is telling its members: it's okay to not be perfect; moving away from the strictness that fostered the idiom Catholic Guilt.

This week, the Catholic Church has been all over the news, and the overall tone is one of progression. After decades of serious talks about reunification with the Anglican Church, the Catholic Church is almost ready to incorporate the Anglican Church into its fold. The Vatican sponsored a five day conference of scientists and theologians to contemplate astrobiology (the study of the origin of life on other planets), and its meaning. In both Italy and the United States of America, the Catholic Church has been surprisingly quiet about issues that in the past would have invoked an outcry from the Vatican. When Pope Benedict XVI was named, moderates cringed and conservatives rejoiced; yet it would seem that he has taken to following more closely in his predecessors footsteps than anyone would have imagined.

For decades, The Anglican Church and the Roman Catholic Church have made efforts at unification, but talks stalled constantly due to inherent doctrinal differences amongst them. Perhaps one of the most important differences is the Eucharist. Like most Christian religions, the Anglican Church views communion as symbolic. One of the cornerstones of Catholicism, however, is the belief that the priest actually transforms the wafers and wine of communion into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. This was perhaps the biggest issue of unification for Catholics- but not for Anglicans.

The Anglican Church allows women and married men to be ordained as deacons, priests, and bishops, a practice which the Catholic Church has vehemently fought to keep out of its ranks, especially in recent years when the American Catholic Church has lobbied hard to change this policy. Clergy in the Anglican Church have found it impossible to join a church which would exclude a large number of its members from conversion. In a striking move forward last week, the Catholic Church released a document outlining the compromises each church would have to make in order to successfully unite, and its overall reception by the Anglican Church has been positive.

The Roman Catholic Church would create separate dioceses for Anglican Churches, which would incorporate many Anglican beliefs into the church, indoctrinating them and allowing them to foster and grow as part of the greater Roman Catholic Church. And although the Church does not plan on lessening its requirement for celibacy of the priesthood, it would admit married priests on a case by case basis, and create a separate seminary and model of priesthood for men interested in becoming priests in the new dioceses. However, with all those concessions by the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican clergy would have to make a few as well- like re-ordaining as a Roman Catholic priest, and accepting the doctrine of the Eucharist.

Unification is not the only thing the Roman Catholic Church is rethinking. The possibility of sentient life on other planets, and what that means about Creationism, has become something which deserves consideration by the RCC and the Vatican Observatory. In the seventeenth century, the Roman Catholic Church imprisoned Galileo and burned Bruno at the stake for their thoughts on the universe. For centuries, these acts set the tone of the Church regarding the nature of the universe, and sentient life within it. Now, however, the Vatican is admitting that life on other planets is possible, and insists that if true, it would not undermine the Church's belief in Creationism, but help to understand it more fully. The RCC is now admitting what many of its members often held to be true: life on other planets and Creationism are not mutually exclusive.

Aside from unification with the Church of England and the RCC's openness to the possibility of sentient life on other planets, the Catholic Church has been surprisingly quiet about other issues. Recently, a Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights ruled that crucifixes must be removed from public schools in Italy. Most citizens were outraged by the ruling; public officials stated that the symbol was more cultural than religious, and that Italy plans to appeal the ruling. The RCC, though displeased, has left most of the lobbying to the State. Similarly, in the United States, health care reform has once again raised the issue of abortion in the States. Historically, the Vatican has seized every opportunity to get on its soapbox where abortion is an issue, but this week little has been heard from Rome, though American Bishops were less quiet.

The RCC, it would seem, is making a huge effort to incorporate more members into the Church. Once mortal sins are now venial; what was once grounds for excommunication is now grounds for compromise and exploration. The Catholic Church is now attempting to reclaim the title that has for millennia been its namesake: Universal.