Midd-week update - It is raining in Salvador

I love the rain in this country – I love it because it feels a little bit like home. You need to stay in side; everything becomes a little bit cozier. Of course, it tis not fun to be out in the street when it arrives, but siting inside hearing the dripping on the thin roof is soothing!

I have started to adapt. Since the internship started I feel more secure at home, at my street and in my neighborhood. In contrast to the new impressions and feelings of being an alien in a foreign planet (which, I guess, is natural the first week at an internship, in a governmental institution, in a foreign country, with a foreign language) I now feel I know my street and the people that live here better. This is my home, my safe haven – and I’m so happy I feel that way!

First day as public servant in Brazil

I live near the place where I will do my internship. It is at most three kilometers. However, since the infrastructure in terms of collective transportation in this city is somewhat offset in the political agenda, I need to take the bus a little more than half way there. So I walk, through our area, in the suburb of Salvador, to the nearest bigger bus station. From there I could keep on going and I would soon arrive at my destination, although I find It easier to take the bus since it is so warm and I don’t want to arrive soaking at work – especially not the first day. The bus costs 2.50 real, about 10 kr or 1 euro. 

I arrived. I entered and I was greeted welcome by my boss who is also my supervisor in field for the master thesis to come. The office is a small landscape, only the boss has his own room and a secretary. There is a small kitchen where the cleaning women hang out, make coffee and serves the offices. There is no coffee room or place for people to go and take a break. If you bring lunch it can be warmed in the small kithchen but you have to eat it at you desk. This environment makes the office landscape a noisy place - people work, hang out, chat about how the weaken was, have informal job meetings over a cup of coffee at their desks - side by side - no rules. 

Every one is very nice, open and helpful - the rest is quite confusing, new and difficult - especially in therms of language and communication which normally is one of my strong points... I feel handicapped. It will be one of the biggest challenges for me, to learn how to cope with not benign able to use the written word or speech like I'm use to. 

We'll se how it goes

A perfect place to live

The paradox is total

A week has not jet passed since I landed in Salvador. 

I have spent most of the time worrying about how things will work out. 

I have been to the beach to fry my self in the sun. 

I have been trying to catch up with the pace of everyday life in this strange place. 

It is so easy to forget the problems while remembering the nice things. 

Salvador is a vivid town, welcoming, warm and easy going and at the same time hard, dangerous and suspicious. It’s the place where contrasts are visualized as a schoolbook example. I have learnt that in Brazil, in the statistics, they divide the population in to class A, B, C, D and E, A being upper class and E the lowest, depending upon income. I live in an area where C, D and E coexists. On my streets there are houses with garage and nice cars side by side with houses barely standing. Garbage, construction materials and stray dogs gives the red dirt road (that should have been asphalted many years ago if it had not been for corruption) a special atmosphere

Very simplified, I could describe many of my male nighbours way of interpreting life.  Ether you follow the road of Jesus, go to any one of the three churches schattered a log the street, and try to conform to the demands of God, not drink to much and bring home some moony to your wife and kids, or, you make a turn and take in on the road towards drug trafficking when you turn 17, with the prospects of being shot to death at 19 by your concurrents or the police. It is like choosing to become a high risk mountain climber. 

But, don't worry, drug trafficking and crime is not visible - no one brings crime home to their door - instead worried mothers and poking neighbors talk and attend funerals. People repouse when at home, going to church seeking redemption or turns the volume on their stereos to maximum and plays Pagode and Arrocha to the point that it feels like the house will scatter - all nights of the week. 

This is an environment which makes you fell big and very small at the same time.  It makes you smile so often, it makes you dance and a timid sewed like me can't resist opening up, becoming more outgoing... at the same time this environment makes you doubt the meaning of life, it makes you cry in certain moments.  

The paradox is total. 

On my way

Im leaving soon. It feels like it started already, so much energy goes to thinking about what will happen that I'm already exhausted. Always trying to think that nothing can be done until I arrive, nothing I imagine in my head should be considered before I have seen the reality in which I am going to work.

I have been to Brazil before. I have a place to live and people to help me in every day life. By experience I know what awaits me in terms of climate and culture. I already know my way around the area where I'm going to live. Still I worry about things like - taking the bus, go along the streets ignoring unwelcome stares and whistling...

I know that the first two weeks will be for adaptation, getting in to the rhythm. I just want  to plunge in to it now, get the hardest part owed with so that I can start enjoying it!