SRCS

It has been a while since my last post, but I have been going through a lot of transitioning and thinking. I always manage to put myself into situations where I wonder if I am making the right decision by embarking on my next journey. Then I think about what determines right and wrong, good or bad decisions. Then I finally realize, there are no bad decisions because I can learn from any choice I make. But now, I am back in the United States, and want nothing more than to leave again. It isn't the travel bug, or my way to escape life, but this just simply isn't where I want to be. Forget that fact that I don't believe in most of what our government is doing or supporting, but what I have come to notice is that people are generally unhappy here. It is unusual for me to see someone walking down the street, smiling. People don't just randomly get up and dance when they hear a song they like. They walk down the street clutching their jackets tight and with their heads down, staring sternly at the concrete in front of them. To me, that is no life. Of course every other nation has its wide range of problems from a crack epidemic to extreme poverty, but the people everywhere else that I have traveled seem to be enjoying the one thing they have. Life. Not all people in the U.S. are like my previous description, but it seems as most in the Northeast appear this way. They are afraid to let happiness in.

This brings me to the point I was originally trying to make before I started my rant...Is my internship in Maryland the right choice? When I was first told about this internship, I could not have been more excited. I was positive that I would be warn out from all of my traveling and I would want to be local. That was wrong. I applied as soon as I could, and accepted the job even quicker. Although I am a bit weary now, I know that I am going to have an amazing experience, work with incredibly intelligent people, and learn a lot about experiential-environmental education, something I am very passionate about. But for right now, the U.S mentality is not working out for me. Severe Reverse Culture Shock (SRCS) is my diagnosis.

SRCS is an illness experienced by those who understand and have experienced true happiness, and been forced to abandon it due to other plans and plane tickets that could not otherwise be neglected. The true happiness was abandoned due to life. Most Americans when traveling abroad will experience Culture Shock. They do not believe their eyes that the poverty they see on the television exists in real life. That never happened to me. I was always sort of aware of the whole world I am living in, not the bubble we call Bergen County, New Jersey.

Anyways, enough of my ranting. My last week in Brazil was amazing. There were tears, smiles and of course memories. On my last day volunteering in the orphanage, we took the kids to a local park so they could run around and enjoy the fresh air. They were so happy. In the car on the way back, Hiani, the baby girl that I wanted to adopt even fell asleep on my lap. It was so cute. We also stopped to pick up the older kids from school which was great! We had not seen them in over a week so it was nice to be able to say goodbye. When it was finally time to head back to the volunteer house, I was heartbroken. I couldn't hold back my tears, especially when older Natalino looked as if he was about to cry, his eyes swollen and red. I lost it right there and then. Tears began to flow. When we got back, we took a trip down to the beach for one last time. And when we came back, Mary and I did something we were waiting to do for the past seven weeks. We took some paint from the resource room, and made our handprints on the wall outside. Vini helped us by taking photographs and pointing out a great and unique place to leave our marks. Later that night, we had our final Brazilian fiesta by starting with sushi and finishing the night with a Motumba concert in Pelorinuho. We had an amazing night, followed my more goodbyes. Saying goodbye to Vini, and Lou, and Ivan, and Beto. Then of course, saying goodbye to Mary.

Many hours later, I wound up in San Jose, Costa Rica. I made it in one piece, but my suitcase and drum were both missing in Miami. I wasn't too bothered, reported it missing, and began the long car ride with my dad to the hotel. It was a beautiful place called El Silencio Lodge. They had individual cabins in the mountains, raised their own chickens for eggs, and grew their own vegetables. It was paradise. The next morning, we began our five hour trip to Arenal. The Springs Hotel was probably the nicest hotel I have ever stayed at. Of course my only complaint was the fact that it was cloudy and raining the entire time, so we did not even get to see the volcano. Our final stop was Manuel Antonio for a few days to explore the pristine beaches inside the national park, and of course see some monkeys. Overall, it was a nice side trip and very relaxing.

After one day at home, I decided enough was enough, and I hopped on a train to Boston to see my brother for a few days. I am leaving later tonight, but am first seeing some camp friends! I also managed to see one of my CITYterm friends yesterday for a while.

I want to try something new to conclude this post...list a few of my goals for the future:

1. Learn Portuguese
2. Go back to Brazil within the year speaking Portuguese
3. Enjoy Maryland and use my CITYterm experience to give Echo Hill new ideas
4. Stop slacking on my blog!

Tchau para agora...veou a meu fotos por favor!

PICTURES FROM COSTA RICA

Paradise

All in all, last week was pretty much normal (as far as normal is concerned). Despite a few scratches, poop stains on my shirt, bite marks on my ass, and some tears, I had a solid week. I do not want or need to go into detail about the incident concerning tears, but if you are so inclined to know, shoot me an email and I'll tell you the story. Some of the older children were supposed to have been at school last week, but because the teachers thought it would be really nice of them if they went on strike, we were stuck with the chaos of Lar Da Crianca for yet another week. But this morning, when I walked in, I was pleased to find the younger children sitting happily around the T.V singing and dancing along to a show they love. I only had to break up one fight today. It was seriously a miracle. I knew that the older kids influenced the behavior of the younger children, but I did not expect such a dramatic change in the groups dynamic. 

This weekend was one that I will never forget. The crew of six volunteers embarked on a journey to Morro de Sao Paulo, the island I traveled to on my first weekend in Brazil. Mary and I had talked it up to the other volunteers, and were a bit worried that it would not compare to the experience we had the first time. But, it was even better than expected. The boat ride was unexpectedly rough on the two hour journey to the island. It resulted in our bodies being soaked from sitting on the deck of the ship, salt caked onto our skin, and us sweating due to the fact that we felt it necessary to relocate to a more ideal location, inside. When we finally arrived, a woman from the hotel picked us up, holding a sign with our names on it. We took the walk to our hotel, and were pleased to find our small paradise. Air conditioning in the room, a huge beautiful balcony overlooking the ocean and one of the night clubs (good for seeing when it was getting busy), and comfortable beds. We happily got ready for our  night, went for sushi/pizza for dinner, and then went to Funny for the night. Before we knew it, the club was packed and the sun was rising. We ran next door to pick up our cameras to snap a few photographs of the sunrise. I thought this would be a great opportunity to use the last of my Poloroid film, and I managed to get two great last shots. But of course, me being me, something was going to go wrong. As I was switching my other camera to my other hand, one of the photographs slipped from my fingers and flew right into the ocean. I am convinced that if there was not a hot Israeli man standing next to us, I would have cried. Despite the little mishap, it was a fantastic evening.

Mary and I slept until 2 p.m. The crepes we ate the morning before had warn off and we were becoming hungry. Good thing we found a full breakfast of pastries, cheese, fruit and juice in our kitchen waiting to be eaten. Amanda and Emanne had already left the room for the beach. Mary and I got ourselves composed, and went to find them at the beach. We got some very comfortable long beach chairs, and the owner of them would come around every few minutes to wet our feet with cold water to cool us down. It was magical. 

We went for an early dinner at a Brazilian restaurant where I of course ate...pasta! Then we went back to the room to have a quick nap so we would make it through the evening. We woke up at around 9:30 p.m, and started to get ready for our night. I put my tie-died bikini on and was ready to go! We went to Pulsar, where they have a foam party on Saturday nights. For those of you who do not know what a foam party is, they fill the dance floor with foam. It was amazing. That night was probably one of the best nights I have had this whole year. When the sun finally began to rise, we left the club for the beach. We ran in to rinse off all of the foam. If I have ever seen anything beautiful in my life, it was this moment. Rain pouring down from above, a rainbow in front of a cliff to the left, and a gorgeous sunrise to the right. It got even better after because we went for crepes, round two. When I saw my watch said 7:15 a.m., I knew it was time for bed. We woke up at 1:00 p.m., just with enough time to pack and catch the boat back to Salvador. 

I will post another blog on Friday before leaving for Costa Rica! Enjoy some more photographs from the last week!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2075960&id=1341960108&l=ad23ad57b7

Happy Un-Valentines Day

Mary and I were sitting outside enjoying the fresh air after consuming the worst chocolate cake either of us had ever eaten. Our Valentines Day date. Our dry mouths and sugar-coated teeth made conversation about the environment in which we were parked in. High school students in uniform passed us by in clusters, some hand in hand with their significant others. Business men in black pants and ties, street vendors, and women picking up sweets were amongst the other passersby. And then there was the gay man (this may be considered controversial because of our judgement, but I consider it more straightforward than anything). He clearly wanted to be our friend, which was fine, but what he did not realize was that we had no idea what he was saying to us. It is often amusing how many people do not get the point that we do not speak Portuguese. But, he eventually got the point, and continued on his way only after batting his/her eyelashes at me. We knew he/she was not permanently gone, because of previous encounters, so we patiently awaited his/her return while continuing our people watching fun. Across the street was a man on a ladder fixing some wires. I was convinced that he was going to fall off due to the constant honking of cars racing down the street. Ivan, our driver, also managed to find us outside of Frio Gostoso and had a quick chat with us (which we were positive he understood none of). As the gay man finally returned and we prepared to begin our short walk back to the house, he once again began to attempt to engage us in conversation. We reluctantly replied with another, "Nao falo Portuguese." Another man walked by, said something that sounded sort of funny, and began to mimic (in a joking manner) the gay man. Mary and I could not stop laughing, and decided it was a good time to end our people watching.

My weekend was spent at the beautiful Praia do Forte, two hours north of Salvador. The purchasing of bus tickets and departure went smoothly, and we even managed to have the bus to ourselves for a majority of the ride. Mary, Emanne, Asbjorn and I walked with smiles on our faces to the pousada (hotel) that we would be staying in and went to our rooms. After turning on the air conditioning, taking full advantage of our deck with the most comfortable hammock in the world, and unpacking, we ventured out to have a beginning of the weekend drink with french fries. A nice long shower was followed after by long-craved Mexican food. We were eventually joined by two young Swiss men, who were "the most boring people we had ever met," as Mary says. Unfortunately later that night, Emanne had contracted a 24 hour stomach bug and was up sick most of the night. On Saturday, she had to go to the local clinic and get an IV for rehydration.

The next day was spent mostly walking around and looking through the stores. As tempted as I was to buy a large majority of the items I saw, I contained myself and got away with a pair of flower earrings. We ended our afternoon with a long walk/photo shoot on the beach. Mary and I then had a nice dinner date and ate a local specialty, Moqueca. We decided to have an early night, and went to bed shortly after.

On Sunday, Emanne was feeling better, so the three of us went to the Tamar Project, a turtle conservation project in the area. They have rescued turtles on display that we got to see, and tons of rescued turtle eggs from the beach that will be released when they hatch. Fortunately, our bus ride home went smoothly, and we even all got seats! The only downfall was the accident. Not our bus. But, we were stopped in traffic for a few minutes and witnessed a recent accident. The motorcyclist was laying on the ground in recovery position, his bike at least 100 feet in front of him. He did not look very good, but thankfully he was wearing a helmet. This was the kind of accident that will not allow me to sleep for days.

Now that I am in my second to last week in Brazil, I am even more terrified about leaving. How can I leave the children that I have gotten to know so well over the past five weeks, and have grown to love. I know that I will not see most of them again, even if I do return. But, when I do return to Lar Da Crianca, I hope that all of the children that I know there now, will be gone and living happily in a loving home. Leaving Mary will also be difficult. We have been by each others sides for the past five weeks, literally living on top of one another. But, I know I will see her again.

I also spent some time editing some photographs yesterday and today. Because I got a new computer, I was allotted another free trial of Adobe Lightroom, the photograph editing program I use. Please take a look at my new photographs and let me know what you think!

New Photographs Here!

Another Week....Gone

This week flew by. Monday feels as if it were yesterday, but here I am ready to go away for the weekend. Although it was an extremely fast week, it was probably the toughest week I have had here thus far. The children at the orphanage were more of a handful than usual. Running, kicking, hitting, screaming and crying are the norm, but this week, they took it to the next level. Not only did I have the older (10 year old) boys come into the baby room and try to hit the babies, but they decided it would be a great idea to jump over a fence into the play area for the big kids. Thankfully, they got in trouble and were calm for the remainder of the week. This was Wednesday. On this same day, I had a girl, Diana, try to come into the room. Because she was younger I was able to keep her out for a while. She eventually made her way over the childproof gate and into the room when I was tending to one of the babies. I chased her around like a nut, finally got her out, and then she tried to spit on me. Spit on me. Three separate times.

On other days, the kids would be hitting each other and crying more than usual. We stopped bringing them paper and colored pencils because they were just causing more problems than there needed to be. But, Friday came, and they were worn out. Today was a pleasure. I played basketball this morning with the older boys for a bit, then got my hair done in "Salon Beleza" by two of the older girls, and spent some time throwing the  younger kids around in the air. If they were like this twice a week, I would be so proud of them! But, I keep telling myself, "Baby steps."

This week was stressful for another reason. My parents shipped me a new computer because my old one decided it was a good time for the fan to stop working. The computer finally arrived on Monday, and the Fed-Ex man told me I needed to pay a ridiculous sum of money to the Brazilian government. That was not happening, so I called my dad, and we decided we would ship it back home in order to avoid the fees. To our surprise, since it was in Brazil, we had no choice but to pay the fee, or give it up. So yesterday, it finally returned back to me and I am loving it! Thanks dad!

Yesterday, I got my hair cut for the first time since September 2009. I am still unsure of what caused me to want to get this done, but I did it. It is not much shorter than it was, but I now have side bangs. It was very interesting to try to have a conversation with the stylist, but I got lucky because the woman sitting next to me spoke a fair amount of English!

This weekend, I am headed off with Mary, Emanne, and Asbjorn to Praia De Forte, the beach we accidentally went to two weekends ago while trying to get to Arembepe. We are spending two nights there and are very excited to see what it will bring us!

Despite my roller coster of a week, I cannot believe that I only have two weeks left here. The thought of leaving here makes me so upset, although I have Costa Rica to look forward to! But for now, baby steps.

"Because We're Only Human"

A lot has happened since my last post...

I'll start with the volunteer work that I have been doing. Lar Da Crianca, aka the orphanage, has been a lot more calm. Although the kids are still trying to beat the crap out of each other on a daily basis, they have begun to listen to Eric, Emanne, and myself. I am often asked to stay in the babies room and tend to them, which is great! I love taking care of them, except when they are crying (which happens to be most of the time), but their cuteness makes it easy to forgive them. I think that after four weeks, Eric and I have finally figured out how to handle them. And when they don't listen? I tell them that they will not be able to listen to 50 Cent the next day. They stop whatever they are doing very very quickly. I guess that is a form of positive reinforcement? I also bought them a new toy that I felt was very appropriate and they reciprocated just as I thought. I bought them a blow up punching doll (that is the best way I can describe it). They, for once, beat the shit out of the toy, rather than each other. Despite my amusement, it was taken away by the caretakers and is now M.I.A. 

Last Wednesday was another festival here in Salvador. Iemanja, the Candomble warship of the god of the sea, was a really unique experience. Vini dropped us off in Rio Vermhelo (Red River), a nice beach area in Salvador, and we began the short walk to the Candomble House. People were dressed in all white and were carrying gifts to set into the ocean (to clarify, some people throw the gifts into the ocean themselves, while others give them to fisherman who then bring the gifts out to sea later in the day). Like all festivals in Salvador, there was plenty of music, dancing and beer. I got some great photographs, and I will put them on Facebook as soon as possible. 

After the festival, we relaxed and then made our way to the beach near our house, Praia de Barra, to watch the sunset. It was beautiful and everyone even clapped as we saw the final moments of the sun for the day. 

This weekend was also quite exciting. Mary and I left the house Saturday afternoon for the Pestana Bahia Hotel and Resort in Rio Vermhelo. We put our bags down in our beautiful room (with air conditioning and a huge bed...this is a big deal for us...especially after living without either of those things for four weeks), and made our way to the gorgeous pool that over looked into the ocean. Did I mention that our room was ocean front with a balcony? We ordered room service for dinner and made our way to the Festival De Verao, the summer music festival in Salvador. Although it is three nights, we only went for one. Mary and I were so excited because Jason Mraz was headlining and we managed to get VIP tickets. We soon found out that so did thousands of other people, but it was well worth it. I pushed our way through the mass of people, front and center. It was amazing to be so close in a concert even though we were getting so many dirty looks from the locals. After exiting the crowd, we were drenched in sweat and desperate for water. We also managed to find some New York style Pizza. Our next mission, finding a taxi. Mary and I always tend to struggle with this simple task, and to nobody's surprise, did exactly that. After asking about ten police officers where we could find a taxi, we were out of the festival gates and on a dark sketchy road. I am never scared, and was terrified. All men sitting outside of their cars with beers. We practically ran until we found a taxi. We also saw two other girls walking in the opposite direction, who looked even more terrified then we did. We picked a great taxi. He spoke spanglishportuguese. He also played some great music for us and gave us his number so we can call him the next time we need a taxi. Everything had gone so well, I knew this wasn't right. When we walked into the hotel room, Mary informed me that I had sat in gum. Yes, gum. I spent about an hour yesterday using hairspray and water to successfully remove it.

Begin Tangent: Jason Mraz was amazing! He is so so so talented. I loved hearing him play even though his set-list sucked. We also made a lot of friends. The Brazilians thought it was hilarious that I knew all of the words to one of Jason's (yes we are on a first name basis) songs that is basically like a rap (The Dynamo of Volition). When we ordered room service, not only did it take an hour, but there was ham on my grilled cheese. Normal. Oh, also, at one point during the concert, my leg was bleeding. Don't know how that happened or why, but it was. We also couldn't find a band aid because we can't speak Portuguese. End Tangent.

Yesterday, we woke up in the hotel ready for a good breakfast. We went to the buffet and enjoyed a great meal before heading to the pool. The pool was great until I got in the shower at the hotel before heading back to the house. I got so burnt. I'm not even going to beat around the bush. Like, red. Vini called me a strawberry today. The kids were pinching me and feeling the warmth of my skin for about an hour today. 

But hey, like Jason Mraz always says (and apparently starts his concerts with this...), "We're only human." Despite all of my little misfortunes, I had a great weekend! 

Wait...There Are No Hippies Here!

Yesterday was truly an experience. After three weeks of settling in and becoming comfortable with Salvador, Mary and I decided to embark on our first "out of the box" adventure, as I like to call it. We asked Vini, the Volunteer Manager, where we should go that is different, fun, and has beautiful beaches. After going through about every place he knew within a close proximity to Salvador, we finally decided on Arembepe.

Arembepe is a unique town, and a popular destination for locals as well as tourist (although there are very little tourists in Salvador). A close walk from the main square of the town is a hippie village that was visited often by famous hippie musicians such as Janis Joplin and Mick Jagger. The hippies live in their village without the help of electricity or showers. They bathe in the natural pools and ocean that surrounds the village. Many survive off of the local fishing industry and of course the handmade craft market. And apparently, the beaches here are one of a kind. White sand, towering palm trees, tide pools, what could be better?

It was 9 A.M and everything was set. Just as we were about to leave, Emanne, a new volunteer arrived, so Mary and I invited her to come with us. After she got ready, we were finally on our way with specific instructions from Vini on where to go and how to get there. Unfortunately, these precise instructions were not enough to get three Americans to Arembepe successfully.

We had survived yet another taxi ride, so what could go possibly go wrong? We managed to get inside of the Rodoviaria Bus Station and ask three different people where the desk to buy tickets for Linha Verde Company. We did this without any struggle. We even bought the correct tickets, and made it to the correct bus without standing in the wrong line. It was a miracle. After getting on the bus and settling in, I knew that it was too good to be true. Something was about to go very wrong.

Arembepe came and went. Just like that. After an hour and a half of traffic to get out of Salvador, we made it onto the Coconut Highway. The bus kept pausing, briefly, on the side of the major costal highway to take and leave passengers. The three of us were extremely confused. We were warned to get off at Arembepe Square, but we saw no square. Just homes and a restaurant here and there. No place for three young girls to get off a bus. We passed three stops in Arembepe. Then it was gone.

Despite the major disappointment, we were all relaxed though still curious as to where this hippie village was. I knew we had to walk once the bus dropped us off, but we had no idea it would be on the side of the highway (to put this in perspective, it would be like going to Connecticut, and getting dropped off from a bus on side of the Merritt Parkway, and told to walk two kilometers into town).

We once again used our wits and realized that this bus also stops in Praia De Forte, a popular tourist destination, and a place where some other volunteers had previously traveled to. We decided it was a great idea to just spend the day there, even though we didn't want to take the bus for two hours (which really ended up being three because of the traffic) just for the day. That was the reason we decided to go to Arembepe in the first place. It was close.

We got off of the bus with the rest of the passengers and found paradise. Praia De Forte was beautiful. The streets were filled with beautiful stores and restaurants and happy people. After being in Salvador for a week, it becomes a necessity to see people walking down the streets smiling and without anger and fear. The beaches were magnificent. I managed to get away from the other girls for a while with my camera. This well needed alone time turned into a photo shoot with the fish and crabs that I found in the tide pools. We also managed to spot some monkeys, which are comparable to squirrels in New Jersey, and have lunch at a great Brazilian restaurant. I tried Moqueca, which is sort of like a curry, but better! It is one of the only places that I have seen a vegetarian option for this dish. We looked for a hotel or pousada to stay in when we come back in two weekends. A few of them looked nice and were close to the beach, so hopefully they will not be too expensive! There were also men dressed up in scary Halloween masks with garbage bags around their necks and beer in one hand and rope in the other. They chase around children with bells and scare them! We even had three children hiding in front of us when we were on the beach. We later found out that this was because of Carnival, despite it being a month too early.

The bus ride home was smooth, despite the fact that I had to stand for the full two hours. Mary and Emanne got lucky and found seats after a while. So...moral of the story? Don't get off the bus at the side of the highway. Always have a backup plan. Finally, do not be afraid to just go with the flow!

Here is my other update! Today, Mary and I are just going to relax. We slept in..well, Mary is still sleeping, and then we will go to the beach! I am going to buy the drum that I have wanted since I first got here. I feel like if I have wanted something for three weeks, I think it is not a problem to buy it, especially because it is only R$35 ($20 U.S.). Transporting it to Miami, and then back to Costa Rica, and then back to New Jersey should be quite the interesting task. Also, do not expect more pictures on Facebook anytime soon! My free trial of Lightroom has expired, and now I have no way to watermark (copyright) my photographs. I would invest in the program, but its $300.

The other day at the orphanage, one of my favorite children, Ariel (the one in my main Facebook photograph), had a febrile seizure. At the time, the caretakers were unsure of why he had the seizure, but after a medical exam, they were told it was because of an infection on his leg. Later that day, I saw the infection and was completely shocked that he had not been taken to the doctor earlier. His entire leg was covered in scabs. Other than that, the kids have been a lot better since the watercolor mishap. They were able to keep it together enough on Thursday that I brought them word searches and mazes to do as well as puzzles and building blocks! They were even able to handle that much! Hopefully from now on, they will be able to behave a little better!

Aren't Watercolors Supposed To Be Serene?

Words cannot even begin to explain today. The only adjective that I can think of that comes close to explaining this morning is: chaotic.

Like every morning, I prepared a bag of toys and art supplies to entertain the children at the orphanage. Like every morning, I got in the van and was on my way. Unlike every morning, when Eric and I walked in, everyone was awake. I immediately thought to myself that it must have been a rough morning. Usually, half of the kids are either still sleeping or showering.

The older boys, ages 10-12, automatically started questioning me for my iPod to fulfill their obsession with 50 Cent. I know how much all of the caretakers despise the music, so I told them we could listen later. After only thirty minutes of restlessness, the watercolors came out. It started off as a nice art session with two young girls, and turned into twenty five children with paint on their faces, smudged by tears.

"Nao bata! Nao bata! No hitting! No hitting!" I felt like a broken record. Boys throwing paint brushes at the girls. Girls painting each others bodies. Babies trying to eat the paintbrushes. Eric and I running around in attempt to take away all of the supplies.

After way too much time of this nonsense, one of the caretakers finally had it. There was peace. Quiet. Silent tears. I could finally breath again.

The older children, who are clearly role models for the younger ones, were taken outside for a talk from one of the women. They came back, and despite their serious conversation, were still uncontrollable. Then all of the children, with the exception of the babies, were told to sit at the table with their heads down. Some were sent to their rooms.

Although most of this morning was a blur, I cannot help but sympathize for these children. They are so young and hardly leave the orphanage. If I were one of them, I would be going crazy too. This week has been very difficult with Eric and myself being the only two volunteers there. Next week, we are getting one more person which will be fantastic. I want to be able to bring fun things for the kids to play and learn with, but they are never able to get it together just enough to make me want to bring them new toys and games. It is impossible to get them to sit down together and explain a game to them. Or to even color and draw in peace. Or to even eat without hitting the person next to them with a spoon. Volunteering at the orphanage has been one of the most challenging experiences not only this year, but in my life. There is so much I want to teach and show these kids, but I am starting to realize that if I help one child, I am making a difference.

Zaqueu, the little boy I previously wrote about, has been making huge strides in identifying nature. He is beginning to point to plants on his own. Look at the clouds. Play in the rain (until he gets yelled at). Today, he watched raindrops fall from the roof for about ten minutes. He is not able to speak yet, but his wide eyes and teeth-baring grin tell me everything I need to know. He is amazed with nature.

Now for the other updates! Last weekend was very relaxing. Saturday was a well needed hang out day in Salvador. On Sunday, Mary, Eric and I took an Island Tour. We were on a party boat with local music and dancing for a few hours to reach each islands. The first island was small and beautiful, with not much to do. The other island, Itaparica was amazing. We had a great lunch and then went on a bus tour. Although we were sure the bus was from the 1920s and was about to lose its windows, we were able to see some historic landmarks and practice our Spanish (the tour was in Spanish)!

Yesterday, all of the volunteers went on a tour to a local market for the lower-class. Mary passes this market on her way to volunteering every day, and warned me that it looks scary from the outside. She was right. Although it was one of the most frightening places I have been in my life (people everywhere, meat hanging from the ceiling, children manhandling goats from a rope tied around their necks), it was also an extremely unique experience. I was able to snap some great photographs and learn a lot about Candomble, the Afro-Brazilian voodoo religion.

My Portuguese is slowly but surely improving. I am finally catching on to the pronunciation of words. If someone is speaking slowly enough, I can understand what they are generally saying. I still have no idea how to speak though. Hopefully, a lightbulb will go off in my lessons this week!

Tchao!

Nature and Cities

He was crying. Well, not just crying, but hysterically crying. His arms would occasionally rise in the air as a signal to me to pick him up. When I catered to his request, the sobbing would die down momentarily. The second I took him to sit down, the tears would begin to flow again. With sore arms, I picked him up again and walked around the dull concrete room that is his home. At nearly one years old, Zaqueu has never seen nature. He has left the orphanage only for a visit to the hospital for his bi-monthly checkup.

Something caught my eye. Something not dull, not gray. Green. A little plant in the kitchen. I walked over with Zaqueu in my arms. Be gentle I said, realizing after that he does not understand English. I took my free hand and gently touched a leaf. I was unsure how he would react. Most objects in his sight end up in his mouth or broken. But, the tears stopped immediately. A smile took over his face and giggles began to fill the air. He copied me and began to touch a leaf. He then proceeded to look at the ceiling. He pointed and giggled even more! I tilted my head back to see what he was enjoying. It was completely amazing. He saw a plant growing off the side of the roof. He had made the connection that what he was touching was the same thing above him. I know that this is something so simple, but for an inner-city child that has never been exposed to nature, this was a revelation.

I took him a few feet over from the plant to show him some of the weeds that were growing on the construction site up the stairs. He was shocked and excited. Then he heard chirping. He looked around. Curious. Anxious. Enthusiastic. He saw birds. I pointed and laughed with him. He moved his head with them as they walked and flew. After they had departed the site, I put Zaqueu down, and did not hear him cry again that day.

Today, I wanted to experiment and see if he would react the same way to the plant, even though he was not crying. I picked him up and brought him over to the plant. He immediately began to touch it gently and have the same exact smile and giggle. We then walked back over to the construction site. He found a gecko sitting on the stairs, basking in the sun. He became serious. He was pointing and observing its every move once the gecko became aware of our presence. He was completely amazed. As was I.

All of this makes me think. I understand that Zaqueu is living in an orphanage and food, clothing and shelter are the main priorities of the home. But it may go deeper than that. Based on the recent genre of books I have recently been reading (Environmental Psychology, more specifically involving children), I have come to believe that the most important resource for education, development, and free time may be nature.

I have also been thinking about Salvador as a larger version of the orphanage in which I volunteer. As a whole, this city has very few parks and natural spaces for recreation. Forget playing fields (there are probably ten soccer fields made of dirt in the entire city), but parks and green areas are scarce in this brick and concrete metropolis. This flaw in urban design shows in the community. High crime rates, high unemployment rates, and poverty is obvious in Salvador.  It is fact that parks and green spaces impact development in children, and having more of these places would increase the popularity of education. It is true that the government pays citizens of Salvador R$180 per month to send their children to school, but for everyone, the bribe isn't worth it. So, I ask myself the question, and continue to actively inquire: What are the implications and correlations between the scarcity of recreational green spaces, and poverty and high crime rates in Salvador?

More interestingly, let me tell you about what has been going on with me! This week flew by. Working at the orphanage is still completely exhausting, but has become more and more enjoyable as the children get more comfortable with me. I am a bit nervous for next week when it is just Eric and myself. Tomorrow, we are taking the older kids on a trip to the local zoo! Although I hate zoos for moral reasons, I will enjoy being able to show the kids animals and nature. They seem like they need to get out of the house. For all I know, they haven't left in weeks because it is summer and they are not in school.

On Wednesday, there was a slight incident, but thankfully, nobody got hurt. The group of volunteers that work at a different site were on their way home. While they were sitting in traffic, a man tried to cut off the volunteer van. The driver would not let him in. The driver pulled up next to an open window and pointed a gun in the face of one of the female volunteers. The driver let the man in without hesitation. Although this story is very frightening, we all recognized that this type of situation could happen in any city. So, don't be worried! We are all very cautious about everything we do while in public places.

Today, I spent the afternoon shopping in Pelourinho with Lindsay. We had a lot of fun together! I even bought a cute headband! Plans for this weekend are still up in the air. If anything, Mary and I might do an Island Tour for a day and visit two islands. Most of our group, seven people, are leaving on Saturday. Although I wish they were all staying for longer, I am excited for the adventures to come next week!

Check my Facebook again for more photographs from a tour from the other day of the favelas and some other cool places!

PHOTOGRAPHS HERE!

Adventures in Brazil

Adventure Number 1: Lavagem do Bonfim

I carefully tied the white bracelet to my wrist. Three knots, as instructed, wishes laced in between each. I briefly glanced over my right shoulder to find a group of men dressed up in spooky costumes. A bit frightened, I briefly glanced over my left shoulder to find a group of women dressed up in large, white dresses. I was thoroughly confused about my surroundings as well as the fact that everyone, including myself, was wearing white. But, I was there. I had my camera out, ready to shoot. My sneakers on, ready to walk. 

Not knowing what was going on, we waited around for the locals to lead the way. And so it began. The four mile walk to the Bonfim Church for a ceremony we knew nothing about. All I was informed of was that the people of Salvador come together to celebrate the washing of Bonfim Church (Lavagem do Bonfim). 

A headache and three hours later, we finally arrived at the church. All ten-thousand of us. Thousands of hands were in the air ceremoniously. Tears streamed down the faces of the locals. I was amazed at how passionate the people were about this event. Just minutes ago, we were walking amongst drunks and musicians and dancers. And now? People in prayer with and for one another. 

While amongst the crowd, we managed to lose one of our group members. She was found two minutes later with the other half of the volunteers. Together, we walked off to find a taxi back to the base house. Absolute disaster. Despite the fact that we asked the police to point out where we would be able to catch a few taxis, we managed to be walking around in what a New Yorker would call, "The ghetto." I felt completely safe because it was the middle of the day and there were people walking around, but the vast majority of the group did not. I am pretty sure that every single local that was on the street where we were searching for a taxi managed to stare us down. After all, it was quite obvious that we had no idea where we were going and we did not belong. Forty-five minutes later, we got our act together and walked to a main intersection to catch three taxis within two minutes. 

It gets better. From our location, the taxi drive should have taken about ten minutes. Maximum. Of course all of the roads that lead directly to the house were closed for the march to the church. That taxi ride was the most frightening ride of my life. There were four of us in my taxi. All girls. As much as I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, I was very doubtful that we were not going home. Five minutes into the car ride, we were in the middle of the favelas. Not somewhere we should be. Not somewhere the car should be stopped in traffic. Not somewhere the car should be without gas in the tank. Or with four female tourists in the car. Forget the fact that we almost did not make it up some of the extremely steep hills and half-way down one of them. Our main concern was the fact that our gas tank was on empty. But, once again, we made it home safe and sound (although we were all extremely nauseous from the two hour ride). 

Adventure Number 2: Morro de Sao Paulo

Since we survived the taxi ride to the ship terminal, I  assumed that our trip to this gem of an island would be successful. I could not have been more accurate. The two hour catamaran ride was amazing. I have never seen water so calm. Mary, Lindsay and I sat outside for most of the voyage. I met this nice guy from Argentina. Little did we know that he understood English perfectly. We were ignorant to think that nobody on the boat spoke English, so we were saying things as we pleased. Oops. Anyways, I was able to take some beautiful photographs of the still water and even some flying fish!

When we got to the island, we could not have been more excited. It was beautiful. There were no cars, and tons of tourists. We finally felt as if we could walk around without the threat of getting mugged. Cute boutiques and small pousadas (hotels) lined the sandy roads. Taxis, known to others as wheel-barrows, assisted visitors with their baggage and even their children. The soft and white sandy beaches were stunning. People were so happy. All in all, a satisfying contrast from Salvador. We had been there for five minutes when we decided we never wanted to leave. 

Our hotel was on the third beach, a bit of a walk, but not too far from the restaurants. It sat right on the beach with apartments and villas spread out amongst the large property. Because there were five girls in total, we rented a villa for the night. Although many of my friends did not like the gecko living in the room, I did not mind. There were two levels and more importantly, air conditioning. We spent the afternoon at the beach and bought tickets to the club that was recommended by the guy I met on the boat (it was also recommended by a website we looked at before we went). 

We had a nice candle-lit Italian dinner on the beach before going out for the night. The club was high up on a hill, but well worth the hike. We managed to stay at the club until five thirty in the morning! I saw the guy from the boat again with his five friends. The two groups spent the night dancing and talking. We were planning on seeing them on the beach the next day, but I went shopping with two of my friends instead. We started our walk back in the dark, and ended it in the light. The sunrise was absolutely stunning and I was so upset that my camera was back in the hotel room. Mary and I decided to get crepes, even though it took an hour. It was well worth it to taste Nutella once again.

The boat ride back was a little bit different then the ride to the island. Half of the passengers were leaning over the side to throw up and the other half was sleeping inside. I was sitting in the back with my eyes half closed and trying not to think about getting nauseous. We all practically kissed the land when we got back to Salvador. I am proud to say that we made it back to the house, once again, safe and sound!

Today was a rough day back at the orphanage. Every time one person cried, it seemed as if everyone began to cry. I got thrown up on, baby food spilt on me, and boogers on my arm, but overall, it was a good day. 

To see some more photographs from my adventures, check out the following Facebook link:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2072406&id=1341960108&l=5a397921d3

Step By Step

I started off in New Zealand, possessed by anxiety, nervousness, excitement, and every other emotion possible. Knowing that my mixed emotions were normal helped me settle into my new environment with little hesitation. The tranquil environment in Wellington was soothing. I was also able to overcome the difficulties with my first internship at Zealandia, and create a compromise with Zealandia, Angela (the woman who runs Live New Zealand), and myself. Despite this minute hardship, my overall experience was incredible with little social difficulties and a lot of travel. The comfort and security of New Zealand helped me to establish myself and prepare for the next few months of traveling. So, what was the most difficult part of my trip to New Zealand? Leaving.

After New Zealand came Australia. The chaos and melancholy of my departure from the previous country left me no time to encounter emotions about this new place. My first week was interesting. Overtired, New Zealand-sick, and sweaty, I was what one could call a wreck. After re-arranging my flight so I would be in Australia for three weeks instead of four, I felt as if a brick was taken off of my shoulder. I acknowledged the fact that I needed to explore my past experiences, but also be there (in Australia) now. My quick shift in attitude was welcomed by my peers and rewarded with their friendship. The work was physically draining and often boring, but the new bonds I had made with my co-volunteers helped to lighten the mood. Newcastle became a place where I felt comfortable and safe. So, what was the most difficult part of my trip to Australia? Leaving.

Moving from English speaking nations to Costa Rica was nerve-racking and exciting. Learning and practicing photography and Spanish in a new place seemed ideal to me. After all, I had traveled to the other side of the world and made it back in one piece with stories ranging from scary to exciting. I had experienced it all. Wrong. Upon my arrival to Jaco, I was alone and afraid. My research on the surfer town made me uneasy. Theft. Drugs. Prostitution. Wrong. After experiencing Jaco and realizing the implications of my predetermined judgement on the town, Jaco became my home. I felt as if everyone was family. Nobody would ever touch me or steal from me, and if someone tried, I knew another person walking down the street would be there to help. Drugs and prostitution only existed in certain clubs, and I knew the places I should not go. Gaining my wits and strengthening my knowledge of Spanish was extremely helpful in becoming safe and comfortable in my environment. I made friends that I will stay in contact with for the years to come. So, what was the most difficult part of my trip to Costa Rica? Leaving.

Here I am in Brazil. Four months later. I no longer struggled when I first arrived. The group of volunteers became friends instantly. When I first arrived, I had a different struggle. On the drive from the airport to the volunteer house, I realized that Salvador is entirely different than any of the places I had been before. Many think of Salvador as a city of poverty, but I have come to know it as a true example of the world. The city's small middle-class is juxtaposed to the impoverished majority. My one and a half hour taxi ride through the favelas (shanty-towns) yesterday was eye-opening and frightening. People live without windows and doors. They struggle on the streets to get food. Attempt to sell bracelets made in China on the beach to make money to have water for their children. In some cases, people will steal in any way possible in order to survive. I have seen poverty before, but was never able to empathize with it in the way I do now. The reason? Because the children I play with each day in the orphanage make such an impression on me? Or maybe because I have seen so many different cultures and lifestyles in the past few months that I am starting to get a true sense of globalization, or the lack thereof.

Yesterday, I Walked through the streets of the lower city for Lavagen do Bonfin (a religious festival in Salvador) amongst the diverse people of Salvador as a tourist. I hope to leave in six weeks as someone who is proud to have lived in Salvador for two months. So, what will be the hardest part of my trip to Brazil? Leaving.

In other news, I created my first photography website! I spent a lot of time on it, so please look at it carefully! As an artist, I would appreciate criticism, both positive and negative so that I can improve my work and the website. The site is an ongoing process and will continue to get new photographs, so please check back once in a while. Also, I would appreciate it if you could mass email or text the web address to anyone and everyone! The more people that know about me, the better my chances are of gaining opportunities in the field of photography! And most importantly, enjoy the photographs (click on the link below)!

Rachel Hartman Photography

"It's a Hard Knock Life For Us"

Despite the well known musical Annie, the orphanage I am volunteering in is nothing close to the New York home for children, represented in both the Broadway show and movie. Miss Hannigan does not exist, the children are not doing chores all day long (at least when the volunteers are present), and there are not just girls, but boys as well.

When I first read that I would only be volunteering in the morning, I was a bit concerned that I would not be doing enough or be bored in the afternoons, but both of my theories were inaccurate. The four hours that we volunteer feels like an eternity. Caring for thirty bored children is one of the biggest challenges I have ever faced, and am extremely exhausted by the time that we return back to the volunteer house.

On our first morning, we pulled up to the orphanage after a twenty minute drive, to find ourselves in a poor, but still somewhat safe, area of Salvador. One of the older kids let us in and we entered the world of chaos. There were children running around with no sense of organization. Something they are used to. Something the volunteers were not. Although the mornings are long and tiring, we manage to laugh and have a great time with the kids. I enjoy taking care of the infants the most. I have a very difficult time with the five to ten year olds because of their violent dispositions and of course, the language barrier.

In the afternoons, we always have different activities planned. On Monday, we had a Capoeira lesson. Capoeira is the martial arts, disguised as dance, that the slaves used to practice many years ago. It was extremely difficult for my extremely uncoordinated body! Yesterday, we went on a tour of Pelourinho, which was very informative and fun! I also got to take a lot of cool photographs. Today, we are having a professor from the University of Salvador, to speak to us about the history of Brazil.

This weekend, my friends and I are taking a catamaran to an island called Morro de Sao Paulo, to hang out on the beach and explore.

For those of you without Facebook, here are some photographs for you!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2072406&id=1341960108&l=5a397921d3




Also, I have begun the process of designing a website for my photography! Coming soon...

Bem-vindo ao Brasil!

The city of Salvador. A city of which I have not yet figured out my feelings for. From my experience at CITYterm, I have learned that I cannot judge a city from my initial experience, but from multiple encounters with the city itself. Two days is nowhere near enough time to come up with a generalization about an entire city the size of New York! So I can explain to you the experience I have thus far encountered, and let you judge Salvador for yourself.

Salvador is a city of great diversity. There is a huge Afro-Brazilian presence that is unique to this particular city in Brazil. On the economic side, there is a huge problem. The so called, middle-class, has quite a small presence, if any. This leaves two options, having a lot of money, or none. The latter is definitely more prevalent. The beach close to the volunteer house feels like "a mixture of Jamaica, South Africa, and Croatia" according to a co-volunteer. Although I have only been to Jamaica, I can certainly understand her thoughts.

When riding in the VW from the 70s to the volunteer house yesterday, I was amazed at how impoverished the city was. Favelas, or shanty-towns, were taking over both sides of the highway, and continued to creep into the downtown area. The beach I wrote about before is always incredibly busy, filled with enough people that it is difficult to see the sand. Although all of the volunteers always travel together, we are constantly bombarded by locals attempting to sell us things from bracelets to local cuisine to sunscreen. We quickly learned the correct words and attitude to be left alone, "Nao, obrigada," with a stern face...no smiles. As hard as we try, we always manage to laugh after at each others attempts to be stern.

The area surrounding the Cross-Cultural Solutions volunteer house is what would be considered the middle-class area. Located around the house is a McDonalds, a pharmacy, a HSBC, and a few gas stations. The beach and cafes are a quick walk downhill, and a long walk back to the house. The house is large with multiple rooms and bathrooms, and great areas to hang out. There is a television and wireless internet throughout the house to feed the technologically addicted volunteers' needs. It is clean and safe, although we have spotted multiple cockroaches already (they are a huge problem in this city...we have seen them everywhere!).

Now, let me tell you what I have been up to! I arrived yesterday morning via first class. How did I manage to get upgraded? Well, I received a generous donation to the Rachel Fund from my parents. I could have spent another four hours sleeping on the plane. I was also able to use the Presidents' Club in the airport in Miami. I spent a few days for my dad's birthday in Ft. Lauderdale at a nice resort. We met both sets of grandparents for lovely dinners, and managed to go to the Everglades as well. I still cannot believe that after all of these years of going to Florida, I did not make it to the Everglades until last week. I got some great shots of alligators and the beautiful landscapes.

Ivan picked me up from the airport along with Mary and Abby. We took a thirty minute drive to the volunteer house in which we were the first to arrive. We proceeded to our assigned rooms and began to unpack. The rest of the crew slowly but surely began to arrive. After a morning of unpacking and recuperating from the long night of travel. After, we took a stroll to the beach and had some great ice cream. Vini, the head of the program, had his cousin over, who is sixteen, and she helped us find our way around. She wanted to practice her english, and spoke Portuguese to others when we needed help. Last night, we all went out to Pelourinho, an area of Salvador with bright, beautiful colors and cobblestone roads. After checking out the scene, we found a cute little bar with live music outside. We were enjoying our time there until the rain forced us to move elsewhere. We were fortunate enough then to find a cool club with a huge concert. We toughed it out through the rain, and waited in line to get in. It was well worth the hour of getting drenched to get in. Everyone at the club was dancing and having a great time.

Today, I slept until 10:15 and then attended the volunteer orientation. After, we all went to the beach again for the day. I managed to get a nice tan and no burn! Tonight we are just going to have a movie night in preparation for our first day of volunteer work tomorrow. I will be working in an orphanage in a favela. I will keep everyone updated!

In my attempt to learn Portuguese, Tchao!