Sam helped me make this. Do you think that he is bitter? I guess it explains how we ended up in Recife...

This is my third time in Brazil. I was here in 1999 as an exchange student in Forteleza, Ceara (north of here) for 2 months and again in 2000 on a surf adventure down south for a few months.
Unlike my previous adventures, this is my first time in Brazil as a "worker" versus a traveler. I am working at the US-Brazilian bi-national center in Recife, also known as ABA (to get away from the US association). As a worker, I have been able to experience another side of Brazil. It is interesting, but I have found that most of the pleasure of being in Brazil comes from being a traveler. All of the beautiful small beach towns, laid back beach culture, time to sit and bate-papo with people you meet... It is different living in a big city known for violence, poverty, and extremely smelly canals. Right now, we are debating the age-old question, "To stay or to go?" Like all of the age-old questions, there are no easy answers. The advantages and disadvantages to this experience, time, and place stack up and shift on a daily basis. The purpose of the blog is to "registrar" our experience here, observations about Brasil, and observations about us. I have been taking a course on Educação Popular at a local NGO, Auçuba, here in Recife and one of the most important elements is to write and reflect on your experiences as part of the education process. Teaching is a constant process of practice-reflection-practice. Documenting experience. It seems that many blogs come from this process. People outside of their environment and the need to somehow write it all down as part of the experience. It becomes possible to observe aspects of culture that become so obvious when compared to an "other."

Observation #1: Brazilian's do not touch food with their hands (for the most part). If you eat a sandwich, you should wrap a napkin around it. Pizza is a knife and fork affair. French fries? Toothpicks. Are Americans gross disgusting people who care nothing about the possible germ transfer between hand and food? I prefer to think of it as preventative germ transfer.

Observation #2: There are a lot of albinos in the Northeast of Brazil (I am hesitant to transfer this to the entire country--but we have been to various states in the NE). I think that I see an albino at least once a week. It is always quite startling because I have not seen very many albinos in my life before this experience. I have no idea why (genetics?) but I would like to.

Observation #3: I am surrounded by pregnant women. I think it kick-started the biological clock. Pregnant ladies and adorable children. Sam actually counts and not a day has gone by without seeing at least one pregnant woman. Maybe his biological clock it ticking too.