memories of brazil

for the past few days, I have been waking up feeling like I am in Brazil. This may be due in part to my involvement in Capoeira and recent numerous reflections on years past, or as per my current surroundings in this foreign land of the Middle East. One of my first impressions of Israel last summer was in its similarities to Mexico and Brazil. My first stop was the beach in Tel Aviv, with its boardwalk stone design almost exactly the same as that in Copacabana, Rio De Janeiro! In addition, the weather was quite similar to that of central coastal Brazil, and the small economy-sized cars here prove to be more like those in Latin America than in the United States. As I've had the opportunity to travel throughout Israel and Jordan, I have many times been reminded of Brazil and Mexico, as there are endless similarities in landscape and lifestyle. I can include the desert plants and untidy streets of the Negev as a parallel to the deserts of Mexico, coincidentally parallel on the Equator.

When I wake up, i hear birds chirping and people speaking in foreign languages in the distance, of which I can only understand a few words. This gives me a nostalgia of mornings waking up in the condo that my friends and I stayed in in Ubatuba, Sao Paulo in 2002. The wind rustles through the trees that surround my building, as I invoke the familiar spirit of Brazil. In addition, my first sight when waking up is my Brazilian flag sarong pinned to my wall, above my yoga mat and pilates balance ball. Always associated with my fitness, dance and musical interests, there are so many other aspects of Brazilian culture which I have carried with me for years. I don't know if or when I will return to Brazil, but the memories will last forever.

The other day, a friend asked me if my last boyfriend (2 years ago) was American, in our conversation about current dating potentials. I said, "no he was Mexican... or Brazilian". I couldn't remember who was my last specifically but most of the guys I've dated have been one or the other. This morning I remembered my FIRST Brazilian boyfriend in 2000, who got deported after 3 months of our dating, because like most Brazilians he was living in America illegally. He was one of my favorite boyfriends, and what made our relationship so unique was that at the time I didn't know much Portuguese (now I do after 7 years of studying the culture), and he didn't know ANY English. However it was an absolutely amazing relationship because of this rare type of connection. My cousin did a similar thing when he married a woman from Cuba, who didnt know any English and he didn't know much Spanish at the time, now they have been happily married for 2 1/2 years! I think I would fare well if I married into an Arab family. After all, I've got a knack for culture, a MA in Communication, and now a MA in Middle East Studies, studying Arabic, learning in Hebrew-speaking Israel. Who needs English? Viva Brazil!