The day isn't over yet but I thought I'd post now since I'm going out tonight with all the other volunteers : )
Highlights for this Friday:
- Helping at a health awareness kiosk inside the local high-school in the favela. It was fascinating to witness the interactions and actions of the students, teachers, and random people who Stephanie and I could not figure out why they were there. These were our main thoughts:
a) teenagers are teenagers, no matter where you are in the world. They joke about sex, they wear funny clothes, and they try to be cool.
b) it felt a little intimidating entering a school with massive locked gates and a guard. This was during the middle of the afternoon, too. I think it was good to be reminded of the dangers we face in this area, because it is easy to get complacent, feeling like we are protected due to our connections with high profile community leaders.
c) the flow of Brazilian life is much much different than Canadian life. Time runs on a different schedule - the students seemed to move with fluidity - passing through, not too worried about making it to class on time.
Did you know in Brazil it's only considered late if you are more than 2 hours past the planned meeting time? Half an hour late is perfectly normal.
- and feeling blessed to be working and living with such nice people. I had no idea coming into this project that there would be as many other volunteers, and it's been such a wonderful surprise to make new friends. It's funny though, since I haven't had to make new friends in a while, I'd forgot the work it takes to put yourself out there. After this experience, I think it will be a breeze moving to downtown Vancouver, and meeting new people.
Turns out I'm posting now, at 3:30 in the morning. All of us volunteers went downtown to a fabulous samba party and I had a lot of fun meeting people, but especially I enjoyed hanging out with the French boys again. Hilarious. Good times.
The bottom photo is of my room-mate, Angie, Tiago (a Brazilian student who lives in the guesthouse) and me. The other is of Stephanie and a nice French man we met tonight : )
Oui Oui!!!
ReplyDeleteDid you get a full body scan to enter the school?
I knew that the Brazil students I've met are very relaxed and not bothered by time restrictions and whatnot. But I had no idea that they were allowed to show up two hours after said meeting time. That is fantastic! I shall tell my mom and my sister that they really should be living in Brazil. They will never be late again!
As much as I adore seeing pictures of your new girlfriends and female roommates, please stop posting pictures of them. I'd like to request that you only post pictures of Timothy. Or if you prefer, Timothy and other males of the HOT variety. If it's not too much trouble. You don't even have to know them, just stop a stud on the street and take a picture with him.
I don't ask for much Claire...