January 2012...

Moving to Brazil was a last minute decision by many accounts. We first discussed it in February 2011, and by April the tickets were booked. Those of you who know me well will know I have never been one for much contemplation or “mulling”, which I guess has somewhat got me into trouble in the past! Only time will tell if the outcome is the same this time around, it’s still early days! After discovering that my Granddad was terminally ill in July, the initial move in August was only 6 weeks long, and I returned to England in September for 3 months to spend time with him, and sadly lost him in November. He truly was a unique and passionate man, and someone who will continue to inspire me in both my work, learning and attitude to life for a long time to come. These months in England allowed me time to reflect on the slightly rushed decision to move half way around the globe, and encouraged me to grab it by the balls! I was back in Brazil by Christmas, to spend the festive season with my new Latin family.

Christmas was a strange time, both due to the grief I was experiencing, and the radical non-resemblance to any other Christmas I have had. It would normally involve a turkey, some snow and a drunken debate round the Holden dinner table, rather than sun, cerveja and a total retreat of all human life for 5-hour afternoon naps. The mass of food was probably the only identifiable feature! I turned to watching ‘The Holiday’ as some kind of attempt at comfort. Something about England, cottages and snow gave me that Christmas craving satisfaction. Although Cameron Diaz still hasn’t lost that gratingly cheesy edge since the last time I checked. New Years Eve was slightly more uniform...too much alcohol, some singing and dancing, and a much overhung NYD. The first 3 weeks back were a blur of festivities, tropical rain and the sense of it still being more a holiday than the real ‘I live here’ deal, which is only now starting to hit home.

Now that I’m back at work, both in Fabi’s restaurant and teaching English, I feel a little more levelled. Not in the ‘this is normal’ sense yet, but at least I have begun to build a routine, which I had really started to yearn for after 6 months of not working. I had already realised how unaccustomed I was to life over here the first couple of weeks in August – I couldn’t speak, understand or even wash up in Brazilian – but trying to structure daily life around an alien culture is challenging, as I think anyone will agree who has lived out of their native country. I didn’t realise how English I am. At times I feel I want to change everything and do it MY WAY. And at others I have to say ‘Lucy, unclench, you are living in Brazil, embrace it and feel the disorganised love’. Happily things are coming together with the private teaching – I already have 3 students, and the number seems to be growing weekly – and the family restaurant business is going well after a shaky few months last year due to unexpected closure of the old site. I currently work here during the busy lunch period (it’s a pay-per-kilo affair), and hopefully after my Portuguese course starts in March I will be able to do more than nod along and laugh. I am of course being self-deprecating, my understanding of the lingo has actually improved more quickly than I had expected, but the difference between piecing conversation together and forming an intelligible conversation is vast, and I have mountains to climb! People for the most part are understanding and interested in where the’ extrangiero’ is from and what she is doing here. There’s the occasional person who makes you feel as if the Dolorian has taken you back to the 1500’s when only people of Portuguese speaking ability were welcome, but I put this down to the heat – it can get to anyone...

There are many things about Brazilian life, of course, that will take me a while to assimilate to, the food being another one of them. Cow stomach for lunch anyone? Chicken hearts? I personally try to avoid putting anything in my mouth with its aorta still attached. Having said that, Brazil also has some great culinary things going on, one of my favourites being Pao de Queijo - little doughey, cheesy balls of calorific loveliness. Before my initial trip to SA in ’09 I never much cared for sweet treats, but being in Brazil positively sweetened my tooth. I am now rather particular to pudim, arroz doce and many of the other sugar laden delights on offer. And the fact that most savoury meals are cooked with shed loads of garlic suits me fine! The attitude to drinking out here is also welcome – the heat and the laid-back outlook means that any hour is ice-cold cerveja o’clock which, again, is not a problem (unless it’s teamed with full-volume funk in the bar opposite your house at 10am on a Sunday morning). But to avoid the risk of sounding downward slanted on life as a whole out here, I do honestly like the openness of it all; it is challenging and therefore character-building I think! And Fabi’s family have welcomed me with open arms and made me feel very much a part of it all which has made the transition that bit easier.

So right now life is about pushing through until we can get back on our feet again. We are currently staying at Fabi’s Dad’s house until we can get a place of our own – a blessing and great kindness from his Papai of course. But I think one important aspect of being able to settle is having your own space, so I’m very much looking forward to that in the near future. Other things to look forward to are Carnaval, which we are spending by the beach in Vitoria with Fabi’s cousin, Wemerson, and his lovely new Canadian wife, Meghan. My Mum is then set to arrive (eek!!!) on the 28^th for OUR WEDDING!!, which will take place on March 2^nd. I really cannot believe it is so soon, both in the sense that I will be a married woman, and that we have absolutely nothing organised! It will all fall into place (maybe I’m fitting in better than I thought!) This is the initiation of a two-part affair, the second of which will take place in England at some point in the near future, hopefully next year, but who can say!