Having probably had the most hectic month of my life so far,
this post is a tad tardy! I was planning on posting once a month, but I only
have myself to answer to, so things can get a little slack...
Where do I start?! In
my last update I mentioned our plans to visit Fabi’s cousin Wemerson and his
wife Meghan by the beach in Vitoria for Carnaval. Being my first Carnaval in
Brazil I admittedly had some expectations of what it should all be about, most
of which were met, along with some additions! Sun, sea, cerveja and music were
all supplied in plentiful doses. Having made the trip with 9 members of Fabi’s
family to stay in Wemerson & Meghan’s 2 bedroom flat, it is safe to say
that plenty of excitement-fuelled drinking went on, and not a lot of sleeping. It
took me back to my backpacker hostel experiences; slumbering people covering
the room, trying not to step on any sweat-moistened faces as you make your way
to the bathroom! But we all had a great time, taking the obligatory Mineiro
(that’s people from Minas Gerais to you and me) trip out to Guarapari, a local
beach town with a big Carnaval stage and procession, on one of the days, going
down to the beach on the other days to swim in the sea, have churrascos and
generally ‘taking it easy’ Brazilian style. It was great to spend time with
Fabi’s family in a different setting, and was a real pleasure to watch Fabi’s 4
year old niece Ana Eliza crashing about in the sea – the one thing we are
lacking in BH!
The momentum that life picked up during Carnaval didn’t
slacken once we arrived back in BH; that was the 22nd Feb, and Mum
and John were set to arrive in less than a week. In between running the
restaurant, teaching classes and organising the wedding parties, we somehow got
most of it set up and met them from the airport amongst much excitement and squeals.
It was very Love Actually. We had a fantastic week with them, showing them a
bit of the city, the local waterfalls at Serra do Cipo, and gorgeously craggy
old Ouro Preto. And there was of course the wedding. As I have said many times,
too many people were absent, but it was still a wonderful day. Having Mum and
John here was so important for me, and Fabi’s family were so kind and made it
very special for us. A day we won’t forget! We married in a small registry
office, and then went over to Pampulha, an area of the city with a beautiful,
big lake, to take photos and have drinks. We celebrated the afternoon away with
champers, beers and a couple of wedding speeches even! An excellent prelude to
the big one in England next year!
Saying goodbye to Mum at the end of the week was very hard. Not
knowing when I’ll see my family again is a funny feeling, and one that I have
been struggling with especially since they left. I am extremely fortunate to be
living in Brazil with my new Husband and his fabulous family, but the absence
of my family is very real every day. And with a continuingly low command of the
language it can be very isolating at times, even if you’re in a room full of
people. However, I am making positive steps toward rectifying this situation. I
am now in my first week of Portuguese classes at the big university here. So
far they have been ok; although it is very easy to be critical of a language
class being a language teacher! But it will certainly do no harm in helping
with my lack of communication issues.
What more? Aside from the pining for family feeling is of
course the missing of friends. Skype is a great tool for communication when you’re
over the seas and far away, but it is not the same as real presence. I miss not
being able to just call up when something good, bad or ugly happens. I have
been back for just under 4 months now and am starting to meet and make friends, which has been making a huge difference. And I have also taken up yoga
to aid in my times of frustration and ‘I need to scream right now’ moments. I am
embarrassingly inflexible and unfit, but practice will see to that I hope! Meditation
has always been a presence in my life through my Mum and John. I have occasionally
turned to Buddhist wisdom in the past when life feels to be getting a bit shaky
and control seems beyond reach, and I do really believe that it helps. So in an
active, take hold of the reins way, I am doing the things that I feel are
positive, healing and useful more than I ever tried to when I was living in
England.
There are yet more things to look forward to next month: We
are taking another trip over to Vitoria to stay with W & M next week. It
will be very welcome to spend a couple of days on the beach! And Easter Sunday also
happens to collide with my birthday, so I’m sure we will do something to
celebrate that. And just in general looking forward to getting more work, exploring
my new friendships, and being a wife!
