First, I want to thank everyone for their support and kindness over the past week regarding my mugging incidence. All of your kind words have meant a lot to me and have really make me feel closer to home.
This past week has been much, much better and I am finally adjusting to the Brazilian life style… here’s the scoop on what’s happening south of the equator! I still can’t believe I have been here for two weeks already!
Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 5: Life at Imazon
I absolutely love my work at Imazon! I am working with two researchers (including a Brazilian Stanford masters graduate) on a project to identify locations suitable for reforestation projects within the municipality of Paragominas in Para State.
Twenty percent of the global carbon dioxide emissions come from deforestation… so curtailing the rate of deforestation and the reforesting devastated areas can have a large impact. The State of Para has recently pledged to plant one billion trees - this is a similar to the UN’s initiative to plant one billion around the world, however the twist on this project is that the one billion trees are concentrated in one State. So lots and lots of trees need to be planted and this is where my work comes in… My project’s goal is to identify locations within Paragominas eligible to receive carbon credits under the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism. Therefore, a developed country (only the EU, Japan, and Australia at this time) could fund a reforestation in Paragominas at a lower cost than an equivalent carbon dioxide reduction would cost in their home country. It’s all about economics!
Paragominas has witnessed over four decades of logging, ranching, and farming to become the most devastated area in the Amazon. Therefore, this municipality serves as an excellent model of how reforestation projects could be, if this project is successful, replicated elsewhere in the Para. I will also have the opportunity to travel with my research mentor to this region to see the devastation first hand.
My project will use GIS (Geographic Information Systems - computerized mapping) to identify the areas that qualify for Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects. Also, my goal is to design educational curriculum for high school and middle school science students using my work at Imazon. This part of my project will be concluded in the Fall at Cornell University.
A Word on the Weather:
I really don't know what season it is here… I have heard that it is technically winter, though I have been told there are really just two seasons here "dry" and "wet" (I would refer to them as "wet" and "wetter," personally). But we are in the "dry" season ... It rains almost every day here in the afternoon with tons and tons of thunder and lightning. Even after four years of thunder and lightening in upstate New York, I am still not used to this loud and bright weather event! The rain is nice though because it cools off the temperatures a little bit and makes the heat a bit more manageable.
Meet My Host Family Vlamir, Iranley, Neto, and Thais
Vlamir and Iranely are my host parents. I believe we had a language issue and they were scared that I wouldn’t understand what they were saying. (Ha – this is probably true, but still…) However, after about a week of silence, the words and hand gestures are flowing just fine!
Neto is my host brother. He is a tall, very skinny 16 year-old boy and the one that lent me clothes for the party. He is very nice and spends most of his day playing computer games in English. These games are his way of learning English. He is pretty good in English and much prefers English to Portuguese. But I have started forcing him to speak Portuguese – at least a little bit!
My favorite is Thais. She is a 14 year-old, perky girl with a beautiful smile. She is the family “maid.” Yes, you read that correctly, she is the maid. I still have a hard time understanding how she really can be the fulltime maid and definitely not treated as a “14 year old girl,” but apparently it is perfectly normal and common here. Not every family has maids, only weathy ones from the "interior" (i.e. the country side). But it is not perceived as strange or bad.There are clear differences between her treatment and Neto’s… for example she goes to public school (which are apparently horrendous here - the teachers were on strike for a month and a half) and he goes to private school. Her teeth are not straight and Neto wears braces. She goes to school and comes back to do the wash by hand, scrub the floors, and make the family meals and he sits in front of the computer or in front of the mirror combing his hair and asking me if it looks good.
Anyways, Thais and I have bonded and she teaches me Portuguese and I teach her English. She comes in my room and we both plop ourselves on my bed and read over grammar and vocabulary lessons. She also brings me her English homework and I help her or maybe I should say she helps me! Last night she taught me the Brazilian States and their capitals. She is soo sweet! And she is very patient and we struggle together in languages not our own.
Ok, that’s all for now!
Hope everyone has a great week!
Tchau!
Monday, June 23, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
A Rough Sunday in Belem
I will be posting more updates on my daily life here in Belem, but for now I thought I would share an incidence that happened to me on Sunday. However, for reasons described below I will not be posting pictures or video clips of the city anytime soon... but will hopefully be able to describe the city in words!
On a positive note before I begin my story, I am loving my work at Imazona and my host family is slowing warming up to me. In fact last night they gave me q-tips and cotton balls - I'm taking this a very kind gesture, otherwise they must think I am dirty! But at least they are talking to me now - it took about a week for the parents to even utter a word to me, but now they are acting much friendlier.
Here is my Father's Day in Brazil:
Sunday afternoon I went out to go sightseeing with a Canadian friend from Imazon. She just arrived here a couple weeks ago for her Ph.D. research and I didn't realize where we were walking to get to a really pretty area... It turned out to be a horrible section of town and I got mugged/robbed. It was horrible and I still can't believe it happened; it seems like a really bad dream to me.
The incidence occurred right after we took cover under an overhang to wait out a downpour. As we were starting to leave, I saw a man sprint towards me. He grabbed my purse, but I didn't let go - he was a tiny-little, 25 -30 year old man and I was pretty much winning the tug of war game, until my friend yelled at me that he had a huge knife. He was trying to cut my "theft-proof" bag with a 8-10 inch, large, rusty knife. I dropped my bag and he ran off with my two cell phones (US and Brazil), my fancy camera that I received as a graduation from my parents (it was the first time that I had taken it out because I was scared of theft), my credit card, and some money. Turns out that I got a cut on my wrist from the knife and it bled like crazy all over me and my friend. But we were safe and I didn't really get hurt that badly, so that is all that matters. I feel horrible for my friend though, I can't imagine what it must have been like to watch what happened. I imagine it to be even scarier than having it happen to myself because when you are watching it happen you would feel so helpless.
I don't care about my stuff - it is all replaceable and insured too, but the big thing now is that I feel like my "identity was stolen." Not my identity like ID (and thank goodness I only had a copy of my passport with me at the time), but my identity as a person who can travel by themselves and be totally self-sufficient. I am scared to walk anywhere now and probably won't for a long time. I am scared just to be here. I know this can happen anywhere, but it seems almost unbearable to be in a country where I don't speak the language well and am so unfamiliar with anything here.
But everyone has been very supportive and Professor Arima and his wife came to pick me up from my host family's house after it happened and take me to his wife's parents' house and I spent the night there.
Hopefully, my fear will go away and it will seem like it never happened, but for now anyone that walks near me almost makes me jump. Though at this point I have nothing else of value: no purse, no wallet, no camera, no cell phone... so really what is there nothing else to steal.
I really feel bad the people who have a life of stealing though, what must their life be like? They live in poverty and obviously feel there is no hope for them to survive without petty theft. It must be a dismal and very unhappy existence to say the least. I've also been told that the money stolen goes towards drugs a lot of the times. Just not a happy life at all.
It seems like a lot of my professor's family and people at Imazon have a story about being mugged themselves, so it is not that they picked on the American blond girl as an easy target. (Though in a city where I have seen no tourists, me and my blond hair stick out like a sore thumb). In fact, my host family's son told me last night that he had been robbed four times last year within blocks of his house. So it really does seem like everyone knows someone who has been a victim of theft or has been one themselves.
Well, basically it all has to get better from here on out - I hope...
On a positive note before I begin my story, I am loving my work at Imazona and my host family is slowing warming up to me. In fact last night they gave me q-tips and cotton balls - I'm taking this a very kind gesture, otherwise they must think I am dirty! But at least they are talking to me now - it took about a week for the parents to even utter a word to me, but now they are acting much friendlier.
Here is my Father's Day in Brazil:
Sunday afternoon I went out to go sightseeing with a Canadian friend from Imazon. She just arrived here a couple weeks ago for her Ph.D. research and I didn't realize where we were walking to get to a really pretty area... It turned out to be a horrible section of town and I got mugged/robbed. It was horrible and I still can't believe it happened; it seems like a really bad dream to me.
The incidence occurred right after we took cover under an overhang to wait out a downpour. As we were starting to leave, I saw a man sprint towards me. He grabbed my purse, but I didn't let go - he was a tiny-little, 25 -30 year old man and I was pretty much winning the tug of war game, until my friend yelled at me that he had a huge knife. He was trying to cut my "theft-proof" bag with a 8-10 inch, large, rusty knife. I dropped my bag and he ran off with my two cell phones (US and Brazil), my fancy camera that I received as a graduation from my parents (it was the first time that I had taken it out because I was scared of theft), my credit card, and some money. Turns out that I got a cut on my wrist from the knife and it bled like crazy all over me and my friend. But we were safe and I didn't really get hurt that badly, so that is all that matters. I feel horrible for my friend though, I can't imagine what it must have been like to watch what happened. I imagine it to be even scarier than having it happen to myself because when you are watching it happen you would feel so helpless.
I don't care about my stuff - it is all replaceable and insured too, but the big thing now is that I feel like my "identity was stolen." Not my identity like ID (and thank goodness I only had a copy of my passport with me at the time), but my identity as a person who can travel by themselves and be totally self-sufficient. I am scared to walk anywhere now and probably won't for a long time. I am scared just to be here. I know this can happen anywhere, but it seems almost unbearable to be in a country where I don't speak the language well and am so unfamiliar with anything here.
But everyone has been very supportive and Professor Arima and his wife came to pick me up from my host family's house after it happened and take me to his wife's parents' house and I spent the night there.
Hopefully, my fear will go away and it will seem like it never happened, but for now anyone that walks near me almost makes me jump. Though at this point I have nothing else of value: no purse, no wallet, no camera, no cell phone... so really what is there nothing else to steal.
I really feel bad the people who have a life of stealing though, what must their life be like? They live in poverty and obviously feel there is no hope for them to survive without petty theft. It must be a dismal and very unhappy existence to say the least. I've also been told that the money stolen goes towards drugs a lot of the times. Just not a happy life at all.
It seems like a lot of my professor's family and people at Imazon have a story about being mugged themselves, so it is not that they picked on the American blond girl as an easy target. (Though in a city where I have seen no tourists, me and my blond hair stick out like a sore thumb). In fact, my host family's son told me last night that he had been robbed four times last year within blocks of his house. So it really does seem like everyone knows someone who has been a victim of theft or has been one themselves.
Well, basically it all has to get better from here on out - I hope...
Thursday, June 12, 2008
The Adventure Begins...
Out my window I see lush vines with leaves so big they would be hats, skyscraper-like trees towering over the forest’s understory and I hear “caw-caw.” The whole orchestra of sights and sounds are woven together by the hot moist air, so thick you can taste it.
Ok, well that was how I imagined my experience…
“So where exactly is the rainforest,” I ask on a car ride with my professor, Eugenio, his wife, Norma, and his wife’s mother. Before I get an answer, a roar of laughter is heard, “not for a long distance - it is no where near here.” My question quickly gets translated into Portuguese so that the Norma’s mother can also get her laugh in. Clearly I asked a stupid question! Yet, I am reassured that one city block of rainforest exists in the heart of Belem. Phew… there is a little rainforest in the rainforest.
So the bottom-line is that I haven’t seen the rainforest yet… but I will! For now though my sights, sounds, tastes, and feelings are limited to city life in Belem: exhaust, honking, and scattered litter on the sidewalk.
My first sight in the country was the Rio de Janiero Airport. And might I add that I saw it for a very long time: 8:30 am to 7:40 pm. I was only supposed to see it from 7:05 to 9:15. I’ll let you fill in the whole story for yourself… suffice to say I heard my name paged at 9:07 as I cleared customs, panting as I sprinted with two rolling suitcases through the airport.
I spent my first night and first full day at Norma’s parents’ house where I felt like a pampered princess. They don’t speak a word of English and I’m not going to advertise how many words I know in Portuguese, but we had a great time. We went sightseeing to the big bay here, to an old fort, and I had my first Brazilian Agua de Coco (Coconut juice in a coconut prepared by machete).
After my fabulous day of sightseeing I went to my new casa (i.e. my homestay). After getting clean sheets on my bed, toilet paper, and have the promise fixing a huge, window-size gaping hole in my wall, I think all will be well in Courtney’s world!
I had my full day of work at Imazon yesterday and I love it! Everyone is super nice and incredibly hospitable. I even have my own desk! I get my assignment tomorrow after I talk to the Carlos, the executive director!
Boa Noite!
Ok, well that was how I imagined my experience…
“So where exactly is the rainforest,” I ask on a car ride with my professor, Eugenio, his wife, Norma, and his wife’s mother. Before I get an answer, a roar of laughter is heard, “not for a long distance - it is no where near here.” My question quickly gets translated into Portuguese so that the Norma’s mother can also get her laugh in. Clearly I asked a stupid question! Yet, I am reassured that one city block of rainforest exists in the heart of Belem. Phew… there is a little rainforest in the rainforest.
So the bottom-line is that I haven’t seen the rainforest yet… but I will! For now though my sights, sounds, tastes, and feelings are limited to city life in Belem: exhaust, honking, and scattered litter on the sidewalk.
My first sight in the country was the Rio de Janiero Airport. And might I add that I saw it for a very long time: 8:30 am to 7:40 pm. I was only supposed to see it from 7:05 to 9:15. I’ll let you fill in the whole story for yourself… suffice to say I heard my name paged at 9:07 as I cleared customs, panting as I sprinted with two rolling suitcases through the airport.
I spent my first night and first full day at Norma’s parents’ house where I felt like a pampered princess. They don’t speak a word of English and I’m not going to advertise how many words I know in Portuguese, but we had a great time. We went sightseeing to the big bay here, to an old fort, and I had my first Brazilian Agua de Coco (Coconut juice in a coconut prepared by machete).
After my fabulous day of sightseeing I went to my new casa (i.e. my homestay). After getting clean sheets on my bed, toilet paper, and have the promise fixing a huge, window-size gaping hole in my wall, I think all will be well in Courtney’s world!
I had my full day of work at Imazon yesterday and I love it! Everyone is super nice and incredibly hospitable. I even have my own desk! I get my assignment tomorrow after I talk to the Carlos, the executive director!
Boa Noite!
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Getting Ready!
Today is my last day in Estados-Unidos. I take off tomorrow for Brasil in the morning. I will write when I get settled in Belém!
Tchau!
Tchau!
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