Portuguese?

“A different language is a different version of life.”

--Federico Fellini

“Language is the blood of the soul into which thoughts run out of which they grow.”

--Oliver Wendall Homes

“Learn a new language and you get a new soul.”

--Czech proverb

I have not found my Portuguese soul (yet). I hear my new soul at times: a complete sentence with a subject, verb, correct pronunciation, and point. But most of the time I want to speak “franguese,” a sad and often quite pathetic mix of Portuguese and French; “franguese” guarantees a blank and confused stare in return.

In my defense I am capable of having a real Portuguese conversation, but it requires a level of patience that is almost unbearable. Thais carries these traits, lots of smiles, quiet laughs and I carry a dictionary. So we can talk and somehow words and sentences grow. For better or for worse most of the people at Imazon and most of my friends speak English to a greater or lesser degree. English is the language of science and at Imazon there is a wide and captive audience of people eager to speak English with me.

I have been living this different version of life for a month now: satisfying and filling watermelon and pineapple diet, exciting (but long) work days, and tropical sunshine. It amazes me that time has flown by so fast. I am really settling into my new scenery and I am thoroughly enjoying my time south of the equator.