Being back in Rio de Janeiro is kinda like visiting an old friend. Granted, it's an old friend that smells a little, sweats a lot, has dirty fingernails and generally talks too loud. Despite all that, I just know we'll be friends for life. There's something about this place that calls to wanderlust in most people, I think. That's probably why it's one of the top destinations in the world for expats.
This is my fourth time in Brazil, my third time in Rio and it will be my longest stay ever (9 months). I decided to begin this blog as a way of passing the time. I'm also admittedly filling the homesick void and giving those back home a sense of what it's like to really LIVE in a foreign country. Brazil can certainly be conceived of as an exotic, tropical location of beautiful people, hard to pronounce fruits and perfect beaches. It is also, however, a country like any other-- full of history, struggling with inconsistencies and rife with problems.
When asked about it, I like to say that Brazil is a country that's easy to like but very hard to love. Mostly, this blog will be about my love/hate relationship with this complex and exciting place. I'll incorporate a little human interest, a little history and a little travel narrative-- just to keep everyone from getting too bored.
I've dubbed this new blog, "The Year of Two Summers". While at the height of winter in my hometown , Rio is currently entering the apex of summer. I will be traveling back and forth periodically and will, therefore, experience two summers in 2011. You could also say that, technically, the temperatures here in summer and in fall are almost indistiguishable. Basically, all heat and humidity ALL the time. So, this entry will be devoted to sweat; yes, sweat.
For a native Northerner like myself, dealing with the heat is and will be a particularly difficult hurdle. Daily temperatures in the 90s with a UV index of +10 and humidity reaching roughly 50-60% (if not higher), combined with sparse amounts of air conditioning equal a virtual hell for Yankees. Most Brazilians snub air conditioning at home-- claiming to not even feel the heat. I find this completely unbelievable and rather twisted.
As a result, profuse amounts of sweat are a daily reality. Surprisingly, the vast majority of Brazilians smell rather nice (due to a booming industry of body sprays, strong deodorants/anti-perspirants and shampoos). Unfortunately, traveling by bus during the afternoon hours inevitably leads to stinky encounters of the first kind. I've had sweaty armpits in my face, sweaty bums on my back and sweaty hands on my hands. It's a struggle to surpress my scream and run away reflex in these moments-- I HATE feeling sweaty. However, everyone else seems not to be bothered in the slightest.
Bodily contact, despite the moistness of the general population, is not diminished at all in the summer. Brazilians are extremely comfortable with their bodies, which is an enviable trait. In the same vein, they are shockingly comfortable with MY body as well; which takes some getting used to. Hugs, kisses, PDAs and widespread touchy-feeliness reign supreme here. If you aren't prepared to (at some point), be bear-hugged by a rather hairy man with prominent pit stains, you are in the wrong country, my friend!
As a result, Brazilians are what can be considered (even by Americans) as excessive bathers. Most people here take 2-3 short showers a day. Many consider this fondness for water to be an indigenous legacy. Supposedly, when the Portuguese arrived in Rio, they noted the extreme bathing habits of native cariocas (residents of Rio de Janeiro) and found them to be quite "primitive". This was in contrast, of course, to European beliefs that bathing was dangerous and could potentially cause death; so, most Portuguese sailors bathed annually-- yes, ANNUALLY. I'm going to go be a good little indian and take a bath now before I completely melt! Until next time...
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