Well I´ve been here a good few weeks now and slowly but surely I am starting to settle in. I am still having a lot of ups and downs - downs including waking up to find my laptop in a pool of water because the flat had flooded from the rain (corregated iron roof not the best). However, I am starting to get a routine together and constantly trying to look on the positive side of things. I think now more than ever the saying "What doesn´t kill you makes you stronger is true." Although at times I find things hard, this is undoubtedly the experience of a lifetime and I try to remind myself of this most days. I also love this kind of experience because it gives me a different perspective on things and makes me genuinely greatful for the small things in life. Having a mum that woke me up every day and gave me a routine and parents that constantly motivated me to do better is something I now value more than ever...that and a hot power shower!
Part of my routine now includes going to a church in the next village for gym class in the mornings. It´s just for an hour with mainly older women but it´s get me up in the morning. At the end we have to pray which is a bit weird but anyway! I also have made a friend to practice my not-improving-as-fast as I would like Portuguese. We walk to the next village speaking in Portuguese and on the way back he gets to practice his English.
I tend to go to Instituto Cervantes on a Friday or Monday as I don´t work then and it is my haven. Resources, peace and quiet, a fast computer and if I go to the terrace I have a view of the Christo statue - bliss. At the weekends I try to get out of the favela and explore the city a bit more. Last week I did a walking tour of the city. I was trying to find the meeting point and after being giving several different directions I decided to ask a man outside a navy museum. Turned out he was an admiral and was waiting for some V.I.P to arrive. I asked for directions etc. and after explaining I probably wasn´t going to make it he told me to wait a moment. He came back and said an official car was going to take me to the meeting point. Needless to say I travelled in comfort and made it on time!
That is one thing I have to say about Brazilians, they are so willing to help and seem very protective. I´ve had people give me their numbers or email addresses after 5 mins of speaking to them, saying if I need anything then let them know, as well as people accompanying me to bus stops when I haven´t known where they are. In a city where I don´t always feel that safe it´s nice to know people are so willing to be kind.
Things that happen in the favela contine to fascinate, surprise and worry me. Last week in the favela a family cut a tree down that was in front of their house. As is common to do here they then threw it into the canal (read: sewer). The canal is the local dustbin it seems. If you have food left over, rather than throw it in the bin people throw it in the river. Poeple throw everything in there. Anyways, it turned out that the "bandidos" as they are called here used this tree to lean on, hide behind etc. at night and they were less than impressed by it being cut down without permission. They forced the family to go down into the river and fish the tree out as a way of humiliating and punishing them. I´m just glad I wasn´t there to witness it.
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