The words were pretty easy to get through today because a lot of them were about food! Because I eat all the time, I knew a good chunk of these words already. Today's categories included (but are not limited to):
- Fruits/vegetables
- The Grocery store
- A deli
- Measurements/units
Mango.
No Português, é significa: Manga.
At this point you're probably wondering: "Uhhh why is this kid talking about Mangoes and why do I care?" Well meninos e meninas, the significance is twofold:
One, Mangoes are delicious. Purely and utterly delicious. Here in Brazil, the abundance of Mangoes is only exceeded by their infinite deliciousness. Rapture, thy name is manga.
The second reason is that Manga, like many Portuguese words has several applications. While Manga can literally mean Mango, it can also translate to shirt sleeve. For example:
- Eu amo as mangas, porque são deliciosas (I love Mangoes, because they are delicious).
- Minha manga da camisa foi rasgado, então troquei-a. (My shirt sleeve was ripped, so I switched it).
Anyway, funny thing I figured out today:
Today, André (one of my two host brothers), Renan (neighbor) were planning to go out to dinner. Though, all I knew was that we were going to eat; I had no idea what kind of food, where it was going to be, what kind of attire was called for, etc. So I wasn't really sure what I should do. When I asked Renan what the plans were, he looked confused. After a second of so, he laughed and smiled. "Relaxa mano", he said as he left the room. Confused, I got ready to shower.
After walking in town for about ten minutes and feeling a bit frustrated, I finally asked Renan where I was going. He looked at me and shook his head. He put his hand on my shoulder and said "Relaxa. Deveria confiar nos" (Relax. You should trust us).
A lot of the time I spend here, I end up headfirst into something I didn't know I was getting into. I think I'm doing one thing, and I end up doing something completely different. One thing remains constant though:
No matter what I'm plunged into here, it's fun.
Until today, I didn't really understand what he was saying.
Rolândians are circular beings. The principles of unity, equality and unconditional trust seem to be written in their genetic code. Despite backgrounds and actions, Rolândians are always very quick to help one another. Whether it be helping with groceries, or helping to move heavy boxes, they are always available. I envy how easy it is for Brazilians.
This concept seems unimportant to most Westporters my age, I feel. Being raised in Westport affected my understanding of this concept. Learning about life in Staples High School, a highly competitive dimension, has caused me to have a different view on trust. What I was taught in Staples primarily was in the end, the only person you can truly trust is yourself. I don't really believe that anymore though.
For Rolândians, everything is circular. To be a Rolândian is to trust the men and women of your community unconditionally. What Renan was asking me to trust him, he wasn't saying "just shut up and walk": he was inviting me to be a part of his circle, Rolândia's circle.
This is one of the bigger reasons why I love being here so much. The way people treat each other here is so much purer than the "more-developed" world. People help each other here because they want to, not because they have to. It's a beautiful thing.
Anyway, that's my rant of the day. Not sure if it made any sense, but I hope you guys can make sense of it.
That's it for now. More tomorrow for sure.
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