Haves and Have Nots

This is Edimar. He is 11 years old and lives with his mother, Sonia. He wants to be a professional soccer player someday and he doesn't like going to school.

He lives in Peixinhos, a neighborhood in Olinda, Pernambuco. He house doesn't have running water. They get their water from a community tap down the road. If the water system is anything like Brasilia's when it rains the water pipes mix with the outside water to equalize the pressure. This usually includes the water full of oil, chemicals and sewage.
His community doesn't have plumbing either. The open sewer runs in front of his house. This next picture is his neighbor digging a new sewage trench from his house to the sewer.

This is his life and his story. Today we had the opportunity to paint his house. It really didn't change anything, but he watched us the whole time while his mom dressed up in her nicest clothes for pictures with us at the end.

Sonya, Cristina and Berkeley

I worked on one side of the house. We painted the world, with a mark to show where Recife is. A lot has been said lately about the growth of Brazil economically and politically. Here is a place that has yet to feel that. This is a place forgotten by the outside world, or as Vanessa puts it "This isn't the Brazil on the postcard, so people in charge don't want to remember".

Our art itself is meaningless. It's not very pretty, but I think that it means more than mere artistic value. I see it as message, that these people haven't been forgotten. That is the beauty and burden of being a witness. We carry that responsibility within ourselves, to make a difference. Knowledge is a terrible burden. We didn't change the world today, we didn't even give these people clean water, but we did show that somewhere, someone knows what is happening. We may not be able to change this community in one day, or even in a few years, but we can make a difference in the world.

We talk so often about the 99/1 percentiles or 'haves' and 'have nots'. I think we may have a somewhat distorted view in our society. These 'have nots' literally have nothing. Vanessa shared with me that while talking to people they said that when it rains the water goes up to the waist inside their houses. She asked them what they do with their furniture. "We don't have any" was their reply.

While there is always more talk than action in this world (especially from people like me who think they know something), I left something on the wall that I hope may pass on a spirit that may not be understood for sometime, the Rebel Alliance symbol from Star Wars. Originally I left it as a joke, but I hope that someday someone could see it as a reminder that good things can happen with sacrifice and with the help of good people.

Go west young man!

Yesterday we went to Caruaru which is about two hours west of Recife. It sits on the beginning of the Sertão (savanna/desert-see my mission pictures from Tocantins) and it was fun to see the scenery change as we went inland. 

A much different landscape further inland

The Northeast has two types of music that tell the story of the Northeast, the Sertão and the Sertenajos (people of the Sertão-think of Texans, but not winning often...or at all); Forró and Baião. The usual instruments include the accordion (which always reminds me of Grandpa Bob), triangle and zabumba drum. The Sertão can be a harsh place to live with little rainfall so many Brazilians from the Northeast will leave for São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Brasília looking for jobs. Part of the forró themes is the idea of returning to the Sertão, like the diaspora of the Jews from Jerusalem.

Caruaru is the capital of Forró and for almost two weeks straight has huge shows with singers and quadrilha dances. Instead of writing about what I saw, let me show you.

Caruaru

Example of the Quadrilha

Luis Gonzaga, the Father of Baião and Forró. 

Luis Gonzaga was one of the most influential singers of Baião and Forró. He left the Northeast to Rio de Janeiro. While there he played accordion for all types of music, but found fame among the Northeastern (Nordestinos). His most famous song is "Asa Branca" or "White Wing". Check it out on Youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5r2_wGk1dI 

Josh with his newly acquired Nordestino cowboy hat

Because of the lack of rain the economic backbone of the Sertão was cattle raising. The hat I am wearing above, which I proudly own, is an example of the type of hats used by these cowboys. A really interesting thing about these hats is one of the things that factors into their design was that so Jewish Brazilians could hide their kippahs under them so they could not be identified as Jews after the Northeast returned to the control of Catholic Portugal. Before this the Jews were allowed to practice their religion openly by the Dutch.

I loved the music and the traditional dancing (definitely did not like the newer dancing) and had a great time with the traditions of the Sertão.

Do a lot with little

Today we went to a Festa de Junina at the center where we are volunteering. CCJ is part of a network of groups that have different activities to help the community. One of these groups helps children from homes that have domestic problems and where they don't have a place to stay during the day. To celebrate the Festas de Junina there is a dance called a quadrilha, which is like a square-line dance that usually has a central story of a marriage. There are two of the dancers dressed up like the bride and groom and others as the priest and godfathers, etc. These children did a quadrilha that was simple but you could tell they had practiced a lot. It was interesting to see how much pride they had in what they did.

The Wedding Couple

One thing that grabbed my attention was their interpretation of the marriage. I was standing by Vanessa  and she told us that it wasn't a traditional explanation. Their version of the marriage was that it was a shotgun wedding and the priest that arrived was a drunk. Now we could go into possible symbolism and analysis of maybe that is how they view their world, but that even with two things that would be perceived as embarrassing or discouraging the story went on and everyone was all smiles. Now, I'm not advocating either of those two events or situations, but at the same time, things don't turn out the way we want in all of our lives, but we can go on and we can be happy. I'll be honest. I'm not feeling so well. My body is not readjusting gracefully to the Braz but even with all of that discomfort and frustration, I'm still happy and still doing my best to participate. I believe that is one lesson that Brazil and it's people always teach me, is that life goes on and it can be good, even when it isn't what you imagined or wanted. I'm grateful for it.

Up a city without a bus

Bus strikes. On one side we could view them as the movement of the normal man to combat the inequality of the wage wars in Brazil or we could see the actions of a few paralyzing an entire city. Either way, it's terribly painful to have to completely re-plan your entire life. After making our way to class thanks to a ride from Bishop Jones, we watched part of a Brasilian movie called Behind the Sun that is a wonderful movie set in the Sertão Brasiliero. Imagine the American West, have even less water and add a family feud like the one in Huckleberry Finn and finally add some amazing cinematography and you'll find a film that helps you feel Brazil in 1910. More on that when we finish the movie.

With no buses available and with constant rain we were not able to really go anywhere so we headed home early. A group of us met up to watch the Spain/Portugal game (such a great game, shame that Portugal couldn't get the ball in with the chances they had) and then I helped make cut chocolate bars for chocolate chips for some cookies that we made for a party tomorrow.
That's about it today!

Tagged!

I like to consider myself a cultured person that appreciates the arts. I enjoy art galleries and learning the stories behind the masterpieces and above all, I love Neoclassical works by Jacques-Louis David (Oath of the Horatii, Napoleon Crossing the Alps, Napoleon's Coronation). But the past two days I have been learning about an art medium that is difficult for me. I still fight myself over whether it really is art even!
  Yes, we are back to street graffiti. Is it an expression of a people or is it vandalism? That question may have to wait. Today we started to see a little bit better how much work actually goes into graffiti as we practiced on some walls. Here is a picture of my group's finished product.

The word in the middle of the sun is hope

  

While I may not want graffiti back home on my house, I have been trying to think of how it can be useful and meaningful in situations where people have little education, are locked in a economic class that can barely provide basic necessities and have little opportunity to change either. The power of graffiti, if used for the right purposes can be a powerful tool. I think of the anti-communist graffiti used by groups like the Solidarity movements in Poland during the Cold War or the movement in Egyptian graffiti to show the places where people were killed or to remember the revolution.
Symbols are amazingly powerful. Let's have an exercise instead of me ratting on and on.
What's the first thing that comes to mind when I say (write):

-a swastika

-a cross

-an eagle



What did you think of?
I suppose if you come from an Asian background you may think of the Reincarnation cycle when you see a swastika, but most Westerners link to Nazi Germany and Neo-Nazis.
The cross was an instrument for execution for thousands, but we see it as the symbol of Christianity, not the electric chair of the Roman Empire.
The eagle could bring images from any time period in the world. The legions of Rome, Aztec history, Napoleon's armies and the United States have all featured the eagle as a symbol of power.
 So what I am trying to remember when I am not understanding this art form is what Professor Fitzgibbon told us this morning. We're planting seeds with this group. We need to help through academic information and by example. They are fighting the same battle that someone else already fought (and largely won) in the United States. The battle for equality of race, gender, and opportunity (The American Dream) is a battle that we largely won as a society in the United States, even with all of our faults. But here the battlefield is still very hot and needs to be won. So I hope we can contribute with symbols that will bring hope, persistence and encouragement.

Masks

Masks are interesting things. They have the ability to define a person, group or even a nation. When thinking about masks I think about luchadors from Mexico, Batman and Phantom of the Opera. Each one hides what really lies beneath whether it be identity or truth. I think I am fascinated with masks because when I heard that Museum of People and Cultures at BYU had an exhibit about masks, I stopped by on the way to work at the Provo City Library. It was interesting to learn how in Latin cultures masks are used to represent what people want to reflect in themselves.
  Today when we went to work with CCJ the director there asked us to reflect on our experiences and impressions of the Northeast of Brazil up til now and reflect that in a drawing that we would put on a wall. There is a distinction here between graffiti as an art and tagging as vandalism. I agree with the difference because there is one that uses space to project a message, usually one directed at the lower class, and one used for gang related activity and competition. In Brasilia the shops that had graffiti art weren't tagged and looked much better. Another example is the picture shown on my blog (see up top). It comes from an area where a local artist had done murals to represent his beliefs as a Christian and a Brazilian.

                                                    What I think of when someone says street graffiti

  So I set to work trying to think of trying to represent my view of the Northeast of Brazil. I view the Northeast as a complicated entity of heritage, social differences and an uncertain future. So I tried to represent that in my picture. As I finished, I found that I had taken the deep end of application of the exercise and I didn't want to try to explain my picture, so I pretended I had worked with another class member so I didn't look like an overenthusiastic academic, because they are never any fun to hang out with. I'm not saying that my classmates weren't thinking, but it was that my view seemed so different that I didn't want to stand out. So I'm putting it here.

It has symbols of the Brazilian and Pernambucano flag along with marking it's location on the map of Brazil to represent the Northeast, but I also put the world for the rising influence of Brazil in the world. I put all of this on a mask to represent how whenever I feel I understand what Brazil is and who the people are, it feels like I take off one mask and I don't really know who is underneath.
  While thinking about this on the bus (funny how that came up again so quickly), I realized that I was also putting up a mask by changing the ways I wanted to be perceived. So this begs the question: "Would the real Josh please step forward?"
I don't think anyone other than Vanessa and my housemates will see this, so I feel comfortable letting the world know what I did. Or is that a mask? Is this all a ploy for attention or is this real?
Stay tuned next time for our next edition of 'Little Blog in Brazil' with Michael Landon.

Weekend Rest

This weekend was a a great time to regroup and try to rest up. On Saturday we slept in and then went down to the beach for a while before getting ready for the Festa de Junina at the ward. They have a type of dance called Forró and another traditional dance called quadrilha, so it was fun to watch. What was also fun was the soccer game that was being played outside, so I used the opportunity to involve myself in two Brazilian traditions. 

  Elder Romero gave his homecoming address today. It was really good and he shared some great experiences from his mission. 

That's about it, tomorrow we start all over again.

Temple Visit

Today we were able to go to the temple. It was an interesting experience because I enjoyed the beauty and spirit of the temple, but my clothes were all small and it is hard to be completely at peace when your fingers are beginning to lose feeling due to the loss of circulation. The temple is beautiful and really sticks out. When we went to get the bus we were trying to ask if the bus passed some of the nearby landmarks and the bus driver didn’t know any of the stops that we were naming. Joe finally just asked “Do you know where the Mormon temple is?” and the bus driver knew exactly what we were talking about. 

Joe had a really cool experience. There was a stake at the temple from Bahia and there were several people he knew, including a man that he baptized. He was going through the temple and had been sealed to his wife earlier that week. It was fun to see the fruits of his mission. And what were the chances? I think not...

Storm the Castle!

We were able to visit the Ricardo Brennand Institute today. Ricardo Brennand made it rich through the sugarcane industry and collects many weapons, statues, pieces of art and artifacts from all over the world. Some of the most important things he collects are artifacts related to the Dutch Occupation  of the Northeast Brazil. It was an amazing example of using your wealth to preserve your heritage. He also had replicas of other European art and many forms of arms from around the world. It was a good example of not only preserving your heritage, but also help people learn about others. 

I love the David in front 

Have fun storming the castle!

Olinda

Today we were able to go to the center of one of the oldest cities in Brazil. We went to Olinda, which is about six kilometers from Recife. In class before we left we talked about the colonization and growth of Recife and it struck the point home. It's amazing how seeing and feeling can do some much to help you build that connection that makes history so beautiful. Vanessa talked about this today in class, how history gives you a feeling of who you are and where you came from. While some argue that history is merely propaganda for pushing agendas, I truly believe it gives everyone a better understanding of where you can come from, whether that was a negative or positive experience for those that came before.
   While talking about the colonization of Brazil we talked about how the Portuguese put very little resources into developing the country and pursued a similar course of exploitation that Spain pursued. I was thinking about this difference between the colonization of New England by the Pilgrims and the different motives and philosophies that guided them.  The guiding principle of the Portuguese and Spanish was to be able to make as much financial gain from the conquests and colonization while the Pilgrims were searching for a place to build a home and to stay. They saw the New World as a new opportunity, instead of a giant piggy bank waiting to be broken.
  This isn't to say that Spain and Portugal are the villains, because France, England and Holland all had their similar movements. I'm talking about what may have been the biggest difference  between the beginning of the United States and Brazil. Similar paths, but different steps. What makes us so similar may also be the cause of some of our greatest differences.
  What I loved the most of all of I saw today was the fact that many of the buildings were built around the 1530's, almost seventy years before Jamestown (the first permanent settlement in the continental United States) was founded. I loved the history and tradition that are preserved here.

This Church was built in 1531-Nossa Senhora do Carmo

This is a monastary, the inside was really beautiful and the back is decorated with gilded gold (see below).

                                              View from top of the hill, on top of a viewing tower.

Panoramic shot

                                                           In traditional clothing...

Example of the colorful houses

Heights and the Mona Lisa in Garbage

Today we were in class for only an hour until Vanessa grew frustrated with our tired eyes and took us out to our internship. The internship is in between the cities of Recife and Olinda and it had a little of the change of going from a glossy, tourist Brazil to the Brazil that I knew for two years. While it was a bit of shock to realize that I had lived on streets similar to these for two years, after walking around a little it felt similar to what I knew.
  We met the group that we will be working with, CCJ. They work with giving free workshops on photography, design and media for communities that are poorer. They hope to be able to help train them not only to have a profession, but to be able to see their world in a different view. We were able to meet the core group and see a little of the area we will be working with.
Recife has many canals and rivers running towards a central lagoon/bay that goes into the ocean. But because of the extensive growth, the waters have become really polluted. The sad part is that many people use the river to bathe, cook and drink so they are constantly at risk for serious health problems.
  CCJ recently finished a program to help educate about this danger through a photo exhibition at a local art center. Each photo was framed by cardboard and there were bottles, wrappers, CDs and anything else that had been thrown in the river on the walls. It really made me stop and think about how many of my friends have been able to go to Europe and see the art galleries of Paris, Rome, Vienna, and London; while I am in Brazil looking at garbage.
  As we left, I was thinking about this and I had almost an hour of bus rides back home to think some more. It's funny that some of my best thinking time has been on the bus in Brazil. I was thinking that the European art galleries represent some of the finest art ever produced, masterpieces that grace our imagination and are used to represent the reaches of human thought and creativity. Contrast that to what I saw today; the evidence of squalor, misery and the danger of human apathy and ignorance. The two experiences could even be the juxtaposition of human interaction during the era of colonization, the growth of Europe at the expense of the Americas.
  On a lighter note, this exhibition was housed in a art center that used to be a huge industrial complex that used to be a slaughterhouse. Part of this complex was a tower that was about 6-8 stories tall. It looked like a lot less when I started climbing and about half way up I started to feel the height. My Angel's Landing flashback hit home and I started to break out in a cold sweat and started to breath faster. On the landing at the top was a large water barrel, which I kept my back to. It was a lovely view but I was trying so hard not to have a panic attack that I wasn't able to completely enjoy it. But I was able to come down in one piece, so we'll count it as a success.

A new friend I made at the pool

Walking to the end of the world...in flip-flops

This is the first time that I will publicly divulge and admit to the following:
I have a gift. A special gift. You could even say that it is a super power. It is a special sense that allows me locate, move to and complete objectives. I call it my Mental GPS. I am Mapquest Earth Boy.
On the mission I was selected for the most confusing, address-less areas and inserted and was able to navigate them with relative ease.
This gift is a great responsibility and once people identify you as someone who knows locations and likes maps, they expect great things. Not Batman things, but great things none the less.
Today was such a day. After our wonderful orientation (not being sarcastic) at the ABA, we went to the Shopping Recife to eat and get our cell phone chips. The mall is so large and we probably didn't even walk through half of it, because I didn't see a single soccer store which all the shopping malls are in Brasilia. After receiving our phone chips (and bugging Natalia), Joe (my roommate), Cindy and Jordan and several others who live near us decided to head for home, maybe grab some açai or go to the beach. The idea was suggested to walk home. My alarm went off, that "I don't think they understand the distance we traveled by car/bus to get here." After showing the map, the consensus was reached and we started to walk.
   I was not a fan, but I also really enjoy the people in our group and the opportunity to get to know them better was not lost. We were able to walk by the beach, feel the rain and wind on our faces and see some more of Recife. Seven miles later...............we arrived. I have never walked so far in flip flops before but I have a new candidate for Modern Marvels: The Havaiana sandal. This amazing piece of rubber is able to support the human foot for many mile while protecting it from cement, rocks and any known element of the periodic table. So this blog is dedicated to you Havaianas!

                                                          Help me Havaianas, you're my only help.


P.S. There was no açai or beach. Just lots of walking.

Our Ward and Father's Day

Church was great. It was fast and testimony meeting because they had the dedication of the temple of Manaus last week and stake conference with Elder R.M. Costa. It was very nice. The ward here is very large and there were a lot of younger families and children. They even had a whole class for single adults which blew my mind.
 When I walked into church I saw (Elder) Cassio Romero and he had a confused look as he could tell I looked very familiar. When I got closer he started freaking out and it was fun to surprise him. He only came here Monday so it was his first Sunday back. He pulled me around to tell everyone I had served with him in Brasilia. He used to make cuscuz for Elder Craig and I so we agreed to meet up before I leave to make some more. It was great to be able to see how big of a difference an Elder makes here in Brazil when he comes home. He shared a brief, but very firm and inviting testimony and he will talk next week.
 Happy Father's Day Dad! I hope you get to come home from the stake offices a little early to enjoy some time with the family, but I doubt it. Thanks for all you do and your example in my life.
Tomorrow the study part of the study abroad begins so I am excited for classes to start. I loved being able to speak at church in Portuguese and understand (and be understood).

It just started to get rainy and stormy, but we saw this from our window for a few minutes

                                          Ocean at low tide-compare it to the first pictures I sent
                                                                           
Another funny thing, I am probably closer to Fano than I will be the rest of his mission. The only thing that is between us is the ocean now!

Venice of Brazil

Recife, Brazil. Known as the Venice of Brazil and it is easy to see why. With the sea on one side and many rivers on the other, the city is one of the most beautiful I have seen, and I haven't even been to the famous locations. Today was my first full day in Recife and I have to keep reminding myself that I am here to study and not to be a tourist (which I know will be taken care of starting on Monday with class with Prof. Fitzgibbon).
  I started the day off passing by a local pharmacy and enjoying every word spoken and understood while picking up a few items. Why bring shampoo on the plane when every single corner has a pharmacy? Afterwards I went down to the beach with Cindy and Jordan Guillory, who are living with the Jones as well, and Morgan Jones and Bianca, Morgan's friend. Morgan is 15 and her and her sister Mallory speak amazing Portuguese. We had a great afternoon, in which I wasn't burned, and I enjoyed the 'Cuidado de Tubarão' or 'Beware of Shark' signs all over the beach. Afterwards we went to the store with Bonnie Jones, who is taking great care of us. She is from Burley, Idaho and knows the Searle Family.
 In the supermarket I had to stop smiling because I enjoyed seeing all of the different brands, fruits and breads that fill my dreams of Brazil when in the United States. While going there and back Bonnie showed us around the neighborhood and around every corner was a store of park that I can't wait to get to know better, especially the açai and pizzarias. Hello extra pounds!
There is a very likely chance that tomorrow at church I will see Elder Romero who served with me in Brasilia, so I am excited to go to church tomorrow.

Benito Juarez Airport and Arrival

Hola Muchachos. I am in Recife now, but I thought I would give a quick recap of the flight. I forgot how I am a little bit taller, so I had to get used to having my knees in my face again. We stopped in Mexico City and had a layover there. It was fun to be back in Mexico (I also received another stamp in my Passport) until I realized I had no idea where the terminal was to check in for Tam, our Brazilian airline. With a little bit of trying, we were able to find where it was. Then we ate. I had a great sandwich with a huge helping of some of the best horchata (hope I spelled that right-the milk/rice/cinnamon drink).

                                                          Look at the size of that Horchata!


The exchange rate was so heavily in our favor I almost felt bad.


I slept for maybe twenty minutes. Cramped quarters and crying babies kept most of us up. But, I did get to watch Sherlock Holmes 2, a FIFA documentary and play the trivia game that pitted all the passengers scores throughout the flight (I came third, just behind two other study abroad members).
I was able to watch the sun rise so I tried to take a picture, but even if it didn't turn out great, it was nice to see a Brazilian sun rising again.

But I am here in Recife and loving it. We saw some Elders while we were passing through the city. I felt proud, but relieved that it wasn't me because it is pretty humid. I am staying with the Jones'. Brother Jones is serving as bishop and there was an Elder who returned from Brasilia this week, so it should be fun to see who it is on Sunday.

                              This is the view from the balcony of the house. Yeah, I know.
My plans for this weekend are to catch up on my sleep, poke around the neighborhood (where is my pão de queijo?) and get ready for this next rip roaring Josh Barton adventure!

Please put your life on airport mode

Just chilling here in the SLC airport. Things went well through security and everything is looking great. Meet up with a few more study abroad friends, so it will be fun to head down with them. That is about it. And yes Mom, I got here safely and I have my lunch.

Brazil -1

It's the night before finals and I just finished preliminary packing. It's amazing the difference this time between packing for two years and two months. I'm definitely a fan of the latter. Tomorrow I'll take my two finals for World Religions and Archaeology and finish packing. I'm still trying to tie down a few loose ends, but everything is starting to come together. I'm started to get the 'excited out of gourd' mode. It's hard to believe that I'm already returning.
I'm listening to my Brazilian music. I keep remembering all the things I have already seen in Brazil and it's incredible to think that I still have so much to see, especially in the Northeast of Brazil. I should head to bed so I can finish everything tomorrow.
Até amanha!