Guaraná, Goals and Jeitinho: 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.