Submitted by David Arroyo on the 2015 winter session program in Brazil sponsored by the Department of Art History and the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures…
This week has been an awesome experience! Arriving to Rio de Janeiro after a 9 hour flight was quite a relief. Despite the long flight, the travel was very enjoyable as it served as a preparation for cultural immersion. Most people on our flight, were all Brazilians returning to their homeland to visit family, or to return to their houses after a vacation in the U.S. Most of these Brazilians first spoke in their native Portuguese tongue, but also had English as their second language as they have lived in the U.S. for some time. Conversing with these sympathetic people was definitely an enriching experience, as I was able to utilize my first semester Portuguese skills to communicate with them, and receive friendly criticism when I said something incorrectly.
Once we arrived in Rio, my expectation of hot, humid weather was met. I have been to Puerto Rico many times before, so I knew what to expect with humidity. But what caught my attention, were the many favelas that we passed by, on our way to Copacabana from the airport. I had read about these favelas during my “Portuguese for Spanish Speakers,” class at UD, where I learned about the social class situation in Brazil, but I really could not feel much empathy for these favelas, as I had not experienced it at that time. Passing by these favelas however, I suddenly understood the grave situation that was happening in these favelas. Seeing these neighborhoods in person, gave me a surge of empathy for those people struggling to survive in their economic class. It was an absolute humbling experience.
During the rest of the week here, we visited the main tourist attractions, like Christ the Redeemer in Corcovado, Downtown Rio, Copacabana Beach, and Ipanema. I am so glad that I have been blessed to have the opportunity to visit such a beautiful country! It is absolutely breathtaking to be able to see the whole city of Rio at a bird’s eye view, from the Christ the Redeemer Statue. This week our classes also started, where I began to dive deeper into Portuguese grammar, and learn about Brazil’s history. It has been an enriching experience.
This morning, I had the privilege to attend the morning service and Sunday school of a Methodist Church here in Copacabana. The church is called, “Igreja Metodista em Copacabana.” These people received me with open arms, and were immediately fascinated by my Portuguese skills and by my heritage as a Delawarean and Puerto Rican. Going to this Church, I realized that people are generally the same, wherever culture you may be in. The topics of faith, love, family, and humor are universal. I am very grateful I was able to meet such caring people here in Copacabana, people with similar values to mine. The photo attached are the people I met at this small, but lively church in Copacabana.
