Lessons in Patience

I have been in Brazil for a little over 24 hours, and so far, there have been many lessons in patience. I got off the plane in Sao Paulo, and the instructions by the flight attendants were a bit unclear, but I understood that I needed to get my baggage to go through customs. First, my bags didn’t come, and then I was told that the only exception to the customs rule is for passengers going to Rio, and so my baggage was going straight there. Then I was directed up an escalator and out some doors, which put me out of the security area, and I had to pay the airport tax ($36) to get back in to the international terminals. Upon hearing this, the righteous American in me rose up in my chest and I started to voice my displeasure. Then I realized that it’s only in the US that we have this righteous idea of how things should be (or else!). The lady helping me was kind, and seemed pleased that there was a solution at all. I paid, and was on my way, though it took 45 minutes for me to stop lamenting about it in my head. Something tells me the lessons in patience are going to cost me more than $36 before this trip is over. When I arrived in Rio, I spent nearly 2 hours dragging my bags around Terminal 1, because I my Brazilian friend was mistakenly waiting in Terminal 2. The sad truth was that in emergency situations (I forgot his telephone number), my Portuguese didn’t carry me too far. Since being here, my head has been spinning with the rapid Portuguese that surrounds me. Living with a family makes a big difference because I am talking and listening all the time. I know I will improve, as I can feel it already… but I want to understand everything now. I am not the same person here, because I can’t make jokes, and I certainly don’t understand many of the ones told. Patience. In other news, I was out til 5 am yesterday, at a concert of . Oh, and it was at the top of Pao de Ascucar (Sugar Loaf)… the picture at the top. After the concert there was more music, which turned the place into a nightclub. There were also these huge pillows set up, where people could lay down. Most people live with their parents, so I think the culture is much more catered to couples being outside the house. Today, I was at the beach, turned several shades darker, and have plans for a churrasco (barbecue) for a friends birthday tonight. This country is magical.