Português of the Week

comemoração - celebration

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

AS MOST OF YOU

are probably aware, Alex and I have left the land of juice bars and sand bars to return to the land of milkshakes and handshakes.

I am shocked, culturally.

A few nights ago, I was introduced to a girl at a bar. I went for the double cheek-kiss as her extended hand nearly jabbed my lung. Oh yea, we shake hands. I forgot how cold we are.

I also forgot how cold we are--in the literal sense. I wanted to give my new Havaianas sandals a whirl, but the only whirl was that of freezing wind that instantly incapacitated my feet. So much for all the tank-tops I bought.

Also so much for all the new tank-tops I bought--those being the cannons of miniature model tanks I bought from a Brazilian military enthusiast. No, I'm just kidding. I don't even think you can find those separate from the whole tank.

At any rate, I am readapting to the culture that I once knew exclusively.

Perhaps the most comforting experience thus far has come in the form of an efficient errand. Alex and I returned just one day before our grandmother's 80th birthday. Our gift? A framed collage of pictures we'd taken in Brazil, co-starring other family members that had visited us. So, we decided to devote an afternoon to this project. We started by ordering lunch...online. Sandwiches from Bay Cities Italian Deli on Lincoln. Point. Click. Point. Click. Ready in a half an hour. Next stop: Fed-Ex Kinkos on Wilshire. 15 minutes on the parking meter. We put in the USB flash drive into the Sony picture printer and out falls one $4.99 8"x10" photo, with 9 minutes left on the meter. Next stop: Joann Fabrics (isn't fabric already pluralized?). One frame--also $4.99. We picked up our sandwiches and returned back to the house within an hour.

Kissing, sweating and waiting are only a few of the cultural skins that I've had to shed since I got back. I'm sure more will emerge, in true awkward form. Until then, I guess I will just have to be keepin it Rio--in California.

2 comments:

Carly_Escoto said...

Like I said before, I think you should just roll with the kiss on the cheek thing. I only say that because I know Aisea and his family well and they are from Tonga... and they don't care at allll. They just go for it and now we're all used to it. Most of our community does it now too.. We all just get so insecure. Silly. I wish our culture was warmer in this aspect for certain even though I'm awkward city...

Glad to have you back Bob.

Katherine Bowman said...

Why did you leave Rio? I know exactly what you mean about having culture shock coming back to your home country! When i moved back to the states, i went to Hy-Vee and was disgusted by the isles of chips and cereal! :) I think i prefer waiting in line and being greeted by a friendly Brasilian that wants to chat rather than getting my business done by the "help" of an American that won't look me in the eye. I love America and am thankful for this country, but I DO miss Brasil!