sarah's+diary+entries

‘Brazil’ How we came to our decisions

We initially did a ‘round robin’ and each said which country we would like to do. It was also agreed that we would like to choose a country that was somewhat out of the way and not as recognised as others yet where information was easy to come by. Sarah wanted to do Malta, Lydia was interested in South America and Leonie was also interested in Malta. Other places were also discussed. We mutually decided on a way to decide as we all felt strongly about our countries. We ripped up three pieces of paper, wrote the countries on them and ten got another person to draw one piece of paper that would then become our country. South America was pulled out. We then had to decide on a country in South America, we all discussed different countries and all decided that Brazil would be the most interesting to do, information is also readily available.

We will be travelling by Aeroplane to Brazil where we will first land at Rio De Janeiro, we will be staying in the Copacabana Palace Hotel, a prestige and lovely place to stay. We will then be travelling to more ‘country’ areas where we will be travelling by bus, car, walk, local transport to Salvador, Teresina, Maraba and then back to Brasilia where we will be staying in a nice hotel before we fly back home. The other accommodation will be hostels, and local accommodation.

In Teresina we will be staying at Luxor Piaua Hotel ($41 per room) more information in my journal entries.

We have decided to firstly visit Rio De Janerio, which will be the initial destination once we get off the plane. We will be staying at the Copacobana Palace Hotel which is a beautiful, and a bit more expensive hotel. However seeing as for the rest of the trip we have elected to stay in budget accommodation we can afford this luxury. It has 77 rooms and 148 suites, truly a vision. It has a wonderful range of accommodating facilities. Located on the famous Copacabana beach it is truly a great landmark and one of the grandest hotels in South America.
 * WHERE WE ARE GOING**
 * PLACES**
 * HOTELS**

As you Can see in the map we will begin here at Rio, then moving north to Salvador, then to Teresina to Maraba and then finally to Brasilia where we will be flying from back home.

Rio can be a colourful place at times and then tranquil and a great place to relax, as we have found. The hotel is amazing, not far from the airport which made things a lot easier. The beaches are fantastic with the weather not bad, golden sun and an experience that every person should experience at one time or another.

As you can see the beach is vast and the bodies tanned and bronzed. Myself, well I’m as white as a feather and tried to get a couple of days of sun. The stalls and sellers that line the streets on a weekend (We were lucky to stay here on a weekend) there are many foods, jewellery, and lots more. The experience, as simple as it was (No fancy restaurants, or extravagant shops) I enjoy the simpler things and they make things just that little bit sweeter when they are a touch simpler than what you are used to. We are looking forward to the CineSul which is the Latin American film festival which is held every year in sao Paulo and rio since 1994. It offers some great local talent and a snapshot of the Latin American culture (Arts especially, and how they see the world from their eyes). Not only does it show film but literature, music and fine arts.

On a festival note, other festivals that we unfortunately wont get to see are the FILE – Eledctronic Language Festival, ‘Imagem em 5 Minutos’- National video festival.

We did get to taste ‘Cachaca’ the national drink which is made with limes, sugar, water and the sugar cane brandy- a little different than we are used to here but none the less, it is good to sample different things.

We go to Salvador next, a bit of a trip, we travel by bus, thereby seeing the sights, the scenic routes and we get to sample the local bus services which make up quite a percentage of the most widely used form of public transport.
 * TERASINA**

Teresina has an area of 1.680 km2. The name is a tribute to the lady Teresa Cristina, the empress of brazil and the wife of D Pedro II. It was the first city in Brazil to be planned.

Teresina is situated at the mouth of the rivers Parnai`ba and Poti, it is commonly known as the green city because all of it’s streets are lined with mainly mango trees. We stay at the Luxor Piaua Hotel, it’s about $41 per night so it’s not that bad, it’s not as flashy as the Copacabana but it’s cosy and the view is great. Found out something interesting though, a local church mission has been doing work there, the church plans to build a sanctuarywith a capacity that will hold about 170 people, at the moment it is an empty lot, but the congregation have all chipped in with some of them builders, plumbers etc. and have raised the 10,000 (The money left over from the National Ministry funding) and will begin construction in a few weeks. It really is amazing to see these people who go to these great lengths to build a community church. I got speaking to some people, (They actually spoke English) and they told me about it, I then did some research and found out a little more about the ministry foundation, and some of the construction plans, capacity etc. The commitment is awe-inspiring, and the dedication from people, we see buildings go up in Australia(Wollongong), high rises everyday and not bat an eye-lid, but for some of these people they give their time, money, and overall their faith. I hope to see a picture of it when it is done. A couple of pictures of Terasina that we took while exploring the beautiful surroundings that others call home.(Country) This is a picture of the main city, it is beautiful and at night time it really lights up and to take a walk around the streets is amazing.
 * Salvador**

A long trip, bumpy here and there but none-the-less it’s exciting to be here in a new place. We booked at a place called the Meson Pousada. We researched it and looked on the internet. There were lots of reviews and the majority were good, people liked the accommodation and said that the service was good, so we decided to go for it. It’s not bad, I want to try the bed though, (It’s only the first day here so I’m pretty tired from the trip over here but the next few days will be great.

This is the Meson Pousada, it’s the one on the right of the pink building,(Hotel Meson-internet café).

This is a photo of our room, it’s quite humble and fits in perfectly with the theme that we wanted to experience and to create, The map doesn’t show where the Meson Pousada is, but it does show some of the places we will be visiting, we have a general idea but we are going to wing it a little and explore the city. As long as I don’t look like some sort of weirdo with a map in one hand and a puzzled look on my face trying to find my way around the place.

I heard about this place called Pelourinho which isa ‘city within a city’ as they call it. It has cobblestone roads, churches, pastel coloured houses, it really takes you away from the hustle and bustle and it’s really good to sit down for a cool drink and sit in serene territory. On the subject of churches, while we were in Salvador we had to go and see Igreja –San Fransisco- which is one of the most beautiful churches I’ve seen. There was gold and silver on the walls, encrusted gems, the artwork has been compared to that of the sicteen chapel, an amazing trip, people come to visit from miles away to see it. Truly a beautiful place. (Got heaps of pictures).


 * Maraba**

Another day, another bus, another adventure that I am most willing to take. We have been here for three days and some of the stories that I have heard have both amazed and shocked me. We go sight see-ing, out into town, party a little, shopping and all the rest but I prefer to write about the experiences that have impacted me, not just the fun and sun (On another note the humidity is quite high today). I talk a lot and I tend to do it with people even more, and even though it is not a subject to get into, slavery was discussed and it led to the story of a man who came to Maraba to make a little money clearing the jungle, it was rather difficult to start a conversation with some people, especially with the language barrier, I learnt a little portugese and can speak simple sayings for instance: My name is- Meu nome e ……. Where is the bathroom- onde esta o banheiro and where are you from- De onde voce e, and many more sayings. But with a little help from some friendly locals that gave me a hand. It was a little un-nerving as some of the males stood really close to me when they were talking to me, but we shook hands and said hello. When buying things it was quite easy except for when I wanted to ask if they had a top in my size but my knowledge of portugese and my excessive body language, together we understood each other, after all its only words that get in the way. Anyway I was meant to tell a short story about a man called Jose` Silva, as I was saying he needed money and was looking for work unable to find anything else apart from on a ranch, he was in debt $800 a couple of years later, he was scared to leave the ranch and was a modern slave. He worked with 46 other men and a boy to clear jungle with machetes. Seven days a week with no money. Rat faeces were prominent in the rice sacks, flies covered the raw meat hanging in the tropical heat, no toilets, poor conditions, even though slavery was abolished in 1888 in Brazil it doesn’t stop it happening, Brazils top anti-slavery officia in Brasilia puts the number of modern slaves at 50,000. The penalties for enslaving a worker can bring a land owner 2-8 years in prison in addition to fines, however the fines are low, $110 per offence so at best they are a small set-back of doing business.

This is an exerpt I found on how (even though it is meant to be abolished) the slave trade circulates products to the US markets. What a trip so far, it’s such a shame that it will be ending so soon. We have a few more days and then it’s back home again, it will be good though to sleep in my own bed again. We found this huge tower today, it’s called TV tower, it’s one of the tallest buildings in the world, it was built in 1965, it is 224 metres tall. I’d love to climb to the top and have a good look at the building tops of the rest of Brasilia. It’s exact location is 15◦47’26’’s47◦53’34. I had a bit of trouble getting directions, I can’t read a map to save myself and I couldn’t find anyone that spoke English, so I got out my trusty phrase book and showed a lot of politeness and gratitude to the elderly women that tried to help me, I was trying to get back to the hotel, she was extremely helpful, I told her the hotel, she nodded, she could see the map and understood. She showed me on the map where we were and where the hotel was, she was very understanding a I was so grateful (I’d probably still be there if she didn’t help). Were staying at the Comfort suited Brasilia Hotel. It’s only 15 mins from the airport so it will be an easy ride there. Brasilia is such an architectural city, it’s also Brazil’s federal capital. The shopping is amazing, I need to buy an extra bag to carry all of my shopping. Yesterday we went to the annual Brasilia festival of Brazilian Cinema, we watched two local movies called Margarets feast, the director was meant to be quite well known over here, and the other one was Mango Yellow, they were interesting, I couldn’t understand much of the movie but the atmosphere was great, and every now and then one of the girls would tell me the plot and what was going on.
 * BRASILIA**

This is my last entry, it’ll be a shame to leave but it will be great to get back home…..

The TV tower and the comfort hotel that we are staying at. Manners: -when eating do not use your fingers to touch anything (Pick anything up). Brazilians use utensils for pizza, sandwiches, fruit and chicken. -Wrap food carefully with a napkin before picking it up. -wipe mouth after every sip of a drink that it taken. -Food should be shared even if it is only a small amount. -When offered something you should say yes or please, saying thankyou indicates a refusal. No thankyou is considered rudely blunt. -Coffee is only served with breakfast. It is served after other meals though, it is very strong and very sweet. -Belching and then excusing yourself is extremely rude. The same goes for coughing and sneezing, one should leave the table or turn away. -Keep both hands above the table whilst eating. -never use the fork to cut anything -waiters are beckoned with the index finger of an upraised hand whilst saying garcon softly. Snapping of fingers is extremely rude. -Do not drink from the bottle, always use a glass.
 * Traditions and Culture**
 * Brazil**

-never go empty handed to someones house -women be cautious when gift giving to male colleagues -Avoid giving 13 of anything -do not admire ones possessions too lucratively as they will offer them as a gift
 * Giving Gifts**

Culture:…. - North - Northeast - Central - Southeast - South Many popular dishes include; - Feijoada - Caipirinha - Pao de Queijo - Brigadeiro - Tapioca - Vatapa`
 * Brazilian culture is a Latin American culture. It’s chief influence was Portuguese culture due to close colonial ties with the Portuguese empire.
 * The religion focuses mainly on Catholicism, with the predominant religion is Roman Catholic.
 * Carnival is an annual celebration held forty days before easter and marking the beginning of Lent. It is an extremely festive time attracting tourism from all over the world.
 * Arts in Brazil is a rich culture all on it’s own. Dance is a dominant feature, with samba, bossa, nova, for`ro and frevo.
 * Brazil has vast cinematic tradition. Dating back to the late 19th century.
 * Sports are a form of culture that you just cannot ignore in Brazil, football or ‘soccer’ is very well known and popular with a lot of famous football stars originating from Brazil.
 * Cuisine is vast in many ways, with influences from Native Americans, Portuguese, Africa, Italian, German, Syrian, Lebanese and many others. There are five main cuisine regions;


 * Part B-Putting your travel to work in Industry**

AN international visitor-

A Japanese tourist comes to the Hotel and I assist him in general duties etc. I maintain eye contact and the guest seems to be offended. Both of us are confused and have misunderstood the situation.

-Seeing as this Japanese tourist does not speak much English, there is a concierge at the hotel who is Japanese and he comes along to see what the problem is, which is resolved etc. - Listening: is an important tool, and with the help of an interpreter it is a key element. - Interpreter: Middle person without bias is great when a misunderstanding occurs as they can see in from the outside and assist each person without ‘taking sides’. - Patience: it is vital to be patient and listen to exactly what the person is saying or if they need time to gather their thoughts. - Actually listening to what is being said: sometimes we are stubborn or just have one thing on our minds and tune out, we need to listen to the other persons point of view and if need be put yourself in their shoes(empathy). - Honest, direct, clear and appropriate: the four main objectives to assertive communication, we need to be assertive when handling issues that arrive. By doing all of these you maintain professionalism and your own morals and beliefs are also upheld without being judgemental or selfish.

Staff member-

Say hi to staff member, they say how are you, and you reply ‘not bad, yourself’ they look at you funny and give you an endearing look. This continues until you begin to get annoyed believing that they are being rude by not replying to your welcoming attitude.

This is a misunderstanding as our slang/jargon/colloquialism is hard to understand sometimes, in which case it takes the person to say, that they do not understand.

- Honesty: the non-understanding one can be honest about them not understanding the phrase. - Humor: sometimes we need to laugh at things, being able to understand and have a laugh so that the other person does not feel silly etc. - Direct: be direct in what you are saying and even offer more help if they need it. - Accommodating: sometimes in communication you may have had a hard day and just don’t want to listen but that’s what it is to be accommodating, listen and the other person will be better off for it and will thank you for your patience and time. - Roadblocks: try not to use roadblocks, especially in conflict/misunderstanding resolution, e.g closed questions, leading questions, or even the attitude that you may have. Clear, direct communication is always a winner.

Forms of address- Learning about how other cultures greet is amazing, sometimes standing too close may invade your personal space but to them it is a normal thing.

Levels of formality/informality- I guess it all depends on the culture and what they allow to be appropriate, of course with working in hospitality it is always polite and semi-formal depending on the guest and nationality.

Work ethics- Well, some of the things that ‘I saw’ were people working hard for their faith, for their food for the day, or for a cause that they believe in, a good work ethic from what I saw.

Personal Grooming- being hot over there and the humidity, it is rather casual, it doesn’t mean however, that you don’t shower, or dress, you should always look appropriate but casual can always be sone sheik.

Family obligations- Again it really depends where you go, most cultures have strong family ties, obviously some don’t but from what was witnessed that have a good close bond with their family which in turn allows me to recognise and understand where their coming from a little better.

Religious holidays- The majority of Brazil is Roman Catholic as Catholicism is big there, it will help me when brasilians come in and it is near Lent (e.g Carnival) will know how to accommodate their needs.

Customs- There are many customs, how you eat, so if I was to be serving them food I would use utensils at all times not touching anything with my hands and to offer them utensils for everything.

Special needs- Special needs are different for each and every culture. Whether it be large rooms, water on arrival, an extra pillow, it really comes down to what they want and if you can provide the service, but knowing what I know now does give me a better understanding of things, well enough for me have a head start.

There were many people that gave feedback, some good some bad, and it is hard to put them all down so I’ll generalise a little. Frederick Wentworth-(8:56pm 2-6-07) was unhappy about the taxi services in Rio, “we do not want to waste time and money if these are better spent”. The taxi services were expensive and traffic was very time consuming.
 * Online Feedback**

Lawman3 was talking about how him and his friends hired a private guide to see them through their trip, he praised the guide ‘Martha’ and the people saying ‘they were of good sort and really friendly’.

DJ (4:54pm 1-6-07) noted about precautions to take when holidaying, baggage locked, hotel rooms locked, windows and doors, going out at night, well known areas etc. He did though, have a good comment overall.

I looked at a lot of people’s feedback, ranging from partying to security to the transportation, as was previously mentioned, some was good and some was bad. Overall though, I wouldn’t mind going there (for real) and having an adventure of my own.
 * __Reference List__**
 * [|www.cyborglinl.com] – 26 March ‘07’ U/D 07**
 * [|www.google.com.au] – 3 jun U/D ‘07’**
 * http:/new.gbgm.umc.org – global ministries 3 jun U/D 06**
 * [|www.itapemirim.com.au] – 3 jun U/D January 07**
 * Kevin G. Hall-Knight rider newspaper** **September 5 ‘04****’**
 * [|www.mongabay.com] – 3 june – “Slavery exists- out of sight in** **Brazil****”**
 * [|www.slide.com] - 26 March ‘07’ U/D 07**
 * [|www.thehoteliers.com] – 3 jun U/D 07**
 * [|www.tripadvisor.com] – 3 june U/D Daily**
 * www.wikispaces.com – 3/4 jun U/D daily**