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Brazil Through Foreign Eyes

Jun 13, 2008 Meet Johnnie Kashat from the USA who has very recently travelled to Brazil. Read the following interview in which he tells us about some of his most memorable experiences and gives some useful advice to newcomers. 1. Tell us a little about yourself, where are you from, what do you do etc.? I am a 26-year-old, first generation American, born and raised in Saginaw, Michigan to a family that came to the U.S. with practically nothing. I was the first in my family to attend college at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, where I graduated with a bachelor's degree in political science in 2005. I plan to attend Northwestern University for a master's degree in public policy in the fall. In the meantime, I help manage a small retail business that provides a key service to the residents of Saginaw. 2. When did you arrive in Brazil and what brought you here? I arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on April 30th, 2008, and since returning to the U.S. I have desired to go back. My trip to Rio started on Thanksgiving, when I introduced the idea to my college roommate and longtime friend. I convinced him that a vacation was in order, and after some slight hesitation on his part, I pulled out the beauty and richness of Brazilian culture card, with particular emphasis on the elegance of Brazilian women, and he agreed to come along. 3. What were you first impressions of Brazil? When arriving in Rio's international airport, I was immediately struck by the emptiness of the airport. For example, there was no hustle and bustle of people waiting in lines at the counter, or people scurrying to the gates to catch their flights. The airport seemed to be eerily reminiscent of the kind of society envisioned in George Orwell's book. I was struck by the level of security at the baggage claim, and saw government personnel with semi-automatic weapons, and wondered whether I landed in a war zone or in a productive society that offered countless opportunities for its citizens. However, as I stepped outside of the airport to catch the bus to our hotel, the humidity and scent of the crisp ocean air that warmed my lungs caused me to think differently. I realized that I was in a hurry to judge Brazilian society, and my impressions quickly changed to positive ones. 4. What do you miss most about home? I miss seeing our local cops pull over traffic and prevent unnecessary accidents from occurring on the roads. In the U.S. there are strict driving codes in place as part of the organizational nature within our government, and having a small measure of this system in place on Rio's highways would make traffic flow a lot smoother and save lives. 5. What has been your most frustrating experience in Brazil? I think breaking the Western mentality that wherever you go and whatever you do, society should function in a specific way, where there is an elaborate organizational scheme in place from which decisions and rules arise. Brazilian society is a very sophisticated society with a strong national ethos and work ethic. So when traveling to Brazil, try to adopt a goal oriented approach to your thinking, realizing that not everyone may speak English, or arrive as promptly as they say they will, or find the hotel front desk people at 1 in the morning to locate a spare key to your room's safe. 6. What has been your most memorable experience in Brazil (specific incident)? From the moment I arrived in Brazil, there have been so many events of great value, which I will cherish for the rest of my life. I think the positive attitudes of the Brazilian people to the beauty inherent in the cariocas are all examples of the marvelous wonders that the country has in store for a first time traveler to Brazil. But a noteworthy incident for me would probably be the visit to the Christ the Redeemer Statue. Not only was I stuck by architectural beauty of the statue that overlooks a diverse and bustling Rio in a blessing fashion, but I also felt a deep sense of relief when arriving at the statue. I have not always been a devout Catholic, so seeing this statue helped to a certain extent heal my relationship with the Catholic Church. I felt rejuvenated at having traveled half a world away and to arrive at the top of Rio's skyline only to be greeted by the Christ statue with open arms left the impression that I had stumbled onto a new beginning in my life. I prayed for good health and protection over my family and friends, and I did this alongside my good friend, Vineet. 7. What do you most like about Brazil (in general)? I just love the beauty inherent in all the people I encountered. It is true that Brazilian women are the sexiest women alive, and while in Buzios, I saw that beauty with all the fashion and richness that elite society can provide. Brazilian women in general, and cariocas are the products of a society that treats race in an open and affectionate manner. 8. What is your favorite restaurant/place to hang out here? Well, if you are a fan of caipirinhas, then Davessa in Ipanema is the place to go. I love the tranquil atmosphere of this restaurant/bar. It is a good place to really delve into the heart of Brazilian culture. Beautiful people and futebol fans help set the tone in terms of conversation and fashion trends, helping to create the kind of energy that may drain the mind of any first time visitor to Brazil. 9. Do you have any funny stories/incidents to tell about your time in Brazil? Well, I'll share this one funny incident that happened to my friend Vineet at a café in Rio. We were curious as to where the best clubs in Rio were located and we wanted somewhere fun to go. I had done my research about the best nightspots before planning my trip to Rio, but my friend insisted on asking the locals for their advice anyways. So, he approached this attractive employee at the café for the purpose of identifying the right spot to go, and she couldn't really understand English, so she called her manager. As he came out, he blurted the name of a gay club in Portuguese, a club that had come up numerous times in my research. So I started chuckling with the staff, and I spent the next half hour explaining to everyone that my friend wanted to go to a straight club instead. You should have seen the look on his face. 10. What difference between your homeland and Brazil do you find most striking? I think the fact that futebol or American soccer is such a contrast between the two countries. Futebol in Brazil is steeped in tradition, where all the diverse groups of the country come along and interact to form a strong national ethos around the sport. It doesn't matter whether your roots originate from a European or African background, the sport alone creates a meeting point of contact that is shared and enjoyed by all the races of Brazil. It certainly is a covenant that all Brazilians seem to accomplish. During our stay in Rio, it seemed like every patch of grass or beach was converted into a miniature futebol field, where children and adults alike were sharing in the spirit of the sport. For a lot of people who grew up watching and playing futebol, it was easy to relate to this aspect of Brazilian culture. Upon returning to Rio from Buzios, I noticed cars honking their horns, people partying in the streets with their red and black jerseys, shopkeepers holding signs, and a joyous commotion that generally characterized people walking around Rio were the simple result of team Flamengo winning the national futbol title. 11. How is your Portuguese coming along? What words do you find most difficult to pronounce/remember or are there any words that you regularly confuse? I wish I had known some Portuguese before traveling; it would have helped with developing some sort of rapport with the locals. I plan on visiting Rio again, and will likely enroll in language classes to further advance my knowledge of Portuguese. In Rio, I had limited knowledge of Spanish, so we were lucky to a certain extent. But if traveling to Rio, you would be advised to brush up on Portuguese if you really want to attain the full benefits of Brazilian culture. 12. What advice do you have for newcomers to Brazil? Don't believe everything you hear in the media about the dangers associated with traveling to Rio. It is a city of 8 million people, so there is going to be crime regardless, like any major European and American city. However, that should not detract from the fact that Rio is a modern and sophisticated city with some graffiti on side and with a growing middle class. I would advise using some common sense, and when someone squirts a packet of mustard on your expensive shoes, run to the closest public place and clean yourself up and continue to enjoy your vacation. 13. What are some things that you would recommend for a visitor to do in São Paulo (or anywhere else in Brazil)? I think going to a football match anywhere in Brazil is the best way to express your interest in Brazilian society. You can email Johnnie at jkashat@umich.edu. Are you a foreigner who has lived in, or is living or travelling in Brazil? Are you a Brazilian who has a lot of contact with foreigners and/or lived outside of Brazil? Are you interested in telling your story? If you would like to volunteer for our interview series, or if you would like to recommend someone, please send a blank email to gringoes@gringoes.com with "Interview" in the subject. We will send you the interview questions by return email. To read previous interviews in the Brazil Through Foreign Eyes series click below: Jeni Bonorino - USA Eric Jones - USA Bill Martin - UK Bernard Morris - USA John Graves - USA Deepak Sapra - India Alison McGowan - UK Brent Gregory - USA R Dub - USA Tara Bianca - USA Jack Hurley - USA James Woodward - Canada Tony O‘Sullivan - Ireland Anna Belavina - Russia Jim Kirby - USA Linda Halverstadt - USA Michelle Monteiro - USA Chris Mensah - UK David Sundin - USA Stephanie Glennon - USA Julien Porisse - France Hans Keeling - USA Jim Adams - USA Richard Murison - USA Will Periam - UK Jan Sandbert - Sweden Jim Jones - USA Mike Stricklin - USA Edward Gowing - Australia Adrian Woods - USA Kevin Raub - USA Pierpaolo Ciarcianelli - Italy Zachary Heilman - USA David Johnson - Bermuda Cipriana Leme - Argentina Timothy Bell - USA Patti Beckert - USA Timothy Bell - USA Paul James - USA David McLoughlin - Ireland Pat Moraes - USA Richard Dougherty - USA James Weeds - USA Tom Sluberski - USA Peter Kefalas - USA Sylvie Campbell - UK Kathleen Haynes - USA Matt Bowlby - USA Alan Longbottom - UK Eric Karukin - USA Eddie Soto - USA Kieran Gartlan - Ireland Bryan Thomas Scmidt - USA Emile Myburgh - South Africa Bob Chapman - USA David Barnes - USA John Milan - USA Chris Coates - UK Matthew Ward - UK Allison Glick - USA Drake Smith - USA Jim Jones - USA Philip Wigan - UK Atlanta Foresyth - USA Lee Gordon - USA Carmen Naidoo - South Africa Lee Safian - USA Laurie Carneiro - USA Dana De Lise - USA Richard Gant - USA Robin Hoffman - USA Wayne Wright - UK Walt Kirspel - USA Priya Guyadeen - Guyana Caitlin McQuilling - USA Nicole Rombach - Holland Steven Engler - Canada Richard Conti - USA Zak Burkons - USA Ann White - USA Monde Ngqumeya - South Africa Johnny Sweeney - USA David Harty - Canada Bill McCrossen - USA Peter Berner - Switzerland/Brazil Ethan Munson - USA Solveig Skadhauge - Denmark Sean McGown - USA Condrad Downes - UK Jennifer Silva - Australian Justin Mounts - USA Elliott Zussman - USA Jonathan Abernathy - USA Steve Koenig - USA Kyron Gibbs - USA Stephanie Early - USA Martin Raw - UK Sean Coady - UK Hugo Delgado - Mexico Sean Terrillon - Canada Jessie Simon - USA Michael Meehan - USA Thales Panagides - Cyprus Tammy Montagna - USA Samantha Tennant - England Ron Finely - United States Bob Duprez - United States Peter Baines - England Youssef Bouguerra - Tunisia Van Wallach - USA Lesley Cushing - England Alexander von Brincken - Germany Hank Avellar - USA Ed Catchpole - England Penny Freeland - England Yasemin de Pinto - Turkey Amy Williams Lima - USA John Naumann - England Marsye Schouella - Eygpt Rita Shannon Koeser - USA John Fitzpatrick - Scotland Liam Gallagher - Northern Ireland Lorelei Jones - England Adam Glensy - England Tommie C.B. DeAssis - Japan Aaron Day - Canada Graham Debney - New Zealand Silke Tina Tischendorf - Germany Tanya Keshavjee Macedo - Canada Frank de Meijer - Holland Carl Emberson - Australia Kim Buarque - Wales Damiano Pak - South Korea Jonas Helding - Denmark Pari Seeber - Iran John Milton - England Ken Marshall - Australia

6/13/2008