Brazil, our intriguing southern neighbor
Brazil. For many of us old people that name reminds us of an exotic country made familiar through movies in the 1940’s and 1950’s, most of which were musicals. A ship sails into a bay protected with mountains on all sides. High above the bay is the Christos statue and along the ocean front is a winding, colorfully tiled Copacabana Beach walk.
Wealthy Americans at one time did travel to Rio de Janeiro to experience the culture and beautiful beaches. Then came a series of Brazilian governmental problems and military coups and Americans no longer traveled there nor to neighboring Argentina. The Brazilians smartly gained the Summer Olympics in 2016 so more people are traveling there now.
Enter the Anema family and our interest in Brazil. Our acquaintance with the country started in the 1970s when we had two exchange students from Ribeirao Preto. We lived in San Leandro at that time and I was a member of the Sister City Committee. Our sister city was Ribeirao Preto and the exchange program was our first project. In 1973 six male high school students arrived as our first exchanges. One came to live with us which certainly was a “step-down” from his circumstances at home. We had a typical tract home with three bedrooms, two baths and an extended family room. Marcio shared a room with Jay while Rich had to move to his sister’s room. Marcio had never made his bed nor did he know anything about sharing a room (he had a younger sister and a large house). Both his parents were doctors.
As we ate dinner the first evening in our kitchen/ dining room/ family room he asked, “Where is your cook? And maid? And gardener?”
Daughter Charlynn and son Jay started to laugh. “I’m the cook quite often,” she said. “And I’m the gardener,” Jay then added. Marcio simply stared. However, he did a superb job of adjusting during those three months including trying to make his bed each morning. At the end of his stay he encouraged Chuck and I to visit Brazil in the future.
At future dates Marcio returned for visits after we moved to Lodi, and his fiancee lived with us for a time when she was taking units at Sacramento State.
Jay and Charlynn each visited Brazil after graduating from college using their leftover college money. Jay was able to go on his own to Rio, Brasilia, Belo Horizonte and other places because of the freedom given males in Brazil. Charlynn was quite frustrated because the family didn’t want her traveling anywhere by herself. She finally rebelled and went to Rio on her own, meeting some German students and having a great time in that city.
Our other exchange student? Thankfully he came in 1974 after Marcio. Rodrigo was more rebellious, couldn’t understand why he wasn’t allowed to go into a restaurant to order a beer, and rode BART everywhere by himself. However, in 2000 when he and his wife Marina visited Vern and I in Valley Springs, he encouraged us to come to Brazil. That’s why Vern and I visited two times — 2000 and 2003.
Chuck and I wanted to go to Brazil, but between air costs and his health the opportunity didn’t materialize.
Now my Brazilian adventure was becoming reality. Vern and I felt as long as we were going a great distance we should see more than just Ribeirao Preto which is in the middle of Sao Paulo state. When I called United Vacations, a part of United Airlines, I found the perfect solution. We could buy a Brazilian flight pass that would take us to five additional destinations beside our Sao Paulo stop. Therefore, we’d spend 10 days traveling Brazil to see a small part of that huge country and then spend another 10 days with Marcio and family and Rodrigo and family.
We went to the Brazilian consulate in San Francisco for our Visa and information about traveling in Brazil. Thankfully our passports were up-to-date. We set up a spring departure, went to the doctor for proper shots, and then were ready to embark on our Brazilian adventure.
On a different note ... The wife of a Navy SEAL who had been killed in the line of duty recently was interviewed by “The Today Show.” She said her husband’s strength was in Jesus (or words to that effect because I don’t have the exact quote). NBC and MSNBC broadcast the interview throughout the day but without the Jesus quote. They said they didn’t want to upset any viewers! Another hmmm ...