I have been in São Paulo for the past two months in which I have participated in a program through Mackenzie Presbyterian University focused on developing sustainable solutions to water management within the city. The program included a variety of courses to develop our understanding of the historical and sociocultural context of Brazil along with more technical visits to build our knowledge on the social issue of water sustainability all leading up to the culminating project to address these challenges with a community-based solution. In addition to us two Rice students, various Mackenzie students also participated in the program with us and also greatly supported our experience here.

Us on Mackenzie campus the first day with the Mackenzie students that took part in the program

Prior to coming to São Paulo, I had only ever lived in Houston for the entire 20 years of my life and had only left the United States once for a short family trip to Taiwan many years ago. So it was safe to say that traveling to a completely different country to live for over two months where I knew no one and barely even understood the language was an extremely daunting decision to make. However, I knew that this experience would be too important to so easily give up and spend my summer sticking to my usual routine in Houston with research in the medical center followed by the long drive back to my home in Sugar Land in rush hour traffic.

My primary motivation for choosing to work with Mackenzie here in São Paulo was due to my interest in the topic of water sustainability and how that impacted the health and wellbeing of communities throughout the city. Challenges with waterway pollution and flooding along the Gulf Coast has been my primary focus for the past year while developing an Alternative Spring Break program. Therefore, I was hoping to see how this similar social issue would manifest in a city that has entirely different historical and social contexts to ultimately gain greater perspective as to how the environment impacts health and how there are different approaches to developing solutions to these challenges.

The construction site for the underground rain reservoir

While our program with Mackenzie involved visiting many different museums to explore the significant history and beautiful art of São Paulo, one of our earlier technical visits was to a construction site that seemed to just be a large dirt pit. However, this unassuming area was actually being built into one of the many underground rain reservoirs throughout the city designed to hold thousands of cubic meters of water during large flooding events to then be slowly released into the city’s drainage system. During the visit, the managers of the project also explained that the plans for the site included building a large recreational park on top of the reservoir so that the space could still be utilized by the community. Although this flood prevention intervention is likely not directly applicable to the severe flooding we commonly face in Houston, there can still be a valuable exchange of knowledge as to what approaches are possible in the face of destructive floods plaguing both cities and only worsening as a result of climate change. 

The CETESB headquarters and one of the research labs inside that studies how pollutants affect native organisms

Another experience that provided greater understanding of water management in São Paulo was visiting the Companhia Ambiental do Estado de São Paulo (CETESB), which serves a comparable role to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) in which their purpose is to monitor and enforce water quality in the state’s waterways by conducting research regarding the effects of pollutants on the health of surrounding communities. While speaking with many researchers at CETESB’s facility, it was apparent that their main priority was to communicate concerns about water quality to the public and encourage improved conditions over time to minimize the risk of harming the health of local ecosystems and people who are most often exposed to those pollutants. Learning about the work of CETESB was an insightful experience for how research efforts from government agencies can play a large part in promoting improved environmental health regulations, which is especially crucial to demonstrate back in the United States now that the scientific research division of the EPA was recently eliminated.

The sorting area of the Revira Revolta recycling collective and a group photo with us and the Mackenzie students in front of a mural inside the center

In addition to these technical visits, one of the most impactful visits during our program was to the Revira Volta recycling collective. This organization had a unique mission to support individuals experiencing homelessness by employing them to sort recyclable materials and then using the profits from selling the sorted materials to pay their salaries. However, even more importantly than solely providing a source of income, the recycling collective emphasized that their primary goal was to provide beneficial resources like counseling services or legal assistance to eventually allow their employees to find housing and educational or career opportunities. Meeting with this organization was an inspiring visit that demonstrated how a community-founded organization could develop such an innovative solution to substantially improve the lives of others. From my previous interactions with many similarly community-based grassroots organizations in Houston, Revira Volta further provided a broader global context as to how centering the needs of the community is most important for creating change.

Images of the Pinheiros River from the large open windows of the Santo Amaro station

Even outside of our program with Mackenzie, the challenges of waterway pollution throughout São Paulo were evident as we explored the city on our own time. When our plans to take the bus to the beach one weekend fell through once we arrived at the station and realized our passports were required to purchase a ticket, we instead rerouted to Parque Villa-Lobos through the subway system to still enjoy a sunny day outside. On the way to the park, we passed through the Santo Amaro station where we could see the joining of the Jurubatuba and Guarapiranga rivers to form the Pinheiros River, a major tributary running through the city of São Paulo. Just a few years ago, the Pinheiros River was highly contaminated with sewage wastes, and our friends here even described how a pungent smell would emanate from the water when walking nearby. However, the recently implemented Novo Rio Pinheiros program to clean up the river has drastically improved the water quality to benefit the lives of thousands throughout the city. While there is still more work to be done to continue improving the water quality, even just admiring the view while walking through the station without worrying about encountering any unsavory odors shows how protecting the health of our local waters can be such a beneficial investment. In Houston where we are similarly accustomed to polluted waters, like Buffalo Bayou or the San Jacinto River in the Greater Houston area, there should be greater incentive to take on these large scale projects to also improve our region’s waterways and therefore benefit the health and wellbeing of our community as well. 

A blurry picture of flaring in Cubatão (left) on the way back from the beautiful Santos beach (right)

Finally, one of the most striking similarities was pointed out to me as we were on our way to Santos beach, a little over an hour away from the city. Along the route, I was mesmerized by the endless towering green mountains stretching into the distance contrasting with the brilliant blue sky and even made the comment to one of our friends here that I appreciated the view much more than what I have accepted as the normal beach trip scenery of industrial facilities and large billboards lining the freeway to Galveston. However, as we made our way around another mountain, my friend pointed out that we were coming upon the city of Cubatão that was known for its industrial facilities. In fact, the city was even known as the “Valley of Death” in the late 20th century due to the various illnesses that arose from the looming presence of carcinogenic pollutants in the environment. Since then, the city has drastically lowered its pollutant levels by increasing regulation of industry and implementing environmental restoration programs. While there is still more work to be done to improve pollution levels in the city, I was struck by the parallel with fenceline communities throughout Houston where community members similarly face health conditions due to exposure to pollutants from the petrochemical industry. 

From the knowledge that we accumulated during our time exploring São Paulo and how water management challenges manifest, we completed our final social impact project that focused on improving basic sanitation of underserved communities in São Paulo that do not have access to sewage systems. While completing this project with our mentoring professor, one of my most memorable interactions was when he expressed how lack of basic sanitation is an issue that is likely very uncommon in Houston. But I then explained how there are many homes throughout the Houston area that are still burdened by the inadequately maintained sewage systems, which was a surprising revelation to our professor who had assumed this would not be the case in the United States. While it is unreasonable to expect us American college students to develop a solution that is entirely applicable to São Paulo, it is from these similarities of centering the voices of those who are directly affected and facilitating open discussions to push for innovative ideas from which possibilities begin to arise. 

The final presentation of our social impact project with the other Mackenzie students and professors who took part in our water sustainability program

There are most certainly distinctions between the cities that emerge from historical, political, and cultural differences, but there is no denying that vulnerable populations are most often confronted with the brunt of social injustices due to the long lasting systemic inequities that arise from a history of colonization, the institution of slavery, and continued exploitation of minority groups. While challenges to water sustainability are far from being resolved in either São Paulo or Houston, the comparison in developing solutions either through small scale community-based efforts or broader government-backed programs, provides hope that working towards a future in which we no longer experience the effects of these social issues is not impossible to envision. 

As I finish writing this blog post with only a few days left in my Loewenstern experience, I believe the final most important similarity between São Paulo and Houston is that I have found such a loving and passionately engaged community within both cities. I am overwhelmingly grateful for the many people who were immediately so welcoming of us and made sure that it never felt like I was very far from home even while nearly 5000 miles away from Houston because I ultimately found a home here in São Paulo as well. During a time when the societal divisions and distrust seem greater than ever, participating in global experiences like Loewenstern is one of the best methods for recognizing how profoundly connected we are to one another despite geographical distances or cultural differences. There is greater hope in knowing that we are bound by a shared desire to build a global community and work together towards an even more beautiful future. When I get back to Houston, I will terribly miss so many aspects of this city like the efficient public transport, scrumptious açaí bowls, impressively towering trees, and most importantly the many people with whom I have so quickly formed meaningful lasting relationships. 

One of the majestic figueira trees that can be found all around São Paulo (left), a bowl of the best açaí ever with strawberries and condensed milk toppings (middle), and an outing with our new friends here whom I deeply cherish (right)

My time in São Paulo will forever inform my perspectives on addressing social issues and has also allowed me to expand my connections much further than I ever could have imagined before this experience. From my heartfelt gratitude for this city and its people, I intend to come back as soon as possible. But until then, I will spend these last few days continuing my search for a capybara sighting along the city’s riverbanks. Eu te vejo logo São Paulo!! 🫶🫶

If you have absolutely any questions or want to learn more about my experience this summer, please feel free to e-mail me at lyl1000@rice.edu! 😊😊

Introduction

If you’re a minority traveling internationally, you’ve probably searched something along the lines of “is it safe to be (insert marginalized identity) in (insert location)?” Being a minority in any unfamiliar space is never easy. Especially when you don’t know how or IF your identity/identities will be accepted. This is an unfortunate, and often ignored, reality. With that being said, I am here to offer a glimpse into the life of a queer African-American woman in São Paulo, Brazil. Hopefully, this narrative will bring peace and reassurance to any minority person who is hesitant about going abroad.

Queerness in São Paulo

The first thing I noticed when I got to São Paulo was the large number of openly LGBTQIA+ couples in public. It’s not rare to see a queer couple holding hands on the subway, interlocking arms at the park, or making out in the street (like… a lot). These sights inspired me for so many reasons. Coming from a conservative state and going to university in an even more conservative state, I rarely witness such in-your-face queerness. Seeing people unapologetically true to themselves and comfortable in their own identity feels empowering.

There are also references to queer culture and LGBTQIA+ safe spaces all over the city. You can find this at places like Museu da Diversidade Sexual at República Station, which pays homage to the strength and resilience of LGBTQIA+ leaders, organizers, activists, and artists. There are streets in Consolação that are full of queer-friendly clubs, bars, restaurants, and other nightlife. There’s even graffiti throughout the city that advocates for queer liberation.

While all of these are amazing aspects of São Paulo, there is one LGBTQIA+ experience that you can’t pass up: Pride!! If you’re lucky enough to be in São Paulo during Pride month, you have to attend the WORLD’s biggest Pride parade. Having never been to a pride parade beforehand, I don’t have much to compare it to, but trust me when I say you’ll have an amazing time. There is an overwhelming feeling of joy, peace, and acceptance when you’re surrounded by over 2 million people who are down for the cause. 10/10 recommend.

While I could go on and on about how amazing Pride was and how accepted I feel here, I do feel the need to acknowledge some unfortunate truths. Although many people in São Paulo have given me the confidence and empowerment to be myself, there are many drawbacks to being LGBTQIA+ in Brazil. Violence and hate speech are always possible, no matter how progressive a place may seem. In less-urban and conservative areas, it can be unsafe to outwardly express yourself. It is important to keep in mind that Brazil has high rates of crime, especially physical violence, against LGBTQIA+ individuals. With that being said, I haven’t encountered any openly homophobic people or felt unsafe due to my queerness. While it is important to not walk around an unfamiliar place blissfully unaware, São Paulo has many safe places to offer.

Black Womanhood

I knew Brazil had a large Afro-descendant population, but I wasn’t prepared for the sheer visibility of Blackness and Black culture in everyday life. As an African-American woman, this was jarring in the best way possible. Back home, it’s not rare for me to be the only Black woman in a room. I’m used to standing out, even at times when I don’t want to. Here in São Paulo, it’s easier to blend in. I am able to establish myself as more than just the one Black woman in the room.

In São Paulo, I have been able to appreciate and reflect on my Black identity and culture in ways I had not previously considered. This is 100% influenced by my work with Soweto Organização Negra. In working with them, I have seen so many spaces committed to anti-racism work. I’ve been introduced to people and organizations that are putting in the work that I have long advocated for. From grassroots movements to cultural centers to academic seminars, I’ve been immersed in a world of Afro-Brazilian activism that I didn’t even know existed prior to coming here.

Being in these spaces has taught me so much about Brazil and myself. I’ve been exposed to the work of powerful Afro-Brazilian women who’ve led movements, created community, and shaped policy. Just like in the U.S., it’s Black women who are doing much of the labor—organizing, educating, and resisting—without always getting the institutional support they deserve. I’ve also learned about the struggles that many Afro-Brazilians face, and I’ve seen how closely related they are to the African-American experience. In learning about the lived experiences of Brazil’s Afro-descendent population, I’ve noticed how racism shows up here in unique ways, shaped by Brazil’s own history of colonization, slavery, and denial of systemic racism. These parallels and contrasts have deepened my understanding of what global Black resistance looks like.

Conclusion

Traveling as a minority is never simple. There are always questions about safety, acceptance, and whether you’ll be able to show up as your full self. While no place is perfect, my time in São Paulo has shown me that it is possible to find pockets of joy, community, and liberation—even far from home. I’ve felt seen here in ways I didn’t expect. I’ve danced in the streets at Pride, walked through museums dedicated to queer resistance, and sat in rooms full of brilliant Black thinkers and activists.

Of course, there are challenges. Violence and inequality still exist. But there is also so much beauty, resilience, and progress being made—especially by the communities most affected. If you are someone holding multiple marginalized identities and you’re thinking about going abroad, I hope this serves as a sign to take the leap. São Paulo is a city that welcomes difference. It’s a place that has pushed me to grow, made me feel powerful, and reminded me that I deserve to take up space any and everywhere. If you’re looking for a destination that embraces culture, activism, queerness, and Blackness, I wholeheartedly recommend São Paulo, Brazil.

Yeah, interning in São Paulo for the past 10 weeks at Mackenzie Presbyterian University has helped me make progress towards my career. But I completely underestimated how much this experience would cause me to reflect on myself, grow, and develop new habits and ways of thinking — I guess you can’t really know how a big mysterious change will affect you until after the fact. While I can’t exaggerate how wonderful of an academic opportunity this has been, through my internship with Mackenzie, as well as the neuroscience lab I worked in there, I’m want to write instead about my thoughts related to Brazilian culture and lifestyle from the perspective of a “gringo” (the lighthearted nickname Brazilians give foreigners). So, here are a couple of the most important lessons I have learned through the crazy adventure of adapting to a new country for the first time in my life.

1. American Icons Abroad

When I first arrived here, one of the first thoughts that hit me was: Wow, why is fresh, unprocessed food so cheap here? Stranger yet, all the large American restaurant chains were often more expensive than freshly cooked, healthier, and fuller options at “padarias” and snack bars. One time, I ordered a big mac burger from a McDonald’s, assuming I would get my food instantly. However, I was mind-boggled when 5 minutes of waiting became 10, which became 20. “American Fast Food,” in other words, is ironically often one of the slower options in Brazil.

Tasty salgados at a padaria

So why in the heck is anyone buying this stuff? Well the answer’s in the name: In the US, people buy American Fast Food because it’s fast — in Brazil, they buy it because it’s American. And it’s not just American food brands like McDonald’s, Popeyes, Burger King, and KFC — this trend is no less subtle in American (and European) clothing brands like GAP and Zara, technology brands like Apple, and film studios like Disney. It goes farther than just companies, too. I learned from an architecture professor at Mackenzie University that much of the architecture in Brazil is heavily influenced from Europe to make it more chic: I have seen numerous mansions designed with gabled roofs, which is completely pointless since it never snows here.

More shocking is how many young people speak English in São Paulo. True, it’s not like living in the United States — you can’t get around without knowing at least some Portuguese (since almost nobody my parent’s age or older speaks a lick of English). But chances are, if I try speaking to anyone living comfortably in their teens or twenties, they will try to respond to me in English. Learning English is a skill seen by all as attractive, and to some people, expected. It is common here for parents to send their children to schools where some or all classes are taught in English, and if you take a look at the many flyers taped to street lamps around São Paulo, it isn’t hard to find an advertisement for English lessons. 

I have spent tons of my time here trying hard to learn Portuguese from scratch — and I am so grateful for the never-ending compliments and encouragement I receive when talking to Brazilians in their language (very rudimentarily, by the way). Learning a new language from scratch is hard, but luckily Mackenzie offered me and Dara, my travel partner, biweekly language lessons, plus I always had an endless supply of Brazilian students to practice with during the internship. But it makes me sad when I compare my language learning experience with theirs. Most of the English-speaking Brazilians I have met are so much more fluent in English than I am in Portuguese (even now, after almost 3 months living here) and impressively, a large number of them have never even stepped foot in an English speaking country. So many Brazilians who speak to me in English become embarrassed and apologize for their grammar or pronunciation, even though I can almost always understand them perfectly. Whenever I speak Portuguese to Brazilians, though, they are simply excited to hear me speak their language at all, whether I can communicate myself or not. 

Unfortunately, these double standards between speaking English and Portuguese are only growing farther apart. One of the primary ways the presence of English in Brazil spreads is through media, especially entertainment content consumed by children. Whenever I asked especially fluent English speakers here how they learned the language, most of them referenced Disney movies, American TV shows, music, or communication through video games. And whenever someone tells me they’ve been to the United States before, I am right about 70% of the time when I guess they’ve seen Disney World. Heck, I’m willing to bet that most of the friends I have met here have seen more animated American movies than I have!

What I have come to notice is how much of an impact virtual global connectivity has had on spreading American culture. For one, the generational difference in knowledge of English language and culture is astounding. For instance, I met a friend here in São Paulo who is completely fluent in English, and her 13-year-old younger brother is fluent too. He told me he learned English primarily through American Hip Hop music and Minecraft YouTube videos. Just earlier today, I visited their house with Dara to pick up a couple things we left there, and we had a conversation (in English) with the two siblings in front of their mom. While we talked, their mother kept staring at her son then back at us, and finally, after about 10 minutes she exclaimed: “Entendem o que ele tá dizendo?!” (“You can understand what he’s saying?!”). She was so surprised because she had no idea her son was able to communicate seamlessly with native English speakers like me and Dara — we were the first two Americans he had ever spoken to face-to-face, in fact. After all, our friend and her brother were the only people in the entire family who knew any English, so how could she know his fluency?

It’s not just our friend’s family — we have met dozens of other Brazilians around our age who learned English independently from their families, through a desire to consume American media. Consumption of media is both problematic and vindicating for Brazillians. For instance, Mackenzie University took us to a Guaraní indigenous people reserve in a forest located in a neighborhood in the northwest region of São Paulo called Jaraguá. There, a Guaraní representative expressed to us their concerns due to a growing rebellion against the Guaraní way by the youngest generation, who had found access to the internet. Walking around the area, it was clear many of the kids were disconnected from the world their parents were in, some wearing branded clothing and others listening to music with headphones. Many of these children, we learned, felt ennui at learning the Guaraní language, too, further threatening such a deep-rooted culture. 

On the other side of things, big entertainment media has given Brazilians the means to, as they put it, “reverse-colonize” Portugal. See, Brazilian Portuguese and culture is incredibly different from the Portuguese spoken in Portugal due to the large influence of various diasporas, indigenous populations, and immigration. In fact, the Portuguese in either country may as well be classified as an entirely different language! Before social media became so popular, Brazilian culture was not able to spread back to Portugal very easily due to the distance and a lack of Brazilian immigrants. In the past 5 years, though, immigration from Brazil to Portugal has sharply increased and Brazilians are already the most populous foreign group there. Through the means of social media and immigration, many Brazilians tease, Portugal is slowly transforming into a land where Brazilian slang, memes, and popular culture are felt throughout. 

But at the same time that the Guaraní and Portugal culture is being influenced by popular Brazilian culture, Brazilian culture is becoming influenced more by English-speaking entertainment media. I always knew that this was happening in foreign countries, but it’s a different story to see American influence firsthand. It’s weird to go to a bar and hear Katy Perry or Coldplay on the speakers and see all the most expensive drinks listed in English to make them sound fancier, all the while surrounded by people speaking Portuguese, with a shareable bucket of salty Brazilian pastels on their table. After all, the food is fresher here, the music is addictive, and I would even say the language is more interesting than English — there are certain words that are untranslatable to English like “saudade” which describes the feeling of missing someone dearly or “cafuné” which means affectionately running one’s fingers through another’s hair. I guess what I’m trying to say is, the Brazilian style is wonderful, and it seems crazy to me for a place with such great traditions and an awesome way of life to idolize the US when it comes to mainstream culture. 

Pastel and Caldo de Cana (sugar cane juice) at a Traditional Feira

2. How to Live

If you have ever visited Brazil, you’ll likely agree with me when I say that it feels like Brazilians have a certain zest for life. Most of my friends here, as well as random people I meet at events, bars, and stores are really good social navigators, in touch with their emotions, and seem to live life fuller than most Americans I know. The whole concept of anxiety here is either deflated or it’s expressed in different ways which cause people to be less closed-off from each other than in the US. There’s a bigger emphasis on separation of life and work, and my friend once told me Brazilians are used to “trabalhando bastante a boca” (loosely translated: “working a lot by mouth”) meaning they talk a lot at work.

One time I went to a bar with my friend who studies law and she introduced me to some friends she made the week prior who were video game developers (sidenote: a law degree here is awarded as an undergraduate degree, and you can start practicing law just 5 years after graduating high school. The same goes for medicine which takes 6 years!). It was kind of a funny experience because it seemed like the entire game studio was there: there were voice actors, script writers, graphic designers, coders, and bug testers. At this point, I had only been in Brazil for around 3 weeks, and my Portuguese was terrible. But the crazy thing is, even though I was surrounded by all these people I had just met who were speaking a different language with each other, I didn’t feel out of place. My friend and the game studio people were excited to talk to me, and they even invited me to a party at their house just 30 minutes after I introduced myself!

People are so eager to reach out and mix in São Paulo, both emotionally and physically. From the way you greet people (women with a hug and a kiss on the cheek and men with a handshake and semi-embrace), to the way many Brazilians will share their gossip with you less than an hour after meeting them, to the normality of public french kissing — at first it kind of felt to me like the skin on everyone’s skin was replaced by plexiglass, their whole beings open on display. But it is hard not to appreciate how open and expressive people are, and how much less present the embarrassment is to express some part of your true self always. Why have I not been faster to open myself up to people when I first meet them, and so averse to expressing myself more, I wonder? It feels so much better to treat everyone like your friend until they’re not than the other way around.

Eating a Mortadela Sandwich

Brazil knows how to throw parties. First they’ve got “festa juninas,” country-themed, family-oriented parties thrown by elementary/high schools with loaded hot dogs and pastel (fried dough with filling) where students perform their rehearsed dances for everyone. There are also samba street parties where performers play musical instruments like the Cavaquinho and Pandeiro to a fast 3-step beat and people drink as they “sambar” (the verb form of samba which means to dance samba style). Then there are the clubs and college parties. Since the drinking age is only 18 here, college students don’t have to resort to drinking behind closed doors, and parties often have open bars. It’s popular to mix energy drinks with shots, and the Brazilian funk music doesn’t usually stop until 5am or around sunrise.

Going to these parties and social events has been a great way to meet new people here — especially since most people are excited to meet gringos. Every day, I feel more as if the most important part of this experience is the people I’ve met along the way. It helps that I’m in a faraway place where nobody knows who I am, but I have a feeling being here has made me more comfortable approaching people, too. 

Just a side note — it has been super difficult to learn Portuguese from the beginning in such a short stay, but it has been super worth it. This isn’t only because learning a new language makes your brain healthier or gives you a reason to feel smart, it’s because you can’t really know someone until you speak their first language with them. There’s so much personality that’s locked behind the door of the extra cognition and unfamiliarity it takes for someone to speak in a language they don’t often use to crack jokes or talk to friends. Plus, Portuguese contains so many expressions and “palavrãos” (curse words) that don’t make sense in English that you’re just missing out on a higher level of communication if you only speak to Brazilians in English. This isn’t to say that I’m completely fluent, or even nearly fluent in Portuguese (that would be ridiculously impressive). But it makes me so happy when I’m in on the jokes my Brazilian friends create, can learn about the life of a random man sitting next to me on the bus, or have a laugh with a peppy teenager trying to sell me fake Gucci in an outdoor “feira.” 

3. Understanding My Place in Brazil

Remember how I said earlier that I bought a Big Mac? Guess how much it cost. If you guessed R$26,90 or $4.76 USD, you would be correct. But wait — earlier I mentioned that American food is a more expensive option in Brazil, but a Big Mac in Chicago, my hometown, is $5.35 USD, a whole 59 cents more expensive! So, it would seem, McDonald’s in Brazil is actually cheaper than in the United States.

The answer is actually much more complicated. For an American traveling to Brazil, exchanging United States dollars for Brazilian reais, sure, the American pays slightly less for the burger. But this is only due to the fact that the exchange rate between USD and Reais heavily favors the dollar. Exchange rates between two countries are under the influence of various market, economic, and political forces, which makes it almost impossible for travelers to understand the true value of a foreign country’s currency in the context of its workers salaries and cost of living. To get a better view of how hard people have to work to buy things in other countries, try looking for estimates of the purchasing power parity between the two nations. For instance, the exchange rate between the US dollar and the Brazilian real is around 5.65 reais per US dollar at the time I’m writing this. The purchasing power parity, though, estimates that in Brazil, one can buy around the same amount of goods for 2.44 reais as United States citizens can buy domestically for 1 dollar. This means that us Americans paying for things with USD underestimate how costly everything in Brazil feels for the people who live there by over two times! In conclusion: yes, a McDonald’s Big Mac is effectively more expensive for the people living here in Brazil than for Americans living in the United States (and smaller too, by the way).

Price of a Big Mac in Reais

Why am I telling you this? Because it’s easy to find yourself in an embarrassing situation if you don’t know how expensive things are perceived domestically in another country. This happened to me a lot at first, before I learned from Brazilians about their typical salaries. For instance, one time I was looking for a shirt to buy as a souvenir, and stumbled upon this nice navy blue and yellow shirt that read BRAZIL across the front. When I asked how much it was, the cashier told me: “140 Reais.” Now this was a really nice shirt, and the quality was great, so I was thrilled. After all, that’s just under $25 USD, which would be a great deal back in the states. “Wow, that’s a good deal!” I said to the Brazilians I was with, who looked back at me confusedly and with their mouths open. “No, really, that’s not cheap, but it’s probably the best deal you’re gonna get,” one of them responded amusedly. I still bought it, but I made sure to keep my thoughts to myself when it came to prices after that day. 

I said I wouldn’t talk about academics here, but I can’t help it with how impactful the work we’ve done with Mackenzie University has been on my personal growth as well as my understanding of how the pieces of this country fit together. Over many weeks, Mackenzie professors and students facilitated in-depth discussions with Dara and I about the reality of environmental sustainability and water management in Brazil. We were taken to places all around São Paulo to see firsthand both the problems and successes we learned about in the classroom. By the end, we had created a business idea related to sustainability in the context of Brazil using what we had learned.

The reason I’m bringing this up here is because it helped me solidify my self-image in Brazil. Before coming, I had lots of concerns about the ethical implications of me visiting the country on a stipend: Will me being there cause more harm than good? Is it messed up for me to live on US dollars? Should I go into this experience with the intention to fix something or just to immerse and inform myself? 

The more I allowed myself to lean on Mackenzie’s resources, learn, and observe, the more I realized how crazy the notion really is that a twenty year old gringo who has never stepped foot in Brazil may travel here and magically make some wide-reaching change that does any more good than harm all by themselves. It became perfectly clear to me just how necessary it would be to immerse myself into life here as well as learn as much as possible about the country’s domestic affairs, politics, bureaucracy, economy, cultural values, subcultures, history, and everything in between, in order to even start to speculate any change would affect all these different groups of people here. And as I’m not here to sightsee and be a tourist, I’m here to learn and immerse myself with all the time I have. 

I did say that I came up with a business idea related to sustainability in São Paulo, and it might sound like this project directly contradicts what I just said. But there’s one huge difference and silver lining to the existentialist feeling that you may not be able to make a change that works in the context of a different country: help from the people who live here. I see it this way: I’m not able to intuitively understand how a change will impact people in Brazil. But, I grew up in such a different environment from the people here who can intuitively understand (or have the requisite knowledge to make a good guess), that I’m good at generating ideas that may not cross many resident’s minds. Unsurprisingly, I usually realize these ideas suck after I run them by Brazilians, but sometimes bits and pieces of them spark new ideas which then sparks productive conversation. 

And I think that’s why I’m here: To facilitate conversations between people with such different lives who otherwise never would have met. To realize how useful it is to joke around with, party, relate to, love, or solve problems with people who live such different lives — to explore new foods, clothing, or memes with new people and see yourself in their shoes. People are only ever going to become more connected over the internet as time moves forward, and it’s worth it to get used to listening and learning from all different types of people. I mean — you should see how many Brazilians follow my LinkedIn and Instagram now! (heh). I bet in 20 years, I’ll still remember the man next to me on a 90 minute bus ride who taught me outdated slang and introduced me to his son on the phone. I’ll remember the family of four I met waiting in a line to leave Pão de Açúcar and their 10-year-old kid who told me about how he had played all the Super Mario games. I’ll remember the Austrian ex-bodyguard who served Belgian politicians and formula one drivers. And of course I’ll remember my travel partners — Dara, Erica, and Shay — and all my awesome Brazilian friends I met through Mackenzie and our friend (and Loewenstern Fellow) Juliana who lives in Brazil. It’s been quite an adventure, and I’d do it again a million times.

Me, Dara, and Brazilian Friends from Mackenzie 🙂

Prior to arriving in São Paulo, Brazil, I was extremely confident in my ability to thrive in a new environment. In hindsight, this was a little premature given the fact that I’d never left the United States and had just started learning Portuguese in January. Still, I expected the transition from living in the United States to living in Brazil to be far more seamless than it actually was.

I think my first piece of culture shock occurred before I even left the United States. When I arrived at my gate in Atlanta, Georgia, I was surrounded by Portuguese. I overheard Brazilian natives talking to friends and family on the phone, listened closely as gate attendants read announcements in Portuguese, and smiled politely when the person checking my passport wished me “boa viagem.” By the time I’d boarded the plane, however,  I’d become strikingly aware of the fact that I was grossly underprepared for living and communicating in São Paulo. 

This realization was confirmed when I arrived and almost fell victim to a scam before even leaving the airport. Luckily, my friend Sarah had arrived in São Paulo for her placement three weeks before I did. For the first couple of weeks, I relied entirely on her to help with translations and navigating the city. I was overcome with anxiety anytime I had to do something without her. I remember the first time I went and purchased groceries on my own, I was so disheartened because the cashier couldn’t even understand me when I greeted her with the typical Brazilian greeting “Tudo bem?” 

My community partners and I at Igreja do Rosário dos Homens Pretos da Penha

And while communicating with people around the city was hard enough, talking to the community partners at my host organization seemed somehow more difficult. No one at my organization spoke fluent English and my Portuguese was barely beginner. Because of the language barrier, I struggled to communicate my needs, desires, and interests as well as to understand what was expected of me. My first few weeks were spent attending seminars that I struggled to understand and meetings that I struggled to stay attentive to because of the language barrier, all while feeling unsure of what exactly I was supposed to be doing. Needless to say, it was a very difficult transition.

Me touring a recycling plant before a walking tour of the city of Liberdade

Despite this struggle, day by day my Portuguese improved. By week three, I was able to have full conversations with my community partners, read basic sources without the help of translation apps, and confidently make purchases on my own. However, around this week I experienced a new challenge: homesickness. I didn’t miss my home specifically, but I missed the familiarity of the States. I was tired of having to think hard about what I wanted to say before I could say it, I hated the instant headache I got outdoors from the smell of cigarette smoke, and most importantly, I really, really missed Chick-fil-a. I wanted so badly to be appreciative and make the most of my time in Brazil, but I couldn’t help but feel mentally drained from the experience itself. 

Working in Soweto’s Community Library

I was in this funk up until week five, around the time that Sarah left. It’s pretty contradictory to think that Sarah’s leaving helped raise my spirits about Brazil when she was the one who helped me get acclimated, but I think it was because it made me realize how quickly that time had flown by. The days were sometimes long but the weeks were moving way too fast. Five weeks in Brazil had felt like two. During Sarah’s final week, I spent a lot of time with the friends that she’d met through her placement, and seeing how bittersweet their goodbye was reminded me of how little time I had left here. I realized that despite my homesickness, I too would be incredibly sad upon my departure because of the amazing people I’d met and because of how much I’d grown during this entire experience. 

Gorgeous art in São Paulo’s Beco do Batman

I am now entering my seventh week and while I’m excited to return next week, I’m also a little sad. From my first week here to now, it’s crazy to me how much has changed. I still struggle with some things; whenever someone says “tudo bem” to me, I respond with “tudo” or “sim” because I can never pronounce “bem” correctly. Despite this, I’ve had so many people tell me that my Portuguese is amazing for someone who didn’t know much before arriving. I’m still a little homesick at times, especially with Sarah gone, but I’ve learned how to find pieces of home here. A couple of days ago, I met up with a student from the University of Chicago who’s on week two of her eight-week internship. It was so refreshing to meet someone who understood how I felt five weeks ago as well as now. Lastly, while there are still times where I feel unsure or confused at work, I now know how to express myself and ask questions, and in return, I’ve gained an incredible amount of knowledge about an amazing country that I hope to return to soon!