Volta a São Paulo

June 30th

            Today was our last morning in Paraty. It was sad to leave, but it had been a jam-packed weekend and we were all tired and ready to nap on our way home. Roxanne and I slept in a bit after our night out dancing. We just made it before breakfast ended! After breakfast we I went into the center with the twins (our professor’s college aged sons) Molly, Justin and Olivia. We walked around looking for good souvenirs and picking up snacks for the bus ride back. After grabbing a quick lunch from a lunchonete we all piled on the bus for our return trip to São Paulo. The return trip was much quieter than the ride out there as everyone was exhausted. The trip back ended up being almost as long as the ride out due to the construction and rainy conditions. After our dinner break at the Brazilian version of a cracker barrel our professor put in a Brazilian move for us to watch called Gaijin (foreigner) that is about the early Japanese immigrant experience in Brazil in 1908 so that we could discuss it in class the following week.

            As we got into the city the tv network on the bus began to function and we were able to tune into the beginning of the FIFA cup finals between Brazil and Spain. Once we got back to PUC several of us attempted to find an open sports bar so that we could watch the end of the game, however in the residential neighborhood everything was closed so the group dissolved fast. Alison and I shared a taxi back to Paulista with Janike and Roxanne. Our taxi driver was prepared to work on game day with his convenient little radio-tv…a pretty scary idea that watching tv and driving are not mutually exclusive activities in Brazil, but it got Allison and I in the mood to watch the rest of the game. On Rua Agusta Allison and I jumped out and ran into the first sports bar we saw to catch the rest of the game. It was very exciting to be celebrating with the whole of Brazil! Poor Spain did not play well in the game… Brazil scored in the first two minutes.  Spain did not ever manage to combat the significant home field advantage that Brazil had and the game was won by the home team 3 to 0. It was so amazing to be a part of the group atmosphere in the bar, celebrating together when Brazil scored, everyone holding the collective breath when Spain attempted goals, and enjoying the general camaraderie, it was a great time to be Brazilian!