Brasil, te amo

Friends, loved ones, friendly loved ones, lovely friend ones,

Greetings from Brazil! Yes, after what I’m sure were 13 months of meaningful bureaucratic consideration of my proposal asking to weigh Brazilian moms and babies, I have received ethics-research permission!

I was hoping my first post would be a description of a recruitment meeting in Portel, my field site, with maybe a picture of me and a mom-to-be, both of us nervous and excited about the upcoming research.

Instead, I present to you, o meu problema com a Polícia Federal, with whom all estrangeiros (foreigners) must register. Currently I am unable to register with the federal police because my mother’s name on this year’s visa is different than on last year’s (“maiden” name vs. married name – are we really still using these terms?). I have only 30 days to sort this out. The clock is ticking. And this is more important than, say, the bicyclist I just saw get run over by a car, or the dozens of apparently-homeless-but-certainly-destitute people lining the main street of the commercial district in the capital here.

Meanwhile, life continues. At the Y.Yamada (grocery store) near my hotel I stocked up on beer, water, nuts, and chocolate (okay, okay, but it was a rough day), and there, above a display of cans of insecticide, was a sign advertising Festival de Inseticidas (Festival of Insecticides). It’s true, dengue fever is no joke, but a festival?

Also, weird observation: while I am here in Belém I try to stay productive, so I joined a fancy gym for a few days (don’t worry, NSF is not paying for this). Out of 28 treadmills (= how fancy the gym is), with 4 occupied, someone came and took the one RIGHT NEXT to me! I should probably thank her – I upped my km/hr, but seriously?

In any case, vou dar um jeito! (I will find a way!) Please keep reading. And feel free to send water, beer, nuts, chocolate, and/or insecticide.