Every conversation I overheard in Portuguese began with “tudu bom?” then a bit of response, ending with “tudu bem,” then a bit more exchange, and then, “que bom!”
This translates, “It’s well with you?”…. “It’s good,” and “How nice!” All of this takes place to the choreography of kissed cheeks, stroked shoulders and back, and general warmth and mutual petting. I began to think this is the national affirmation practice, “it is good, it is good, it is good,” and all that oxytocin is flowing from the touch and more touch. (Isabel is working on a research study of touch and oxytocin here in Brazil; truly the place for it!) There is no lack of sexual energy in Brazil; it is everywhere and everyone gets to be sexy; you don’t have to be young and pretty. But the constant touch and direct eye contact is not about sex; it is about rampant unabashed intimacy. There is a steady diet of music, food, touch, eye contact, dance. People here are generally happy, in spite of financial corruption in so many venues, from taxis to government offices. Isabel says that life takes a lot of energy in the context of financial struggle, but the lifestyle replenishes energy, so people are well.
I arrived on Carnival in Salvador, heart of Afro-Brazil, and made my way through the Carnival madness to the airport, then to Rio de Janeiro, where Isabel picked me up and drove me to Sao Pedro de Serra, a village in the Atlantic Forest. Clouds hovered over the flower-drenched green mountains; I awakened in the morning first to a chorus of birdsong and then rooster crowing. There were so many kinds of flowers, so many colors of flowers, drenched in the golden glow of morning and evening, and decorated with the bright clear drops of rain. The people wear colorful clothes, so my bright orange and purple onya bag got me some fitting-in.
More tomorrow…
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