With lots of luck and a little hard work

Lots of changings are coming my right now.  Today was an interesting and prosperous day for me.  I believe in the secret...yes I do.  The Law of Attraction...

About last night....

Well after two months of Festa Junina & Festa Julina, I decided to take a couple of weeks off.  Last night the kids were with Rodrigo’s parents and we went out with a few friends for a beer or two.  Whilst out, a friend of ours wanted us to go to the City Hall to see if the Mayor was going to get impeached.  He was involved in the Business as usual politics in Brasil and let’s face it … this type of politics is all over the world.    For instance, the mayor gave like 22 members of his family on the payroll, stole the money that was supposed to be for medicine for sick children who as a result died, overpriced everything and pocketed the difference.  If a box of chocolates were R$10 he would pay R$100 of the tax payer’s money.  He was arrested for a few days and so the dog and pony show began.  He spent a few nights in jail and now resides in another town as he continues to govern our city.   So, last night they had a trial it lasted for more than 14 hours and the outcome was an obvious one to the town.  He will NOT get impeached because those who would impeach him were as dirty as he was.  So, the cycle continues and guess what?  He will probably get elected again. 

Now the big story here is how.  How would it be possible for a man who steals from taxpayers and I don’t mean taking a little, I mean taking Millions.  How is it humanly possible for him to be re-elected?  Well this is a comparison that I would like to draw. 

So, we show up last night and there are two sides.  The reporters and people hoping for change by doing the right thing which is voting and supporting their cause.  They are quiet but they are there.  The sad part is Brazilians know that there is nothing that they can do to stop the corruption.  The Corruption is so deep that there are movies about it and the only thing that happens from that point is a decision; depression or forget about it.   With little repercussions of corruption and crime, people are left to have a talk over a beer and accept the life that they have been given.   As free as it feels to be here in Brasil, the truth is you still get limited freedom of speech against the government. 

Then there were the supporters of the mayor sitting in the grandstand where carnival is held.  They are sitting there with signs all drawn up in the exact same hand writing.  They were wearing T-shirts that had a huge red Heart on the front with the mayor’s name showing their support.  Who were they and what was their cause, why do they support him?  It didn’t take long, but I studied them carefully and first noticed the anger in their drunken eyes… what?  Yes, I said it.  I then looked down and noticed the beer can in their hands.  Then I looked up again and saw the drunken rage as they were touting the crowd that was chanting “Get the Mayor Out”.  Wait a minute…. What is going on?  Well noting but a little money being exchanged into the hands of people who did not know what they were fighting for and they didn’t care.  These were the people whose medicine was stolen.  These were the people who do not get government assistance, except for that day.  They were picked up and given all the beer they could drink, carted to the grand stand outside the city hall and told what they needed to do for it.   Now ask me… how you reason with those people?  It was their children who were denied medicine but they were bought for a day, a party and R$30 each.  They fight against their interests and miss the big picture.  However they are also a part of a very uneducated public but they vote; seems to be a good formula for politicians.

Later in the night when the vote was announced some people were outraged and chanting as they voted not to impeach the Mayor.  My friend was hit in the legs by the police for chanting against the mayor and then they put their shields up and stood in line.  Just then some of the city council walked outside and looked at the crowd and laughed in their faces.  All I can imagine is that maybe they were laughing because they saw a city of 300,000 represented by less than 100 or maybe they were laughing because they got away with it and were relieved of being held accountable once again.  As the police shields were up, my friend said…”I’m doing this for you, for your children, for your family, for your pay” and the police man stood their looked into his eyes and nodded his head as he agreed with my friend but he was paid for too.

This is similar to what is happening in America today?  As people become desperate the big picture fades.    Here it is so deep that going against it is deadly or just a waste of time.  A police man told me, if you don’t take the Money, the next in line will.  Nothing happens to the criminal and he loses the R$20,000 to the next guy.

Saturday Night Club

My first night club in Brasil and we had a great time.  A school that I work for had their 1^st Anniversary party and we were their guests.  The charge at the front door on a regular night is between R$25-$60 and then drinks.  We had an open bar until 2am.  The night clubs here really get going at about 12:30am and the people go home around 6am.  Brazilians party late and for a long time.  Rodrigo and I had such a good time we stayed out until 2:30am and then went home and watched Parks and Recreation.  We danced a little, and it had been so long since we had moved our bodies it seems.  I noticed that no one was really dancing; they just stood on the dance floor, texted, talked, laughed and moved ever so slightly.  The people that I met were really nice and everyone was having a great time. 

I watched the people enjoying themselves, it was just like being at home and the music was great.  Music here in Brasil is just like the 90’s in America.  The cover songs played were from the 90’s and the sound of Brazilian music mimics the era as well.  Not too hard not too soft and lots of good old American Rock n Roll.  Once they played the Spin-doctors and my friend Addisun who is 21 said “my parents used to play this all of the time when I was 3 or 4” Scratch… Um…I used to listen to this music and I started to count backwards about 15-17 years.  What a delight it was to hear all of those songs again as I remembered school dances.  It was like going to Alaska in 98’ because the music there was about 10years behind from the lower 48 as well.  It took me back replaying those memories and even better, I knew almost every song.  So, anyway it was a perfect night with a perfect ending which was Rodrigo and I sitting on the couch watching TV and laughing.  Now we are headed to pick up the kids and have a Churrasco with the family… as today is Dia dos Pais  (father’s day in Brasil). 

American Wthdrawl

Truth is when my thoughts travel, all I think about is enjoying myself at the pool in Las Vegas sipping on a Bloody Mary and Shopping for the kids. I am having major American withdrawals right now.   I am sure this is part of my process but right now things are pretty intense.  I am constantly dissecting the effects of living abroad and how the culture is affecting me.  I am asking questions that are untangling webs of old thoughts and then tangling me up in new thoughts and sometimes ones that I am not ready to face.  For instance, the world…I see and understand the global empire that is happening everywhere in the world.  I am not too sure Americans are aware of the rest of the world.  The Multi-National Companies are business as usual in most countries, sometimes I think it was me who was small minded.  This connection to the world doesn’t let me escape.  
I ache at times to go back to my home, full of comfortable things and comfortable ideas of how life should be.  The truth is… we were lucky because a catalog lifestyle doesn’t exist in most other places especially for the majority of people.  You want to think everyone is living the dream because you perceive yourself to be, but it is just not true.   We want to think we are culturally aware because America is a melting pot but we are starting to have little tolerance for foreigners and around the world, people are learning 1-2 other languages to be a part of Global business.  Americans are good people, they are honest, they are innovative & they work hard, they want a better life for their children and they respect one another; this I believe is our greatest gift to humanity and our biggest accomplishment.

I always talk about being united and now I know why… Remember when I said that only in America can we see our differences?  Well, what I know now is that globally all Americans are the same; we are only a country full of American Generalizations.  We see ourselves as individuals but really in comparing culture, we handle crisis the same way, love our families the same way, love our god the same way… what I am saying is that I just fought against Conservatives/Tea Party people for 5 days for entertainment and because I believe in my cause however in a fight or at a friend’s wedding you are my brothers & sisters.  On a grand scale…these little tit for tat things mean absolutely nothing because if America fails or falls we fail or fall together; details and finger pointing aside, no one else is going to care.  Or as my sister always says so comfortably "what ever happens is going to happen and fighting about it isn't going to change anything", I guess I still feel like I can change the world, and this is becoming a heavy burdon.  As individual as each one of us perceives ourselves to be, globally we are one... Americans; like organs in the same body relying on each other to survive.