What separates us should instead bring us closer

 Although I haven't been blogging lately, I've been reading other blogs. I wanted to come say hi, and write, something, but I was wordless, not for lack of topics to talk about, but for ways to express myself, and the will to share my thoughts. I do, however, want to talk about the video I posted a few months ago: The dangers of a single story.

A friend, whom I had not been in touch for a while, sent this video to me to show me how I was being narrow-minded and not nice to her. After hearing her point of view, I explained mine, and I think we got on to a good start. I was deeply touched by the video, though, because it rings true to me in so many ways that I wanted to share with the world, hoping that I'd be able to enlighten some more people into knowing that it's unfair to see only one side of a person or a situation. I believe ignorance and stupidity lead to intolerance, and that for lack of understanding another person's point of view we end up having prejudice. We don't understand or even respect other people and the way they want to live their lives. I also believe that if everyone gave it a try, and put themselves in other people's shoes, our world would be a more peaceful place.

I come from a good middle-class family with a good lifestyle, I went to a good university before moving to Canada, I studied law and was set to be a lawyer. But I decided on a different path and I moved to Canada as a nanny. I've said before that immigrating is life being born again, because you don't have history, people don't know all of the sides of you, just a single story of your struggle to adapt to a new country, with a new language and  a different culture. I've been taking care of my little ones for 3 and a half years now, and I'm good at what I do, just as I believe I'll be good at anything else. When I tell people that I'm changing jobs soon because I want to focus on my education I get a funny look when I say I study Political Science and Economics. Comments like "Oh, wow, I thought you'd be a  teacher" or "Oh, that must be hard., " and even "isn't it expensive?" I guess most people assume that because I love kids, that I should or would be focusing on working with them. Or because I immigrated as a nanny that I have no aspirations regarding education or that I'm here because my conditions in Brazil were bad. 

I understand that for many girls, that come like I came, it's about survival and to seek a better life in Canada, but to assume that we're all in the same boat, is to not care about our personal stories. I don't think people should know about my personal history, but let's admit that we all lack understanding about other countries and we choose to believe in stereotypes and on the stories of few who we happen to hear here and there.

In my case it's just annoying to get looks when you correct people of their stupidity, but in some cases, when you look only at one side of the story, it involves countries, beliefs and millions of people. I'm to blame just as many around me. I also jump into conclusions and false judgments of cultures and situations, but I really try to keep an open mind and to not close myself before giving someone or another culture a chance.

We just want to be heard, to be respected and to be seen. It's funny to see that people fight to be different, but in reality, they end up looking the same within a group. It is as if we're all voicing our values on our clothes and behaviour, but we always end up part of a "clan" of people who believe and act, just as you do. Different nationalities, different cultures, different sex, different beliefs, different religions.. In the end we're all humans, and we suffer from the same problems and we search the same end as to live a peaceful life with people we love. 

The danger of a single story

This video is too good not to share. It talks about the danger of having one, and one only, idea or perspective of a person, a country, or a situation.

I'll come back to comment more later, but I have to go back to my philosophy paper... The end of the semester is near!

Ode to Canadian Athletes and Athletes from all over the World.

  

We're 10 days into the Olympics and what 10 days has it been. Although I'm not a crazy fan of anything, it's hard not to get into the spirit when everyone around you is doing it. Also, for someone who loves Canada (and Canadians) as much as I do, it's an opportunity to be proud, cheer and be united into one voice, for once. Walking the streets of Vancouver you'll see happy families all dressed in red, cheering fans with tattoos and painted faces, accents from all over the place, international flags, line ups, red mittens, smiles, colours and sounds. This feeling is unique, of being in an international village, cheering for different countries, but enjoying being together. I can see why some people choose to follow the Olympics wherever they go, they simply want to keep living this experience. I'm happy I got to experience this as a local, and I don't think I'll do it again. But then, how do you measure the success for the Olympics? Is it for medals won? Or in putting together a great show? Inspiring crowds?

 It turns out that this is the  winter athletes show. They've been practicing, rehearsing, dreaming and preparing for this moment: Their moment to shine. The Olympic Committee organizes it, the volunteers work, and the fans cheer them on. But truth is that we are all backstage to what is happening right now. I'm all for having fun, and not so much for competition, but these athletes have been giving their best to arrive where they are today and they should be saluted and be given credit for all of their hard work. The top 3 winners get medals, and suddenly number 4 is a loser. Guess what? Being 4th in something, in the world, is a pretty good place already. And for those who don't get so close to the firsts on the list: You're at the Olympics! Congratulations and have a great time!

 Shame on you media, for celebrating a victory by overshadowing a loss. Saying that one Canadian athlete is saving the day because the other one was a disappointment is  cruel. I bet that the first ones to point their faults are the athletes themselves. Nobody came here because they wanted to "just compete." When you give up your life to be a winner, you aim at the podium, nothing less. The Vancouver Sun showed a story from the NYT showing The Price of Glory, telling how Lindsey Vonn didn't have a normal childhood, all for the love of sport (They end up saying we shouldn't honour athletes, you can read the reasons, I don't agree). Closer to me, is my friend Natalia. She's my age, she won bronze at the Beijing Olympics in Taekwondo, and she's an awesome girl. But only her family and friends to know how much she gave up to get there. I remember being in college and calling her to go out and she'd say she was too tired for anything after training all day. I remember all the hard work to raise funds to support her because most governments don't care for sports (only when it's to show off the medal count).

Natalia, like Vonn and many other athletes here in Vancouver, deserve nothing but our praise and our cheer. I can only imagine the amount of pressure anyone feels when it's their time to compete. It's that feeling of being now or never. The moment for which they've practiced  for years has finally arrived, and whether they win, or lose, we respectably say thank you, you made us proud. Enough with the word disappointment. Does anyone really care for regular international competitions that happen every year? Didn't think so. Then, why care so much for medal count now? In the past 2 Olympics it seems that the US, Germany,  Norway, Russia and Canada are always on top of the list anyway.

I choose to celebrate the fact that we're gathered here to celebrate excellence in sports. No matter what country they come from. I'll cheer for my country too. But if someone else wins, it's still human race that ends up winning. We're all in this together because fortunately, we rather compete on a mountain, or on the ice rink, than in a battlefield. 

 

           "Anything Is Possible

Anything is possible, if you think it is worthwhile
If you're willing to go the distance, to go the extra mile.
With determination and effort, you can often achieve more
Because you don't always get what you wish, but what you work for.
Dreams can become challenging, but no matter what the cost
Strive to complete the task before you, and you'll never end up lost.
So bring with you your goals, and leave your doubts behind
Whether you think you can or can't, you certainly will find
You'll be right either way--so never quit, and this is why:
You'll never become a failure, until you fail to try."

Credits: Poem by 

Melissa Underwood

The Kingdom of Far Far Away

I started writing this post before Christmas and couldn't finish it until now. Instead of changing it, I'll keep the idea as if it were today...
______________________


End of the year is here, I'm on vacation, and I'm traveling by myself to visit family and friends, and discover new places. ( I should probably be sleeping by now, to recover from a sleepless night in the airplane, but I've got to charge my phone and I don't have a proper adapter here) I've always loved to travel and I love to discover new places and live different experiences. Some people keep moving from place to place, maybe in search of something, maybe to run away from something else. I was looking for my place in the world. Now I travel to find new places, but always come back to the one I love.

Amir Klink, in his book Endless Sea, explains why we should travel beautifully:

"A man needs to travel. By his means, not by stories, images, books or TV. By his own, with his eyes and feet, to understand what is his. For some day planting his own trees and giving them some value. To know the cold for enjoying the heat. To feel the distance and lack of shelter for being well under his own roof. A man needs to travel to places he doesn't know for breaking this arrogance that causes us to see the world as we imagine it, and not simply as it is or may be. That makes us teachers and doctors of what we have never seen, when we should just be learners, and simply go see it."
---- Amyr Klink (Brazilian sailor and writer)

My love for traveling started with my parents. They loved a good road trip and  we always had an excuse  to go places, in part because a big part of the family lived in different parts of the country.Vacation , for me,  meant being free. Getting new books for the road, clothes to wear, and a special bag filled with snacks and candy. This was kept a tradition, and it was a special treat for the road. I didn't grow up with candy/pop/chips at home, so, whenever we were going somewhere, my mom and I would go to the grocery store to buy junk food.

I also have found memories of singing in the car. I love singing! ( I was part of a choir for 6 years... but that was a lifetime ago. I planned to go back several times but never went). From Ray Conniff to Brazilian country music, Argentinian bolero cassettes to old school samba and MPB, we listened to and sang it at the top of our lungs. Every new trip we had a new soundtrack, but we were always faithful to our favourites.  Even as we grew older and my brother started asking to listen to different styles of music, when we were traveling in the car, he couldn't dictate the soundtrack. I don't really think he cared. Being together and traveling as a family, was way more fun than listening to his bands alone.

When I was still the tall girl (now my brother is 6'4") I could still sit in the front and be my dad's co-pilot. I'm totally daddy's girl, and I loved talking about everything with my dad. That's how I ended up knowing more about Brazilian history and politics than most my classmates in school. But that's another story. It was good one-on-one time since my brother and my mom would always sleep in the back seats. It also helped that my dad is smart and the funniest person I know.

When I was 4 years old, my parents and I drove from my town in the south of Brazil, to the Northeast. We  drove through the interior (meeting natives and seeing different landscapes) and it took 3 days to get there. On the way back we came through the coast and stopped in all of the beaches. It was a great adventure and believe it or not, I still remember some moments of it. In total, we were traveling for 40 days and we saw a lot of Brazil. Actually, from Brazil, the only states I haven't been to are Pará and Amazonas.. Ah, Acre too, but as my constitutional law professor used to joke, who is 100% sure that Acre actually exists? I think before venturing to new countries it is good to discover your own.

As I finish this post a while after I started, I ask myself if I meant to say something different than what I said now. I guess I'll never know, because I don't remember. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I enjoyed the opportunity to travel alone while meeting friends along the way. I really needed time by myself. Being free to do things as you want, when you want is rewarding. No middle ground about deciding where to go, no compromising on your favourite places because of someone else.

 

"Oh,  the places you'll go!

...you're off to great places!

Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting.

So.. get on your way!"

 - Dr. Seuss

Daughters

Fathers, be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
So mothers, be good to your daughters too- JM

Growing up I had no idea of what I wanted to do with my life. But I was born in a good family, and I was given opportunities to educate myself and grow up healthy and happy. I think I was about 12 years old when I read an article about girls who have their genitals mutilated in some countries, and it had such an impact on me that I knew I had to do something to stop it. I'm well aware of how much prejudice, inequality and violence that  we women suffer everywhere in the world, but to go as far as mutilating them and injuring for life is as low as it can get, in my opinion. It has no medical reason and causes millions of deaths and scars for life. I know we have to be culture-sensible, but whether it is a religious belief or a culture procedure, it is not right to submit young girls through this. Or any other violence for that matter.

We can't deny that women have come a long way in achieving rights and respect, however, such rights as being equal to men under the law is so fundamental that should never have to be said. It just is. Section 15 of the Canadian Chart of Rights and Freedoms says that

15. (1) Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.

Tempo

 Eu não sou muito fã da diferença de horário Brasil-Canadá no outono. Quando eu fico livre a noite, todo mundo com quem eu quero conversar no Brasil já está dormindo. No verão a diferença é de 4 horas o que é melhor, mas 6 hs é demais. Na verdade acho interessante ver que quando eu estou indo dormir, o pessoal na Austrália já está na tarde do dia seguinte. Quando um amigo meu voltou pra Oz, ele me mandava mensagens no meio da noite, sem saber que eu ainda estava domindo. Costumo brincar em véspera de natal e ano novo e dizer que posso comemorar duas vezes: uma pelo Brasil e outra pelo Canadá.

É óbvio que não daria para ser diferente. Com a Terra girando (esqueçi o nome do movimento) diferentes partes do mundo vão ter diferentes níveis de luz. Mas até 1884 não existia esse mapa que nós conheçemos com zona de horário. Cada cidade decidia o seu "high noon time" ( meio-dia) de acordo com a observação deles de quando o sol estivesse mais perpendicular a Terra.

Voto de Silêncio- Iamsilent

 Vocês já pararam pra pensar em como nós estamos acostumados com a poluição sonora a nossa volta? Eu me lembro de pesquisas que comprovaram que o nível de barulho em cidades é muito maior do que nós deveríamos  nos submeter. É, acho que ninguém se importa muito.. Até porque no final você só percebe o que perdeu quando não tem mais: Yeah, they paved paradise to put up a parking lot.

Agora imagine se o mundo ficasse em silêncio por 24 hs.
Iam Silent 

Amanhã, dia 20 de novembro, quem souber e quiser ajudar pode fazer um voto de silêncio. Silêncio, simbólico ou não, deve ajudar os cidadãos conscientes do mundo a "ouvir" o que todos nós sabemos, mas poucos são os que se importam.

CISV - building global friendship

CISV used to stand for Children International Summer Villages, that was before the organization expanded with other 5 programs. It all started after WWII with a psychologist, Doris Allen, who believed that peace could be built and maintained if children learned how to live as friends, respecting differences, and accepting new ideas ( also breaking down stereotypes). In 1951 the first international camp was celebrated in Cincinnati- OH and after that, thousands of children and adults participate in CISV programs every year.

"We are a global community of dedicated volunteers, creating opportunities for all ages to experience the excitement and enrichment of cultural diversity through our educational programmes. We are founded on our belief that peace is possible through friendship - and that the real difference can be made by starting with children. CISV is a charitable, independent, non-political, volunteer organization promoting peace education and cross-cultural friendship."

Everyone that works for CISV is a volunteer. We donate our summers and our hearts in hopes that after a camp, 80 people will be new citzens of the world, ready to make a difference in those around them. They will stand up, and speak out for the things that they believe in.

The kids can participate as young as 10 years old. The first program, the village, is 4 weeks long for 12 delegations around the world. One can say that in a village you experience 15 countries in 28 days! Every delegation will have one leader (over 21) and 4 eleven years old, 2 boys and 2 girls. During these 4 weeks these people will do activities to promote trust, friendship, self-awareness, peace and environmental care, among many more.

I've been a part of CISV for about 10 years now. Since I had my first experience I've learned to be more understanding, to be eager to explore, meet new people, not be afraid to go out of my boundaries. It gave me confidence to be who I am, and fight for what i think it's right. And that's how most kids will come out of the experience.

That's all I can think about, and all I can talk about. I leave in 2 weeks to a Village camp in Ontario. It's my first village ever, and I'm so excited to be a part of the magic. For 28 days I'll be spending time with 52 kids (this village has one extra delegation because the one in Thailand was cancelled due to political unrest), 6 JC's and other 17 likeminded adults who want to make a difference in the world.

During my vacation in july I'll work for peace.

Freedom of expression

A few days back I decided I wanted to write a post about religion, or in my case, the lack thereof. However, I know this is a subject that it's hard to talk about since people usually have heated feelings when someone doesn't agree with them in this area. So I started thinking about it but, for lack of time, I actually never got to write it.

Although I was raised with 2 religions, one side extremely Catholic, and the other one 7th Day Adventist, I was never into any of them. By the time I was 10, I already said I wasn’t going to either because I didn’t agree with many things they asked me to do. My mom blames it on my dad, who calls himself atheist. I blame it on religion itself, its history that made me decide not to follow. On one side many people who went to church every Sunday, and still were mean and gossiped about others, on the other side, the requests I thought were too absurd and not necessary ( girls only wear skirt to go to mass, no jewelry, not allowed to eat pork meat, and not allowed to do anything on Saturdays). Maybe If I had been raised since I were little in one of them, I wouldn’t think about it, it’d be the norm. However, I was raised by 2 people who had turned their backs to how they were raised.

Don’t get me wrong, I think people desperately need good moral values to follow and, in this area, religion helps. But I believe in being good “for goodness sake,” and not because I’m either afraid of the after-life, or because that’s what I know of life, and some things you can’t question. That’s why I thought it was interesting the campaign launched for Christmas last year: “Just be good for goodness sake.” A while back, my philosophy professor told me about Agnostic thinking and somehow it fits me. I’m spiritual, and I believe there must be something amazing behind what we call life. But I have no idea what it is, and I’m not sure how to find out. Or if I want to. All I know is that I’d not be able to fully commit to one of the existing religions. And as a friend of mine says: “I don’t like self-service religion in which you take what you want, and leave what you don’t want.”

I believe people are free to choose what they believe in. I believe everyone should be respected for their personal choices. I’ll never try to change somebody’s mind, and I even attend services just to be with friends. But don’t try to make me believe, because in this matter, you either do, or don’t.

As for me, I choose to lead an ethical life of value of self and humanity.

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I don’t believe in theocratic governments. Religion and government have been separated a long time ago and it was for the best. Nonetheless, the news from the election in Iran are not happy ones. Electoral fraud, attempt of military coup, riots and street fights. The good news is that in the world wide web world, information is easier to share and spread around the globe. Millions of people are joining the Iranians fight for democracy. If you have Twitter (or get an account) change your timezone to Tehran (GTM +3:30) Tehran. You can follow news from people that are making the history. Before it was almost impossible for people from the outside to do something. But now we can. What are you waiting for?

6 degres of separation

As a Village participant once said: "My schoolyard perspective was replaced by a global one. My village address list was my own personal map of the world." The world today is intertwined in so many ways that anything that happens in one side of the globe, will sure impact the other side as well. Call it globalization, or call it the internet. The truth is that most events will affect people living anywhere in the globe. I think the first time I ever realized that was because of the tsunami in 2004. I had just arrived in Vancouver and discovered soon after what had happened. I can still remember for how long it was it the news, the Canadian fundraising concerts, and how it affected people here, that either knew someone there, or knew someone who had lost a loved one.

One of my passions is learning about different customs, cultures, people and languages. Through my entire lifetime, I've always been open to meet people from everywhere and I'm proud to say that I've made friendships that cannot be broken with distance or time. I have my own "map of the world" in the countries where I know someone, or love someone. And since I moved to Vancouver, this address list has only been growing! I think this is very positive. But it has its setbacks.

An airbus (leaving Rio de Janeiro) went down on the way to Paris last night and those were the first news I got when I turned my laptop on today. My mind rushed to figure out if I could have known someone in that flight. After I calmed down because my cousin and his wife went home a few weeks ago, and my friends that live in France weren't in Brazil, my heart was upset for over 200 people that went missing, and their loved ones who won't see them again.

I'm sure I know someone who knows someone that lost someone. That makes me realize that we're all linked, be it by family ties or relationships we form with everyone that crosses our way. I''m so sorry for everyone that lost someone they knew and loved. I believe that the pain of the loss gets better with time, but the longing feeling of seeing or touching the person again, will always be with you.

You'll never be the same after you hit the road..

Travelling has been one of my passions for as long as I can remember. When I first travelled, blogs and social networks weren't that popular yet, and unless you knew someone who was going to the same place as you, your journey was alone. Nowadays people start looking for "buddies" even before they've left home (of course you won't feel as vunerable, but, that limits your new experiences, if you travel to discover the World, but end up hanging out only with others from your country).

When I first came to Canada in 2004, I didn't know anyone! (If you go to school/work than it's easy to meet people). I did meet some people, but I never waited for people to take my hand and show me around. I'm glad I realized early that the lonely journey is a worth lived one. I went everywhere I wanted to, spent the amount of time that I wanted, discovered some cute places that I wouldn't have discovered if I had people with me. I learned to take care of myself, and I enjoyed my own company at discovering my future home. I even became a master at taking my own pictures and still getting the amazing view around Beautiful Vancouver!

I saw this text written by Road Junky published at Road Junky Travel in march. It explains how I feel. I always say that visiting Canada was a turning point for me( might not be as exciting as travelling to most remote places, which I plan on doing sooner than later).


You don’t need anyone to hold your hand. (highlights are mine)

One of the great things about the internet is that it’s brought travelers together; in forums and on social networks, backpackers and vagabonds can share experiences and tips, discover new places and ask questions about destinations they’ve yet to hit.

But in the end, the only real travel is done alone.

When you head out on the road by yourself there’s no longer anyone around to define you, no one who knows your personal history, no one who knows where you’ve been and where you’re going. You’re forced into the Now.

And unless you make the mistake of carrying a GPS phone and check into internet cafes every ten minutes to report back to friend and family, you digest your experiences by yourself. There’s no one to hold your hand when you get scared, no one’s shoulder to cry on when things go wrong. There’s no childhood buddy to help you decipher the train timetables and no one to introduce you to the cool bunch of travelers sitting at the other end of the hostel.

Travel should be a rite of passage, a sacred journey, a vision quest. It’s about leaving behind the cloying emotional support system of family and friends and learning to stand on your own two feet. Then, later on, you’ll be able to support others in their time of need.

Although we do our best to deny it, filling all our quiet moments with Messenger updates and shuffled tracks on the Ipod, life itself is actually pretty scary. It’s a blank slate for you to make what you will of it and no where is that more true than when you travel. You could get lost or injured, you might get married or change religion. You might even die: the greatest journey of all and one which is almost certainly a solo trip.

You can only find yourself on your own terms and that’s why just about everyone should leave home and head out on the road for a year. Your prejudices and values will be challenged, you’ll have to get by on your wits and find out who you really are.

Compare such a voyage of self-discovery with the gaggles of school leavers who head off i groups of 5, all armed with Eurorail cards and guidebooks, collectively bumbling their way from train station to hostel to local bar and back again. Each time something out of the ordinary happens they shrink back into the safety of the herd and they carry with them a mini-world from home with them as they go. Why did they bother leaving in the first place?

When you travel alone you’ll meet more people and move at your own pace. Sure, you’ll team up from time to time with other travelers and find yourself sharing a train carriage with an Israeli, a Finn and a couple of locals. Spontaneity and variety are what it’s all about.

Hitting the road alone you’ll grow in ways you never imagined. You’ll experience stuff that your friends and family will never be able to understand.

And nor should they. It’s your trip and it’s entirely up to you to make sense of it.

Earth Hour

And here is the movie, explaining how it all started: