Relaxing Sunday in Brazil

Today we learned how Sundays are spent in Brazil culture. Sundays in Brazil are very slow, they are meant to relax, spend time with friends and family, and enjoy each other’s company. This can be very different than the fast pace lifestyle we have in the United States.  The Hawkeye Community College study abroad group started the day off by taking a nice, relaxing stroll around a local park. Before we started our stroll we bought fresh coconut water to drink. It was a very different taste but I’m glad I tried it. While walking around the park we saw people having a snack on a blanket, playing fetch with their dogs, having conversation with friends, and we even saw a bunch of people taking maternity and baby pictures with the beautiful view of the lake in the background. We walked around the entire park and just took in the views on the lake with the large buildings in the background. It was very relaxing.

                After our walk we loaded up in the van and headed to our host, Juarez, house to visit with our new Brazilian friends. He lives in a beautiful gated community and his house is stunning. He had lunch all set up for us in his backyard by the pool. Sadly it was raining and a little chilly so we weren’t able to go swimming but we were able to sit outside on his patio all day. For lunch Juarez served us Feijoada which is a traditional black bean stew which originally was a staple for slaves in Brazil. After lunch we spent the rest of the day talking with our Brazilian friends as well as meeting and having conversations with new friends. It was such a nice, relaxing afternoon.

               At around 5p.m. the Hawkeye Community College study abroad group, Juarez, and a few of Juarez friends loaded up to head to a local soccer stadium to watch a soccer game. It was an intense soccer match between the number 1 and number 2 teams in the region. We became fans of Club Goias because this is Juarez’s team. It was a very exciting game with a lot of fans cheering for both sides. This was my first time ever going to a soccer game and it was very entertaining. I was unsure of what was going on but luckily Brad, our instructor and leader of GALC, is a soccer coach for his son’s team so he was able to fill us in on what exactly was going on. It was crazy to me how fast pace the game is and how hard the athletes have to work to score a goal. Unfortunately, Goias lost 1-0 to Athletico. Following the soccer game we headed to Madero’s home of the “world’s best burger” for supper. Everyone in our group ordered a burger to see if this was true and were still on the fence to whether or not it was the “world’s best”. Overall we had a great, relaxing Sunday in Brazil learning more of the Brazilian culture.

Organic Farming with the Brazilians

          While touring all over Brazil, the Hawkeye Community College study abroad group was able to see a vast variety of different crops in production. Our group was able to see corn and soybean fields, coffee trees, large greenhouses full of rice and beans, cotton productions, and much more. One of my favorite farms we visited, and in my mind the most beautiful, was the organic farm. Fazenda Organica Novas Senhora Aparecida was the name of the organic farm we visited. It is located in the country and is very remote. It is run by a farmer who has only a handful of workers and college interns. It’s also a learning facility where people can come visit and learn about organic farming.

We started off the tour by seeing the rehabilitation center he has on his farm for sick or injured animals. He has a few different species in rehabilitation and we were able to see the Hyacinth Macaws. The Hyacinth Macaws are a breed of parrots that are native to Brazil. He helps rehabilitate these sick or injured Macaws until they are healthy enough to be released back into the wild. The birds are so beautiful and very unique to see up close.

After seeing the Macaws we started the organic farm tour. This farmer had just about every plant you could imagine growing in his fields. He had corn, soybeans, sugar cane, peanuts, bananas, papayas, coffee, etc. We were able to tour all of the fields and hear him speak about how he cares for and harvest each group organically. The banana trees were my favorite to see because of how many he had and how absolutely beautiful they were. My second favorite was the sugar cane because of how big and green it was. He even let us try both the bananas and sugar cane. His whole farm was so green, luscious, and beautiful that it was almost breathtaking.

We ended the organic farming tour by visiting the farmer’s worm composting barn. In his barn he had several cement pens that were filled with compost. He then had several worms in each pen to help break down the compost. He then puts the compost back onto his field for a form of organic fertilizer once the worms have broken the food and compost down completely. This was very unique and different and the first time I have ever seen anything like that. It would be a great practice to implement for organic farmers back in the United States. Our time spent at the organic farm was full of great views, new insights, and a lot of learning.

Kick-Start to the Brazilian Adventures!

          Our first full day in Brazil was full of excitement, learning, touring, and food! The day started out by visiting the Ministry of Agriculture located in Brasilia. The Ministry of Agriculture in Brazil would be comparable to the Department of Agriculture here in the United States. While at the Ministry of Agriculture, the Hawkeye Community College group listened to a speaker present about what they do at the Ministry of Agriculture in Brasilia and how it benefits the Brazilian producers and consumers. His main topic points of discussion included corn and soybean production, cattle operations, coffee plants, and how important environmental conservation is in Brazil. All farmers in Brazil have to, by law, leave 20% of their farmland untouched for environmental conservation purposes. This helps in ensuring that farmers are being environmentally friendly and taking good care of their land and the environment. Farmers in Brazil also have to be very cautious when it comes to deforestation. If there happens to be a tree planted in the middle of the field in which they are planting, they must go around it. Farmers are not allowed to cut down the trees to make more room for farming practices. This is a great way to protect the environment for years to come. The Hawkeye Community College study abroad students then had plenty of time to ask the speaker questions and compare practices we do in the United States. We were particularly interested in the corn and soybean productions.

 After all of our questions were answered and our time was finished at the Ministry of Agriculture our group was off to eat lunch at a churrascaria. This is basically a large meat buffet. When you sit down at your table you are given a card with a red side and a green side. You set the card next to your plate and flip it to the green side when you want the waiters to bring you meat, when you are full and no longer want the waiters to bring you meat you flip your card to the red side. There was so many options of meat at this churrascaria that it was almost overwhelming. The waiters probably brought out around 10-12 different kinds of meat for us to try. They would then cut it off right in front of you to grab and put on your plate. They had a variety of beef, chicken, and lamb. Lunch was so delicious and all of us left feeling very full.

After a quick afternoon nap after being exhausted from traveling and then having a large meal, the Hawkeye Community College group was able to tour the University of Brasilia (UnB) college campus. The campus is all open air and very unique. At the college we joined in on an International Business class to listen to another speaker speak about Brazilian agriculture. It was very similar to the presentation we had heard at the Ministry of Brazil but still very informative to all of us. After the presentation we toured more of the college which is HUGE. Around 40,000 college students attend UnB and the campus goes on forever. Sadly it was raining so after our tour we were soaked but seeing a college campus in a different country and having the opportunity to tour it was so worth it. We ended our day with more food of course! For supper we at a pizza restaurant where they bring you several different kinds of pizza, almost buffet style. My personal favorite was the dessert pizza which had cheese, bananas, cinnamon, chocolate, and ice cream all loaded on to it. So delicious! Our first full day in Brazil was busy and full of learning and excitement and was a great way to start out the trip.