Saudade

Saudade, you can find the wikipedia explanation here but basically the word is unique to Brazil.  It means 'a longing for something or someone' or 'the loss of someone very special, they're not there any more.  

It also sums up how I felt during my first days in Sao Paulo.  I wasn't that keen on going, for many reasons.  Mostly . . . I do not like flying and I do not like being that far from my family.  That far from my family with people I don't really know.  No disrespect to my brother or his wife but they are not an every day part of my life and even though I was really looking forward to spending a lot of time with them I guess I don't really know them that well.  Bizarre thing to say really but when there is an eight year age gap and you were buying your first house as he started college it's pretty safe to assume that you didn't spend a lot of time clubbing together. 

Thing is, we didn't really get to do anything those first few days in Sao Paulo. Obviously they were busy with the wedding but I had mistakenly assumed that we would do some touristy stuff while I was there and was really looking forward to seeing the city.  And let me tell you it's a city in a way you can't comprehend.  It's huge!!  I'd read it was huge but WOW.  No matter where you look there are skyscrapers and then low level buildings and more skyscrapers and . .  it's kind've beautiful.  I loved it.  Really loved it.  It wasn't as dangerous as I was led to believe, at least I never once felt nervous . .  that's saying something as you know how lousy my sense of direction is.  I never once felt on edge, even at night.  We got  the wrong bus one night and had to hop off it before we went too far afield and, good friends, I knew where we were!!  Me!!!?  Actually, in total we got a bit lost three times and each time it me who found our way home.  I used the wondrful graffiti to find my way around the area we were in. Great way to get about.  More in another post.

I am disappointed that I didn't get to do sightseeing, and no, it's not a touristy place but there are places of interest.  Lots of them.  I would have liked to get to see the grave of one of F1 racing legends, I would have liked to get to the zoo or find that highest building but it wasn't to be.  My hosts were busy and . . well, it didn't happen.  I did, however, get to go to the market in the Liberdade district and it was brilliant.  Hung around the square for a few hours, trying different types of food (some of which was alive - not good) and watching the world go by.  A lovely man taught me how to make a origami doll which he then gave me and I gave to Ms. Urban.  How great is that?  I was taught how to do something funky.  In Brazil.  

I found my initial few days in Brazil very disconcerting.  I missed my family and was lonely as there wasn't anyone to, sounds so dramatic (and it wasn't), show me around or keep me entertained.

So Saudade, is the word for my trip.  Initially anyway.