Curitiba Tourism Line

Previously on this blog, I said that living in Curitiba gives me a good chance to do some tour around the city. And the city has a decicated Tourism Line in double-decker buses, which makes getting around from one touristic spot to another much simpler. The ticket fare is more expensive than regular buses, though (R$20.00 for 5 tickets - R$4.00 per ticket -, while the regular bus fare is R$2.20 or R$1.00 on Sundays).

On August 22nd, during my first weekend in Curitiba, I decided to visit some other touristic spots (I had gone to Jardim Botanico about a month before).

The first spot I just passed through: the Oscar Niemeyer Museum. The building was transformed in a museum in 2002, with a project by Oscar Niemeyer (famous Brazilian architect). The building's signature is its annex shaped like an "eye", reason why some people call it the "eye museum".


The Bosque Alemão (German Woods) was built in honor to German (immigrants and descendents) contributions to the city of Curitiba. A library with books for children, the Hansel and Gretel trail, the facade of a German house and a wooden tower for a scenic overlook of the city (under reforms when I was there, unfortunately) are some of its highlights.

Ópera de Arame (Wire Opera House) is a theatre house that is one of the main touristic spots of Curitiba. The site used to be a rock quarry and turned into a park. And since the directive when building the opera house was harmonizing the construction to the landscape, the result is a distinguished environment.


Parque Tanguá (Tangua Park) is also a former rock quarry turned into a park. The park has two lakes united by an artificial tunnel, bicycle track, an artificial waterfall and a structure built as a homage to a local artist: Jardim Poty Lazzarotto.

Torre Panorâmica (Panoramic Tower) is the only telephone tower in Brazil with an observation deck and regularly open for sightseeing. With over 109m, it allows a 360 degrees view of Curitiba.

Praça Tiradentes (Tiradentes Square) is considered the city starting point. You know, the square with a church that most small towns have on its center. And the church is the "Catedral Basílica de Nossa Senhora da Luz dos Pinhais" that completed its centennial in 1993.

Finally, UFPR Historical Building closed the day, since it was very close to the hotel I was. UFPR (Parana Federal University) was the first university in Brazil, founded in 1912. The Historical Building was the first building and still one of the symbols of UFPR. It is in front of a square where on the other side is Guaira Theatre, one of the largest in Latin America.

As an extra note, on a different day I also passed through (it is better to say that it is very close to the second hotel where I lived in Curitiba) Paço da Liberdade, built to be the government seat in Curitiba and nowadays a cultural center.


More pictures are on my Picasa album.

Here comes the next challenge

Good and bad news, people.

Good news first, I've got a job at a Japanese company branch in Brazil as an engineer. And since the company has expansion plans, there are good opportunities if I work hard to seize them. Besides, my Japanese skills will be used; and therefore I won't forget Japanese any time soon. Also, there are possibilities that I'll go to Japan for a certain period of time for training and other activities. I am quite happy with this job and opportunities offered. A very interesting offer, even among those when I was looking for jobs in Japan.

Bad news, I don't know if I'll be able to keep this blog updated. From some friends' example, it is pretty hard to keep up once you start working. I'll try anyway. Even because I'll move to Curitiba, and that may be worth at least some posts about areas of the city.

Now it is my time to move on. Stay tuned.

Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

Once again after another public service position, I went to Rio de Janeiro for an examination on July 25th.

Rio de Janeiro, or just Rio for short, is the most famous Brazilian city... for the best or the worst. The most visited touristic city in the south hemisphere, it has one of the largest parties on the planet (Rio's carnival) and beautiful beaches that contribute for the image of "carnival, soccer and beaches" some people abroad have of Brazil. On the other hand, social inequality led to the also famous "favela" and high crime rates in some areas (especially related to drug traffic).

So, after reaching the city by plane on the 24th and reaching the hotel where I'd stay, I decided to make good use of the nice weather and go to the statue of Christ the Redeemer. One of Rio's main touristic spots and a symbol of the whole country, it is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World whose open arms represent a warm welcome to all.


Unfortunately, many other tourists obviously had the same idea. The train that leads to the top was crowded and I had to wait hours until I was finally on the top. Until then the weather changed to foggy. It would be impossible to take panoramic pictures of the city, and even the statue had hidden amid the fog a times. On the bright side, that allowed for unusual pictures of the Christ and some amusement watching all the tourists (myself included) waiting for an instant when the statue would become visible.

The next day was the day of the exam which took good part of the morning and a bit of the afternoon. Since the test was held close to another touristic spot, it would be a nice idea to pay that place a visit.

And that place is Maracana Stadium (official name: "Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho"). Built for the 1950 FIFA World Cup, it has also hosted former Pope John Paul II masses, performances of artists like Paul McCartney, Madonna and Tina Turner. Maracana is also the main stadium for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games and is scheduled to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup final match. The nickname Maracana comes after "similar to a rattle" in a indigenous language because of the presence of birds called "maracanã-guaçu" (in that same language) used to be common in the area.

From there, I went to Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden. Considered one of the most important botanical gardens in the world, it has more than eight thousand specimens from Brazil and abroad.

Close to the botanical garden, I also went to Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon. Although it is a lagoon, it has salty water. That characteristic is kept by an artificial connection between the sea and the lagoon. It is common to see people jogging, exercising or just hanging around the area around the lagoon. Especially on weekends, the place can be bursting with life at certain points.


Then came the third and last day... and something was still lacking. I mentioned before about beaches in Rio, but I haven't been at any so far. So before leaving to the airport, I went to Copacabana beach. Probably the most "touristic" beach in Rio, it is famous by its sidewalks with patterns resembling waves and by its Reveillon party.

There was still a little time a last location before returning home: Ipanema beach. Although the neighbourhood and the beach themselves are also famous and important in Rio, many people might be more familiar with the name because of the song "Girl from Ipanema" - perhaps the most famous Brazilian song abroad.


More pictures are available from my Picasa album.

World Cup in Brazil: Cheering

It's been some time ago, but after one month 2010 Fifa World Cup has ended. Although Brazil didn't win, now there is a new champion - Spain - who represented the beautiful way of playing soccer even better than the Brazilian team this year; and won the title playing against another team that was playing by - much - force... Ouch!

Ahem. So, another World Cup ends, with thrilling match moments (like the last-minute goal that granted US advance to the Round of 16 or the only goal in Paraguay vs Spain); discussions about referee slips (e.g. the English goal against Germany that was - wrongly - disallowed and was also mysteriously omitted in the official website); or "anti-fairplay" actions that in some cases changed the outcome of the match (like Suarez's handball in Uruguay vs Ghana).

As much as what happened in-game, many things that happened in the "outside world" can also be considered World Cup highlights: octopus Paul's predictions; Larissa Riquelme and her promise that made many people start cheering for Paraguay (although that had obvious second intentions to put her on the highlights as well. Anyway I'll just let it be for now since it's too off-topic), and the victory kiss of Casillas and Sara Carbonero.

Among all that happened, one thing still surprised me a lot in a positive way: the support of local people for the event. Even before the World Cup started, there was a massive show of support for the Bafana Bafana (South Africa team). Although South Africa became the first host country that couldn't make it to the Round of 16, it was always possible to see South African flags among all the other teams (some with more local support than others, that's true).

In the end, it turned into a nice celebration, something Africans can do very well.

And then I think what may happen in the next World Cup... in Brazil.

It is true that in Brazil the soccer hype is already very strong. There is little to no need to ask for support within the country. In fact, considering that the country already stops to watch when Brazil plays in the World Cup, I wonder what may happen when the games are held in Brazil.

Still,, exactly because the the hype is strong and so the national team, support here is not neutral. Brazilians will cheer for Brazil to win, not caring about any of the other teams.

Proof? Only circumstantial, but, for example, after Brazil lost to Netherlands in this World Cup, there were some comments here and there saying there's no meaning in discussing the World Cup anymore (because Brazil was out) and we should start talking about things "more interesting". One of the "logical arguments" to "support" that point of view was that "people who cheer for Palmeiras (a Brazilian team) wouldn't watch a Sao Paulo (another Brazilian team, both teams are rivals to a moderate degree) game after Palmeiras was out of the tourneament".

The 2014 World Cup emblem may carry a hidden message in it too. As much as it may be said it symbolizes hands lifting the Cup and colored yellow and green to depict Brazil warmly welcoming the world, those green-and-yellow hands holding the Cup send a different message to my inner Brazilian: "the Cup is ours! Period!"

So I worry a bit about what might happen if Brazil doesn't manage to win the tourneament with all that "subliminar propaganda" around us...

During the next four years, there is still a lot of work to be done: stadiums are incomplete; transportation system in host cities must be enhanced; airports and air traffic infrastructure are still barely acceptable for an event the size of the World Cup; and the list goes on. Nevertheless, one of the most important things to do is creating a cheering culture adequate to the World Cup. Of course we will all cheer for Brazil, but we also must learn to cheer for other teams as well...

... Even though I cannot help but wonder what will be of Argentina in the territory of its arch-rival...

Curitiba (Brazil)

Applying for another public service examination, I went to Curitiba, capital of Paraná state, where the exam was held on July 4th.

Curitiba is known worldwide for its efficient urban planning, especially regarding its public transportation system. In Brazil, it was one of the first cities to implement garbage separation for recycling, and now it recycles around two-thirds of its garbage - one of the highest ratings in the world - even though participation by the general population is not (yet) mandatory. Curitiba is also often considered one of the best cities of Brazil to live.


Since Curitiba is relatively close to Londrina (379 km away. Brazil-wise that can be considered close), a one-day trip via night bus would be enough this time. And since the exam would be in the afternoon, that left me with time enough to visit one touristic place.

The place chosen was the "Jardim Botânico" ("Botanical Garden"), one of the most famous places of Curitiba. The metallic structure of the main greenhouse is one of the city's postcards and is in front of a French-style garden. Also, as a botanical garden, it has many Brazilian plants, including some rare specimens and a "garden of sensations" where the visitor interacts with plants and natural scenes blindfolded to feel nature using the other senses.


From there I left to do the exam. After it was over, I spent some time in Shopping Estação, a former train station that was reformed into a shopping mall in 1997. Before I took the bus back there was still time to meet a friend who also went to Japan the same year I went to Kyoto (henceforth called "R."). In fact, we were approved for the MEXT scholarship together.

And that brings a nostalgic feeling. After our scholarship was confirmed, there was an orientation session at the Consulate-General of Japan in Curitiba. That was also the first time all those who passed the selection met each other (although I was the only one that didn't live in Curitiba), and after the orientation, we decided to go to a pub celebrate and talk about our expectatives.

If I'm not wrong, "R." and I were the only ones who had been to Japan before. And, I wonder if it is coincidence or the fact that we have similar majors, he is the only one of that group I've met since. Once in Nikko, then in Tokyo and now in Curitiba again.

And now, three years after going to Japan, we were telling each other stories of what happened in Japan, especially the stress when packing everything to return to Brazil. The cycle ended and now it is time to move on. He already has. I am moving towards it, too. And finding a (good) job is the big leap necessary for this.

Life goes on.

More pictures are available in my Picasa album.

Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil)

In search for a job, I applied for a public service opening in a different state. Since I would have to go to that state for a public service examination ("concurso público"), that would be a good chance to visit a part of Brazil I've never been to.

The state is Rio Grande do Sul, and the exam was held in Porto Alegre.

That region is famous among Brazilians for a number of characteristics, among which its characteristic accent; a strong traditional culture; main influence of German and Italian immigrants; some famous personalities like Ronaldinho Gaúcho and Gisele Bündchen; and a strong sense of regionalism, to the point that some are separatists. The latter characteristic may derive from the Farroupilha Revolution, a separatistic movement triggered in that same state and which led to the longest civil war in Brazilian History.

After arriving by plane on June 26th and reaching the hotel where I would stay, I decided to leave for a little touristic stroll. And just walking around downtown may be a History class since, as reminded by a local friend, many streets there are named after important names of the Farroupilha Revolution.

The first stop was the "Mercado Público de Porto Alegre" (Public Market of Porto Alegre) or just "Mercado" as it is most often called. Built in 1869, it is considered an Important Cultural Asset and one of the references when shopping in the city. Among the products offered are regional products and natural products.


Then, after walking to "Praça Marechal Deodoro" ("Marshal Deodoro Square"), surrounded by many other important buildings like the Metropolitan Cathedral of Porto Alegre (first built in 1772 and reformed in the early XX Century with, among other structures, a 60m tall and 18m diameter dome) and the Piratini Palace (official workplace of the Governor of the State of Rio Grande do Sul), I decided to end the tour for the day. After all, there was a exam waiting.

The next day was the day of the exam, which took place during the morning. After taking the wrong bus on the way back (when the driver kindly let me ride again without having to pay the fare again) I was back downtown with more time to walk around the town.

So, after a brief stop at the hotel (it was hot on that day, but when I left early in the morning I was prepared for a cold weather as many say it is characteristic of the region) I went to "Parque da Redenção" ("Redemption Park"), also known as "Parque Farroupilha" ("Farroupilha Park"). The park is one of the most popular in town; and since it was a sunny Sunday, there were lots of people there jogging, playing, visiting a (mostly handicraft) market at a nearby street... and enjoying the nice weather. The park also has an extensive history linked to the development of Porto Alegre. Still, I don't think I understand that history enough to try explaining it here.


After the park, I walked to "Gasômetro", a former thermoelectric power plant that was turned into a cultural center from where it is possible to watch a beautiful sunset. From there it is also possible to ride a boat that goes around some small islands in the area.


That ended my tour around Porto Alegre. The only thing left to do was going back home, but not without buying some local souvenirs. Especially because my parents like a drink traditional of the region - chimarrão -, so I just had to buy something for them.

As a note, I saw very few Asian-looking people on the three days I stayed in Porto Alegre. And none during the exam. Still, just once I was stared at because of my looks: by a kid when I was on my way to the airport. No "Gaijin Stares" there.

Another curiosity of the region is that it is possible to see many people (and not only men) wearing clothes indicating if they support Grêmio or Internacional - the two strongest soccer teams in the state and fierce rivals. Indicating that you support one of these teams is certain to get the sympathy of one group... and complaints from the other.

Finally, since we are talking about soccer, while I was flying back Brazil was playing against Chile for the 2010 Fifa World Cup. As the plane reached Congonhas Airport (I had to transit from there), the pilot annouced that he had an important announcement to make: according to informations from the tower, the game was still 0-0. Ah, I have to admit I missed Brazilian irreverence when I lived in Japan...

But it isn't over yet. Just as we arrived inside the airport and saw some televisions (obviously broadcasting the soccer match) Brazil scored the first goal. Talk about perfect timing!

More pictures are available in my Picasa album.

Cuidad del Este, Paraguay

So, after explaining about the "soccer frenzy" that takes over Brazil during a World Cup, it just happens that I wasn't in Brazil when Brazil played its first match against North Korea.

... I was in Paraguay. Well, at least during part of the first half.

There is a tripoint between Argentina, Brazil in Paraguay that is most know as "Tríplice Fronteira" ("Triple Frontier"). All three countries belong to the economic bloc known as Mercosur/Mercosul (Southern Common Market), which allows people from these countries to, among other things, move between these countries without any need of passports (an ID card from their country of origin is enough). Add to that the fact that Paraguay has a strong "black market" and less taxation over its products (particularly electronics) than Brazil and you have people crossing the border from Foz do Iguaçú (Brazil) to Cuidad del Este (Paraguay) for shopping.

(That area also has some history in illicit activities, in part because of difficulties to monitor the area, including stories about Osama Bin Laden passing through that region. But that discussion is off-topic. Back to track...)

Anyway, a relative gathered friends to go shopping in Cuidad del Este. And since there were two places that should be filled in the rented van they used to go, my mother and I went with them on June 15th.

We left early morning and arrived in Foz do Iguaçú (henceforth just "Foz") around lunch time, reaching the hotel where we would spend the night. After that, we went straight to Cuidad del Este for the first day of shopping.

Brazil was going to play at 15:30 BRT, but the group was comprised of mostly women, who wouldn't mind missing the game... espacially one that Brazil was assumed to win big. They thought stores would remain open, since we would be in Paraguay (that played on the previous day and managed to draw against Italy).

Wrong.

Many Brazilians work in Cuidad del Este given the large number of Brazilians who go shopping there. And guess if those workers didn't want to watch the game...

With most stores closing 30 minutes before the game, we gave up and returned to the hotel. And from there, my mother, my relative and I decided to pay a visit to another relatives who live in Foz. We reached their house just before the second half of the match started, and then I finally could watch the game with everyone.

After the not-so-much convincing victory of 2-1, we stayed to chat (I hadn't seen then since I went to Kyoto in 2007), eat churrasco and play with the kids (one of whom I saw for the first time). About the latter part, they got an unusual liking for me after the first minutes. The most amusing part was when one girl was pulling be by my shirt to play with her, while her younger sister was pulling me by the arm to the opposite direction... while I was eating.

After all that, the next day went without any disruptions. We went shopping and then returned to Londrina at night.

But I might have gotten too used to Japan... I only managed to buy a wristwatch for myself. Ah, and no pictures this time. It would just feel awkward to take touristic pictures in Cuidad del Este around the places we usually go for shopping...

World Cup in Brazil: Little Break

Back to Brazil on time for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa I noticed that I haven't discussed about how it is to watch this competition in Brazil, where some say Soccer is a "religion".

I wouldn't put it at this level... because the existence of God is still under discussion, but soccer can be "scientifically proved".

Seriously now, yes, there are a lot of people who love soccer in Brazil; it is considered the "national sport" to the point that the Brazilian team who went to South Africa visited the President before leaving.

But what I want to talk about this time is about an interesting phenomenon that happens in Brazil during the World Cup (although I don't know if this happens in other countries with strong teams, or at least where the sport is popular, so I won't say it is unique to Brazil).

When Brazil plays, everything stops.

Truth be said, "almost everything" is more like it. Doctors, for example, are not allowed to stop, right?

Workers, whenever possible, try to manage their schedules to get a break when Brazil is playing. Students are often dismissed or simply don't go to class.

For example: a friend who is in high school will start classes earlier to finish earlier and be able to watch Portugal vs. Brazil (June 25th 11h here). When I was at university, I remember one time when the all students of a class I attended agreed to skip a class whose professor didn't agree to postpone the class - at the same time that the Brazilian team would play in a World Cup. (Fortunately, the professor accepted a deal before we did this.)

As a final note, public servants will have official breaks when Brazil plays as shown below (link to original text here).

PORTARIA Nº 491, DE 7 DE JUNHO DE 2010
O SECRETÁRIO EXECUTIVO DO MINISTÉRIO DO PLANEJAMENTO, ORÇAMENTO E
GESTÃO, no uso de suas atribuições, com vistas a possibilitar que os servidores públicos federais
acompanhem a transmissão dos jogos da Seleção Brasileira de Futebol na Copa do Mundo FIFA
2010, resolve:
Art. 1º Estabelecer, em caráter excepcional, os horários de expediente dos órgãos e entidades da
Administração Pública Federal direta, autárquica e fundacional, nos dias de jogos da Seleção
Brasileira de Futebol na Copa do Mundo FIFA 2010, de acordo com as seguintes regras:
I - nos dias em que os jogos se realizarem às 15:30 (horário de Brasília), o expediente encerrarse-
á às 14:00;
II - nos dias em que os jogos se realizarem às 11:00 (horário de Brasília), o expediente será
interrompido às 10:30 e recomeçará às 14:30.
§ 1º O disposto no caput não se aplica nos casos de serviços essenciais de natureza contínua.
§ 2º As horas não trabalhadas deverão ser objeto de compensação na forma do disposto no inciso
II do art. 44 da Lei nº 8.112, de 11 de dezembro de 1990.
Art. 2º Esta Portaria entra em vigor na data de sua publicação.

If you can't read Portuguese, it means that work will end at 14:00 on days Brazil plays at 15:30 (Brasilia time) and there will be a break from 10:30 to 14:30 when Brazil plays at 11:00. Most likely they will hork extra hours later, though.

Sao Paulo (Brazil)

I returned to Brazil in the beginning of April. To be more precise, April 1st. My parents traveled to Japan. They returned on April 4th (because they wanted to see sakura). Can you see that something is off?

Perfect occasion to fulfill a promise made to a friend and visit him. I've done this before in Florianopolis before I left to Kyoto and in Sorocaba when I returned to Brazil during my round the world trip. Time to pay them another visit - this time in Sao Paulo.

Am I the only one who noticed they are always living in a different city when I decide to visit?

So I got a ride from the airport, and since it was close to lunch, we decided that my first meal in Brazil should be in a barbeque restaurant (churrascaria) close to my friend's house with him and his spouse. After eating like there's no tomorrow, we strolled around the neighborhood. Unusually calm neighborhood for Sao Paulo... they got a really nice place.

After strolling, we thought we should exercise a bit at a park (I actually forgot its name, although I think it was the Ibirapuera). Unfortunately, we saw another "attraction" instead: Sao Paulo's famous traffic jams. After being stuck for half an hour (where we advanced not more than 2km), we decided to abort and return to their house... avoiding the main roads.

In the end, we just chilled out for the rest of the day, playing some video games like Street Fighter 4 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (both highly recommended).

Next day, Holy Friday. Three-day weekend. Good sign for those in Sao Paulo: way less traffic and crowds around. Still, we decided not to take any chances and go by subway to Luz (where Luz Station - Estação da Luz - is a touristic spot itself) see the Museum of the Portuguese Language (Museu da Língua Portuguesa).

The museum educates without being boring. Origins of the language; influences from other (from indigenous to immigrant) languages; main differences between Brazilian Portuguese and Portugal Portuguese... Some of the interesting features are a panel where one can listen to various accents from different regions in Brazil and an alley full of grammar mistakes and other interesting "word games" that only make sense in Portuguese.

Lunch time. So we walked to Mercado Municipal (literally translated as "city market") to eat some "pasteis". Actually, the market is famous for products like cheese and ham offered at special prices (and also yummy as far as I've heard). As a last surprise, we saw a celebrity there - Sérgio Reis - probably doing his shopping for the Holy Friday and Easter. Too bad he couldn't walk ten meters without being stopped by someone asking for a picture...

The rest of the day went smoothly until night. As it was a Holy Friday, bacalhau is mandatory. Why? Well, according to Christianism it is not allowed to eat meat on a Holy Friday in respect for Christ's death. And Portuguese influence in Brazil made this dish the most popular - not to say traditional - for Holy Friday in Brazil (especially around the Southeast region).

But the day wasn't over yet. About midnight we left to a shopping mall watch a stand-up comedy show. Unfortunately I don't remember the title anymore, but it was very good. And a opportunity for me to readapt to Brazil: stages this late at night are not something that happens in Japan as fas as I know; and the kind of humor is also very different.

April 3rd. After two intensive days, the third one was slower. Between chilling out, talking and playing video game we watched El Secreto de sus Ojos (a.k.a. The Secret in Their Eyes) at the movie theater. Interesting movie with a nice story, although I thought it was a bit slow to put things in motion.

And finally on April 4th my parents arrived. We met at the airport, ate a pizza all together and then returned to Londrina.

This start of a new journey was very pleasant. Now on to the next challenge...

Different paths for a language

On the previous post, I said that my parents came to Japan to visit (and travel). I also said they can speak Japanese.

We learned Japanese in different ways: I knew very little Japanese (only few words and short sentences known to most Japanese descendents) until high school. Then I studied Japanese in Japanese language schools in Brazil. I continued studying during university, but not nearly as much as in high school until I first went to Japan.

Until that point, my Japanese was mainly focused on grammar while conversational skills were poor. My JLPT 3-kyu score reflects that well: listening was the part I scored less, while I scored high in kanji and grammar.

After arriving in Japan (Himeji), it took some time until I became able to fully understand people around me (in part because of the Kansai dialect) and a while longer to express myself in a satisfactory way. My Japanese level declined after I returned to Brazil, but it didn't take long to recover after I returned to Japan (Kyoto).

From that point, I focused much more on conversation than grammar as my JLPT 2-kyu score suggests: listening became the part I scored higher; kanji and vocabulary became my weak points. And, finally, I started to study "keigo" - Japanese honorifics - more seriously.

My parents went to a Japanese language school for a short time when they were kids. Nevertheless, most of their Japanese ability comes from talking to my grandparents and other Japanese speakers in their neighborhood. (And from reading comics in my mother's case.)

And I was told more than once that my parents sound more "natural" in Japanese than me. They sound more like Japanese people, while I still sound like a foreigner.

Guess our roots still show even after years in Japan: my Japanese is classroom-based; my parents have a basic (in terms of vocabulary and kanji we all agree that currently I'm better) but natural Japanese (with even some expressions that I have never heard Japanese people using).

That difference in method of learning is something I'd like to analyse further...

Aftermatch

Well, so recently I graduated and returned to Brazil. Now it's time to talk about what happened in between.

For most international students who return to their countries from Japan after grad school, the last months are never simple. There are lots of things that must be taken care of: get rid of furniture, ship things, clean the house, say goodbye to all (most) friends...

In addition, students from countries like Brasil, who has little educational treaties with Japan have an additional headache: the diploma can't be directly used in our country of origin. There's a process where a local university must recognize your diploma... Gotta love bureaucracy. There are reasons for demanding that procedure, but I'd rather discuss this further in another post.

In my case, I had another factor that made me glad, but multiplied the number of things I should do during that period:

My parents came to visit.

Yes, after three years in Japan, both my parents decided to pay me a visit. The "tatemae" reason is that they wanted to see my graduation ceremony, despite the number of times I've told them it's not that much worth seeing.

Honestly: that was the perfect excuse for them to visit Japan for the first time. And considering I was living in Kyoto - THE touristic city in Japan - the logistics became a bit simpler.

For me, that was also the perfect excuse to do a bit of sightseeing whenever I could; and to eat Japanese food before I left.

The problem was they were coming at a time when I was extremely busy. As much as or even more than when I was under pressure for my thesis. Fortunately, though, my parents can speak Japanese so it wasn't necessary to be with them all the time. Especially because I can't afford to travel together with people who have JR Rail Pass.

Another factor I miscalculated was the time necessary to pack and clean the house. After leaving Himeji to Brazil once I thought I knew better, but one year at a place where you can leave the furniture when you leave and three years where you should clean the house before returning to Brazil are VERY different.

Because of that, I missed an event my host family in Japan had prepared for my parents. After hearing that my parents like series like Mito Koumon, my host mother arranged a short visit to their studio! And guided my the actor that currently plays the lead character himself (I won't say the names, but they are easy to find)!

For that and for all the support during those three years, I thank deeply my host family in Japan. Hopefully we will meet again.

Back to B

Another month without any entry in this blog... This is becoming dangerously common...

This time I had plenty of reasons, though. I am back to Brazil.

Yes, I graduated and returned to Brazil. And now I am no longer the "world's hope" (student), but a "social problem" (unemployed).

I still have some posts to write about Japan, and the posts in Brazil are piling up as well. I will catch up with all that and then think about what to do with this blog. Meaning, the blog will still run as usual with about one post per week for the time being.

Stay tuned.

Ironman 28

A couple of months ago, I mentioned about the 1:1 scale Gundam statue in Tokyo. Well, guess Japan might be preparing itself to be invaded by Godzilla or something equivalent, because now here comes a new challenger to the Gundam!
(Note: the Gundam statue was actually disassembled some time ago)

Tetsujin 28-go!


This statue was built by the city of Kobe as a memento of the city's revival after the Hanshin Earthquake. Technically it has the same height of the Gundam in Odaiba, although since his position is not straight up, the relative height is a little smaller. And in this case, people are allowed to get close to the statue, with kids using its foot as a playground slide. Also its position calls for funnier pictures with people imitating Tetsujin's pose.

The statue is actually at a location not so easy to access. It is at Wakamatsu Park in Nagata Ward, since the area was the one who suffered most from the quake. I went there with my host family by car, so I don't really know the directions.

The choice for Tetsujin 28-go was influenced by the popularity of its creator, Mitsuteru Yokoyama, a Kobe-born manga-ka.


Another curiosity is that Tetsujin (鉄人) translates as "Ironman". And, when I hear this word, I can't help but remember Marvel's Iron Man. Fortunately (or not), that Iron Man was translated to Japanese as Aian-man (アイアンマン). That sets a clear difference between the two characters in Japanese. Note that it's "aian", not "airon" (アイロン) as many would expect. I don't know the exact difference between the two, but "airon" is used more when we talk about ironing clothes.

Master of the Universe

Or should I rather say M.Eng.?

Yes, I finally presented my thesis. This was way crazier than years ago during my bachelor's years. Maybe it's supposed to be like this. Having problems with simulations and systems; becoming desperate that results are not exactly as expected; being pressured by deadlines...

But now it's over. Or almost. I still have to submit another version with some corrections, and I still have one congress to go. Nevertheless, the worst is gone now... Probably.

And, as it couldn't have been different, Murphy decided to make its show during my presentation again. Although this time it wasn't as bad.

All M2 (2nd year Master students) had their presentations on the same day in sequence. So it made sense that we use a single computer with all presentation files in it. The guy who presented just before me was a Mac user and he decided to present using his Mac instead of the common computer with Windows.

Well, his presentation lasted long enough for the common computer to enter sleep mode. And after turning it on again...

... I face a password screen with no idea of what is the password.

Also, for some mysterious reason, the other M2 weren't in the room.

Niiiice.

Well, we found someone and the password went well (after getting it wrong and having to ask it again). There was also a problem to send the data to the projector, but at least this time there were no problems with the presentation file itself.

And, of course, considering that I had to listen to questions in Japanese made things a bit confusing so I couldn't really understand some questions.

Still, all went fine and in the end I passed. Or so it seems. (It also means I'll have to change my description in this blog soon...)

Ironically, after being DM for some years, now I am really a "Master"... hehe!

Now I start to really think about after graduation. With the dust settling, I realize I have no concrete plan. This is not good. I'll probably have to start looking after my connections and for some opportunities. I should have done it earlier.

Well, after one battle, there is always the next one... The cycle of life.

Triple Special Day

February 14th, 2010.

Three days until I defend my Master's Thesis.

I shouldn't be writing here now...

But this day deserves some comment..

Why?

Because it is a "special day" in many points of view.

It is carnival in Brazil. Arguably the most celebrated holiday in the country (although I'd place Christmas first) and one of the main images people abroad have from Brazil. From Japanese to other foreigners, most people make a reference to either carnaval/samba or soccer when I say I'm Brazilian.

While initially a Christian party, Brazilian carnival created a file of its own and nowadays is considered pretty much an unrelated thing. Especially since the Church is against some of the libidinous behavior common there.

I wouldn't even dare to call myself an especialst in carnival. I actually don't like it much myself (it is a nice holiday, though) . Still, my years in Japan allowed me to give at least a brief introduction about the subject. Ironic. I became more acquainted with carnival in Brazil after I left the country. It was in Japan where I saw my very first carnival parade and professional dancers.

On the other side of the planet, China and other countries that use the lunar calendar are celebrating New Year. Another irony, considering my previous post was also celebrating new year - this time according to the Gregorian calendar.

So many of my friends from China, Taiwan, Malaysia and around are celebrating new year now. Like in Japan, New Year is the most important holiday, the season when families gather, trains and flights in those countries get crowded and expensive...

... during a one month celebration.

Yes, I had the same disbelief look when I've heard that first. It is not all days I guess, but there are traditional festivities during more a less that time span. During the days before, among other things, there's a general cleaning up (similar to Japanese oosouji tradition, I believe) and a "small new year celebration" one week before the real one. And after the new years there are still certain festivities concentrated on the first week, but they go as far as the 15th day. More details can be found on websites around the net.

So whoever said Brazilian carnival is too long should check Chinese New Year...

And it seems there is a traditional TV show in China that people watch on the 31st. Quite like Japan's NHK Kohaku Utagassen I've mentioned before. The English name would be CCTV New Year's Gala or something like it. But it has even more variety than its Japanese counterpart, with comedy scenes, some magic and other stuff. Personally, I think it's better without so many variety, but it may be just because I don't understand Chinese anyway.

Still, two points about the broadcasting of the show surprised me. One was how I actually got to watch it: live through online broadcast (fair trade: I invited Fang for a Christmas party; she introduced me to Chinese New Year). And even now, while I was looking for links, I managed to find a website in English... but not only. Four other languages, including Spanish are also available (even though it is separated from the Chinese version for some reason... the 2009 page has all of them linked).

Now on to the third celebration of the day: Valentine's day.

This one I think has European origin. THE classic day for lovers to exchange cards and presents, go out for a date under a perfect romantic atmosphere.

Not in Brazil. Not (so much) in Japan.

How come? Well, for some reason, Brazil celebrates Valentine's in June 12th. Guess there wasn't any need of another celebration with carnival around... heh! So, although what people do on that day is still essentially the same, the day they do in Brazil is different.

Japan is different in the other sense. The day is kept, but not the way couples usually celebrate it.

Guess some chocolate company had the idea (and influential power) enough to change the basic rule of Japanese Valentine's to "girls give chocolate to men".

Originally, women didn't declare their love for men. It was the other way around. Giving a chocolate on Valentine's day would be a girl's chance to express her love.

Although unnecessary nowadays (yes, girls in Japan are able to take the initiative already), the idea was somewhat cute and with good intentions. What happened later messed things up (in my opinion): instead of only giving a chocolate to a girl's love, she "can" also give to other "relevant" men in her life.

Allow me to elaborate on the two words between quotations: by "relevant" I mean friends, relevant senpais (seniors. For example, in labs or clubs) and some superiors and other people who helped her during the year. Not a bad thing anyway if she wants to, but then comes the second word: the "can" actually means that in some cases it is expected that she gives chocolate to certain people. The so-called "giri-choco".

I am not a Japanese girl, so I am just giving an opinion of an observer. I may be taking too harsh of a posture on something they actually don't mind, anyway.

Men shouldn't get too cocky either. They are expected to give a present in return on White Day.

Either way, this year I am home preparing for my Master's thesis defense. So I am most likely not getting chocolates.

Back to study... on a triple celebration day...

Enjoy carnival, happy new year, happy valentine's.

New year

Before anything else, happy new year! Feliz ano novo! 明けましておめでとうございます！ Glückliches neues Jahr! ¡Feliz año nuevo! 恭贺新禧! 새해 복 많이 받으세요! szczęśliwego nowego roku! Bonne année! с новым годом! Buon anno!

Etc.,etc...

Yeah... new year... Makes me think of all the new years I've spent. In Brazil, my routine used to be have dinner with family and watch the countdown at a relative's house or at home with my family. In Japan, every year was celebrated in a different way.

In 2005~06 I spent the reveillon with relatives in Japan and after took some pictures at Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto before returning to Himeji.

In 2007~08 I went to a friend's house to eat some nabe with a couple of close friends and we went to Manpukuji just a little after midnight. Even though we could stroll around and see the new year illumination, the temple closed shortly after we entered. During the first days of the year, I took some pictures at Daikakuji and Yasaka Jinja.

In 2008~09 I went with some friends to Osaka to watch the countdown at Umeda Sky Building followed by some clubbing. During the new year holidays I also met old friends from Himeji and went with them to Kiyomizudera.

What about this year?

With my thesis still pending, I couldn't do much. For the reveillon, I actually stayed home watching Kohaku Uta Gassen. For those who don't know, it is a traditional TV show for the night of December 31st in Japan. And this year it was the 60th edition of Kohaku.

It is basically a music show with appearance of many popular artists (not only singers. Comediants and others make small appearances during annoucements), some with special performances prepared for the occasion. But there's a "competition" between male singers (red team) and female singers (white team) performance. The competition aspect is actually left on the background during most of the show, though.

Another interesting aspect is that the artists invited for the event cover a wide variety of musical genres. From J-pop to enka, it is obviously a program aimed for people of all ages in a time that families are usually together. (Many Japanese return to their hometowns during new year vacations.) And there are also some "traditions" in Kouhaku as well that are interesting to watch. For me, the highlights were:

• Susan Boyle: Yes, NHK managed to bring what was probably one of the most popular names in entretainment in 2009. Her debut in the TV show Britain's Got Talent became one of the most viewed videos on the internet and spread like a virus. What made it so popular? I can only speculate, but it might have been the fact that even though one wouldn't expect much of Susan by her looks, she has an impressive voice that astonished everyone on stage. Why her? I was also asking myself the same question, but after hearing that the 2009 motto for Kohaku is the "power of music" (歌の力), nothing more appropriate than bringing someone whose life was completely changed thanks to a music performance. Her performance was great, but I felt that when she went on stage, with no other than Takuya Kimura, she wanted to be funny (like in her debut video comment to Simon) but couldn't make it.


• Michael Jackson Medley: In one of the special performances of the year, SMAP members did a homage to the "king of pop" with a medley of Michael Jackson's most popular songs. "Billie Jean", "Thriller", "Bad" and "Smooth Criminal" were musts; and including Jacksons 5 "ABC" was a nice addition. Last, of course, there was "Heal the World" with all the artists on stage. SMAP did a relatively good performance (including moonwalk and other of Michael's trademarks), although it still paled if compared to the original. SMAP are very popular in Japan, but it seems there was another reason why they were chosen to perform this number: they also have a TV show called SMAP X SMAP and Michael made a special appearance there once. Go YouTube it if you are curious enough.


• Kobayashi Sachiko costume: one of the "Kohaku traditions" is that Kobayashi Sachiko, a popular enka singer, will show up with an extravagant but beautiful costume when it's her turn to perform. This year was no different, and having a giant torso of herself holding her on the "statue"'s hands was a nice idea.


• Angela Aki's song: Angela Aki is one singer in Japan that, although I am not very familiar with her discography, I am often pleased with those I hear. Probably most people will know her by "Kiss me Good-bye", that is also Final Fantasy XII theme song, but in Kohaku she sang "Tegami ~Haikei Juugo no Kimi e~". That song was composed for the 75th NHK National School Music Contest in 2008 and has a nice message. Considering that 2009 was the year that more children commited suicide in Japan, this song comes in a good time.


• Saburo Kitajima's "Matsuri": well, this one is another tradition. "Matsuri" has been the last song of Kohaku for quite some time. And it quite appropriate to be so.


• Ayaka's last performance before "break": that one got me by surprise. I didn't know that Ayaka annouced that she was diagnosed with Graves' disease and that would put her career on hold after 2009. As she was invited to Kohaku, it became her last performance. Although it wasn't that long before her debut, I am familiar with some of her songs, many of which I like a lot; for example "Mikazuki", "I Believe", "Anata to" (with Kobukuro) and "Okaeri". "Why" is another song that more people outside Japan may know since it's the Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core theme song.

Well, to avoid saying that staying in front of TV was everything I did for new year, as it's tradition since I came to Kyoto, we had a dinner with my host family and other "foster international students". Good opportunity to eat like there's no tomorrow and enjoy a more family-like atmosphere. This year someone brought a mochi-making machine. Didn't even know that such a machine existed! And it works nice!

Also, for the first time I decided to take an omikuji (some sort of fortune paper). Yes, in all previous years I went to shrines but never participated in the rituals. My luck for 2010 according to it is "regular" (平). Reading it further, the general message was that I may get what I want if I put effort into it...

Obvious? Meaningless? Maybe, but I prefer to think of it as confirming my usual view about luck:

「俺の運命は俺が決める」, or "My destiny is up to me to decide."