Brasil

“Eu sou poderosa do Brasil” or “I am a powerful (woman) of Brazil” was the theme for this summer’s collection.

A few weeks ago, I had the very special opportunity to attend the C&A Brazil fashion show, kicking offs its new line for Summer 2013. The collection, titled Eu sou poderosa (“I am powerful”), featured four different Brazilian poderosas, or “powerful women,” representing 4 different regions, 4 different styles, and 4 different spirits that altogether reflect the beauty of Brazil’s unique and immense diversity.

The fashion show was an exciting experience for me, not so much for the clothes and the glamor, but more because it gave me an opportunity to reflect on my experience in Brazil as a whole. For me, it was not the models and the fashion I was watching on the runway; it was Brazil.

The mixture of colors, textures, and patterns in the four poderosa collections reflected the vibrancy and the richness of the Brazilian culture and spirit –or, as they termed it, brasilidade– that is so present in every aspect of their life, from the clothes they wear to the music they listen to.

The fashion show was filled with guest appearances from Brazilian celebrities.

Preta Gil was one of the surprise guest performers for the evening.

In true Brazilian style, the show was complemented with music and dancing at every interval, again showing off the wide and lively array of musical genres that Brazilians all love and live by. The audience danced and sang along as some of the biggest names in Brazilian pop culture appeared on stage by surprise—or at least surprise for me. No one else seemed to be too awed when Naldo came out to sing his number one hit “Se jogo” and then Preta Gil joined him in a duet before the parade had even started, or when worldwide supermodel Isabel Gouzart walked out onto the runway leading the other top models behind. The others in the audience did not know ahead of time either, but for them it is just another one of those things about Brazil that comes as such a striking contrast to me (to have the lives of the rich and the famous so casually overlapping with people’s everyday life) but that here is just seen as something so normal. Personally, I am still shocked weeks later that I saw Mariene de Castro and Thiago Abravanel along with all of the others all in one night. These are names that even I recognize and admire after just my few short months here. (And did I mention that the admission to this mega-event was totally free?)

Ex-Victoria’s Secret angel Isabel Gouzart led the models down the runway.

Brasilidade takes the runway.

For me, the biggest takeaway from the experience was an affirmation of Brazil’s great pride in its uniqueness and its determination to portray the country and its people in a way that truly embraces all that makes them distinct. This is something that I have noticed not just in the music and the fashion industry, but also as a theme among investors, organizations, and other local groups all looking for a unique model for growth and development in Brazil that plays to the country and culture’s strengths and identity. Brazil believes in itself, the all poderosa, and is determined to do things its own style.

Samba dancers took over the runway for the grand finale.

As the show came to an end, samba dancers took over the stage to give one last performance and complete the one missing part of the all Brazilian experience. A Sunday night at 9pm, and the event finished by launching into a huge party that was just getting started.

Overall, I would say they did it: they managed to capture the true essence and spirit of Brazil all on one stage and all in one room. If this was just a fashion show, I cannot wait to see what they will do for the Olympics…

48.  That’s the number of times little Dieguito has missed class since the school year started.  Whether it was because the weather was bad, or someone wasn’t feeling well, or for whatever other reason his parents could not take him in that day, there has always been some excuse.

27.  That’s the number of bilhetes, or tickets, that little Dieguito has received for not having done his homework on the days that he has gone to school.

Dieguito’s caderno: Dieguito used to get a bilhete almost every day for not having done his homework.

The first time I saw his caderno –the notebook where he is meant to write down his homework for the day, but that he instead had filled with bilhetes– he was taking it out to get his father’s signature.  (Every time a child receives a bilhete, he has to take it home to have a parent sign to say that they have seen that their child has not done the work.)  Dieguito’s father looked down at the bilhete, signed it without asking a question, and Dieguito was ready to return to his computer games for the evening.

Sitting there witnessing this interaction, I was a bit surprised.  I was expecting some kind of scolding, or at least an interrogation of some sort.  Why hadn’t he done the homework?  Maybe he had not known how to do it.  Maybe he was being lazy.  Or maybe he was just not receiving the proper kind of encouragement.

I asked him, “Dieguito, why did you get a bilhete?”

He responded, “Because I didn’t do the homework.”

So I asked him, “Why didn’t you do the homework?”

He just shrugged.

“What’s your homework for today?  Do you need some help?  Maybe we can do it together.”

He took out his paper: a list of long-division problems, which he clearly did not understand or even know where to start.  I sat down with him and we began to work through the problems together.  And very soon, this became our nightly routine.

Every evening, I would arrive home and the first thing I would ask was, “Dieguito, what’s the homework for tonight?”  And then, we would sit down together to work through it.  In the beginning, Dieguito was still a bit reluctant.  If we came to a calculation he did not know right away, he would want me to give him the easy answer, and it took a bit of convincing to make him try and keep him engaged.

But as we continued on with our nightly routine, he began to become more and more self-motivated.  Instead of me arriving to the house and asking him if he had homework, he started to be the one to run to me when I entered, excited to announce, “Look!! This is the homework I have for today.”

This week, I was in for an even better surprise.  As I walked through the door, Dieguito came over with a huge smile.  Not only was he happy to show me that he had homework, but this time he beamed wide as he held out a whole page of problems that he had already completed by himself with no help and not even a reminder.

A perfect score: Dieguito received full marks on the first homework assignment he completed all by himself.

Working hard: Dieguito concentrates on his homework.

Doing homework has become something that Dieguito looks forward to and something that he is proud of.  He excitedly shares how he now gets good feedback from the teachers, and he even comments on how he can see his own handwriting is improving.  Homework time has become a highlight of his day; but if it were this easy, he could have been doing it all along.  So why didn’t he?

Honestly, I think he did struggle a bit with the content before.  His teachers were probably not giving him all the support he needed, and I definitely don’t think he was asking questions when he did not understand.  But perhaps more critically, he was also not receiving much motivation at home.  His parents were not involved in making sure he did his homework, and they were not quite setting the example that going to school everyday was a priority.

But was it their fault?  Big Diego, Dieguito’s father, admits himself that he was never very good in school.  And Brenda, his mother, did not get very far herself.  They probably both grew up in homes where their parents did not offer them much support with school either.  And like that, it continues in an on-going cycle where parents do not fully motivate their children through school, not because they do not care, but because, never having learned from a good example themselves, they do not understand what kind of support is required.

The education system in Brazil has its problems, undoubtedly.  Poor infrastructure, the lack of qualified teachers, poorly designed curriculums, etc.; these are all surely huge obstacles, as well.  But the more basic problem starts with setting an example at home.

Since I started working with Dieguito, he still earns an occasional bilhete when he forgets to write down the full assignment, and he still misses a day of school here and there.  But just knowing that someone else cares –that someone will be disappointed if he forgets to do his homework, that someone will be proud when he gets good marks– he now cares about school and his own progress, too.  And seeing the transformation, his parents are now becoming more involved, too, realizing how they can also take a more active role in their son’s learning process, as well.  Really, as I see it, it’s a big change that starts with something small.  Showing a lit bit of interest and offering a tiny push for motivation can go a long way.  And of course, it all starts with setting the right example.

17:00 on the dot, and I am ready to go.  My first meeting with the partners is scheduled to begin now.  PowerPoint up, posters on the wall, post-its and pens all counted out.  Banana bread baked and fresh out of the oven, refreshments on the table and ready to serve.

17:07, still waiting for everyone (or anyone) to appear ready to start.  My workshop invitees are present, but in another room still locked in conversation.

17:24, I receive confirmation that we are waiting for the last partner to show up so that we can begin.

17:46, last participant arrives.

18:00, an hour late and we’re just getting starting.  Odds are already not in our favor for getting through the agenda I had planned out.

Madlibs never fail– a great opening activity to start the meeting and get everyone thinking.

18:11, PowerPoint launched and we’re getting into content, just when it’s decided that we should call a few more people in to come and listen, too.

18:20, Take 2; we try again with everybody present now.

18:30, and we’re still on Slide 1.  First quote and we’ve already started a good debate.  But we’ll try to put discussion on pause until we can get through the presentation of content…

19:12, holding comments doesn’t work so well with so many creative minds in one room.  Let’s just put the PowerPoint on hold for now and go to the next activity.

19:40, abandon agenda, forget the planned activities, try to skip to the decisions that need to be made.

20:27, meeting adjourned.  Halfway through the PowerPoint, banana bread all gone, posters still blank, questions raised but decisions still unmade.  But conversation started, ideas in the air, discussion to be continued…

The best laid plans…– Two hours later and the posters are still blank.

Maybe it’s Brazil.  Or maybe it’s just the nature of the topic.  Most likely, it’s a combination of both.

Frustrating?  A little bit.  Productive?  Not so much.  But a step forward?  Yes.  And I guess they liked it, too, (and they certainly loved the banana bread) because they’ve asked me to represent the PowerPoint on Thursday so that can hear it all again and have a chance to see the rest.  So here we go; let’s try again.  But maybe this time we’ll do without an agenda…

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This post was originally written on Monday, September 9, 2013.