dh

I’ve been going to Brazil since I was six months old–a fact to which my January 1986 Brazilian passport picture testified, through a couple renewals, until 1998. Though I was born (weeks before my time) in Lubbock, Texas, my mother was (and is) Brazilian. Through the magic of jus sanguinis, I too am Brazilian.

This would come in handy–right now, actually, as Brazil and the States engage in reciprocal hissy-fits over the prices of visas and biometric data gathering from visitors. The only reason I maintain my Brazilian citizenship is to avoid forking over $100 or more every time I visit family.

Anyway, I did visit family plenty–I used to go at least every year in the summer. My living grandparents, great-aunt, godparents, and many other significant relatives live in Rio de Janeiro. To gloss over the details, my mother and sister more or less moved back to Rio in the late 1990s. The top relatives all live in the Tijuca district. I acquired Portuguese as a first language, although my lack of schooling and mostly native accent peg me as a very tall kindergartener.

“Portunhol” is a big problem for me: Portuguese made it very easy to pick up Spanish, since a lot of the roots and basic grammar are from Latin or common Iberian influences, but the realities of the world have me speaking much more Spanish than Portuguese.

I haven’t been since the fall of 2002, because I’ve developed things to do in the summer as high school turned into college.

I’ve seen all the sights in Rio, though I may not remember all of them. Sugar Loaf, the Christ on Corcovado, the various beaches, the Opera, the Botanical Gardens, etc etc etc. I’ve traveled a little inside the state of Rio, to Niteroi and Petropolis… I’ve also dipped into the state of Minas Gerais, at towns like São Lourenço.

I’m well acquainted with the international airports of Rio and São Paulo, and hazily remember a bit of Brasilia’s. I’ve never been out in those other cities, though.

It’s unlikely that this upcoming visit will bring anything exciting and new, but if there’s anything I’ll be sure to post about it. I might complain about the travel too, if I run out of other things to do. Hopefully I’ll be concentrating on studying for the LSAT and not have time to complain.