Brief update of past 3 weeks

The past 3 weeks were busy, with a lot on my mind. However, the weeks passed by without a lot of noticeable activities. I'm more and more integrated here, also some unusual things here in Brazil strike me now more as usual. Quite strange to get used to these ways of living, while when I will be back in the Netherlands I need to get used again to the Dutch way of life. I'm still planning to post interesting blogs for you all, which should give you more insight of how Brazil is.

The project research work is really started, and it is more time consuming than I expected. I went for a second time to the coffee farm of Marcelo, the same one as the first time. Here I saw the coffee separator for the first time working! At the farm we observed the sample collection. Ate some fruit that was growing between the coffee plants (providing the needed shadow for the plants). The next day Marcelo brought the collected samples, it was then when we heard the samples (green cherries and red) were mixed. We had to go back to the farm the same day. This time we took complete care of the collected samples and also treated them with the chemical to test. That second day we arrived back in Viçosa late. In a hurry I ate at the university restaurant just to be on time for the presentation of my professor. For me it was more a formality to be present than to understand a thing (everything was in Portuguese). However, Ana translated some part and the talk was basically what I read in my professor's literature. 

Lucas, I and Katinka got some visitors from the Netherlands. Erik and other employees of the Living Lab Biobased Brazil visited Viçosa. We managed to meet and drink something at a local bar in Viçosa. It is a pitty I couldn't talk more with Erik, but I talked some with the other employees about my experiences. 

Oh one weekend I went with some of the exchange students and Micael to the swimming pool. This pool is at the campus and is free for all UFV-students! A few weeks ago it opened, but never had the change to go. But now the weather was good (we hadn't had good weather lately), I want to go more often... but now again the weather isn't that great for swimming. Yes, there you are in Brazil and still complaining as a real Dutch about the weather. 

Forced to stay home again...

Now something bad happend, however I also had a lot of luck. I was hit by a motorcycle, luckily only against my left leg. I was with Samanda who tried to pull me out of the danger zone. I took the hit on my calf muscle. As I remember, I was a bit shocked but remain calm. As Samanda told me, I was shocked and started talking a lot in English and Dutch. I remember that the motorcyclist was maybe even more shocked than me. I couldn't communicate with him, he didn't understand what I was saying. Luckily Samanda could communicate for me, because somehow she understood me. A nice man who saw the accident happen stopped with his car and offered us to bring us to the hospital. At first, I was like no need, the pain will get over. But I noticed I couldn't argue, so oké lets go to the hospital. Together with the motorcyclist, Samanda and Paola (another Colombian girl) we went to the hospital. I must say, I found it all very intrestring. Always wondered how it would be like in a hospital not in the Netherlands. And here I am... We went to the emergency entrance, after some registration difficulties we needed to wait... a long time. For an emergency department of the hospital it involved a lot of waiting. Because after the nurse measured my blood and asked me some questions we needed to wait again. Then the doctor examined my leg, by roughly squeezing in my muscle. Finally he said an X-ray will be taken and I will get some strong painkiller. For the X-ray we needed to wait... again. The whole hospital and the X-ray room especially made me think about the hospital scenery of The Walking Dead. Behind every door I expected a zombie 😉😜. So the man for the X-ray was also a bit rough with my leg and when he finished, I needed to wait in the room... again. While I was waiting, a nurse entered the room with a big syringe of painkiller 😨... Straight in my ass...😳 
Finished at the hospital and then what? With a taxi I went home, broken of the pain I fell in bed. 

Now the painkiller is stopped working (lasted for about 3 days) and not taking my subscribed painkillers I feel better what is painful and what not. Most of the pain is focused in my left Achilles heel. It doesn't hurt all of the time, mostly after walking or when I move my feet differently. Walking the stairs is the most difficult part. First days I also had pain in my throat muscles. You might wonder why I won't take my subscribed painkillers, well that is because they appear to be more toxic than helpful to my body. And besides, I need the pain to feel and be reminded what I can and can't do. Besides these pain issues, I miss some of the fun things. I can't go to forró class for example, and I had a funny mud party planned 2 days after the accident... I couldn't go anymore 😐.

But after 2 days of staying home, I really felt like I needed to go out again😬. I went together with Lucas on an expedition to explore more of the forest at the campus. We both were curious if there are more than just 1 walking trail. And yes we found one, and while walking, we found to our surprise some other trails! I like to walk, but it was difficult with my leg. I'm happy to know some walking trails, but I feel like I can't walk much... 

After some preparation, the moment was there. Lucas, I and Katinka prepared ourselves for the presentation about the Dutch culture. But we didn't only talked about our cultural aspects. We also talked about the Netherlands in general and its history. At least, now some more people know it's not Holland where we are from but from the Netherlands.

Later, my professor invited me and Ana to visit his farm with an UFV excursion. In a hippy bus we went with a group of 9 to his farm. It was a eucalyptus farm, but besides wood production he brews Cachaça, tests new furnaces for heat production. Unfortunately for me, it was all in Portuguese. He also had a small mono-crystalline solar panel, you don't see many solar panels here in Brazil.

To end this blog, I had a wonderful dinner with the Colombian girls. While they prepared burgers, I prepared together with Samanda some lovely brownies. It is quite funny, I think Dutch girls talk a lot but these speak even more... in Spanish and fast... It was quite entertaining sometimes when they all start to talk through each other. After dinner, we ended the evening/night with some bord and card games.

Till next blog..