Round 2

It was not that long since our first meeting, and I was already ready for our second meeting. I shot Anderson a text asking if he was not too busy this week and wanted to hang out whenever he was free. He had some tough exams that week but said that he should be free later that week. The week passed by and the day we were supposed to meet up was slowly approaching. Finally it was Friday. We had agreed to meet up again at the world renown “Market Square” for lunch again around 1:30. I get out of Ecology at 1 on Fridays so that wouldn’t be a problem for me.

            As I got out of Ecology on Friday, I wanted to talk to my grandmother that day, so I gave her a call. I tend to call my grandmother as I walk back to my dorm from my classes almost every day. That day we were on the phone discussing the topic of who was the better cook. Now let me clarify; I am the worst cook out there. However, I always get a kick making things a competition with my grandmother and so does she. This Christmas we are actually putting our talents to the test in “Hell’s Kitchen” to see who’s the better cook. Our conversation lasted for a good while. I was pacing my room when my eyes caught a glimpse of the clock. It was 1:37! I was so late for my lunch with Anderson. I had to cut the conversation with my grandmother immediately. I literally ran out of the room.

            As I was headed over to Market Square, I let Anderson know that I was on my way and that I was running a tad late. He said that it was all good except that he doesn’t know how much longer his phone would last since it was running out battery. We agreed to meet each other at the little sitting area just outside of Market Square. I finally arrived to Market Square. W grabbed our food, sat down, and immediately began talking. I found it interesting the cuisine that Anderson would typically pick. He told me that in Brazil they would normally eat beans and rice almost everyday. That was the staple meal of the average Brazilian. It seems that here in the U.S. the staple meal is a hamburger and some large fries. He then started discussing the socioeconomic situation of Brazil. Brazil is not the riches nation and its per capita income is reflective of that. They can’t afford the amounts of meat that people in the U.S. can. Rice and beans are a cheaper meal. Not only that, rice and beans are quite a bit healthier than a big, greasy burger.

We later discussed more about his transition into the U.S. from Brazil. He mentioned that a lot of the things that they have in Brazil are also found here in the U.S. This made the transition somewhat easier. His wife also made the transition more fluid. I could only imagine how tough it would have been for him if he came to the U.S. without his wife. As our conversation continued, we then discussed many things about Brazil. I mentioned that I had a cousin who lived in Brazil. One of my cousin’s favorite things to do in Brazil was to attend the Carnival celebration in Rio de Janeiro. Anderson told me that it is quite an experience and one that everyone should have on their bucket list. He told me of all the fireworks and dances that happen during this time in Brazil.

As the time progressed, Anderson noticed that his wife had texted him saying that she was on her way to pick him up. We had to end the conversation because we did not want to keep the Mrs. waiting. We said our goodbyes and talked about possibly meeting sometime soon in the near future. It is honestly crazy how despite the differences in our cultures, there are quite a bit of similarities that unite us even if we do come from places that are thousands of miles apart.