Today was the Festa Junina commemorating São João (Saint John). It is also the celebration of Saints Anthony and Peter. Thousands of people gathered at the Docas to the march toward the center of the city to the Belém Plaza, where a concert and hundreds of vendors were set up with all types of local goods. While marching everyone follows a brasilian folk band and everyone swings to the music. The colorful streets and music rushed to my feet and hips and I couldn’t stop dancing as well.
Spending the day with some students at the college we’ve gone to a couple of times for lecture was a true cultural integration. While they showed us around the festival and told us other things about Belém we did not yet know about, they asked us an infinite amount of questions that I loved answering. It was also nice to hear that the youth here are not nearly as apathetic as the adults — just like Estados Unidos. One conversation with Uriel, one of the males in the group, was of the most interest to me: men using the sidewalks and building walls as urinals. He hates it and the way it makes certain areas smell like human piss while walking down the sidewalk. I’ve come to learn those aren’t just dirty puddles — they are piss puddles. Public restrooms don’t really exist here, so as a woman you are out of luck, and as a man if you have anywhere you please because it is not illegal to pee in public. When I told him about the strict laws regarding this topic in the states he said he wished the state of Pará would do the same because he said he knows that would be the only way to fix the problem. He said it is embarrassing when people come here only to find corners and random walls smelling of piss all over Belém. Now I really am sure to wash my feet upon returning to the hotel.
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