Robbed... of the pomp and circumstance!

HNIM!! (Hell no, it's Monday!) My host professor, Walkyria, introduced me to her favorite saying for bloody Mondays. This week, was the first wretched Monday in a while, but it got better pretty quickly--thank God!

(This is the view from my window.) I was kindly awakened by the construction workers that are building our kitchen and laundry room downtstairs. The constant banging from their hammer against the concrete walls at 7am on Monday morning was worse than a Chinese water torture, but I got over it. These men work construction all day, in the heat, humidity, rain, and in flip flops or sometimes barefoot! I really had nothing to complain about.

However, on Monday, I was robbed! Hahaha! That sounds so dramatic and scary, but it wasn’t at all. Ever since my arrival to Brazil, I had been warned that it might happen. We even had someone from the state department come in during our Fulbright orientation to discuss strategies for staying safe, mostly from thieves.

After being in Belém for a month now, I continue to hear, “Don’t go out at night!” “Carry your belongings in front of you.” “Give up anything they ask for, or they'll shoot!” My students even taught me what the robbers will say if they approach me: “Perdeu tudo!” “Perdeu! Perdeu!” (“You lost it all!” and “You lost it!” You lost it!”—hand it over, basically.)

So...I had packed my backpack with a change of clothes to attend the graduation ceremony in the evening. I was running a few minutes late, and I wanted to catch the first bus to UFPA. When I got to the bus stop, I rushed the line of people boarding to secure a seat. I knew that my bag should always be in front of me, and I kept it on my back, but it was only for a second—a second too long.

Once I reached the top of the steps, standing next to the driver, I switched my bag over to have it in front of me. At that point, it had already been opened and I noticed it emptier than before. The bus was jammed packed, so I had to close it quickly and hold on for dear life. After the bus cleared out, I opened my bag to find that the dress I had packed for the graduation had been taken. I was really confused and pretty irritated at first. I mean, what the heck could you want with a dress?! I guess if you’re hungry and poor, anything can help. I’m just glad it wasn’t a dangerous situation and nothing valuable was stolen. I’m also glad it happened because I’m more cautious when taking the bus.

As for the dress, I was able to make it home to change in time for the ceremony. It’s a good thing most events rarely start on time. The graduation was scheduled to begin at 5pm, we made it back by 5:30pm, and the ceremony did not begin until almost 6:30pm.

The professors had reserved seating in the front, and again, I felt like a VIP!

I sat and waited for the Pomp and Circumstance, but it never played. The song the graduates entered to was unfamiliar, but very nice. Once the ceremony started, the graduates were escorted to their seats by a family member. Photographers and family members crowded the aisle to get pictures—one would have thought that celebrities had entered the room!

Some graduates sat with their fathers, mothers, spouses, and one graduate was accompanied by her young daughter. This person also had the honor of going up on stage with the graduate to receive their degree.

The caps and gowns were quite interesting. Some of the caps had a fuzzy, white trim on top and all of the gowns had a lavender belt tied at the waist. The color was representative of the school from which they graduated. All the graduates received their degree in foreign language studies.

During the ceremony, some of the graduates delivered a speech thanking their families, friends, and teachers. A couple professors were also honored and presented with gifts. The professors also had a chance to address their students before they graduated. Finally, the graduates stood and took a stance similar to that of the Nazi salute—a little strange at first—with extended arms and their hands straight ahead while they recited an oath with the director of the school.

Their degrees were conferred, and the graduates tossed up their caps in rejoice!

I’m glad I was able to go. It’s celebrations like these that gives one a better look into the traditions and culture of nation. It was also a great end to a rough start of my day :)