Bethrah Szumski
Brazil! That’s all I could think about for months before I went. This would be my first time to the country and that idea is always super exciting to me. I first met André Fernandes in Mexico for LBP and had been hearing news of the organization and event in South America. There was much discussion about the difficulty, financial and practical for South Americans to get to the US and Mexico for education. When I started looking at tickets, that made a lot of sense. The flight to Sao Paulo was nine hours. It’s pricey and requires a lot of extra work to bring in foreign language speakers from the US. It’s a real honor to get that invitation.
Sao Paulo is grimy and amazing. Unlike many places I’ve visited, every place I went to shop took credit cards. Maybe more practical than carrying cash? The petty crime rate is off the hook. I was never worried about my safety at any moment though. The first day was only really about FOOD. Delicious food plus more delicious food. Small groups, big groups, food, food, food. Of course, I had sprained my ankle within ten minutes of arrival so part of the day was an exploration of the Brazilian pharmacy. The only thing better than a grocery store in a new country is a pharmacy. SO many strange items I can’t read the labels on. I found some good (non-narcotic) meds that would see me through. I had to repeat this mission homebound for the head cold I got at the end. Travel while you’re young folks: it’ll kick your butt!
Buses gathered to take the whole attendee group to the venue in the afternoon of the next day. The drive was beautiful. Jungles, mountains, and waterfalls the whole way to the beach. The venue is a quaint beach resort during off season. The beach was right across the street. It rained most of the week, but it hardly mattered. The place was lovely. Orchids everywhere and jungle noises really made me feel how different of a place I was in.
The set up felt super relaxed, but the organizers were on top of everything. They did this thing that I found super interesting from an organizational perspective. First let me qualify with the fact that a lot can fall down that will affect whether a speaker can do a good class. This has created a bit of hyper vigilance for me and some other travel educators I know. Things like, will there be a computer? Some events are so loose you never know just what to expect. So, here is the thing I really enjoyed. They managed all things with no sense of urgency. Normally, I would consider this with concern. No need, it was just good planning. There was an AV person available at all times to help with anything. Even with a language barrier everyone was SO amazingly helpful. Meals were set up buffet style and really nice. Vegan options for each, including dessert.
The sentiment that “the people in my town won’t buy gold” is time and again proving to be false. The expo boasted quite a few gold jewelers that work exclusively for the South American market. Importing from the US can be quite problematic. I’m generally impressed by companies that have a clear vision of what they are doing and for whom. It was great to see a lot of support from bigger companies as well.
If you know me, you know I’m a talker. Even so, I find some things quite difficult to express. One of those things about this event was how very impressed I was with the organizers André and his partner, Tati. Everything I could think to say just seemed sappy. Really though, I’m a fan. These guys really put together an amazing event. The things they do to help people come to the event just blew my mind. There is an eye for the big picture of piercing in South America. It’s the ONLY event I’ve EVER been to where female identified piercers well outnumber the men. While I was still one of the very few female speakers, I’m confident that will change quickly in Brazil. There was a unity and mindset amongst these women that I can only describe as FIERCE. Also, a big thank you to Roberta, the event interpreter. It’s one thing to stand a few hours to teach over the week. Another to stand, translating new ideas, in real time all day, every day.
