Fica à vontade, seven days in Salvador da Bahia

Amina

Spring break seems so far away yet our ORL trip to Salvador da Bahia is still on my mind. It was my first time in Brazil, in Latin America, after spending so many years studying the language, literature and culture at IU-Bloomington and in the Boston-area Brazilian communities. I am deeply grateful to Dean Thames, ORL and SPO for this unexpected opportunity to be a part of the trip.  

The guides Ronnell Perry and Nilzete Santos curated an itinerary that gave us access to intimate spaces. Visits to the church Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos, the sisterhood  Irmandade da Boa Morte in Cachoeira, a quilombo and a terreiro left an indelible impact as we learned stories of resilience, resistance, joy and community-building. Having previously visited sites of memory in Ghana and Senegal, being present in those spaces was very healing for me. Some of my favorite moments during the trip were: seeing new friendships being formed, laughter on the bus on our way to Cachoeira, indulging in fruits that I grew up eating such as passionfruit, soursop, guava, mango and falling in love with new to me dishes (bolinho de estudante!). A meaningful moment was the tour of the quilombo fields which revived childhood memories at my grandparents’ home in Rumonge, close to the Lake Tanganyika. As he guided us in the fields, I recalled similar infrastructures to transform cassava into cassava flour (unga wa muhogo) and palm nuts into a deep rich red palm nut oil “mafuta ya mawese” in Kiswahili or “dendê” in Portuguese.  

Throughout our stay, it was also so rewarding to practice my Portuguese in different contexts and learn idiomatic expressions, one of them being “fica a vontade”. I first heard it when we arrived at the hotel and puzzled, I was trying to make sense of the words “fica à vontade”, does it mean “rester à volonté? à ma volonté?”. Then I heard it again throughout the stay, in the quilombo, terreiro, ice cream parlor. “Fica à vontade” translated as "be my guest”, “make yourself comfortable” extends a warm welcome and generosity, just like “l’art de la Téranga sénégalaise”. I left Salvador with a deep sense of gratitude for this unforgettable trip, and for being a recipient of this boundless sense of hospitality and warmth. 

Luana

Salvador é lugar de encontro, encanto e surpresa. 

As ruas dessa cidade tem magia, tem axé!  Uma dessas belas surpresas foi o encontro com o querido amigo Maurício Acuña (SPO graduate alum, Ph.D, 2021).

A primeira capital do Brasil, onde tudo começou. Terra ancestral que irradia poesia.  

Salvador é terra, é mar, é lagoa, é dique, é rio, é barra! é amar… 

Este ano vivi Salvador com um outro olhar. 

Graças ao Office of Religious Life and the Department of Spanish and Portuguese fiz uma visita de passarinho a Salvador por uma semana (9-15 de março, nossas férias de primavera) com um grupo de colegas e estudantes maravilhosos. Vivi Salvador com passos rápidos, mas ainda teimosamente no tempo espiralar (mainha me ensinou a ser desobediente quando necessário) Pisar em Salvador é viver o encanto, é ouvir o chamado ancestral do tempo. 

É tempo de ouvir o tempo! 

One of the most rewarding parts of our trip to Bahia was the chance to connect more deeply with colleagues, students, and the vibrant culture that makes this region so special. I especially loved spending time with my brilliant colleague Amina. Her joy in discovering the different flavors of Brazilian ice cream and falling in love with bolinho de estudante was contagious. It was a true pleasure to share some of my favorite things in Bahia with her. 

What a joy to connect with my Portuguese students Joe and Gianmarco and see their happiness in seeing firsthand  the rich culture and the things we learned in class in real life. They were able to talk to people in Portuguese and establish beautiful connections with the community. It was also a joy to meet other Princeton students along the way—and hopefully spark their interest in learning Portuguese. 

The highlight of the trip for me was visiting Quilombo Santo Antônio e Vidal in São Félix, in the Recôncavo da Bahia. It was truly incredible to bring together my research, my passion, and the place that brings me joy, while sharing the experience with my colleagues and students. We sat together for a meal lovingly prepared with food from the quilombo 

and shared stories and reflections that will stay with us for years to come. We also learned about the remarkable strength and dedication of the women who sustain this community through their tireless work and leadership.

Pisar no chão do quilombo é tocar a história viva do povo negro no Brasil. 

Em uma semana revi amigos queridos, conheci mais outros tantos e vivi momentos incríveis. Agradeço!