Brandon Twp.- Moving to Brazil for a year posed some daunting tasks for Pam Belding? she would need to leave her township home, family and friends, homeschool her son, and communicate in a foreign language.
But she didn’t set her sights on avoiding homesickness, being the best teacher, or learning to speak Brazilian Portuguese fluently.
‘My main goal was for everyone to love each other when we got back,? Belding says.
Mission accomplished. The Belding family, which also includes Pam’s husband, Blake, and their 9-year-old son, Garrett, returned to the township, intact, in August.
It was the fall of 2007 when Blake, a project manager for Guardian Industries, called Pam and asked her if she was sitting down. He then told her that in late spring of 2008, they would be leaving for Tatui, Brazil, where he would oversee the building of a glass factory. He asked her if she would be willing to homeschool, since there would be no English-speaking schools in the vicinity for Garrett.
‘Usually when my husband tells me we’re moving out of the country, he takes me out to lunch and breaks it to me gently,? Pam says, recalling the two previous occasions they have lived overseas. ‘So, my response was, ‘You didn’t even buy me lunch first.??
She adopted a good attitude, looking at the forthcoming trip as an opportunity for all of them to learn. They recruited their neighbors to care for their house and plants while they were gone, packed up clothes and their dog and cat, and left in June 2008. They returned home for a 7-week stint less than two months later while they were waiting for their permanent visas, but went back to Brazil in September 2008.
Pam knew some Portuguese from a decade before when she and Blake lived in Rio de Janeiro for 14 months when another glass factory was built.
‘I understand about 70 percent of Brazilian Portuguese,? Pam said. ‘Not bad until you realize the other 30 percent is pretty important.?
The Beldings rented a fully furnished home in a wealthy, gated community in Sao Paolo. One of the most noticeable differences between here and there, Pam said, is that Michigan has four distinct seasons, whereas in Brazil, winter is rainy and consistently 50 degrees and summer is ‘Oh my god hot.?
‘My sweat was sweating,? Pam laughed. ‘You jump in the pool and when you get out, you stand in front of a fan. There’s no air conditioning like here. They’re used to it. Christmas was obscenely hot.?
Christmas looked quite a bit different than what they would have had at home? they made a Christmas tree out of paper and Pam, wearing a bikini and skirt, cooked for 15 of their Brazilian as well as ex-patriate friends. Four days later, the Beldings were spending New Year’s Eve at a resort in the Amazon. The experience felt more like the fourth of July to Pam, as they watched fireworks from a boat.
‘We didn’t swim in the Amazon, because there are fish in there big enough to eat you, and snakes and small creatures that I don’t want near any orifice of my body,? she laughs.
While some of the animals in Brazil, including macaws, could be frightening, the people were just very friendly and a joy to be around.
‘One of the most important things about being Brazilian is making sure friends, family and having fun? the things that matter most? are taken care of first,? Pam said.
She describes the economy as ‘kicking butt? in Brazil and noticed 12 businesses open before Christmas in a country that is far less regulated than the U.S. Everyone appeared to be working, sweeping streets, selling produce, etc. and in Brazil, employing domestic help such as maids and gardeners is encouraged.
‘There is poverty there, but it is handled differently? they may have been por, but they are not miserable or dejected,? Pam said.
The Beldings had the amenities of home? running water, electricity and cable television, although some shows were in English, some were not, and some shows such as ‘Big Bang Theory? and ‘Heroes? were a full season behind.
Pam and Garrett did homeschool every day for about 3 hours in the morning and then would spend their afternoons hanging out at the clubhouse, playing tennis, volleyball or basketball and hanging out in the pool. Garrett played some soccer, but didn’t enjoy playing against Brazilian boys who have been playing since they could walk, Pam said.
They enjoyed the food, which she describes as very fresh? usually steak or chicken with beans and rice every day.
Garrett was very shy at first in Brazil, but drew a lot of attention with his blue eyes and blonde hair which Pam said Brazilian women loved to touch.
‘It’s not in their culture to ask,? she said. ‘It’s a compliment. He learned to kiss on the left and right cheeks and to be more accepting of people.?
The Beldings returned to the township on Aug. 1 as a stronger family, Pam said. She is glad to be back and to have Garrett in fourth grade at Harvey Swanson Elementary, being taught by the professionals. But they learned some important lessons in Brazil.
‘I learned to enjoy the process of living day to day? happiness is its own reward,? she said. ‘I learned that no matter what happens, as long as you enjoy the process, everything is good. Life is beautiful.?