The Rio Deal

GA 106 (17 Mar 2024) - Time has flown by these past two weeks. With so much prep work for the grounded theory classes at UFSC in Florianopolis, travel, and the presentations here for the federal university in Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), it has been hard to keep up with everything. And here it is already into the last week of my grand adventure to South America. And what an incredible way to head into the final stretch with another opportunity to connect with more wonderful people and share my expertise.

Perspectives on Rio are a lot like we have for Toronto - people either love it or hate it, especially for the other citizens in their respective countries. Before coming here, some people I met in Floripa would say Rio was a fantastic place to visit, it is beautiful, it has great shopping, it's a fun party city, and so forth. Or some would say it is too big, too crowded, too crime-ridden, too chaotic, too narcissistic, etc. But if you ask the people who reside in Rio, whether Carioca (born and raised Rio-ites) or from other parts of Brazil, they love their city. What I have seen of Rio in my short visit I really love - the people, the vibe, the topography, the sights, and the history. Of course my impressions are through the eyes of a first-time tourist enamored with the exoticness of the city, but be that as it may...my time here has left me wanting to come back to experience even more. As for Toronto, I hate it - too big, too narcissistic (it is definitely not the center of the universe as it likes to think), too crowded, too crime-ridden, too chaotic...

My arrival in Rio on Tuesday evening was pretty uneventful, smooth, and efficient. Quickly off the plane at the local international airport (the one for South American countries) near the downtown core, suitcase ready at the baggage carousel when I got there, out of the terminal, and right into an Uber for the trip to my hotel on Copacabana Beach. Canadian airports cold learn a thing or two about efficiency in South America. Although a week night, the beach area was thriving with life - lights and people everywhere. I had intentionally selected a hotel near the west end close to Ipanema so that I could easily visit both world-famous strips. Rio is a stark contrast to Florianopolis with respect to the vibrant nightlife, especially near the beach, but also with respect to the more overt signs of social inequities for people - there are more people sleeping and living on the streets here. Prior to coming to Rio I had many warnings about personal safety due to crime; however, in the time here that included walks in the evening and using the metro, I never felt threatened or uncomfortable. Having worked in downtown Vancouver and being about in some parts of Winnipeg, it really is all about situational awareness and common sense in keeping personal items close and hidden.

The warm hospitality I received at UFRJ was most incredible, thanks to my primary hosts Marluci and Liana who had everything planned and ready to go before I arrived. Another faculty member, Maria, joined them to assist with interpretation in the presentations and, between the three of them, I learned so much about the graduate nursing program here...and had an incredible amount of fun! The main graduate program is organized into five departments, and my hosts and Maria were part of the Methodology group that includes nursing education and leadership/management. As their backgrounds are community health we had many interests in working with vulnerable structurally disadvantaged populations, and addressing access to care. We identified potential opportunities for collaboration in the near future...

On my first day I presented the inaugural address to new masters and PhD students coming into the program (it is Fall semester in this hemisphere), and my presentation was on general approaches to qualitative research. I cannot remember exactly how many people were in attendance, but possibly 30 students and 3 faculty? I think the address was fairly well-received and generated much interest. As part of my introduction I spoke about Canada's legacy in the treatment of Indigenous peoples that also piqued curiosity since Brazil's colonial past has had very similar impacts on the Indigenous people's here.

On the second day I presented my two-part workshop on scoping reviews that was also well-attended. For masters students I noted that they would not have time for this in their program (it is only a 2-year program unlike our 4-year delivery) but ought to consider joining a team to get the experience. For the PhD students I suggested a scoping review or any systematic review could be something of benefit for them in exploring the background of their research topic and that the experience of a review would be good for their professional development and CV.

Day three (Friday) was the presentation on environmental scans and this generated much interest as this methodological approach to scientific inquiry is relatively unknown in Brazil and, indeed, the rest of South America. Although the group was quite small there were a lot of questions asked and a desire to both learn and develop expertise in this research method. An interesting topic that arose was finding the right translation to Portuguese for some of the terms being used - it occurred to me that, as part of the knowledge translation process, our Canadian team might work closely with a few interested people here to work on these details in our next phase.

After the presentation was over it was off for a great lunch and my first real tourist adventure to the Sugar Loaf. This site is one of the two main attractions we often hear about, the other being the vista from Christ the Redeemer - these two places essentially bookend Rio from East to West. The gondola ride was breathtaking with incredible views from the Atlantic Ocean well into Baia de Guanabara, and then most of Rio de Janeiro on one side and Niteroi to the other. And the day could not have been more idyllic to provide a clear view from the top of both stages of the ride. Although it was off the summer season, the Sugar Loaf had a lot of sightseers but I suspect a lot of the locals come here just for the sunset.

I am not sure what was the main highlight for this evening. The view was stunning, so no question about that as a frontrunner. But then there were the 6 or so juvenile golden-white tassel-ear marmoset monkeys (macaco in Portuguese) that were playing tag and wrestling; this was so comical we had to sit and observe them. These small monkeys are a native species to Brazil and are found all over the city and outlying areas. The other contender for highlight was the spontaneous karaoke moment we had with the bartender while having our caipirinhas mixed 🙈 Yes, indeed...singing loudly to the song Suddenly I See (Devil Wears Prada) that was recorded and the video secured lest our professional images be shattered.

Saturday was dedicated to hitting a few of the other touristy areas.. A visit to Rio could not be complete without a trip to the Christ the Redeemer statue and the commanding vista from the observation deck. Once again, the weather could not have been more perfect for visibility but it was a scorching +32C (+39 with humidex). This monument is probably one of the most recognizable in the world, up there with Big Ben, the London Bridge, and the Eiffel Tower. I am not at all a religious person, so this pilgrimage had nothing to do with faith. But there is something so spiritual being in places like this - the openness, the sweeping vista, and the sheer magnitude of it all.

Then it was off to the Botanical Gardens, a free park for wandering about in nature. The walk through this garden was quite refreshing, especially given the heat. And there was such a variety of flora and fauna on the grounds with vivid colours, lots of trails, and fish aquariums. Being a Saturday there were many family units having picnics and strolls through the park. And then there was the lovely restaurant, Plage Cafe, a very popular brunch spot and eatery. Such a nice way to break up the day and enjoy a rest with great food and a...caipirinha. Yes, I think I have found a new favorite cocktail even though I have significantly reduced my alcohol consumption.

This trip to Rio was mainly a work escape with a wee bit of tourism blended in. I have to say it has been a great opportunity and experience that I would be most happy to repeat. With a bit more relationship building and moving ahead on some potential projects, perhaps there will be a sequel...