In visiting the Curitiba soccer game I saw how the concept of the cordial man was related to soccer culture. The day after we arrived to Curitiba we attended the Coritiba game. We were lead to the family section of the concrete stands. It was calm, quiet, and there were little kids around, which is why I considered it the family section. Nevertheless, people would yell obscene chants at the teams all around the stadium.
When the game began, the choreographed fall of the gigantic t-shirt ingrained itself into my memory for the gracefulness of it struck me as strangers let it drop and then quickly folded it back up as another banner raced up the crowds. From there the giant flags were released and danced across the sky among the crowd. Chants filled the air, mainly coming from one section of the stands, and energy surged through the stadium.
After witnessing the difference between the two sections (the family section and the other section) I wanted nothing more than to go to the other section to see what it would be like to be surrounded by the enthusiasm of the fans. After halftime I made my way over to the other crowd. You could feel the stands shake as the fans jumped around singing. We were warned early however to be careful because the people in these crowds lived and breathed soccer. If provoked they would be merciless and take you down. They may not be welcoming or kind to foreigners because they would deem you unworthy of their enthusiasm for you don't share their magnitude of passion. However, these warnings did not stop me as I went ahead over to the section anyway.
This passion reminds me of the cordial man and its significance in Brazilian culture. The cordial man leads a life following his passions just as these soccer fans do. They know what makes them happy and the rest of the world just falls away as they focus in on what they care about. This experience truly tied together what I learned in class about Brazilian culture and the visible lives of the people of Brazil.
No comments:
Post a Comment