imagink

[Author: Shivani Chaudhry | Date Published: 8 August 2009] Brazil makes me incredibly happy. It also makes me sad. You can't have the ecstacy without the agony, can you? Because then it wouldn't be life. It wouldn't be real. And Brazil is life. It is real. More than real. And here, in this land of passion and pain, I find myself swaying in the narrow space between the two... The warmth of the people, their affection, and their ability to live life to the fullest is what keeps my soul singing. The vibrance, the love, and the music make my spirit smile. But there is much suffering here. Much violence. Much heartbreak. Like everywhere else. But here it's different. Everything seems more intense. The joy and the grief. Because Brazil is intense. Brazilians are intense. And all my experiences here are intense too. Deep in my heart there's an alegria , an intense joy. But a deep feeling of saudade too.... How do I explain saudade in English? I can't. It has no trans...