Waiting in Brazil

Many of you have heard about the many lines we have had to wait in while in Brazil. It is truly amazing how much you have to wait. For those who do not know, it is very common in any service oriented place in Brazil to wait in a line until it is your turn. In most government places, where we have spent literally 3-4 hours a day at different points, you normally get a senha or number to tell you when it is your turn. While you wait some places have chairs others just have lines drawn on the floor for you to follow.

Waiting in lines is something we are getting used to, so we at least expect it know most places we go. what is truly amazing to me though is to watch the Brazilians around me as they wait too. As I observe I have faced again with the pace of life we set for ourselves in the US and how drastically different it is here. In the US we are used to waiting in lines at certain places; the bank, the grocery store, the doctors office, and many others. However, when we know that we will have a long wait it is very common to bring something to do while you wait. (i.e. letters to write, homework to finish,a list to make, or at the very least something to read) Not here though. Here in Brazil most people simply take their place in line and wait. Every now and then there are those people who see a friend and spend their time in conversation, but for the majority of the people their time is spent quitely waiting their turn.

At first my thoughts go to questions like, "How can they waist all that time?" or "Do they really have nothing else to do?" But the longer I am in Brazil the more i wonder about the benefits of slowing my pace so as to enjoy my "line time" in peace and calmness taking some of the time forcably carved out of my day to relax rather than run.