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Instant Tourist Attraction

I pretty much get constant stares anywhere I go on the streets of Salvador. My blonde hair blue-eyed status is something quite foreign in a place where around eighty percent of the population is Afro-Brasilian, and I’m pretty sure my khaki pants and chaco sandals do not help my cause. Needless to say, I attract looks from the locals.

It is interesting to see how people react towards me on the bus or in the street, because not only am I the typical white American – fair skin than burns within ten minutes of sun exposure – I am also a female who is petite in size. I contract glares from those in and outside the downtown areas of Pelourinho – once  a capoeira maestre had the urge to say “baixoina” (meaning short one), patting me on the head as he grinned, chuckling at his own clever comment – and sometimes I am given special tourist treatment to the vendors on the streets of Rio Vermelho, the neighborhood where I currently reside.

Today while walking back to the hostel, I decided to take a shortcut through the coconut stands when a man yells “ ay, gringa, uns cocos?”  and I reply with an assured “não, obrigada,” but the man couldn’t resist. He started walking toward me, getting close to my face, ready to hand me a coconut for me to claim and pay him for when I quickly turned away, continuing my journey back to my hostel, thankful that he didn’t persist and that I was able to stand my ground.

If this confrontation means that I must lose the chacos and stop wearing my “I Love Rutherfordton” t-shirt in public just so I can learn to blend into Brasilian life, I am very excited for this transition. The more I am able to dress like a Brasilian and speak Portuguese, the more I am able to convey my real self to others – otherwise I may never be taken seriously. I want to host the possibility of being apart of something truly real and meaningful not by giving up who I currently am, but rather embrace another part of who I wish to become.

Sarah Coyne

About Sarah Coyne


Originally from Ohio, Sarah now resides in Rutherfordton, North Carolina where she enjoys swimming, running, and helping others in her community. Sarah is a passionate individual and a strong advocate for young women, providing a voice for young girls at the GS National Convention in 2008 and volunteering during the local election campaigns in her community this past year. Sarah is also an accomplished musician and has traveled to Russia, Walt Disney World, and Washington D.C. with her school’s band and orchestra throughout her high school career. During her year abroad with Global Citizen Year, Sarah is excited to meet similarly passionate people while at the same time harnessing her own passions to make an impact in the global community.

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