An international life well spent

It’s Monday morning as I arrive at Kenan 314 for Portuguese class. The class’ professor, Dr. Diviney, gently ambles into the room and greets me with a pleasant “Bom dia” (good morning), leading into a few minutes of random conversation before the lesson starts at 9:00. He is known affectionately by many as “Dr. Div”, and is naturally welcoming by his mellow demeanor. He is also one of the most interesting professors at Flagler. What we have in common is a wonderful past country of residence: Brazil. But prior to my junior year, the only thing I knew about Dr. Diviney was that he was head of the Spanish department. Now, two Portuguese classes and a Mesoamerican civilizations class later, I know a lot more about him based on the fascinating facts about Latin America and personal stories he shares during class. Having experienced Brazil myself as a middle and high-school student, it’s extremely refreshing to hear about Dr. Div’s first impressions of this beautiful country as a 19-year-old missionary in the 1960s. This is where his Brazilian adventure started.

Dr. Diviney went on his mission for the Mormon Church from September 1965-September 1967. He went to Caixas do Sul in Rio Grande do Sul, Curitiba and Apucarana in Paraná, and then back to Rio Grande for the cities of Santa Maria and Canôas. He recounts Brazil with eyes different from my own, from a time when Brazilians and Americans were more curious about each other’s culture, and from the eyes of a young man avoiding temptation while on his mission in an exotic land full of breathtaking landscapes and some of the friendliest people in the world. Brazil could have very well fostered Dr. Div’s laid-back attitude. One time, he was on a packed bus when a pretty young lady was trying to move down the aisle. When the bus hit a bump and sent her flying right into his lap, all she could say was a startled, “Com licença!,” (a polite ‘excuse me’), instead of “Perdão” (I beg your pardon) which would have been more appropriate. He was simply amused and replied, “Pois não?” the English equivalent of a combination between ‘of course’ and ‘why not.’

Dr. Diviney expresses his interest in culture and history as well as language by collecting interesting historical artifacts, including many from the 1800s. One time he made friends with a vendor in Brazil who couldn’t afford a family member’s important operation and gave the man the fairly large sum of money he needed. The vendor was so grateful, he later insisted Dr. Div take an antique gun he was going to sell as a present. This 1800s gun was completely unique, Dr. Div took it back with him and several years later found out it was worth several thousand dollars.

Brazilian student and Portuguese tutor Rafaela Faria agrees that Dr. Diviney is an admirable professor for introducing not only Portuguese, but also French and Italian as elementary studies at Flagler. Before this year, Spanish and American Sign Language were the only languages offered to study. “It opens up a whole new perspective to Flagler students,” says Rafa. “And Dr. Diviney is a great Portuguese teacher.” With regard to the new languages offered courtesy of Dr. Diviney, President Abare was shocked at how popular they were. Last semester and immediately this semester during registration, the language classes completely filled up as fast as they could. New classes the faculty thought were against the odds Dr. Diviney knew would be successful. I’m only one of many students who are very grateful for the now multiple-language opportunity he presented to our college.

He lived in Brazil one more time, for a year and a half from 1981-1982 in Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro may be Brazil’s most signature city, with good and bad extremes: crystal blue beaches, lush forests and a lovely climate, and some of the most concentrated crime in Brazil. There he went to the Brazilian Army Command and General Staff College, and learned an array of new things. Among them, how to deal with all kinds of weaponry and how to shoot well from extremely far distances. Dr. Diviney’s impressive weaponry knowledge is juxtaposed nicely with his signature calm disposition. He told me and fellow classmates that he used to go hunting, but stopped several years ago after he shot a deer, took a look into it’s big brown eyes afterwards and thought, “I shot Bambi!” Naturally, we responded with an “Awww!”

Dr. Diviney’s last visit to Brazil was in December 2000 for the 1^st Encounter of Latin American Amazonian Poetry Conference. In the United States, he graduated from Brigham Young University in 1971 with a BA in Portuguese and Latin American Studies. He started his MA in Portuguese, but didn’t finish because that was when he entered the U.S. Army. Dr. Diviney came to Flagler in September of 2001 and he’s stayed ever since, this is how we’re fortunate enough to have him introduce such brand new-yet-popular classes and teach us all he knows (which is a lot).

The reason I personally appreciate Dr. Diviney is that he’s taught me so many things I didn’t already know yet I can identify with him about subjects we both know well. He is completely well read and knowledgeable on the lifestyles of most Mesoamerican civilizations, as I found out after taking his LAS 315 class. He is the only Flagler professor who’s experienced Brazil by living there, and if my lifestyle has taught me anything it’s that living in a country is a completely different experience than just visiting. We share as saudades- deep-rooted Lusophone nostalgia that Brazilians claim only true nationals of the country can feel and understand for their home. There is no known equivalent in Spanish or other Latin languages. I realize I’m fortunate to have landed in St. Augustine while Dr. Diviney is here too. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday he brings Brazil back into my life from five years ago and empathizes the saudades with me, as well as celebrates a few years of the Brazilian experience that I highly recommend to anyone.

Word Count: 1,026

Information/quotes from:

Dr. John Diviney

Rafaela Faria

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

One of the best modern films encompassing a dark, fantastic story, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer is artfully done. It is wrought with metaphors and magic realism. The film is about the strange life of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a reclusive man born with an extraordinary sense of smell. Set in 18^th century France, the film adaptation of Perfume strives just as hard as the fiction novel to relay a theme central to the plot. Using the techniques of lighting, camera angles and distances, director Tom Tykwer explores the theme of Grenouille’s remarkable talent rendering him an angel among humans, who cannot know human love.

This film tells an unusual story that is fresh and different. It draws attention through well-executed techniques to the power of untainted love. The protagonist’s yearning for love he’ll never know is pessimistic yet enlightening. The devices of lighting, camera angles and distances show that he is a stranger to love through reclusiveness; lots of darkness and loose framing surround Grenouille most of the time. Perfume was done very well and is fascinating due to the help of lighting and camera techniques that are more exaggerated than those of many films. It is as mysterious as its main character, leaving audiences in awe. This film presents a deep message about social acceptance and rejection at the cost of divine talent.

Being Positive is being Progressive

Only on one occasion have I had the pleasure of running into Carrie Johnson. But based on that one meet-cute in the local Lil’ Champ, Johnson buying her lotto tickets, something drew me to her. The 75-year-old had several friends among the other Lil’ Champ customers, and she greeted them warmly while recounting her most recent escapades to the cashier. All this was about two weeks ago, and I remember being in a slightly stressed mood earlier that day. But the elderly yet energetic lady who stood in front of me in line took my mind off the stress, if only for the moment, and it’s the little moments of endearment that help us keep our sanity when life gets hectic.

Earlier that day, I was thinking that looking at the bright side of life isn’t always easy. Little did I know that Johnson, who was boisterous and frankly very happy, had been dealt a difficult hand in life and made the most of it. In fact, she knows all about progressively shaping what she was dealt into a vibrant life filled with a loving family and whole community full of admirers. Abandoned by her mother at birth and raised by her stepmother and inattentive father, Johnson faced a difficult life as soon as she came into the world. She had her first child out of wedlock, married another man and brought five more children into the world. Johnson left her husband for his infidelity but continued to be a solid support for her children.

It’s no secret that Johnson has the power to hold her own, as well as a certain mystique about what keeps her going. What is clear about Johnson is that her contagious optimism does nothing short of contribute to that power to bring more positivity into her life. It’s clear that helping others and telling her stories makes Johnson happy, and most of St. Augustine is happy to hear them. Recognized collectively as “The Voice of Lincolnville,” Johnson’s recent birthday on the 20^th of February was celebrated at the Willie Galimore Community Center, where she requested guests to, “’Give honour to those who went before by dressing up like your ancestors. Reflect your culture and heritage’” (Mulkey). Thinking of Johnson’s attire request makes me smile because of her affinity for history. Understanding the richness of the past does help anyone prepare more for the future, and seeing how different things were in another time and place is beneficial to seeing how far we’ve come and where we’re going.

This is much like understanding the richness of Johnson’s past; she could have ended up in an unhappier place but continually decided to be progressive throughout her life and focus on her blessings. Fellow Flagler student Jill Houser talked with Johnson and summed up her values in the following manner: “If [Johnson] is not helping one of her 17 grandchildren or 11 great-grandchildren, then she is riding around on her bike hoping to get the chance to tell someone about her two loves: history and Jesus.” Although the memories of Johnson’s father and his drinking cause her to look back on him without fondness, telling Houser “He was a brute,” they’re clearly far from the opinion her descendents have of her. She is known not only as “The Voice of Lincolnville” but also as the “World’s Greatest Grandma,” as a little plaque on the front of her lavender tricycle proudly declares.

Johnson has so many local friends that when her old tricycle was stolen, there was apparently a communal effort to track down the culprit and bring it back to her. Before the thief was found, her tricycle had already been replaced with the bright, new lavender one as a present from the St. Augustine Police Department. Rumour has it that some of Johnson’s loyal followers are still keeping their eyes open for whoever stole the original. Clearly, I am only one of many in St. Augustine who have been fortunate enough to meet Carrie Johnson. Because she is so giving, positivity comes back to her from the community and she remains an example of how optimism in action creates progress, something pertinent for everyone to remember.

Word Count: 700

Works Cited:

Mulkey, Holly. “Carrie Johnson celebrates her birthday,” 2010.

Houser, Jill. “Always smiling, the lady on the lavender bike,” 2010.