I would like you all to meet Patricia Alves, a sophomore business major. This PC Tennis player is nineteen years old and travels to “good old Clinton” every August all the way from Brazil just to be a Blue Hose and live the life of an American college student. She’s particularly from Campinas, Sao Paulo where the sun always shines bright. There she leaves her mom, dad, sister, and a brother. Patricia emphasizes that she had never been to PC before her initial Move-In Day last fall, so there was a huge culture shock. Eventually she got well acquainted with her team and classmates who make her feel that she’s right where she belongs. Even though she’s far away from home she loves being in this atmosphere. PC is, indeed her home away from home!

During one of my long chats with “Pati”, she educated me on this awesome tradition that they take much pride in. I call it a “wish bracelet” but the proper name is “Lembranca do Senhor do Bonfim”, a souvenir that becomes dear to your heart after it is applied. These bracelets are from Salvador, the capital of Bahia. This particular idea was thought of in 1809 and holds religious value. It is used to help you stick by your morals and vow to yourself anything that is meaningful. Each color of the ribbon has a symbolic representation of Bahia: green, red, blue, pink, white, purple, and orange. Many things are made with these bracelets: shirts, purses, towels, key chains, flip flops, and more (even soda cans!). Even though many products are made with the idea of the bracelet, only a true bracelet that is worn with knots will help your wish come true.

The popular tradition is to tie the bracelet with three knots. With each knot you make a wish, but of course you cannot tell anyone what you wished for! With time, the bracelet will break and your wishes are said to come true. This new idea has grabbed all her friends’ attention. All of us are wearing one in hopes that our wishes will come true!

Now of course there’s always the one big rule of thumb when dealing with wishes—never wish for the impossible! The simpler your wish is, the faster your bracelet will break! I’ve had mine for two and a half weeks and it’s going anywhere! I know my wishes will take some time to come true, so if nothing else my advice to you all is to be patient. Patience is a largely emphasized virtue in most countries, especially Brazil. The other rule when dealing with this special bracelet is not to break the bracelet yourself. That would make it completely pointless,  and besides, you’re only cheating yourself!

Out of all of the conversations I had with Pati, I must say this bracelet and its traditions stick in my mind the most. I can NOT wait until my bracelet breaks!