 Oi, beleza? I arrived in Brazil about 14 weeks ago, yet it seems
like I’ve only been here for half the time, but have done 6 months worth of
activities.
Flying to Brazil was my first international flight and it
was an exciting one with all of the other 30-something exchange students
also headed for Brazil. I don’t have any crazy flight delay stories or any
conflicts like that, but we exchange students managed to have fun anyways.
In D.C. we pretty much took over the money exchange counter, so much so,
they had to bring in more reais (the Brazilian currency). Of course people
stared as the huge group of navy-blue blazered teenagers walked around the
airport.
Even after packing, saying goodbye to my friends and
family, and finally meeting the other exchange students it still didn’t hit
that this was finally happening- that I was going to be living a year in
Brazil. It somewhat hit me around 4 o’clock in the morning when we were
flying somewhere over the Amazon. I kept thinking, “I am flying over the
Amazon Rainforest right now. THE Amazon Rainforest!”
Once we arrived in São Paulo, the only dilemma was when
our chaperone got detained because his passport was left in D.C.. And yes I
was one of the people that Sherise mentioned
getting too excited over how coffee didn’t come in to-go cups but in actual
ceramic teacups with the saucer and everything. When another Rotary exchange
student, a Brazilian outbound headed for Slovakia, recognized our blazers
and came up to us and started talking in Portuguese, all of the inbounds’
jaws just dropped and forgot any Portuguese they may have known. So when her
expression turned into an “uhh…are you guys okay?” look, that’s when I came
to everyone’s rescue and piped in, “Não falamos português” which
means “We don’t speak Portuguese”. Then she understood that we were now
inbounds, not outbounds.
When I arrived at my final destination, another exchange
student and I walked out to meet our families. As soon as they saw us and we
saw them, they grabbed our arms, pushed us together, and started taking
pictures like they were the paparazzi. As soon as we made the rounds with
taking pictures with her family and my family and etc., we finally went our
separate ways and went to our new homes. After having had 24 hours of flying
and layovers, I was so tired and looking forward to sleeping in my new bed.
However, when my host sister asked if I wanted to go out that night, of
course I said, “Yeah!”
The next day, my second day in Brazil, I went to my first
Brazilian soccer game- Curitiba vs. Atletico, the two biggest rival teams in
my city. Unfortunately, my family thought that since it was my first game we
should sit in the “calm” part and not in the “crazy” part of the stadium.
Despite this, it was still an awesome experience and so funny to watch both
adults and little kids cursing at the referee and the other team.
Already I have met all of my four host families that I
will live with. Everyone is so nice and I can’t wait to know them better! My
second host dad and siblings (12 and 9 year old boys and a 7 year old girl)
offered to take me around the city to show me some of the sights. This was
so much fun and made me even more excited to have little siblings, since I’m
the youngest in my real family.
My school…well it’s a Catholic school, with nuns, a
church, morning prayer, and pictures of the sacred heart of Jesus in every
room. I’m not Catholic so it took some getting used to at first. My
classmates are all really friendly and like to joke around with the
teachers, who are really helpful. The school has all grades (elementary to
high school) and it is still smaller than my high school in the States. On
my first day, there was actually a point where all of the kids in my class
moved their desks around me and started asking questions all at once. The
most common question I get asked is what type of music do I listen to. Even
after being here for 2 months, I still had people I don’t know coming up to
me and saying “Hi” in the halls. I have to wear a uniform, and I’ll admit I
was kind of excited to wear the plaid skirt and be a little Catholic
schoolgirl, but uniforms are different in Brazil. My uniform looks more like
I’m about to go jogging than to school. I don’t understand what my teachers
are saying when they lecture, but if we have to take notes, then I usually
understand what’s going on in most of my classes. Physics and chemistry…I
have trouble understanding them in English, nonetheless in Portuguese, so I
have given up hope of being able to follow along during class. Math and
Geography are probably the classes I understand the most in, besides English
class. Overall, school is good. At times, however, it is hard not being able
to participate because I didn’t understand what was going on. I’m used to
doing well on tests and in school, and now I have to adjust to getting
really bad grades. I do pride myself, though, on getting the same score as
some of the other students on a Portuguese test, despite how bad the grade
was, and even getting a much higher grade than some students on a Spanish
test.
After having been here for about 2 weeks, I had my first
Rotary Inbound Orientation. It was so much fun to finally meet all of the
other exchange students. There are about 25, more or less, in my city.
During the orientation, each inbound had to get up, introduce themselves,
and say where they are from and that kind of thing. Even though everyone
said their introduction in English, I was like, “I know how to say this in
Portuguese. I had to say more than this in Portuguese at the last Outbound
Orientation.” So I said my introduction in Portuguese and impressed the
Rotarians with my only having been in Brazil for 2 weeks. Thanks Al for that
preparation.
Twice a week, from September to December, all of the
inbounds have to go to a Portuguese class. Because of this, us inbounds see
each other so much and have become really close friends. Every time it’s
someone’s birthday, we always have a little party after class.
Fortunately, where my first host family lives is walking
distance or either really near to most of the best clubs and bars in my
city. It is extremely funny to watch exchange students try to samba. I’m
so-so. I used to belly dance so I can move my hips, but my feet don’t really
do what they are supposed to.
One thing I dislike about here is how much American
culture there is (music, movies, television, even food). I refuse to eat at
a McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut, or Subway while I’m here. However, the
Pizza Huts here are much nicer and cleaner than they are in the States,
ironically.
In September, my city had a holiday weekend, so my family
and I spent a few days in a city a couple hours away called Florianopolis
(nicknamed Floripa). It can be described as a relaxed, surfer, and fishing
town. The seafood there was amazing, and with blue waters and soft sand, I
didn’t want to leave. Floripa is one of those places that wherever you look,
it could be a picture in National Geographic.
On September 9, I turned 17. It was a school day so I of
course had to go to school, but my classmates sang me Happy Birthday. Later
that day I had to go to my Portuguese course with the other exchange
students. They surprised me with a cake and presents. One of the gifts was
this container made from a fruit that is used to drink a certain kind of tea
that is traditional in the south of Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay.
Afterwards we all hung around in the city. When it was getting dark we
finally headed home. Well… I was taking the bus, and it was my first time
taking it alone. Even though Curitiba is known for having the best public
transportation in Brazil, that didn’t stop me from accidentally getting on
the wrong bus and end up further away from where I needed to go. So, I got
off the bus and went to a bench to figure out where I was on my map and
tried not to panic. Well the place that I was at wasn’t on the map (and I
later found out that I had been in the center of the city, which wasn’t
exactly the safest place to be alone at night). I finally went back to the
bus stop to find someone that could help me. Eventually, I found a woman
that spoke some English. I ended up having to go back where I started and
then take the bus that I should have take in the first place. As I was
getting on the bus platform, the bus I needed arrived, so I quickly paid and
rushed for the doors, not thinking that another bus come about 2 minutes
later. But as I was going through the doors, they closed on me and my foot
got stuck between them. So there I was, standing on one foot, the other one
in pain, and praying that the bus didn’t brake or jolt a lot. Eventually,
the old men around me realized what had happened. They tried to pull the
door open, at least enough for me to pull my foot out, but the doors were
not budging and my foot was then in more pain. After this failed attempt,
they finally had to call up to the bus driver to stop the bus and open the
door. By this time, everyone on the bus was staring at the silly American
with her foot stuck in the bus door. But what a relief it was to have my
foot back, though.
I had a birthday party. It wasn’t anything extreme, just a
nice dinner with all of my friends and host families. It was good to spend
time with everyone and have my friends and family meet each other.
Moving on from things I have been doing, Brazil is
amazing. My city is very different from stereotypical Brazil of Bahia and
Rio de Janeiro. I live in the south of the Brazil, which is very different
culturally from the north. People here are so generous and are always
willing to help. However, compared to other Brazilian cities, Curitiba is
supposed to be one of the more unfriendly cities, but I haven’t encountered
that. When I arrived it was winter, so it was really cold. Now it is spring,
and it is still really cold. Not exactly what people think of when they
think of Brazil and it’s definitely not what I expected. The weather here is
horrible and unpredictable. In the morning it can be 8 degrees Celsius, then
in the afternoon it can be 25 degrees, then back down to 8 that night. Also,
one minute it can be hot and sunny and the next be cold and rainy. It’s like
wherever you go you have to take a coat and umbrella with you.
Brazilian food is so good. Churrasco, feijoada, brigadeiro,
açai, goiabada, and guarana are all things I know I’ll miss when I return.
My first host dad let me try caipirinha, which is Brazil’s delicious
national drink made from sugar, lime, and cachaça (a Brazilian alcohol made
from sugarcane). It was hard at first getting used to eating bread and
cheese and rice and beans almost everyday, but now it’s weird if I don’t eat
them.
I still can’t believe that I have been here for almost 4
months. The time has flown by, and I feel the end of this exchange year
approaching too quickly. Even though Brazil hasn’t given me culture shock,
there are some things I don’t think I will ever make sense of, like how even
when it’s cold out Brazilians keep the windows open. Despite these
differences, Brazil is so easy to adapt to. With the people being so open
and friendly, you can’t help feeling comfortable. I love how people greet
each other here with a kiss on the cheek and a hug. When people go to shake
my hand, it feels awkward. I can’t imagine myself being in any other country
right now. It’s so natural and easy for me to be here, trying to be a part
of Brazilian culture. There is something magical about Brazil, and I’m so
happy I was given this opportunity to witness it. I want to thank Rotary and
my family from the bottom of my heart.
Beijos, Lauren
|
“The trees all dance, and the warm wind blows, and
the same old sound; and the water below gives a gift to the sky, and
the clouds give back every time they cry; make the grass grow green
beneath my toes, and if the sun comes out, I’ll paint a picture all
about the colors I’ve been dreaming of, the hours just don’t seem
enough to put it all together. Maybe it’s as strange as it seems.”
--Jack Johnson |
Becca and me waiting
in the airport |
My classmates |
My district's inbounds
with their flags |
Taking a walk around
the city |
A view of my city |
My little sister and me |
My little brother, me, and the Botanical Gardens |
My brother and me in Florianopolis |
Florianopolis |
|
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