On Friday my host family and I took a trip to the city of Goiania, capital of the neighboring state of Goias, which has about 1.3 million people. This was because in order to do a Rotary Exchange here, or at least in this district, you need to pass a long written exam as well as interviews in English and with a psychologist. This came as quite a shock to me, as I only had to complete my application and conduct two interviews with some local Rotary officials.
Anyway, we left in the afternoon on Friday, and after a two hour or so car drive, we arrived in the small city of Goiatuba, where we stayed with the family of my host mother's brother. There, we had a fish dinner and caught up on some recent things that had happened. The event wasn't very remarkable for anyone else, but as I was sitting at the dinner table I thought, "If you had told me two years ago that today I'd be sitting in a small town in Brazil, eating a fish from the Amazon, and being complemented on my Portuguese skills, I would have said you were insane." This was one of those moments when it really hit me how different my life is right now than the normal high school experience, and how grateful I am that it's like this. After this moment of self reflection, I promptly bit into one of the bones in the fish that the family had warned me about, and I was snapped back into reality. After a nice, restful night, we got up early and went to Goiatuba. There, there was a big meeting for everyone before the test, with some words about Rotary and the test. Since a few (6 of us) exchange students went to the test, they had each of us introduce ourselves. There were 3 from Mexico, 1 girl from Canada, one boy from Taiwan, and then me. Since the test (prova in Portuguese) was very long, we all went to a nearby mall to hang out and get to know each other better. I spoke almost entirely in Portuguese with the Mexican students, and in English with the Canadian. It was great to have someone to commiserate with in English about our experiences so far in Brazil, as well as learn about some of the little differences about where we live. Her Portuguese was not as good as mine is, so when we got lost looking for the college it was up to me to ask for directions and buy water from a local snack shop.
It was around this time that I started to not quite feel right. I got a weak headache and started to feel somewhat tired (this was at around 1:00), and by 3:00 I had gotten quite sick. When we got back to the school were the test was being taken, I was shivering, aching, and had a splitting headache. After that I had to sit through a 5 hour car ride back to Uberlandia. I think the best way to explain the way I felt is this: I was brainstorming what words (agonizing, horrific, excruciating, etc.) would be strong enough to describe how awful I felt throughout this. After 12 hours of sleep, and a restful morning, I'm feeling almost 100 percent now.
So, good and bad, this weekend was very interesting, in between seeing a new city, meeting new people from all over the world, and getting exceedingly sick from a mysterious illness. That's an exchange for you.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
New Developments
I've had a very busy few weeks since my last post, with lots of social engagements, lots of arrangements to be made for future plans, as well as other things happening with me. As for social engagements, there was a Red Hot Chili Peppers cover band concert that I went to a few weeks ago, which was a great time. It was a 16 and up night at the club, which if I had brought the right documents, would have made getting nice and smooth. Unfortunately, the bouncer wanted an original passport. It took my friends and I a very long time to convince him that this was crazy, and that my 4 other forms of I.D. in my pocket should prove I am who I am. After this little disruption, we got in, and after a bit of techno in beforehand, the band came on. The musicians themselves were about as good as you expect a Brazilian Red Hot Chili Peppers cover band to be, but seeing as I grew up with the music, I had a great time. Most of the other social events were not quite as noteworthy, just the usual fare of going to people's houses, talking, eating dinner, as well as a second churasco the other day.
This was about the same time I started to notice there was something wrong with my knee. Since about my last blog post my knee has been swollen, along with some pain and difficulty extending it. All of the symptoms seem to line up with a tear to my meniscus, which my father had as well at one point, making it seem very likely. Whatever it is, I'm going to an orthopedist next week to find out. I doubt it's anything too serious.
Anyway, last night I also made my reservation for my trip to the Northeast, which is sure to be one of the most amazing months of my life. In a nutshell, it's a tour of the best equatorial beaches in Brazil: Bahia, Natal, etc., followed by a stay in Rio. I'm beyond excited for this opportunity, and so grateful that I'm able to go on it. It will last for a month, which should be a great way to break up my routines here. The full itinerary, with places, things, activities, can be found here (in English). http://www.terrabrasil.com/inter_programa.php?lang=ZW4=&id=NA==
So, with my concerns about my knee, reservation and money taken care of, I don't have very much to worry about, as it should always be when living in Brazil.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
The First Month
This first month has been, without a doubt, the most incredible of my life. Never have I been immersed in so many new customs, people, experiences, challenges, and opportunities. Meeting everything with a head held high and a sense of humor seems to be the most important thing, and despite all of the setbacks, I have never felt so confident in my life. Every phrase successfully said and understood in Portuguese, every event I get invited to; they're all provide the rush of pride and assurance that only I only received once in a while before.
As for events in the last few weeks, we had the churrasco for my classroom at INEI COC, which was a lot of fun. 12 hours of good people and good food, and I wasn't bored for a minute. Unfortunately, I think I injured my knee there. Nothing too bad, just a little bit of swelling, and with a bit of rest, ice, and absurdly expensive Brazilian ibuprofen, it should be fine. Anyways, this week was the Brazilian Independence Day, which gave us another Wednesday off (Wednesday holidays are probably the greatest invention since the wheel). This gave me a much needed opportunity to get some sleep, as well as go to the movies for the first time here. I saw Planet of the Apes, in English with Portuguese subtitles. I arrived before the rest of the people, and the lines were very long, so I decided to get into line and buy them myself. This ended up being quite a mistake. Now, in Brazilian movie theaters there are two different ticket prices: Inteira and Meia. Inteira means you don't have to show your I.D., yet you pay double the price, and the opposite for meia. Like the unsavvy gringo I am right now, I went ahead and bought inteira's and spent way too much money. After this, I went to a churrascaria, which can only be described as a "meat house". A very generous paid for my dinner, so I got to enjoy everything from garlic-cooked steak and huge sausages to fried bananas. Also, things are coming to together for my trip to the Northeast and Rio, which I'll certainly elaborate more on when the time comes.
If a month feels like this, my time will go here much faster than planned.
As for events in the last few weeks, we had the churrasco for my classroom at INEI COC, which was a lot of fun. 12 hours of good people and good food, and I wasn't bored for a minute. Unfortunately, I think I injured my knee there. Nothing too bad, just a little bit of swelling, and with a bit of rest, ice, and absurdly expensive Brazilian ibuprofen, it should be fine. Anyways, this week was the Brazilian Independence Day, which gave us another Wednesday off (Wednesday holidays are probably the greatest invention since the wheel). This gave me a much needed opportunity to get some sleep, as well as go to the movies for the first time here. I saw Planet of the Apes, in English with Portuguese subtitles. I arrived before the rest of the people, and the lines were very long, so I decided to get into line and buy them myself. This ended up being quite a mistake. Now, in Brazilian movie theaters there are two different ticket prices: Inteira and Meia. Inteira means you don't have to show your I.D., yet you pay double the price, and the opposite for meia. Like the unsavvy gringo I am right now, I went ahead and bought inteira's and spent way too much money. After this, I went to a churrascaria, which can only be described as a "meat house". A very generous paid for my dinner, so I got to enjoy everything from garlic-cooked steak and huge sausages to fried bananas. Also, things are coming to together for my trip to the Northeast and Rio, which I'll certainly elaborate more on when the time comes.
If a month feels like this, my time will go here much faster than planned.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Third Week and New Opportunities
The theme of this last couple weeks seems to have been the transition from the excitement and novelty of arriving to integration into the community and the things offered to exchange students. I've received opportunities for volunteering at a cancer hospital, a ecological social action project, music lessons, sports, and other new things. The cancer hospital is an opportunity I want to pursue, because volunteering at a hospital, and being able to tangibly help people, is something I've always wanted to do. Also, as my YEX coordinator said, it will allow me to see the "other countries" within Brazil outside of the wealthy, successful one I've been exposed to thus far. As for the music lessons (which at this point is mostly self teaching with the guidance of a very talented host father), they're a great use of the new found free time I have. Although I spent more time at home in the United States, I certainly had much less time free due to my workload.
As for sports, these aren't so much opportunities for clubs as they are opportunities through learning the rules and being able to play them when I want. First among these is peteca, which is much like Badminton, except with Native American origins and is played with only your hand and a feathered birdie. Also, today I learned how to play what is essentially cricket. The game was with a few friends of my host brother in the street at sunset, which was very picturesque and of course, a lot of fun. Also, I signed up for a inter-class handball tournament at INEI COC, so that'll be a lot of fun.
Outside of all these opportunities, my social and recreational life is still in full swing. Last week, there was a churrasco, this week there was rock climbing and a UFC fight viewing party, and this week there will be a holiday on Wednesday which will be sure to have something going on. I've been running more than I have since the winter, and with a track and within walking distance every day, it's very easy to stay in good shape and stay active.
I'll be able to say more about all these opportunities as they become realities, but until then, it's late here.
As for sports, these aren't so much opportunities for clubs as they are opportunities through learning the rules and being able to play them when I want. First among these is peteca, which is much like Badminton, except with Native American origins and is played with only your hand and a feathered birdie. Also, today I learned how to play what is essentially cricket. The game was with a few friends of my host brother in the street at sunset, which was very picturesque and of course, a lot of fun. Also, I signed up for a inter-class handball tournament at INEI COC, so that'll be a lot of fun.
Outside of all these opportunities, my social and recreational life is still in full swing. Last week, there was a churrasco, this week there was rock climbing and a UFC fight viewing party, and this week there will be a holiday on Wednesday which will be sure to have something going on. I've been running more than I have since the winter, and with a track and within walking distance every day, it's very easy to stay in good shape and stay active.
I'll be able to say more about all these opportunities as they become realities, but until then, it's late here.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
First Week of School and Caldas Novas
Starting school was always the thing I was most nervous about my exchange. The first day of school is a nerve-wracking experience in your own culture, much less one you're a stranger to. I had feared that those things that are associated with a first day of school: the possibility of exclusion, the anxiety, and the difficulty would be amplified a hundred times when in another culture. The majority of this, however, was just my imagination. The first day was a frenzy of hello's, greetings, and introductions. The pressure of making friends was greatly relieved by the churrasco we had the weekend before, which got me off to a good start with at least 9 or 10 people. I made a point to introduce myself to all of my teachers, which I feel has given me a good start with them as well.
The standards for exchange students academically in the first weeks/months are clearly quite lenient. Although I write down as much as I can, if I just stayed awake it seems that my teachers would be satisfied. The only work I've been asked to do so far is a project on the United States/Litchfield, to be presented in a week or so. The subjects at INEI COC are very diverse: sociology, biology, philosophy, English, Spanish, mathematics, and physics, as well as a few others. The language barrier continues to plague me though. It's quite odd to be invited to everything, yet feel excluded at the same time. This is due to the fact my Portuguese is only really good enough to answer questions directly addressed to me, and understanding a conversation and chiming in on it is beyond my grasp at the moment. However, I seem to be learning new words at a good pace, but the most crucial thing is hearing how words I already know sound when spoken.
Socially, this week has been very busy. In the middle of the week, I and a few other friends went to the birthday party of a classmate at a Italian Restaurant. This was an instance where the differences in eating habits came into play. The party didn't start until 8:30, on a school night, so we didn't get back until well after 11. This was all very odd for me, and didn't make staying awake in school any easier. At the end of the week, we went to a friend's (Cariniana) house, after exercising at the sprawling and gorgeous Praia Clube, the description of which I will save for a shorter post. This was a good opportunity to talk to people in a bit quieter and more private setting than school (my classroom always seems to be very loud, quite different from the US). After this, we went to my friend Bola's house, where we stayed until pretty late, and then left for Goiatuba the next day.
Driving through the Brazilian countryside was a real wake-up call that I'm not at home anymore. The environment between Uberlandia and Goiatuba is reminiscent of an African savanna, with lush green tracts of land where the irrigation systems are. This trip offered a glimpse into the poverty that is still very real here. We passed small, isolated ranches without another house for dozens of miles, and a small town where there was nothing more than one story, and tin-roofed houses seemed to be the most prevalent form of home. This served as a reminder that I have the luck to live with the upper echelons of Brazilian society, and just how many people are not as fortunate.
Goiatuba is a town of about 30,000 people in Goias State, the one adjacent to mine. It is the incarnation of what my stereotypes of a small Latin American town would be, as garnered from movies and news images. Open stores selling fresh food and beer, orange, clay-like roofs, advertisements painted on white walls in Portuguese, the rattle of old cars, and a brilliant orange sun setting on the horizon. This image was gained while going through town to get food for our dinner at the godfather of my host brothers. There we ate a wide array of meats and cheeses, talked about the differences between our countries, and I showed many pictures of Litchfield. I think I can say I only realized my identity as a "small town american boy" until I had to explain how small and sheltered my city is when compared to a place like Uberlandia or how wealthy and privileged it is when compared to the countryside. Sentimentality aside, we all stayed in the house in Goiatuba and then traveled to the resorts of Caldas Novas the next day. Caldas Novas was great, between the cloudless Brazilian sky, the huge wave pool and rides, I had a great time. There was also another "we're not in Kansas anymore" moment when I saw two brilliant blue-and-yellow macaw's as well as green and red parakeets, all in their natural habitats. Caldas Novas gave me a great opportunity to relax after a long and busy week.
This first week and a half cannot be summed up with one word. It's been at once overwhelming, exhilarating, disheartening, and eye-opening.
-Carl
The standards for exchange students academically in the first weeks/months are clearly quite lenient. Although I write down as much as I can, if I just stayed awake it seems that my teachers would be satisfied. The only work I've been asked to do so far is a project on the United States/Litchfield, to be presented in a week or so. The subjects at INEI COC are very diverse: sociology, biology, philosophy, English, Spanish, mathematics, and physics, as well as a few others. The language barrier continues to plague me though. It's quite odd to be invited to everything, yet feel excluded at the same time. This is due to the fact my Portuguese is only really good enough to answer questions directly addressed to me, and understanding a conversation and chiming in on it is beyond my grasp at the moment. However, I seem to be learning new words at a good pace, but the most crucial thing is hearing how words I already know sound when spoken.
Socially, this week has been very busy. In the middle of the week, I and a few other friends went to the birthday party of a classmate at a Italian Restaurant. This was an instance where the differences in eating habits came into play. The party didn't start until 8:30, on a school night, so we didn't get back until well after 11. This was all very odd for me, and didn't make staying awake in school any easier. At the end of the week, we went to a friend's (Cariniana) house, after exercising at the sprawling and gorgeous Praia Clube, the description of which I will save for a shorter post. This was a good opportunity to talk to people in a bit quieter and more private setting than school (my classroom always seems to be very loud, quite different from the US). After this, we went to my friend Bola's house, where we stayed until pretty late, and then left for Goiatuba the next day.
Driving through the Brazilian countryside was a real wake-up call that I'm not at home anymore. The environment between Uberlandia and Goiatuba is reminiscent of an African savanna, with lush green tracts of land where the irrigation systems are. This trip offered a glimpse into the poverty that is still very real here. We passed small, isolated ranches without another house for dozens of miles, and a small town where there was nothing more than one story, and tin-roofed houses seemed to be the most prevalent form of home. This served as a reminder that I have the luck to live with the upper echelons of Brazilian society, and just how many people are not as fortunate.
Goiatuba is a town of about 30,000 people in Goias State, the one adjacent to mine. It is the incarnation of what my stereotypes of a small Latin American town would be, as garnered from movies and news images. Open stores selling fresh food and beer, orange, clay-like roofs, advertisements painted on white walls in Portuguese, the rattle of old cars, and a brilliant orange sun setting on the horizon. This image was gained while going through town to get food for our dinner at the godfather of my host brothers. There we ate a wide array of meats and cheeses, talked about the differences between our countries, and I showed many pictures of Litchfield. I think I can say I only realized my identity as a "small town american boy" until I had to explain how small and sheltered my city is when compared to a place like Uberlandia or how wealthy and privileged it is when compared to the countryside. Sentimentality aside, we all stayed in the house in Goiatuba and then traveled to the resorts of Caldas Novas the next day. Caldas Novas was great, between the cloudless Brazilian sky, the huge wave pool and rides, I had a great time. There was also another "we're not in Kansas anymore" moment when I saw two brilliant blue-and-yellow macaw's as well as green and red parakeets, all in their natural habitats. Caldas Novas gave me a great opportunity to relax after a long and busy week.
This first week and a half cannot be summed up with one word. It's been at once overwhelming, exhilarating, disheartening, and eye-opening.
-Carl
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Churrascos and New People
In the last two days, I've been fortunate enough to be invited to two churrascos, or Brazilian Barbecues, and meet a huge amount of new people. One was held at the home of my host family, in their beautiful pool area, and one at their church's community house. Both of these events gave me a great opportunity to dive right into Brazilian culture, from eating habits to greetings and other customs. For example, at a churrasco, food is served in small portions, yet relatively constantly, for a very long time. The churrasco at the De Pieri's lasted from noon until almost 1 a.m.!
The food is certainly different. I had chicken hearts, steak, sausage, and bacon-wrapped chicken for meat, mandioca (cassava) with garlic sauce, and all kinds of juices I had never heard of. I also had the chance to eat raw mango, and of course, more pao de quijo. There is definitely a certain novelty for everyone meeting an exchange student for the first time, as everyone was very interested to know all about me. Everything from my favorite music and movies to past relationships, they wanted to know just what makes the new American kid tick! At the church churrasco, I met several new people and won a bottle of wine at the raffle, which I promptly gave to the De Pieri's. Everyone seems very impressed with my Portuguese, even though I can barely understand the conversations going on around me. However, I think I might be beginning to get that "ear" for Portuguese.
And tomorrow I start school. Yikes.
The food is certainly different. I had chicken hearts, steak, sausage, and bacon-wrapped chicken for meat, mandioca (cassava) with garlic sauce, and all kinds of juices I had never heard of. I also had the chance to eat raw mango, and of course, more pao de quijo. There is definitely a certain novelty for everyone meeting an exchange student for the first time, as everyone was very interested to know all about me. Everything from my favorite music and movies to past relationships, they wanted to know just what makes the new American kid tick! At the church churrasco, I met several new people and won a bottle of wine at the raffle, which I promptly gave to the De Pieri's. Everyone seems very impressed with my Portuguese, even though I can barely understand the conversations going on around me. However, I think I might be beginning to get that "ear" for Portuguese.
And tomorrow I start school. Yikes.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Travel and Arrival
It was not easy to get to Brazil, that's for sure. Beginning with a lovely three hour car ride to JFK, followed by 2 hours of nervous, excited, and tense waiting at the terminal. Then, there was the plane ride. As I found out, you begin to squirm in even the most comfortable of seats after 10 hours. Also, it is remarkably difficult to sleep in a coach airline seat, resulting in a resounding 3 hours of sleep and traveling to Uberlandia purely on espresso and guarana soda.
Arriving in Sao Paulo gave me my first taste of Brazilian culture. First of all, Sao Paulo is absolutely massive. Simply urban sprawl for as far as the eye can see. After checking my bags, I exchanged my dollars for reais and was on my way. I had an espresso and a pao de quijo as a first meal in Brazil. It's very hard to find a "cup of coffee". All I've seen are small, strong, drinks or cappuccino, latte-type drinks. I also had my first conversation in Portuguese while sitting at the gate to Uberlandia during my layover, which was quite interesting. The flight to Uberlandia was quite uneventful, with the exception of getting a glimpse of the Brazilian landscape during daylight. My arrival was far from uneventful though.
After casually waiting around for my baggage at the quite small Uberlandia Airport, I received a very warm greeting from my first two host families, as well as my Rotary Counselor and Coordinator. After handshakes and beijos, my host family graciously took my bags to the car and explained all the sights and introduced me to the city. After arriving to the beautiful home of the De Pieri's, we had a delicous lunch of pastries, pao de quijo, and guarana soda. About 9 out of every 10 sentences said in Portuguese went right over my head, although I was able to piece some together. It was quite frustrating to recognize several words in a sentence, yet have the meaning slip from my grasp, or not come until too late to give a response. However, if all goes well, this will improve with time. We went out shopping, where I saw several fruits and juices I have never seen or heard of before, and Mrs. De Pieri is inviting people over for a churrasco, or Brazilian barbecue tomorrow afternoon. After a walk around the neighborhood, I returned to the house and wrote this, and given that I've traveled in the neighborhood of 4700 miles in the last 26 hours, and have only had 3 hours of sleep, I will definitely be going to sleep early for once.
Arriving in Sao Paulo gave me my first taste of Brazilian culture. First of all, Sao Paulo is absolutely massive. Simply urban sprawl for as far as the eye can see. After checking my bags, I exchanged my dollars for reais and was on my way. I had an espresso and a pao de quijo as a first meal in Brazil. It's very hard to find a "cup of coffee". All I've seen are small, strong, drinks or cappuccino, latte-type drinks. I also had my first conversation in Portuguese while sitting at the gate to Uberlandia during my layover, which was quite interesting. The flight to Uberlandia was quite uneventful, with the exception of getting a glimpse of the Brazilian landscape during daylight. My arrival was far from uneventful though.
After casually waiting around for my baggage at the quite small Uberlandia Airport, I received a very warm greeting from my first two host families, as well as my Rotary Counselor and Coordinator. After handshakes and beijos, my host family graciously took my bags to the car and explained all the sights and introduced me to the city. After arriving to the beautiful home of the De Pieri's, we had a delicous lunch of pastries, pao de quijo, and guarana soda. About 9 out of every 10 sentences said in Portuguese went right over my head, although I was able to piece some together. It was quite frustrating to recognize several words in a sentence, yet have the meaning slip from my grasp, or not come until too late to give a response. However, if all goes well, this will improve with time. We went out shopping, where I saw several fruits and juices I have never seen or heard of before, and Mrs. De Pieri is inviting people over for a churrasco, or Brazilian barbecue tomorrow afternoon. After a walk around the neighborhood, I returned to the house and wrote this, and given that I've traveled in the neighborhood of 4700 miles in the last 26 hours, and have only had 3 hours of sleep, I will definitely be going to sleep early for once.
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