Escola

So one of the parts of being a foreign exchange student is the study part, a rather central concept.  I am going to high school in Brazil, and so far it has been dandy.  My host mother drives me to school in the morning at about 6:30 and she picks me up at 12:30.  A lot of what goes on in school here is the same as what goes on in schools that I am used to. There are some major differences, however, and I’m going to note them here.  First of all, like many other countries, all of my classes are in one room.  There is no running down a long hallway to my locker and then to the bathroom and then back down the long hallway to my next class, all before the scary bell rings.  Instead, the teachers move from classroom to classroom at the end of each class.  This is much preferred- no confusion of what class is in what room, no grabbing the wrong book, and no tardy slips.  It’s pretty blissful.  Another major difference is that high school students here still have snack time, at around 10 o’clock.   This is another thing that I really do approve of.  My host mother gives me fresh fruit to take with me for a snack and usually it is completely foreign to me; something that I have never heard of, but I always like it.  Everything here is a learning experience.

Another major difference, and don’t laugh, is the water fountains.  Now, in the schools that I am accustomed to, the water shoots out at an angle so my mouth can meet the water halfway and drink like that.  Here, the water shoots straight up with an extreme force.  My first day of school, I was not excepting this, so I pressed the button while leaning down towards the faucet and got an awakening face full of water!  However, with the help of my forgiving classmates I have mastered a new drinking-fountain-technique that avoids completely drenching my face and hair.

The people in this school are so kind, so accepting, and ever so understanding.  All of my classmates have questions for me that I can either decipher after having them repeat it 5 times or they can translate for me to understand.  I get a lot of questions about the temperature in New York as well as the location of my city compared to NYC.  The teachers are also very kind, even though I honestly don’t understand anything that they are trying to teach me. I occasionally can pick out a “pais” or “quando” or “sobre” but that is about all I have learned about Physics, Chemistry, and Biology thus far. 

My favorite class is (you guessed it!) English.  English class is a safe, warm place.  I actually know what I am talking about and get to answer questions instead of ask them.  The teacher speaks English and Portuguese and has been very helpful with words that I’m trying to learn.  Math class is a little scary because the letters that they use to mark certain things in a problem (height or weight, for example) are different.  It is very difficult for me.  To give you an idea, I was sitting in class yesterday and thinking, “Wow, I miss Calculus.”  I never thought I would take a math class so difficult that it would make me miss Calc.  However, I am sure that when I can speak the language, it will be much easier. 

Although I cannot understand a majority of what everyone is saying and school here is such a whirlwind, it is one of my favorite parts of my day.  I get to socialize, practice my Portuguese, meet amazing people, and learn an incredible amount of information.  

Brazilian Fortune Cookie

LEARN PORTUGUESE: Pull

Poxe (Pronounced exactly like “push”)

Lucky numbers 00, 0, 000

Doors in Brazil are an adventure all by themselves.

Futebol Brasileiro

Today I went to my first Brazilian soccer game.  This is something everyone should put on their bucket list.  It is an awesome experience.  When we got there one of the security guards stopped me and started speaking beautiful, fast, impossible-to-understand Portuguese.  Luckily for me, my host dad stepped in and explained something to the man who then smiled and waved me on.  I later learned that they were concerned that I would use my camera, Lulu, as a weapon if a fight was started.  These people are serious.  It was a beautiful, warm day and the stands were filled with tons of people who are passionate for the game.  They were shouting and cheering and cursing at every play.  If the ball got anywhere close to the goal, almost everyone in the stands would stand up with excitement and either cheer or boo depending on the success of the shot. And the passion in the stands was doubled on the field.  These people loved futebol.  Every player was incredibly talented, fast and determined to win.  The energy in the stands and on the field was incredibly contagious and I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat and watching attentively.  What is amazing about all this is that the teams were just from local towns, nothing professional or anything.  I can’t imagine what a professional soccer game in Brazil looks like, but I know that I want to find out.

Day One

Today was my first full day in Brazil.  Catanduva is beautiful and my family is more than I could have asked for.  I will try to recount for you the happenings of today, but my brain is so overwhelmed by the amount of new things I am trying to learn that I am finding it difficult to form sentences and remember details!  But here goes! This morning I woke up and was a little surprised by my surroundings, having temporarily forgotten that I had in fact gone to Brasil.  After getting up and starting the unpacking process, I had breakfast with my host sister.  I had chocolate milk, and here in Brasil milk comes in a cardboard box!  I talked with my host sister and grandmother for a little bit, a conversation that was lacking on my part, and then finished unpacking my room.  I love my room. It is small and orderly and has a gorgeous closet that can store all of my clothes.  When that was finished my host sister started making lunch and my host grandmother took me on a walk to get some ingredients from the store a few blocks away.  She had me bring my camera, completely supporting my photo addiction!  The city is beautiful.  There are many trees along the streets and the sidewalks are tiled in beautiful patterns.  But the most beautiful thing of all is the Portuguese.  Obviously, Portuguese is everywhere.  Written on signs, spoken by everyone (including me!), and in the music.  This is a language learner’s dream. 

After we got the ingredients we went on another walk down the street.  I am never really sure where I am going when someone tells me to come with them because, quite frankly, I don’t understand very much!  But it definitely gives everything a sense of adventure. Anyway, we wandered down the street, my grandmother telling me about her city, pointing out things for me to learn and having me repeat her words.  She is an angel, so she is so sweet and very spry.  She is also very eager to teach me Portugêse.  At one point today she took me to the garden and taught me what each plant was.  

Anyway, we stopped at this small truck on the side of the road that was selling fresh fruit and vegetables.  The man spoke with my grandmother and me, learning that I was from Estados Unidos and very happy to hear that I could speak a little Portuguese!  He gave me a green fruit, pink on the inside with seeds, for me to try.  It was delicious- something I have never had before!  He thentalked to me about how eating the fresh fruit and organic vegetables is why he looks like he does at his age! 

After this we had lunch and talked some more.  Soon I went on another adventure, this time to run some errands and get a uniform for my school, as I soon found out.  We stopped at a small shoe store and my sister bought my Brazilian shoes, flats that were a little dressier than my flip-flops.  A necessary item.  My sister also took me to a Brigadeiro and ordered five mystery items!  She explained them to me in Portuguese but it wasn’t until the waitress brought them that I realized they were small truffles, each with a different flavor.  One bite of the strawberry, or morango, one and I experienced heaven.  If I gain 50 pounds in Brazil, it will be because of Brigadeiros.  I also got to go to my school and meet some of my classmates, all of whom are very nice!  I look forward to getting to know them. 

This evening for dinner my host dad brought me and some of his friends from work to a small shop down the street where we ordered Pastels.  This fried-dough-sandwich-thing is incredible!  I had one that was savory (I honestly do not know what was in it, but it was good!) and one with chocolate that was delicious! 

And at the end of the day, I can honestly say that I understand twice as much Portuguese as I understood this morning.  And this is thanks, not only to this crazy, total immersion, but also to my amazing family here who are so very loving and patient with me.

Rehearsal

The language is all around me.  It is so exciting, every time I hear a  “Tudo bem?” or “Agua” I get excited all over again and try not to stare at the native Portuguese speaker.  I have even thrown in my occasional “Obrigada” and “Eu não falo Portuguêse.”  I had a dream a few weeks before I left that I was in a play.  I had my lines all memorized and my character was perfected to a tee.  It was the last dress rehearsal and my director came up to me and informed me that I was doing a great job, but now I had to do all of my lines in Portuguese.  And that is exactly how this feels right now.  I know my lines; I know how to communicate with the customs officer and what to say to the nice man who helped get my bag off of the belt.  But now, I have to say it in an entirely different language.  When the woman at baggage check asked me a question that I quite frankly had no idea what it meant, I felt exactly as if I had forgotten my line in a play.  I just drew a blank.  However, unlike community theater, your fellow actors don’t know what your line is supposed to be and therefore can’t give you a hint.  I’m considering carrying around cue cards.

Eu estou aqui!

Here I am!  In the beautiful Brasil itself!  The nine and a half hour flight went by very quickly, probably something to do with my exhausted state.  I slept very well, which probably means there was snoring and monologue-ing on my part.  Oh well.  As soon as the flight attendants turned on the lights and signaled that it was time to be awake, I cracked open my window and peeked out at the green and brown circles and squares that was Brazil.  I was completely overwhelmed by the simple fact that I was in Brazil!  I nudged the young, English-speaking missionary sitting next to me and said, “Guess what!!!  We’re in BRAZIL!” while waving my hands in an excited sort of manner.  He apparently didn’t share my enthusiasm and instead of jumping up and down in his seat as I was hoping for, just gave me a obligatory grunt. 

(Eu vou tratar escrever no Portuguese também, mas descuple para errors) Eu estou aqui!  No o bonito Brasil!  As nove e meia hora de vôo passaram muito rapidamente, provavelmente porque o meu estado de esgotamento. Eu dormi muito bem! Assim que os comissários de bordo acendeu as luzes e sinalizou que era o momento de estar acordado, abri minha janela e espiou para os círculos e quadrados verdes e marrons, que era o Brasil. Eu estava completamente dominado pelo simples fato de que eu estava no Brasil! Eu cutuquei o jovem, sentado missionárias de língua Inglês ao meu lado e disse: "Adivinha o quê! Nós estamos no BRASIL! ", enquanto acenando minhas mãos em um tipo animado de forma. Ele, aparentemente, não compartilhar o meu entusiasmo e, em vez de saltar para cima e para baixo em seu assento como eu estava esperando, só me deu um grunhido obrigatório.