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.