Future of Brasil

When one thinks of Brazil many things come to find. Such as beaches, Rio de Janiero, Amazon, Carnival, and some even think of things such as corruption that exist in the government.

In this blog I am going to try to explain, from my viewpoint, some of the problems that exist within Brazil, but also things that make Brazil a country to look to in the future.

In the past 10 years Brasil has become a country to talk about. Becoming a BRIC country (along with Russia, India, and China), which classifies it as a developing country. And when you look around compared to some of the neighboring countries one can tell that there are improvements that have come to this country. Also with many of the families that were below the poverty line have started to become middle class families, and the government has created many programs to help the lower end families have a chance of living a better life, the country has indeed developed. Also the Brazilian economy has become one of the strongest countries in the world. The problem is though where that money goes to it is easy to see that the money is not distributed evenly. And while the country continues to grow, so do the favelas continue to become bigger.

One of the main problems that exist here is in regards to education. Yes the public universities here are free for the residences, but in order to attend one of these schools one must take a test and get a certain level, and in order to do really well on these tests one must go to a school to help focus on passing this exam, and in order to go to a nice school one must make a good amount of money, as these schools are private and cost a lot. If one does not pass the test they have an option of attending a private university, but of course those cost the same as attending some American colleges. At the public high schools unfortunately because of lack of funding students are not able to obtain the knowledge they need, and the teachers are under paid and can not help with funding with the classes. Another major problem that exist is the people who run the government here make 10 times for then the teachers. They are also exempt from many laws that exist, or they can easily pay someone off if they want something done.

Problems like these are why at the end of June this year there were many protests to fight against the corruption and injustice.  Personally to me this country has so much potential and there are many great things happening here, but I agree with the citizens that are fighting against the injustice. It is actually moving to see the people, who take much pride in being Brazilian, try to stop the problems and make the country a better place. I believe that the country really stands a chance and has much to offer the world in the future.

Cultural Experiences and a weekend like a Brasilian

After being here for about 2 weeks I have started to adjust and get into a regular schedule. Also I have started to see cultural differences that exist here, and even some simple things that I have noticed since being here. So besides the slowest of life and really enjoying the simple things there are other differences that I have encountered. Here in Brasil, much like Italy the houses are completely tile, meaning that in winter shoes and socks normally have to be worn. Also to go along with the tile, the showers are made just with tile and (as far as my knowledge) do not have bathtubs, just the shower area. In Floripa finding some who speaks English is not common, which I greatly enjoy, it makes it easier to learn Português. Meals are different here, when it comes to which is the most important. In the USA, in my house normally dinner is the biggest meal, but here dinner and breakfast are tiny meals and lunch is the most important. That is why most places here you will find a kilo place, which is when your food is weighed and you pay for the weight. You can also find buffet style, those though cost much more, and normally for the cost difference it is easier and cheaper to eat at a kilo place. The cars here, much like that in Italy, are small cars; it is not normally to find massive semis nor many big trucks and SUVs. There are many cars on the road, but the most common form of transportation is via bus, and then once in a central location walking is the top pick. Rice and beans is common to find here, but also other foods can be found, but when it comes to spicy food (like that found in Central America) that is a rare thing that normally one must search for. Nightlife here in Brasil is much different then that of the states. It is normal to met up with friends and get ready to go to a disco around 10pm, and then around midnight or even later you head to the disco. While in the USA you normally would be returning back home around 1am, Brasilians normally return around 6-7 am. 

That leads me to my past weekend. This weekend was full of experiences. To start off my Friday night I was given the opportunity to go to a futebol game of Avaí with my host dad. To start off the night before the game even started I saw the passion Brasilians have to for futebol. As the street that I live on is close to the stadium, and the street had been turned from a two way into a one way just for the fans going to the game. Then once I arrived to the stadium there were crowds of people everywhere. Although according to my host dad that it was a small crowd, it reminded me of some of the American football games (when it comes to the amount of people there). Once instead the stadium I could see the passion for the game. Everyone was screaming everywhere whether it was for happy for the play that was being played or if it was to complain about a foul. Even during the game, even if I didn’t know what was being said, I understood what they were saying and I even got into it when something would happen during the game. At the end although Avaí lost the game, it was a great experience, and I would definitely return to another game. To top off my weekend of experiences with Brasilians I was given the opportunity to go out with some other past Rotary exchange students to a city on the continent called Balneário Camboriú. It is a place that during the summer is very busy with tourists, similar to that of Floripa. It was such a great time and a good experience as I was able to go out with locals and really get a feel for what it was like to be Brazilian (to an extent). Plus also I was able to practice my Portuguese and I could see that I have already learned more than I knew when I arrived.  Other than that I have just been kind of getting into a routine, and also waiting for the weather to get better so that I will be able to go on trails around the island, without it being to cold.

That is all I have for now.

Until Later 

Um Semana na ilha da magia!

I have been here in Brasil for a little over a week!

In this past week it has been a lot of adjusting from getting to know my classes to exploring the island. This past Saturday ISA took us on a tour around the island. And even though it was a miserable day outside, I still greatly enjoyed the time and seeing different places on the island to give me an idea of places to go back and visit. This tour also showed me how diverse this island and all the different activities it offers. 

The whole island offers beaches, but there are ones great for surfing, some that you hike to, and ones that are just so unrealistic its hard to believe that they exist. This island, as the locals call it, is truely an island of magic. Yesterday even me and a few other students studying here decided to just pick a place on the map and head there. So we decided to go to Morro das Pedras, which is a beach in the south that has just a huge area full of rocks (hence the name "das pedras"). It was a really nice area, I would definitely return there when it warms up. After visiting that beach area it made me want to write a list of places to visit here in Floripa and things to do, before heading back to the states. Since there are so many different places to go, such as Naufragados to see the continent and a Portuguese fortress, to some trails on the island that can take you to secluded beaches or cities. 

Here on the island it is so peaceful and relaxing. There definitely is a sense of leisure, no one seems to rush to anything, and they seem to really enjoy spending time with friends and family. It almost reminds me of how Italy was when it comes to being on time for events, and how people mingle. As for the safety, I mean any city you will go there will be people that try to pickpocket, but here I actually feel quite safe. For people use to space, it is nonexistence here. People here are very touchy feely, and like more latin countries when greeting someone or saying goodbye gives kisses on each cheek. Another great thing I enjoy about here is people drink lots of cafe, and suco de frutas (fruit juice), but its not the same as in the states, here it is fresh fruit thrown into a blender with ice and mixed.

                                                             Mirante da Morro da Cruz

                                                                     Barro de Lagoa

                                                                           Jurerû

 Armação

 Passar pela avenida das Naçoes

 Santo Antônio de Lisboa

 Praia da Joaquina

Morro das Pedras

That is about all I have now, Until next time!  

What is Race?

I want to spend a post just discussing how here in Brasil when it comes to backgrounds of peoples heritage and their race it is not important for how they are looked at.

When you first get on a plane to come to Brasil, you are surrounded by people all around you speaking Portuguese. But as you look around to see if you spot who's maybe American, European, or even of a different Latin background it is impossible. As here in Brasil everyone is so different in the way they look, and the way they dress, you can almost get away with anything and still pass for a Brazilian. You might hear someone call you "alemão" if you were a guy with blonde hair and light skill, or maybe "japonês" if you have oriental look. But here it is completely normal, and unlike in the USA where we would starting getting frustrated and claiming it was racism, here its more they are just ignorant to what background you are. With the difference in backgrounds though one does not feel the racial tension that can be experienced in the states. Here you do not feel weird saying that someone is black, Mexican, German or where ever one may come from, its just that way.

Because of the great diversity the dialects in each region are very distant. Such as in Sao Paulo area because of their dominant Italian descent one can hear a more Italian accent. Or in Blumenau, a major German area their accent and housing resembles German villages. Here in Floripa, because they were colonized by the island of Aroze (which is an island owned by the Portuguese), they tend to talk much faster than in other parts of the country. It makes learning the language a little harder but it makes the challenge even more exciting. 

That is really all I have to add in regards to some cultural experiences I have encountered while here.  

Um novo lugar, nova casa, e nova cultura!

IM HERE IN BRASIL! 

I actually arrived on Saturday after many lay overs in the airport, including a day in Miami. I arrived though with out much problem, was greeted by the ISA coordinators and taken off to the hotel where we started our first night in Floripa. Once at the hotel, I met the other students that would be studying with me, and we went out for our first Brazilian meal. Here in Brazil it is normal (especially for lunch) to have a massive meal, normally one goes to an all you can eat or a buffet that you put what you want on your plate and pay by the kilo. Our first dinner was at a all you can eat buffet, but the lunch the following day was the kilo set up. Once we returned back to our hotel we just settled in for the night, as the next day we had a busy day full of orientation and learning many things from what our homestay was going to be like, to what to expect the first week, to basic things like how to get around the city and island. Once we finally finished with orientation we all headed off to met our host families and find out where we were staying. I am staying with a family of 4, there is the mom and dad and then a daughter who is 17 and a younger son who just turned 2. So far after 3 days I must say they are great! They have been so helpful and have even gone with me on the bus to make sure I knew where I was going. Its also great as they speak almost no English, which is helping me with the language acquisition and even have taught me much about Floripa and the Brasilian culture. After meeting them and finally getting all settled in the next day followed with language placement tests, which I placed into the class for Spanish Speakers. After that was done it was time to start our first, which was about Ethnicity and Society of Brasil. Once that was finished I met my host dad and we headed back to the house. That leads us to today. Which was the day for my tourism class, as well as getting some things such as my bus pass out of the way. After all of that was done I walked around the centro to get to know the city a little better then headed back home for dinner. 

So far everything is going great here! I am truly enjoying it, especially the way of life how things are at a much slower speed and I have more time to look around and truly take in all that I see. My portuguese obviously needs work on, but I am confident it will continue to come along, especially since now I understand a fair amount of what is said to me, its more the responding I must work on. 

Some differences I have encountered: 

Here everyone is from so many different backgrounds and different cultures and there is no problem with racist issues or for me it was a shock especially in the airport as I would look around and everyone looked so different I could just point out if someone was from the USA or Europe, as normally when traveling abroad just by the way one dresses or presents themselves it is possible to decided where they originate, but not here, which I enjoy greatly. That is one of the major differences I have noticed, other minor ones is the one dealing with sizes in meals, how houses with gates are right next to houses without, and if they have a gate then that means there is more money, not just the really rich, but even the middle class. Also although cars are common to use, buses are the main source of transportation. 

I am continuing to learn as much as possible, both about the language, culture, and the country, and when something new comes up I will be sharing. 

Until Then