A Whole New World... Pun intended

"What we learn in time of pestilence: that there are more things to admire in men than to despise."
-Albert Camus, The Plague, Part 5

Unofficially, I have been living in Brazil for four months now. Yeah. I know. I cannot believe it either. Somedays I wonder how I have lasted this long. To say that the beginning was rough would be an understatement. By no means has this experience been peaches and cream. Though, it has been an experience that does not compare with my other times living abroad.  By no means is Brazil for those weak of character or those who get frustrated easily. Do I miss home? Umm... Not entirely.  When I reach out to my family and friends back in the States I realise that not much has changed. Daily routine dictates their lives, per the norm. Home - work - home - social gathering, and repeat. There are minor things I miss about the States. As my colleague put it so graciously  "it is the minor things like customer service" and I would add peanut butter and ethnic food like Indian or Thai to what I miss most.  Outside of that Brazil has been one hell of a ride. Now mind you Brazil is an excellent case-study for any type of study (social, cultural, economic, political) the list can go on and on. I say this because two weeks ago I was on holiday in the south of the country. From the moment I landed the only reason I knew I was in Brazil was because they were speaking Portuguese. Everything from the architecture, engineering, and EVEN the way people looked.

Allow me to elaborate on the former statement. It is the first time I travel to a country and the people physically look different depending on the region I am in. Similarly, to the United States, Brazil experience diasporas either voluntary or involuntary (slaves from the African continent did not voluntary leave their homeland to pick cotton or grow coffee in order to develop the modern economies of the world). Though, I am sure you know that already :-) No need for a history lesson or one on word choice. With that being said, when these diasporas occurred in Brazil it physically seems that they concentrated in several key areas.  Fast forward I go to Florianópolis and Porto Alegre, two different states both received heavy migration from Italy, Germany, and Poland. I physically felt I was morphed to a smaller version of Europe while down there. It is so "European" that residents obtain the nationality of their heritage in order to have access to their ancestral lands even if they do not speak the language. In typical western european migration patterns the migrants assimilated instead of acculturated. Overall, the holiday was a relaxing and much need to refocus myself.

Now, this past weekend I helped my colleague celebrate her birthday. Saturday night we went to a festa junina (June festival) mind you it was in an upscale suburb of Goiânia. I thought I would have an idea on what to expect. WRONG, sort of.  I was flabbergasted though. I was not shocked so much by the fact that the wealthy of Goiânia does not have diversity but much more on how these individuals looked, what they wore and how they wore it, how easy money was spent, and just the overall atmosphere of the event. Allow me to backtrack and cover some things I may have failed to mention beforehand. Brazil according to the United States is level 5 when it comes to security. What does that even mean? It means Brazil is super dangerous and everything bad imagined will occur. Umm... If you fancy knowing what the U.S. has to officially say about Brazil click here. While in Chicago I would not think twice about pulling out my iPhone 6 to snap several photos, hold it in my hand while I walk, put on my headphones so I can listen to Julio Iglesias as I walk. Here I just don't do that. I already call attention to myself when I open my mouth why give another reason to stick out more. It is best to not walk out of the flat with valuable possessions. Why take a chance? Now back to Saturday, when I see women wearing pearls or fine metals carrying genuine precious stones that go with clothes that were clearly not made by forced labour in southeast Asia and in their hands is the latest Android or iPhone you can imagine the shock I was in to see this new world. I wonder if this is how Pedro Álvares Cabral felt when he arrived to what he called Ilha de Vera Cruz (Island of the true cross) aka Brazil? Probs not but I can dream right?


abraços gente (hugs peeps)

Settling in the Unknown...

With almost two months under my belt of living, or as my friends put it “vacationing/holidaying”  in Brazil, I have slowly but surely started to get the hang of things, I think. I will admit there has been the occasional evening where I question why I decided to leave the comfort of the known and wonder into the unknown, where half the time I do not understand who, what, when, why, where, and how things function. Trust me, when I say it has been quite the experience. I truly mean it. I guess it is true what Dr. Amy Lorenz said about me back in October of 2014, “you have this engagé for the unknown”. My word, she could of not said it better. I landed in a country with limited knowledge of the language, culture, and people. There are a number of things I have yet to understand either culturally or socially. I may follow protocol but do not understand the why. For example, why do I need a spoon to eat ice cream out of a cone? Why can I not drink water, juice, and/or soda directly from the bottle via a straw? The norm seems to pour it into a small cup and then drink it.

"Esto es Brasil. No culo y samba // This is Brazil not arse and Samba" - Quote from a friend I went on holiday with. 

I share a flat with a Brazilian student who has advanced limited English, oxymoronic right?, well he has not studied English formally but instead watches series, films, and listens to music. Our conversations usually start in English then move onto Portuguese, with me switching to Spanish by the end. So a sentence from me could sounds like this “Hey, eu ancho que debemos ir al cine”. Regardless, of our conversational skills, living with him has been highly enjoyable. Plus there are perks when his mummy comes to visit, SHE COOKS!! As you may know, I have an unofficial fear of the stove and simply do not cook, silly I know but nonetheless it is something I simply have not done since arriving. I live in a neighbourhood that is called “Setor Leste Universitario”. I am conveniently located where part of campus for UFG (public) is and PUC (private), Pontifical Catholic University of Goiás. In layman’s term it means I am surrounded by a collegiate atmosphere. Now post-secondary education is drastically different than what many US-Americans might picture. I shall blog about that at a later time. 

Now, for those of you curious to what a typical day looks like for me. No such day exists. Every day is a new day of exploring and learning about my new home and how far I can stretch out comfort zone. At first I was highly uncomfortable noticing most of my students are working on their Masters or Ph.D, MD, JD, post graduate studies (sabbatical and research). These people are clearly academically smarter than me but look to me to teach them. Is it me or does that seem odd? Luckily, I have the freedom to lecture on anything I want. Now, the ideal is to find a connection to the theme or subject of that day’s class. Thus far, I have done a good job at finding a direct connection. Where it gets difficult is adapting to the various levels. At the end of the day, the material should be meaningful and have them think. My way of teaching is very much present the idea and let them develop and shape it into something they want it to be. I created the lesson and know what I think about it. For a lot of these students they may have an idea but I challenge them not just with the language component but making them converse and share their ideas, which at times it may not be something they are comfortable with. The benefit of teaching university students is they already have formed ideas and stand by them, most of the time.  The only uncomfortable moment was when I lectured about feminism (surprised?) and I had a student who was noticeably sexist. I do have to give myself props for managing the class from turning sour. All points are respected, even if the points tear my heart into pieces. This university life was meant for me! 

Expect beauty in unexpected areas!

abraços e beijos gentes (hugs and kisses people) 

Goiânia, Goiás, the Texas of Brazil?

First, I ask that you look at the image above and contemplate the image. Now put your generalisations aside and think the same way various ways of life exist in the United States they exist here in Brazil. Several comparisons, at various capacities,  could be drawn between the United States and Brazil regarding our past, present, and even future. It is a very peculiar time for Brazil. There is both a political and economic crises. Politically the current president, Dilma Rousseff has rather low approval ratings  (Feb 2016 - 21.8%, up from 15.9% in October 2015). Economically, Brazil is going through, what some economists have argued, the worst recession since the 1930s and its currency can range from 3,5 - 4,2 Reals (pronounced Hey-Ice) for every $1USD. Sadly, the cost of living per the norm does not reflect with the minimal wage. The current minimal wage a month is $808BRL or about $224USD a month.  Even in small or a rural area it is difficult to live off $808BRL a month. 

For the next nine months my home is Goiânia (red point on photo below.)  It has a population of about 1,3 million inhabitants with the metro having 2,2 million inhabitants.  Where do I start with the city? IT. IS. HOT. The city has a "Cerrado" landscape, meaning that is is a vast tropical savanna ecoregion, it is characterised by an extensive savanna formations crossed by gallery forests and stream valleys. Since arriving two weeks ago, most days it gets to about 30 degrees Celsius or about 86 degrees Fahrenheit and 60-90% humidity. My favourite part of the day is when it rains, I have been guaranteed a rain storm every day usually in the late afternoon, and that drops the temperature to a much more comfortable one. 

Outside the heat, Goiânia has its hidden beauties that I am slowly discovering. Do to the heavy rain, everything is GREEN. Which is a better sight from my flat versus everything being dried up, (that occurs in September and October).  There are copious amounts of parks to visit. What makes these parks rather unique is most have a natural spring in them, meaning water naturally comes from an aquifer to the surface.  The food has been delicious, a bit too salty for my taste. Though, there is always fruit! Guava, watermelon, papaya, strawberries, passion fruit, fruits from the forest, and anything else you can think of. I could get use to this life. 

Regarding my work, I will post in detail much later. I have been posted at UFG-Universidade Federal de Goiás (Federal University of Goiás). The way public education works here in Brazil is municipal government is in charge of grammar school, the state is in charge of secondary school, and the federal government of university. The academic year goes from February to November. Sadly, last year towards the end of the year, the professor syndicate went on strike demanding a raise. The strike lasted three months. Meaning that last academic year just finished on March 4 and 2016 academic year does not start till March 30. Though, luckily for me, English classes are still being held because "Inglês see Fronterias" (English without Borders) is a separate entity from the university, more on that on my next post.

In the mean time abraços from the other side!  Oh and before I forget, there are monkeys on campus! Who happen to steal food from the students and can sip from straws, so I have been told. 

Geo arrives to São Paulo

Honeymoon First!

I arrived in São Paulo on Monday, February 22. It was not a very exciting day because (1) I was really tired of being jet lagged from having arrived from Greece three days prior and (2) still had shock. I could not believe I was actually moving to Brazil for the next nine months. Luckily, I was paired with a young man who was returning as an English Teaching Assistant (ETA) for the second time. This time with the added responsibility of being a mentor.  It was rather comforting to be able to chat with someone who had previous experience in this ordeal. The Fulbright Commission in Brazil is the only commission in the Western Hemisphere to have a mentor program. When Tuesday came around I met my mentor Anne and the other 4 ETA´s who fall under her jurisdiction (picture of Anne and her mentees below). From Tuesday through Thursday we were bombarded with information to make our duration in Brazil a productive and safe one. Luckily, there was an afternoon where we explored São Paulo and an evening where they taught us Forró, Samba (minus the colourful clothing. I was wearing jeans), Salsa, Bachata, and other Latin dances. As you can imagine, I have no rhythm or coordination so this proved to rather difficult. Through the whole week I was anxious to arrive to Goiânia. As lovely and amazing it was to speak with 80+ brilliant minds aka Fulbrighters, it really felt like a honeymoon. I longed for knowing what life would be like for the next nine months. 

São Paulo as a city is interesting. I have travelled extensively and must say that it has to be one of the least appealing ones I have ever visited. I will not bore you with history, but as a colonial city it was founded in 1554 and since then has grown to be the twelfth largest municipality in the WORLD! There is about 21 million inhabitants in the municipality. 11,8 million in the urban area. Like many good Catholic colonies, the city is named after Saint Paul of Tarsus aka Paul the Apostle. A former professor told me that São Paulo was New York on steroids and boy was he right. Congestion at all hours of the day, unless one is driving/riding around at very late/early hours. The part that calls my interest (International Studies geek, duh!) are the large diasporas from Japan, Italy, and several Arab nations. Several ethnic neighbourhoods can be found and I had the opportunity to explore Mercado Municipal de São Paulo, where the majority of individuals at one point were from Saudi Arabia, Morrocco, Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt. Ironically the items they sold were NOT kosher or Halal.

Afterwords we went to what once was the tallest building in Latin America in 1934. Edifício Martinelli or Martinelli Building designed by Italian Brazilian entrepreneur Gieseppe Martinelli.

The city flag, compliments of Snapchat!

As you can see the building no longer is the tallest building in the city and to be quite frank, the skyline is not very attractive.


Regardless of the view, São Paulo is the city where I met an extraordinary group of individuals from various academic backgrounds.

I just like to stand out so I of course wear a tie and red sweater :-)

Though, these are the best ones from the larger group. 

We came to Brazil all the way from Arizona, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio, New York and Illinois!

Just a Volunteer: From Dubuque to Comissão Fulbright Brasil

As a first generation college graduate, an AmeriCorps and VISTA Alum, and a new Fulbright Scholar I never know how to properly answer the question of “who am I?” The response that I tend to give is “I am just a volunteer.” When I am a volunteer, there is no prejudgment nor am unofficially elected as sole representative of a group of people. When I am the volunteer I have the opportunity to fill my heart’s content by helping someone else with something as simple as printing a document to something complex like explaining the political repercussions of not increasing our allowance of world refugees in this country.

I would not have been able to achieved the little I have if it were not for people who empowered and pushed me to strive and it all started because of one volunteer who tutored me. Over the past decade, the Latino population within the United States has grown from 35.3 million to 50.5 million, composing 16.3 percent of the total population.[1] Yet, while Latinos clearly constitute a vital portion of the population, they continue to face barriers in the pursuit of post-secondary education. Only 37 percent of Latinos who complete high school between the ages of 18 and 24 are enrolled in college.[2] Of those, only 9 percent actually graduate within five years with a Bachelors degree.[3] It should be our duty to empower individuals to strive for more.

My fellow VISTA´s and I (centre)

My parents work extensively to provide “better” opportunities for my siblings and me. They have ingrained into me the importance of hard work and, more importantly, finding value in ones’ own work. I had the honor and privilege to be raised by a strong-willed grandmother whose firm belief in her faith exposed me to believing in people. She taught me that when speaking with the wealthiest person in the room or the poorest, I treat them with the same respect.

When my first year of college came, I was trotting down a path where there were multiple barricades, which did not allow me to continue on easily as my fellow classmates. As I walked across campus I could not relate with anyone. I felt as foreign to Loras and Dubuque as an international student. I did not find my “home away from home” till I walked into an office that opened its doors and, to date, has not let me go. It was because of the Intercultural Programs Office that I was able to comprehend that we all share a similar battle. This battle of “who am I?” does not discriminate.

Out of this office I learned that one way to find one’s passion was by getting involved in the community. This led me to a non-profit that holds a very special place in my heart, the Multicultural Family Center, where I have volunteered since Fall of 2011. This experience was more than serving people, it was a moment to educate and be educated. I was exposed to worlds about which I was ignorant. I was granted the opportunity to serve as a voice for people through educational programming and interpreting. Simultaneously, I was discovering that when I was a volunteer people did not label me. I was simply a person giving back to their community.

As an AmeriCorps member and as a VISTA, I was allowed to understand and comprehend what it is like to live at the poverty line. There were months where I had to choose between paying the full balance or just a portion of it so I could purchase food for the week. It was during my VISTA experience in the City of Dubuque Human Rights Department, that I was in charge of creating a story via numbers. By analyzing numbers produced by collaborative events between non-profits, higher education institutions, and city government I was able to tell a story of the residents to local and state officials. However, during my term as a VISTA, something was missing and recognizing that I can be ambitious, I needed to know if I could even qualify as a Fulbright Scholar.

The Fulbright Program is the international educational exchange program of the United States that is sponsored through the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. This journey started during the fall semester of my senior year. A week before the on-campus interview I backed out because I did not have the support of my parents. At the time, they could not grasp the connection between what I studied and what I was going to do. They very much thought upon graduation from college I would acquire a job and live happily ever after, or something like that. For the rest of the academic year and starting my VISTA term I regretted not even submitting the paperwork. I mustered the courage to apply and in August 2015, I was accepted.

At first I could not believe it. I still cannot. I am waiting for them to email me and tell me “Sorry, we were just joking.” From February to December of 2016 I will be representing the United States as a cultural ambassador and helping to increase mutual understanding between people of the U.S and Brazil through assisting in teaching English as a second language. I will specifically be working with the Universidade Federal de Goiás by assisting in teaching in a public university for a full academic year.

I still cannot not answer why I was chosen to become a Fulbright Scholar. I am Geo the volunteer, the first generation college graduate. What I do know is that with this honor it is my duty to continue understanding and relating to people, taught to me at home and at Loras through my post-secondary transformative education, and mixed experiences through serving with AmeriCorps. This is why I am choosing to serve in Brazil as a cultural ambassador and to contribute responsibly, reflect critically, learn actively, and make decisions in an ethical manner, which calls me to treat people as people. Just as my grandmother expects of me.



[1] Ennis, S. R., Ríos-Vargas, M., & Albert, N. G. (2011, May). The Hispanic population: 2010

(2010 Census Briefs C2010BR-04). Washington, DC: United States Census Bureau.

[2] Santiago, D. A. (2011b). Roadmap for ensuring America’s future by increasing Latino college completion (Research Report). Retrieved from http://www.edexcelencia.org/initiatives/EAF/Roadmap

[3] "IV. College Graduation and Hispanics." Pew Research Centers Hispanic Trends Project RSS. August 20, 2012. Accessed January 5, 2016. http://www.pewhispanic.org/2012/08/20/iv-college-graduation-and-hispanics/.