A Reflection

On my time living abroad for 7 months...

What an experience!!

I kicked off the new year by traveling south to Brazil, the tropical country of samba, beautiful women, and soccer. I had been planning on attending the World Cup, and when I found an opportunity to live and work in the country during the months leading up to the biggest sporting event, I saw numerous benefits of doing so. I jumped at the opportunity to travel again and experience a new culture, after my successful study-abroad trips to Europe, Costa Rica, and Spain. Upon arriving in Brazil, I did not know a whole lot about the customs, people, food, and way of life. However, I soon learned of the generosity, inclusiveness, and welcoming good nature of Brazilians.














I worked at an English school in the city of Itajubá. My role there was to be the "English Monitor," helping students and professors alike with any questions they may have about English or just to practice conversation skills. It was not the most exciting job in the world, but I made some great connections and friends there. The other teachers and secretaries made things much better during the boring days when there was not much work for me, and I was able to improve my Portuguese by speaking with them.











After graduating college, I had no intention of learning another language. I thought that to be fluent in English and Spanish was great, and that I'd continue onwards in to the future with these two prominent languages of the USA. Here is where I arrive at one of the best benefits of having lived in Brazil for a little over half-of-the year... I have acquired a third language! It took a few months for my ear to adapt to the different letter pronunciations and mineiro accent, but through constant contact with the language, I can happily now say that I can speak Portguese- pretty fluently ;) I took some Portuguese classes at the English school during my stay, and I am thankful for those lessons as they helped me to straighten out some of the differences between Spanish and Portuguese. However, I believe I learned more (expressions, sayings, gestures, words) in the every-day conversations I had on the street, in the plaza, at the school, or back at the república where I was living with several Brazilians.



My new friends contributed sooooo very much to my experience. Itajubá is not a very large city and lacks activities and things for the younger crowd to do. Therefore, on many weekends my friends invited me to visit their homes in near-by cities to meet their families and friends. Whether it be by ônibus or a carona, I traveled to the cities of São Lourenço, Pedralva, and Pouso Alegre where I made some more acquaintances and memorable experiences. Each of my friend's families were very welcoming and hospitable to the "gringo," and I am grateful to them.

Despite all the good about my trip, there were also some not-so-good times. I had trouble adjusting to my new environment, for example. It was dry and hot when I arrived, and as I expected there was no air-conditioning in the house. Not that the heat was too bad, but then when you open the windows for the breeze to enter, in would come the mosquitos as well. I think the pernilongos preferred the American's blood (probably saltier), and so I was indoctrinated in to the Brazilian life. My sinuses gave me trouble as well, and I tried to defeat a sinus infection without seeing a doctor for a couple months. I learned a valuable lesson after finally going to a public clinic: do not wait to feel better and heal-up by yourself, if you feel bad and are sick---> go to the doctor's! And then there was this feeling of homesick that would creep-up from time to time. On the days when I wasn't feeling 100% or had little to do, the feeling would hit me and I had never really felt it before on previous journeys like I did during this one. Probably because on this trip I traveled solo, not with a group from my university. However, by spending time with my new friends, going to different events, and staying busy, the homesickness would disappear.

The big highlights from the trip were the times I was able to travel, with-in and outside of Brazil. The first big trip I took was to Rio de Janeiro. The power of networking and having contacts is a valuable thing to have. Through a friend of a friend, I was able to go and spend a week in Rio during the celebration of Carnaval! What an experience that was, standing in the Sambódromo watching as the samba schools paraded down the avenue in their exhilarating costumes. The next big trip was to the Cataratas del Iguazú/Foz do Iguaçu.

The two names of the waterfalls represent the two sides of the falls that exist in Argentina and Brazil. I visited the Argentinian side first, and spent half-a-day in Brazil's. My time there can be summed-up as incredible. On the way back towards Itajubá, I was able to visit my good Brazilian friend's (Ana) family in Santo André and meet them. Again, the hospitality I have received in Brazilian has been amazing. It was nice to see the historic center of São Paulo, go to a soccer match in the stadium Morumbi, and experience some of the big city. A great trip.





My most recent trip might have wiped out the bank account, but was totally worth it. First I traveled to Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais to attend the Costa Rica vs England World Cup match.












Then I flew to Bogotá, Colombia to visit my high school Spanish teacher's city and family. After six eventful days there I continued to Peru, where I was able to walk around the ancient Incan ruins of Machu Picchu and spend a day in the fascinating city of Cusco!

My final destination of this three-country tour was Quito, Ecuador where I visited my high school friend Daniel and his family. I spent a weekend with them and got to know his 4-year old daughter, Alejandra. A great time!














I tasted new foods, experienced different traditions, met wonderful people, and had the experience of a lifetime these past seven months. Soon I will be landing in Atlanta, Georgia and continuing on this journey we call life. I look forward to what the future holds in-store, and am very happy to now have a Brazilian network of friends and families. Overall, I have enjoyed my time in the Southern Hemisphere and hope to return some day. I am blessed for the ability to have been able to accept the internship and for the resources I had/received in order to make this trip happen! I have had the support of my family and friends throughout this experience, and I thank you all for it. I am not exactly sure what my plans will be when I get back home, but I do know for sure that I do not want to be an English teacher, ha.

This world is too beautiful, diverse, and interesting not to go out and experience a part of it... so GO!

Last Day in Quito

July 7

Day 4

Above Quito

Monday was my last day in Quito. In the morning, I traveled to a place high above the city via a cable-car. Daniel's mom took me to the Teleferiqo. We boarded a lift and traveled to a spot 4,000+ meters above sea level. I was at a higher elevation there than I was back in Cusco. It was very windy and cold up there, but the view was pretty nice. It was a little overcast, but we could still see the northern, central, and southern parts of the city.

Some job! Not for those with fear of heights.

Basilic del Voto Nacional

Inside the clock tower.

After seeing the city of Quito from above, we descended and met up with Carlos at his office. From there, we three traveled to the Basilica located in the Historic Center. When we arrived we purchased tickets to ascend one of the towers of the church.

Walking from tower to tower across a bridge
constructed on top of the Basilica.

After our visit, Daniel's parents made a stop by a place to buy some breads and pastries. Among the new breads I tried, was a quesadilla. Nothing like the quesadillas that I am accustomed to from the Mexican pantry, but this type of food was sweet and had a very different texture and pentagonal shape.

Before heading to the airport, I also had lunch at their house. I tried a new soup- plátano verde e yuca, green plantain and manioc. It was tasty!

Middle Earth!

July 6

Day 3

Sunday began with Mass. Daniel and I walked to the church nearby his apartment. It was a nice service and I got the message of the Priest's homily! Upon returning to the apartment, we had breakfast and waited for Angiel (Daniel's wife) and Alejandra to return from her swim lesson. Once everyone was ready, we headed to the middle of the world!!







First we visited La Mitad del Mundo Monumento. We entered a park that was big and designed for the tourists. People were there from different countries and different events were taking place. We took a brief train ride that went around the park, and then we entered in the tower that contained information on the different peoples of Ecuador and the regions they live in. It was like a small museum.

Angiel, myself, Alejandra, and Daniel

At the top of the tower you could clearly the divide of the
two hemispheres, where the equator passes through.

After descending the tower, Angiel and I watched some dance groups perform, while Daniel and Alejandra went to the playground. Alejandra was a little restless, ha.

Intiñan Solar Museum

After visiting the big tourist attraction, we went to another place close by, what Daniel said was the "true" center of the world. This place wasn't as big nor as touristy. The name of the site was the Intiñan Museum and I enjoyed the more than the monument. We had a tour in Spanish around the grounds, and were told a lot of fascinating information about the indigenous people of the land. We learned about the shrunken-heads and how they came about, why they were used, and some scary information about the important people/leaders that died. There was a tradition of burying one's possessions with them, so that they would have those items with them in the after life. But apparently those items included loved ones for persons who had a high status within the community. For example, if the king were to die in that time, his wife and children would be given a drink that put then to sleep. When they woke up, they would be underground! [ahhhh!]

A sun clock. Unfortunately it was overcast that day.

The coolest part of the tour, for me, were the demonstrations in how the Northern and Southern Hemispheres have different pulls and gravitational forces affecting them. I volunteered to be a participant, and got to experience first hand how my strength differed in the two hemispheres. (Copy FBook description). One thing very cool to see there, was how water flows differently. There was a bucket under a sink, and they began by pouring the water through the sink on the line marked as the center of the Earth (equator). We then saw the water fall directly down, straight out of the sink in to the bucket. Then the guide took the sink and bucket over in to the Southern Hemisphere, just a few yards away, and did the same demonstration. Rather than falling straight down out of the sink, the water swirled clockwise. Following this, we crossed over in to the Northern Hemisphere and saw that the water friend counter-clockwise. TOO COOL!!! Finally, there was a challenge for the guests, which was to balance an egg on top of a nailhead situated on the equator.

I was able to accomplish the challenge, and received a diploma afterwards!

As we were leaving the museum, we watched a dance from a guy dressed in the colorful costume of what is worn during a certain celebration/time of year. 

We stopped by another volcano-formed crater afterwards to take a look.

Final trip of the day was a family trip to La Virgen del Panecillo.

There is a large statue of the Virgen Mary located on a hill near downtown Quito. I did not know of this monument before going, but it reminded me of my visit to Rio de Janeiro and going to see the Christ the Redeemer statue that stands atop of Mount Corcovado. Inside the base of the monument were various accounts and descriptions of apparitions of Mary throughout history. There were also displays about how different countries celebrate different religious holidays of the Catholic Church.

El Centro Histórico

Birds, Lagoons, Cascades

July 5

Day 2

My second day in Ecuador was eventful. We began the morning at Alejandra's swim class. She has already learned how to swim at 4 years old, and doesn't need the floaties! 

Me, Daniel's mom, Alejandra, and Daniel

After the swim lesson, Daniel, his mom, daughter, and I traveled to Parque Cóndor, to visit the bird center and watch a show. As the name of the park indicates, the center has condors. I didn't realize beforehand, but they are the world's largest flying birds. There were many owls, hawks, and falcons there as well. I believe all the birds there were birds of prey/raptors.

We arrived just after the start of the show, but were able to see most of the program. The handler brought out a few different birds and presented us  information about them (lifestyles, habitats, food, habits, colors, etc.). The presentation was in Spanish, so I missed some of the technical words, but I got the gist of it all. I especially liked the part near the end when the brother and sister bald eagles were shown.! 

 

Wearing the appropriate shirt for the day, ha.

After visiting the park, we stopped by a nice spot that had a good view of the San Pablo Lake.

Goofing-off w/
Alejandra.

Checking-out the merchandise.

From there, we headed to a well-known outdoor market in the Plaza de Los Ponchos the nearby city of Otavalo. There I did some shopping and negotiated with the sellers to get a better price (w/ Daniel and his mom's help). I left with a few nice hand-crafted souvenirs and an Ecuador national soccer team jersey!

I saw this lady in one of the main squares of the city. She has the typical dress of
what the indigenous people wear. They are hard workers.

-Fritada, mote, maíz tostado, queso, empanada de viento,
maduro, tortillas de papa, papas, ají.
- Pork, toasted corn, cheese, empanada with cheese,
potato tortillas, boiled potatoes, chili sauce

After shopping, it was lunch time! We went to Fritada Amazona, where they have very typical/indigenous food of Ecuador and the Andean people. We enjoyed a tasty lunch while watching one of the World Cup matches on the television there. 

Next on the schedule was a visit to a beautiful lagoon, called the Laguna de Cuicocha. The water was crystal clear. The setting was really nice and I learned that the lagoon had been formed by a volcano. The crater has filled with water over time from rain and runoff water from the surrounding mountains. During the boat tour, we passed  around the island set in the lagoon, and the guide told us about the lagoon's beginnings and history. The most interesting thing I heard from him, was that there were no fish in the water! This was surprising to me. After the cruise, we collected our complementary cup of hot cinnamon water... which was really good!! I will have to remember to make some back home next winter.

On the boat cruise.

As the sun began to set, we made another trip to a natural water formation. Daniel took us to the Cascada de Peguche. Cascada in Spanish means "cascade." So there were a number of cascades (small waterfalls) there in the park. It was a nice walk and as we approached the big fall, we were dampened by the spray. 

On the way home, we stopped by a restaurant that served bizcocho, a type of buttery cookie that goes well with hot beverages. I myself didn't care so much for it, but it was a popular food in that town. Nearly every restaurant displayed it on their signs.

A great and very productive day 2 in Ecuador!