Living in Brazil 6

         

    After Carnival, I wanted to explore more outside of Rio. The first place that grabbed my attention was Sao Paulo. Regarded as Metropolitan of South America. It draws smilier  comparison to New York, because of its work and never sleep mentality. Sao Paulo is a modern city located just South of Rio de  Janeiro. In the May of 2014, I  took a Greyhound bus 6.5 hours to the Center of Sao Paulo. In the Center, all all the business transitions takes place and all the tourist and locals come to see the sights. Sao Paulo is regarding as one of the biggest Metropolitan cities in the world. There you can find all cultures and ethnic groups from all over the world, looking for a better life and a better economic opportunities. I will always remember the moment traveling to Sao Paulo. I met a young lady on the bus that was traveling to the same region. When she found out I was a foreigner,  she couldn't stop but ask me a million questions. From where I was from, Why I was in Brazil, What do I do for a living, what other places I have traveled. etc. When I arrived in Sao Paulo, It was like being on 5th Avenue in New York. The crowd was massive, there were restaurants and bars everywhere you went.  The center of the city is where you see the famous landmarks, parks, museums, churches, and historical neighborhoods. When I arrived in Sao Paulo for the first time, I decided to explore the city and meet up and talk with the locals and  try to figure out and get a better understanding of what Sao Paulo was like. Unlike Rio, the trends and style of clothing were different.  The neighborhoods were modern in the central regions. You have in Sao Paulo, the neighborhoods that were influence by the immigration of immigrants to Brazil. The Italians, The Germans, The Japanese, The French, The Hollanders, other Latin and Caribbean Countries. There were also interesting places to go, historical buildings, restaurants, sites, and park to visit. My first night in Sao Paulo, I decided to walk up and down alone in the  center trying to find people to talk with. While exploring the city, I discovered some really cool and really interesting places to explore. The streets were packed with people on both sides. Bars, local pool halls, and disco clubs were the trendy thing to do when you were in the center of town. I had talks with local vendors, while strolling on the avenue I even met some locals and spoke to them in Portuguese and English. For me, this was the defying moment of my trip. I went with them to to some local bars. We had some fun, laughs and open conversation about each other and  about life.We really enjoyed getting to know each other, and shared some personal stories with one another. We had a chance to go to a local disco club for a while. For me, it was the best part of my adventure in Sao Paulo. Just having the chance to meet some really random people on the street, not even from your country, but yet making that connection, and making the best of the moment. There were really open and honest with me about their views. We hung out all night, until the darkness gave away to the morning sun.

     The next day, I decided to go downtown to see what else laid in front in this huge, enormous Metropolitan city. I brought a day pass metro ticket. Riding in the metro was the most fun for me, It was a chance for me to observe  and see how the people interacted with each other on the train. When I arrived in downtown. It was a gigantic multi-cultural mixing pot, of people doing and selling merchandises on local streets and  local stores and department stores, |Unlike the center, the buildings were not maintained or up kept as well. The prices were a bit cheaper compared to the center. In the downtown area, the life was impoverished. The economic opportunity and education was not as good, and in some neighborhoods, crime and drug trafficking was a major problem. In the downtown area, there were many immigrants from other South American countries and also in the Caribbean. The best part of  walking in the Downtown, it gave me more of a New York atmosphere, because you can hear the other languages such as Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, French, Italian and English. For me, it was more comforting being in Sao Paulo than in Rio, in many ways, because the difference of Identify united but united for a common goal. Wish is wanting a better life and opportunity, but when I decided to move to Brazil. I decided to be in Rio, but I wanted to know the real culture of Brazil and Rio De Janeiro is the mother place for it. Everyone identifies to one culture there, Samba, Funk, Carnival, Football, This is where the reputation starts, for the rest of the world to get to the scoop and the heart of what gives Brazil its Identify. Picking Sao Paulo wasn't the better choice, because coming to Brazil wasn't about wanting more money. it was about embracing a culture and learning about the people. It was fun and really exciting having a chance to leave Rio for the first time, since arriving in Brazil in August 2013. I spend the few days in Sao Paulo, eating at local restaurants  checking out the tours and sites and walking down some famous well known Italian and Japanese neighborhoods. My favorite moments of Sao Paulo were checking out the graffiti art in the local districts and neighborhoods.. I was in aww, at some of partings that I saw. It was really different and something different from what I have seen, before because each graffiti-artist took their heritage from their parents who happened to have immigrated from other countries to settle in Brazil. It was like being at school for be, except on the outside. The process of understanding and learning as you try to grasp the concepts and ideas, while understanding the art, customs and music of  the people people. There is where you find the identity.

   After my trip to Sao Paulo I returned to Rio. From there, I decided to go to other places, such as Belo Horizonte, It was another city that was different unlike others I have seen. Belo Horizonte, unlike Rio and Sao Paulo, it was known for its beautiful horizons. When the World Cup was being played there in June, I had a chance to travel  to Belo Horizonte for a few days to watch the World Cup Games with my friends. Belo Horizonte was a very small town, very laid back and reserved, Many people in Brazil had said, It was the place that made the best cheese bread in Brazil. Brahma also a Brazilian Beer was made there. Belo Horizonte has been praised for having one of the best and purest drinking waters in all of Brazil. When I was there, I found out there was a lot of  waterfalls and streams were it was good for touring or camping. The people in Belo Horizonte unlike Rio de Janeiro seemed to  take a more laid back approach to life, they seem to me to be more observant and laid back during the day, while at night, like many major cities, locals flooded the  local bars and restaurants, especially if there weren't any beaches to go during the day. There was a saying in Belo Horizonte. We don't have Mar, so we go to the Bar. It was an ideal place if you just wanted to raise a family or content a normal and simple life. Everyone that I met and came across there were very friendly. I had a good time touring the city and checking out the parks, which were very beautiful to sit and relax in. The parks were well maintained and up kept.  Many people took advantage of the time, by going out running, bike running, or walking with their families and friends. All in all it was a change for me, because I was now starting to understand more about Brazil.

Rio Olympic Problems 2016

U.S President BarackObama Visits the El Reno Federal Correctional Institution

Teaching In Brazil 6

                                       

   After  a few months at Focus, I started to develop a really good teacher student relationship with my students. Sometimes we would go out after class to have beer or coffee. This made my job as a teacher so much easier  because I can connect with them outside of the classroom as well as in without being too boring. I had a really special relationship with my Monday and Wednesday classes 7-8 o'clock at night. Of all the groups, they were the most enjoyable to teach. They had a really outgoing and buzzing energy that me want to connect to them more. Over the course of time, we built a re-pour that will eventually built our trust in the classroom. I learn with them the importance of patience and self control. When I first started teaching at the course, I was a bit rushy and a bit nervous, but over the course of time, I realized, I had to be more clam and patient with them. Over the course of the six months I had class with them, I could have seen the difference.

   At the other course,. Things were working out perfectly. I had the right amount of hours I was looking for. The students I had were all of different ages. I had a schedule of teaching students in the morning and afternoon on some days. I had the most fun with them because they made me feel more alive. There is a certain freedom you process when you teach children compared to adults, its the same freedom that allows me to write and find joy in traveling. This is what I live for and this is what I love to do. Paulo and Julio where two of the kids that I taught at INEP. There were enjoyable but at the same time  the most difficult. In the beginning because of our unfamiliarity and the trust we didn't  yet develop they were a little shy and receptive to speak in English. In the course of time, they broke down their shyness barrier and started opening up. I found out Julio has a passion to be a scientist. Paulo loves Mathematics and hopes to be someday an Engineer. They also like American TV shows such as Everybody Hates Chris,  The Simpson, SpoongeBob, etc..

   I had another student in the Afternoons, I had started teaching. His name was Matheus. Unlike the others, he wasn't as easy to reach and I had to have a great deal of patience with him, He was the kind of student who loved attention and will do anything to get out  of doing any work. In the very beginning I had ask myself several times, why did I decide to take up such a difficult task. It was also the first time every as a teacher my patience was tested. Over the span of time, I had gotten to know him and discovered he was just like me when I was is age. Someone whom is a thrill seeker, always looking for the attention wherever he goes. In time, I also found out he spends my time alone on the street alone without any parent supervision. For a eleven year old kid,  I found out it must be difficult, especially in Brazil at night in Rio de Janiero, where mayhem and disorder can sometimes unfold at night. I remembered how I was as a child and the reason why I acted out the way I and did,  I learnt, I had to be patient with him, to built that connection and trust so he can learn the same way my teachers taught me. I also learnt, how important is to never give up on someone, no matter how difficult it is. A teacher represent what the mold of the child should aspire to be, what kind of example would I set if I quit on him, that was the most valuable lesson for me as a teacher.

Rio Profile Natasha Fragas

 

 I have been living in Rio de Janiero for the past two years now, in my time living here, I have came across some interesting  people with really exciting stories. I had the chance to interview  Natasha Gierkens Fragas, a  local Brazilian living in the city of Rio de Janiero.  Natasha is 23 Years old, Manager/Teacher of Focus Idiomas Language School. She is also Married with no Children and a dog.

    Two years ago, Natasha realized her dream of  becoming a teacher, after almost becoming a pilot.  Looking for the perfect opportunity to fulfill her promise, She encountered  Paulo Henrique owner of Focus Idiomas in Copacabana.  They had their first meeting, when the school was not yet completed but the right moment and the right times presented itself and Natasha was working from home in April 2013 . Three months later, She became a teacher and a coordinator of Focus Idiomas.  Organizing the schedules, ordering the materials, hiring the people, and making sure everything was up to date.  Then in June 2013,the school officially opened. The first group officially opened in July 2013. After that,  In the beginning of January 2015 she was promoted to Manger. She says, in her new position, she says they re were some up sides and down sides. The upside are the increase in pay and the added responsibilities, but the downside is that you have to please all the teachers and all the students. and sometimes it can be difficult.  Many times, Natasha added, it can be stressful but she keeps herself calm and relaxed by reading spiritually books and taking massage therapy. She credits many of her success to her parents who has given her the best life possible. They stated, she had gotton  great schooling and guidance from her childhood, she hopes her success will be a way of telling them thanks. She uses the opportunities to improve  herself and learn and evolve as a person. She now studies at ISERJ University in Rio De Janerio, where she hopes to someday branch out into some bigger. 

    When I asked Natasha about her opinion  hosting the 2016 Olympics Games in Rio, she says, Brazil is has too many problems to  host the Olympic Games at this time. She points out the lack of education, schools, and hospitals should be the main focus of Brazil, not the Olympics Games. She shares her disappointment with the lack of interest with the government of the country and the result of lack of investments from last years World Cup Boom in Rio. She added that there hasn't been any returns from world cup and she expects the same for the Olympics. In spite of all the problems,she shares her optimism for the future with hopes of someday affecting change.

     

Living in Brazil 5

     


     

When January 2014 came around, I had noticed the sudden change in my appearance. I had lost about 10 pounds. I was slowly but surely adjusting to the life in Brazil. I had decided to explore more the city of Rio de Janiero. I started going on hikes, walks, explore the beaches, and local hot spots in Copacabana.  I made a consciousness effort to go to the beach every morning, play basketball or soccer every morning in a local park nearby me every weekend, within the coming months all the fat I started disappearing. I also started changing my eating habits, instead of McDonald or KFC which I was used to while living in the states, I started buying and eating fruits and vegetables. For lunch, I would have rice and beans, meats natural juice and vegetables. Also my routine which I changed a bit made a big difference. I would head to Copacabana beach every morning just at the crack of dawn. Take the metro which was 15 minutes away from me. I would spend 2 hours on the beach in Copacabana running and swimming. For me, early morning exercise was the best, you had few people at the beach, the sun was at its lowest point during the day, and also you have time to meditate and be alone and collect your thoughts. There was no big crowds before 8 o'clock, the sea was a quit and still place for me. Sometimes I could literally count the amount of people on my hand.In Copacabana near pier, there is a breath taking view of the sunset by the rocks. For me, It was my time of peace and relaxation and finally adsorb the fact I was living my dream.

     
   Things were starting to come together around the end of January. I had started exercising and working out more. I explored the sites around Copacabana. From the hikes, to the restaurants museums, beaches, and parties I was started to feel at home. The best part was yet to come as Carnival was just right around the corner. From the beginning of January until middle of February the anticipation begins to build as everyone begins to get into the festive mood.  Samba music is played on the street corners, where you have small crowds of people gathering around dancing and singing old and new classic classic. For me, I spend my first carnival mainly in the main central spot where many people gather at night called Lapa. There you have the famous Lapa steps where some of the worlds most famous artist have done videos, such as Snoop Dogg and John Legend. There at night, people gather on the steps,  talk and sing music and drink beer. That is one of the hot spots but to discover the true madness and craziness that transpires at night in Lapa you  have to go to the orcolos do Lapa where you have a people gathered around in crowds dancing and having a festive time. Along the way, there are bars and trendy restaurants where you can eat some enjoy yourself.

    Carnival was an amazing, exceptionally great experience for me.  It was something I dreamed about and wanted to experience my entire life, and here I was in the most beautiful city in the world about to have my chance. It was a so real experience Around mid February Carnival officially get off. It was everything and more that I had hope for, Large crowds  of people behaving like children for seven days without any rules or restrictions.  You can basically say, anything goes. Many people I spoke to told me, that Carnival was the heart and soul of Brazil.Carnival is apart of the culture that goes deeper than having loads of beers or vodkas or locking lips with total strangers but the idea that for one week, the people are enjoying the music and the company of others and the joy and being free and alive. I had the great chance to spend carnival with a friend of mine Jorge Andres whom was working at the Bellas Artes Hostel, where I was staying at the time. He and I would get up everyday, during the start of carnival and buy liquors and beers and hit all the local blocos, which were block parties in Brazil, on the street depending on  the time and place you were in Rio. There were different block parties throughout the day and each location. There would be blocos on the beach during the day and during the night, most of the blocos were situated downtown or in the main areas of the city. Everyday children, adults, young people, old people, locals, foreigners, and so on come together to show off their customs. Many of the men,would wear women dresses as a way to celebrate  the festivities and poke fun of the idea. Also many of the woman would come dress as men. The atmosphere is nothing like you would believe and the people and the magnitude was on a scale like no other places I have ever been. The school of Samba was the best part for me, a room full of musicians playing every instrument you can name dancing to old classic Samba music. The woman and men would dance and the whole room would be clap and cheer enjoying themselves.


     After a week, the streets slowly began to sweep away, the crowds were slowly disappearing and everything was getting back to normal. The kids return to school and adults returned to work. Just before the carnival had arrived I had met someone at the hostel named Wana Oliveira. She was from the Northwest of Brazil Belem next to the Amazons. She and I had become friends, and she told me a lot about her home down and how she grew up. She like me ha big inspirations to travel the world and find herself and so something meaningful with her life. She and I spent a week getting to know each other. In the time we spend together I found out she loved reggae music, she loved to travel, and she has a special love for animals. We talked would talk a lot about the possibility of meeting in New York one day which she was heading at the time, but for me I didn't want to go back, I needed more time to find myself, finish my book and look for the answers I was searching for. Its sad, because we were both the same  kind of people but at the time we were both headed in different directions in our lives.  I wanted to head out of the US and she wanted to head in. We made the most of our times together. In the week she stated at the hostel, we talked about hopefully meeting up in New York, because there is were she wanted to study and gain her English certificate. I knew for some reason in the back of  my mind it wasn't going to happen, but I was still optimistic, but for me we were just two spirits passing by in each others lives. To this day we sill keep in touch and she lives in New York.

Teaching in Brazil 5

   

After landing a job at Focus, I was feeling more relaxed and more comfortable with my role in Brazil. Better income and more freedom meant more opportunity to explore. Teaching English was becoming fun and enjoyable,  for the first time since the summer of 2013 teaching was fun again. I started getting groups to teach at the course. There were some unforgettable  students and groups that I taught but one group stood out from the rest. In the beginning it wasn't so easy as they had to get use to my way of teaching. They understood small words but generally in conversation they had a hard time grasping the idea and concepts of how to use the words. They also had difficulty adjusting to the speed and  pitch of my voice. They would say, slow down teacher. I knew then I had to learn how to adjust  to their  pace before they had to adjust to mine. In time things became easier and the lines of communication was beginning bridged. We had an awesome time getting to know each other. We would joke and tell each other stories in class. With time it build trust with everyone which made us more open about sharing our experiences, which made everyone want to share their experience in English. Every week Monday and Wednesdays at nights at 7 pm for an hour we would make the best out of our classes. Sometimes it would be difficult to get through to them, because they would complain about the long and difficult day they had at work. Especially with my evening group which I had twice a week. Monday and Wednesday nights. They would come up with different scenarios about leaving their book at home or forgetting their homework on the metro or at their job. They mostly used the typical we didn't have any time routine which I found fascinating because many of this grown adults were acting like children.  I  discovered that many people in Rio would rather past the time by going to beach, go to the bar, hang out with their friends, Anything to do with work or studying was not something their used to.


       It was a challenge for me at first, but with time and patience I had discovered, its good to change ones routine in order to get better results. I was bringing in a new concept and a new idea when it came to teaching. Everyone in the world can relate to fun. If used positively and constructively, it can change a person way of  learning. I would ask them general topics about their personal interest and what was going on in their lives. That was the perfect  opportunity they needed to speak so I can slowly give them  the tools they needed to speak efficiently and correctly. Many people in Rio de Janerio  were excited about having foreigners coming to their country to teach them English.. I was the most authentic person they knew and I could help them and change their lives in so many ways.

  When I made the transition to work at Focus. I didn't know what to expect, For starters,  the School was  a professional school which meant  I had to be organized to carry out the  lesson plans and execute certain paperwork and documentation I had to complete on a regularly basis... Something that I have struggled with  for the majority part of my life, so I had to focus a little bit more to make a better impression when it comes to organizing myself and preparing the lessons. As time went on, I learn to structure myself a little bit more. I gave myself enough time to absorb the lessons even more than what I am used t. Many of the students I had were beginners and they had never spoken any word of English, so for me, I had to be more patient than usually and try new techniques. Also many of them were timid to even want to attempt  it sometimes was like pulling teeth. For me, I had to make them feel comfortable. I had to get in depth with them on the things that were happening in their lives and find a way for them to feel comfortable enough to say it in English. In time, with my extrovert personality and communications skills, I slowly had them talking to me even when there was nothing to be said. The interest and level of excitement learning about my background and the State which everyone dreams of going to, New York. They saw me as hope, that one day they could have the opportunity,  to travel abroad  for a better life or just the opportunity to experience something different from what they were used to.

    In August 2014,  I started working at Focus. It wasn't an easy transition from INEP because in that course, I had more freedom to do what I wanted and with Focus the classrooms were bigger, the students were more, the atmosphere was more professional. The difference which I liked about Focus  was that it had more current and up to date material that could relate to,while learning English. In  Focus, we use music, games, conversation new and up to date books and even activities outside the classrooms to draw a picture of the real English experience.The  co-workers at the course are really good to work with.  They are very helpful and if I was in a situation in which I need their help they would be right there.This made me believe I was in the right situation. For me, If I work in an environment in which everyone helps out the other I will show one hundred percent dedication and hard word into making sure I do my part. From the first 3 months, it was a  roller coaster ride, But towards the end of December 2014, many of my students had already gotten used to me, even calling me the crazy teacher. It would be an insult for most, but for me I was letting them into a world were learning can be fun and exciting.