Living in Brazil 7

     

   Things were starting to turn around May of 2014. I was finally getting a little breathing space after  months of trying dig myself out of a hole. In the months following, things would swing on the upside, but with this new opportunities came harsh lessons I had never experienced.Things were falling into place just at the right time. Two months later, the second biggest sport event in the world was underway. Things couldn't have been better than it was starting to become.

   At the end of May 2014. Things were going just the way I had planned, until a girl walked into my life. Her name was Sabrina Amanda, and she was the perfect mix of brains and beauty. While staying in Bellas Artes Hostel,  I had a two day conversation with her and her friend Alice,which was really engaging and fun. They were both from from Belo Horizonte, which was the capital of Minas Gerais.  In my time spending with her at the hostel during the weekend. I had a chance to really got to discover her adventurous nature for travel and her curiosity of wanting to know other culture. This made me so more drawn to her than anything. her openness her and  down to earth spirit. We hit it off well from the get go.I shared my personal stories of myself growing up in Jamaica and the states, and why I decided to go to Brazil.  The whole weekend we had deep and really profound conversation about life, art, travel and nature. I was really drawn to her personality, but in did help she was beautiful as well. After that particular weekend, she had to go back to her city in Belo Horizonte. We decided to keep in touch via facebook and via telephone. After she left we kept in communication  a few times during the week, basically addressing when the next time we would see each other again. The following  weekends she decided to come down to Rio de Janiero one more to see me, but during this time, I had managed to miss the opportunity. Little did I know, this opportunity missed would be pivotal because it made the chase more complicated. During this time I focused on trying to please her instead of trying to be myself.  We communicate for a while a few days a week. I took a bus to see her in her city Belo Horizonte.  We talked for the next few months, even in the moment of being so deep in love I did crazy things like driving to her city to surprise her, even when she wasn't even there. Looking back, I was deeply in love, it was something i wish I had never experienced, so reality taught me a harsh lesson but She was mindful of that and used it against me. As time went on, the more attention I gave her, the more she used it to her advantage. On the last trip I went to see her. She told me it would be OK, if I could spend the night at her place. Once I arrived there, she had other plans in mind. She had decided to drop me off at a friends house which I knew very well. In the weekend I spent in her city,we spent  eating lunch at a local restaurant, At the night  we had a time to share  some laughs at a local hangout spot where all the locals liked to gather  to catch up on weekend football and events happening in the city.


    During the last night, I had a chance to discover her true intention as she used the opportunities to chat with her friends about our whereabouts. Trying to get her attention she slowly and surely ignored me. It was the first time in my life I felt so low, because after, only then I realized I was being used my someone all along had no interest in me.  I was hard but, I was more upset with myself for making it go that far and not seeing where I was going.It was the harsh reality of life and something I had never faced, even though it was difficult for me for the next couple of weekends. I had a conversation with myself, to love self first before thinking of going after someone else. That was my lesson, also sometimes love is blind and it can takeover your mind so take things slow when things are new, It was a difficult experience to swallow because i wasted 4 months on something that wasn't there, but at the same time it was an experience that I never had, but It would be an experience I would never forget.

    In the months ahead,  I would spend the next months working on myself and getting to know the rest of Brazil.. In August 2014. I decided to leave the Bellas Artes hostel after 1 year. I moved into the heart of Copacabana, just 10 minutes walking distance from the beach, From the point on, my moment of reflection and  and transformation started. I  slowly began the process of adjusting as well as forgiving out myself as well as understanding the world around me. This time, I would come to grips with past as well as the future which has not yet arrived.

Inside Rio Carnaval

Teaching in Brazil 7

                                             

   When August 2014 arrived, I couldn't have been happier. I now worked at two Language Schools. Both of them were different from the other.  The first school were I worked, INEP was a school that catered to the needs of older clients or anyone who wanted to learn English. The second school Focus Idiomas however was a school with a  bit  more  of a vision. Focus was more geared to travelers or anyone looking to improve their professions. They both presented the same idea, but INEP did things the old fashion way; whiteboard, markers, books, desk, chairs and erasers. However; Focus Idiomas was new and innovative school in coming. It had Sofas, TVs, Music, new updated textbooks, and games. Both were a bit different for my taste.  At,INEP, I had more freedom, whilst at Focus Idiomas,I had to follow to  a structure and method of teaching. Both for me presented different way of reaching their students. Focus was a school more focused on reaching  the students visually, through visual and conversation, whilst INEP was more focused on the written  and the  oral. For me, both presented a bit of a challenge, but it would be a challenge that would eventually help me become a better and more effective teacher.

 

    The staff at INEP were very friendly and pleasurable to work with. All the teachers and staff would have conversation with me about current events happening in Brazil. The problems and corruption in Brazil, But none more important, than the soccer games and rivalries that were going on over the weekend. Botafogo or Flamengo. People would buy their shirts and choose their sides. In the morning,I always found it interesting to speak with one teachers about the current events. There was a teacher by the name of Sir Paulo. He was a language teacher at the course. He taught German, French, English, Portuguese and Italian. He was well traveled and educated. He graduated from Oxford in London with a Degree. He was not your typical Brazilian. He would tell me all- the time he was mistakenly born in the wrong country.He would defend his comments by saying,  Brazilian people don't like to work. He would explain that Cariocas only thought about carnival, sex, football, and beer. He would further explain, Cariocas lived only for today and thought nothing about the future, His appearance and mannerism were of a man who lived in the UK,  so I understand why his resentment  was so strong. That was his biggest regret to this day, not making the best of the opportunity to live abroad when he had the chance. For this, he reminds me not to blow my chances and enjoy every experience I have.

 

     At Focus, the staff was bit more professional. Natasha Fragras a teacher and now manager, was the first person I got to know at Focus. When I first spoke with her, I really thought she was around the same age as me, but after some time, I found out she was only 22 years of age, Surprising for me, because she presented herself as of person whom was wise beyond her years. We have a mutual respect for one another and I  have learned a great deal from her, especially when it comes to becoming a better professional.

  From the moment I started working at Inep. I had a special connection with my students. There were two students that I have to this day, I continue to teach and mentor.  Roseli Sobral, and Diddo Oliviera. Both  musicians, They live in Copacabana and enjoy learning English in their spare time. Roseli  likes to learn English because of her fascination and admiration for the city of New York. She has been singing in a choir group for quit sometime now. She uses the opportunity to learn English to grow as a signer and understand other forms of music from other musical artist. When I first, started teaching her, she was very nervous and hesitate to speak, but over the course of time, she has developed a confidence that has helped her overcome her fears. Now that she likes and enjoys to speak English, she hopes one day to travel more to the United States to understand the culture. Ditto also enjoys to speak English. A native from the state of Bahia, he enjoys playing music at parties around Rio. He takes the opportunity to learn English as a way to expand his audience base, but to also learn about other cultures and other musicians. In my time getting to know him, I even found out he has recorded several album over the years.

    At Focus, there was a group that I started teaching in the middle of 2014. I like to refer to then as The Dream Team. They were like no group that I ever had. They loved to make jokes and make light of all situations. All coming together to learn English, everyone brought excitement, joy, and fun to the classroom. Over the course of time, we became a tight group, almost like a family. Every Monday and Wednesday at 7pm, It was an hour of non- stop conversation, entertainment and joy. Bete Roza, was one of my students I enjoyed teaching. She brought an energy and excitement that made it fun to be around. Her soul and spirit was of a child, which makes everyone gravitate towards her. She is also a teacher, and teaches children with special needs.Being in her presence made the class more enjoyable and comfortable to teach.She likes to travel and enjoys spending with her friends at the beach or watching soccer on television at the bar. She is learning English in the hopes of traveling abroad to the United Sates, to communicate with her daughter and now son-in law who now lives in San Francisco California. 

    Margarete Pereira da Silva, was another student of mine, she was not in the term for a long, but her impact was felt. She was one of my inquisitive students, when in doubt ,she would ask a question,to make sure she would be correct with her pronunciation. She was studying English  to help her with her job. She works with customer service.  In which she sold colthes and merchadise as a way to make a living. Frequently she would have foreign customers in ther botique. Sometimes she uses English to communicate with her customers. She stayed in our  class for three months, but she liked and enjoy speaking English with our group. Hallana Andrande Waldhelm was one of a kind. she was someone who you couldn't take seriously, especially when it comes to trying to speak or study English.. But she was a pleasure and joy to have around, She likes to spend time with her friends and family. What I miss about her was entertaining her before the classes. Before the classes, I would dance to a video she recorded before the English class to  make her feel happy. That would be our weekly routine, until the course ended, if it made her open up and talk more in class. I had no problems doing it for her. Because in my mind, learning a language is a fun experience and should be enjoyable to Teach. Vera Maria Taranto, was another student in which I enjoyed teaching. She was the kind of student, who liked to make the best of the opportunity. She enjoys traveling and culture. She  uses the opportunity to learn English as a way to  move up in her professional career and also to travel abroad. Renata Romero was my most dedicated student.  She loved to study English. Her hopes of Learning English was to hopefully one day win a job or career in the United States, where she will move to have a better life. Lastly. Paulo. I called him the president. A very relaxed and calm guy, he is the kind of man that likes to just  go with the flow. He was the kind of person, you can never anger, because he was always in control of his emotions, for this reason, I called him the President. I will never forget the Dream Team. They were the first group that I connected to, teaching English in Brazil. 

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.