Saturday, January 10, 2004
How To Clean Old Doilies
second quarter report from Brazil by Alex Pevzner
the past two months, I, in contrast to the earlier period, far from being in a so-called "everyday" spending. In early November, I started me on my upcoming big four-week journey through the beautiful North East of Brazil prepare: many had purchased specifically for this trip necessary amount of clothing that more pins swapping made, documents found be copied and sent to the organizers. To all this, even the final exam were in school, I had decided as far as possible taking notes, because the new language is now no obstacle longer pose as finally the 21igste November and thus the end of the school year for those who were directly have got, should also begin our journey. While the majority of our classmates for a further three weeks went into the school and took exams in the failed compartments, we were exchange students from Nova Friburgo us already on vacation along with 45 other inbounds from 19 countries with which we from one beautiful place next traveled, not just the Brazilian, but also each other's cultures have learned better. These our journey similar to the one offered in Germany for the Euro-Tour inbounds, because it was organized by rebounds, however, have opened a travel agency together, and now every year several trips through various parts of Brazil, both for Rotary, as well as for easy traveling . organize These four weeks were certainly one of the highlights of my recent and possibly also of my entire exchange time here in Brazil, because here I learned how I had hoped from this exchange, not only the inhabitants of the country where I am, therefore, Brazil but young people my age from other countries, spread across the world are familiar. Even more than that because we spent a large part of these four weeks together in a bus all of us grow so close together that left that we have now become even a kind of family. Everyone knows how gewaeckt who is most like who or what may hate, and much much more ...
Together with us were two coordinators for the Tourbuero, a Rotarian couple and a doctor as supervisors go, but are they in the end become a part of our great international family, even after the relationship had exchange students from our course a little different.
A pleasant surprise for me was that the first report says Joan, with whom I from Frankfurt to Sao Paolo flew, also traveled with this group and we met again our so after two months. No matter how strange it may seem, but the fact that we had sat together on the plane and got together first impressions of Brazil is a scary binding. It was really nice of me from Germany known faces to watch and learn how she was sent for after our separation, and although we only have one little talk briefly.
What has impressed me on this trip too much, is that we have seen a very strong group of education, but they are all still got along incredibly well with each other: one group were incredibly kind and almost always cheerful Japanese another the English exchange student from the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, England and a few from other countries and finally the third at the most colorful mixed group with people from all sorts of other, but also some of the countries listed so far. However, all had, even among the groups, an absolutely fabulous relationship to each other. You could, however, find during these four weeks, some typical features of the inbounds from each country and thereby confirm one or other prejudices or refute. Another event during this trip was to be my birthday, but I missed this particular day my biological family, as I, although I congratulate all I have and has even sung a samba band Samba Happy Birthday in style on the street still did not have the feeling that this whole day is special. That is why I felt a lot better after I had phoned just with my family and my friends, what left the following morning but still be quite beautiful.
was very good I also ensure that all together about others and about themselves laughing without feeling attacked. More than that, we are told several times to sit together at the jokes with, for example, a German, an Englishman and an American or someone with another nationality, which was a particularly well clear exactly this joke with people from a completely different Land could be told and the joke would not be lost. This, however, shows how the same people all the defects are, in turn. This theme of equality of men and other ethical or moral issues, we have also often discussed as we had on the bus at the huge distances that we between a point and another the perfect opportunity to put back to discuss issues of all kinds. It was interesting to see that some of the same coming out of the country also had a similar opinion concerning this matter and other many absolutely different ideas. And I found two for me quite surprising things to come:
German youths, at least the ones who mitwahren on this trip are open to the most for everything new and unknown. By that I mean, we were interested in coming over from Germany to the new cultures, as many of the others and were therefore also very disappointed by the cultural and historical program that was offered to us. The problem is namely that Brazil is a very young country and therefore vorzuweisen still not too much history. That lack of sights of this kind we have, for example, in several city tour, shopping centers, yacht clubs and houses, is born in which someone famous shows. For us Europeans, we're used to a lot of old buildings and historically important places to go everywhere where we have, this was of course disappointing. However, the nature, as expected, of course, absolutely unique in the world. Despite this, our trip did not go to the Amazon, we have still seen an incredible number of different landscapes: beautiful mountains and cave and waterfalls and unique panoramic images on an endlessly into the distance extending landscape, not to mention the fantastic to the world famous beaches entirely from the south to the north of Brazil ... The actual program of our trip, they can under http://www.terrabrasil.com/english/nordeste_dez.asp again a closer look and make a better image of what we on this truly unique ride have seen. Another
both surprise when slight disappointment was that none of the five Japanese traveling with us, the Jewish religion to which I belong knew. It was very difficult to erleutern them that the five world religions are composed of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism and Judaism being one of the main religions was formed out of which other religions such as Christianity. This was however not at all a problem for me dar. the contrary, I have tried as best I was able to explain what exactly is Judaism and what ideas you have there. I think my Japanese friends now imagine, at least approximately just under Judaism . Can
was the end of this great journey then carried out an election in which each exchange student had to choose the best in 20 different categories. I won in the category best exchange student, which means that both my languages, my communicative skills, the will to make friends with as many people as possible, and the openness were honored to everything new and unknown by the other exchange students. However, this was quite a surprise for me because although I've really tried my best to make these points, it seemed to me at the end still think I would have everything with one or the other to maintain, for every inbounds the traveling had an interesting and different personality than the others. And when finally
stopped the bus and we, who left the journey in Rio, to get away from all hosted and had got one or the other already in tears because it's become quite clear if and when we meet again for everyone. I hope that as many as possible will follow my example, in 2006 and invitation to come to Germany for the World Cup.
home I was expecting a new family member: the best friend of my host sister Carol called Joan, with whom she has during their exchange in Denmark became friends and what it now for three whole months, that is visited almost with a private short exchange here in Brazil. Me see how nice it has such wonderful work but its replacement, since this visit for me proves that they, as well as hoped for, friends in the country in which she has spent her exchange, and these are still in contact. We, Johanna and I, have now become friends and are moderate in absolute and sisters in this way, my Brazilian family. However, this was not the only new because I was caught up in the middle of my first Christmas stress, because my family does not celebrate Christmas in Germany, because we are not Christian faith. Here, however, I experienced the first Brazilian Christmas of my life to the fullest! The time between my arrival and Christmas Eve spent I complete with decking and decorating, cooking and baking, the desperate search for the last gifts and sit together with the family in the evening when, for example, television. I must say that all this Christmas rush has pleased me extremely well and the preparations for any celebration with my family in Germany, which will also be quite chaotic CARRIED recalled.
The Christmas party went on as follows: On
24igsten December were all woken up early and spent the day with final preparations for the festival. At seven, the table for dinner and met both my host father, and my grandparents came to us here in the apartment. Brought along Gifts were placed under the small artificial Christmas tree to the already located there gifts. My host father has because he is of German descent, with many German shops here in Brazil, including a German bakery in Rio, in which he provided Weihnachtsgebaeck many species such as speculative and gingerbread of many species. Furthermore, we provided various nuts and dry fruits on the table. Now it had to wait on the ex-wife of the brother of my host mother (why the ex-wife and not the brother of my host mother came, I still have not quite understood). At ten, two hours later than agreed, they finally came and everyone started to eat. The table was covered with plenty of food from three countries: Brazil, Denmark and Germany (Johanna and I did together a meat dish and a dessert, both of whom have become excellent). About midnight all were finally full and started opening presents. My host brother and I had to distribute as the youngest of the family all gifts to the addressee. I also got some nice gifts, some of which I liked best two books in Portuguese, since I still can improve my language skills further. came for me after unpacking the gifts of the part of the evening, which I had least expected: my host sister, Joanna, and I should go to the biggest party of the year. We quickly made our deal and left against a clock at night the house. Never have I can not think of past, that after the meal together at Christmas still goes to a party. However, I have understood by the narrators of the other inbounds that this is probably just as common here in Brazil, because they came all this before also very strange. The party was up by five or six the next morning. Ten-thirty then a Rotarian called out my club contacted us and wanted me to call her the name of the English inbounds from our club and describe its appearance. When I had done this I inquired what had happened and was told that he was lying about nine on the road found in a very distant place from the party the previous day by the police and now in the hospital. He was allegedly drunk and be then walked up to that point, but we were exchange students at the ceremony all together and I know therefore that he was not drunk. It was also strangely pitched his lip, his whole shirt full of blood and both his Portmonait, and his clock had disappeared. Since he previously had some problems with his visa and is now beginning get into more trouble, decided Rotary him for other problems out of the way to go and him from those who have robbed him protected on the evening of the following day back to England to send. After this incident we will be more careful another inbounds and Rotary will have to now probably be a lot stricter with us. All that remains is to wait us how everything will develop.
came about four clock the same day then the same guests as the night before and the remains of food from the previous day were at a slightly reduced lunch. In the evening, was tidying up the great word: kitchen, living room and everything else needed to be brought in was more or less the pre-Christmas state.
And so it ended for me my first Christmas. Not quite as I had expected, but also very interesting and enjoyable. However, I explained my Finnish friend that this was not the Christmas, how was I to know it and that I must at some point in their Christmas to Finland, to make sure I once experience Christmas as it appears to be her true ... I will try to take advantage of this offer at some point.
The next day they called me exactly Finn, Laura, and asked if I with her family and she would like to go sailing to New Years Eve. This question I did not let me put two and after a short meeting with my counselor, who was happy with all the problems with the English boys are not to be had in the city, sat a brief goodbye with just the boy and another hour to pack we on the bus to Niteroi, where we were picked up by the rest of the family. The next four days we spent in an absolute paradise on a small sailboat. Each Day consisted of three meals prepared by ourselves and a lot of sailing, swimming and fun at all. On, however, were probably the most beautiful nights and especially the beautiful starry sky. However, we made it here to have a lot of fun because we have been trying desperately to the Polar star and some star formation found in the sky, without considering that we are on the southern half of the earth and see the northern stars / star formation therefore not . can It was extremely amusing, as we understood, what had a junk we made all the time. But the beautiful night sky also had another effect on us, namely, that we were quite philosophical thoughts such as: the Sky and the stars are both here and in our home countries the same (except that you can see some stars from one place and not from the other). This illusion gives one the feeling that these two countries Brazil and Germany, which are so far apart, actually so close together are ... Or what you might seem strange that I am already 16 years old now and while I can not remember back has really changed, although it altered so much ... Or that me during this journey has become increasingly clear that the idea that all men are equal is not true. The sentence should welcome all people have equal rights, because people are scary different and I do not mean the appearance, but the mentality and behavior. I can, because I was born in Ukraine, even better to see the differences and similarities of some ethnic groups. For example, I consider the Latinomentalitaet and the mentality of many Eastern European nations have much more in common than, say, North American and German. However, these groups are found in all nicer and less nice, intelligent and less intelligent, pretty and less handsome man, which all have a certain community can ...
broke After this wonderful time we most 31igsten together with Laura's host brother in the direction of Rio de Janeiro, where we my host family in the apartment Brazilian my grandparents met. There, the approach of Christmas repeated on a smaller mass. About ten clock sat a pretty international group at the table and ate dinner together. The views expressed at this dinner countries were Germany, Finland, Denmark, Australia (rebound, which last year was there with Rotary) and of course Brazil, however, should not that be an end, because at half past ten came Shantala, a Swiss, which we Northeast of our trip are well acquainted with the rest of the evening we spent together. At midnight we were finally all on the beach and the new year with a further three million people on the world famous Copacabana beach greeted with fireworks. But not the Fireworks, like most Brazilians thought impressed me but the crowd, the beach and close to 25 degrees Celsius at 31.12/01.01 spent the night we exchange students with my host sister and her Brazilian friends with whom we meet at a free concert on the beach until about half seven of the next day celebrating ... During this entire time it was and is still extremely difficult to imagine that somewhere, especially in Germany and now the snow is cold on the street, said it is as well very strange seems that it was New Year's Eve at midnight and we always still had 25 degrees.
Finally, I must say that these two months, in terms of nostalgia, I been easier about a lot, I have so far had no major problems and now are returning to this wonderful time full of trips and holidays are slowly going back to everyday life. I will probably go next week again with my music lessons and then gradually add rest of my hobbies again. As to my second host family is that I am still no definite date for the change is known, but I will probably find it today on my first Rotary meeting in one and a half months. I find my current family great and am not in a hurry to change them.
again a HUGE, GIANT Thank You from Brazil for this great, informative and interesting year already in this my third home (1st & 2nd are Germany and Ukraine), the beautiful country of Brazil!
I hope you a Merry Christmas and a nice happy new year J
Congratulations supplements to the 50th anniversary of the club and until the next report,
your Alex Pevzner
Steps For Waxing Shoes
Rotary Report October
first quarter report from Brazil by Alex Pevzner
"Another day had in paradise "(German: another day in paradise), thanks to Rotary ...
early as the 20th August, I find myself here in the small town of Nova Friburgo "in the beautiful dream country, Brazil, the land in good mood, sambas, football and the infinite Summer, as some might assume erroneously, but also what has to be said, the land of the huge class differences.
For me every new day is here, as at the very beginning said, another day in paradise:
- On the way to school by a Palm Avenue in a beautiful old school building in which it, even when outside is very hot, always is refreshingly cool.
- At school with "new" Brazilian friends to read the time by one to entertain and sometimes even to listen and learn to spend J.
- After school in the 200 meters from the school house to an already prepared lunch, and then the whole day free time that I can fill with my favorite thing!
For me, as probably for most of the other exchange students who are with Rotary in Brazil or any other country in the world, an absolute dream! Even here at this point should I go for this unique opportunity to thank that I, as I would expect, several times while making my reports will be ...
After some problems with my visa, by the great use of several people, I sure scary am grateful, have been solved, were already the last day in Germany, which led the pack the last things and a lot of parting with it. The most difficult I Fiehl probably the last weekend before my flight because of this I spent a large meeting with all my friends, where I had to finally realize fully that I will not see me all these important people the next year. When they parted company here was then already cried and sobbed a little, which helped me but I'm completely on what was waiting for me to concentrate and the final farewell at the Frankfurt airport to stop crying. To be honest, I'm in the airport not only do not cry, but I was even exaggerated cheerful. Now when I think about it in retrospect, I realize that it's probably not that just easier for me was to take leave, but the special for my parents, crying for me the latter is sometimes seen as part of a year of separation is not necessarily encouraging.
When I made the last step in the boarding area, so that my family disappeared completely from view, I spuehrte suddenly a big chunk in my throat. I felt all alone and now verspuehrte loszuweinen abruptly after my "incredibly good mood," the wish. Fortunately was just in that moment, another girl, Johanna, who had also just been adopted by her family who would carry a red face and horrible weeping in the room and I concentrated on myself to comfort her, whatever I am comforted himself somehow.
After a fairly quiet flight, which most of us inbounds with sleep and spent Portuguese first attempts to speak with Brazilian neighbors came, even the morning with the first panoramic pictures from the windows of the aircraft. Before or rather us stretched a beautiful landscape that was beautiful from a variety of sizes and smaller mountains. Our series was a light Aufsaeufzen of "ohs" and "ahs" because that was zumnidest, for me, not quite what I expected to see: Nature, as we know them only from books and documentaries, was suddenly within reach close. But neither the jungle or the sea were in the entire visible Landstueck us to see.
In the early morning hours, around five Clock, landed we finally got in Sao Paolo after we feel from the windows of the immense city, at least roughly, for after a certain point, the edges of the city out of sight and you verspuehrte the feeling in a city to be landed without limits. There, I solved my first problem already independent practice in the foreign country or that would pose for next year, my homeland. The problem was that we were told just before we landed incidentally ensure that all passengers get to Rio de Janeiro in the fifty minutes that we stayed until the start of the next plane, their luggage and once again go through the check-in. Since this is virtually impossible in such a short time, I began in my head figure out what I should do first and how I would connect with my host family, which should pick me up at the airport in Rio, in contact. Luckily, I stated a nice floor employee who contact us directly awaited at the output from our aircraft, Portuguese and using hand signals that there is no reason to get excited and that my luggage is passed naturally to Rio without me by another check-in needs. Still slightly nervous, I sat in my plane after I had previously passed in haste by the other inbounds, and began to calm read. As the last passengers a German couple walked around the age of 50 years, the plane and sat down on the free seats next to me. After about ten minutes flying then I thought it no longer and asked where exactly in Germany and where they are because go. It turned out that their own children had also been all a-year exchange and that too at your home in Hamburg has several exchange students for a longer time, you had at home. For this particular trip we had Surprisingly, the same goal: the 180,000-inhabitant city of Nova Friburgo, "which is about 160 km from Rio de Janeiro in a valley surrounded by mountains. We spent the entire rest of the flight in the conversation about issues like the good and bad sides of a year exchange, the country of Brazil, and more.
When we finally at the airport Rio de Janeiro to the dock-landing, the tingling, increased in my stomach and did not want me too, until the moment in which my my "Aufnahmekommitee" in the arms closed, abandoned. Up until this very last moment were my neighbors and I are in Hamburg, which has helped myself pretty, because through them I had the feeling not alone to be on the road in an emergency can count on to help. I even have a sense the feeling that these two people already have a kind of first host parents were for me.
And then it was time, only a door and I would see my on me waiting, new host family with whom my only contact was earlier, the e-mail contact, and whose faces I had never seen before. However, this is not a major problem, since I came out as the only all passengers in a yellow Rotary Polo Shirt of the district in 1820 and had my host family for a few photos of me in my application-seen form, they also knew after whom they keep lookout. After only a few seconds, a man and two boys were aged about 17 or 18 years up to me and the man was beginning to be called on German welcome. The little thing that my host father speaks German had my Gastbrueder that it was that I had not written from Germany, to mention just forget. After all three had briefly introduced himself to me and I realized that I have from my new German-speaking host father, the older of my Gastbrueder Cristiano and a former German inbound from Bad Vilbel, named Felix Schwantje that was just for his summer holidays with his former host families to visit, was picked up, we went even to the car around in the direction of my "new home "to break. On the way I was ever a few sights, like the Jesus statue, the "Sugar Loaf" mountain, behind which the world famous beaches of Rio's "Copacabana" and "Ipanema" are, and not least the less beautiful at the airport early, "Favellas" and showed a lot about the history of the country Brazil, the state, "Rio de Janeiro and the city of Nova Friburgo told. In between every few sentences were Needless to questions about Germany, my family and myself pushed. When I finally pretty much about the history, climate, etc. Ekonomie had heard Felix began, all of his exchange year had already behind him, on me about my school, the Rotary Club and all that I expected it from his view to tell. Thus it was that the 1.5 hours vorueberging trip in seconds and we got to our apartment in the center Friburgos. My host mother received me as it is for a true Brazilian mother belongs with warm hugs and kisses on the cheeks and soon learned to I also host my younger brother Eriko, who because of the school was not at home, know.
mitlerweile I understand that for me, my family is the ideal example for a family that receives an exchange student, even if the ITS COMMENTS circumstances can not possibly appear Sun Although my host parents are separated from each other and I only with my youngest host brother Eriko and my host mother, Carmen live (my host sister already studied and is therefore living in Rio de Janeiro and my middle host brother has since 6:10 in the small town Halver in NRW-Germany), this family had already this first hug on my first day for me totally taken over the role of Famlilie here in this country. Of course, my relationship with my family in Germany a very different, as the to my local family, but that they are the ones who help me with my little "hiccups", for me at any time, despite their intensive everyday here and I like a full-fledged family member treated.
The family itself consists of the parents, who despite her divorce, an absolutely joyous community ROYAL relationship to each other and the three mentioned above, children. The oldest daughter, Caroline, is 19 years old. She was in 2001/2002 for one year in Denmark with Rotary and has started just after her return with her Ekonomiestudium in Rio, which is why they also there with his grandparents lived, and only once in two to three weeks, comes to visit to Nova Friburgo. Since she has already made itself experience of such an exchange she knows how I feel in some situations and is always willing to assist me with advice and, as far as possible. The middle son, Cristiano is 17 years old and the most active of the family. There is probably no single sport that you could not call his hobby. Fortunately we have here for about two weeks after my arrival, and before his departure made, so I had the opportunity to know another weird and nice to live joyful family member. The youngest, Eriko, is 16 years old and the only one of my host sisters, who during my entire exchange year will be here, and he will even leave next August for a year after Sweden. He is probably the quieter of the family, who prefers to meet up with friends at home and play computer games, but he, when you need him and asks him for something is always immediately ready for everything and let the what he was asked to do. My host mother is a trained Rechtsanwaeltin, but is currently only available as a swimming teacher doing business, which actually more her hobby, as is their job. Your entire rest of the time it spends to learn for tests, which would give her approval to work as a judge. It stands at four clock in the morning and goes to sleep about ten or eleven clock in the evening. The time between them they spent entirely with learning and in between work. I'm really sorry for you sometimes and I would like to somehow help her or at least make it a pleasure, but because we have a maid is not so easy. If I was in Germany, for example in such a case, the apartment tidy and a nice meal with perhaps a cake or something, these kinds of dessert would, so I have to think of something else can be, since both the whole flat always cleaned up, and the food always be prepared (at least a cake must of course also available for all in the kitchen, because you could even feel like verspuehren for something sweet). Of course, I've prepared a couple of German desserts Which, my family has enjoyed, but this is not such a great pleasure, as I would like to prepare them, I am incredibly grateful to them for everything.
My host father Arno seems to me to judge his temperament, more German than Brazilian, for he is very quiet and much more distance, as Brazilians usually are. This is probably because my host parents were both descended from German and Swiss immigrants. The grandfather of my host father came with his family in the 1830s with a further 400 Germans on a ship to Brazil, where an end to the green city of Petropolis, which is about 80 km away from Friburgo. This city, Petropolis, was later a summer Seat of government of the second Brazilian Emperor Pedro II, the great grandfather of my host father was later one of the few personal photographer of the imperial family. Today one can buy books with pictures of the imperial family to read to those in the corner is the name Otto Hees. His son brought out in the years from about 1895 to 1925 in a German newspaper Petropolis. From this newspaper my host father has some books in which all newspaper editions a year are collected. A few weeks ago he had lent me this so I could get a picture of the former "German" Brazilian newspaper. It was in itself very interesting and amusing in a real newspaper ads to: Wanted: Martin Schmidt, born 1863 in Hamburg / Germany, allegedly since November 1903 in Belo Horizonte. "Read, are printed multiple times in almost every issue.
My host father himself is the owner of a pig farm, which means that his job consists in the operation of the pig to conduct, for he has several employees who work there for him. Moreover, it is up to him the business part of the job to settle, so to find buyers to negotiate with them, good prices, etc. From this part of his life, but I get pretty much with nothing, because this farm is located on one, not known to me, place outside the city, where my host father spends only a small part of his time. He lives on the edge of own a farm located on a hill surrounded by wild forest. There, in about ten minutes drive from the city center, is a huge house that was built by the family itself some time ago. In this house before the divorce, all family members lived together, now my host father Arno lives there all alone. This villa is surrounded by a giant soccer field on land, large Grillhuette, countless fruit trees, wild birds and other wild animals that come from time to time from the forest.
We want to say my host mother, Eriko and I live in a fairly large two apartments in the very center, where I made my own room, the room was earlier Cristianos, for order was. Our house is located in the same street with my school, what it allows me to sleep a little longer in the morning and only five minutes before class, so at 7:25 to leave the house. Also, the central square, which is surrounded by shops of every kind, is located about five minutes from our front door, which allows us to-follow the entire event in the city out the window.
in January move I expected my family what I ever honestly do not wish to, because here in this family, I am well and here I want to spend really well all year, and it is of course also interesting to see how other families live, so you can compare multiple experiences. Either way I will stay with this family during my entire year here and I will try to contact them but still some way to show my gratitude.
What I must change during my entire year here, not the school I visit. The name of my school is "Anchieta". It is the largest of three known private schools in our city and has about 2000 students who are looked after from first to last, eleventh grade. The school building is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful buildings in the city and the Schulgelaende is impressive. On this plot there is a large Wildwaldstueck, where many hours are spent in biology, as you will by taken the course material can directly explain the basis of nature. Furthermore, five are sports fields, and a sports hall, an outdoor café and a neighborhood school's library there. All this is freely available to the students.
The building itself is very old and therefore has very high ceilings. Like the building, the equipment in the classrooms is quite outdated. If you imagine a picture of a classroom of about 1900 so it is almost exactly a classroom in our school have in mind. Each student sits at a single table, which is attached directly to a bank. In one class are located in about 30 to 40 students, told those at a university lecture as a teacher something on the board. Again as in the University There are no oral notes, but only the scoring in the written examination mark. For this reason, it is not a bit unusual for one or the other day just do not go to school and learn at home. However, one is in school, so it's like in a prison, because you can not leave the school building before classes end, except when it dismissed by the parents on the phone. At exactly 7:30 all doors are closed. On each door is a guard who is paying attention, that no unauthorized enters or leaves the school. Entering the school is so regulated that one first, if you come late, only after the end of the hour is pure and secondly, after the second hour of the last opportunity to enter the school. Who else comes later the same can at home are bleiben.Innerhalb the school, five coordinators, whose job is it to mediate between the teachers and students. However, they also come with responsibility to make sure no one skipped the class or offend in any other way against the rules.
Classes are held six times a week from 7:30 bis 12:50 clock. I go every day to school, but I write with the work yet, because I partly the subject matter and some do not have enough command of the language. However, I will after the holidays, so in February of next year, complete all work try taking notes. I am currently in
the second to last class, ie, as they say here, in the second year, which is composed of three classes. My class is counted as the more powerful and in my opinion is the nicest of all. I was both of the students, as well as the teachers received incredibly well and with great interest. Everyone wanted to talk to me or say hello to me at least. Very quickly I found friends with whom I am also a bit after class. Mainly have to do this in any way to exchange, whether it rebounds, the other inbound, outbound or classmates who have not made with Rotary, but in a different way exchanges are. Of course, I've also just Brazilian friends, but actually it does not matter what they all have made or will make, the main thing is that I've made friends with them now and we have fun together. With regard to the teaching subjects and the quality of teaching I can only say that the system is a completely different and you can compare it is not easy with the German. For example, here taken by mathematics in the penultimate year of the Matrix, combinatorics, etc., from which one begins to speak in Germany only in the university. On the other hand, music, sports and art is only in the younger classes, foreign language learning through continuous, but taught at a very low level. It seems to me personally, the German system of extensive and in general also be better, however, corresponds to the claim that the school system in Brazil anyway incredibly bad and you do not learn anything absolutely true.
After classes are more job opportunities for the students in the school exists. Apart from a computer lab with 30 computers with Internet access, which the students free of charge from Monday to Friday between 17:00 clock are available, there are known technical courses that meet the AGs in the German schools. Each school has such as a school team in almost every sport, to which the schools are always very proud and give each school a special cohesion. There are also signs, Theater, guitar, and also Ekonomiekurse. Certainly I have now left out many things, but the courses I mentioned are the most visited in the school.
After class, my employments mitlerweile already to some extent become part of everyday life for me. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays I go to a one-hour training for Maedchenfussballmannschaft, Tuesdays and Thursdays I have guitar lessons, voice lessons. I wanted my hobbies also exercise further here, so I started with all these activities, but because I have made many new friends. It is clear to me that with each new thing I'm doing here, I meet other nice and interesting people and that I therefore try my time here should be designed as active as possible. A new employment is the fitness center, in which I go about three times a week. Fitness training is a kind of fashion in Brazil. At least four out of five people on the street regularly go into any gym to train. The fact that this employment is so popular, you meet many friends and acquaintances while training, which makes the exercises more of a anstraengenden Nebenbeschaeftigung at parties.
All these things come naturally admissions, celebrations with friends and the simple things, like reading, watching TV and listening to music, so all that you do something in between meals at home. Since I've also made more useful in some way to be me bring some of my friends for free at various things, such as speaking German and Russian, playing guitar and cook German dishes and Ukrainian. Regardless of the employment, I try to make the best of it and to have fun.
Monday night is yet another employment to those listed above do, namely, the Rotary meeting of my local Rotary Clubs "Caledonia", which is one of three in Nova Friburgo. The weekly meetings are held every Monday at 19:30 clock. Both I and the other exchange students from my club about every other week to go there. My counselor, Eduardo Sancho, is also the Youth Service Officer of the club and the Vice-Chairman our district 4750th Since I was when I arrived here, just a few phrases in Portuguese could say I was offered the same for me to present my first Rotary meeting here, which was five days after my Anfunft, very short and concise. Although very little I could say in Portuguese, it seemed to me both correctly a few sentences to say about me and me then ever thanks to short in my Rotary Club. I have the feeling that just talking to even the attempt from the start in the national language of the Rotarians was considered positive.
My relationship to the Rotarians in our club is very good. Both at the meetings, as well as a chance encounter on the street is welcomed, as almost always in Brazil, with two kisses on the cheek before and since the meetings usually ten to fifteen minutes after the program I'm talking more with one or the other Rotarians. This is partly to hear conversations as if we were already good friends for years, but this is again not unique in Brazil. I try for these conversations so remember to always talk the issues of individual Rotarians, perhaps again to be able to ask one or the other ineressante thing. Even with the allowance and payment is the Inboundtreffen of the district there are no problems, because my counselor personally takes care about us and our pocket money, for example, is always induced flow from him right at the beginning of the month. From
the other two clubs I was until now only in the city bearing the name of the RC "Nova Friburgo", whose president, Marcia, the wife of my counselors is Eduardo. This meeting was two weeks ago and the main talk of the evening was the Retrospect and the evaluation of last year by the rebound Cassio Spinelli, the first end of July, has returned from his exchange in Norway. What for me was very surprising was that at the meeting were devoted to the first 40 minutes before eating completely different issues that have been put forward by various Rotarians almost in each case about five minutes. After the meal, followed by a further 10 minutes oral presentation of the Rotarians and only then was that word Cassio, the actual "star" of the evening given. For this lecture were all provided beneficial in all but 10-15 minutes and include time for questions. Me and him this time seemed much too short to about all the experiences of a year full of impressions in a foreign country to report. This time, I personally would probably extend this to sum up what I want to Rotary in general, the sending and receiving the club and thanks not least many individual Rotarians and needs. The same presentation time, ie in about 15 minutes, is expected of us in our inbounds lecture about our country of origin. Again, it seems to me not right and even almost impossible any significant information about a country like Germany, whose history very extensive and must stand back in any case in so little time to present well and truthfully. I will one way or the best attempt to make it.
The new language, and my recent travels would like on my host father quote, who said to me shortly after my arrival that the first half year is there to learn the language well and the second, to travel and see the country . I agree with him this respect not quite, because it seems to me that a healthy mix of learning and travel related needs. You can not just say the entire first half of the exchange year is to learn the language and the entire second to travel.
The new language, Portuguese So in my case, clearly the key to the people and their culture. As long as this language does not control enough, you can enjoy not living in the land exchange to the fullest. Without the option to communicate in the language you always have a distance to the inhabitants of the country and has therefore more difficult to find new friends and solve problems of any kind to local self-employment or occur in the first place can be. Also on the travel, it is necessary ability to come to an agreement, but you also learn some new things on a trip, you need not at home and therefore not learn. It is for these reasons I have tried with the help of a Portuguese textbook, the new language still in Germany, even if only a bit, learn. Since I had previously with German, Russian, English and French speaking four languages Fiehl and I find the learning of a new, fifth language may not be as hard as maybe some other. For me and share the vocabulary of two types of words: those who in one of the languages I know are just as, or at least similar and those that are completely different from everything I know. This is the number of words from me zulernenden reduced naturally powerful. The grammar that you need for simple speech and writing is, in my opinion not that hard to learn. When I arrived here two months ago in Brazil I could already do reasonably understandable and even more or less understand what I was told in Portuguese. After about two weeks when my biggest problem was that everybody wanted to talk exclusively with me in English and I had to ask more and more time about me slowly, but speaking in Portuguese, I asked my host brother Eriko me a book, which I read about in a language known to me may have to give in Portuguese. As a result of this request I received from him the book "The Lord of the Rings" by JRR Tolkien, which is one of my Lieblingbuecher and which I had therefore already read several times in English and Russian (the German translation seems less successful). Thanks to this book, I had the next three weeks eine sinnvolle Beschaeftigung waehrend des Unterrichts in der Schule, denn einfach nur stundenlang zuhoeren und versuchen etwas zu verstehen ist nach einer gewissen Zeit sehr schwer.
Auch wenn fuer mich dank der regelmaessigen recht einseitigen Schulbesuche und meiner vielen Hobbies bereits eine Art Alltag, der natuerlich immernoch von Neuem ausgeschmueckt wird, eingetroffen ist, war und ist fuer mich praktisch jedes Wochenende bis jetzt ein besonderes Erlebniss, denn meine Familie unternimmt, trotz des Stresses meiner Gastmutter, sehr viel mit mir und hat mich unter anderem schon zwei mal nach Rio, einmal in die oben erwehnte Kaiserstadt Petropolis und an viele andere Orte mitgenommen, von denen jedes einzelne mal eine detailierte Beschreibung wert waere. Da ich but so many other impressions of my time was here that I necessarily would like to report that I, like many other pick for my report in Germany about my year in Brazil. I hope that I will more than fifteen minutes will be available to them can make my life experiences as possible.
Again many thanks for this unique opportunity, which allowed me to experience this wonderful country closer to its population, language and culture.
have until the next report, your
Alex Pevzner
first quarter report from Brazil by Alex Pevzner
"Another day had in paradise "(German: another day in paradise), thanks to Rotary ...
early as the 20th August, I find myself here in the small town of Nova Friburgo "in the beautiful dream country, Brazil, the land in good mood, sambas, football and the infinite Summer, as some might assume erroneously, but also what has to be said, the land of the huge class differences.
For me every new day is here, as at the very beginning said, another day in paradise:
- On the way to school by a Palm Avenue in a beautiful old school building in which it, even when outside is very hot, always is refreshingly cool.
- At school with "new" Brazilian friends to read the time by one to entertain and sometimes even to listen and learn to spend J.
- After school in the 200 meters from the school house to an already prepared lunch, and then the whole day free time that I can fill with my favorite thing!
For me, as probably for most of the other exchange students who are with Rotary in Brazil or any other country in the world, an absolute dream! Even here at this point should I go for this unique opportunity to thank that I, as I would expect, several times while making my reports will be ...
After some problems with my visa, by the great use of several people, I sure scary am grateful, have been solved, were already the last day in Germany, which led the pack the last things and a lot of parting with it. The most difficult I Fiehl probably the last weekend before my flight because of this I spent a large meeting with all my friends, where I had to finally realize fully that I will not see me all these important people the next year. When they parted company here was then already cried and sobbed a little, which helped me but I'm completely on what was waiting for me to concentrate and the final farewell at the Frankfurt airport to stop crying. To be honest, I'm in the airport not only do not cry, but I was even exaggerated cheerful. Now when I think about it in retrospect, I realize that it's probably not that just easier for me was to take leave, but the special for my parents, crying for me the latter is sometimes seen as part of a year of separation is not necessarily encouraging.
When I made the last step in the boarding area, so that my family disappeared completely from view, I spuehrte suddenly a big chunk in my throat. I felt all alone and now verspuehrte loszuweinen abruptly after my "incredibly good mood," the wish. Fortunately was just in that moment, another girl, Johanna, who had also just been adopted by her family who would carry a red face and horrible weeping in the room and I concentrated on myself to comfort her, whatever I am comforted himself somehow.
After a fairly quiet flight, which most of us inbounds with sleep and spent Portuguese first attempts to speak with Brazilian neighbors came, even the morning with the first panoramic pictures from the windows of the aircraft. Before or rather us stretched a beautiful landscape that was beautiful from a variety of sizes and smaller mountains. Our series was a light Aufsaeufzen of "ohs" and "ahs" because that was zumnidest, for me, not quite what I expected to see: Nature, as we know them only from books and documentaries, was suddenly within reach close. But neither the jungle or the sea were in the entire visible Landstueck us to see.
In the early morning hours, around five Clock, landed we finally got in Sao Paolo after we feel from the windows of the immense city, at least roughly, for after a certain point, the edges of the city out of sight and you verspuehrte the feeling in a city to be landed without limits. There, I solved my first problem already independent practice in the foreign country or that would pose for next year, my homeland. The problem was that we were told just before we landed incidentally ensure that all passengers get to Rio de Janeiro in the fifty minutes that we stayed until the start of the next plane, their luggage and once again go through the check-in. Since this is virtually impossible in such a short time, I began in my head figure out what I should do first and how I would connect with my host family, which should pick me up at the airport in Rio, in contact. Luckily, I stated a nice floor employee who contact us directly awaited at the output from our aircraft, Portuguese and using hand signals that there is no reason to get excited and that my luggage is passed naturally to Rio without me by another check-in needs. Still slightly nervous, I sat in my plane after I had previously passed in haste by the other inbounds, and began to calm read. As the last passengers a German couple walked around the age of 50 years, the plane and sat down on the free seats next to me. After about ten minutes flying then I thought it no longer and asked where exactly in Germany and where they are because go. It turned out that their own children had also been all a-year exchange and that too at your home in Hamburg has several exchange students for a longer time, you had at home. For this particular trip we had Surprisingly, the same goal: the 180,000-inhabitant city of Nova Friburgo, "which is about 160 km from Rio de Janeiro in a valley surrounded by mountains. We spent the entire rest of the flight in the conversation about issues like the good and bad sides of a year exchange, the country of Brazil, and more.
When we finally at the airport Rio de Janeiro to the dock-landing, the tingling, increased in my stomach and did not want me too, until the moment in which my my "Aufnahmekommitee" in the arms closed, abandoned. Up until this very last moment were my neighbors and I are in Hamburg, which has helped myself pretty, because through them I had the feeling not alone to be on the road in an emergency can count on to help. I even have a sense the feeling that these two people already have a kind of first host parents were for me.
And then it was time, only a door and I would see my on me waiting, new host family with whom my only contact was earlier, the e-mail contact, and whose faces I had never seen before. However, this is not a major problem, since I came out as the only all passengers in a yellow Rotary Polo Shirt of the district in 1820 and had my host family for a few photos of me in my application-seen form, they also knew after whom they keep lookout. After only a few seconds, a man and two boys were aged about 17 or 18 years up to me and the man was beginning to be called on German welcome. The little thing that my host father speaks German had my Gastbrueder that it was that I had not written from Germany, to mention just forget. After all three had briefly introduced himself to me and I realized that I have from my new German-speaking host father, the older of my Gastbrueder Cristiano and a former German inbound from Bad Vilbel, named Felix Schwantje that was just for his summer holidays with his former host families to visit, was picked up, we went even to the car around in the direction of my "new home "to break. On the way I was ever a few sights, like the Jesus statue, the "Sugar Loaf" mountain, behind which the world famous beaches of Rio's "Copacabana" and "Ipanema" are, and not least the less beautiful at the airport early, "Favellas" and showed a lot about the history of the country Brazil, the state, "Rio de Janeiro and the city of Nova Friburgo told. In between every few sentences were Needless to questions about Germany, my family and myself pushed. When I finally pretty much about the history, climate, etc. Ekonomie had heard Felix began, all of his exchange year had already behind him, on me about my school, the Rotary Club and all that I expected it from his view to tell. Thus it was that the 1.5 hours vorueberging trip in seconds and we got to our apartment in the center Friburgos. My host mother received me as it is for a true Brazilian mother belongs with warm hugs and kisses on the cheeks and soon learned to I also host my younger brother Eriko, who because of the school was not at home, know.
mitlerweile I understand that for me, my family is the ideal example for a family that receives an exchange student, even if the ITS COMMENTS circumstances can not possibly appear Sun Although my host parents are separated from each other and I only with my youngest host brother Eriko and my host mother, Carmen live (my host sister already studied and is therefore living in Rio de Janeiro and my middle host brother has since 6:10 in the small town Halver in NRW-Germany), this family had already this first hug on my first day for me totally taken over the role of Famlilie here in this country. Of course, my relationship with my family in Germany a very different, as the to my local family, but that they are the ones who help me with my little "hiccups", for me at any time, despite their intensive everyday here and I like a full-fledged family member treated.
The family itself consists of the parents, who despite her divorce, an absolutely joyous community ROYAL relationship to each other and the three mentioned above, children. The oldest daughter, Caroline, is 19 years old. She was in 2001/2002 for one year in Denmark with Rotary and has started just after her return with her Ekonomiestudium in Rio, which is why they also there with his grandparents lived, and only once in two to three weeks, comes to visit to Nova Friburgo. Since she has already made itself experience of such an exchange she knows how I feel in some situations and is always willing to assist me with advice and, as far as possible. The middle son, Cristiano is 17 years old and the most active of the family. There is probably no single sport that you could not call his hobby. Fortunately we have here for about two weeks after my arrival, and before his departure made, so I had the opportunity to know another weird and nice to live joyful family member. The youngest, Eriko, is 16 years old and the only one of my host sisters, who during my entire exchange year will be here, and he will even leave next August for a year after Sweden. He is probably the quieter of the family, who prefers to meet up with friends at home and play computer games, but he, when you need him and asks him for something is always immediately ready for everything and let the what he was asked to do. My host mother is a trained Rechtsanwaeltin, but is currently only available as a swimming teacher doing business, which actually more her hobby, as is their job. Your entire rest of the time it spends to learn for tests, which would give her approval to work as a judge. It stands at four clock in the morning and goes to sleep about ten or eleven clock in the evening. The time between them they spent entirely with learning and in between work. I'm really sorry for you sometimes and I would like to somehow help her or at least make it a pleasure, but because we have a maid is not so easy. If I was in Germany, for example in such a case, the apartment tidy and a nice meal with perhaps a cake or something, these kinds of dessert would, so I have to think of something else can be, since both the whole flat always cleaned up, and the food always be prepared (at least a cake must of course also available for all in the kitchen, because you could even feel like verspuehren for something sweet). Of course, I've prepared a couple of German desserts Which, my family has enjoyed, but this is not such a great pleasure, as I would like to prepare them, I am incredibly grateful to them for everything.
My host father Arno seems to me to judge his temperament, more German than Brazilian, for he is very quiet and much more distance, as Brazilians usually are. This is probably because my host parents were both descended from German and Swiss immigrants. The grandfather of my host father came with his family in the 1830s with a further 400 Germans on a ship to Brazil, where an end to the green city of Petropolis, which is about 80 km away from Friburgo. This city, Petropolis, was later a summer Seat of government of the second Brazilian Emperor Pedro II, the great grandfather of my host father was later one of the few personal photographer of the imperial family. Today one can buy books with pictures of the imperial family to read to those in the corner is the name Otto Hees. His son brought out in the years from about 1895 to 1925 in a German newspaper Petropolis. From this newspaper my host father has some books in which all newspaper editions a year are collected. A few weeks ago he had lent me this so I could get a picture of the former "German" Brazilian newspaper. It was in itself very interesting and amusing in a real newspaper ads to: Wanted: Martin Schmidt, born 1863 in Hamburg / Germany, allegedly since November 1903 in Belo Horizonte. "Read, are printed multiple times in almost every issue.
My host father himself is the owner of a pig farm, which means that his job consists in the operation of the pig to conduct, for he has several employees who work there for him. Moreover, it is up to him the business part of the job to settle, so to find buyers to negotiate with them, good prices, etc. From this part of his life, but I get pretty much with nothing, because this farm is located on one, not known to me, place outside the city, where my host father spends only a small part of his time. He lives on the edge of own a farm located on a hill surrounded by wild forest. There, in about ten minutes drive from the city center, is a huge house that was built by the family itself some time ago. In this house before the divorce, all family members lived together, now my host father Arno lives there all alone. This villa is surrounded by a giant soccer field on land, large Grillhuette, countless fruit trees, wild birds and other wild animals that come from time to time from the forest.
We want to say my host mother, Eriko and I live in a fairly large two apartments in the very center, where I made my own room, the room was earlier Cristianos, for order was. Our house is located in the same street with my school, what it allows me to sleep a little longer in the morning and only five minutes before class, so at 7:25 to leave the house. Also, the central square, which is surrounded by shops of every kind, is located about five minutes from our front door, which allows us to-follow the entire event in the city out the window.
in January move I expected my family what I ever honestly do not wish to, because here in this family, I am well and here I want to spend really well all year, and it is of course also interesting to see how other families live, so you can compare multiple experiences. Either way I will stay with this family during my entire year here and I will try to contact them but still some way to show my gratitude.
What I must change during my entire year here, not the school I visit. The name of my school is "Anchieta". It is the largest of three known private schools in our city and has about 2000 students who are looked after from first to last, eleventh grade. The school building is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful buildings in the city and the Schulgelaende is impressive. On this plot there is a large Wildwaldstueck, where many hours are spent in biology, as you will by taken the course material can directly explain the basis of nature. Furthermore, five are sports fields, and a sports hall, an outdoor café and a neighborhood school's library there. All this is freely available to the students.
The building itself is very old and therefore has very high ceilings. Like the building, the equipment in the classrooms is quite outdated. If you imagine a picture of a classroom of about 1900 so it is almost exactly a classroom in our school have in mind. Each student sits at a single table, which is attached directly to a bank. In one class are located in about 30 to 40 students, told those at a university lecture as a teacher something on the board. Again as in the University There are no oral notes, but only the scoring in the written examination mark. For this reason, it is not a bit unusual for one or the other day just do not go to school and learn at home. However, one is in school, so it's like in a prison, because you can not leave the school building before classes end, except when it dismissed by the parents on the phone. At exactly 7:30 all doors are closed. On each door is a guard who is paying attention, that no unauthorized enters or leaves the school. Entering the school is so regulated that one first, if you come late, only after the end of the hour is pure and secondly, after the second hour of the last opportunity to enter the school. Who else comes later the same can at home are bleiben.Innerhalb the school, five coordinators, whose job is it to mediate between the teachers and students. However, they also come with responsibility to make sure no one skipped the class or offend in any other way against the rules.
Classes are held six times a week from 7:30 bis 12:50 clock. I go every day to school, but I write with the work yet, because I partly the subject matter and some do not have enough command of the language. However, I will after the holidays, so in February of next year, complete all work try taking notes. I am currently in
the second to last class, ie, as they say here, in the second year, which is composed of three classes. My class is counted as the more powerful and in my opinion is the nicest of all. I was both of the students, as well as the teachers received incredibly well and with great interest. Everyone wanted to talk to me or say hello to me at least. Very quickly I found friends with whom I am also a bit after class. Mainly have to do this in any way to exchange, whether it rebounds, the other inbound, outbound or classmates who have not made with Rotary, but in a different way exchanges are. Of course, I've also just Brazilian friends, but actually it does not matter what they all have made or will make, the main thing is that I've made friends with them now and we have fun together. With regard to the teaching subjects and the quality of teaching I can only say that the system is a completely different and you can compare it is not easy with the German. For example, here taken by mathematics in the penultimate year of the Matrix, combinatorics, etc., from which one begins to speak in Germany only in the university. On the other hand, music, sports and art is only in the younger classes, foreign language learning through continuous, but taught at a very low level. It seems to me personally, the German system of extensive and in general also be better, however, corresponds to the claim that the school system in Brazil anyway incredibly bad and you do not learn anything absolutely true.
After classes are more job opportunities for the students in the school exists. Apart from a computer lab with 30 computers with Internet access, which the students free of charge from Monday to Friday between 17:00 clock are available, there are known technical courses that meet the AGs in the German schools. Each school has such as a school team in almost every sport, to which the schools are always very proud and give each school a special cohesion. There are also signs, Theater, guitar, and also Ekonomiekurse. Certainly I have now left out many things, but the courses I mentioned are the most visited in the school.
After class, my employments mitlerweile already to some extent become part of everyday life for me. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays I go to a one-hour training for Maedchenfussballmannschaft, Tuesdays and Thursdays I have guitar lessons, voice lessons. I wanted my hobbies also exercise further here, so I started with all these activities, but because I have made many new friends. It is clear to me that with each new thing I'm doing here, I meet other nice and interesting people and that I therefore try my time here should be designed as active as possible. A new employment is the fitness center, in which I go about three times a week. Fitness training is a kind of fashion in Brazil. At least four out of five people on the street regularly go into any gym to train. The fact that this employment is so popular, you meet many friends and acquaintances while training, which makes the exercises more of a anstraengenden Nebenbeschaeftigung at parties.
All these things come naturally admissions, celebrations with friends and the simple things, like reading, watching TV and listening to music, so all that you do something in between meals at home. Since I've also made more useful in some way to be me bring some of my friends for free at various things, such as speaking German and Russian, playing guitar and cook German dishes and Ukrainian. Regardless of the employment, I try to make the best of it and to have fun.
Monday night is yet another employment to those listed above do, namely, the Rotary meeting of my local Rotary Clubs "Caledonia", which is one of three in Nova Friburgo. The weekly meetings are held every Monday at 19:30 clock. Both I and the other exchange students from my club about every other week to go there. My counselor, Eduardo Sancho, is also the Youth Service Officer of the club and the Vice-Chairman our district 4750th Since I was when I arrived here, just a few phrases in Portuguese could say I was offered the same for me to present my first Rotary meeting here, which was five days after my Anfunft, very short and concise. Although very little I could say in Portuguese, it seemed to me both correctly a few sentences to say about me and me then ever thanks to short in my Rotary Club. I have the feeling that just talking to even the attempt from the start in the national language of the Rotarians was considered positive.
My relationship to the Rotarians in our club is very good. Both at the meetings, as well as a chance encounter on the street is welcomed, as almost always in Brazil, with two kisses on the cheek before and since the meetings usually ten to fifteen minutes after the program I'm talking more with one or the other Rotarians. This is partly to hear conversations as if we were already good friends for years, but this is again not unique in Brazil. I try for these conversations so remember to always talk the issues of individual Rotarians, perhaps again to be able to ask one or the other ineressante thing. Even with the allowance and payment is the Inboundtreffen of the district there are no problems, because my counselor personally takes care about us and our pocket money, for example, is always induced flow from him right at the beginning of the month. From
the other two clubs I was until now only in the city bearing the name of the RC "Nova Friburgo", whose president, Marcia, the wife of my counselors is Eduardo. This meeting was two weeks ago and the main talk of the evening was the Retrospect and the evaluation of last year by the rebound Cassio Spinelli, the first end of July, has returned from his exchange in Norway. What for me was very surprising was that at the meeting were devoted to the first 40 minutes before eating completely different issues that have been put forward by various Rotarians almost in each case about five minutes. After the meal, followed by a further 10 minutes oral presentation of the Rotarians and only then was that word Cassio, the actual "star" of the evening given. For this lecture were all provided beneficial in all but 10-15 minutes and include time for questions. Me and him this time seemed much too short to about all the experiences of a year full of impressions in a foreign country to report. This time, I personally would probably extend this to sum up what I want to Rotary in general, the sending and receiving the club and thanks not least many individual Rotarians and needs. The same presentation time, ie in about 15 minutes, is expected of us in our inbounds lecture about our country of origin. Again, it seems to me not right and even almost impossible any significant information about a country like Germany, whose history very extensive and must stand back in any case in so little time to present well and truthfully. I will one way or the best attempt to make it.
The new language, and my recent travels would like on my host father quote, who said to me shortly after my arrival that the first half year is there to learn the language well and the second, to travel and see the country . I agree with him this respect not quite, because it seems to me that a healthy mix of learning and travel related needs. You can not just say the entire first half of the exchange year is to learn the language and the entire second to travel.
The new language, Portuguese So in my case, clearly the key to the people and their culture. As long as this language does not control enough, you can enjoy not living in the land exchange to the fullest. Without the option to communicate in the language you always have a distance to the inhabitants of the country and has therefore more difficult to find new friends and solve problems of any kind to local self-employment or occur in the first place can be. Also on the travel, it is necessary ability to come to an agreement, but you also learn some new things on a trip, you need not at home and therefore not learn. It is for these reasons I have tried with the help of a Portuguese textbook, the new language still in Germany, even if only a bit, learn. Since I had previously with German, Russian, English and French speaking four languages Fiehl and I find the learning of a new, fifth language may not be as hard as maybe some other. For me and share the vocabulary of two types of words: those who in one of the languages I know are just as, or at least similar and those that are completely different from everything I know. This is the number of words from me zulernenden reduced naturally powerful. The grammar that you need for simple speech and writing is, in my opinion not that hard to learn. When I arrived here two months ago in Brazil I could already do reasonably understandable and even more or less understand what I was told in Portuguese. After about two weeks when my biggest problem was that everybody wanted to talk exclusively with me in English and I had to ask more and more time about me slowly, but speaking in Portuguese, I asked my host brother Eriko me a book, which I read about in a language known to me may have to give in Portuguese. As a result of this request I received from him the book "The Lord of the Rings" by JRR Tolkien, which is one of my Lieblingbuecher and which I had therefore already read several times in English and Russian (the German translation seems less successful). Thanks to this book, I had the next three weeks eine sinnvolle Beschaeftigung waehrend des Unterrichts in der Schule, denn einfach nur stundenlang zuhoeren und versuchen etwas zu verstehen ist nach einer gewissen Zeit sehr schwer.
Auch wenn fuer mich dank der regelmaessigen recht einseitigen Schulbesuche und meiner vielen Hobbies bereits eine Art Alltag, der natuerlich immernoch von Neuem ausgeschmueckt wird, eingetroffen ist, war und ist fuer mich praktisch jedes Wochenende bis jetzt ein besonderes Erlebniss, denn meine Familie unternimmt, trotz des Stresses meiner Gastmutter, sehr viel mit mir und hat mich unter anderem schon zwei mal nach Rio, einmal in die oben erwehnte Kaiserstadt Petropolis und an viele andere Orte mitgenommen, von denen jedes einzelne mal eine detailierte Beschreibung wert waere. Da ich but so many other impressions of my time was here that I necessarily would like to report that I, like many other pick for my report in Germany about my year in Brazil. I hope that I will more than fifteen minutes will be available to them can make my life experiences as possible.
Again many thanks for this unique opportunity, which allowed me to experience this wonderful country closer to its population, language and culture.
have until the next report, your
Alex Pevzner
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