Current

I will be a conversional  English assistant, for the mmm, I forgot the name of the school. This will be interesting since this is out of my own contort zone since I am afraid of talking in front of people. I have taught science and spanish,,one on one only, but not an entire class. Now, I am terrified, I am just afraid of boring my class. I never thought I would be teaching in Brazil. I will try to use my acting skills. I will say, Zoila you are, Jennifer now, she is a teacher so act like a teacher. I will be fine I think.  It’s interesting to be in this position because I have to plan and organize a class structure for 2 hours. Can I do it? This will be so fun. I am such a good girl, that I will be helping a professor as a conversional partner in English but the informal way not academic. I think this one is harder. How do I teach  to a professor who knows the grammar, the informal way. Will see how this works. I am in the position of what I just got myself into. I am doing this for fun, I will get help with Portuguese. This is a good trade. This is only for one day a week. I can do this. Woot Woot zoila.

I must say, I will enjoy each minute of my life.

CLass

One of my favorite class, POLS VII. In this class, I have to talk and give presentation everyweek. I just love it because I speak English, Spanish and Portuguese. When is my turn to talk, I feel embarrass but after 1 minute I feel comfortable and talk and talk.  I think I talk more in this class than I usually talk in my regular class in Beloit. I was told I have the occidental view, the western view. I think that’s an interesting point. After presenting, one student approached me saying, where are you from? Since, you at first were speaking in Portunol so I thought you were latina and then you spoke English, and now I am wondering where are you from?

I said, “ I am   originally  from Ecuador but I study in the U.S.” She said, why were you speaking in English to the professor. And I told her, “I do not know some terms in Spanish, only in English.” After I said that, she seemed confuse.

But this in general is a great experience, because I am using the three languages.  When, I talk in English with some people, I feel so different. I think I am not speaking.

                One thing, I do not like is, that in my literature class, the professor points to me as the Ecuadorian girl. I was asked about the independence about Ecuador and I was embarrassed for not knowing it.   Now, when I asked her if there is a structure she wants me to write the composition for her and she told me, “ your from the U.S. school, your will be great.” 

thinking

When I was hang out with a Brazilian friend , she told me to not say that something is better than the other. She said, “each thing is valuable for each person.” I was  thinking mmmmm did I say something I was not supposed to. I will be careful next time.  I am learning, what may or may not offend others.

THe other day, I wanted to buy a red bull and the sellers did not understood me. SO I was sayin, Red bull gives you winds, it gives you energy. Its a bull. That was in portuguese. I don't remmeber how I said it but they understood me then.

SORRY

I am sorry,if I get you lost, my dear reader.  My mind is full of things to express. So welcome to my world I think to much, and love love to write what I think. One more thing, my mind changes everytime.

each day

Each day, has new lesson. I was approach by a perso at the liberty and gave me brochure about god’s word to read. After that, some students gave me a schedule to meet with them to talk about god’s word. I am wondering, I should try it out. There is something in me that tells me no. Not to be rude or something like that but, when I was little, I remember my mother and still does not like to  be involve with the people who go on the streets talking about the word of god. I do not have anything against them. I always stay away from what we call them is evangelic. I used to not like to talk about religion and not asked people about their religion. One day,in high school, my friends were talking about their religion, then I found out one of them was evangelic. I felt shock, and confuse, since I though, that the evangelic were different from catholic and must stay away from each other.  She was and still is a good friend of mines.   I realized that one has to interact with each other and not judge beforehand. Since  I saw as a kid, that there was a distance between the two religions I stayed away as well.  Now I would say, I have a religion but do not practice. Can there be such thing? I think each day, in the countries that are developing, young people just have the label of what religion they follow but do they may not practice. Here in Juiz de Fora, Brazil, the majority that I talk just call themselves catholic but not do not practice it. When, I am near people who are religious, I feel afraid of saying something that may offend them.

project adventure.

I am talking with professor, and going to visit some schools. I am researching. I am waiting for this research to be excelent.
This is the begining. for those who do not know what my project is heres  some part of it.

The main goal of my project is to do an ethnography of economic development in Brazil. One of the perennial goals of Brazil since independence has been the quest for economic development and equality. The administrations of Presidents Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1995-2002) and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (2003-2010) have invested more than any other previous president in social programs. Poverty alleviation, health care and education have been top priorities for both presidents, and presumably will be for the administration of the incoming president Dilma Roussef. To address chronic poverty, the government created a couple of programs called "Bolsa Família"(Family Packet) and "Fome Zero" (Zero Hunger). Both programs consist on small cash transfers to low income families who keep their children at school and take them to the doctor on a regular basis for health checks. In addition, the government has increased the number of scholarships exponentially and has doubled the number of students attending university only in the 2000s. The rationale behind these policies is that a healthy and well educated labor force will be more productive and will contribute to economic development.

botanica garthen

I went to the botanica garden was a good experience. I had to experiecne that fruit I forgot was it called. It was delicous. I met other students. From this, I got to hear only english, and it was a weird transition since my mind was now in portuguese. It was weird what I was hearing. I was not sure what I was talking.

I heard great expericence of all the students including, my group.
After that day, I showed my appartment to the ACM staff. I got the chance to eat lunch with must of the exchange students. It was free, jaaa, you know beloits students love that word, free food.

Each day, I am learning more and more.
I meet diferent people.