Author: Emmanuel Sibug

Today was my first week anniversary for my study abroad program in Brazil. As we sat around the table at lunch both my 2nd parents said  “sobrevivo!” (you survived!) They asked me if I will give up and go back, or continue on. My answer is not only obvious because my stay is already paid for , but because I have found and have easily adapted to a place and family that has shown a lot of care for me already.

I must admit that my Portuguese vocabulary is not the best yet, but its only been a week, and in this week, I’ve learned a lot more than I thought I would, accompanied by lots of laughs and strange sounds as I try to learn their pronunciation to every word that I am used to pronouncing differently in Spanish.  I am slowly losing my fear in making a fool out of myself trying to speak the language and have found a lot of support in my family and new friends at school.

Being out of school for four years and going back wasn’t easy, it was a little nerve-wracking, but funny at the same time. The sight of my school was comforting, it was very green and big, with lots of space to play in. The sight of my schedule was even better, we have 3 intervalo’s; which are 10 minute breaks between each two classes. My teachers welcomed me with smiles, jokes that I’m not sure I understood and a bad English accent while trying to say “hello, how are you”. The students all think I’m “legal” (cool) and show me around the school as if I was the new school’s pet, its great!

I’m getting used to waking up at 6 and coming back at 2, both my sister and I are starving by the time we get home, but are received with a lovely home made Brazilian meal made by one of the top 5 cooks I know, that is in love with the apron I bought her. (my 2nd mom)

This weekend I went to their “sitio” a little house up in the mountains, surrounded by nature and the lovely smell of river water and/or cow manure. We spent some good quality time together, I got to see their garden from which we eat of almost every day, their chicken coop, their cows. They’ve owned that property for over 10 years and have already told me that in the next couple of years that I come to visit it will be very different. For me the place needs no modification, but my opinion doesn’t matter, what matters most in that sentence is the fact that they’re already inviting me back.

During her exchange program in Brazil, Alina Yaccino chose to spend her spare time volunteering as as part of the Greenheart Travel Club. Alina was able to log over 200 hours for the club! Learn more about her volunteer experience in her reflection below.

My experience as a volunteer for casa da videira in Curitiba, Brazil exceeded all the expectations I had regarding the project. I’ve known the project builders through my dad for several years now, and have always wanted to go and spend some time at their urban farm and learn from what they did. Going into this learning exchange filled me with all kinds of emotions, I was excited, but nervous and afraid to be overwhelmed by the work load I signed myself up to do for the whole month of January.

The first week, I got used to the routine of a farmer, woke up early, went to bed early, worked all the hours in between…whether I fed the animals, or the staff and myself, I was always in good company, through nature and friends.  I learned that the best way to make friends is working together. I also understood why they call a “farm” Fazenda in Portuguese, it comes from the verb fazer which means “to do” and when we would notice how caught up we were with work we would say “Por isso e que chama-se fazenda, sempre tem algo que fazer” (That’s why we call it a Fazenda, there is always something “to do”).

By the end of the month, there was no greater satisfaction for me than to realize that my work and effort contributed to such a small project that has such a big impact in the community and the environment.  Through good conversations and sit down lunch times with incredible home-made/grown foods I shared and learned with these people whom I now consider the greatest influence in my life.

I met so many people and made so many connections that will serve me for the next steps in life that I want to take, through this experience, several doors opened for me  and I am very excited to see which door I will walk through now.