| |
|
|
Brazil Through Foreign Eyes
|
February 8, 2008
Meet Anna Belavina from Russia who is living and studying in Brazil. Read the following interview in which she tells us about some of her most memorable experiences from Brazil and gives some useful advice to newcomers.
1. Tell us a little about yourself, where are you from, what do you do?
My name is Anna Belavina. I am 24. I am from Yaroslavl, Russia. Now I live in São José (close to Florianopolis), Santa Catarina. I am a teacher of English.
2. When did you arrive in Brazil and what brought you here?
I met my fiancé in the USA when I arrived there in summer 2004 as a student of the Work & Travel Program. This program is very popular now in Russia. A lot of students go to the USA on summer holidays. So did I. And for me it was an unforgettable time and the best reminder of that is my Brazilian.
I finished my studies at the University in 2006 and then in October I went to Brazil for the first time. I came with a tourist visa for 6 months. As there were no possibilities to prolong it or change for another type of visa within the country I had to leave. And this time I arrived with a student visa. I am taking a Portuguese for Foreigners course. Right now I am on summer vacation. From March I will start a post graduation course in English at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, and I am very happy about this.
3. What were your first impressions of Brazil?
Big families, talking loud and a lot, the language I didn`t understand, a lot of different and good food (especially sweet things!!).
Of course, I was greatly impressed by the beauty of local beaches. I love the ocean.
4. What do you miss most about home?
My home and my parents, my sister and brother, my grandparents, my cat, my friends, food, my city... that I miss a lot.
I miss the opportunity to meet my friends, go out, laugh, make jokes, and talk about everything.
5. What has been your most frustrating experience in Brazil?
Well, I think it was the first time when I saw favela from the way from São Paulo till home. I don't know exactly how many kilometers it stretches along the highway. But for me it seemed so huge. Poor houses, dust, trash. I don't know how people can handle to live in such conditions.
The news on TV is full with different kinds of crime.
After watching such news you can really believe that "war" has started.
6. What has been you most memorable experience in Brazil? (specific incident)
Christmas 2007 was really great, I adored a lot. I`ve never had such fun. The city organized a great performance "Parada dos Sonhos". There were many people in bright and beautiful dresses dancing and making a real holiday for everyone who came to see the show.
It was the first Christmas that I celebrated like that because in Russia it is very different (celebrated 7th January), it is more religious.
7. What do you most like about Brazil? (in general)
I like fruits a lot. So for me Brazil is an ideal place. There are so many fruits, they are much cheaper than in Russia. And ,of course, seafood!
Beaches, beaches, and beaches. If I could I would spend hours and hours in the water. Where I live in Russia we just have the river and I don`t want even to compare to the Brazilian beaches.
8. What is your favorite restaurant / place to hang out here?
I don't have any favourite restaurant. I like to go to different places. I don't like to eat a lot of meat like the Brazilians do. So churrasco is too much meat for me.
The place I would advise to visit is Barra da Lagoa. There you can find many restaurants that offer a great variety of dishes. But, to my mind, it is so nice to sit in the restaurant with the view to the water and eat seafood.
9. Do you have any funny stories / incidents to tell about your time in Brazil?
I remember my first time in Brazil. My Portuguese was so poor. I could communicate with the family of my fiancé just using some words, very short phrases, mimics and gestures. I remember that once I was baking a cake and to see whether it was done I needed a toothpick. But, of course, I didn't know how it was in Portuguese and the first thing that came to my mind how to explain was "arvore pequeno" and I showed my teeth. I heard back "Palito!" and received what I wanted. I was understood!
10. What difference between your homeland and Brazil do you find most striking?
There is a great difference. Weather, culture... everything. It is a completely different "world" for me.
I would like to say some words about the following things.
Education. There are public and private schools. In Russia we don`t have such a system. All education for children is free and is a must. All children study together, doesn`t matter if you are poor or rich. They have the same right to get the equal education. And here education becomes a business.
Open TV. You can watch just news and soap-operas and between them the programs about soap-operas and actors.
Football. People here are completely crazy about it. Men, women, children. For me it is too much when a man is crying like a baby because his team lost.
11. How is your Portuguese coming along? What words do you find most difficult to pronounce / remember or are there any words that you regularly confuse?
Well, it is difficult to estimate myself. But I think it could be much better. I can understand conversations when people don`t speak too fast and don`t use slang. For me the words like avó and avô are still difficult. To make myself understood I always say avó-mulher and avô-homem.
It is very difficult for me to remember the ordinal numbers!! Ohh, it is even difficult to pronounce not only to remember. Just look: quadragésimo, quadringentésimos, qüingentésimos, septuagésimas, centésimo milésimo
12. What advice do you have for newcomers to Brazil?
Well, I would advice to visit as many places as possible. If you like to travel by yourself, without any tourist group, knowing the Portuguese language, at least the basic one, will help you a lot. Not too many people here know English.
When you walk in the city, try not to show that you are a tourist. Don't open a map in the middle of the street trying to find the place, always watch your bag, better not to carry valuable things with you and take the money that you think you will spend and not more. If you see a lot of policemen in one place, it means something is wrong, so better to change your route.
If you go back home, the best present to bring is, of course, Brazilian coffee.
13. What are some things that you would recommend for a visitor to do in São Paulo (or anywhere else in Brazil)?
If you go to Santa Catarina, of course, the beaches are the most attractive thing here (more than 500). If you like theme parks, Beto Carrero World is worth visiting. Especially the highest Big Tower in the world with its height 100m (30 floor building). It looks really scary. But I am proud of myself that I could do that!
Serra do Rio do Rastro! Just to say that it is an incredible place is not enough. Better to see with your own eyes. Really impressive.
You can contact me via anna_belavina@mail.ru.
Are you a foreigner who has lived in, or is living or travelling in Brazil? Are you a Brazilian who has a lot of contact with foreigners and/or lived outside of Brazil? Are you interested in telling your story? If you would like to volunteer for our interview series, or if you would like to recommend someone, please send a blank email to gringoes@gringoes.com with "Interview" in the subject. We will send you the interview questions by return email.
To read previous interviews in the Brazil Through Foreign Eyes series click below:
Jim Kirby - USA
Linda Halverstadt - USA
Michelle Monteiro - USA
Chris Mensah - UK
David Sundin - USA
Stephanie Glennon - USA
Julien Porisse - France
Hans Keeling - USA
Jim Adams - USA
Richard Murison - USA
Will Periam - UK
Jan Sandbert - Sweden
Jim Jones - USA
Mike Stricklin - USA
Edward Gowing - Australia
Adrian Woods - USA
Kevin Raub - USA
Pierpaolo Ciarcianelli - Italy
Zachary Heilman - USA
David Johnson - Bermuda
Cipriana Leme - Argentina
Timothy Bell - USA
Patti Beckert - USA
Timothy Bell - USA
Paul James - USA
David McLoughlin - Ireland
Pat Moraes - USA
Richard Dougherty - USA
James Weeds - USA
Tom Sluberski - USA
Peter Kefalas - USA
Sylvie Campbell - UK
Kathleen Haynes - USA
Matt Bowlby - USA
Alan Longbottom - UK
Eric Karukin - USA
Eddie Soto - USA
Kieran Gartlan - Ireland
Bryan Thomas Scmidt - USA
Emile Myburgh - South Africa
Bob Chapman - USA
David Barnes - USA
John Milan - USA
Chris Coates - UK
Matthew Ward - UK
Allison Glick - USA
Drake Smith - USA
Jim Jones - USA
Philip Wigan - UK
Atlanta Foresyth - USA
Lee Gordon - USA
Carmen Naidoo - South Africa
Lee Safian - USA
Laurie Carneiro - USA
Dana De Lise - USA
Richard Gant - USA
Robin Hoffman - USA
Wayne Wright - UK
Walt Kirspel - USA
Priya Guyadeen - Guyana
Caitlin McQuilling - USA
Nicole Rombach - Holland
Steven Engler - Canada
Richard Conti - USA
Zak Burkons - USA
Ann White - USA
Monde Ngqumeya - South Africa
Johnny Sweeney - USA
David Harty - Canada
Bill McCrossen - USA
Peter Berner - Switzerland/Brazil
Ethan Munson - USA
Solveig Skadhauge - Denmark
Sean McGown - USA
Condrad Downes - UK
Jennifer Silva - Australian
Justin Mounts - USA
Elliott Zussman - USA
Jonathan Abernathy - USA
Steve Koenig - USA
Kyron Gibbs - USA
Stephanie Early - USA
Martin Raw - UK
Sean Coady - UK
Hugo Delgado - Mexico
Sean Terrillon - Canada
Jessie Simon - USA
Michael Meehan - USA
Thales Panagides - Cyprus
Tammy Montagna - USA
Samantha Tennant - England
Ron Finely - United States
Bob Duprez - United States
Peter Baines - England
Youssef Bouguerra - Tunisia
Van Wallach - USA
Lesley Cushing - England
Alexander von Brincken - Germany
Hank Avellar - USA
Ed Catchpole - England
Penny Freeland - England
Yasemin de Pinto - Turkey
Amy Williams Lima - USA
John Naumann - England
Marsye Schouella - Eygpt
Rita Shannon Koeser - USA
John Fitzpatrick - Scotland
Liam Gallagher - Northern Ireland
Lorelei Jones - England
Adam Glensy - England
Tommie C.B. DeAssis - Japan
Aaron Day - Canada
Graham Debney - New Zealand
Silke Tina Tischendorf - Germany
Tanya Keshavjee Macedo - Canada
Frank de Meijer - Holland
Carl Emberson - Australia
Kim Buarque - Wales
Damiano Pak - South Korea
Jonas Helding - Denmark
Pari Seeber - Iran
John Milton - England
Ken Marshall - Australia
|
2/8/2008
|
|
