January 15, 2011

The students are at their home stays so I have a few minutes to catch up with work from OSU and updating blog. The second week in Brazil was busy just like the first. Most of the week was spent in classes but there were a few highlights. Let me talk about class first. Our students have had quite an adjustment to what classes are like in Brazil. Classes go from 8:00 am to noon with a 10 minute coffee break at 10:00 and then 2:00 to 6:00 with a coffee break at 4:00. The coffee is served in very small cups and it is exceptionally strong. Some of the students are really enjoying the coffee. The long classes are quite a change. This week the students had classes from Dr. Fernando Peres, Dr. Pedro Mello, and Dr. Dalcio Caron. Then Cristina Fonseca teaches the survival Portuguese. Next week they get to meet Dr. Ricardo Shirota in the classroom. He is the Brazilian director and they have only seen him outside of the classroom.





The students were very tired on Monday from the big weekend of rafting and zip lining. They had class all day and had a free evening. Tuesday they had class then played basketball. Class 12 has some very good basketball players. We divided into four teams and played each other. In the pictures you can see the players and the “cheerleaders”. On Wednesday we visited Citrovita Votorantim in Araras in the morning and saw their orange processing plant. The orange season is finished for the year but we did learn about the company and it’s importance in the Brazilian market.





We ate lunch at a typical Brazilian restaurant and toured a Nestle Plant in the afternoon. In the evening we went to Ana Vitoria’s sorority house for supper. We ate hotdogs Brazilian style. The students sang, shared their dancing styles and just relaxed for the evening.




Let me take this time to let you meet the three Brazilian students who have been working with the program. First we have Carolina, then Henrique and then Ana Vitoria. They have been very patient, responsible and fun. All three have fit right in with our students and some long lasting relationships have been made.


It was back to class again on Thursday. Survival Portuguese class was spent practicing their introductions for meeting their host families. The host family dinner was Thursday night and the students were nervous, anxious and excited to meet their host families. We also celebrated Jessie Maier’s birthday on Thursday. She remembered how to cut the cake Brazilian style and she gave the first piece to Audry.






The host family dinner was held in a small restaurant in Piracicaba. We took up the whole restaurant. The students arrived first and then the host families. There is a picture of each of the tables as the students waited and tried to guess which family was theirs as they arrived. Then you can see some of the host families as we began the introductions. Each student introduced him or herself and then they sat with the host family. Once everyone was introduced the families and students ate supper together. It was a nice time to break the ice. Lots of talking occurred on the bus going back to the hotel about the families, plans for the weekend, what they talked about at dinner and hopes for the weekend.

Friday was a class day and then the students left with their families about 7:00 Friday evening. I felt like a mom sending their kids off to school. It is always fun to talk when they return Sunday evening. We will have a class meeting Sunday night once everyone is back to share the experiences of the weekend. The family stay is always considered a highlight of the trip.

Oh, before I forget. Yes, we have had a lot of rain but we are not near the flooding that has made the national news. The flooding has been in Sao Paulo and Rio areas. We are planning to go to Sao Paulo on Friday but we will be careful to check ahead where we are visiting. Shirota was in Sao Paulo yesterday so he knows the location of the flooding.

Best wishes with your snow and we will cope with the rain. Take care.

January 10, 2011

Sunday started with breakfast at 5:30 am and boarding the buses at 6:00 am. The University of Missouri students joined us for the day. We headed to Brotas which is about two hours from Paricacaba for a fun day. Brotas is a town known for its trekking and rafting. Lots of young people live in the area. Most of our students slept on the way but were quickly awakened when they found out they would be zip lining and hiking in the morning and rafting in the afternoon.




We were introduced to the safety of zip lining, the do’s and don'ts and given our equipment.


Then one by one we road 6 zip lines across a gorgeous waterfall and hiking area. I think I recall we were 60 meters above the waterfall. After the six zip lines we were able to do the second zip line again which was directly over the falls. This time we could enjoy it rather than being scared half to death. This series of pictures starts with the leader describing the experience and the safety, then the securing of equipment, getting up to the starting post and a picture taken while traveling three of the zip lines. Only two of our people got stuck in the middle of a zip line and we all lived to tell the story!!!





Once everyone completed the zip lines we hiked down to the waterfall where the students could walk on the rocks, get in the water, play and look up as people zip lined above the waterfall. Hopefully these pictures can give you the image of the total experience. It was quite breath taking.


We boarded the buses and stopped for lunch at a quaint family owned restaurant where the food was great. The students got to try some new fruit right from the trees: guava, mango and a fruit they couldn’t even tell us a translation. It tasted like the combination of chewing gum and banana.

From there we went back into Brotas proper where we prepared for the rafting. Again we had a safety demonstration, learned the commands in Portuguese that we would hear from the guides assigned to each raft, divided off into groups of seven and then practiced in a small lake. Because of all the rain the river was high and some of the rapids were judged to be level 4. The guides were fantastic! We didn’t always know our commands: Forward, backward, get down but we all had smiles on our faces at the end. The guides love their jobs. They had a blast!! We have a CD with pictures taken by the rafting company and I think each of our students had a memorable time. A couple of the rafts did tip over but it was the Missouri students not the OSU students. GO BUCKS!!! The guides then sang to us, in Portuguese of course, on the bus ride back to the livery.

All in all, it was a very physical day, lots of adrenaline, lots of stories and lots of memories.

January 7, 2011

Ola!! We arrived safely in Sao Paulo a little after 10:00 am on Wednesday. The flights were mostly uneventful but for those who have never flown before I am sure it was an eye opening experience. We made it through baggage claim with a little rush of adrenaline on Kate’s part but she remained calm, cool and collected. Customs went smoothly and Shirota, Caroline, Anna and Henrique were waiting for us once we got through customs. The Brazilian students and our students are getting along just great. It was a two hour bus ride to Piracicaba which is our home base and where the great Antonnio’s Hotel is located. We had a walking tour of campus (in the rain) and a bus tour of Piracicaba on Wednesday.

By now we have had seven meals, six different places to eat, and the students seem to be enjoying the food. Most have tried new foods (chicken hearts, palm, plantain, fried cheese, lots of meat and fish and the list goes on). I am including a few pictures. One of the group on the bridge that goes across the Piracicaba River. The water is very high this year. It is the highest I have seen it.




There was a beautiful rainbow Wednesday on the walking tour of campus after one of the showers. Some of the students were looking at rubber that had been collected from some of the trees on campus.


Today we had a birthday celebration for Darryl and sang Happy Birthday to him in Portuguese.


One of the highlights today was seeing the little monkeys that are on campus. You usually don’t see them unless they are being fed and one of the campus guards surprised the group as they headed off campus. After class we played indoor soccer, Americans against Americans, Americans against the Brazilians, mixed teams and I will have to say the Americans were pretty good. The Brazilians were better skilled but the Americans were more persistent. The students are out tonight for their first evening of Brazilian socializing. We have class tomorrow so they will need to be up and ready to go by 7:30 am but they were excited to go out.

Here and There!

Every journey starts somewhere. In this case, at Port Columbus International Airport. The group made it through the airport and beyond, without any problems. The word from Kelly is that they have safely arrived at their destination in Sao Paulo. So, on with the adventure!

Monday, January 3, 2011

I suspect that tonight members of Class 12 of AZP are both excited and anxious as they spend their last night in the United States for six weeks. Tomorrow they will board the plane for the first leg of their trip to Brazil and will also try to keep up with the Buckeyes at the Sugar Bowl. Tomorrow and Wednesday will be very long days as we fly all night, board the bus when we arrive and then go all day on Wednesday. This blog will be a way that you can follow the students through this international experience in Brazil. I will post pictures and a narrative as time permits over the six weeks. Feedback from family members and friends last year was extremely positive with the blog. Best wishes and Go Bucks!!!

Dr. Jill Pfister, AZP Coordinator