Fellow Stories
True gap year stories from Fellows abroad!
Check out the latest blogs from Global Citizen Year Fellows in Brazil, Ecuador, and India!
Category
Class Year
Country
The Fear of Answering the Door
Jonas Gerken
2018-03-01
There are many sounds in Brazil that I am terrified of. Gunshots, fireworks (which sound very close to gunshots), and the screaming cigarho bugs that begin their screech at three in the morning, are a few of these such noises. But the worst of them all is that dreaded intercom doorbell. When family is home...
Read MoreGetting Lost – Again
Patil Khakhamian
2018-02-28
Coming from a country where buses are not considered a normal mean of transportation, it is not surprising that I found myself lost trying to figure out the bus system in Florianópolis far too many times. I remember the first time my host sister explained how it works to me in Portuguese, I was nodding...
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My Experience in Pictures!
Gabriel Varlack
2018-02-22
Here’s a few photos from my time here so far! Hope you enjoy!
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Jiu Jitsu
Gabriel Varlack
2018-02-22
As some you may or may not now, the host family that I'm staying with has Martial Arts gym in our backyard. I've been training almost everyday since the day I moved in with my host family and I have fallen in love with Jiu Jitsu. In class, I go up against huge guys that...
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Big city life or big city lie?
Filip Carnogursky
2018-02-21
Cities are the future of our civilization; by 2050, 70 percent of us will live in cities. Their relentless expansion is unprecedented. Each year, the inconsolable growth of monstrous cities like São Paulo, greedily swallow the nearby villages, towns and communities. This was the story of boroughs such as Vila Madalena, Vila Mariana, Vila Matilde,...
Read MoreGaining the Confidence of Speaking Another Language
Gabriel Varlack
2018-02-21
Having the ability to speak fluently in someone else's language after only a few months is truly a gift. It's truly been a struggle and allows you to get down on yourself if you're not getting the language as quickly as the other fellows in the cohort. On my independent travel from São Paulo to...
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So Much To Say
Kaya Van Dyke
2018-02-19
As I began writing this blog, I found myself blaming my lack of presence on varies technological difficulties I’ve been having (which is true). However, as I was typing this, I realized that that isn’t the full truth. Each time I sit down to write a blog post, I find myself giving up because I...
Read MoreMy Community
Juliana Trujillo Mesa
2018-02-12
When I was asked to deliver a speak-up about my community I felt conflicted about what I defined as my community. So I decided to look it up and Dictionary.com gave me this: “Community: A social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and often have a common cultural...
Read MoreA WEEK OUT OF HOME-SWEET-HOME
Rujen Amatya
2018-02-08
After spending two and a half months in Florianopolis, I finally got the opportunity to leave my state, Santa Catarina. Our next training seminar was scheduled in Morretes, a historic city in the state of Parana. This was the first time I got the chance to spend some time out of my host family’s house....
Read MoreFamily Time
Filip Carnogursky
2018-02-06
My host father has 13 siblings. Most of them live with their whole families on our afforested street bearing their family name. Addressing them as a Tio [uncle] and a Tia [aunt] does not only sound familiar but works perfectly to dwarf my incompetence of remembering their names; at least at times when they do...
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Where’s Carlos been?
Carlos Henriquez
2018-02-03
Hey friends! I was talking to a close friend of mine the other day and suddenly he asked “Wait, I know you’ve been in Brazil for more than four months already, but why? What are you doing there?” We’ve been friends for over four years and we’re constantly in touch, however he had no idea...
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Home
Aya Kamil
2018-01-17
“Mon dieu que j’aime, Ce port du bout du monde Que le soleil inonde De ses reflets dorés ” -Dalida- While listening to the melodious voice of Dalida, I never thought that a song could depict so well one’s experience, feelings or even emotions ! The little port of the song evoked to me Garopaba.Euuh...
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