Fellow Stories

Why us???

Jean Ulysse

2011-10-21

Everyday when I am walking down the streets of Bonfim in the lower city of Salvador, Bahian people mistake me for African. Why that is I do not know, but I am eager to find out.  People of African-descent throughout the diaspora need to dialogue with one another, so I asked aloud  “why do you...

Gostosa

Annie Plotkin

2011-10-14

Among the deluge of advice I got before departing for Brazil, one common piece was to beware of the Brazilian men. I brushed it off along with “strap your passport to your body at all times!” but I realize now that the first piece of advice is more relevant than I ever could have anticipated....

Japonezinho

Winson Law

2011-10-04

Back in the United States, people sometimes ask me, “what type of Asian are you?” This sort of question makes me believe that I am some sort of species, ready to be examined for my assumed virtuoso violin skills, mathematical prowess, and whether or not I eat with chopsticks every night. I tell people that...

Pelourinho: A City Within A City

Sarah Coyne

2011-10-03

  Pelourhino resides in the Centro Histórico of Salvador, Bahia. Its cobblestone streets and colonial architecture holds the largest accumulation of historic wealth from the seventeenth and eighteen centuries in the Americas, and remains as a mark of national identity for Bahians all across the state. Watch the video to learn more!

My first day in Brazil

Jean Ulysse

2011-10-03

This is my second full day in Brazil, sitting down by the ocean where I can let nature be my teacher, the ocean sing me a lullaby get lost into my thoughts….. Sometimes in life we wish we did not do certain things but “hey” what can we do about them. Making my way to...

Out of the Mata Concreta

Holli Sullivan

2011-10-03

My Global Citizen Year has officially begun. We’ve all been having a magical time, haven’t we fellows? One month is sooo much longer than we’ve ever imagined. Stanford, hostel, more hostel…It’s been great. But for me personally, it hasn’t felt so much like a life changing experience just yet. While in the past month I’ve seen thousands...

From Research to Reality

Michael Ratliff

2011-10-01

As the end of our training approached, I was struck by how we had come full circle. From the Skype conference call with a former Stanford professor about international development to a lecture from a Brazilian professor on the same topic but in Portuguese, speaking about PIB (produto interno bruto) instead of GDP.But there was...

To Love and Be Loved

Holli Sullivan

2011-09-28

I spoke with a traveler last night who taught me a lot of things, He told me of his journeys around almost the entire world. Told me of the people he loved, the cities he hated, and the things he learned from each place. So many stories and lessons can be learned from anyone who...

At First Glance

Antonio Peluso

2011-09-25

At first glance Salvador, Brazil is a huge developed metropolis, a beautiful modern city with all of the urban qualities that you would imagine a city in the United States to have. There are towering buildings, malls, public transport, tons of people, and, of course, traffic. But under this picturesque impression that Salvador could leave...

My Intimate Relationship…with Portuguese

Henrietta Conrad

2011-09-20

Some words are pretentious. I see them once and they all of a sudden think they can  invite themselves into my mind, bursting down the mental door and ostentatiously announcing their arrival. These are the famous words; everyone knows their names. I see them everywhere: in magazines, on billboards, and on TV. I know everything...

What Would You Do With a Year? Video From Brazil 2012

Annie Plotkin

2011-09-20

How people turn nothing into something

Albamarina Nahar

2011-09-16

First of all, I just want you to realize that I am in another world.  Of course I don’t mean Mars, but I mean my view is the only one that you can look through. So bear with me, while I slowly unfold what I see. It amazes me that here, in Bahia people are...