Fellow Stories

Waiting (Forever)

Cooper Wright

2010-11-12

It seems like I have been here forever. As I sat on the ground of my room (the only place that provides me with internet in my bedroom), I often wondered “what am I doing here?” Why wasn’t I with my second home stay family? Why is Brazil so…different? I am so used to the cookie cutter...

Two Views of the Bay

Karyn Miller

2010-10-26

“I think you’ll find that if there’s one word to describe Brazil, it’s dichotomy,” Tony told us. Last Monday, the Brazil fellows visited a neighborhood in Salvador called Massaranduba, where we saw the last remaining palafitas, or water slums. We wound our way down dirt roads, between bare but solid brick homes, and past a...

Religion, Reconciliation and Room to Read

Adam Horowitz

2010-10-26

When I told my Brasilian host mother that in two weeks I am going to live in a Salvadorian low-income neighborhood, she threw her shaky hands above her head and belted out “O Meu Deus.”  After she sat silently and nodded through Tony—my program coordinator—detailing the safe haven of community leaders and positive social programming...

Palefitas

Meg Healy

2010-10-22

Last week we were fortunate enough to be invited to tour the palefitas in Salvador. Palefitas are similar to favelas in the sense that they are quickly constucted slums, but palefitas are built on wooden stilts over water. Needless to say, these are not sturdy homes. Walking over the planks residents have placed between homes...

A Lesson on Looking

Michael Stivers

2010-10-18

Amid this plethora of new cultural nuances I have had to reach out, grab, and make my own, language has been the most difficult. Although I saw this coming, it’s still not something that can be prepared for…not even with Rosetta Stone. Most times this is beyond frustrating. To not be able to convey a...

suco de cacau and palafitas

2010-10-18

I am sitting on the sofa of my host parents’ bedroom, the only corner of the apartment that has reliable internet. All the windows and doors are open, and the long flowy curtains which frame their balcony sway softly. The warmth here lulls me to sleep at night; I don’t even use my sheet. My...

Home/Homeless

Cooper Wright

2010-10-18

When given times of reflection here, I have often struggled with one idea: what is a home? What does it mean to truly feel at home? There are so many little questions that I have based upon this one topic, as I stay with a family that I don’t really know much about, in a...

First Taste of Brasil

Meg Healy

2010-10-14

After roughly 28 hours of traveling we arrived in Salvador and immediately began to soak up our surroundings. We sat down for dinner at a few plastic tables situated in the middle of a street, but before we could order we were engulfed by a political parade. I honestly thought that the stories about Brazilian...

Mute

Toni White

2010-10-14

Imagine: Them: “Oi, qual é o seu nome?” Me: “ Huh”, “Nome?” Them: “Qual é o seu nome?” Me: “Toni” Pause Them: “Quais são algumas coisas que você gosta?” Me:  I dont understand what she is saying “ I dont speak Portuguege.” Them: “Quais são algumas coisas que você gosta de comer?” Me: What is...

Dharma Bums, On the Road, and Howl

Cooper Wright

2010-10-11

On this partly cloudy Sunday morning in Brazil, I was able to wake up and read excerpts from three great Beat generation books: Dharma Bums and On the Road by Jack Kerouac, and Howl by Allen Ginsberg. Bringing these books were quite deliberate: they continually emphasize living in the moment. I have tried to continually plan...

Familia Brasileira

Karyn Miller

2010-10-11

Piled in the van on the way from the Salvador airport, I just remember Tony turning to us and saying, “Okay guys, we’re going to spend a night at this house, get showered, get dinner, and cover some logistics. Tomorrow, we’ve got to get up nice and early to go to your orientation and meet...

Discovering Capoeira

Karyn Miller

2010-10-08

“Hoje a noite, nos vamos ver capoeira com Tony.” I told my host mother in choppy, simplistic Portuguese. “Tonight, we go to see capoeira with Tony.” She smiled, “Ah…capoeira, sim!” Yes. If you don’t know what capoeira is, I highly suggest a YouTube search. But here’s a little background: First, you should know that Salvador,...