My Highschool Exchange Year with AFS in Brazil 2014/2015

Q&A about Highschool Years abroad in English, German, Spanish, Portuguese and French and short video about my Highschool Year in Brazil.

I had never planned to go on a Highschool Exchange Year and especially not in Brazil. The thought had never passed my mind until one day my best friend came to me with an idea: One of her close friends was doing this Highschool Exchange Year in Brazil and she suggested that the two of us should do the same thing together. Brazil sounded amazing to me: images from the carnival, the parties, the beaches, the World Cup, big houses, and pools were buzzing in my head. I was also interested in Latin American music and dances and it was the time of "Ai Se Eu Te Pego". Because of that and because I was a big fan of Shakira, I always wanted to visit Latin America. Since I was also interested in languages and wanted to go to a country where no Spanish is spoken (which is my mother language), Brazil was perfect. In Brazil, I could learn my sixth language: Portuguese. Unfortunately, my best friend couldn’t come but I went to Brazil anyway.

I decided to leave in February 2014. After my application in April 2013, there was a selection weekend in June 2013, a preparation seminar in October 2013, and a country-specific preparation in December 2013 (on the phone, as I had surgery on the actual date). My experience started on the 7th of February in 2014 when my flight left from Frankfurt to São Paulo. I was very nervous and a little sad because I wouldn't see my family for a year. Luckily there were other AFSers at the airport and some of them took the same flight I was taking. The next morning we landed in São Paulo. I was a little overwhelmed when we came out of the airport but the people from AFS took good care of us. I spent one night at a hotel in São Paulo. In the evening I looked out of the window at my hotel and had this “magic moment”: the smell, the cars, the sirens - it just felt so new and so good. The next day I went via Rio de Janeiro to João Pessoa (in the northeast of Brazil), where I would be living for the next year.

First day in São Paulo                         Airport Rio de Janeiro                 João Pessoa

During the year I lived with a total of four families (three of them in João Pessoa). My first host family was a young couple (she was 20 and he was 25). They were both incredibly nice, but as a minor, I still needed “parents” - that's why I left the family after 6 weeks. My second family was the family of one of my schoolteachers. His daughter, my host sister Leticia, went to the class I was going to. She had a little brother Lorenzo who turned 1 year old during my time with them. After three months I had to move again. It was pretty difficult for me, but everything happens for a reason. With my third family (consisting of Sara (my host sister), her mom, two dogs, and a cat) I felt totally at ease and had the time of my life. Unfortunately, this was only a temporary solution for another 6 weeks and my fourth and last family was not found in João Pessoa, but in Mossoró. So, I had to move the city after 6 months from João Pessoa to Mossoró, which is about 7 hours away by bus. I lived there with a family with three children. My host brother Arthur had been in the US for a year and had only just come back. The other host brother already had a wife and a child. Suddenly I had a 3-year-old nephew – Gustavo - who was super cute!!!

In retrospect, the host family changes were very good. Of course, it wasn't always great at the moment, but all these changes made me get to know a lot of people from different social classes, with different backgrounds and political views, and thus really understand the Brazilian society.

My four host families

I went to the IFPB in João Pessoa, a public school that, unlike all other public schools, is paid for by the state and not by the municipalities and therefore was supposed to be a better public school. My class in João Pessoa was a music class with only 12 students, almost all of whom could speak English. That was very strange because normally there were around 30-40 students in a class and only 2-3 could speak English. The school was chaotic. Many classes were canceled. And Brazilian teachers like to strike - for months. At my second school, the IFRN in Mossoró, I was in the architecture class. I have to say that I made extremely good friends in my first school in João Pessoa and many of my classmates became my best friends but in Mossoró things were different. I didn’t make many new friends, probably because I didn't try so much.

Funny thing about school in Brazil: They have air conditioners which are set up to 18°C so that I had to wear a jacket in class and whenever I forgot my jacket I had to take a walk in the sun after a certain time in the cold classroom and come back :D

My two school classes at IFPB (left) and IFRN (right)

The two AFS committees (João Pessoa and Mossoró) were quite active. In João Pessoa, we had a total of five exchange students: a German girl, an Italian girl, a Thai girl, a Thai boy, and me. We were always going out together and when the three girls went home (they arrived 6 months before me, so they had to go back in June) it was very difficult for me. The committee also organized events. We had “country presentations” where each exchange student presented his or her country and cooked or brought food from the country. When Germany was presented, the other German and I tried to bake a cake called Bienenstich. It was funny and impossible. You won't find any ingredients in Brazil, nor is the oven good enough to bake the cake at home. But luckily nobody noticed. In Mossoró we were four exchange students: a Turkish girl, an Italian girl, a German boy, and me. Especially with the Turkish girl, I became very close because we were studying at the same school.

We also had two seminars in Brazil. The first one was after three months. I had already changed my family and felt a little bad about that. Thankfully, I met so many other exchange students in that seminar who had passed through the same situation (basically everyone had changed family at least once). The last seminar was three months before leaving. I reflected a lot on my time in Brazil. I realized that everything was so different than I had expected, but that it was perfect that way and I wouldn't want it to have been different.

Pictures: 1 AFS Committee João Pessoa; 2 AFS Committee Mossoró; 3 German exchange students in the Northeast of Brazil; 4 Thai exchange students in the Northeast of Brazil and me

In my free time, I went to the gym and danced a lot of Zumba. In addition, I gave Italian lessons to different people. I also had the chance to travel a lot during the Year. The region where I lived (Northeast of Brazil) is beautiful and has many beaches to offer. That’s why I traveled the entire coastal region from Fortaleza to Salvador. Then I went to Rio de Janeiro for some days. The last trip I went on was a special trip organized for exchange students to the Iguazu Waterfalls – one of the seven natural world wonders. It was amazing!!

Pictures: 1 Border between Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay; 2 Beach in Paraiba; 3 Foz do Iguaçu; 4 Canoa Quebrada, 5 Salvador da Bahia; 6 Fortaleza

• Celebrate Carnival in João Pessoa: The carnival isn’t very big in João Pessoa because only two hours from the city there is a village, called Olinda, where one of the best carnivals in Brazil takes place. So during Carnival, everybody goes there. The big parties in João Pessoa are before Carnival. There is music on the streets, and people dress up and dance. It is crazy!
• two Brazilian children’s birthday parties: Brazilian children’s Birthday parties are a unique experience. There is so much to eat and so many decorations. People also dress up so much for the event. Usually, there is a theme as well. My host brother Lorenzo for example had the theme “Le Petit Prince” on his first birthday, which was in line with the cake, the decorations, and the costumes.
• two weddings: weddings are similar to those in Germany. A funny tradition is that as a woman you get flip-flops at midnight, which you can wear to dance if your feet hurt due to the High heels. The flip-flops are engraved with the couple’s names so that you can take them home afterward as a present
• My bus story with a woman who looked like Rihanna: I met a woman on the bus who sold chocolates (This is very common in Brazil). She looked a little like Rihanna, so I bought some chocolates from her. Then she sat down next to me and started talking to me. We had a nice chat. In the end, she helped me to put nail polish on my nails on the moving bus because I had an appointment for dinner and hadn't had time beforehand. It was so funny!!
• The World Cup: Unfortunately, I couldn't go to any match because I was under 18. But I saw the German and the Portuguese bus and I went to Natal and Salvador to the Fifa Fanfest. In the end, Germany won the title. I was really happy! It was a nice feeling so far from home to be proud of your country, especially when you learned to appreciate it which is definitely one of my learnings from that time.
• My 18th birthday: it was totally chaotic because I was at the doctor's the night before, but still great in the end. I went to dinner with my boyfriend and other friends and even got a cake.
• Christmas in Brazil: My host family went to the "Sitio" for Christmas. The "Sitio" is what Brazilians call little villages in the countryside because most of the big cities are on the coasts. I don't even remember what the village was called, I think Lagoa Nova. This is where my host parents were born. There was a huge party for Christmas with a lot of food, music, and dancing. But no church, no Christmas tree, and no snow. Still, it was worth the experience.
• New Year in Brazil: For New Year I was in João Pessoa with my boyfriend. We celebrated with his family on the beach, in white - this is a must in Brazil. The fireworks were so nice. Then we skipped 3 waves together - that's supposed to bring luck to the relationship (for us it didn’t LOL)

Pictures: 1 Pré-Carnaval celebrations in João Pessoa; 2 Fifa-Fanfest in Natal; 3 Childrens Birthday; 4 Wedding;

5 Flip-flops as present from the Wedding; 6 New Year in João Pessoa

The year went by too fast and after 337 days I was back at the airport in São Paulo (with two suitcases and five pieces of hand luggage). Thank God the Lufthansa employee was so nice to let me get away with everything. When I arrived in Germany, the temperature dropped from 35°C to -5°C. But it was wonderful to finally see my family again. My friends had prepared a surprise party for me too. We talked and ate cake. In the evening I got myself a Döner Kebab because I missed that in Brazil :D

The year has been full of first and learning experiences for me. Here are some examples:

• Getting my first Havaianas (Brazilian flip-flops that everyone wears there)
• Having my first trip on a Brazilian bus: the bus drivers left before the doors were closed (which is common in Brazil) which is why I, who was standing in front of the door when the bus was full, almost fell out
• Eating Brazilian food for the first time. I especially liked Açai and Coxinha
• Going to the supermarket alone without my parents for the first time
• Riding as a passenger on a motorcycle for the first time
• Cleaning my own bathroom for the first time
• Driving a car for the first time (I wasn't actually allowed to, but it was only brief)
• Learning how to live in a foreign country on a different continent
• Appreciating my privileges, my family, and my home country
• Learning that everyone in the world has their own values and that my values are not better than those of others

I would like to thank

• The Brazilians, who to this day still impress me with their helpfulness and their happiness and from whom I was able to learn a lot
• My family and friends in Germany, who stood by me and supported me in everything: my parents, my siblings, my best friend Sophie
• AFS and all full-time employees and volunteers for their constant support and help (in Germany and Brazil) - namely Camila, Camilla, Thaysa, Lucas, Silvia, Anna Clara etc.
• My host families that took me into their houses and treated me like a daughter or a sister: Gabriela, Rafael, Elida, Leticia, Lorenzo, Sara, Takako, Divina, Zé Alves, Lorena, Arthur, Almir, Carol, Gustavo
• The teachers at IFPB and IFRN for teaching me for a year
• the other AFS exchange students who became my close friends: Mark, Foon, Bianca, Sarah, Irem, Rouven, Carolina, Gregor, Ingrid, Wieland, Miguel etc.
• My schoolfriends from the IFPB and the IFRN - here are just a few names: Bia, Deborah, Ila, Marcellus, Lucas, Rafael, Herbert, Erica, Renan, André, Raquel, Fernanda, Polyana, Musi, João, Aninha
• My friends from everywhere, whom I cannot name here now because it would be too much

This exchange, this year, this country - they taught me so much. I believe that during this time I understood what is important in life, how I want to live this life, and what person I want to be. My first “host mum” Gabriela said to me one evening when I was having some trouble and we were both looking out of the window to see the stars: "We Brazilians have to be satisfied with the little things in life." I remember this moment clearly. This sentence still inspires me to this day.