Day 10

Can’t believe that it’s already been a full 10 days here, so much to write about and so little time to do it. Simply put, my time in Rio over the past few days has been incredible. However, it certainly hasn’t been without a good amount of frustrations. Bureaucracy in Brasil comes close to rivaling that of  even Hunter College. Without a CPF#, the Brazilian equivalent of a US SS#, one will have extreme difficulty doing even basic things like buying a cellphone, booking plane tickets, and opening a bank account. Though I managed to finally buy a local SIM card without a CPF#, I was still required to enter it before I would be able to make calls and texts. Luckily after lengthy discussions with both my host mother and the Claro phone rep I was able to get an in-store agent to help me activate my phone with only my passport#, which still took two hours. Even more disappointing was the discovery that my supposedly GSM ready phone from home is no good for making calls down here. Though it works well for making and receiving texts, the way the phone is programmed prevents me from using local service, meaning that I am charged international rates (thanks a lot Verizon and your proprietary bloatware). Luckily my Belgian friend had an extra totally unlocked european phone that has been working great for the time being.

Nevertheless, I truly believe that I have learned more about myself in the past 10 days than in as far back as I can remember. The past 10 days or so have spent more or less getting settled in Rio. I left the hostel with my friend on my fourth day here and moved in with my host family. The housing situation really couldn’t have turned out more perfect. I am currently living in Leblon, a mere 3 blocks from one of the nicest beaches in the world and a pleasant 15 minute walk from school. My apartment, though small, is absolutely beautiful. I live in a nice super safe building with a building attendant during the day. I have even been fortunate enough to have been blessed with amenities like wireless internet, easy hot water, and a washing machine, amenities that are not quite as prevalent here as they are in US homes.

My Host Mother!

My host mother has been absolutely wonderful. Though very traditional, we have really gotten to know one another over the past 6 days or so. As she really only speaks Portuguese it has been great for helping to force me to practice. My host mother has a son and grandson who live in Sao Paulo. Her other daughter, an oncologista, lives nearby in Lagoa. Since she has an adorable 4 month old baby, though, she pops in almost daily. I have also been extremely fortunate in that my host mother is an incredible cook. I seem to be the only other person in my entire program who is paying for an extra meal a day, though I am quite glad I am.

Just One of my Host Mother's Amazing Meals

PUC-Rio has been absolutely awesome as well. Nestled right against the Tjuca rainforest, PUC has a campus feel that I sadly never really had at Hunter. I have currently had two full days of classes (the first few days being orientation and a city tour), which have gone great. I will be taking Nivel II during the intensive and Nivel III during the semester. The intensive course is split into a morning and early afternoon session with different teachers for each section. The classes are super small and capped at twelve students. The professors have been amazingly engaging and having two different professors really helps to keep the material fresh, four+ hours breezes by in no time at all. Still can’t believe the bargain that I’m getting both in terms of housing and instruction through this program.

We Visited the Tjuca Falls as Part of our City Tour

Apart from the phone I have also purchased a bicycle to help me better get around Rio. Having ridden the buses many times now I have a pretty good feel of the City. Though my bike was supposed to be ready today it looks like I’ll have to go back tomorrow to pick it up.  Really looking forward to having a bike so that I can more easily meet friends who live in elsewhere, especially the abundance of people who live in Copacabana.

Overall Rio has greatly improved since I was last here a year ago. I noticed that there are now little exercise stations with pull-up and push-up bars on the beach as well as a brand new bike sharing program spread all throughout the city. Though I didn’t really get a chance to know the City well last time I have much more enjoyed my time here so far. Without a doubt choosing this program has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Well I suppose that’s all for now, I’m sure I’ll have much more to write about soon.

Cheers,

Mike