Jungle Pick-Nick: Week 3

Wow today was such a great day! We had a pick-nick, or picnic, with our kiddoes in a jungle for US Brazil Connect. 

I have this strange fascination with banana trees and today was my first actual hike through trails lined with banana trees and tropical flowers. In the following weeks there were more gorgeous hikes to follow, including one to a gorgeous waterfall. I should have some good video from that adventure. 

I think I will get another chance to go on a hike before leaving this beautiful and inspiring country.

We played volleybal, ate, sang karaoke, and hiked a beautiful trail literally in what I would consider a jungle. 

I had a blast on the bus ride and at the pic-e nic-e with my students. Yes, I am mimicking how Brazilians say words in English. 

I will share a blog about what happens on the back of Brazilian school buses. But for now, check out my YouTube videos.

Originally posted on my travel art website in August 2014

Week 2 in Brazil: Protests

Some of the protest signs we saw in Joinville...

LAGARTO VIVE!

lutou contra o fascismo nas ruas,
contra o racismo
contra a homofobia
contra a alienação religiosa
contra a corrupção estatal
contra,  o capitalismo maquiavélico
contra, o especismo praticado aos animais
morreu em pé. vivieu e lutou
pela liberdade humana e animal
da tirania e do poder opressor de
poucos sobre muitos.
estará vivo em nossas mentes.
batendo forte em nossos corações e
presente em nossos punhos erguidos.
"nem todo irmão é companheiro,
mas todo companheiro será sempre um grande irmão".

Inglês: I used the help of google for parts of this so any corrections would be appreciated ;)

LIZARD LIVE!

fought against fascism in the streets,
against racism
against homophobia
against religious alienation
against state corruption
against the Machiavellian capitalism
against speciesism practiced on animals
died standing. vivieu and fought
by animal and human freedom
of tyranny and oppressive power
few over the many.
will be alive in our minds.
  pounding in our hearts and
This raised our fists.
"every brother is not mate,
but every companion will always be a big brother. "

Journal From July 1st

Originally posted on my Travel Art Blog in August 2014

24 Hours: No English

Its been 24 hours and my brain is kinda freaking out. I'm exhausted and feel like I am a major pain in the ass because people have to explain everything several times and the tension and the frustration and knowing I'm bad at Portuguese is is making it more difficult to understand, speak and recal what I do know...

 

Por outro lado, eu gosto la experiência porque é unique e eu sai que eu vou crescer mas que todas las otras situações em Brazil. Eu vou aprender mais português. Os pesoas tem muitos patience comigo também. Elles são fantásticos. 

 

My portuguese is atrocious and its frustrating because I want to connect with people deeper but I can't because the words must be simplified so much. Even my thoughts in English are being dumbed down. "I want sit. I like the day in the past. I make paint water."

Meus pensamentos em português são ideias complexas. Eu adoro la experiência é acredito que eu vou aprender muito coisas sobra la Brazilian cultura so observando. E eles falan que meu português é bom pra dois meses. E eu mais o menos concordo. Tenho muitos feliz e sorrisos quando uma convenção é swave. 

 

I miss home (mostly my husband) and I miss spicy food, eating with my hands and taking my shoes off indoors. I miss Laramie and am sad that there is a possibility that I may never return. I am sad that I'm not yet in Washington and I'm sad that Jim is stuck there without me.

 

Saldages é minha palavra favorite en la idioma português. E eu penso que é descritivo de a cultura beleza. Uma cultura com muito emoções linda e sentimental. As pesoas aqui é carinhosos e dulce. Eles pensam com suas emoções. E eu gosto disso. Tenho saldages pra meus amigos en Santa Catarina e eu terei muitos pra pesoas aqui, pierto de Brasília, e todo o país.

 

Challenges make you stronger.
Viagem é cultivo bonito. 

 

Looking at Brasilia

 

*I ended up going several days and it was amazing...eu tenho cinco dias sem inglês e é foi muito bom! Obrigada amigos Brasileiros! 

 

E mais uma coisa. Disculpa meio mal em português...Eu escrevi este no meu diário/jornal, depois de um mês de practca português :p 

 

For those of you who speak both languages...I didn't intend on the two different tones...it just happened as I journaled and switched languages...

 

 Originally Posted August 8, 2014 on my Travel Art Blog.

Esperar - To Hope: Quando as Coisas Não Funcionam

People in brazil have a strangely beautiful and amazing ability to wait patiently and maintain relaxed when things não funcionam.

 

I talked to a man on a bus about this. I pondered "eu não entendo como pesoas em brazil tem muitos patience. É muito interesante pra mim."

 

I'm pretty sure this man ended up missing his flight because the bus didn't come on time. Yet...

We calmly talked about brazillian patience, lack of function, and a myriad of other topics for over an hour (em Português, I might add). 

 

Em los estados unidos pesoas....grrrr (meu mao português at work here...)..." In the US we want our money back if we stand, waiting, almost two hours for food.

 

But, I suppose it is rare that we would ever wait that long in the first place. We refuse to pay and walk out long before the 30 minute marker. 

 

If something goes wrong we get angry and try to get the priority service we paid for. After all we either earned or deserve it.  

 

At the end of out conversation, I think this man and I came to the conclusion that Brazilians are used to things não está funcionando so there is "no problem" and a backup plan will come along so that eventually things will work out even if they don't work... But Brasileiros sabem that eventually it all works out and not staying relaxed doesn't help.

 

If you wait through, it will all work out, even if it doesn't function properly or work. 

Se você tem patience, todas as coisas vão funcionar, mesma que ele não funciona direito.

 

 

I will end this post with a message I sent my husband while I was waiting for a delayed airplane with some Spanish-speaking imagrants coming to Pasco to work...

 

"well a cool fact...Portuguese and Spanish both use the verb esperar. It means "to hope" but is used for "to wait" as well. So you are literally hoping for something or someone. I like it. I think it shows insight into the hopeful mentality and patience Latin Americans have...anyways back to hoping :) love you"

Originally posted August 19 on my Travel Art Blog.

3 Countries in One Day: Day 3-6/7

We unintentionally ended up in Paraguay a few days ago. Which is kinda sad becuase of the ease of border crossing also equals the ease of human and drug trafficking...

Standing in Argentina looking at Brazil (rt.) and Paraguay(lft.). 

But I absolutely haf a blast in Argentina with a good friend and his family. And Paraguay was a wonderful experience as well...

Originally posted in August 2014 on my travel art website

US - Brazil Connect Bio

Felicia Follum is a watercolor artist who has a passion for using her art to work with people in culturally diverse environments. She currently teaches art, blogging, yoga, and very basic languages (Spanish, Hindi, and Sign Language) to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. And teachers private art lessons with “at-risk” youth. She would like to eventually have her own studio space where she creates and sells artwork and offers various creativity-based classes. Felicia’s significant travel experiences include Pine Ridge Indian Reservation (in South Dakota), Haiti, Mexico, and India. She is excited to spend time in Brazil and see what creative work and lasting friendships will come out of the experience.

To learn more about US-Brazil Connect, check out their website

Originally posted on my Travel Art Blog and website in 2014. I have recently decided that I will move my blog posts from Brazil and other travel adventures from my art page to my language blog. I am sure that you will enjoy <3

2 Language Study Plan

I think my two language learning strategy for the next month is to practice português in the morming and hindi at night. I want to keep the languages as separate as possible in my brain. We will see how this works....

Hindi - I will watch hindi movies and review vocab. I would like to find a group to practice speaking with. I think there is one where we moved. I will of course chat with my Indian friends at night.

Português - I will text with my Brazilian feiends in the morning. I would also like to study grammar a bit.

Any tips? Thoughts?

This photo from Casa Frida may seem incredibly random but there is both Sanskrit and Portuguese graffiti in the background...

How Emersed Was I?

I knew that I was pretty well immersed in Indian culture after returning from India. Though it is difficult to immerse yourself in a country/language when you are not there I am pretty sure that I succeeded.

I did not quite realize how much Indian culture I had been around for the past year. It is pretty cool being here in Brazil. Interestingly, I am looking at many things not only from an American perspective but also an Indian perspective.

One of the biggest shocks about being here is that I am around mostly English. The first week here I had to use Portuñol everyday. But the 2nd through the 5th weaks here I am using English because we are teaching English and I am mostly with Americans.

Though annoying, the English is not a bad thing as it is a part of the program. And I don't think it would bother me as much had I not been so surrounded by Indian culture and the Hindi language for the last year. It is a bit shocking to me (and it may be the closest thing to culture shock I have ever experienced) to be around this much English in another country. I was thinking about it the other day and it feels like I am around more English now I had been over the past year. I also know this will change very soon and I'm not sure I will be ready as I will be living with a family that doesn't speak English for three weeks...I am very excited

So the answer my original question how immersed in Indian culture was I? Let's take a look.

Weekends
Saturday 5-6 hours cricket
Sunday dance practice (maybe 10-20 weeks out of the year) 2-4 hours
Dinner/Day Trip/Cooking 2-5 hours

Tuesdays/Thursdays 2 - hours (I thaught a Yoga class, Indian Culture/Hindi class and later a Global Studies class)

Monday/Wednesday 1-4 hours listening to music and Pimsleur while painting

Movies at night 0-2 hours

Bible reading - 1 - 3 hour

Total 13-21 hours/week

That was a lot of Hindi and Indian culture...and I loved every minute of it!