Interview with the exchange student, Carol, 24, from Atlanda

Want to do an exchange program?

An exchange program is an opportunity to experience many different cultures, meet new people, and learn about language, customs, curiosities and everything else about another place. Besides being an opportunity to improve a second language, have unique and incredible experiences and visit new and wonderful places. In summary, there is a huge variety of things you can enjoy and learn in an exchange program.

Carol, 24 was born in the town of Atlanta, in the United States and chose to finish her studies in physics in Belo Horizonte, at UFMG. She has already been experiencing the adventures of discovering a new country for two years. And it was her whom we interviewed.

Interview with Carol, 24, student of physics at ICEX – UFMG

I am here with Carol today, she is from Georgia and she is going to tell us about her experience in Brazil, what she is thinking about it so far, some difficulties she has been through and general things we would like to know about her time in Brazil.

A:            Hello Carol, how are you? For which reasons did you choose to come to Brazil?

B:            I am very well, thank you. First of all, because I have some relatives here. But I also came to study physics. I wanted to finish my undergraduate studies, and the best choice of university for me was UFMG.

A:            What are you thinking about your time here?

B:            I am adoring it. The weather in Brazil is great. The food is also great, people are great. I cannot complain.

A:            For how long have you been here?

B:            I have been here for two years and a couple of months - three months maybe.

A:            What are the main cultural differences between here and where you are from?

B:          I am from Atlanta. I think the most shocking thing I saw here was how the girls dressed. They       wear such short clothes, they want to show some skin and I think that is very interesting.

             Another difference I noticed here in Belo Horizonte is in relation to the traffic. For example the buses, the subway, how things work here is very different compared to what it is like back home.

A:            Do you stay hours waiting for the bus?

B:            Sure!

A:            Did you experience any type of prejudice here?

B:            Sort of. Actually people thought that I didn’t know much about Brazil. For example, that I didn’t know about the culture or how things work here. In fact, most Americans do not, but I studied it before coming here and also I have relatives here.     

A:            Are you having any problems with the language. Is it too hard? What about the slangs?

B:            Yes. In the beginning it was very difficult because people speak Portuguese very fast and it is very complicated to catch up. But now, I think that I am getting used to it and with my friends helping me with it, it is easier now. I have a slang’s dictionary!

A:            Do you want to visit any other places here in Brazil? Or do anything specifically?

B:            Sure. Brazil is very beautiful. I would want to know everything, if I could. For example, see all the Brazilian beaches, attend some cultural parties, such as Carnival. But I want to attend Carnival from all states, not only Minas Gerais to see other types of Carnival parties.

A:            You like Carnival then!

B:            Yes, a lot.

A:            What do you like most about Brazil?

B:            I love the food, the weather and people are great.

A:            Don’t you think the food is too heavy?

B:            Yes, a little. For example, here in Minas the food is a little heavy, but there are some lighter foods too. I would like to go to Bahia to eat that thing, Acarajé. I want to taste it, but people keep telling me it is too hot, spicy.

A:            What would be a normal lunch for you here? What do you usually eat?

B:            Well, something that is very interesting is that every day I see people eating rice and beans and I am not used to that back in the USA.      

A:            Amuse us. Tell us a funny situation that happened with you.

B:            Well it had passed three months since I arrived in Brazil and somebody said hello to me and asked if I was good, and I replied with a little symbol, an okay symbol but the person understood something else. The person understood I was sending her to that awful place.

A:            Seriously?

B:            Yes, and it was really funny. The person was looking at me with a face which read: what are you doing? And I replied: “I am sorry, I do not understand”.

A:            That must have been very hard for you.

B:            Yes. But I have to get used to that. It will most probably happen again.

A:            Carol, thank you for this interview. I wish you continue to enjoy your time in Brazil and it was a pleasure.

B:            You are very welcome. It was my pleasure.

This was the interview with the exchange student Carol which allowed us to learn some things about how life abroad can be; its challenges and curiosities and its many facets, all of which is very interesting to know, especially as a student at UFMG.