Weekend in Caxias

Friday morning we headed to the city of Caxias. (Pronounced Cah She As) It was about five hours away.  We stayed with Mariani’s sister in her apartment.  She just graduated from pharmacy school and now works full time.   She, her roommate, and boyfriend were gracious enough to host us all weekend!  We had a blast!

Friday we went to a spot where we got a great panoramic view of the city.  Caxias is big and pretty industrial!  Did I mention it was cold there!?  Like REALLY, REALLY cold!  Thank goodness it doesn't get that cold in Santa Maria!  The view was a little limited but still really awesome!  

 (See that we are all bundled up?!  --> COLD!)

Our next stop was a winery.  YUMMMMMM!  It was beautiful and huge and made all the better by our guide!  He was a spunky little old man from Italian origin.  His family has been running the winery for many years.  The tour ended in the wine shop where we were able to try all of the wines!    A few purchases later, we were off to check out a few popular places in the city.  We saw the old train station as well as the “place to be”  for nightlife.   We ended the night we a delicious churrasco along with bread covered in cheese and onions.  

At the Winery

Saturday, we got up and headed towards Gramado and Canella, two towns that are known as the “Little Europe” of Rio Grande do Sol”.  On the way, we stopped in a small town that had a great town square.  There was even a maze!  We looked around a bit and bought a very expensive coffee.  

The area was beautiful! 

We made it to the middle!

Our next stop was an awesome waterfall!  I can’t even explain how beautiful it was.  We walked down 714 steps and then back up again!  Check. 

My roommate Ashley!  She's awesome!  I sure got lucky! 

After the waterfall we went to an adventure park where we signed up for an high ropes course.  It was challenging, entertaining, and left me wanting more!  They put you in a harness, hooked you to a wire and then sent you off to play on ropes strung between trees many feet above the ground!  This adrenaline junkie loved it.  The course also included two zip lines.  Good Times! 

Our next stop was the town of Gramaldo!  It is touristy so it's decorated really well and very pretty!  There were tons of great shops and places to eat. But the best part was all the chocolate shops!  Gramaldo is known for it’s chocolate factories.  Although we didn’t get to tour a factory, we did our best to visit several shops! :)  Out of pure luck, we stumbled upon a food festival where five different restaurants were giving out free food.  We tried pasta, soup, wine, chocolate fondue, and a sushi thing!  I still can’t figure out how we got so lucky!!!  It was just the snack we needed after a long day! 

One of the chocolate shops

We drove home where we hung out and ate homemade lasagna.  Around midnight, we headed out to a traditional gaucho bar!  A live band played for several hours and I was able to watch people dance the traditionally. I tried it once.  It went okay but I was definitely relieved to sit back down!  :P While out, we tried their traditional alcohol called Cachaca.  My favorite was the Pimenta flavor. (Pepper) Spicy yet delicious.

Since we got home so late, we slept in a bit that morning.  We then headed to Caminhos de Pedra where our first stop was an Italian restaurant.  We ate SO MUCH.  It was an all you can eat thing where they kept walking around with dishes and you just took what you wanted.  The meal started with bread, cheese, and salami.  They brought lettuce salad, egg salad, pickled peppers/onions, polenta and soup.  Then the main dishes started arriving.  They offered several types of pasta, many different types of meat, and a pasta like thing that I can’t remember the name of.  After stuffing myself, I then realized there was desert and had to try each kind with a cup of coffee.  I mean really, I think I rolled out of there.  I guess I got my moneys work.  It was 40 Reis, so around twenty dollars.  Things are defs not cheap here!!!

The area we were in was really cool.  It was also a bit touristy and had many places to visit that was based off the old colonial lifestyle.  Italian Immigrants moved into the area and you can still feel the influence!  We saw traditional weaving, a cool sheep place, a food place that specialized in pasta, and my favorite a place that made Erva Mate!  (More on what Erva Mate is later...)    The day flew by and we went to bed pretty early!

The next morning we got up early, drove the five hours home, and went directly to school!  It was a longgggg day but worth such a great weekend!  

To Grandmothers House We Go!

On Tuesday, Vivian's parents took us to the area where they grew up! It was absolutely stunning.   It is a small town, about 2.5 hours away, very close to Santa Cruz.  The large German influence can be seen int the architecture, signs, and people!  It was very mountainous and we got some great views!

We loaded up at 6:45 and made it to town around 9am.  We stopped at this really old church that was recently repainted.  The stained glass and intricate details were very impressive!  Afterwards, we walked next door to a school where several of Vivian's aunts worked and cousins attended classes!  We walked around the school and we were even introduced to a classroom.  "These guys are Americans!" he he It was fun!  After saying goodbye to her family, we walked to the newspaper office.  Yep, that's right.  We made it into the small town newspaper.  (Granny, I couldn't help but think of you and how it was exactly something you would do...)  They took our picture and asked us how we liked Brazil.

As we left town, we headed straight up into the mountains.  The view was beautiful!  We passed a small foot bridge and many small country homes.  We even stopped at a farm that had a team of oxen hooked up and did the touristic picture thing!

 Foot Bridge 

 Yep, jumped in with a random farmer.  "These are Americans!"

 Mom, Can I have one? 

 One of the many cool houses we saw.

Great views!  My pictures don't do them justice!

After several winding roads we made it to her grandmother's house!  It was absolutely adorable!!   We explored around the house and saw the old bard where they use to have a lot of dance parties.  We also saw the old tobacco shed where they dried the tobacco after picking it.   The house was surrounded by fruit trees.  There were several different types of oranges, bananas, and lemons!   Her grandmother prepared a huge, wonderful lunch for us.  She was so nice.  She even made homemade ice cream using fresh milk from her two cows.   I know I've been told to not drink milk that isn't pasteurized but I couldn't pass up this opportunity!  It was delicious!!

Eating oranges off the tree!

Free range chickens 

(um, actually one was served for lunch...) 

View from the back yard!

Banana Trees! 

Picking oranges!

 Part of our delicious lunch!  Notice all the ice cream!! :) 

 The lovely cow that contributed to our lunch! 

After stuffing ourselves, we headed over to Vivian's great aunts house.  AND IT WAS A WORKING DAIRY FARM!!  Really, I thought I might have died and gone to heaven.  I wish that I could just show each of you how awesome of a place it was.  Of course,  here is when my camera decided to die so I only got a few pictures.  :(   But regardless, It's one of my favorite places I've been so far in Brazil.  Just picture this cute little house, on the edge of a mountain, surrounded by dairy cows, barns, a huge garden, flowers, and tons of fruit trees!   I, of course, got super nerdy and asked all about the milking herd, milking protocols, nutrition, reproductive programs, calf management etc!  It was a small heard with a two stall milking parlor but it was very nice!   They showed us around their garden and sent us home with a ton of fruit.  We again picked several different  types of oranges, along with many avocados!  The avocado trees were HUGE!  They were really, really neat.  I need one!  I also tried star fruit for the first time.  (Not actually sure what they are called.)   Next, they showed us how to  hook up the two oxen to the waggon and had us get in!  It was awesome!!!  Finally, they dragged me away from the cows and inside the house.  There we ate delicious dessert and talked with her dad's aunt, godfather, and cousin.

Jersey cows are still my favorite!!  

 Milking Parlor 

Avocados! 

A small part of the garden

 View from the farm!

 They plant crops for their cows and themselves on these hills!

Yep! Here we are again!  They depend on these oxen because the hills are so steep.  Tractors can be dangerous. 

We piled back into the car and headed out of the mountains but not before we stopped at the church where her parents got married and saw the old graveyard where most of their family is buried.  They showed me the grave of the original family that came from Germany.    On the way out of town we stopped at a small store to visit more family.  They sent us on our way with a chocolate bar!  YUM!

The day was amazing!  I loved getting out of the city and seeing another part of Brazil.   I'm so fortunate to have been able to visit her family and I truly appreciate all their kindness!

If you want to check out my roommates view of the day you can visit her blog!  She has some pretty good pictures! :)  http://othersideofcenter.wordpress.com

Patinhos

Patinhos ---->  Little Ducks 
   *** (Pronounced Pat - chE- knows)

Why am I talking about little ducks?  Well, because I've been playing the role of one!  This running joke started because Vivian has been taking care of us for the past week and a half now and ensuring that we are taken care of, fed, safe, and happy!  We follow her to school, we follow her home, we follow her to social events, we follow her to the store, we follow her to fill out all kinds of paper work.  I really, really don't know what we would do without her and Mariani!   They are our translators, friends, teachers, and all around go to girls!

It's a different kind of feeling to be completely dependent on someone else!  I mean, I'm as independent as they come.   I do what I want, when I want.  But here, I need help.  Yep, I said it.  I need help!  I think it's good for me, to be thrown in to a situation I can't handle on my own.  To have someone talking to me, and not understand a word that's being said,  to attempt to leave a building incorrectly several times before finding the right way out,  to flash someone and A-okay sign and then later learning what it means...  All good learning experiences!

The language barrier probably deserves a complete blog post in itself.  But seeing as I've been super slack with writing posts, I'll touch on it here.  I studied Portuguese about two months before I came here.  I attended lessons twice a week and started using Duolingo.  (Duolingo is awesome, I highly recommend it!)  I put in time but not as much as I wanted.  There were always other things to do... tests, projects, exercising, movie nights, sleeping, Wildlife Treatment Crew, etc... so now, here I sit in Brazil, with a very limited grasp of Portuguese.   I feel like I know the basics and I can communicate a little.  My two most popular verbs are  "I need" and "I want".  Oh boy!  I'm just so far from being fluent!   I still study everyday!  I really do want to learn.   I'm better at reading it, but understanding spoken Portuguese is super difficult!  It's so fast and all the words blend together and I'm lost!  I feel like it will get better.  (Or at least I hope!)  Vivian's parents speak very slowly and use props to communicate with us.  They have no problem repeating themselves or explaining something in a different way so that we can understand.   he kindness I have received from my new family is incredible!  They are just so patient with me!  Ashlee and I joke that we have the memory of a goldfish.  We will learn a new word in Portuguese and in two minutes it will be gone!  I really am a visual learner and need to see the word!

The language barrier is a new concept and not something I've really experienced before.  (Except for a week trip to Costa Rica.)   It's difficult to make friends.  It's especially hard for me as an extrovert because I am so use to being able to talk to people.  Sitting in silence is weird!  I would usually make small talk with someone but now I can exchange a few typical phrases like "hey, my name is Kaylee, I'm from Georgia, I study veterinary medicine" and then I'm done.   It's an odd feeling to be around people and not know what's being said.  The nosiness inside of me had to just get over it.   Nope Kaylee,  you don't have to know what's being said, or even where you are going at the present moment!   It's also difficult to run errands and get stuff done.  Like good little ducks,  we followed Vivian to town today to get our buss passes and sign up with the federal police.  (We have to pay them another $90 dollars.  Sigh.)  Vivian had to do all of our talking for us.  You see,  I can't even buy my own bus pass!  Crazyness!  But It's a good crazy!  These challenges are what make traveling amazing!  If I didn't get to experience things like this I wouldn't grow as a person!

Being a little duck, has it's definite advantages! You get to accompany people on all types of fun journeys!    Sunday night, we went to an  old road outside of the city that wound it's way up a mountain.  It's called Estrada do Perau.  It was built to connect Santa Maria to another town.  It had beautiful views of Santa Maria and the surrounding area.  (Here's a good time to mention Santa Maria is surrounded my mountains.  It's stunningly beautiful!)   On Monday,  We joined Vivian and Mariani in the country where we were able to help ultrasound sheep.  They are in their last year of vet school and therefore get to do all kinds of fun things!  We went to a hotel that doubled as a farm.  It was great! There were cows, chickens, peacocks, and sheep!  We checked each ewe to determine if she was pregnant or not.  I was able to participate and determined my sheep was preggers!  It was a great experience because I was able to hang out with her classmates,  meet her excellent professor who invited us back to his house for a churrhasco and learn more about the craft of veterinary medicine!  You have those moments of doubt, where you wonder how you are ever going to be able to learn about veterinary medicine when you can't understand the language... and then all of a sudden you are ultrasounding an ewe and it all makes perfect sense!

So there you have it!  My last week and a half has been a whirlwind of learning, laughing, struggling, meeting wonderful people, memorizing words, using wild hand gestures, depending, exploring, growing and loving every minute of it!  I fall into bed every night exhausted and I know that it won't be long before I've collected the tools to leave the nest and conquer more and more things!

Until next time...
Kaylee Patinhoe Quinn

My Flock!
  (Okay, Okay, The bird references are getting old.. but I couldn't help it!)

VIVIAN!!!!  :) 

Awesome View!
Santa Maria is tucked in between the mountains on the right. 

Hotel Fazenda! 

But really,  Can you get any cuter than a cow?

And the answer is.... PREGNANT!  Good luck little ewe!  

One Week Already!

One whole week!?  WHAT!?  I left South Carolina one week ago!  Okay, let's do this!  Recap of the week!

I left Columbia last Sunday afternoon and flew to Houston, Texas where I caught a 9.5 hr flight to Sao Paulo,  Brazil.  The flight went really smoothly.  I was lucky enough to have a window seat with only one person beside me.  She was super nice and we talked a bit about Brazil.  I watched a couple of new movies and slept the rest of the time.  Unfortunately, we left Texas late and arrived at Sao Paulo late.  I had one hour from the time we arrived until my other plane took off.  I departed the plane waited in line for them to check my passport/visa, waited for my suitcase, and hurried off into the airport... where I became completely lost!  I started to panic because I knew my plane must be boarding and it was supposed to depart soon.  I was wondering through the airport trying to find a check in counter or something. I finally found the correct area but there were so many different airplane companies  (similar to us having Delta, United, American airlines, etc) and each one had a huge line.  I knew I would never make my flight.  I started desperately asking airport staff but no one spoke english and I think I was too panicky to think clearly enough to use portuguese.   I just knew I was going to miss my flight and have no way to contact the person picking me up at the airport...  Fortunately for me, I found a woman who was extremely helpful.  I showed her my itinerary and she rushed me to a front desk, got me checked in, handed me a ticket and told me to hurry! After a few wrong terms, more helpful people, and some good ole fashion running,  I made it to my gate just in the time. I was the last person to board.

I arrived in Porto Alegre and met the two girls from Michigan Vet School who are also doing an exchange program here.  We got our bags and found Willia.  (Pronounced Villia)  I first met Willia in Athens.  She was visiting friends for a month and helped us with Portuguese twice a week.  It was so nice to see a familiar face at the airport.  We ate lunch at a buffet style restaurant, took a small driving tour of the city, and made our way to the bus station.   I really not sure what we would have done without her!  The bus ride was four hours to Santa Maria and by the end of it I was itching to stand up and stretch!  We arrived in Santa Maria far from "bright eyed and bushy tailed" but excited never the less.   We got off the bus and were welcomed with a big hug from our host Vivian and her family!

Okay for living arrangements...  Ashlee, one of the girls from Michigan, and I are staying with Vivian and her family.  The house is two levels.  We are downstairs where we share a room and have a bathroom. It is very nice!  We live with her mom, dad, and brother.   The other girl from Michigan, also named Ashley, is living with another veterinary student, Mariani,  Mariani lives near the center of the city in an apartment with one other student.   It is really cool!

Vivian's dad, Luiz, drove us home where her mom, Sylvia, had an amazing dinner waiting on us.   I can't say enough good things about my family.  They are so nice, welcoming, and patient!  We spent several hours around the dinner table talking and sharing stories.  Vivian speaks excellent english so she spent most of the night translating between us and her parents.  Although her parents do not speak    english, we still communicate quite a bit through our broken portuguese, hand gestures, and Vivian's help!  Finally, after a long journey and a great night we went to sleep!

The next day we woke up late and had a delicious lunch that Sylvia had prepared.  She is an amazing cook!  We did not have to go to the university so we had the day to rest.  Vivian left to go to class and we made plans to follow her mom into the city.   I know that she was nervous at first because of the language barrier but it went smoothly and was a lot of fun!  We walked to the bus stop, took a ten minute ride, and got off downtown!  She showed us around the hospital where she works as a dietitian.   It was really neat to see and we met so many people!  We went to a fabric shop and a bakery, and then walked home.  It took around thirty minutes to walk home.  I really enjoyed walking because I was able to see more and take everything in.   When we got home, Ashlee and I rested and continued to study portuguese.  That night we ate a delicious dinner and played uno with Vivian and her friend, Andreila.

We woke up Wednesday morning and headed into the city to get supplies.  Vivian let me use her old phone so I just had to buy a sim card and minutes.  It was pretty inexpensive.  I also exchanged money and bought contact solution.  We caught a bus to the university and met our mentor, Professor Mara, at the vet school.  Vivian and Mariani showed us around the vet school and university.  We ate lunch at the dining hall, called the RU.  You can get a lot of food for a cheap price.  That afternoon we attended class with Vivian about Wild Animal Medicine.  (Very cool!)  The class was in portuguese and I couldn't understand most of it because it is spoken so fast, but I could understand a lot of what was written on the powerpoint!  After class, we headed downtown to sell tickets for a churrhasco e festa  (BBQ and Party) that Vivians class was doing as a fundraiser. They are in their 9th semester of school and are raising money for graduation. (In Brazil, you got directly into vet school after high school and it takes five years.)  Downtown, we all stood on a street corner and attempted to sell tickets.  We held up signs, cheered, danced, and had a ton of fun.  After all that "hard" work, we headed back to school to have a small churrhasco for the class.  It was nice to hang out with her classmates.  They are outgoing, welcoming, and really nice.  It's hard sometimes because of the language barrier, but we try our best to communicate effectively! Needless to say, I collapsed into bed that night!

Selling Tickets Downtown!

 Preparing bread for the churrhasco! 

The fire!

Thursday we awoke and went to the University.  We ate lunch at the RU, attempted to sell more tickets to the upcoming churrhasco, and then headed to the reproduction lab to visit Mara.  We will be  based mainly out of the repro lab and Mara is currently working on a schedule of what we will be doing.  Thursday, we spent a lot of time hanging out in the common room and studying portuguese.  (Have I mentioned I try and study portuguese every free moment.)   We did get to collect two ponies in the afternoon which was cool.  I've only seen it once before.  We also celebrated a birthday and had delicious cake!  That night, we again had an amazing dinner at home.  (Are you seeing a theme here?)    

 The ponies we collected!

Birthday Party! 

Friday was the big day, the day of the churrhasco!  (So, a churrhasco is a traditional brazilian BBQ.  It's different than grilling meat.  The meat is seasoned really well and cooked over a fire. Southern Brazil is known for it's excellent meat.  It is very Gaucho (cowboy) thing.)  Vivian's veterinary class worked so hard to prepare all of the food and plan the day.  Ashlee and I went with her family and pigged out!  There were so many people there!  I am very impressed that one class could feed so many people!  There was bread, salad, mandicoa - a type of root/vegetable, and lots of different kinds meat.  They walked around with big trays of meat and you took what you wanted.  It was a fun afternoon.  I met Mariani's parents and spoke with them a little.  They are super nice.  (Mariani is coming to UGA to study from August to November!  I'm very excited to show her around there.  She has been so good to us and I really want to return the favor!)   We headed back home to rest and get ready for the party that night.  I spent the afternoon studying portuguese, organizing my blog, and eating fruit on the back patio with Sylvia!  That night as she was cooking dinner, we started talking about our family and homes.   We showed them our houses using google earth and then I face timed my mom.  It was a blast.  Here I was introducing my mom to my new family in Brazil.  Technology really is so cool!  I was attempting to translate back and forth, and although it was a little rocky, it was a ton of fun!  We ate pastels (kind of like empanadas) for dinner, drank a cup of coffee, and headed to the party with Vivian's brother Cristiano and our friend Andriela.  (Cristiano also takes classes at the university and is doing an internship currently with an agricultural company.  He analyzes soil composition to determine what fertilizer is needed. I think.)   The party was huge!  There were at least 1500 people there.  Two bands played and many people danced.  It is beyond cool to see the traditional dances.  That night, we all headed back to the house and collapsed.

My family + Mariani + Ashlee + Ashley 

Saturday morning we slept in and then got up for an HUGE lunch!  Vivian's two friends, Mariani and Ali, ate with us.  Her mom fixed many dishes!  Everything here is made so fresh!  They have a huge beautiful garden in the back yard!  We drink fresh, homemade juice with every meal!  That morning I helped make orange juice using the juicer.  I am constantly trying to help do something because her mom works so hard for us!  She is spoiling us rotten.

Saturday also turned out to be the anniversary of the city!  We went downtown to watch the celebration. We watched dance groups from different schools perform songs.  It was a lot of fun to watch.  I think they all could dance better than me!  :p  They danced to Brazilian music, hip hop, and random songs such as foot loose! We met up with Vivian's friends and walked around the city a bit.  I was able to see the old library and an old train caboose.   Ali invited us back to her apartment and cooked dinner for us! We had a rice and meat dish, with a side of potatoes, carrots, and lettuce.  I really enjoyed it!  I love the food here.  It was so nice of Ali to cook for us!  We  really have been treated well and taken care of!  I may not leave Brazil!  ;)

Hanging out downtown

Today had been very laid back.  Vivian had to work this morning.  She picks up shifts at the hotel working as a server for big events.  I again woke up late and ate lunch with the family.  (I sleep so much here!  I think it's because my brain is on overdrive!)  I decided today was my chance to catch up with this blog!   I've feel like I've been writing for the last five hours.  He he.  So congratulations if you read this whole thing.  My gosh, you deserve an award or something!   I still have so much to say and explain but this is probably good enough for now!  I need to go study more portuguese!  :)

Welcome Back!

Oi Tudo Mundo!

I can't believe that more than a year has passed since I last updated this blog!  I thought about starting a new blog but I didn't quite have the heart to leave this one! (For my new readers,  I used this blog to document my experiences studying abroad in Botswana.)  I am still "Chasing Dreams" so I'll continue sharing my stories with you here!  Maybe one day I'll organize posts and put them into categories to distinguish my African posts from my new Brazilian posts!  Anywho, for now we'll stick with just making me actually write down my experiences!

I'm not sure where to even start.  I think that's why I've been so hesitant to create a post. There is so much to say.  I guess we'll go with the basics...

I was fortunate enough to be selected to participate in an veterinary medicine exchange program at the Federal University of Santa Maria in Brazil!   Brazil is the 5th largest country in the world by population.  It is just a bit smaller than the US if you include Alaska.  The national language is Portuguese and the currency is Reis.  The population is very diverse and has many ethic groups. Santa Maria, where I am staying,  is a city located in the state of Rio Grande del Sul.  This is known as the "south" and in many ways it is similar to the "south" in the US.   There are small differences in language, accent, customs, traditions and food.  The South is known for it's "Gauchos"  aka Cowboys!

Things to take from the picture:
The Brazilian flag, the capital (Brasilia), and the fact that the Amazon is just a small part of Brazil!  

I am living with a host family and another exchange student from Michigan, Ashley.  I will be going to the vet school everyday to explore veterinary medicine in another country and culture!  I will be based out of the reproduction lab but I will have the opportunity to explore many different areas! I am scheduled to be at the school for two months and then I am free to travel.  I should be done with school around July 14th, but I don't leave the country until August 8th!  Oh what adventures await me?!

More to come soon about my journey here, the first few days, and my wonderful host family!  Thanks for reading!

Much Love,
Kaylee

That's all folks

Well tha-tha-tha-tha- that’s alllll folks!

Here I sit in the Joburg airport waiting for my next flight with my best friend.  Already my time in Africa is over.  It feels like a couple of weeks ago I was walking through this airport on my way to Botswana.  Man, how time flies when you are having fun.  I’m one lucky girl.  My time in Africa has taught me so much about the world, America, politics, and myself.  I can now say I’m a bit more patient and more content with myself.  I am who I am.  Take it or leave it.  (Although, if you are reading this you probably have already decided to take it.  He he)  I’ve also been able to meet so many amazing people.  My eyes have been opened up to how much I truly love people.  I know that probably sounds all sappy.  But for a girl coming to Africa for the animals and sightseeing, I sure did fall head over heels in love with meeting people.   Speaking of top notch people, Emma sits here beside me writing in her travel journal.  With a month of backpacking under our belts, we have gained some great experiences.  I’m super lucky to have shared them with her and a few other stellar girls that I met at UB.  I can’t wait to blog all about my experiences.  I promise that I will write about my care free days carrying my backpack and living the good life!   

More to come soon!  

Signing off

Nlulamisi