Work!

Another update written back at Iza’s that I will upload tomorrow. I don’t like writing in my blog at the office because the computers are in great demand and I feel like I should be doing more crucial things.

Sunday was quite quiet, as I mentioned before. Iza and I watched a movie in the evening and I just did some more work on my computer.

Monday, however, was nuts.

First Day in the office:

I went with Iza to USP, which meant getting up at 6:00 am to leave at 6:45. Paulo, her brother drove us for 40 minutes to the bus stop, then we waited for the bus (the one that says C. Universidade) and took that for another 20 minutes to USP. Iza showed me which stop to get off at and how to get to the AIESEC office, which they call the LC. In Victoria, the LC refers to the people. We, the members are the LC. But here, the LC is the office. I guess it is because the words local committee don’t mean as much to them, so they adapted their own meeting. But I’m getting used to saying I’m going to the LC :P. Anyways, we made it to the LC and Iza got they key and then headed off to class. So I was on my own in the office for a little while. I uploaded what I wrote on Sunday, put up my flag and checked my e-mail etc. Eventually some other members showed up and I talked to them a little. Around noon Diogo came and it was time for our meeting. The office was busy, so we headed to the café nearby for tea (strawberry vanilla mmmm…..) and coffee. He asked me what kind of AIESEC work I liked to do, and then gave me a detailed history of AIESEC USP and all the problems they have had over the past couple of years. That was good because knowing the history helps me to understand the current reality. Right now @ USP has no EB and a few “experienced” members are helping Diogo do everything. After that, he explained to me what he wants the LC to be. He wants to implement a new LC structure based on projects and in line with @ 2010. This is both exciting and intimidating. If we get it going, I think it could work really well, but getting it set up will be a challenge. But that is a plan that will be gradually implemented through the next months. Additionally, he asked me to start a list of things I’d like to do while I am here. So after we got to the office I started working on that. Then he asked me if I wanted to lead the “infrastructure task force” which basically means make the office fun and useable. So I will be leading a group to make a calendar for the wall, put up AIESEC information, and some fun stuff too. Also, it means organizing the new computer that’s coming and dealing with all the files. I’m really looking forward to it! I’m gonna make the office an AIESEC paradise! ….. or something like that :P Diogo also asked me to stay for a meeting that evening. It was Diogo, Me and Isabell from Columbia who is also helping out, the members who have been the effective though not official EB and the former LCPs. We talked about a million things, such as some major problems USP is having, about CONADE and also what I was to do for the next few months. We all agreed that USP lacks a LC culture and hardly has any social events. So it will be my job to create this. I think CONADE will really help, because conferences help to create LC history and culture. And decorating the office will help too, and I have some social activities planned. And during the meeting Diogo said I had an accent because I said “aboot”. I swear I didn’t!! I’ll have to watch myself more closely… It was after 10:00 pm by the time the meeting was over (good thing I like meetings, eh?). Koba dropped Koge and I off at the subway and then he rode the subway with me to my stop, where Iza’s Dad came to pick me up. I was extremely tired by the time I was back at around 11:30, but I also had so many things going through my head that I couldn’t sleep at all!!

Things I noticed: The office way pretty busy all afternoon. The morning was quite dead. Whoever comes in has to go around to everyone who is already there and greet them with a handshake (for two guys) or a kiss. It seems one a day is adequate though, because if a person leaves and comes back, they only greet the people who came while they were gone.

Tuesday May 9:

Today was weird, though a little less crazy. I slept in because I had so much trouble falling asleep, so I had to get ready really fast. Then Iza’s sister dropped us off at a different bus stop, though we took the same bus. I got to FEA (that is the faculty where the office is – Finances, Economics and Administration) around 8:00 and went to get the key. They guy who was at the desk didn’t speak English, and he was asking me for the room number. I told him it was the @ office, but he said he needed the number. So I went upstairs and got the room # (203, by the way) and came back down. The he looked for my name on the list of people he is allowed to give the key to. Diogo and I had asked them yesterday to add my name to the list. And my name was there…. But it had been scratched out! I don’t know why. So the guy wouldn’t give me the key! So I had to sit and wait for the first AIESECer to show up. I was there at 8:00 am, guess when Diogo came? … 10:40. So I sat there for almost 3 hours. Uhhhhh. I couldn’t really call anybody because the reason they were not at the office was because they were in class. I could have gone for a walk or something, but I still don’t know the campus very well and I didn’t want to get lost. So I sat there and listened to my MP3 player. And had a nap :P . Diogo was very surprised when he arrived, and could get no good explanation as too why my name had been removed. I hope it is there tomorrow. So I was a little behind schedule, to say the least. All the stuff I was going to do that morning got pushed back. I still did some research and talked to members and organized my first team meeting. Koge had told be the day before on the subway that he would teach me some Portuguese today and had asked me to try and read something before hand. So I set about translating something I found in the office. I actually didn’t do too badly, but I definitely needed help. Then I had to leave a little earlier, because Iza was going to teach me how to get home. So I left at 3:00 and met her at the bus stop. We took the bus for around 40 minutes, then got on the subway. We rode for two stops and then had to switch lines. Then another 20 minutes on the subway and we were at out station, Jardim Sao Paulo. Then she made me a map and I had to lead her home. It’s actually not that hard and I think I will be able to do it by myself tomorrow. The hardest part is making sure I get off the bus at the right time. But I was watching for landmarks so I think I can spot it. We had a snack when we got in, and now I’m here writing. So other than being locked out of the office, today was much more mellow. Of course, I was so tired from Monday that I didn’t have the energy to do much :P . Tonight I will hopefully finish my Canada presentation because they want me to do it at the general meeting on Thursday. Ahhh, not much time but I think I will make it. I’m still trying to think of a Canadian activity to do.

Things I noticed: Even though he couldn’t give me the key, and couldn’t really communicate with me, the guy at the desk made every effort to try and help me. He asked everyone who came in if they were from AIESEC and he found someone who spoke English to tell me that he couldn’t give me the key (even though I had kinda figured that out). And then the guy who spoke English tried to help me too. Everyone is very friendly.

Other notes:

In the office (the LC) I put up my flag and today we found a brazilian flag to put up to. The new members really like it. I also put up on the wall two big pieces of paper. One is a mindmap of what USP and Sao Paulo are famous for. I’m hoping to use to it create an LC cheer, since they don’t have them in Brazil like we do in Canada. The other paper asks the members to write me a phrase in English and Portuguese. The members were having a great time with both of them, coming up with crazy things USP is famous for, like producing nine of the country’s presidents, and writing me phrases like “I want another beer!” and “teach me how to make caipirinha”. I’m glad they like them.

I also tried some more brazilian food! For dinner on Sunday we had a munch of different breads and meats. For lunch on Monday, Diogo took me to a hot dog place near the office. I ordered a traditional hotdog… but it certainly wasn’t what I would consider a hot dog. The guy started with a bun.. ok good. Then added a weiner… ok good. Then added ketchup and mustard…ok fine. The he added onions…ok fine. Then he added corn… wha?? Then he added mashed potatoes… eh? Yes, corn and mashed potatoes (Colin this it a hotdog you would love ;) ) It was very weird, but also very good! For dinner I had a pastei, which is a deep fried pastry and you can order many different things inside. I had a cheese one, and it was really good. And apparently I am being taking on a “gastromic tour” of Sao Paulo, starting tomorrow with Japanese food. Haha, I hope this turns out ok. But one on the list they started creating is an Itatian restaurant, so that should be very good! I also learned that Sao Paulo is made up mostly of Italians (as in Italian background). Interesting, I though they looked Italian but I thought I just didn’t know how to recognize Portuguese :P

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Break

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Ok, I was away from the computer for a little while, but now I am back. I had my nails done… wooo! There’s a lady who came to the house to do Iza’s Mom’s and they asked if I wanted mine done too. Haha, I just got a very neutral colour. Then I went with Iza’s Dad to the Supermarket. It definetly is a SUPERmarket because not only do they have food, but TVs and stereos and DVDs and appliances and everything! Iza’s Dad is really nice and he told me what all the food was called in Portuguese. Though I can’t remember all of them :P They had some food I had never seen before. After we got back we had dinner, which was soup (I think pea soup) and tuna bread. For desert it was white cheese with guava, and it was quite good! Very different but good. And I tried some Portuguese port wine, which is thicker and sweeter than regular wine. I only had a taste, but I was quite good too.

Other things, I noticed: The air in Sao Paulo is very dry, at least compared to Nanaimo/Victoria. My lips are always drying out and I am thirsty a lot more often. Which is a shame because there are so many water fountains around the campus but I’m trying not to drink from them! I think I did have a little bit of water by accident, but not much (ahh, icecubes).

Emergency vehicles turn on their flashing lights when they are going somewhere, but none of the cars get out of the way! They just keep driving like normal as the police car or ambulance swerves around them. Odd, to me at least.

I was trying to figure out why the houses look different. One is that they all have gates. I don’t think I’ve seen a house without one (I’ll take a picture sometime soon). But the other thing, and I think the more important thing, is there is no yard. Off the road is the driveway and then the house, so the house is very close to the road, and I think this is what makes them look odd to me. And it also makes the road look narrower, though I don’t think it really is.

When we got back from the subway today, there was a turtle in the driveway! Iza told me this was not unusual, but I thought it was pretty cool! So what’s today’s picture? The turtle!! And it was pretty big too!!

Turtle says: Happy Birthday Dad!!!

Also, sorry these posts are ridiculously long. If they are too long or boring just let me know and I will make them shorter. Obrigada [thanks]