Obrigado/Thank you!

After a few days back in the U.S.A. - we've all had some time to reflect on (and recover from) our time in Brazil. There's still much to say and share from the experience - but for the moment, we'd like to communicate our appreciation to all who helped make the Exchange possible.

The following "thank you" video is presented in Portuguese and English:

Good morning America

We're back on U.S. soil, after an amazing adventure. We landed in Miami around 6am. After a layover, we'll land in Charlotte this afternoon. We're almost home, after 18 days of travel.

Our group of students were tremendous. They were eager to learn, try new foods, experience a new culture, learn the language and give up sleep in order to stick to a long, grueling tour/study schedule. They were a tough group of young ladies, and we're very proud of them. 

This is an experience they'll never forget and that will open many doors in their academic and professional futures.

Tchau Rio, Tchau Brasil

The group is sad to leave but we all miss our homes, friends and families. But, we're excited about all of the new friends we made in Brasil and the wonderful experiences we had.

Perfect weather for our last day in Rio, and our final day in Brasil.

We began by riding buses to the historic Santa Teresa neighborhood, which is known for its trolleys, art and authentic Rio cuisine. The neighborhood is quaint and full of character. Unfortunately, the famous trollies aren't operating as the city is upgrading the system for next year's World Cup.

Speaking of soccer/futebol, this city is crazy about the sport. Brasil was playing Japan last night in Brasilia while we were touring Rio. Each time Brasil scored, the tour guides celebrated. It was fun to experience.

Today, the group saw hundreds of soccer fans in the subway and on the streets of Rio, as Mexico and Italy were playing a match across town. We took time to watch the match and cheer for Mexico as three of the students on our exchange are from Mexico.

We ended the day and the trip with a few relaxing hours at Copacabana before heading to the airport for the long flight home.

It was the perfect ending to a great trip.

Rio de Janeiro

We arrived in Rio de Janeiro midday Friday - tired from a busy three days in Sao Paulo. We were able to explore the neighborhood around our hotel. We sampled the local food, browsed the merchandise of sidewalk vendors, saw street performers and enjoyed Samba music/dancing in Rio's cultural district.

On Saturday, we toured Sugarloaf Mountain - which features the "postcard" views of Rio de Janeiro. Unfortunately, it was rainy and cloudy, so we only caught brief hazy glimpses of the beautiful city and beaches. It was still quite impressive; it's hard to imagine how spectacular the views would be on a clear day.

The rainy weather finally stopped and we were able to see - by bus - several
Rio neighborhoods, its world famous beaches and a landmark Catholic church known for its unique architecture. 
The stained glass windows were a sight to behold.

We finished the day with a visit to Brazil's most famous manmade wonder - the Christ the redeemer statue that overlooks the city. It looked like our weather luck was finally changing as we rode up the mountain, but the fog and clouds began rolling in as we climbed the stairs to the iconic statue. 
The clouds moved through long enough for the group to take photos and see clear views of the city below before it got dark.

It was a fitting way to end our last full day in this beautiful city. On 
Sunday we head home, but not before taking in a little more of Rio's culture and attractions.

Tchau Sao Paulo

After three busy days in Sao Paulo, our friends from IMPACTA hosted a fun goodbye gathering for our group.

Once again, we were able to see old friends from the exchange program and make new ones. Plus, the restaurant had an amazing rooftop view of Sao Paulo - another memorable experience.

A special thanks to our hosts Valderes, Maiza and Celio, as well as all of the IMPACTA staff and students who welcomed us. Several expressed a desire to return to North Carolina on a future exchange or on their own as a tourist.

We are fortunate to have these wonderful international relationships and opportunies. The last few days in Sao Paulo were a great reminder of that.

Next up is Rio de Janeiro, and then home.

IMPACTA visit

On Thursday group visited IMPACTA - a world class technology university based in Sao Paulo. We were welcomed by the school's owner Celio, who also gave the group a tour. The "campus" is located in a high-rise on Paulista Avenue. The school owns 9 floors of the building - which is in one of the busiest and most expensive areas of Sao Paulo.

Our tour included the testing center, IT program area, the graphic design school, the student recruitment office and the student cafe - which had a New York City theme.

IMPACTA has served more than 1 million students during its history. For students of CCC&TI and Surry CC, it has a much different feel than the traditional, rural college campus.

Getting around Sao Paulo isn't easy. It requires either public transportation or lots of walking. Today we mainly walked, which is a great opportunity to see this bustling city up close. The public art and architecture are impressive.

Tonight we meet with IMPACTA students - most of whom have participated in the exchange by coming to CCC&TI.

Subway music

Thanks to 14-year-old Joao (the son of our host in the Sao Paulo, Valderes) for this impromptu performance in the subway today.

It's good to know that all ages and cultures appreciate The Beatles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFl2lpvrEpg&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Far from Caldwell/Surry

Sao Paulo is a beautiful and busy city. The group experienced the crowded, fast-paced roads traveling from the airport Tuesday. Today, we experienced the crowded, fast-paced streets downtown as well as the subway and the famous Mercado Municipal Paulisto.

The subway in this enormous city is used by 4 million people per day. Both times we used it today, we were crammed into crowded trains. ... For a group from rural Caldwell and Surry counties in N.C., it was quite a different experience from what we're all used to.

Our tour this morning/afternoon included a historic Gothic cathedral downtown, a look at Sao Paulo's version of Wall Street (Paulista Avenue), a popular green space surrounded by the city and the Pateo do Collegio historic site, which dates back to 1554.

CCC&TI's Jimmie Griffith shared interesting tidbits of Brazilian and Colonial Portuguese history.

We wrapped up the day at Mercado Municipal Paulista, a huge famous market with restaurants and food vendors of all types. At several vendors, our group sampled delicious Brazilian fruits and treats such as corn ice cream. The sights and sounds of the market, as well as the street vendors surrounding the market.

Another highlight of the day was eating pastels at a popular restaurant. A pastel is a fried pastry with filling. Members of our group tried beef filling and shrimp filling. Cheese, crab, chicken and cod pastels also were on the menu. These have been popular everywhere we've traveled in Brazil - which is not surprising. They're delicious.

An interesting fact about today: June 12 is Dia Dos Namorados, the Brazilian version of Valentine's Day. Seeing bouquets of flowers in the hands of commuters this afternoon was common.

On Thursday, we visit the campus of IMPACTA - our longtime partner in the exchange program. We'll tour their campus as well as meet with their students and administrators.

(sorry for the crooked photos - blogging from a phone. We'll never take free wi-fi for granted ever again)

A warm welcome

Our friends from IMPACTA's FIT campus welcomed our group Tuesday night. It was much like a family reunion as students from past exchanges came to say hello to old friends and talk about their experiences visiting the United States over the last 6 years. All who spoke mentioned the many doors that international study opens.

Oi - Sao Paulo

The group has arrived safely in Sao Paulo. The immediate impression - this is a big, big city. That was apparent from the airplane, and even more apparent once we rode in rush hour traffic to the hotel. There are lots of people, lots of tall buildings and lots of traffic.

Activities are scheduled to begin tonight with a visit to Impacta, our long-time partner in this exchange.

We're excited to meet their students, see their facilities and thank university officials for hosting us.

Making connections

We started the week with another busy day, and the awareness that we'll soon say goodbye to our new friends in Vale do Aco.

Our first group activity was meeting business leaders in Timoteo - at the Brazilian equivalent of the Chamber of Commerce. The leadership was eager to receive us and praised the exchange program's efforts to provide college students (both from Brazil and the U.S.) with international educational experiences. They pointed to making connections on a global level, as well as exposure to other cultures, as a key to business success. All of the participants introduced themselves and there was discussion about successful business programs initiated by the Timoteo-based agency.

Next, our CCC&TI and Surry CC students attended Portuguese class at UNIPAC. Our students' Portuguese continues to improve and they get lots compliments. The other half of the group toured a local newspaper then filmed a brief TV segment about our visit. 

After lunch, the group visited a nature/sustainability center, Oikos. The facility is owned and operated by another of the largest steel manufacturers in Brasil. The goal of the center is to promote healthy activities for employees such as growing vegetables and environmentally-friendly activities such as composting. 

The day ended with a presentation at UNIPAC's campus in Ipatinga where school officials talked about the CCC&TI-Brazil Connection, plus the addition of new partner, Surry Community College. Several in attendance are planning to visit the United States in September to study English and International Business Management. We're already looking forward to seeing them.

Today we say "tchau" to Vale do Aca and our new friends here. This community is small compared to the other cities on this trip - but the hospitality, warmth and generosity here is huge!

Next up is Sao Paulo - Brazil's largest city and the seventh largest in the world. 

Sunday, Sunday

Sunday was another much-needed low key day. But, there were opportunities to experience Brazilian culture and entertainment.

The group ate at a churrascaria (think of it as a Brazilian barbecue) and enjoyed the experience. It's one of the must-do's if you visit Brazil. Grilled meats and other items are brought to your table and carved by the waiters for you.

Part of the group visited a farm on the outskirts of Ipatinga and saw a wide variety of fruit trees - including cashew, coffee beans, limes, tangerines - live parrots, a beautiful church and breathtaking views of the surrounding hill country. 

The other half of the group watched Brazil play France in "futebol" - that's soccer to all the Americans out there reading the blog. Soccer is a national obsession in Brazil - even more so than baseball or American football in the U.S. It's especially exciting in Brazil at the moment because Rio de Janeiro will be the host city for the World Cup in 2014. Aside from maybe the Olympics, the World Cup is the most popular single sporting event worldwide. Some of the cities we will visit during this trip will host games and activities for World Cup in 2014, and the preparations already are underway. For example, much of the road construction we saw in Belo Horizonte was directly related to World Cup preparations.

We start another busy week early Monday morning. More updates to come.

Day of rest

Public Park in Ipatinga

After a busy week of non-stop tours, classes and activities, Saturday was a rest day. Our only group activities were lunch together, then a visit to a beautiful municipal park in Ipatinga. We finished the day at a festival in a neighboring town.

The park was very large and full of people as the weather was perfect. An interesting feature in this park was an area full of playground style equipment for adults for exercise and weight training. Such equipment would be a great addition to one of the parks back home and a great way to encourage more exercise in our community.

Festival in Timoteo

The festival was located in Timoteo (population 80,000), which is home to an UNIPAC campus as well as a large stainless steel manufacturing facility. Timoteo, along with Ipatinga, are two large cities in what is referred to as the Vale do Aco (Steel Valley) because of the dominant steel industry in the metropolitan area. This area is tied to our previously visited towns and regions near Belo Horizonte, where iron ore mining is a huge industry.

The festival in Timoteo was a celebration of St. John the Baptist. There were traditional Brazilian foods, music and dancing, as well as children's games similar to those played in the United States (musical chairs and sack races, for example). Many participants dressed up as farmers, with plaid shirts and straw hats among the most popular attire.

Making news in Brazil

Our meeting with the mayor of Ipatinga made the local newspaper

Healthcare and Industry in Ipatinga

The group continued getting a behind-the-scenes look at Brazil as the week came to a close. Friday's activities included tours of a hospital in Ipatinga, Hospital Marcio Cunha, and the largest employer, Usiminas.

The hospital serves a region of approximately 1 million people and was built by steel manufacturer Usiminas, which continues to subsidize part of its operation through a nonprofit foundation. 

The facility's director gave us an extended private tour that included the emergency room, pediatrics, the pharmacy, laundry area and an ongoing renovation project. The dialysis area was especially interesting as it operates around the clock six days a week and serves hundreds of patients per day.

In the afternoon, the group toured Usiminas' Ipatinga facility. Usiminas is the largest steel producer in Brazil, and one of the largest in the Americas. Our tour included the research and development department, the blasting furnace control room, the production area where heated steel is put through a press to change its thickness and the warehousing area. The company's Ipatinga facility produces rolled steel, as well as steel used in oil/natural gas drilling equipment.

The day ended with a party for the group in Timoteo with participants from past exchanges attending. The evening included food, live music and dancing.

  

A message home

A message home

Ipatinga - Day 2 (updated with more info)

Bom Dia!

Our second day in Ipatinga was our busiest yet. Much to share:

Public School

Private School

School tours
We began the day in Ipatinga at a private K-12 school, that also had a technical school, and toured a public school later in the afternoon. There were huge differences - both in comparing the public and private schools, and comparing Brazil vs. U.S. schools. For example, the children at both schools wore uniforms and the school day schedule was either morning to lunch or lunchtime to early evening, unlike the 8 a.m. to 2:30/3:30pm schedule we're accustomed to in the U.S. The public school featured heavy security, bars on the classroom windows and was completed fenced in with walls and heavy gates. The security is intended to keep anyone dangerous out and to keep the children in. During a visit to the public school, an elementary school class was given the opportunity to ask us questions. The most interesting questions were about snow, if any of played baseball, what is school like in the U.S., and if many people in the U.S. speak Portuguese. It was quite a learning experience for the group as we were exposed to the gap in private vs. public education in Brazil, as well as the ways their system differs from ours.

City of Ipatinga
Our group received an incredibly warm welcome from the mayor of Ipatinga, Cecilia  Ferramenta. She is the first female mayor of the city (200,000-plus population) and was eager to ask questions about our community. The group felt quite special as she invited us into her private conference room for a long meeting and delicious coffee. Following a tour of Ipatinga City Hall and the meeting with the mayor, we toured a wonderful public park that featured an impressive science center and heavy use by residents of all ages.

House of Hope

The highlight of the day - and maybe the entire trip so far - was a tour of Hope House, a facility for exception adult and children. We received a warm reception from the facility's officials, then enjoyed live entertainment. During the tour, members of the group were deeply touched hearing heartbreaking stories of abandoned children, serious brain injuries and society abandoning those who need the most help. The residents received lots of smiles and hugs from the CCC&TI and Surry CC students. The CCC&TI and Surry CC students received an unforgettable experience. 

UNIPAC-Timoteo
We finished our long day at UNIPAC's Timoteo campus, where our students enjoyed an immersive Portuguese lesson. It was a great learning experience, as well as an opportunity for them to make new friends.

Ipitinga - Day 1

Bem Vindo - Ipatinga

After a short flight from Belo Horizonte, we arrived in the beautiful city of Ipatinga (population, 240,000). It's nicknamed "Steel Valley" and is home to one of UNIPAC's 89 campuses, which we visited Wednesday evening.

UNIPAC officials and staff greeted us with refreshments, then gave us a tour of the campus. What a warm reception. We felt very welcome. The campus is beautiful, and different from both Surry and Caldwell Community Colleges - yet there were similarities. The multi-story central structure is built around an open commons area where students talked, huddled around laptops and studied.

We visited three classrooms - two psychology classrooms and an engineering class. We also visited several laboratories – including one for human anatomy and physiology where an instructor showed the group a cadaver. In each classroom, the group had to do individual introductions, which is great practice of our Portuguese. The students are doing a great job, and on several occasions received applause from the native speakers.

We ended the night late with pizza at a restaurant where the chef came out to great us, then allowed our students to come into the kitchen for a close up look. The learning, and fun, continues today in Ipitinga. More updates to come.

Tchau Belo

Obrigado Belo Horizonte!

We enjoyed our time in this bustling city. We're sad to leave, but excited to make new friends, and see long-time friends, in Ipitinga. We'll visit another UNIPAC campus there, have Portuguese classes and learn more about local Minas Gerais history and culture.

A big special "obrigado" to UNIPAC's Ronan Machado (see photo below) - who has been a wonderful host and guide.

If you're enjoying this blog or have questions for the group, please post a comment.

Bom Dia!

International Exchange

International Exchange

One of the goals of the CCC&TI-Brazil Connection, is to give North Carolina Community College students, and Brazilian students, a worthwhile, multicultural educational experience. Tuesday night was the perfect example of mission accomplished.

Our group received a wonderful reception from our friends at UNIPAC. We traveled from Ouro Presto to Contagem, where one of the university’s 89 campuses is located. Administrators and staff greeted us with coffee, soft drinks and snacks, then they took us on a tour of the campus. We were able to experience the similarities and differences between our respective colleges (CCC&TI and Surry CC) and one of our Brazilian education partners. (One difference – classes take places throughout the day with the latest ones wrapping up at 11 p.m.)

At the conclusion of the evening, our group joined a class of education majors for a question-and-answer session. The students in our group had the opportunity to practice their Portuguese with the group, and received an advanced lesson in Portuguese as in-depth discussions took place on the differences between U.S. and Brazilian educational systems. We learned that private schools are quite common in Brazil, and that inclusion/rights for students with disabilities is a hot topic in Brazil. Our group also taught the class about the American public school system, as well as the North Carolina Community College System. We learned from them, and they learned from us. And that’s what it’s all about.

Another highlight for the day was enjoying more historic sites in Ouro Preto Tuesday morning, before returning to Belo Horizonte. The group toured Igreja Sao Francisco de Assis. The tour included an interesting history lesson on Christianity in Latin America and a look at indescribably beautiful Baroque art and architecture dating back to the late 1600s.

Up next for our group, a visit to Ipitinga and a visit to another UNIPAC campus.

Boa Noite! 

Traveling opens new horizons! 

What an incredible day of learning and new experiences. Ana - one of the participating students from Surry Community College – said it best on her Facebook page earlier today: "Traveling opens new horizons!"

Everyone in this group would probably agree. Today was a day of learning and expanding our horizons. While traveling the road from Belo Horizonte to Ouro Preto  (translated to English it means "Black Gold"), the group learned about Brazilian industry – including ironworking, forestry and mining. Both Jimmie and Ronan, Brazil natives, offered many lessons and spent the day answering student questions. 

The scenery along the way included beautiful mountains, farmland and finally the historic city of Ouro Preto. The center of the city, preserved since its founding in the late 1600s, features stone streets, a town square and historic Portuguese influenced architecture. History lessons abound in the tourist town – from lessons about why the statue in the center of town faces away from jail to the assortment of popular museums. The group visit two museums today - Museum of the Oratory and Museum of the Casa Dos Cantos. More historic tours are scheduled for Tuesday before the group heads back to Belo Horizonte. Oh yes, one more lesson, combining science and geography - Ouro Preto's microclimate. Jimmie warned about the unpredictable weather, and sure enough a downpour came drenching us all. It's much colder here as well. Jimmie compared the weather here to Boone, N.C.


Both lunch and dinner featured traditional Brazilian favorites, including potato chips (French fries), rice and beans, various meats and an assortment of cooked vegetables. 

The rainy day concluded with a live performance of Brazilian music by Jimmie and his friend Daniel. 

(Enjoy the brief video below)

Bem vindo o Ouro Preto

Everyone is excited. This place is amazing! Can't wait to explore.

Morning view of Belo Horizonte from hotel window

Questions?

Bom Dia! 

If anyone out there has questions about Brazil or the CCC&TI-Brazil Connection, we'd love to hear from you. 

Post your questions or comments on the blog and we'll get back to you (as soon as we find a decent wi-fi connection)

Inhotim - Day and Night

One of many beautiful views the group enjoyed today

Inhotim - Day and Night

Our first full day in Belo Horizonte (which translates to Beautiful Horizon) – and we made the most of it. We started with breakfast (lots of fresh fruit and juices, cheese, bread and strong coffee. 

Then it was off to the gigantic street market next to our hotel. Every type of item you could imagine was available – and nearly all of it was handmade. We probably could have spent the whole day there – but only had one hour before leaving for our next activity.

We spent the rest of the day at Inhotim – an incredible combination of contemporary art and botanical gardens – located in Brumadinho about an hour from Belo Horizonte. Featuring more than 500 works of art by nearly 100

artists from 30 countries. The gardens featured more than 4,500 species of plants and trees from around the world. We spent the entire day walking or riding a golf cart from art display to art display on the giant campus with various flora and fauna displayed at every turn. There were also incredible views of the surrounding Minas Gerais countryside. Everyone in the group had their own favorites. (It would be great if members of our group would post comments on their favorite parts of the day). We also tried Brazilian pizza and enjoyed spending the day with Jimmie Griffith’s mother, father and brother.

On the way back to Belo Horizonte, we stopped at a roadside store and restaurant and were introduced to pastels – a deep fried sandwich popular in Brazil. Fillings included beef, chicken, cheese and heart of palm. Delicioso!

The group enjoying one of many beautiful works of art at Inhotim.

Welcome to South America!

Our arrival in Belo Horizonte this morning and a greeting by Ronan

A great view of downtown Belo Horizonte - a city of 5 million.

It's been almost 36 hours since the group left Dobson and Hudson, respectively, and we're still going - despite very little sleep. The flight from Miami to Rio was long and none of (except Jimmy - with his giant neck pillow and sleeping mask) slept well on the plane. We woke up to a beautiful sunrise over the east coast of Brasil as we came in for a landing in Rio de Janeiro early this morning. The views of this breathtaking city from the windows of the airport were exciting. ... Can't wait to see it close up later in our trip. 

Our connecting flight to Belo Horizonte was short, thankfully. We were met at the airport by Ronan, Director of UNIPAC, who has joined our group. We're glad because he's a great tour guide.

We had a 45-minute shuttle to our hotel in the heart of beautiful Belo Horizonte - which is capital of the state of Minas Gerais. We took a few hours to enjoy some local cuisine and visit the Mercado Central - which was full of all types of vendors and was fun to visit. It's been a busy day, and we're just getting started! Stay tuned for more updates as we begin following our planned scheduled on Sunday.

Boa Noche!