para o "finestrino".

Fiz um post com algumas informações turísticas sobre Siem Riep, no Cambodia para o blog das minhas amigas, o finestrino. 

how life goes full circle...

After my traineeship in Denmark finished I decided to my farewell travelling for the last time in Europe. For only 6 days, I went to Germany. I left Copenhagen in direction to Hamburg and then Berlin. In Berlin I met Sarah and Bruno, trainees of the same project that I was involved in Denmark. At 26th afternoon I flew to London, to finalize this journey. I should pack, for the last time, cuz on 30th I should go back home. Buying the last souvenirs that I didn’t have time to buy on this last months, I left from Heathrow Airport, with two luggages. And what was in my mind when the plane start taking off, was heavier than 48 kg of baggage weight. Listening Jason Mars, I started to cry… “Life is wonderful” and how life goes full circle, I was completing one of my circles. (And this is a quote that I heard before in other occasion!) 

Benjamin Button movie has a good quote for this moment “It's a funny thing about coming' home. Looks the same, smells the same, feels the same. You'll realize what's changed is you.” and it seems like a dream. I just woke up! It is not about places that I have been and people that I have met, it is about how I feel about all. Memories are fresher than before and I have all feelings together in only one place, where I have to stop now. I feel like I lived in parallel universe. And if it takes those tears to make it rust, it should be necessary to start a new circle. Or I hope so.

And if I got the advice that coming home is a way to realize the advantages of home and keeping happy with the gained experiences (Words that are in my mind since I got home!) I should grab it and for now, I could say thank you so much for be part of my life experience. 

pra mostrar que vale a pena... ou porque fazer um intercambio?

Escrevi esse post para o blog da AIESEC Curitiba para contar sobre meu intercambio, sobre o porque de fazer um intercambio, quando por medo ou por dúvida nao se tem a certeza se vale a pena. Minha resposta: VALE A PENA! O texto talvez ajude a explicar.

Escrever sobre minha experiência nem sempre foi fácil. Diferentes sentimentos, mas me faltam palavras, muitas vezes.. E estou pensando desde algum tempo por onde eu deveria começar a contar... E eu nao consigo começar! Deveria contar sobre os países que estive, os lugares que estive, as pessoas que conheci.

As pessoas que conheci deveriam ser listadas uma a uma. Com longas descrições de como elas foram importantes. Cada uma, em especial. Uma experiência rica em pessoas com certeza, essa é a minha experiência.

Descrever a vida social e a imensa e enriquecedora possibilidade de fazer amigos pelo mundo todo. Vestir saree em um casamento muçulmano em Bangladesh e as ter mais atenção que a noiva ou ir a uma festa num clube Alemão com amigos colombianos. Cruzar a imigração na Inglaterra afirmando, que “sim”, eu tenho amigos que moram em Londres e em Singapura.

Mas eu não poderia deixar de contar sobre os lugares que visitei, sobre aquilo que eu vi. Sobre TUDO aquilo que eu vi.  Eu atualmente estou na Dinamarca, realizando meu segundo intercâmbio pela AIESEC e desde que sai do Brasil em dezembro do ano passado para meu intercâmbio em Bangladesh e eu ja estive em outros 10 países. Os lugares que estive teriam longas descrições, especialmente sobre cores. E com certeza, o azul do céu seria um capítulo especial. Tenha certeza que o céu da Tailandia é diferente do céu na Espanha.

Mais importante ainda seria poder falar sobre todas as diferencas culturais, suaves ou chocantes. Comer com as mãos na Índia depois de um tempo te faz pensar “pra que garfos mesmo?” depois de o apimentado asiático já nao se torna impossível e como comer feijoada em Portugal te faz sentir no Brasil.

Posso contar as vezes que disse tchau e chorei antes de partir ou que chorei ao ver alguém partir. Dizer tchau não é facil. Mas ainda acredito que seria melhor em contar como é bom reencontrar e manter contato. “See you soon” é sempre a melhor resposta para qualquer despedida. É a que encoraja a seguir em frente, cruzando com outras pessoas e mantendo esse ciclo viciante que é conhecer pessoas.

Descrever todas as dificuldades. E contar todas as vezes que eu quis voltar. Que eu apenas queria voltar. Que eu não aguentava mais. Que eu queria chorar e queria minha mãe. Porque às vezes não é facil... Porque eu acredito, que não existe lugar perfeito, todo lugar tem suas coisas boas e ruins. Existem dias melhores que outros. Existem noites mal-dormidas porque a saudades aperta. Mas é sempre como você faz a sua própria experiência e como superar.

10 meses não se resumem em uma lista de 10 melhores ou piores momentos. Foi difícil, da mesma maneira que foi incrível. A experiência vale a pena exatamente por isso. Quando te faltam palavras para contar e 4.635 fotos pra mostrar em cores, eu preciso repetir que são muitas cores.

Suspiro! Breath!

FATO, em menos de 1 mes eu vou voar de volta para o Brasil, minha passagem de volta esta marcada para o dia 30 de outubro para aterrisar no Brasil no dia 31 de outubro. Para este último mês, eu devo finalizar meu estagio na Dinamarca e viajar um pouquinho mais e aproveitar meus últimos dias como viajante.

OKAY, voce poderia dizer, voce ainda tem muito tempo, voce ainda tem um mes... mas para mim 1 mes é apenas um suspiro. Fazem 10 meses que eu suspirei profundamente pela primeira vez no Aeroporto de Curitiba... e eu já estou voltando.

YEAH, eu acho que estou sofrendo um Choque Cultural Reverso antes de chegar no Brasil. Me faz perder a respiração...

FACT, in less than 1 month I will fly back to Brazil, my ticket is booked to leave London at 30th of October to land Brazil at 31st of October. For this last month, I will finish my experience in Denmark, then probably I will only travel a little bit more, to enjoy my really last days as a traveler.  

OKAY, you could say, you have a long time, you still have one month… but for me 1 month is breathing. It was 10 months ago when I took my first long deep at Curitiba Airport… and I am already going back.

YEAH, I think I am suffering a Reverse Culture Shock, before I get Brazil… It makes me lose a breath...

danish sweet!

danish sweet: looks like a "brigadeiro", but definitely doesnt taste as "brigadeiro". (parece brigadeiro, mas nao é!)

meanwhile, in Ranum...

Ranum is a really small city in Denmark, it is so small that even facebook doesn’t know where is when I tried place my current city. Ranum has basically 3 streets with 1 market, 2 bars, and 1 flower shop. There is also a clothes shop, but it is always close when I pass by there. And there is also a board indicating a pizzeria, but I never saw. Of course, there is a church too, how every town in the countryside. Ranum is that kind of place where life goes slow and calm… Ranum is this kind of place that when you are new in the city, everyone knows that you are new and when you visit the markey, the girl in the cash desk knows that you are “Rafaela, from Brazil” and invited you to do something some day.

Just turn left, there is the market.

Only in Ranum, I was on my way back home after my daily visit to the market to check the offers, when really old lady standing in front of her house call me with hands signs. I could not explain to her that my only words in Danish is “skål” and “tak” and that I really don’t have idea what she is asking me to do… So, l desperate left my stuffs in her house, and run back to the market and asked some students that were in the market, to go there and check for me, what was happening! Fortunately, she only could not dial someone, and she asked for help her to dial the number…

The Danish Efterskole is a residential school, where students from ages of 14 to 18 can choose to spend one, two or three years to finish their primary education. Compared to public schools the Efterskole has a substantial freedom, also has something to offer both educationally and socially, because the students live together. The teachers are responsible for teaching and supervision outside of schools hours, this means that students and teachers are together all day and this often opens up for a close, personal and non-formal relationship between students and teachers.

Ranum Efterskole.

Ranum Efterskole has normal subjects, like Math, Danish and English. But also students can choose among dance, music, fashion design, media, singing, diving lessons… The students have a schedule to follow, they have a time to wake up and to go bed, they have to clean the room, they help in the kitchen and sometimes they clean the school. They have a good time here! As same as in Ranum, Ranum Efterskole goes slowly. There is not too much pressing by teachers and the students can do whatever they feel to do. I should encourage them to talk about Human Rights and Racism and they are nice in my lessons. I really wanted that they could participate more, but I feel happy when they participated a little. Also, I am trying follow “Media Class”. My first participation was to try show them, that More important than know how work in a specific software is know how be creative. After, the class did a brainstorming exercise and I give them so ideas to develop an advertisement for the “Ranum Open Day” that will be this Sunday. On Sunday, Efterskole in Denmark will be open for people that want to know more about this Danish school model. 

The left roof-window is my room!

I will be here in Ranum for 2 weeks more…While that, I am working in my stuffs, reading, watching movies, wasting time at internet, taking pictures, trying be a good teacher… ow, and I almost forgot to say, I have my own room! After 9 months, I have my little space! And I really like this… :)

Finally my British bear and my Bengali bee have a bed.

And if I feel bored, I can go to the church and watch the sunset.

It is a long time since my last post.

It is a long time since my last post. I know. Believe me, I am blaming myself cuz this neglects and I was also thinking for a good subject for this “new start” post. Well, it is a re-start. After 6 months in Bangladesh, when I left and start my holidays, I travelled for a while till finally stop in Ranum.

Ranum is a small city in west of Denmark. I decided take a new AIESEC opportunity and I will work in Efterskole, a concept of Danish boarding school. I am in a program with nine others trainees, from different countries, to promote discussions about Human Rights, Racism and Cultural integration. Denmark today has a lot of refugees coming from many places around the world and it should be a good challenge for this new generation to accept “share” Denmark. Also, for me, I really like this subject. After almost 9 months travelling I think I saw and felt a lot that I feel confident to share my experience. Also, there is a possibility to work with the students in Media Classes, where the students have an overview about communication and if I could work in this field, it will be great. I just arrive here and I am still lost braving trying to adapt. How this is my second internship, I know that I will feel better soon, when the students start to feel comfortable with me and especially when I start to feel comfortable with them.

I must confess how weird is stop in a place and have my own room since long time ago. After almost 3 months travelling, living inside my bag, I will stop here for 1 month. In somehow, I feel peaceful here, cuz Ranum is a really (REALLY) small city between nowhere in the map, where the life goes slow. On the other hand, I can wait to go for the next school to pack and move again. I still don’t know how enjoy my free time and I am worry with this. I will have to figure out how I should do it pretty soon!

By the way, this last 3 months were amazing! Even it was being really exhausted I am really happy with the places that I visited. Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and Singapore in Asia also London, Portugal, Spain and a little of Germany where I got a train to got Denmark. Travel is an amazing discovery opportunity in a life! I always thought that the world is too big that I couldn’t live in my hometown for my all life…. And I know now that I am right. Of course, I had difficulties times when my only thought was to go back home with my mattress and my pillow. But I could feel some many new sensations and I could see so many incredible views! I met so many people, some of them were only for a short chatting and some others, I know that I have friends around the world, people that I share a room and other people that I share my life! Good people crossed my way, I can tell you. However, this experience isn’t finish and I wish that amazing views and good people keeping crossing my way.

Trainees for Efterskole program in Copenhagen!