Studying Abroad

You know, no matter how much I think I know, it seems there is ALWAYS more to learn.  And the more I learn, the more I wish I knew.  I love learning new things!!  So I decided to sit down for a few minutes and reflect on what I have learned so far in my “Study Abroad” experience in this University of Life.  Here is what I’ve come up with so far:

Portuguese 101, 102, 201, 201, etc. -   This is probably the area I have spent the most effort and energy learning.  Before living here in Brazil, I knew enough to say “Hello! How are you? I am fine, thank you.” and a few other things about myself like “I am a teacher” and “Yes, I am an American.”  I also knew some important phrases such as “Where is the bathroom?” and “I am hungry!”  (Anyone interested in learning such valuable phrases in Portuguese can email me and I will share them with you.  They could save your life!)  Anyway, thanks to my high school Spanish classes, a couple course books for learning Portuguese, and spending a great deal of time listening to others speaking Portuguese, I felt like I wasn’t entirely starting from square one when we arrived here.  Now, after continuing to listen a great deal, reading scriptures and other church materials in Portuguese, watching Brazilian children’s shows for hours each week, and continuing to occasionally study my Portuguese course book, I feel like I’m getting a better grasp on both understanding and speaking in Portuguese.  Now, I can not only ask where the bathroom is, but I can also tell others!  And I’ve learned through experience that when I’m cold, I should ask for a cobertor (blanket), rather cobrador (collector, as in taxes or debt...).  Also, one of my favorite words I just picked up on this past week is bagunça - mess.  Fun to say, and extremely useful when one has young children in the house. :)

Cooking 101 - Okay, I actually have been participating in monthly cooking lessons lately, but I am not referring only to them right now.  Since our arrival in Brazil, I have learned to take over as family chef and plan and prepare meals for our family.  To be fair, I was taught many cooking basics from my mom before I even left for college, so as an adult I always felt like I was a pretty decent cook.  Only when I started having to plan meals in a foreign country did I realize how truly lazy (and kind of boring) of a cook I truly was.  Some staple ingredients for us previously included “Condensed Cream of ____ Soup” (fill in the blank with whatever sounded good and was on sale at the time), pre-made mixes (cakes, cookies, pasta roni, etc.), seasoning packets, sour cream, and various sauces pre-canned.  Guess what we didn’t find in the grocery stores in our city.  Guess who has since learned how to make their own enchilada sauce, spaghetti sauce, cream sauces (to replace soups), and Cajun seasoning mix.  Guess who has also learned just to make different dishes using ingredients that are readily available and not so expensive.  I’ve also learned several new cooking techniques, such as flambe-ing, and beating egg whites separately for fluffier baked foods (which I actually knew existed before but just hadn’t had enough patience to beat them long enough).  And I have newly-gained courage for cooking with different spices, beyond just salt and pepper.  Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme are now much more to me than just words to one of my favorite songs now. :)  

Recent History 101 - I think anyone who moves from their homeland to another country finds that no matter what reasons they have for moving, there are things they miss from their home.  I have been asked several times, “What do you miss most?”, and when I start to open my mouth to answer, it is followed by, “Well, besides family and friends, of course.”  Yeah, they got me.  I do miss living closer to family and friends we have gotten to know throughout the country.  That’s pretty much a given.  So, what else do I miss?  Let’s see... sour cream, cheddar cheese, food mixes and seasoning packets, all Mexican foods (their American versions, of course) ... :)  I miss being able to communicate with others in my native language on a daily basis.  I miss being able to shop for whatever I need/want whenever I want to go.  (Living in a place where I am not familiar with the stores, and being a 1-car family has sort of put a damper on that.)  And I REEEAALLY miss peanut butter!!  I could really go for some Reese’s cups right now...  So what have I learned from all of this?  I think the lesson is to appreciate what you have when you have it.  For everything I miss, there is something else here that I am grateful for.  Maybe I don’t get to eat peanut butter treats whenever I want, but the sugary treats and desserts here are awesome!  And not getting to shop on my own means I get to spend more time shopping with others - usually Tiago or my mother-in-law (who knows all of the best stores in the area!).  And while we miss so many family members and friends who are so far away, it has been wonderful to get to know the Brazilian side of our family better.  And I appreciate all of the latest advances in technology even more, how many ways we still have to keep in touch and communicate with one another no matter where we are in the world.  (Skype is great!!)  

(To Be Continued...)