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Minha primeira seman na Bahia (My first week in Bahia!)

By marisalgado94

Happy Brazilian Independence Day!

Although, funny enough most Brazilians are sad that the holiday falls on a Sunday… they love holidays during the week because then, they have work off!

Anyways, I have arrived in Salvador, Brazil and the past 7 days have been an absolute whirlwind.  From missing a plane in São Paulo and almost losing my luggage, to arriving at a hostel run by nuns and meeting the 20 other students on my program, and finally, to moving in with my host family in the neighborhood of Alto de Ondina, I have had ups and downs.

One of the biggest challenges I have faced so far is that I do not speak any Portuguese.  I grew up learning Spanish and that has helped me to understand a lot of what people are saying.  When it comes to trying to respond, however, every sentence is a struggle that sometimes I win and sometimes I don’t.  The best part is that most people are very understanding and willing to listen to my Spanliguese (Spanish, English, and Portuguese).  I have gotten very good at saying thank you, “obridaga” and please speak more slowly, “por favor fala mais devaghar”!

One of the best experiences I have had so far was when we were sent out in groups of 4, told to take the bus to a certain location, and conduct interviews with locals.  At first, the thought of using a public transportation system that we didn’t know and having to communicate with people when we didn’t speak the language made everyone a bit nervous.  After having the opportunity to explore the Rio Vermelho, our drop off site, we all became much more comfortable navigating the city and practicing our Portuguese.

This first week in Salvador has been full of adventure and I couldn’t be happier.  Isn’t that one of the reasons to travel abroad? To immerse yourself completely in a new culture and learn and experience all the country has to teach you?  This semester won’t be easy, but I know that in the end, it will all be worth it.  I cannot wait to continue learning Portuguese, start digging into my research project (topic to be decided!) and continue to get to know my host family.  Here’s to 15 more weeks in Bahia!

Tchau!

Marissa