Sunday, April 20, 2014

Sarah CP#3

April 7, 2014
Yesterday I met Carlos for the first time. When I picked him up from his apartment and asked, "How are you?" he responded, "I'm supposed to say I am good, but this is not the truth." He went on to tell me that he's been really sick recently. His doctor thinks he has stomach ulcers, and he's been experiencing some unwanted side effects of his medications. He said that he's been falling behind in his school work, but that he doesn't feel comfortable talking to his teachers about his situation. In Brazil, he says, teachers and students are expected to uphold a very professional relationship. And besides, he's rather shy.
We had planned on playing some billiards (the weather was nasty), but the bar was closed so we decided to just have some tea and relax. When we got to the cafe, Carlos was confused by the fast-talking barista and ended up with a drink he didn't like. He told me, "I'll have to remember what this is so I can never get it again." I asked Carlos how he likes Tallahassee, what the biggest difference are culturally, and what he misses the most. He told me that he enjoys how connected Tallahassee is, being a college town, and that people have been very friendly, but that he can't get used to the erratic weather and he misses Brazilian food. I told him about the Spanish grocery in town and we made plans to check it out together.
The biggest change for him, he said, is living independently. While it's typical for college students in the U.S. to live in the dorms or get their own apartment, in Brazil, you don't leave home unless you get married. He said he really misses his family. But Carlos was more interested in talking about similarities than differences. He said, "I've found that everywhere you go people want the same things...affection, comfort, happiness." As we parted, Carlos told me that he feels his English has improved immensely, and that it feels good to be able to express himself clearly.

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