Montevideo, Uruguay

In the end of my freshman year/early sophomore year of college I made the easy decision to study abroad. There was never a doubt in my mind that I would not pursue this for a semester during my college years. Isn't that what hundreds of thousands of college students do each year? I have not done any research on this topic of college students studying abroad, by all means, but I'd imagine that it is quite popular throughout college campuses - in the United States. I had already had the opportunity to study abroad for a year as an exchange student in Cochabamba, Bolivia upon my graduation from high school. I loved it. I was hooked. I couldn't wait to do it again. My undergraduate university, SUNY Binghamton, has an Office for of International Programs and I knew that I could find a program for me. But I couldn't find the exact program that I was looking for - a semester in a Latin American country where I could study in Spanish. Now I can't remember exactly how I went about finding a university to help me get to my destination: somewhere in Latin America, but I did. I do know that I actually studied abroad through the Latin American Studies Southern Cone Program at SUNY Plattsburgh. Since both of these universities are in the same SUNY (State University of New York) system, it was easy for me to go through their program. I knew I wanted to study abroad, I knew I wanted to go to Latin America, and I knew that I wanted to go through SUNY (it was easier to transfer credits, deal with financial aid, etc.). So that's exactly what I did.  


I almost went to Chile. In fact that is where I had planned to go once I decided on the above stated program in the Southern Cone. So how did I end up in Montevideo? It turned out to be an easy choice. I knew something about Chile; Uruguay was unknown territory to me, much like Bolivia had been. My other option in this particular study abroad program would have been Argentina, but that is probably the most well known country in the Southern Cone of South America and being the adventurer that I am, that could not be an option for me. I wanted to go to a country that I knew nothing about. Again, that's exactly what I did. In the spring semester of my sophomore year, I went to study Anthropology and Spanish in the Spanish language in Montevideo for 6 months. I wasn't looking to learn Spanish because I already knew it; I was looking to improve and challenge myself.


One of the images that I distinctly remember that attracted me to Uruguay was the Casa Puebla in Punta Ballena (Punta del Este). Rest assured that I visited here. It truly is a breathtaking sight, especially at sunset. I'd say that this landmark attracted me to Uruguay much like the Teatro Amazonas later attracted me to Manaus.

I attended La Universidad Catolica del Uruguay in Montevideo where I studied a Portuguese language class (yeah! :), the History of Uruguay, Uruguayan Literature (very interesting and absolutely beautiful poetry, short stories, and novels), and an Anthropology class. Spanish and Anthropology were my majors in college. I did not want to miss out on my credits for my majors, as well as my minor in International Studies, so I made sure to keep myself on track in this aspect. Each of these classes was given in Spanish with the exception of the Portuguese class, taught by two Brazilian instructors, of which one still remains in contact with me today. My Spanish, which was already quite good, improved immensely and I even acquired the distinct Uruguayan accent. I had friendly, openhearted, and fun housemates. I made friends at school and with other international students, I dated a Uruguayan, and really got to travel like I never had before. It was an unforgettable, exciting time in my life.


I took a ceramics art class that I found through the university, I volunteered at a local English language institute (even participating in a workshop), I traveled to Buenos Aires a couple of times and around Uruguay with friends and housemates, and went shopping often. The exchange rate at the time was definitely in my favor, and as I had earned a scholarship prior to my departure, I think that my plane ticket only cost me $100. During my stay in Uruguay I visited Brazil twice - Porto Alegre and Rio de Janeiro - and this is where my love for that country grew. I learned how to make mate like a Uruguayan and my appetite for meat and Italian food also increased. 


I will always hold a special place for Uruguay and its citizens in my heart. I believe that I became even more independent during my semester study abroad in the Southern Cone and on a personal note I know for a fact that I grew as an individual. 


Uruguay, siempre te voy a querer mucho.

Last weekend of grading papers

'Tis the final weekend before the end of the school year. Hallelujah! This has been a rough year for me. A busy year. A I-gotta-take-my-comprehensive-exams-and-graduate-from-graduate-school kind of year. A prepare-to-move-out-of-the-country year. And I'm relieved to know that there are only 3 more school days, and they're all final exam days so no teaching has to be done. I just need to clean my classroom, meet with my assistant principal to turn in all of my paperwork (lesson plans and such) and have her sign off on that. The biggest pain in the butt is all of the final grading that I need to do. I was quite productive today and graded my students' final quiz and extra credit assignment but I still need to grade their "Romeo and Juliet" test. That's saved for tomorrow, as well as making sure all of my lesson plans are ready to be turned in on Monday. And frankly, I'm tired of the tragedy of R & J and don't want to read any more timelines mapping out the untimely death of the star-crossed lovers. That is, until next school year :). Don't get me wrong, I love Shakespeare and the play and even enjoyed watching the movies I showed my students to help them understand, but I need a break from reading the play 6 times a day and talking about it. 


So even though I may be busy today, this weekend, and this coming week, I can relax knowing that next weekend I'll be home free. I'll still have to prepare for our move to Brazil and that includes yet another trip to the consulate in Miami, but I won't have to worry about returning home and getting enough sleep to survive my 6 a.m. alarm clock. Let's face it, I don't have to wake up early again unless it's to get us to the airport to fly to New York, but that'll be fun. I will still be busy throughout the month before our departure, but I'll have the luxury of sleeping in and that, my friends, is priceless.Oh the thought of it...


In the meantime, I will be staying in working during my last weekend grading papers, finishing a book (yeah! and necessary because I want to read and leave behind paperbacks and then just read my Kindle once I'm abroad), continuing to sell sell sell my belongings on-line, packing just a bit, and maybe sneaking in sips of my husband's Johnny and Red Bull drink while watching NBA games and UFC fights. (I need to try and live as much as an American as I can before I become an expat). Now if only my on-line grade book was up and running this could be an almost perfect final weekend before the summer is out and I'm done with public school teaching in America...perhaps forever...

Pictures bring back memories

At this point I have basically gone through all of my personal belongings and have decided what will go with me to Brazil, and what will be left behind (more than likely in the trash can). Phew. Although it was a task, I was "forced" to look through every folder, envelope, and stack of papers to make sure I didn't leave anything out. The labor was worth it though because boy did I find all of my pictures, from 1999 to about 2004. In other words, all of the pictures that I've saved from before we had digital cameras. Oh yeah, I found a number of pictures from when I was baby and throughout my childhood

What is exciting is that most of these pictures are from my travels. In fact, I was able to organize my pictures into 7 piles - Mexico, the U.S. (and this includes the pictures from my childhood all the way up to my undergraduate college graduation), Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. I love it.

Now the memories are flooding in as I carefully look at each photo. Unfortunately I cannot scan these pictures to put them on display (i.e. on my blog) because I've sold my printer/copier/scanner, but I did find one in a friend's Facebook album and saved it to my computer.

The picture I saved is from my first trip to Peru (it was taken in the Plaza de las Armas in Cusco). I was 18 years old and having the time of my life travelling around Bolivia and Peru with other North Americans and a European friend that had been studying with me in Cochabamba. I'm in the center of the photo with a huge smile on my face and my knees tucked up :). This was definitely an unforgettable moment, for all of us.

And it's not just the pictures of friends who live far away, or who I haven't seen since that particular time in our lives, but it's also the pictures of my high school friends and family that are really touching. I mean, I found pictures from my high school graduation and pictures of my now 13 year old sister when she was just a newborn.

I will be safely packing all of these pictures away to take with me to Brazil. When I get there I'll buy a number of photo albums and display them for the world to see...but more importantly, for me to appreciate. The photos of my grandparents, my mother, my sisters, my stepdad, and my dear dear friends who have always been around to encourage, support, and love me, will never be out of reach.

Freelance Translator? Yes, please.

I've been interested in translation/interpretation since I was in high school. In fact, during my freshman year I took a sign language (night!) class with a bunch of old ladies to improve what I'd already started to learn from hearing impaired friends. At that time, I was certain that I wanted to study Speech Language Pathology while in college, and then later become an interpreter for the deaf - as my profession. However, my first study abroad experience to South America put me in a new, different direction - but only towards translation versus interpretation.

I still am fascinated with sign language, interpretation for the deaf, closed captions - you name it. I just don't know if at this time I'll pursue that career.

Instead.............I'm more interested in (freelance) translation.

I took my first translation course in my third year of college and I have enjoyed it ever since. I continued to study translation during my undergraduate years as well as participate in a translation/localization workshop the summer after I graduated (right before I moved to Manaus to teach). Most of my experience has been with non-literary work; I translate Brazilian Portuguese ->English and Latin American Spanish ->English. I also have extensive experience with proofreading and editing, of which most of those documents are written by non Native English speakers from Latin America.

So, why get back to translation/interpretation after the long hiatus, you ask? Well, I've always loved this profession (anything language/linguistics related) and now that I'm returning to Brazil, I think I'll have more opportunities to do what I love, and hopefully be well paid and respected for it. I mean, I started interpreting back in 2000 when I was living in Bolivia. I continued with it by taking undergraduate and graduate courses, and then got paid to translate while in Brazil in 2005. I've done extensive interpretation (and to some extent translation) since E arrived so that's given me a great deal of practice and has reminded me where my heart has always been. I think now it's time to get paid, and maybe add a second career. Also, just the other day I was reading a blog by a fellow translator, an American travelling back and forth between Brazil, who wrote an informative post on being a freelance translator and so I've decided to take the plunge.

Since I read that blog just days ago, I've update my resume and have applied for many jobs - both paid and unpaid. Now I guess I just have to wait and see what happens. But I'm hopeful and believe I could eventually have a career change, if not another job that I love.

There is no grad school in Brazil

Don't believe everything you read. For example, the title of this post. There are graduate schools and programs in Brazil. A lot. But none for me! I am beyond excited that I will be graduating this semester and that I will never have to do this again - grad school + a stressful job. It's hard. Really hard. (But it was worth it).

It's taking me 2.5 years to finish my Master's since I work full time. I've taken 2 classes a semester and even a class over the summer (for 2 summers) in order to complete my program in the shortest time possible. I was aiming for 2 years, but what's one more semester?

I am feeling a little bit of relief as I begin my final semester at UCF, but at the same time, I have to take my comprehensive exams in April so that means a lot of studying and added pressure because I HAVE to pass them. Which I will. I'm taking a semester long class to prepare me to succeed and I have a number of resources to help me study. And of course, wonderful classmates.

But you see, it's not just graduate school that stresses me out. It's my job. In fact, E called me today after work and when I answered the phone he asked me what was wrong. What was my response? "A mesma merda" (the same sh*t). Different day. It's not necessarily the school or my job, but working in general. You all know. You have a job. Maybe even a stressful job. But in my case I can talk to my husband and we can remind each other that we only have 5 months left. We can put up with our jobs for 5 more months. Can't we? (we ask ourselves)

Don't get me wrong. I love being a teacher. LOVE it. But it's stressful. Public school teaching, especially in Title 1 schools, is not for the faint of heart. I'm strict, and I can be fun (and funny), and my students generally like me, so it does work itself out in the end. But I'm ready for a change, and on that note, I am looking forward to working at a small, private school where education is valued in the homes of the students. I don't want to have to deal with the state dictating every move I make or every decision either.

I am also really looking forward to having some freedom as to what (novels) I can teach and to have smaller classes so I can do more with my students. I'm especially interested in the bilingual aspect of the school, even if I will only be teaching in English. As an Anthropologist (even if just in my mind and on my undergraduate diploma), working at an international school should be fun and I am excited about that.  

Only 5 more months of work and 6 more months in the United States and I'll be there.