Voltando ao Brasil

Domingo, 30 de outubro de 2011. Hoje, nosso grupo de estudantes retornou ao Brasil, tendo em vista o término do intercâmbio cultural nos Estados Unidos. Em Chicago/IL, estudamos durante o mês de outubro na Escola KAPLAN, com excelência no ensino do idioma inglês para alunos estrangeiros. Nesta escola, destaco a importância do contato com alunos de diversas nacionalidades para um crescimento cultural mais amplo. As famílias americanas que nos receberam são extremamente acolhedoras e amáveis. Elas fazem o possível para integrar o aluno em sua cultura. Registro que este intercâmbio cultural foi um marco significativo na vida de cada contemplado com este prêmio. Destaco também a participação da monitora Professora Vera Merlini nesta empreitada, pois a mesma deu o máximo de si para auxiliar os alunos durante sua estada na Cidade dos Ventos. De volta ao Brasil, chegamos no Aeroporto Internacional de Guarulhos às 09h00 da manhã, onde e quando cada aluno foi recebido por suas famílias brasileiras. Desta forma, encerro os registros acerca do intercâmbio cultural agradecendo, em primeiro lugar a Deus, por tudo; à FATEC, que nos ofereceu esta oportunidade maravilhosa; às famílias americanas que nos receberam; à Escola KAPLAN, que nos acolheu com muito carinho; e a todos os alunos que demonstraram respeito e amizade um com o outro, e que estiveram sempre unidos como uma família.

A Letter to Thank My Host Family

THANKING LETTER

Oak Park, October 29^th, 2011.

Dear Neil Cosman,

         I wrote this letter to thank you for this great opportunity to have lived in your house together with your family. I have been here in your country since the beginning of October, and I must tell you that this was one of the most wonderful months in my life.

In your family, I had the chance to have an idea of how American families are. And I can assure you that I am enchanted by American life style. American people have the best qualities: they are friendly and polite.

In Oak Park, the trees on the sidewalks make the place as beautiful as a forest. Don’t forget my graduation is about forests. Here, I could have such a good example of a comfortable and well planned city. A city in harmony with Nature.

In Chicago City, I visited so many places. For example, I visited the Millennium Park, The  Museum Institute of Art of Chicago, Shedd Aquarium, Willis Tower, Michigan Lake, to name just a few. All of them are really fantastic. All of them are really amazing. For me, these places are really unforgettable.

I appreciated the comfort of your house, as well as I loved so much your family and your dogs. Your family is really nice. In your house, I appreciated so much the food and the drink as well. I’m certain that I’m taking with me a little of your family, and I’m also leaving a little of me.  

If someday you have the opportunity to visit Brazil, you are welcome to stay in my house. My doors are open to you and your family. Don’t forget now you have a friend forever, not just a foreign student who lived in your house for a moment.

I’m really grateful for everything. God bless you and your family!

Coming Back to Brazil

Saturday, October 29th, 2011. Today we are traveling back to our country. We are very sad to have to come back, but we need to. I must say we had a wonderful time here in Chicago and Oak Park. We will miss everyone and everything from here. But, we are taking all of them in our hearts. Before leaving the USA, I wrote a letter to Neil Cosman to thank him for this opportunity to live inside his family. This letter I will publish tomorrow on this blog. So, once again, thank you my friends for all, thank you for making a Brazilian family here for a while. Thank you Neil Cosman and family for everything you did for me. Thank you KAPLAN staff for all these wonderful days we had here. So, goodbye, see you someday!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Halloween Party at KAPLAN

Friday, October 28th, 2011. Today, we had our last class of English at KAPLAN School. In the first part of the class, we had funny games using words and definitions of words. It was one of the most interesting kinds of activity we have ever had. And, in the last part of the class, we joined to another class to have a Halloween Party. We had other exercises in English, including the comprehension of Halloween history and guessing words related to this commemoration. We were divided into four groups of students. Our group was called PUMPKINS. It was fantastic to be involved in those activities. So, the classes at KAPLAN were so good for us. We had such a wonderful time here. We learned so many things in this school. Now, we need to come back to our country, to our families and friends. We need to come to our reality. We will miss so much the people from our host families, the people from KAPLAN, our many friends we made here, this city and this country. Over and over again, thank you God for this blessing on each one of us!

Certificado do Curso de Inglês Avançado na KAPLAN

Quinta-feira, 27 de outubro de 2011. É com muita felicidade que registro que hoje, pela manhã, recebi meu tão desejado Certificado do Curso de Inglês da Escola KAPLAN. Este documento será um diferencial no meu currículo. Na entrega dos certificados, a Escola KAPLAN realizou uma festinha parabenizando os alunos brasileiros. À tarde, tivemos a oportunidade de conhecer o tribunal federal aqui em Chicago. A hoster do intercambista Valdir trabalha nesta corte, e nos apresentou as câmaras dos juízes e as salas dos advogados. Segundo ela, a referida corte é uma das principais dos Estados Unidos, estando abaixo apenas da Suprema Corte Federal. Explicou-nos também como funcionam as leis nos Estados Unidos, e como são realizados os julgamentos pelos juízes.  No tribunal, fomos apresentados a vários funcionários, que nos trataram com muita cordialidade. Neste intercâmbio, além do idioma, o contato constante com estudantes de diversos países também tem contribuído para uma visão cultural ampla. Além do Certificado de Inglês, estou levando comigo uma bagagem de conhecimentos sobre a cultura americana. Então, mais uma vez, registro que este intercâmbio foi extremamente importante para minha vida pessoal, cultural, intelectual e social. Estou certo de ter feito o melhor que pude nesta empreitada e agradeço a Deus por esta oportunidade rara em minha vida. 

Final Test of English at KAPLAN

Wednesday, October 26th, 2011. Today, we had our classes of English in the morning, and in the afternoon we took our Final Test of English at KAPLAN. I am sure that the test was not that hard, and on Friday we will have our grades. I am certain to have done my best during all the course, and I am quite happy for this fact. And also, today I started to prepare my luggage to come back to my country on Saturday. So, the interchange is finishing, but I am quite sure it was so wonderful while it lasted. I just have to thank God for all!