Welcome to the transition diary from a big, cold Brazilian city to a small, very cold American town! I fell in love with Dartmouth, and I'm sure my first term will expand my love, as there is a lot to enjoy here in the woods: majors and minors, extracurriculars and clubs, many new open doors to a curious mind like mine! This was written to lofi hiphop, which I could listen to all day if I could, so come to me if you want some nice music to study or relax to. Hope you guys like the content!
Introduction to the amazing language of Chinese, taken with Mao Lao Shi. Really got my mornings going! I think all Dartmouth students should make the most out of their language classes, as they offer unique cultural opportunities and stick with you for life. I'm grateful for all who shared that classroom with me, and I am very happy to realize how much I have progressed in a subject so new to me.
My writing seminar, themed on Asian Conflict and Cooperation. I got to discuss a topic beyond my comfort zone, and had a blast! My classmates were really giving their best, and professor Rezvani gave us an incredible learning experience and an organized debate environment. This class opened my horizons , and I am really happy I took it, having looked forward for each class! My writing style improved greatly due to this class, which makes it all the better!
Tapioca - Manioc (local root) flour fried in a pan to become a circular crepe. The fillings vary a lot, going from sweet to salty. Traditional ones include cheese, Nutella, strawberries, meat, or coconut.
Picture this: you are just done with your midterms. The hours of studying paid off, and you did amazingly (and of course you did, you come to Dartmouth, you are amazing). Yet, those same hours also make you feel tired. You need a way to de-stress. Well, fear no more, the Dartmouth Brazilian Society has you covered, with our RECREIO! Food, music and fun, all provided by brazilians to an eager campus community!
You'll often receive Blitzes (Dartmouth lingo for e-mails) from campus student organizations about events they're hosting. Dartmouth is very happy to fund and assist over 350+ campus organizations. They generate incredible benefits to the campus community, academically and socially. Joining one is easy: just tag along to their events and meetings. After some time in the organization, you can even run for a leadership position within the organization! I was elected the Social Chair for Campus Events of the Dartmouth Brazilian Society (DBS) this fall, and together with two other chairs headed our big event for this term: the Recreio, meaning recess in Portuguese
Guarana Antartica - most popular kind of soda in Brazil. Made with Guarana, a small berry that'll wake you up just like coffee and has a particular, sweet taste.
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The idea is simple: providing Brazilian food and music to students after midterms, as a way to get their minds to relax, just like a school recess between hard classes. It involved asking the Collis Center for funding, using said funding to purchase the food, and finally preparing the party for the students attracted to the event. My main activity therein was purchasing food and cooking since, as you may know, I am a passionate baker.
Our menu consisted of tapioca - manioc (kind of like a crepe - savory or sweet!), brigaderios, which are traditional brazilian sweets made of chocolate and evaporated milk, rolled into little balls (they are trademarks in birthday parties and small social gatherings), Pao de Queijo or 'cheesebread,' and Guarana Antartica.
Pao de Queijo - 'cheesebread', a corn starch dough to which is added egg and cheese. Easy to make, but delicious, to be enjoyed hot or cold. We bought a mix online, and simply added water and eggs to it. Roll the dough into smaller balls, give it 25 minutes in the oven, and you'll have traditional Brazilian cuisine. Thanks to Gus, fellow Brazilian '22 and Social Chair, for being my model!
Recreio was on a Tuesday night, and students ate, danced to Brazilian music and chatted. The admissions officer for Brazil, Greg, showed up, and so did the Portuguese Department professors. Altogether, it was a big celebration of our culture and all that showed up had a well-deserved fun night after their hard work. I am so thankful to the Brazilian community and to Dartmouth for making events such as these so widespread around our campus.
So far, each day has had its own instantaneous excursions, everything from friends calling to swim in the river to brief trips off exploring in the woods.
This time around, it was all about family; this weekend, the College invited all sophomore students to bring up their parents and siblings for a couple days, hosting all different kinds of programming and events.
GIS was one of the experiences that played a major role in influencing my freshman experience, and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to give back and continue participating in the program.
