My name is Regina and I am the youngest of four sisters. I am from Brazil. I was born in Goiania, a small city in the middle of the country near the capital, Brasilia. I lived there until I graduated university in civil engineering. As a person who was born in Goiania, I like to eat pamonha, a traditional food made with corn, cheese and sausage. When I was 25 years old I moved to São Paulo to study for a master's degree in Geotechnic. Because I was used to living in a small city, I had a hard time getting used to the way of life in São Paulo. Although São Paulo is a fascinating city and never sleeps, I had some trouble driving in a city with so much traffic and lots of motorcycles. São Paulo is the kind of city that you love or you hate, but I love it.
As soon as I finished my master’s degree I started working as a civil engineer. So I had the opportunity to work on different kinds of projects around Brazil and other countries like Venezuela, Spain, Peru and Panamá.
Five months ago, I moved to the US with my husband who has been transferred to work at the Hexagon company in North Kingston. As soon as I arrived, I noticed some interesting aspects about people from Rhode Island. They are helpful and friendly. I mean they usually give you support even when you don’t ask, like helping with groceries or simply engaging in a friendly conversation. Besides that, they hibernate during the wintertime. It seems that they prefer to stay home rather than go out during the winter. In addition to that, they always have a wreath at the front door no matter what festivities they are celebrating.
Today, I am getting used to living in the US and developing other habits like having dinner around 6PM, which was pretty unusual for me. Another thing is eating seafood such as lobsters and oysters. It has been an exciting culinary adventure for me because I was not used to eating it before. Also, going to a pub to dance in a different way like line dance, which is not a kind of dance we have in Brazil. Although sometimes I get homesick, I am very happy to live here and learn about American culture, customs and traditions.
Regina Costa - Brazil.
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My name is Regina and I am the youngest of four sisters. I am from Brazil. I was born in Goiania, a small city in the middle of the country ...
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It is an interesting thing to learn from a child. I remember when my daughter was about 4 or 5 years old, and we went to a playground and th...
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I walked to the town beach in my neighborhood, as usual, this cloudy morning. Few people were walking around on the beach. The weather forec...
I am so proud to be your husband! Love u!
ReplyDeleteDear sister, I read your post with joy. I miss you! And now I must confess that I envy your neighbors and new American friends who will be able to enjoy your cheerful and fun company much more than I do! I know that you will take advantage of this opportunity and immerse yourself in the culture and customs of our American friends and at the same time show them a little of ours. May you have great success on your journey! Kisses from Brazil
ReplyDeleteDear my classmate. Thanks for telling us how you felt about the American people and culture and your significant life period. But I was glad to meet you in the online class. Your English was perfectly written. Also, I live in North Kingstown. I will be there if you live around North Kingstown and need help. You classmate.
ReplyDeleteBest: Feng
Dear Feng, it has been a pleasure having you as my classmate. I hope to meet you in person soon.
DeleteExperience Taught about Life
ReplyDeleteIt has been almost 9 years since I came to the United States on a spouse visa. I came a permanent resident after I got married 2 years ago. Subsequently, I waited for 3 more years to apply for US citizenship. After I became a naturalized US citizen so I can demand to have a legal life in America, such as freedom of speech, have the right to vote and choose a good leader.
Now, what my experience has taught me in America, that it's so difficult but I will do my best.
It’s so difficult to get a good grasp of American, especially from an outsider like me, who is without English and has to start all the stuff from the beginning. The most important is language. The Public Library is the first place that gives me the opportunity to improve my English. Not only me, all immigrants come to the US. Teachers are very kind and helpful when students ask for help or questions. They always encourage me and all students to bravely practice English don’t be frightening to communicate with people. I have tried so hard to improve my English. For instance I went to crowded places to improve my listening or watched TV using subtitles. English is very hard to learn, especially pronunciation and the way people talk so quickly. I tried to communicate with people to improve my speaking, such as at the mall, coworker, my neighbor and everywhere . Those experiences have taught me how to live with certainty as a way of life.
Every country has their own culture, American culture is the best part to learn for me living in the US. Living in this country with cultural diversity can help me understand the way of life and can promote new ideas of my society. American Culture reflects religion, food, tradition, what we wear, what we believe is right or wrong, individualism and independence. Furthermore, I have to learn about American history to understand the country. This learning can begin to process my knowledge, while I prepare to apply for the US citizenship test, including embracing questions about historical events. By studying this history, I gain a deeper understanding of the values about slavery, how they struggled and changes that shaped the United States.
All those experiences have taught me to get a better and a sense of achievement to live in the US. Now I have a permanent job and I have confidence in communicating with people such as doctors, managers, HR, and coworkers. Compared to the last 8 years, I couldn’t do everything without my husband's help.
Hola Regina! Que bueno leer que la gente te recibe bien y que disfrutas del estilo de alimentación de quién vive a la orilla del mar. Hace 20 años que vivo en otro país y la experiencia también me resulta maravillosa. La dificultad más grande para mí fue cambiarme de odontólogo y que el pais donde vivo actualmente reconociera mis titulos universitarios. Ojalá puedas tener los tuyos revalidados y que tus conocimientos universitarios y experiencia laboral puedan ser útiles en tu actual hogar. SALUDOS, Lucía
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