Vida é uma Viagem

It's been a while...

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 14:19:28 -0400

I’ve been back from Brazil for a while now, but I haven’t even been quite sure what to say or how to say it.

First of all Brazil is an amazing place. It was much more than I had imagined. The Amazon forest is a place that (even though this sounds so cheesy) is so magical. It has this refreshing air to it that I think way too many people take for granted.

I also learned that many people in North America are very uptight. Well in general our society is really uptight! For example: In North America, if you were to take food off of someones plate it is considered rude. However in Brazil eating food off of someones plate shows that you like that person a lot so a lot of times friends will share from their plate. These are only some of the things that I can start to explain. I will be posting more as soon as I am able to describe more of the trip

Soon...

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 18:06:01 -0400

I know its been a few weeks since I’ve written on this blog, I’ve just been super busy with all of my exams so far. I leave for Orientation Camp in exactly one week. After two days of camp we head out on our flight to Panama City, Panama and then from there to Manaus, Brazil. The adventure starts all too soon!

Portuguese phrase/word of the day:

How much does it cost? - Quanto custa?

*more to come soon!

This is a good caption for my upcoming trip!

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 08:46:38 -0400

This is a good caption for my upcoming trip!

18 Days

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 23:21:45 -0400

I just realized that I haven’t been posting my words/phrases of the day! SO, here it is!

I don’t speak Portuguese - Eu não falo Português

This is really going to come in handy because I don’t know much about the language and I am going to be immersed in the culture and language

Enjoy!

so true!

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 23:08:29 -0400

so true!

To be or Not to be...Nervous

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 22:56:27 -0400

Wow, its been wayyyyy too long since I last posted! I have been really busy with exams lately, I’m two down and one more to go! Studying during finals basically consumes your life for the time being. I just realized today 18 more days! I can’t believe that in 18 days I will be out of the continent. That is just so unfathomable! As the time approaches, I think I am getting more nervous. I am really nervous that I am going to miss home really badly. I think that is my greatest fear at the moment. I am really close with my family and I think although it is a great learning experience for myself, I think I am really going to miss them. I am also nervous that I will get really sick in Brazil. I have been sick a lot this year in residence and it makes me worry even more because I will be in a foreign country. Being sick is terrible as it is, but being sick in a foreign country is kind of scary. I don’t know what their system is like or how my body is going to react. I am sure that I will be fine but these are the few things that I am nervous about for my trip.

23 Days

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 22:09:34 -0400

This weekend has been really busy! With this weekend being busy, I have been back at home celebrating (and studying like crazy) with the family. Exams start next week for school. Ahhh! I haven’t been writing as often because it has been Easter weekend and like I said before, really busy.

I am learning my colours this time, it would be nice to be able to express at least some of my experiences using Portuguese dialogue and to start I will be using colours:

Black - Preto
Blue - Azul
Brown - Castanho
Green - Verde
Grey - Cinzento
Orange - Laranja
Pink - Rosa
Purple - Roxo
Red - Vermelho
White - Branco
Yellow - Amarelo

Happy Easter Everyone!

25 Days

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 11:04:50 -0400

I have been really busy with school lately, so I’m going to have more Portuguese words today. I know that I missed blogging yesterday!

Portuguese words of the day: Days of the week!

Monday- Segunda-feira
Tuesday-Terça-feira
Wednesday- Quarta-feira
Thursday-Quinta-feira
Friday- Sexta-feira
Saturday- Sábado
Sunday - Domingo

Happy Thursday Everyone!

27 Days

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 23:18:19 -0400

Since I am travelling to Brazil, I will be learning many new people and making so many new connections. Today’s post is going to be all about meeting new people. I am so excited to meet all these new people, I can’t even imagine what it is going to be like to meet so many new people in my travels. I am excited to have new connections and hear peoples stories.

Portuguese phrase:

What’s your name?: Como te chamas?

I think that is another one of the most basic phrases in a language. This is a way to establish new connections with people. A name can mean many things, that why I felt it was important to learn before I go the Brazil.

28 Days

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 20:46:00 -0400

Portuguese words of the day:

Please: Por favor
Thank-you: Obrigado (male) or Obrigada (female)

Before University I took French from Grade 4 until Grade 12 and this year in University I took Intro to Spanish. I know I want to take French II in the winter semester of next year, but anyways—the point is that Portuguese is similar to both of these languages (especially Spanish). When learning these languages you learn that there is a male and female way of saying certain words. It is interesting how for these languages we separate female and male but in English we do not do this at all. Food for thought?

Photo

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 13:30:37 -0400

"When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will..."

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 00:27:16 -0400

“When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you.”

- Laozi

29 Days

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 00:22:13 -0400

Only 29 days left until I get on my own jet plane and take off for Brazil! I am so super excited for this trip it is unbearable. Today there are going to be a few Portuguese words because they seem pretty simple to understand:

Goodbye: Adeus
Yes: Sim
No: Não

These words, along with Hello are all pretty basic words that are essential (well I think so) when travelling to different countries. It is helpful to understand a full language when travelling, however if you do not I believe that if you understand even a few words that your body language will be able to help you out. So in turn these are the most basic words that you can use when travelling. They are universal terms (even though in a different language) that can be used when travelling.

I will be headed to the Amazon in a few short weeks! I am sure...

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 23:32:21 -0400

I will be headed to the Amazon in a few short weeks! I am sure that once I am there that this picture will not compare to the breathtaking beauty that is the Amazon Rainforest

"The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply..."

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 23:28:05 -0400

“The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.”

- M. Scott Peck

Life is a Journey

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 23:23:00 -0400

Vida é uma Viagem: Life is a Journey

My name is Mallory and I am about to embark on my first extraordinary journey of my life. In 30 days I will be leaving for Brazil! I will be leaving with a lovely group of 9 other ladies and we will be travelling to Manaus, Brazil which is in the middle of the rainforest! I will be in Brazil for 31 days working and travelling as a student. Travelling is something that I have always aspired to do. I have travelled around before with my family, however I have not done a trip where I will have the opportunity to work with children. When I first learned that I was going to Brazil I learned the language there was Portuguese. So for the next 29 days I will be learning a word a day.

The word of the day today is…

Ola-Hello

Hello—a word of greeting, it is used in every language as a way to meet new people or greet old friends. It is one of the most basic words, yet it is so important to every culture. It shows acknowledgement of the people that we face in our daily lives.