Finding happiness in the little things :)!

         Boa Viagem                              This a picture of the beach near where I live and the other pictures is where were are doing our internship. It is an old house where the people from CcJ meet and also a little afternoon activities school for low-income children.

 

Today, we had a little Festa Junina with the people from Ccj for the children. How interesting is that we go there to serve them and they are the ones teaching and serving us. In their party I remember that real happiness comes from the small things that are blessings and we forget to thank for them. Having what to eat, a family, clothes to wear, a school to attend and others, are blessings! The children danced a quadrilha dance a typical dance for the Festas Juninas and treated us like family. to be happy we only need what is essential and then we make the difference in the world with what we had. Today, I learned that is not what I have is what I do with it what is worth it. Serving bring happiness and life lessons. By the way the two girls in the last picture are Michelle a smile that makes you smile :) and Sarah the sweetest girl ever.

Graffite at CcJ!

                                               Our piece of Art!

In our internship today they taught us how to do "graffite" because we are going to decorate houses with graffite nex saturday. I know ! decorating a house with graffite is not the best idea to decorate a house, but it is for the people that lives in the favelas in Brazil. So we are going to help them and if you have never painted a random design in a wall or try to do a graffite you must try it! It is fun and an effective way to release stress or express happiness. The picture shows our little piece of art and just in case you do not know esperança means hope. Hope is what keep us going when it seems there is no way out and a feeling that helps us remember that everything would be ok. The lesson I learned today is to live your live an make of it the best you can love, laugh and serve with all your heart and you would aways see that light at the end of the tunnel showing you the next step in life :) .

Recife Temple!

             Recife Temple                                          A Casa da Cultura

 Friday! We went to the Recife Temple and it could not be more beautiful than what it is. Tawnya and I my roommate had to wake uo at 5:30 in the morning to get a ride with Silvia (who we live with). Silvia works near the temple at 7:30 in the morning!! and it seems that to get to temple in the bus was too complicated, so we had no choice. However, we had time to do some shopping because we did not have to be at the temple until 10 am, but we made safe to a place the sacrifice was worth it no doubt.
 We ate an amazing lunch at the temple and the we went to downtown Recife to " A Casa da Cultura" that is like a shopping center with little store, this place used to be a prison :).

Instituto Ricardo Brennand!!

O Instituto Ricardo Brennand was founded in 2002 by the a business man called Ricardo Brennad. Brennad made possible the existence of the instute by selling a part of his factories. The instute has three periods in three diferent buildings : Museu Castelo São João, Pinacoteca e Galeria. Most of the art inside of the institute is related to the colonial Brazil Dutch period.

This picture was taken in front of the building called "A Armaria" that it is composed of more than 3.000 pieces from England, France, Italy, Spain and others. The pieces are a rich colection of war guns, 27 complete sets of armors including shields, helmets, gauntlets, guantes and coats produced from the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries. I loved it there is like going inside three art castles, which art is related to Brazil and it is amazing!

OLINDA!

Olinda is one of the oldest cities in Brasil founded in 1535. There most buildings have a story to share where a part of the city called `` A Cidade Alta`` is consideres a cultural and historic heritage. Because of this colonial site Olinda is one of the most important cultural centers in Brasil. In our visit,  we also learned about Olinda´s carnival. that is known by their huge dolls with more than two meters of hight that form part of the parade.

Bonecos do Carnaval!!!!

These dolls where so interesting is like a representation of different individuals we can fin in Olinda´s community. By far Olinda has been the most beautiful city I have visited, but we have a lot more to visit. It was fun but we walked like we have not walked any other day ;) .

CcJ

 Monday we met the people from Ccj a group of people looking foward to built a better future by educating young people that would later share their knowledge with their community. In our visit we learn a lot about the reality the low income population is leaving in Brazil. They share with us some of their work like pictures, shirts and other things.

We also had the opportunity to meet children and play an talk to them. It was extraodinary to remember we do not need many things to be happy and enjoy life. Sometimes we forget our blessing like having something to eat or wear, the opportunity to go to college, have a family, love and even a bathroom where yo can take a shower, believe me something really important here in Recife because is hot and humid :).



                                                                    GRAFFITI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:):):):):)..................................................................

On the other hand they are really good making Graffiti so I hope I can be a graffiti artist at the end of teh study abroad or an intent of a graffiti artist :). They remember me to APEC and the people studying advertising there and their uniques styles.

First Day of Classes!

The whole group at ABA in our first day of class.

ABA is a school in Brazil that teach English and it is where we are having our classes. Recife is not what I thoguht is was going to be I was expecting a very rural town, but no it is definitely a big city pretty safe I must say. At first was really weird it looks a lot like Dominican Republic,but everyone speaks Portuguese and it rains almost everyday and there is no doubt physically anyone can be Brazilian what a variety!!. Tawnya and I are staying at an apartment with a divorced young woman named Silvia, her son Gabriel and his nanny Adelma. Silvia is extremely nice we have an amazing breakfast and dinner everyday and a room with AC. AC with no doubt is like gold because here is so hot :). The picture is of the whole group of the study abroad, which I can say are great!