CATCHING UP with Celina Guadagni
Posted by Marina Lamb
CATCHING UP with Celina Guadagni, Prince Rupert Rotary Exchange Student who just returned from her exchange year in Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Back home in Prince Rupert.
Celina, tell us about your host families.
My first host family was Wagner and Ana Martins who has a 21 year old son ... click on more to read Celina's full interview.
named Guilherme and 17 year old daughter named Ana who was on her own exchange year in India. My second host family was Regina and Reuben Damin and their daughter Flora and son Leonardo who were both in University. I returned to the Martins’ home for the last couple months of my exchange. I really connected with my host families and I felt welcome with them right away. They made my exchange so much easier.
How did you find learning Portuguese?
It was really difficult for the first few months because I couldn't communicate well with anyone. Luckily, my first host father spoke some English so it made things a lot easier. In the third or fourth month I started picking it up and I had my first dream in Portuguese in March.
What was the school system like compared to the Canadian system?
It was really different for several reasons. They have a different grade system; their high school has year one, year two and year three, which would be equivalent to our grades 10, 11 and 12. I started in year two and transferred to year three in February. Their day starts at 7am and finishes at 12:45, the students stay in one classroom all day and their summer break is in December and January. They have the same courses like Spanish, English, Math, Chemistry and History but they don’t have any electives. They are more academic than we are. I have to repeat my grade twelve here in Prince Rupert but I may finish early because I’ve already got some credits for a couple of the courses.
What would you say was the best part of your year?
Being with my host families and meeting and forming so many friendships. And then of course all of my trips - my first trip was to Pantanal for 10 days where I went snorkeling, horseback riding, zip lining and camping. The second trip was the North East Dream Trip where we spent one month on the beautiful beaches of Brazil. My last trip was to the Amazon for seven days where I got see sloths, pink dolphins, alligators and sleep in hammocks. They were all such incredible experiences and I was so lucky to see so much of Brazil.
What would you say was the worst part and what did you do to get around it?
The worst part was when I lost my backpack in November, it had my camera with all the trip pictures, my iPod, passport, police papers and my journal detailing all my days to that day. I was pretty upset for a couple of weeks. I ended up having to get a police report and go to the Canadian Consulate so I could get my passport replaced. I never did start another journal.
What was the happiest day there for you?
I had so many happy days there it's hard to name just one. The day I got to hold a sloth, being in the warm waters on the North East trip, giving my final Rotary presentation in Portuguese and then lots of times just simple things I did. Hanging out in the sun with my friends or playing tennis with my host dad. I really enjoyed that!
Did you attend any Rotary meetings?
Yes, I went to the meeting every Tuesday night. There are 10 clubs in Sao Paulo, with an average of 35 – 40 people at each meeting.
How did you handle being away from your family and friends?
Surprisingly it wasn’t as difficult as I thought it was going to be. Of course I had days where I missed them but I was having so much fun and experiencing so much I was too busy to miss them a lot. I tried to embrace my new life as much as I could. The hardest thing was just the balance between my two lives.
What was the country like?
It was colourful, warm, friendly and diverse with beautiful beaches and beautiful people. I plan to go back some day.
Do you have any regrets?
No, not at all.
What was the biggest thing you missed in Prince Rupert while you were away?
My family, being able to drive, being able to say hello to strangers and the small town feel.
What was the first thing you did when you got back?
Only my mom knew when I was getting home so I was able to surprise my sisters. I was really happy to see our mountains and the ocean.
How did you find learning Portuguese?
It was really difficult for the first few months because I couldn't communicate well with anyone. Luckily, my first host father spoke some English so it made things a lot easier. In the third or fourth month I started picking it up and I had my first dream in Portuguese in March.
What was the school system like compared to the Canadian system?
It was really different for several reasons. They have a different grade system; their high school has year one, year two and year three, which would be equivalent to our grades 10, 11 and 12. I started in year two and transferred to year three in February. Their day starts at 7am and finishes at 12:45, the students stay in one classroom all day and their summer break is in December and January. They have the same courses like Spanish, English, Math, Chemistry and History but they don’t have any electives. They are more academic than we are. I have to repeat my grade twelve here in Prince Rupert but I may finish early because I’ve already got some credits for a couple of the courses.
What would you say was the best part of your year?
Being with my host families and meeting and forming so many friendships. And then of course all of my trips - my first trip was to Pantanal for 10 days where I went snorkeling, horseback riding, zip lining and camping. The second trip was the North East Dream Trip where we spent one month on the beautiful beaches of Brazil. My last trip was to the Amazon for seven days where I got see sloths, pink dolphins, alligators and sleep in hammocks. They were all such incredible experiences and I was so lucky to see so much of Brazil.
What would you say was the worst part and what did you do to get around it?
The worst part was when I lost my backpack in November, it had my camera with all the trip pictures, my iPod, passport, police papers and my journal detailing all my days to that day. I was pretty upset for a couple of weeks. I ended up having to get a police report and go to the Canadian Consulate so I could get my passport replaced. I never did start another journal.
What was the happiest day there for you?
I had so many happy days there it's hard to name just one. The day I got to hold a sloth, being in the warm waters on the North East trip, giving my final Rotary presentation in Portuguese and then lots of times just simple things I did. Hanging out in the sun with my friends or playing tennis with my host dad. I really enjoyed that!
Did you attend any Rotary meetings?
Yes, I went to the meeting every Tuesday night. There are 10 clubs in Sao Paulo, with an average of 35 – 40 people at each meeting.
How did you handle being away from your family and friends?
Surprisingly it wasn’t as difficult as I thought it was going to be. Of course I had days where I missed them but I was having so much fun and experiencing so much I was too busy to miss them a lot. I tried to embrace my new life as much as I could. The hardest thing was just the balance between my two lives.
What was the country like?
It was colourful, warm, friendly and diverse with beautiful beaches and beautiful people. I plan to go back some day.
Do you have any regrets?
No, not at all.
What was the biggest thing you missed in Prince Rupert while you were away?
My family, being able to drive, being able to say hello to strangers and the small town feel.
What was the first thing you did when you got back?
Only my mom knew when I was getting home so I was able to surprise my sisters. I was really happy to see our mountains and the ocean.
What changes do you see in yourself since you left?
I’ve grown up a lot, I’m more independent, confident and I really appreciate my family and friends a lot more now.
Would you recommend the program to other students?
Of course, I plan to give a presentation when I go back to school in September.
Do you have anything you’d like to add?
I’d like to thank the Rotary Club of Prince Rupert and Rotary International for giving me this wonderful opportunity first off. Also I want to thank all my families. My Canadian family for the continual love and support and for my Brazilian families for not only hosting me but really welcoming me into their lives. It was such an incredible experience and my life will be forever changed because of it. Thank you!