CW: Why did you choose the University of Alabama?
IM: First of all, I am participating in the Brazilian Scientific Mobility Program (BSMP). I chose the United States because I really love this country. The culture here is just amazing, and I believe that it is a great place to improve my English speaking skills. Above all, I am certain that the education here is excellent; the physical structure is fantastic and the available technology is much better than what we can find in my country. The BSMP gives you three suggestions of the universities you would like to attend. In fact, I didn’t choose UA, but the program assigned me here because there are a lot of interesting courses related to my field of study. Besides, when I found out that I would come here, I started learning about the University, and I really loved everything in here.
CW: What do you like/dislike about campus?
IM: Well, I like the buildings, the grass and nature and also the dining halls on campus. The buildings are just huge, and the structure is really beautiful. I feel amazed when I look at them. The grass and all the nature we can find on campus are good to make us feel comfortable, because there are a lot of places to rest, where you can actually feel free. Besides, the dining halls are great because there are many options of what to eat, and you don’t need to worry about cooking, and, consequently, washing the dishes.The only thing I dislike about the campus is the distance. There are some places far away from where you need to be, so it takes some time to go there. But with the bus, everything becomes easier, so that’s not a big problem.
CW: What’s most different from your home country?
IM: The most different thing from my home country is probably the language, because there, Portuguese is spoken everywhere. But there are some other different things, such as the spicy food and some foods that we don’t find here.
CW: Was it hard to adjust to the culture here?
IM: It’s hard to get used to the food here, because we are not as used to eating fast food so often. Speaking English sometimes can be a trouble because we happen to forget how to say a few words, and then we have to improvise, but it wasn’t so hard to get used to. The Americans are so polite, and they always help us to communicate. Another difference is the driving habits; for example, we cannot drive without seat belts because we can get tickets for that. And also, we cannot turn right if the lights are red.
CW: What is the weirdest thing Americans do?
IM: I believe there are two things that look weird to me: the first one is eating french fries every day, for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the second thing would be having so many blond girls in the same place. The Brazilian beauty is different, but it’s nice to see how people are here.
CW: What is your favorite thing Americans do?
IM: My favorite thing Americans do is the fact that they’re so patriotic. When you go to baseball and football games, everybody sings the national anthem, and there are pictures of the president of the U.S. everywhere. That’s really cool that Americans actually love America.
CW: How do you feel about American food?
IM: Well, I am not really used to eating fast food so often, but I think it is delicious. I just think that the food here is a little bit unseasoned, but I believe this is just because it’s so different from Brazilian food, but in the end, it is also good!
