Arriving to Rio de Janeiro

I arrived to Rio de Janeiro on July 4th. Yesterday I was still having some major jet lag, which explains why I woke up very late today. Good thing classes begin this coming Monday. However, when I opened my eyes and proceeded to do the same with my room's windows there was such a gorgeous breeze that I realized why Rio is Rio. My homestay unfortunately happens to not be near the beaches. Neighborhoods such as Leblon, Ipanema, and Copacabana happen to be on the east side of the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon and I'm on the west side of the lagoon, closer to Jardim Botanico. Nevertheless, I was still privy to an amazing ocean breeze. 

Purchase your plane ticket early. I read somewhere that when flying to Brazil it's a good idea to purchase tickets between Tuesdays and Thursdays. I flew with Copa Airlines and was impressed with their service. They did not charge for baggage but it can weigh no more than 70lbs. Also, they serve snacks and meals. After all, it is a long flight.

I'm participating in the PUC-Rio one month intensive program as a Special Student. I'm doing this program independently. I had a difficult time wiring the monies to the program's bank. Apparently banks in the United States have a list of countries that they do not wire money to, Brazil happens to be one of those countries. I'm to pay the tuition fee here.

I've been wanting to do this program for a couple of years and each summer the price goes up. If you're wanting to do it, do it now. Don't wait for the World Cup and the Olympics because I guarantee you it will be even more expensive then. I contacted the coordinators via phone in regards to paying the program (have patience, they may or may not answer your emails, in my case they did not).

Use Skype as it is an affordable way to call. Make sure you select in Skype's drop down dialing pad menu the Brazilian flag and then dial the city code and the phone number.

This is one my rooms windows. There is an AC window type unit here but honestly it is not needed. Plus, there's a ceiling fan in my room. Some students are luckier than others with their homestays. My situation happens to be okay.

Today I finally wandered off to the other side of the Lagoon and made it to the beach in Leblon. The sand is fine and it feels very soft on your feet. I didn't bring my diaper bikini (as Brazilians call our general choice of bikini styles in the States) so on my to do list is to purchase a Brazilian one soon. You see all body types wearing these tiny materials, so I'm gonna brave it out and not be so shy.

Getting the Student Visa

If you are a United States citizen traveling to Brazil you must have a visa. They request one because the U.S. has an expensive and drawn out process for Brazilians (the Brazilian consulate clearly states the reasons why in their webpage). Follow the directions located in the consulate's webpage, have everything filled out, and copies ready for the consulate and yourself before you head to their office or mail everything.

Obtaining the student visa for Brazil is only going to happen once you have your acceptance letter. Receiving all the material from the host university took a bit longer than was expected. I'm participating as a Special Student and not through my university. Nevertheless, PUC-Rio sent my acceptance packet to my university's Study Abroad Program office. The only way I found out was because the coordinator Erica sent me an email as soon as she realized she had my packet. There were a couple of hurdles but everything got solved quickly enough and the following week I was able to pick up my visa:

The consulate attached a letter for the Brazil's Federal Police. Everything is very official when traveling to Brazil. Have your documents in order at all times.

The nearest Brazilian consulate for me is located in Miami, Florida. Please be aware that if you are to make a trip to the consulate give yourself enough time to find parking and also bring enough coins for the parking meters because you will be waiting in line. Do not forget to bring coins and cash with you. I was lucky I had some spare change. I did not make copies of the acceptance letter when at home and had to do so at the consulate as well as print out three months worth of bank statements. (You don't need copies but why not have an extra set for yourself?)

The consulate needs all the information they can get about you and your trip, they keep all the supporting documents. It will make the process run smoother if you have everything ready. Be aware that they do keep your passport and you are to pick it up in 7 business days or so once the visa is glued onto a blank page of your passport. Be cordial and calm while at the consulate, don't look annoyed, rushed, eager or any other description that nears the ones I've just listed. Please dress nicely and wear light make-up!

Just in case, bring some cash (bills and coins).

In general, I cannot stress enough to be parking savvy when going to consulates that are located in major cities. As I was in the waiting room a lady had to run down stairs, left her teenager daughter saving their spot in line, only to return and say that their vehicle had been towed. An ordeal that probably heightened the stress in their travel plans.

By the way, consulates aren't very glamorous. It's an office floor with people waiting in line to be assisted by officials. A 'red-tape' process. The glamour happens in the cultural events consulates promote and of course the images of movies and television drama shows.

Losing my nervousness

The application process to participate in PUC-Rio's intensive Portuguese is not complicated, it just takes a bit of time and dedication to sit down, write and contact professors for the recommendation letters. Doing the latter makes me nervous to this day. But I lose the nervousness as soon as I realize that this is an opportunity to speak to my professors about my future plans. Especially because I see them as mentors, who after all, have my best interest at heart and also add suggestions to my future plans.


The total cost for over-nighting the application through FEDEX was $85.00. This was the cheaper option since not over-nighting it would have cost over $100.00. Odd. The salesperson was unable to explain why.

Heading to Brazil

I'm heading to Brazil! Only for a month though. "Only?" was what a dear friend sarcastically commented to my summer plans. I'll be participating in an intensive language Portuguese program in PUC-Rio. The next blogs will outline the process of applying to the program and arriving there.

And of course, when I arrive one of the first tourist spots will include visiting Cristo Redentor and the beaches.

Outside of academia

If you happen to be a reader that belongs to the academic world, in particular a graduate student, than sometimes you might find yourself exhausted from juggling all the things that are constantly on the to-do-list. However, there are times, as was the case for me today, that you realize there is more to life than just academia.

I have no children of my own, however, I do have several nieces and nephews, the oldest about to turn 14 and the youngest a three year old. The following image is a happy surprise I encountered as I organized my desk for this month. Gabriel decided to color in the drawing I made for him several weeks ago, I believe his artistic abilities are definitely more creative than mine. Enjoy!

As you can tell from the visible print we re-used paper. ☺