One of the main reasons that my experience in Brazil has been so positive and enjoyable so far is because of the effectiveness and organization of the Fulbright program and commission here in the country. Our program directors are efficient and are very good at taking care of us; they also know how to put together a great orientation and mid-year seminar. This week, I feel very lucky to be able to attend the Fulbright English Teaching Assistants Enhancement Seminar in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil. We are spending our time giving presentations on our teaching activities and projects, sharing our experiences and future plans with the other ETAs as well as participating in some workshops and listening to some really interesting guest speakers. I am trying to soak up as much as I can and am loving every minute of it!
Today we had all of our meetings in the CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior) building and had to go through a lot of security, dress code rules and passport checking because Secretary of State John Kerry was going to be there in support of the new Science Without Borders Program. We were fortunate enough to be able to attend the news conference and meet and talk with the secretary. It was super exciting to have cameras and secret service officers everywhere!
After lunch we spent the afternoon listening to John Matel, a public affairs officer in the U.S. Foreign Service in Brazil. He has been in the F.S. for over 25 years and had lots of interesting stories to share about his experiences as well as many suggestions about where to go and what to do after Fulbright. Tonight we have the evening free to get out and explore the city a little bit before another jam-packed day of activities tomorrow.
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