Teaching Diary in the Land of Açaí

 Even though the title suggests that this entry is / should be about me and Ecuador, I'll use some time to describe some first impressions. I have visited Brazil multiple times but I was never alone. It was always a place for me to visit friends or a place where I had the chance to travel around with my sister. It was great! Now, it's my time to set my foot in here, to explore something just for me, something that I can know and show even my Brazilian friends around! :-)  Things I have learnt:  ... there is a law in Brazil...  I can't count on my fingers how many times I have already listened to this sentence. Speak and ask about workload, food quality, shop opening and closing times, contract terms... everything! Brazilians are very proud to say that the law protects them. I guess this is the one of the perks of living in a federation because if one law does not sound correct, there is always a federal law above that which would protect the person's rights.  He...

So, in the end, I accepted the job in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso.  Mato Grosso is a huge state in the South of Brazil. Cuiabá is famous for being the geodesical centre of South America, the whole continent. As I heard, Mato Grosso is the agriculture state: this is where most of the fruits and vegetables are grown and sent around the country, maybe even out to the world. A significant area is covered by the Amazonas, and also by Pantanal which is the muddy-swampy part of the state. Another interesting fact is that the state used to be bigger, a neighbouring state, which is named Mato Grosso do Sul, has been formed from some part of it.  These are only what I heard from the state from my friends and locals.  Today's entry is going to be about what I saw in Cuiabá so far. :-) Proximity to the rainforest and its wetlands has its perks.  First day after walking home, I heard "krrrrrrr krrrrrr" to look up at this couple of Macaw Candé as it's named in Brazil. (There are different...

 In the previous chapter, I mentioned already that I applied to different IB schools. My aim was to enrich my career perspectives. I like to stick to something that I know but now, that I gained a couple of years of experience in an IB school [see previous blog] , I decided to enhance it better. I have other plans, other continents, other travels in my mind, and who knows what will come as good. :-) Plus, [brag] I am official IB examiner, as well!!!! [brag ended :-) ]  In this entry, I am going to write a bit about the difference of the IB schools and public schools, in general, not Brazil-specific.  What is the difference between an IB school and a general public school?  IB stands for International Baccalaureate School which basically means that at the graduation, the student will obtain an IB-degree which is accepted in all the universities worldwide. IB goes hand in hand with critical thinking, inquiry-based education which aims at preparing its students for the ...

 This blog will serve to record my travels and teaching experience in Brazil. Enjoy the browsing! I hope I can give a lot of useful information to fellow teachers, and also, just recording some fun moments! Let the journey start!  I'm not new to South America. I used to live in Ecuador for 6 years, living and teaching in Loja. Then, there was a gang war (internal military conflict, to be exact). Then, electricity shortcuts. Then, water shortages were said to be happening. So, all in all, it looked like it was time (for me) to leave. I remember when I first arrived in Ecuador, 10 years ago. It was so magical and everything. I'm not saying the magic has worn off. In years, I managed to build up a wonderful community for myself. It's like a safety net. The amount of care and support from other people there that I met is immense. Loja will always be my second home. But, part of it was also growing it out, right? The road, the urge was calling me again and I couldn't resist....