One of the fascinating perks of life at Marquette is learning the customs of another culture through our foreign exchange students. Whether it be young adults from Asia, Europe, or South America, generalizations can be confirmed - or debunked - in a matter of a five-minute conversation.
Marquette has seen a cascade of students from Brazil this past fall, and with it, has come an opportunity to learn about life in the Southern Hemisphere. Today, we had the pleasure of sitting down with the eloquent and engaging Thiago Carvalho Picinini. Not only does Thiago own straight As thus far, but he also holds a 100% in three of his courses.
Q: What is your hometown and country?
A: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Q: I think the average American knows only a few things about Brazil: the Amazon River runs through it, a successful soccer tradition, and in addition to throwing quite the party, Rio de Janeiro is home to the Christ the Redeemer statue. How would you compare Sao Paulo to Chicago?
A: Sao Paulo (12 million) is much bigger than Chicago (2.7 million). It's similar, though, in that everything you want to do is there. My family lives in the central business district.
Q: Speaking of which, do you have any siblings? What can you tell us about your family?
A: My father is an engineer and my mother worked in education as a teacher. She now works as (what you would call) a tutor. I have a sister four years older than me who attends a college about 30 minutes outside Sao Paulo. She is studying dentistry. We live a simple life day-to-day, and on the weekends, we enjoy the city or travel.
Q: Portuguese is the primary language in Brazil, but you speak English very well. How many languages can you speak and is it true that English is a difficult language to learn?
A: So I can speak Portuguese, English, and Spanish. English is the secondary language in Brazil, although it's taught differently. I took seven or eight years of extra schooling to learn English. I remember telling my father when I first started that I didn't want to do it because it was so difficult, but I completed it.
Q: Is this your first time in America?
A: This is my fourth. My family and I have visited Orlando, Miami, and Atlanta.
Q: What's been the biggest change in everyday life for you?
A: The food. It took me about two weeks to adapt. First of all, dinner here is at 7 pm whereas in Brazil, we eat around 9:00. Also, every lunch and dinner in Brazil has meat, rice, and beans. So, the food is different, and a little more expensive here.
Q: Do you know what you plan to study in college?
A: Economics or business. Only 3% of Brazilians invest in the stock market so I really want to bring financial literacy to my country.
Q: Do you also plan on returning to Brazil for college, like your sister?
A: No, I plan on attending college here in the United States.
Q: What has been your favorite part of Marquette thus far?
A: The people have been very receptive to my classmates and me.
Q: Has there been anything that has either fallen short of or exceeded your expectations about your experience thus far?
A: (laughing) I did not expect a lot of fellow Brazilians, but the school was what I expected.
