Portugal!!! - Page 222

tonyhuer45 · (#2211)

Teach yourself manuela cook. Sounds great! Thanks!

And that's good to hear! =D

Hmm I wish I had more questions but for right now I don't.. And you went with ASSE so I can't ask you anything about AFS.

Hmm,

Okay public transportation.

you were in Montijo, how easy was it to get around, get to a train/metro/bus station that would get you into Lisbon/Setubal??

Also, Did you like Montijo or Alcobaca better? Differences between the two?

hurricane_chelsea · (#2212)

Montijo was very easy to get around. The buses were sometimes a little late, but they worked out just fine, and I could get to Lisboa very easily by bus or boat, and to Setúbal by bus.

I really preferred Montijo. It was less touristy (Alcobaça has a famous monastery) and had fewer rich people, so it was less snobby and more "real Portugal" I think. Besides that, it was closer to Lisboa and had more "downtown" to explore than just a few streets. Fewer people in Montijo spoke English so it was easier to learn Portuguese even though I had another exchange student in my class.

That said, my best of the three host families was in Alcobaça, and I am so glad I met them, but Montijo was a much better fit for me and had better public transportation and everything. It was gorgeous in an underrated way.

tonyhuer45 · (#2213)

Hmm, sounds nice.

I think Alcobaca would have been nice too cause I love exploring in nature and I know lisboa doens't have a lot of nature.

Hmm more questions I cant think right now.

Did you finish puttting those pictues on fb?

hurricane_chelsea · (#2214)

Still working on the pictures, sorry. Today's my birthday, so I was busy, and lately I've also been working on a cover letter for my résumé for a job I saw advertised. Hopefully this week. Sorry!

Pedro R · (#2215)

Originally Posted by tonyhuer45

Okay that bone chapel sounds really creepy.

Hm, Okay I have a question about clothes there,

Is it really different from american clothes? LIke would I stand out if I didn't buy my clothes there?

Also how much freedom do you have, generally, with parents? Do they let you go out by yourself or go into town or ride the train somwehere or whatever?

Is sharing rooms common?

How many hours long is the typical school day?

I feel like I'm asking some of these again

What is the food like?

Hi Tony
My name is Pedro, I was a host parent last year of an argentinean AFSer from Paraguay, also named Pedro, who has just now moved back to live with us in order to go to college here in Portugal.

Regarding your questions:

There is a lot of variety in terms of food, both fish and meat, generally we have 5 meals a day, two hot ones, consisting of soup, fish or meat (pork is a lot more used than in the US,, but also beef or chicken, lamb and rabbit or octopus/squid are not an everyday course) and desert (generally fruit). Breakfast is not a main meal, generally consisting of cereals, yoghurt or what is called in europe a "continental breakfast" - a hot beverage, juice or milk and bread or cake and butter or jam... normally kids in highschool tend to have light meals at around 10 a.m and between 4 and 5 p.m. depending on their schedule.

Grades are pretty much the same as in the US... since you are on 10th grade you should be posted on a similar grade. In some schools they try to fit the kids that come for a semester more according to age and interest rather than academic resumee...there are several areas: human studies (literature) with more emphasis in languages (most afsers end up choosing that, even if its not their original field), economics, nature sciences and design arts.

It depends a lot about personality, but parents tend to be permissive by US standards, in particular if you stay within the rules and don't cause trouble: they generally allow you to go out on your own, go out at night, especially on fridays and saturdays.

Even though AFS does not require separate rooms and I know a few cases when kids shared rooms with their host brothers, in most cases you get your own room.

It depends a lot on your schedule, you can have classes both morning and afternoon on 3 out of five days, in most cases from 8.15 or 8.30 to 4.30 pm or 10.30 to 6.30 pm, with one or two hours break. You are certain to have at least one free afternoon a week.

Contrary to the US practice, your class stays in the same classroom for most periods (with the exception of some specific classes that are taught in special rooms, such as chemistry in a lab or visual arts or physical education in a gym or camp). Most schools also offer additional free sports activities (in our highschool, because its near the sea, sailing classes, surf classes, tenis, kayaking, and some collective sports), but in addition there are many sports clubs... in collective federated sports it can be difficult to get you enrolled, but if you enroll your host familys' help, it is possible to get you in if not into official competition at least in trainning(I got mine into rugby even though he didn't bring the necessary papers)

A lot of people are placed in urban areas, like in the vicinity of lisbon or porto, but there are plenty of outdoor activities in those areas as well. However if you have a penchant for the outdoors be shure to mention it in your application as a lot of families pick kids based on affinity: last year one of the american kids who loved the outdoors got placed in viseu and had a great time

I hope this answers many of your questions, feel free to ask if you have more!

tonyhuer45 · (#2216)

Originally Posted by Pedro R

Hi Tony
My name is Pedro, I was a host parent last year of an argentinean AFSer from Paraguay, also named Pedro, who has just now moved back to live with us in order to go to college here in Portugal.

Regarding your questions:

There is a lot of variety in terms of food, both fish and meat, generally we have 5 meals a day, two hot ones, consisting of soup, fish or meat (pork is a lot more used than in the US,, but also beef or chicken, lamb and rabbit or octopus/squid are not an everyday course) and desert (generally fruit). Breakfast is not a main meal, generally consisting of cereals, yoghurt or what is called in europe a "continental breakfast" - a hot beverage, juice or milk and bread or cake and butter or jam... normally kids in highschool tend to have light meals at around 10 a.m and between 4 and 5 p.m. depending on their schedule.

Grades are pretty much the same as in the US... since you are on 10th grade you should be posted on a similar grade. In some schools they try to fit the kids that come for a semester more according to age and interest rather than academic resumee...there are several areas: human studies (literature) with more emphasis in languages (most afsers end up choosing that, even if its not their original field), economics, nature sciences and design arts.

It depends a lot about personality, but parents tend to be permissive by US standards, in particular if you stay within the rules and don't cause trouble: they generally allow you to go out on your own, go out at night, especially on fridays and saturdays.

Even though AFS does not require separate rooms and I know a few cases when kids shared rooms with their host brothers, in most cases you get your own room.

It depends a lot on your schedule, you can have classes both morning and afternoon on 3 out of five days, in most cases from 8.15 or 8.30 to 4.30 pm or 10.30 to 6.30 pm, with one or two hours break. You are certain to have at least one free afternoon a week.

Contrary to the US practice, your class stays in the same classroom for most periods (with the exception of some specific classes that are taught in special rooms, such as chemistry in a lab or visual arts or physical education in a gym or camp). Most schools also offer additional free sports activities (in our highschool, because its near the sea, sailing classes, surf classes, tenis, kayaking, and some collective sports), but in addition there are many sports clubs... in collective federated sports it can be difficult to get you enrolled, but if you enroll your host familys' help, it is possible to get you in if not into official competition at least in trainning(I got mine into rugby even though he didn't bring the necessary papers)

A lot of people are placed in urban areas, like in the vicinity of lisbon or porto, but there are plenty of outdoor activities in those areas as well. However if you have a penchant for the outdoors be shure to mention it in your application as a lot of families pick kids based on affinity: last year one of the american kids who loved the outdoors got placed in viseu and had a great time

I hope this answers many of your questions, feel free to ask if you have more!

Wow, thanks SO MUCH!!! That was a GREAT answer!!! (just to get this out of the way, he is an argentine, from Paraguay???, what? haha)

Continental Breakfast is also common here in the US. Most people eat that more often than hot breakfast.

I would probably pick humanities or design art. What does design art consist of in more detail??

I am pretty artistic and photography/collage/painting are some of my main hobbies. (I included that in the resumée)

That sounds really great about the activities!!! Especially kayaking, haha

I participate in rowing(crew) here in the states, is that something common in the Lisbon area?

Wow I'd love to learn to sail that sounds really awesome.

Yeah I know with AFS 50% are placed in greater Lisbon.

Okay sounds good about the room situation.

I wrote on my application that I love exploring cities and nature, so I wonder what that will result in?

Thanks so much for your answer you definitely know what you're talking about!

Pedro R · (#2217)

Originally Posted by tonyhuer45

Wow, thanks SO MUCH!!! That was a GREAT answer!!! (just to get this out of the way, he is an argentine, from Paraguay???, what? haha)

He came from AFS Paraguay, but he is argentinian, he moved to Paraguay with his family when he was 8!

Originally Posted by tonyhuer45

I would probably pick humanities or design art. What does design art consist of in more detail??I am pretty artistic and photography/collage/painting are some of my main hobbies. (I included that in the resumée)

Drawing, geometry and a choice of design/arts lab or technology. You can see the courses (in portuguese) in the website of any secondary school...here is the one from my area: http://www.essje.pt/paginashtml/esco...acursos_ch.htm

Originally Posted by tonyhuer45

I participate in rowing(crew) here in the states, is that something common in the Lisbon area?

No, it is more common in the north. But there are some clubs here that do it and you can rent kayaks near the national stadium complex where there is a course on a river bed

Originally Posted by tonyhuer45

Thanks so much for your answer you definitely know what you're talking about

You're welcome, if you have more questions please ask

Pedro R · (#2218)

I thought you would find interesting these two videos:

Afs postcard from CSers Jeff and Allie ( who where in Portugal in 2007/2008):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_8mK...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNIKg...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIIqW...eature=related

A report (in portuguese) of an argentinian AFSer 2008/2009 who took 6th place on a national reading competition:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZuCoF18jbg

tonyhuer45 · (#2219)

Thanks!

The visual arts turma doens't sound so great, it's more like technical drawing and math drawing type things.

I think I'd like humanities after all that's what most exchange students do.

hurricane_chelsea · (#2220)

Originally Posted by tonyhuer45

Thanks!

The visual arts turma doens't sound so great, it's more like technical drawing and math drawing type things.

I think I'd like humanities after all that's what most exchange students do.

The other thing is that more people (even Portuguese) do humanities, so you get to know some more people, which is important when you're pretty much only with one group of people for all your classes.