January 21
Bom Tarde,
Today was our first day back in class after the homestays and our second to last day of class. We were able to meet Professor Caron and he was able to share his knowledge about Brazilian Culture and history.
This morning Professor Caron presented on the different time periods of Brazilian history and the social climate associated with each one. We learned that Brazil was discovered in 1500, and existed as a Portuguese colony until 1822 when it officially became a country. For the first 67 years as a country Brazil was under a Monarchy government before transitioning to a Republic in 1889. During the Monarchy rule their became a strong separation in social classes that according to Professor Caron still affects Brazil today.
After lunch we watched a video documentary on Native Tribes in the Amazon region and began to learn about Art. Everyone was in awe and in some ways terrified to learn that Indians in the Amazon region regularly participated in cannibalism at one point in time. In addition we were able to see some traditional dances and rituals commonly performed by the Native people. After a well needed coffee break we finished off the day learning about how Brazilian art spread and was shaped by the different historical events. With only one more day of class we are all looking forward to visiting the different Agricultural facilities and cities we have on our schedule and experiencing more of what this great country has to offer.
Cody Tegtmeier