Disasters of Brazil

Chapter 01

First day

"Roberta, wake up, may pasok tayo ngayon."

I slowly opened my eyes as the sun's brightness hit my face. My brother Prinze opened the windows for me to wake up.

It's our first day of school at University of Santo Tomas. I'm a grade 10 student and my brother Prinze is a grade 11 student. He took the strand of STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics). 

The homesick feeling I'm currently experiencing was continuous. I feel sad, I miss Brazil, São Paulo, Fernanda, Olivero, Adrian, Christina, Maria, Valeria, those are my friends and now I'm far away from them. 

Nasanay na rin ako sa culture ng Brazil. I remember attending Festo Junina Brazil, a festival in Brazil we usually attend during month of June. 

"Bakit mo naman binuksan 'yong bintana? nasilaw ako oh!" Reklamo ko as my eyes furrowed towards my brother. "Sirain ko 'yang salamin mo, tignan mo malabo mata mo pag sinira ko 'yan." I teased.

"Shut up and get ready," he shook his head then walked out of my room.

I scratched my head, my hear was too messy. I turned off the aircon using the remote then jump out of bed. I stretched every piece of muscle on my body. It felt like I haven't stretched for ages.

My grandmother has a clinic to attend to at the hospital. After we went back at the Philippines from Brazil, she came back in her clinic here as a Psychiatrist.

I was in a panic, considering the fact that I haven't iron my clothes, but thankfully, my brother Prinze ironed it for me. 

After I took a shower, ate my breakfast with bunch of pancakes, sunny side up egg then a bacon, I brushed my teeth then packed up my bag for the first day of school. Kinakabahan ako at lahat ng kaklase ko ay iba na compared to Brazil.

Hindi sila nag sasalita ng Portuguese and Filipino ang language nila. Although I have learned Filipino language but the culture shock was just anxiety provoking.

When our grandmother drop us at school, me and my brother was about to part ways be he said something. "Samahan muna kita sa classroom ni'yo." 

"Bakit?" My eyes narrowed at him.

"Baka maligaw ka, tanga ka pa naman." panglalait niya pa.

"Obrigado!" I cursed in Portuguese.

Sinamahan niya ako sa classroom namin at nang makita ko ang mga kaklase ko, my anxiety level rised to 100%. 

"Kaya mo 'yan okay?" My brother bit his lower lip then gave me a pat before leaving me at my classroom.

A bunch of boys was talking together, barkada sila I assume. One boy caught my attention. He wears a round shape glasses, has a two block hairstyle, tall, he looks like a nerd, physically fit, tanned skin, black hair. I kept on describing him!

Everyone was looking at me because I'm the only one who has a wavy hair dahil inayos ko ito. I dropped my shoulder bag on a random table and asked a girl sitting beside that chair, "is this taken?" I asked.

"Hindi," she said but she was in a shock. "Sorry maybe you can't understand Filipino language, anyways the seat is not taken." She apologized.

What? I don't understand Filipino? what is she trying to say? I bit my lower lip and gave her a small smile before sitting down. I look at myself on my phone camera. Do I look like a foreigner? a Latina woman?

The culture shock was heavily intense. I'm not used to be surrounded by people speaking Filipino language. Instead, I would often hear Portuguese language from Brazil. Different snacks, bag brands, different race, culture, almost everything is different.