"Living abroad, a trully chalenge for a foreigner"

[Celso Arrais]

Hi Everyone,
I'm going to Canada to study english and french for six months. I'll live there with a canadian family and I'll be there alone. I intend to enjoy this to tell you about my first impressions and to change experiences with you. The discussion goal is mainly to understand the fellings in a such situation and the best manner to treat with it.

What do you think about, would you like to talk about, please feel free to post a topic .
I invite you to accompany my canada stay for six months from next march 08

See you guys,

[Celso Arrais]

Hi Marcelo,

Welcome to the forum. Thanks a lot for you've enjoyed my forum. I'll keep in touch with the ning groupe and I'll feed this forum at least weekly when I'll be in Montreal. Feel free to interact with us and to request whatever! How is doing your Master by UCB, I hope it's doing very well.

Best regards,

Celso Arrais

[Carla Arena]

Dear Celso,

I was postponing to write you a message because, in fact, I wanted to make a voicethread about my own experience of living abroad and invite you to share your ideas before leaving and after you get there. Well, I haven't had time as I'm moderating a 6-week online session on blogging for educators all over the world. I promise, though, to do it as soon as possible! Did I tell you that I have a dear Canadian friend who's in Montreal. Well, she's going to spend 3 months in South America, but when she gets back, I can put you in touch with her.

Keep blogging! I'm all ears.

Carla

[Celso Arrais]

Dear Carla,

Don't worry we are three weeks yet to develop this task. It will be great and I think a amazing idea. Like Dennis have said maybe I left Brazil as a Celso and return another Celso! it's very interesting to record the celso from before and the celso from after.
I'm trying to stablish a friendly network in Montreal by means my friends, of course I would like to be presented to your friend. It will be very nice and I would increase this my network.

Feel free to send me your voicethread any time!

A big hug and thanks a lot,

Celso Arrais

[João Augusto Sobreiro Sigora]

Celso, what a coincidence!

I’m also going to spend six months studying English in Canada this year! But I won't be there before the end of July. I intend to spend three months in Vancouver and three in Toronto. I believe it will be a very enriching experience for both of us!

I'd be more than happy if you add me in MSN ([e-mail]), so that we can exchange impressions, tips and information. =]

Best wishes,

João Augusto

[Celso Arrais]

Dear João,

Great news, I'll have a friend in Canada. I wish success in your canadien journey . Unfortunately I don't use the MSN, I use Skype, do you know? but I've added your email address in my mail list, however, you can keep in touch by this forum also, where we intend to follow all my journey long. On my page there is a link to my photos and in your page you can send us a message, to put a link for your pics wherever you are and vice-versa ok! Feel free to enter in this forum and told us your first impressions, give us informations and so on, even publish pics. this space is our, you can record a video message using resources within here. Explore all site (send a message for carla also) and discovery it all facilities.
Let's go meet us when you'll are in Toronto? In august I'll visit Ottawa and Toronto.
I'm sure it will be a very enriching experience for you.

Thanks a lot, good lucky and see you in Canada,

Celso Arrais

[Jose Antonio da Silva]

Hi Celso,
I am glad to know you are finally in Canada for your learning journey. I am sorry, I came in a little late into this discussion. The beginning of the school year is always hectic for us treachers.
I read on your introduction that you will be alone in Canada. I guess that being alone has its advantages, it forces you to get to know other people. I have always traveled abroad by myself and have always met very nice people on trains and airplanes and made great friends when I arrived at my final destination. I guess you are alrady making great friends there.
Good luck
José Antônio

[Celso Arrais]

Hi My Friends, thank you very much !!!!

Thank you very much for your comments and positives contirubutions, sorry for my late answer, but I was adapting me in this cold land! I´ve just arrived in Montreal when the snow storm fall, I think it was the best test for my patient and calm. It's true I survived very well. My flight and customs procedures was very well and I'm proud because I could speak in the two languages and I think It was efficient. Acctually, I'm very surprise with my fast adaptation in canada, I studied so much the city, transportation system that in the midlle of the week I've surprised with my self giving information for a french spoker in downtown and today I sunddenly realize me attending a St Patrick Day and speaking english with Irelands descedant. You can believe, everything what I've been learning in english and french, sunddenly start works and the speaking happened in both languages and the understanding (listening) also, of course I speak and understand with so much mistakes but it's different now. Wait me I'll record a new message. I'm very comfortable in the city I know to move among all address, the subway service is great and I think it will be difficult to join the pieces after I spread me for all over the city. I would like to share with you some pics about my stay here.
Finaly, I would like to say a special thank you very much for Dennis who spent so much time helping me and preparing me for this trip with a special and unforgatable friendly attention. Thank you very very much Dennis. I hope to visit some day in Phoenix to say it in persone.

My home street as I knew it at the snow storm day

A snowly day at Montreal

[Dennis Oliver]

Oí, meu amigo Celso.

It's wonderful to know that you're now in Montréal and that you're doing so well there! I was impressed to read that your flight was a good one and that you handled the customs procedures in both English and French. I was even more impressed to read of how confortable you are with the transportation system.

It was interesting to read about the snow storm that happened just after you arrived. The change in weather must still be a challenge, but you also seem to be managing it very well; actually, you're probably handling it better than I would because I don't really like cold weather and snow.

I loved seeing the photos of you and some of your new classmates and friends. The fact that you're smiling in all of the photos shows how comfortable you are in Montréal. I think this adventure will be a very, very good experience for you!

I greatly look forward to the future posts you will make here and I also look forward to seeing more photos!

Thank you for the kind words about the "dialog" you and I have had so far. I also hope that some day we'll be able to meet face to face!

With every good wish—

Dennis

[Celso Arrais]

Dear Dennis,

Sorrry for the delay, I've been being very busy last three days before the eastern holiday and my Internet isn't working very well because I'm using a wireless conexion. I've tried to record a new message to compare it with that first one but the sound isn't work too I'll try to record using another means. I would like so much to show you how is doing my english improvement with two weeks abroad . It's only for a while, thank you very much for your help and attention with my forum.

See you,

Celso Arrais

[Dennis Oliver]

Dear Celso,

I thought I had already replied to the message above, but I see that I didn't.

I hope you had a wonderful Easter holiday! Mine was very low key.

How are things going for you now? How's the weather? I imagine it's still cold there.

I'm sure your spoken English has improved greatly, and I look forward to hearing the recording . . . whenever you put it online.

By the way, if you want an additional interesting cultural experience, you might consider attending an Orthodox Easter celebration on April 27th. Montréal has a number of Orthodox churches, among them a Russian cathedral:

Ss. Peter and Paul Russian Orthodox Cathedral
1175 Rue Champlain
Montreal, QC H2L 2R7

The Easter celebration will be at night on Saturday, April 26th. The languages will probably be Russian, Church Slavonic, English, and French. There should be wonderful choral music.

I look forward to hearing about more of your experiences!

All my very best wishes—

Dennis

[Celso Arrais]

Hi Dennis,

I`ve received it just 29 minutes ago, so the easter is far from now, but don`t worry, At that easter I met some friends and spent some good moments with them at a Brazilian Bar at downtown.
I really didn`t have time neither the means to record the new message by voicethread because I m having trouble with my internet conexion. At may I`m going to move to the appartement at downtown with a good internet conexion and I hope my comunications will work better. I`m working hard the french first but the city don`t allow me to speak only one language because downtown is mostly formed by english spoker, sometimes I need to change quickly the language and it has been being very very intersting for me.

Well, I can say with proud that I already opened a bank account, bought a monthly card to metro, rent an appartamment and went to around the city at smalls villes, everything alone, just with my poor english and french.

Thank you for your attention, and I`ll feed this discussion every time I can.

A big hug,


Celso Arrais

[Dennis Oliver]

Dear Celso,

I was surprised to see that I hadn't replied to the above message.

Have you found a way to get a better Internet connection?

I found it surprising that you mostly encounter English speakers in downtown Montréal. I can certainly understand how challenging it must be to switch quickly from English to French, but I'm sure you meet the challenge every time!

You really accomplished a lot (bank account, metro card, apartment). I admire your resourcefulness and your courage in discovering the city by yourself!

I love reading your posts here and will now go on to the newest one!

All the very best, and a big hug right back!

Dennis