It’s been nearly 1 year since we’ve posted anything — apologies!

Nguyen has been great with producing content, but has not been great at publishing it!! Babe, be confident and do it!

Since we last wrote, Nguyen successfully defended his Master’s degree and (by the grace of God), found a wonderful job at our university. As for myself, I successfully defended my comprehensive exams and am now living in Brazil for the next few months.

For me, Brazil is a paradise of all sorts. The food, the people, and the sights are amazing. There is nothing like it. From food stands to traditional dishes of black beans on rice, Brazil is heaven for food lovers.

The people are equally amazing, full of fun but also kindness and patience. I have had so many troubles with communicating in Portuguese and people have gone to extreme lengths to help me understand.

Lastly, Brazil is an urban wonder while simultaneously being a vast country of green. Rio de Janeiro, in particular, is incredible. If you ever get the chance to see the city from above, from hiking up landmarks such as the Cristo Redentor, mini-mountains such as Pão de Açucar, and forts like Forte Duque de Caixa, you will see that the city is built upon and around hills. It’s quite astounding!

However, life here has not been without its troubles. I have gotten so confused because of so many unwritten cultural rules and practices. Navigating life solely in a different language has been so difficult and at times, humiliating. Trying to meet people and attend talks has been hard. I don’t understand a lot of the times and the words just don’t come out as fluidly as they do in English. Sharing a long-distance relationship has been hard, if not excruciating at times, and it compounds on the loneliness sometimes.

Despite this, I’ve learned a lot about myself and also perhaps, about my humble roots. This experience has given me an understanding of how difficult it must have been for my parents to carve a new life in a completely foreign land with different values and customs. I’ve become more grateful lately I think. Haha.

Anyways, for the next little bit, I will be writing about my life lessons here in a series entitled “Brazil Tips”. Hopefully, you can learn a lot from them.

Abraços! (Hugs!)