10
Culture Shock!
A Brazilian in Manchester
The decision to come to England to study English was very fast. I made the first contacts in the middle of August, at the beginning of September I made all the necessary agreements, and November 1st I arrived in Manchester. I had thought that coming on a Saturday was a good idea. I could rest from the long trip from Brazil, to walk around and discover something about my neighborhood. The trip from São Paulo to London was very nice, although I wasn’t been able to sleep. Some of the air hostesses speak Portuguese and the difficulties that I could have were quickly solved. On the flight from London to Manchester, the guy sitting on my side also came from Brazil in the same flight that I did. He recognized me from the Brazilian boarding room, and I recognized him as well. Erik is his name and, like me, he is a professor too. We talked during the flight and he gave me some tips about the city and the English culture. Since I decided to do this trip, this was the first opportunity to speak with an Englishman. In some moment of the trip the air hostess said to me “Would you like something to drink, Sir?”, and I answer “Yes. Water, please”. I had been feeling confident of my communications skills for a short talk. Then she said something that sounds to me like “Rwzd, wxardfe, gherts?”, and I said “Sorry”, and she repeat “Rwzd, wxardfe, gherts?” I have thought that I could finish that situation saying “Water. Just water”, but she insisted: “RWZD, WXARDFE, GHERTS?” Then Erick helped me saying “No ice. No sparkling. Still water”. I think this was my first communication problem from a long list that was just starting.
When we arrived in Manchester, we went together to take a train. He was going to Liverpool and I to Piccadilly, where I would get a taxi to my accommodation, Student Castle. Now, after the presentations of Aurelian, the principal of Kaplan, I know that I should have got a train to Oxford Road Station. The site www.transportdirect.info is very useful to travel in England, but when I arrived I did not know it.
It was not difficult, as I expected, to come to Student Castle. Alice, the receptionist, showed me the facilities and gave me my key. The apartment looks nice at first glance. When I started unpacking my baggage, I noticed that some things were missing, like hangers and toilet paper. There were glasses and plates but nothing to clean them. Fortunately, I had searched for Tesco and Sainsbury’s on Google Maps and I knew where to buy my first needs. As I hadn’t slept on the flight, after shopping at Sainsbury’s, I slept from Saturday evening to Sunday morning. When I woke up, I decided to explore the area. My major worry at that moment was to learn the route to Kaplan. It is a very short walking distance. I also identified some restaurants and cafes that looked nice and I decided to get to know them better during my stay in Manchester. Generally, the people I have met have been very kind and I have felt welcomed. I hope this feeling continues until the end of the course.
KIC+ Magazine / November 2013
By Renato de Oliveira Moraes