Although England is not as warm as Brazil, the weather is overall good in Bournemouth. The sky is usually blue and it is sunny (even when it is freezing outside). The beautiful sky and wonderful beaches remind me of Brazil and make me feel at home.

Outside activities such as running on the beach and walking in the parks and meeting friends in Bournemouth Gardens emphasise this feeling of being back home.

Regarding food, it is possible to find in supermarkets here almost all ingredients we need to prepare Brazilian recipes such as brigadeiro (chocolate candy), pudim (pudding) and caipirinha (cocktail). In addition, there is a Brazilian store in Bournemouth town centre called Rio, which as well as being an internet café also sells specific items such as Guaraná (soft drink), paçoca (peanut candy) and pão de queijo (baked cheese roll).

Furthermore, there is a Brazilian restaurant all you can eat buffet (rodizio) to eat grilled meats and feijoada (beans with beef and pork) it is called Casa Brasil and is just a short walk from Lansdowne Campus. They sometimes have live music and samba parties.

Photo: Casa Brasil

As for cultural differences in behavior, in general, Brazilians are warm people in comparison to other nationalities and I thought I would miss that. However, as Bournemouth is a very multicultural city, I have made new friends from all over the world and most of them I have formed a close friendship with. We go out together, talk about our personal lives, share our feelings etc. In Bournemouth, I definitely feel at home.

By Paula Leardini, MSc International Management