School System in England

  
                                                     Schooling In England




     In England children start primary school at the age of five.  Schooling broken up into four key stages: Stage 1, 2, 3, and 4.  Stage 1: ages 5-7, Stage 2: ages 7-11, Stage 3: ages 11-14, and Stage 4: ages 14-16.  Usually students enter secondary school after Stage 2 of their education.  Students are assessed at the end of each of the stages, the most important assessment is named the GCSE, General Certificate of Secondary Education, which is taken at the end of Stage 4 when the student is sixteen.  After this the student can either choose to further in his or her education or enter into the working force.   Primary and secondary school is mandatory in the U.K. and further education is optional.  It's sort of like college in a sense.
     They attend primary school for seven years studying English, math, science, religious education, history, geography, music, arts and crafts, physical education , and informational technology (computers).  Schools also require that the student learn one modern foreign language, religious education, and prove his or her personal, social and health education.  During the 3rd stage of learning students learn about English, Maths, Science, Design and Technology, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), History,  Geography, Modern Foreign Languages, Art and Design, Music, Citizenship, and Physical Education.  At 4th stage students are considered at GCSE level in which they have to take English, Maths, Science, IT, Citizenship, and Physical Education.
     Approximately 8.5 million kids are enrolled in the 30,000 schools in England and nearly 1.8 million students are enrolled in the U.K.'s higher education system.  Undergraduate degrees take three years to complete in London.  Schooling in England is much more complex than ours but they do have similarities, such as the higher education system.  I think it would be extremely fun to go to a secondary school.

Christmas in Brazil

Christmas In Brazil

                                                                                                                                          
         Brazilian Peanut Fudge
                      Ingredients            
                 1 (8 ounce) jar of roasted peanuts, skins removed
                 1 (8 ounce) package tea biscuits (such as Marie Biscuits)
                 2 tablespoons of white sugar
                 1 (14 ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk

                                     Directions     
        1.   Line a 9-inch square dish with waxed paper.
        2.   Pulse the peanuts and biscuits together in a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse flour. Add the sugar and pulse to mix. Pour the sweetened, condensed milk into the mixture and process until the mixture forms a ball that pulls away from the sides of the food processor bowl.
        3.   Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish and press with your hands into an even layer. Allow to sit at least 15 minutes, up to overnight. Remove from the dish and cut into squares to serve. Store in air-tight containers between uses.


                                   Christmas in Brazil
                       1. In Brazil, like America, they create a nativity scene or a Presépio.
                       2. What we call Santa, Brazilians call him Papai Noel (Father Noel).
                       3. One tradition is called amigo secreto (secret friend) where everyone writes a name on a slip of paper and then exchange them with everyone. Sort of like a secret Santa.
                       4. Brazilians use flowers from their gardens to decorate during this holiday.
                       5. Most Christmas songs in Brazil are imported.

Total Expenses

     Including my round-trip flight to Sao Paulo, my hotel, car-rentals, food, and leisure activities my total expenses would be $9,636.40.
-for the two nights at Sao Paulo hotel expenses were $1497.40
-my round-trip flight was $4,985.00
-my car rental was $720.00 per week
-my food costed around $280.00
-my four nights at Rio de Janeiro costed $1992.00
-leisure activities were $162.00

     My overall budget was to stay under $10,000, so I am pleased that I didn't go over my budget.  What really cost a lot were my plane tickets and hotel reservations.

Map of Brazil

Day 7: June 23, 2012

     Today I decide to spend my last day in Brazil in some of my favorite places I've visited this week but I want to visit one last place before I revisit my favorites.  I gather my luggage and check out of my hotel.  I get in my rented car and drive to the Bohemian Neighborhood of Santa Teresa.  I enter the park and see some amazing sights.  Ruins of the ancient city seem to grow from the ground as I turn each corner.  After spending a good two hours here I leave and go to the Margutta Italian restaurant. I order a delicious pizza and eat quickly.  

     I stop by the Christ Redeemer statue one last time before my final day in Brazil comes to an end.  I quickly stop by and say goodbye to my new friend and then head to the airport. I board the jumbo plane and get ready for the flight back.  

     We land in Chicago at 5:41 A.M. on Sunday June, 24. Home at last. 

Day 6: June 22, 2012

     I can't believe my time in Brazil is almost over.  I've had such a great time.  Today I've decided to take it easy    so I'm going to first off visit Parque Lage.  After a short drive I get out of my car to see a beautiful mansion built among the mountains.  I walk in and take a few snapshots of this beautifully crafted building.  The sun shines through the spaces between the leaves and makes beautiful shining spots on the ground.  I decide to eat my breakfast at the Cafe du Lage, located in the mansion.  I order a cup of coffee and an omelet, which was very tasty.  After breakfast I head out of the mansion and back down to the beach to have a game of volleyball with my friend.  

     I meet my friend at a small beach between Paula Freitas and Hilario de Gouveia.  We have a very satisfying game then I head off of the beach and back to my hotel to change into some new clothes.  I decide to next visit the Banco do Brazil Cultural Center to rap up my sixth day.  I spend the evening listening to some live music presented by locals. 

Day 5: June 21, 2012

     Today is my fifth day in Brazil and I'm having a blast.  To start off my day today I decided to shop for some souvenirs at the Artisan Market.  While at the market I tried acaraje, a Behian delicacy.  It was astonishingly good.  After a few hours looking around the market I decided to go to the beach again but try to do some surfing.
     This time I decided to go to Barra beach, known for it's strong waves.  I rented a bright yellow surfboard and  a wet-suit and then hit the waves.  I took up to surfing rather quickly and found it very fun.  While surfing you feel like your in a totally different world.  I surfed for about an hour before I finally got wiped out by one of the biggest waves I had ever seen.

     After returning my surfboard and wet-suit I decided to rent a bicycle and simply bike around the city for the remainder of my day.  I took a nice ride around the city and met some very friendly locals.  I even met a new friend whom I biked back to my hotel with.  Soon my fifth day was over and I was laying my head on my very welcoming pillow.