Reception booklet Porto Alegre

RECEPTION BOOKLET | AIESEC in PORTO ALEGRE | |

GET READY FOR THE

EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME

Are you ready to live a great experience abroad? You can’t imagine what is waiting

for you! You will have a lot to discover, to do and to see, so don’t expect getting

bored so soon. First of all, you need to know some important information about Brazil

and Porto Alegre, which will be very useful to you during your traineeship and that is

what this booklet is for.

Porto Alegre is a great city just waiting for you to enjoy it in all its aspects: the

people, the culture, the nightlife, the gorgeous sunset, the food, among other things.

And besides you’re about to arrive in Brazil, a tropical country, known as the land of

soccer, sun and “carnaval” - but it actually has a lot more to offer that this. This

means you will live in a plural country where many different cultures coexist. We

hope you will love and remember the time you spend here! As far as this booklet

goes, we hope it helps you in preparing yourself for your traineeship and your stay in

Porto Alegre. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to write to us. Make good use

of it! We are looking forward to meeting you!


GETTING TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT

BRAZIL AND PORTO ALEGRE

Country’s Full name: República Federativa do Brasil Territory: The largest country in Latin America, covering almost half of the continent of South America (47,3%), Brazil takes over an area of 3,300,170.941 square miles (or 8,547,403.5 square km). It is the fifth largest country in the world. The Atlantic Ocean stretches along the entire east coast of the country, providing more than 4,500 miles of seashore, where visitors may enjoy the most beautiful beaches.

Population: 198.760.205 habitants (in 2012) Federal Capital: Brasília Government: Federal; Presidential; Constitutional Republic.

You will stay here


Current president: Dilma Roussef (the first Brazilian female president)

Time Zone: UTC -3

Currency: The Brazilian monetary currency is the Real (R$ or BRL) – Reais in the

plural. 100 centavos of Real equal to R$1,00. Most major international credit and

debit cards are accepted in Brazil, but credit card receipts from stores and

restaurants will be priced in Reais although you will be billed in the currency of your

own country, the official exchange rate having been taken into consideration. The official exchange rate to the United States Dollar (USD) can be found on the newspapers daily. For today's rate, visit this site on the internet: http://www.bloomberg.com/analysis/calculators/currency.html You cannot use foreign currencies to pay for things in Brazil. These operations are illegal, so you will always need to exchange your money for Reais when you need to use it. In Porto Alegre you will easily find places to exchange your money, so don’t worry about this.

| Get acquainted to our currency, check out the Real bills and coins below |

Language: The language in Brazil is Portuguese. Spanish and English may help you to get around but they are not widely spoken on the streets. People in your company will surely be able to communicate with you in English or Spanish, but since you won’t spend all of your time there these languages won’t suffice. Thus, you should consider learning the Portuguese basics before coming to Brazil. To do this you can download some useful smartphone apps – like Babbel - and AIESEC might even be able to arrange you some introductory lessons, but you should negotiate this after you arrive and settle down in the city. you may also find articles like this one helpful <http://wolflilt.com/learning-portuguese/>. The Brazilian people are usually very eager to communicate so they will be open to try and understand you, even if they don’t speak your language, but you should be aware that speaking a second language is considered a privilege for most of the people in the country. Therefore, it is going to be up to you to find ways to be understood on the first months when you will be adapting, so let your hands loose and start the mimics!

On the left: On the first row you will find the new

Real bills that have started circulating on 2012. On

the second row there are the old bills, which still

have value.

Below: the Real coins.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.babbel.mobile.android.pt&hl=en

http://wolflilt.com/learning-portuguese/


To help you to get started, here are some common words you are going to hear and use a lot. For pronunciation, you can use Google Translator (that should do it for now).

Vocabulário (Vocabulary)

Bom dia

Good morning

Boa tarde

Good afternoon

Boa noite

Good evening / Good night

Oi/Olá/E aí?

Hi / Hello / What’s up?

Tchau/Adeus/Até mais

Bye / Goodbye / See you later

Por favor

Please

Desculpa / Licença

Sorry / Excuse me

(Muito) Obrigado / De nada

Thank you (very much) / You’re

welcome

Bem-vindo

Welcome

Até amanhã

See you tomorrow

Vamos (lá)?

Let’s go?

Tudo bem? / Como vai?

How are you?

(Muito/Tudo) Bem

(Very / All is) Fine

Mais ou menos

More or less

Mal / Não muito bem

Bad / Not so well

Sim / Não

Yes / No

Parada de ônibus

Bus stop

Aeroporto

Airport

Rodoviária

Bus station

Casa

Home

Trabalho

Work

Banheiro

Bathroom

Quarto

Bedroom

Comida / Bebida

Food / Drinks

Onde

Where

Como

How

Quanto

How much

Quando

When

Agora

Now

Ontem / Hoje / Amanhã

Yesterday / Today / Tomorrow

Verbos (Verbs)

Chegar

To arrive

Comer

To eat

Beber

To drink

Ter

To have

Comprar

To buy

Usar

To use

Números (Numbers)

1 - um 2 – dois 3 - três 4 - quatro 5 - cinco 6 - seis 7 - sete 8 - oito 9 - nove 10 - dez 11 - onze 12 - doze 13 - treze 14 – quatorze/catorze 15 - quinze

16 - dezesseis 17 - dezessete 18 - dezoite 19 - dezenove 20 - vinte 21 – vinte e um 22 – vinte e dois 23 – vinte e três 30 - trinta 40 - quarenta 50 - cinquenta 60 - sessenta 70 - setenta 80 - oitenta 90 - noventa

100 - cem 101 – cento e um 110 – cento e dez 200 - duzentos 300 - trezentos 400 - quatrocentos 500 - quinhentos 600 - seiscentos 700 - setecentos 800 – oitocentos 900 - novecentos 1.000 - mil 10.000 – dez mil 1.000.000 – um milhão 1.000.000.000 – um bilhãoo


Immigration: At immigration, non-Brazilians will have their passport, visa (if required) and any other immigration formalities checked. All information about getting a visa will be sent to you. Like most airports, the airports in Brazil have different lines for national passport holders and foreign visitors. Foreign passport holders should make sure they get their passports stamped and that they retain half of the immigration form they fill in on arrival (you should keep tat safely with you for the rest of your stay in Brazil). Visitors who miss getting their passport stamped or who lose the form will have to get clearance from the Federal Police to leave the country and – as well as being delayed – may have to pay a fine. Customs officials normally inspect the baggage of around 30 per cent or more of incoming passengers. Besides clothing and personal effects, tourists entering Brazil may bring in one of each of the following items: radio, tape/CD player, typewriter, notebook computer, movie and still camera.

*VISA and AIRPLANE TICKET*

This information will be sent to you as soon as you are MATCHED in MyAIESEC. But you should know beforehand that the Brazilian visa process is lengthy and requires a lot of documents. This might incur in unexpected delays, so be sure to only buy your airplane ticket after you have clearance from the AIESEC Visa & Legal team or when you have your Brazilian visa in your hands.

Religion: Catholicism is Brazil's largest religion but Protestants, Jews, Evangelical, Christians and Afro-Brazilian religions, such as Macumba, Candomblé and Umbanda, are all present and practiced in Brazil. This means Brazilians are very tolerant about different religious beliefs, but be aware that religion is a big part of life in the country. You may find some people to be very superstitious and expressions as Vai com Deus (Go with God), Graças a Deus (Thank God), Minha Nossa Senhora (My “Our Lady”)

are really common in everyday life. If you are somebody who holds religion as a very important part of your life, you will surely find a place to practice your beliefs away from prejudice. Ask your AIESEC office for places of prayer for your faith and they will surely advise you on how to proceed.

Climate: due to its vast territorial extension of continental dimensions, Brazil has a rather varied climatic typology. In addition to its great extension, there are other factors like, altitude and ocean proximity, which influence the different Brazilian climates. The outcome of this climatic differentiation is the many exuberant landscapes, turning Brazil into one of the countries with the most varied and complex ecosystems in the world. The Brazilian territory is divided into climatic zones: 92% of the land is located between the line of the equator and the tropic of Capricorn. Therefore, one might easily see that the Brazilian climate is predominantly tropical, presenting also equatorial zones and sub-tropical (temperate) zones along the remaining 8% of the national territory. For all of this, the visitor may find (the not so common) snow in the south of the country as well as enjoy the tropical heat of the Amazon Rain Forest, not to mention the beauty of the seashore. Plateau cities such as São Paulo, Brasília and Belo Horizonte have milder climates averaging 19°C (66°F). Rio de Janeiro, Recife, Natal and Salvador on the coast have warmer climates balanced by the Trade Winds. Rio, for example, has an average temperature of around 26°C (80°F) which will climb into the high 30s or low 40s (over 100°F) during the summer months. In the southern Brazilian cities of Porto Alegre, Florianópolis and Curitiba, the subtropical climate is similar to parts of the US and Europe, with frosts occurring in the winter months (July-August) when temperatures can fall below freezing; summers are hot, however. Seasons in Brazil are the reverse of those in the Northern Hemisphere:


Spring 22nd September to 21

December

Summer 22nd December to 21st

March

Autumn 22nd March to 23rd June

Winter 24th June to 21st

September The current weather conditions in Brazil can be found at www.weather.co.uk by selecting the required city. Specifically about Porto Alegre: come prepared for all kinds of weather. You will face cold temperatures between June and August (0 – 10°C) and also very hot summer days (30 – 40°C), from December to March. We also get a lot of rain throughout the year, so no matter if it is summer or winter, expect to use your umbrella.

Clothing: Brazilians, even in the major cities, dress casually outside the office. None of the country's top restaurants insists on collar and tie although the occasional club does. Collar and tie still predominate in formal office and business and most workingwomen wear dresses or skirts. If you are sensitive to cold, you should remember to pack a jacket or shawl when coming to Brazil as some of the buildings and restaurants can be a little over enthusiastic with the air conditioning. When packing, keep in mind that big cities are fashionable, cosmopolitan and not small tourist resorts. If you forget to bring some item of clothing with you, you will certainly be able to find what you forgot in any of the big shopping centers. If heading further south in South America, remember to pack some warmer clothes, especially during the Southern Hemisphere's winter months. Specifically about Porto Alegre: don’t expect to dress very differently from what you would in

another big city around the world. You should just remember that you will arrive in a city with big social inequalities (just like on the rest of Brazil), so dressing your best in every part of the city is not advised. You might be targeted, as a foreigner and as somebody who wears expensive clothes, as a subject to robbery in the more dangerous parts of the city. Also, remember that you are coming to perform a professional activity, so you should make yourself presentable in front of your employers. The specific dress code for your workplace (if required) will be arranged with you after you arrive, probably on your first day of work.

General culture: participating in an exchange program is a statement that you are open to new ways of thinking and acting, but that is much easier said than done, isn’t it? Depending on where you are from, you will be more or less sensitive to the Brazilian way of life, but still, you are bound to be shocked in one way or another. There are many ways for you to prepare yourself for this and one of the best, in our opinion here at AIESEC in Porto Alegre, is for you to look at the Geert Hofstede Institute of national culture and read some of the aspects about his study and the way Brazil is according to his dimensions <http://geert-hofstede.com/>. You can also check the experiences of other exchange participants here: <http://culture-shock.me/> Still, we can generalize about Brazilian behavior on some assumptions that are listed below. Notice these are only generalizations and people might act very differently, so it is always going to depend on whom you are dealing with.

- Scheduling something: Brazilians are always going to be up for doing something with you, be it a happy hour, a party or just a walk around the park. But this doesn’t mean the event is actually going to happen. See, here we tend to schedule something several times before we actually get to do it. So the first time you arrange a meeting with somebody you are demonstrating your intentions to be friendly. If you really feel up to it, you should text or give the person a call a few days before the meeting and try and confirm it on the day before or on the actual day. It might sound confusing at first, but once you get used to it you will see it gives you the freedom to not feel embarrassed if you weren’t able to make to an appointment, or to cancel it on the last minute.


Be aware this does not apply for your business environment, where, on most cases, once you have scheduled something, expect that to happen.

- Punctuality: this is a sensitive issue here in Brazil. While we try to keep a punctual schedule on the business environment, on our social lives this doesn’t apply so well. Usually people aren’t going to be on time for appointments, and being punctual isn’t always seen as a good thing. So this is going to depend on what you arrange with the people with whom you are meeting and about saying how you usually deal with timeframes.

- Straightforwardness: in Brazil you are going to notice that, if people want to talk to you

about a sensitive subject, they tend to beat around the bush a while before getting to the specific subject. So you should know it is seen as polite for you to make some small talk before getting to business. Going straight to the subject or pointing opinions straight out may be seen as harsh and rude.

National Holidays: (* means variable dates) January: 1st - New Years Day February/March: Carnaval* March/April: Good Friday* April: Easter* / 21th - Tiradentes May: 1st - Labor Day June: Corpus Christ* September: 7th - Independence Day October: 12th – Day of Nossa Senhora de Aparecida November: 2th - All Saints' Day / 15th - Proclamation of the Republic December: 25th – Christmas Regional Holiday: 20th Revolução Farroupilha Telephone Tips: Brazil’s code is 55 Porto Alegre’s code is 51 AIESEC OFFICE: 3308 3684 To call us from YOUR country: ++ 55 51 33163684 To call us from any other city of BRAZIL: 0 + operator code* + 51 33163684 Local calls: just dial the telephone number Long distance calls: 0 + operator code* + city code + number * For operator code, you can choose 14 (BrasilTelecom), 21 (Embratel) 41 (if you have a TIM cellphone). Note: most public telephones in Brazil are card operated (a card with 20 units costs R$6,00). Emergency numbers:

190 – Police 192 – SAMU (Health emergency) 193 – Firemen

MAIN CITIES IN BRAZIL Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, the “Wonderful City”, is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Who has never heard about “Carnaval” in Rio, the most amazing popular party in the world? Or who has never heard about the Sugar Loaf Mountain and the statue of Christ Redeemer (Cristo Redentor, in portuguese), which seems to bless the nature, the beaches, the ocean, and all the extraordinary beauties of the city? Or about the beautiful beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana, that have inspired musicians from all over the world? Or, also, who has never heard of the Tijuca National Park – the largest urban natural preservation area in the Country? Rio is all that. And much more. The city was the Brazilian capital until 1960 – when Brasilia, the current capital, was inaugurated. Because it was the capital,


concentrating much power, the city’s architectonic traces include luxurious and imposing historical constructions – that sheltered the nobility and other important personages of those times. Distance between Rio de Janeiro and Porto Alegre: 1.566 km

São Paulo São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil and it’s known throughout the country as the “business capital”. Although this is a well-deserved title, it does not reveal everything else this great metropolis has to offer. Here, it is fundamental to underscore its restaurants, its intense nightlife and the busy artistic calendar. These are responsible for prolonging the stays of those visitors who arrive in the city only to work or to participate in events and who end up surrendering to these wonders. As a starting point for your visit to São Paulo, no place better than Paulista Avenue, one of the city’s landmarks. Home to nearly 30% of the São Paulo financial centre, it is one of the districts most loved by its residents. Also, for those who wish to have the feeling of visiting the whole world in one place, São Paulo is a must destination. Immigrants from every corner of Brazil and the world can be found there. You will find Jews, Italians, Japanese, Arabs, in short, people from everywhere on the Planet. They live in communities that preserve the traditions of their countries of origin; and they live in perfect harmony with each other. Distance between São Paulo and Porto Alegre: 1.128 km

Brasília Brasília is located in the Federal District, in the central area of Brazil – the true heart of the Country -, in the State of Goiás. It was not projected just for the sake of being a new capital city. It stands out, in worldwide terms, for expressing the application of the principles established in the Letter of Athens, from 1943 - integrated into a national self-determination and development strategy. The Brazilian capital is the only city in the world, built in the 20th century, to be awarded by UNESCO, since 1987, the status of Historical and Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Brasília is the result of a modern urban project designed by Lúcio Costa. When seen from above, the city’s pilot plan resembles the shape of an airplane – many prefer to refer to it as a bird with open wings –, although the architect’s original urban concept pointed to the shape of a cross, to symbolize possession. The city’s project is, up to this day, a world reference when the issue is urban planning. The idea of spreading residential buildings around expansive urban areas, of tracing the city plan around large avenues and dividing it into sectors, has produced an intense debate and reflections on life in big cities in the 20th century. A scenario for political events, music performances and movie festivals, Brasilia is a cosmopolitan city, with around 90 embassies, a wide range of restaurants and complete infrastructure ready to host any kind of event. Not surprisingly, the city stands out as an important business tourism destination, which is a raising segment of the local economy, crowding dozens of hotels spread around the national capital. Brasilia has a little bit of every corner of Brazil. Building a national capital in the heart of the Country required a large workforce and attracted people from all corners of the nation. The result is the rich culture of Brasilia, to be appreciated today, a genuine mix uniting the most fun and welcoming people in the world. Distance between Brasília and Porto Alegre: 2.112 km

Curitiba Curitiba is a world example of town planning,education and environment. There are over 30 parks and woods with complete infrastructure for recreation and sports practice. A city of eclectic culture and strongly influenced by Italian, German, Polish and Ukrainian immigrants, from which the majority of the population is descendent. This fact is soon noticed when one arrives and observes the architecture, the gastronomy and the local habits. Distance between Curitiba and Porto Alegre: 739 km


RIO GRANDE DO SUL

MEET THE “GAÚCHOS” Rio Grande do Sul, located in the extreme southern part of Brazil, occupies an area of 282,062 sq. kms. The state has 467 municipalities, and the capital is Porto Alegre. Rio Grande do Sul is the country’s largest producer of grains and is embroiled in controversies over the cultivation of genetically modified organisms. The leather and footwear industry is also traditional in the state. History: Spanish Jesuits founded missions in 1627 near the Uruguay River, but they were driven out

by the Portuguese in 1680, when the Portuguese crown decided to exert control, creating the Colony of Sacramento. In 1687 Portuguese Jesuits established the Seven Mission Nations. In 1737 a Portuguese military expedition took over the Mirim Lake. In 1742 the colonizers founded the town of Porto dos Casais, later called Porto Alegre. The territorial struggles between Portuguese and Spaniards ended in 1801, when local inhabitants (“gauchos”) assumed control of the Seven Nations area, which they incorporated into their own teritory. In 1807 the area was raised to the category of captaincy. Large groups of Italian and German immigrants began to arrive after 1824. The society of large ranches thus began to coexist with small agricultural properties, leading to a diversification of production. During the 19th century Rio Grande do Sul was the site of federalist insurrections, such as the War of the Rags (“Farrapos”) in 1835-45, and the state participated in the war against Rosas (1852) and the Paraguay War (1864-70). Local political disputes were intense in the early years of the Republic, and it was only during Getúlio Vargas’s state administration (1928) that peace came to the state.


PORTO ALEGRE CAPITAL OF RIO GRANDE DO SUL

Who would imagine that couples coming from Açores Islands (Portugal) who would settle the regions of Missões, would fall in love for a river shore and here established at march 1772 a town called “Porto dos Casais” (Port of Couples)? Well, this is the origin of Porto Alegre, which name was changed one year later. Today Porto Alegre has about 1,5 million inhabitants who descend from more than 30 different ethnicities. Surely you’ll find someone from your country through the city or region!! It is the capital of Rio Grande do Sul (the southern State of Brazil) and it is far from: Montevidéo (Uruguai): 900km; Buenos Aires (Argentina): 1100km. The gaucho capital is in a privileged location. A strategic point within the Mercosur, Porto Alegre is the geographical centre of the major routes within the Southern Cone and it is located at equivalent distance both from Buenos Aires and Montevideo, as well as from the capitals of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Its visitors encounter an important business centre and the gateway to the major tourist attractions in the region. Visitors strolling along Porto Alegre’s streets will be surprised by its perennial vegetation, its hills, and ponds. Also dazzling is the conserved condition of its historical buildings, which give shelter to its memories and culture. But what really charms its visitors is a surprisingly harmonious match of the welcoming manner of a smaller town with the fast hustle and bustle of a large urban centre, its architecture as an icon of modern times and the cultural heterogeneity. Such is Porto Alegre, past and present constantly balanced – always accompanied by barbecues and a nice chimarrão – sort of tea made with Yerba Mate and hot water poured inside a bottle gourd. Well, the city is waiting for you to check out all these data and to find out a lot of other different things about the capital of the State of Rio Grande do Sul. Transportation: We normally use buses or micro-buses (called here “lotação”) to move from one

place to another. Most of buses go from downtown to a neighborhood and vice-versa; others go around the city. A bus pass costs R$ 2,80 and a micro-bus pass, R$ 4,20. There is also a surface metro, that works everyday from 5 a.m. to 23:20 p.m. and goes from Porto Alegre to São Leopoldo, passing through 16 stations in another cities of the metropolitan area; the unitary ticket costs R$1,70. Some APPs that can help you to go around: Moobly Porto Alegre, POA trânsito, Moovit, EasyTaxi. Also, starting 2014, Google Maps synchronized with the city’s public transportation system, which means you can easily see which buses you need to take to go anywhere in the city.

Cost of living (more info on http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/city_result.jsp?country=Brazil&city=Porto+Alegre):

Ônibus Lotação

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/city_result.jsp?country=Brazil&city=Porto+Alegre

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/city_result.jsp?country=Brazil&city=Porto+Alegre


So how much money should I bring with me?

We cannot precisely tell you how much money you should have with you (because that depends a lot on your daily habits), but taking a look at the whole booklet, specially the part about cost of living, you should be able to calculate how much you will need. You should take into account that usually we are being able to get rooms for rent for our trainees and they vary from BRL 400,00 to BRL 600,00 and most of the hosts ask for an advanced payment, so you should guarantee and reserve BRL 600,00 for rent on the first month. One other thing: your payment will only come after the first month of work, so take into account transportation, food and supplies for one full month. Besides, once you arrive you will need to go through registration at the Brazilian Federal Police and they charge you a fee of about BRL200,00 to be legalized. Refer to the final page for more info on this subject.


Electricity: Voltage in Porto Alegre is 110V. Check the electrical appliances before using. You can buy adapters very easily. You will find both of the plugs below in Brazil: Going out: All we can say is that you will figure it out the inumerous options when you arrive here

and that you won’t be disappointed! Porto Alegre has many traditional Brazilian places for you to listen to some samba and popular music, but there are also a very strong indie rock scene and places with the usual dance hits from all around the world. Squares, parks and monuments In Porto Alegre there is almost a tree for each of the 1.4 million inhabitants. Are about 1.3 million trees of 173 species only on public roads. Today Porto Alegre is one of the greenest cities in the world. There are about 571 squares, eight large urbanized parks and three conservation areas, which together account for 20.79 km2, a true oasis in the urban bustle. Praça da Encol - The square is in the heart of the Bela Vista neighborhood. Perfect to go for a walk, practice sports and meet with friends to drink chimarão during the weekend.

Parque Farropilha - The most traditional and popular park in Porto Algre , also known as Redenção. On weekends , more than 70 thousand people goes to Redenção and enjoy the nature. Located in the BomFim neighborhood, where are 8700 native and exotic trees . Also has kiosks, bars, athletic fields , multipurpose sports courts and fields and minizoo. Sundays from 9h to 17h , the park receives the Brique da Redenção, outdoor market for crafts and antiques , located at Avenida Jose Bonifacio (near the park).

New standard model Old model still available

in many buildings


Parque Moinhos de Vento - Called Parcão, is the green lung of the Moinhos de Vento neighborhood. Cut by Goethe Avenue, has two distinct environments. In the area of 11.5 hectares, the park contains lake, walking trails, jogging and rollerblading and soccer field.

Cultural Spaces

With an infrastructure of 13 cultural centers, more than 30 theaters, concert halls, 63 cinemas, about 50 museums, memorials and galleries, the city has a busy schedule during all months of the year, highlighting if some of the larger Latin American cultural events such as Visual Arts Biennial of Mercosur. Fundação Iberê Camargo: Careful with its historical and cultural heritage, is the first city in the nation

to receive the avant-garde work of Álvaro Siza . The concepts pitched the winning Portuguese architect are in the building of Ibere Camargo Foundation, radiating center of modern and contemporary art. The project received the Golden Lion at the Venice Architecture Biennale and is also an architectural framework for aggregating environmental concepts. It is located on the shores of Lake Guaiba in fenced area of native forest in the south of the city.

Museum of Science and Technology PUCRS - At the Museum of Science and Technology, more

than 800 experiments stimulate scientific curiosity and sensory exercise in adults and children. In this space of 17,500 m2 over three floors the keyword is interactivity. The museum, a true theme park, is a reference in Latin America.

Centro Cultural Usina do Gasômetro - In the building of the famous chimney, built in 1937,

operated one former generates electricity based on coal. In 1989, the City indicated the building as Labour Cultural Center, and from 1991 , its total area of 18.000m ² are open to the public. Administered by the City , has exhibition spaces , as the Iber Camargo Gallery and Gallery of Arcos, the latter solely for photographic exhibitions . On the second floor is a room Elis Regina , a real theater in honor of one of the greatest of all Brazilian singers.


ONCE YOU ARRIVE | VERY IMPORTANT

You’ve packed your backs, left your country, passed through the Brazilian immigration and are on your way to Porto Alegre. So what should you expect now? You will probably be in touch with the people of your AIESEC Host Local Committee, but just to assure you, AIESEC will be in charge of:

- Picking you up at the airport; - Introducing you to your accommodation; - Assigning somebody to show you around town and to get the required documents; - Showing you the way and accompanying you to your first day of work; - Keeping you updated on local events and giving you the support necessary during your stay.

We also want to remind you of the following info:

- Your accommodation may be a host family, a hostel, an apartment with other trainees or a rented room. We can’t guarantee which one because it all depends on the availability of the moment. The monthly rent will vary from BRL400,00 to BRL600,00 and most places require you to pay a month in advance or that you pay a fee that will be returned to you at the end of your stay if everything goes well. This fee could vary from BRL100,00 to BRL300,00. Having this said, plan your expenses accordingly to be able to bring the necessary amount of money – including your expenses with food and transportation.

- Before 30 days are completed after you arrive, the Federal Police of Brazil requires that you be legalized as a foreigner in Brazil. For this, you will need to fill out some forms (AIESEC is going to help you with that) and pay some fees that amount to about BRL250,00. So include this amount on your budget for the first month. Also on the matter of the Federal Police, be aware that you will need to reserve one full day (2 to 8 hours) to sit down and wait to be called by one of the employees. Since

AIESEC can’t always provide a person to wait with you, you will probably have to do this by yourself. We will show you the way and the people at the Federal Police are used to dealing with foreigners, so there should be no mystery about it. You should also let your employer be aware that you will need a day to do this.

- If by any chance you run out of money early in the month, AIESEC can give you an advancement on your salary, but you will have to prove that it is a case of emergency and that you are aware the amount advanced is going to be deducted from your salary on the next month.

- After you are legalized with the Federal Police there are also other documents you will need: a CPF, a bus card and a bank account. This will be done during your first month of stay with support from AIESEC, but you should expect to wait since some things take more time than other.

All of the steps above are really important and we will do our best to provide you with the best support we can. As you know, AIESEC is ran by young volunteers who believe they can have a positive impact on people’s lives, and it is part of our mission to provide a unique experience for each one of the exchange participants that choose Porto Alegre for their internship. But still, we are counting on your proactivity and will to be the owner of your experience and to take responsibility for it. This

means both AIESEC and you will work as a team, where both parts can contribute and get back the

most of each moment you spend here. It is no going to be perfect, it is probably not going to be easy, but it is going to be worth it, and, in the end, you will have changed as a person.

HAVE A SAFE TRIP AND

SEE YOU SOON!

Documents

Reception booklet Porto Alegre