1.2. Introducing myself

First of all, welcome to my blog! :-)

You might be curious about my name. Clearly this is not my real name. Instead, it is my favorite park’s name, which is located in my country - Brazil. I was born and raised in the metropolitan São Paulo – the biggest city of Brazil. I have been living abroad for almost four years. While I enjoy living in the United States, the distance from my family still hurts. In addition to that, I am still trying to come to terms with the racial dynamic of the US, which is absolutely different from the Brazilian racial conceptualization.

I would say that my “communication history” started when I was still being developed. My parents always tell me that I used to kick a lot when they talked to me over the course of my mother’s pregnancy. Although my kicking response was a non-verbal communication with my parents, it was indeed some sort of powerful communication.

Life followed its course and I discovered the power of words and how I could use them in a positive or in a negative way. Later on I graduated in Journalism. Finally, this is my 2nd year as a graduate student at SJSU. As far as my progress on the graduate program goes, I have taken COMM 200, 202, 244, 274, being 244 an online class.

Altogether, I will take three classes this semester, in additon to getting started on my thesis . It is a lot going on at the same time, but fortunately my passion for what I am studying will help me along the way. As an international person, I feel I have a deep understanding and respect for cultural differences. However, there is always something else to learn. Hence, I expect to learn through your different viewpoints and ultimately, to continue doing my best in my graduate program this fall.

Thanks for your time! :-)
Ibirapuera