Mobility specification

Country:Brazil

Institution:Federal University of Bahia - UFBA

City:Salvador

Program:Freemover long-term mobility

Activity type:Traineeship

Academic year:2023/2024

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Science / Department of Anthropology

Study level abroad:Bachelor

✅Check the boxes

How would you categorize your internship?Social sciences

💼How-to: Interning abroad

How did you discover this internship opportunity?Other

Other - please specify:From a teacher in my field.

Can you describe the role you held during your internship?Anthropological field research.

What specific responsibilities and tasks did you do during your internship?Conducting field research on bodypainting among indigenous peoples of Brazil. Observation and documentation of techniques and tools used, conducting interviews with locals.

Did your tasks align with the pre-defined conditions?yes

Did the internship meet your expectations?yes

Did you apply any theory you learned at university during the internship?yes

How well did you manage to communicate in a foreign language?with great difficulty

Did the institution have any special requirements?Specific language skills

Why would you recommend students do an internship?It's a great opportunity to get some independence. I was alone in the rainforest with the indigenous people and I didn't speak the local language, so for me communication and daily interaction with the local people was quite challenging, but at the same time it gave me a lot, especially on a personal level. Of course, the internship was also beneficial for me from a study point of view. You get practice, contacts and a lot of valuable experience.

💰And how to fund it?

What were your average monthly expenses during the internship?6000 CZK/month

Did the institution provide accommodation?yes

Did you have any unexpected expenses during the internship?yes

If yes, what were they?Flu vaccination. Communication with local residents was challenging and there was confusion in traffic. The driver had mistakenly come to pick us up a few days early, so we had to pay for his hotel accommodation. In addition, I had to bring various gifts for the villagers (which I had counted on), but I also unplanned to pay for dinners, additional gasoline, and various small expenses for the villagers that continually arose during the stay.

Do you have any tips on how to save money during the internship?Not being afraid to say "no" to the locals. Of course, it's good to repay them for taking me in and letting me live with them for two months, but sometimes you have to know how to set boundaries.

🗺 Learn the ropes in a new city

How difficult was it for you to adjust to life abroad?no big deal

How well did you manage to communicate in English?not at all

How does public transport work in the city?terrible

And what about transport outside the city?terrible

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?You can ask someone from the village to give you a ride to the nearest town or shop.

Did you deal with any health issues during your stay?yes

How do you rate the availability of healthcare?I've seen better

🤠Help create the perfect bucket list

What is a must-see in the city?I was not in the city, but in an indigenous village in the middle of the rainforest. So no sights or tourist attractions. Must see is the life itself with the community, the surrounding nature and a completely different way of life than what we are used to.

What are the must-visit trip destinations?I definitely recommend going fishing with the locals using poisonous lianas and machetes.

Share your best experience:The best experience for me was probably the whole process of getting closer to the people of the village and their way of life. In the beginning, they would come up to me with a surprised look on their face that said something like, "Who is this strange looking person?" But as time went on, they naturally began to draw me into their daily lives and taught me their traditions, like making tapioca or processing acai. Part of that process is being symbolically accepted into the family. One woman introduced herself as my mother and gave me an indigenous name.

💅A nugget of wisdom to make the life easier

Did you need to handle a visa?no

How did you get to the place?Plane
Car

Is there anything to watch out for before the trip?Do not forget to address vaccinations in a timely manner. While only the yellow fever vaccine is mandatory, the recommended vaccine includes one that requires a gap of up to three months between doses.

Can you pay by card?sometimes

What not to forget when packing?Don't forget a flashlight, plenty of repellent and sunscreen. Although temperatures are high during the day, it can be cold at night, so I recommend packing warm clothes for sleeping. Then don't forget to buy a hammock, mosquito net and blanket in Altamira.

🥳Summary

Whew, what a ride! 😮‍💨 Thanks so much for taking the time to complete our survey and for sharing your unique experience. Just one last thing. 🙏 How would you summarize your trip in one or two sentences?Two months in the rainforest, with no signal and no knowledge of the local language. A truly intense and unforgettable adventure.