Goodwill is incredible !

I had never heard about Goodwill stores until last Friday. And what an amazing work people do there! Goodwill exists since 1902 and thenceforth has been collaborating with several needy sector of society.

They receive donations of stuff people don’t need more, and we were able to see one of them (not a surprise, since they receive more than a hundred contributions per day just in that Janesville store). In addiction, they also hired people with disabilities and inexperienced employees to work there.

Talking about the store itself, there are so many cheap things there. I wasn’t expecting such low prices. I liked one shirt, but unfortunately, it wasn’t my size.

So, Teri gave us a challenge: find specific things in Goodwill store. I had had to look for a belt, and dress shoes. Here are the <awkward> pictures to prove I accomplished the task.

Brazil x USA, I bet it's a tie!

There are a lot of differences between Brazil and USA. At sports, culture, eating habits, foods, and more. I'll talk more about the eating habits differences between Brazil and USA.

At Brazil, we are very used to have a light breakfast, we usually eat bread with something (most of times ham and cheese) or cereals, any of them with milk or coffee. At lunch we eat the most common meal in Brazil, rice, beans, any meat, salad and something to drink (soda, juice). At the dinner we do most of times the same as the lunch.

At the USA, as I've seen so far, it's very different. At the breakfast people can eat muffins, eggs, cereals, pancake, EVEN BACON!!!, any of them with milk or coffee. At lunch and dinner it's hard to tell, because different than Brazilians, Americans don't have a favorite/standard meal, so they can eat many different things at their meals.

I believe that both of them are very good, because I love to eat something I really like everyday, but it's also good to chance it sometimes.

GoodWill

On last Friday, we went to a GoodWill Store at Janesville. The store itself have a lot of things, and all of them were donated to them. This makes the prices very low, clothes for example can cost about 2 dollars! They have clothes, bicycles, books, cds, dvds and even vinyls!

The money that they got from it is donated for people that need help, like a widow that never had a worked before and have to sustains her children. Also they recycle things that can't be sold, so there are no waste!

An interesting fact is that the stores can have different rules from each other, depending on it's region.

Professor Teri gave as a challenge, to find 2 items at GoodWill, mine were Flowers and a Lamp!

(me trying to have a idea and turn on the lamp)

With Good Will

   On this last friday we went to Goodwill. It is like a second hand shop. The prices are very, very low. Everything is very cheaper, like a bicycle for only $12. Most part of the clothes are $3 or $4. But there is more about Goodwill that people don't know, mostly because the huge amount of money they earn and the high salaries of the CEOS. The manager was very excited about telling the history and the true meaning of goodwill. In fact Goodwill have the mission to help people. People donate things they will not use anymore and the shop sell for a cheap price and with the money they help people who can't found a job, like people with some disabilities or people without education. They employ a lot of different people giving opportunities to everyone and giving a fine salary. They also give and destination to all the things people don't wanna anymore, which is a good thing for nature and sustainability.

   On the excursion we have a challenge and we have to find two items and take pictures with then. My pictures was ridiculous, please don't laugh at me! The first item was a tie and the second a purse.

Goodwill

On Friday, we went to Goodwill to learn about how this company works. And after that, we went to Rotary's Garden.
Goodwill was built in 1902 to help poor people who does not have working experiences so they could get a job easily after it. Their mission is to help people and the environment because they are always trying to reuse, recycle and reduce. They receive the average of 100 - 500 donations per day and some of them are not good like animals and bombs. They also receive old televisions and they prefer to keep it there instead of do not accept and people throw it away in the streets or other places. In the Janesville store, they have 60-80 workers. The logo of Goodwill is called "Smiling G".
Teri gave us the challenge: find whatever is written in the paper that we took. After finding it, we took a picture and....................... here we go!

After going to Goodwill, we went to the Rotary's Garden. That place is really beautiful!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

"Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" the three words are printed on the T-shirt, which the staffs worked for Goodwill worn. I think the three words mean use things efficiently. We can keep our planet green. The staffs worked hard and happily. In fact, Goodwill is a happy company, I think. Money is not the purpose, helping is. People donate to Goodwill, and get a receipt to exchange equal value tax. Goodwill receives donations and sells to more people who need them with a cheap price. During this progress, Goodwill provides a lot of jobs to people, especially someones who are dislocated workers, or have disabilities or disadvantages find meaningful employment.
After visiting, we had a shopping time, it was a pity that I could not find something I need, but I find my challenge stuffs easily.

Change myself

To me, there is the biggest difference between China and US that I become more independent here. I must to arrange all of the affairs in the life. Renting a house, buying a car, buying grocers, paying the utilities, cooking, washing, I must solve all the problems in person. Guess what? I never cooked before I had been here. In China, my families would help me to do many things like I talked about. In fact, I could do anything, but they would like to do anything for me as a habit, and I accepted habitually. I could not tell that it was good or not, but I wanted to change. I did.

Stuck in the past

Three years ago, when I was 17, I was wondering about the big change in my life: to turn 18 years old. Turning 18 years old in Brazil is a big deal because we can start driving classes, going to parties, bars, pubs, drinking, smoking.. we become adults. I used to have freedom in my country to go wherever I want to go, drink whatever I want to drink and do everything I want based in my responsibility. I used to arrive at home at 7:00 AM, shower and ready to university! I am still wondering how I could do it and still have good grates.. Maybe because I used to study so much during the week (8:00 AM - 10:00 PM). Well, whatever.
Here am I, feeling the same thing I used to feel three years ago: no bars, no fun, no parties.. And I really like to go to parties! I don't care about alcohol or smoking or whatever.. I only want to go to party so I can have fun. At least I will become 21 here in the US and I will be able to have my fun time here.
Nowadays, I wonder if I was so anxious about my 18 as I am for turn 21. I wish all this time pass quickly!
I guess this is the difference that I am always noticing and remembering.
In Brazil, we used to eat rice and beans every day. The food here is too different. The impression that my stomach has every lunch is that I am trying to cheating: pretending that it is full but in a hour it is empty. It is hard to change rice and beans to bread. Whatever, I am happy here! I wish this could be an experience I have never had: as that what it is so far!

The google makes ME stupid

   In the past week we read the article "Is google make us stupid?" When I read this article I feel kind of stupid. Let me explain. The article talk about the way of thinking that is builded by the internet. In this new way we use more skimming and scanning, we don't read difficult and longer texts like in the past. So, this is me! In the past I usually read a lot of books. Some are really difficult. My focussing was really good. I read a 600 pages book and two days and half. Now it is difficult to me to read on chapter! I'm having lot of problems with focussing. Anything could draw my attention. It is impossible to do something with someone talking or when are music playing around. This is a huge problem! Not only to read books, but to do other things too. I spend more than 5 hours per day in the internet. I don't know how can I fix my focussing problems, but I don't wanna give up the internet. I think the only way is trying to read more books and not reading less on the internet. Hope I can do this.

I can't get more food !!!

Since I arrived here in the Whitewater, I’m always worried about the food I eat. I had gain weight, I’m sure about it. I can feel it.

 

Besides there are many similar points food here and in Brazil, there are many differences too. There we have McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Subway and other fast food franchises as well. But here in U.S., there are countless options on the menu. So many choices. And almost everything is very cheap. In addition, the worst (best?) part: free refill. We don’t have it in Brazilian restaurants. At first, I felt obligated to get at least one cup more of soda. Then I stopped. After that, I discovered that raspberry iced tea are amazing! So delicious! I hope its healthier than soda, because I’m having so much of it.

 Other interesting part is the grocery store. Some food brands like Pringles and Häagen-Dazs are very expensive and fancy in Brazil. But here, its ridiculously cheap. It’s really tempting to buy.

 

 Well, it will be a challenge stay healthy during the next year here in Whitewater.

Photos From Excursions!

在这里有一些照片从我们的旅行
Aqui estão algumas fotos de nossas viagens!
Íme néhány fénykép az utazásaink!
¡Aquí están algunas fotos de nuestros viajes!
Here are some photos from our trips! Enjoy! Feel free to copy them to keep for your own and share them with family and friends!

 THE MILTON HOUSE
  Milton, WI

Michael Fields Agricultural Institute

East Troy, WI

 
 

LIBRARY FUN!

Whitewater, WI