Immersion into the gaúcho culture was the focus
Photos: Mariana Haupenthal
During the Semana Farroupilha, the international students at PUCRS had the chance to learn a bit more about the gaúcho culture. In the evening of Sep 18, students from 11 countries were welcomed at the Centro de Tradições Gaúchas (CTG) Aldeia dos Anjos, in the city of Gravataí.
The activity served to bring international students and the invernada juvenil (a dance group comprising boys and girls) together. The academic mobility students also had the chance to learn more about chimarrão and the typical clothing. The activity also included a dance show and a live performance. Students were invited to take their first steps in Polonese, a typical French-influenced Polish dance, known as integration dance. A sumptuous dinner was served after the presentations.
In the opinion of Osvaldo Arevalo Salazar, from Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Irapuato, Mexico, Rio Grande do Sul has such a rich culture. “I found the colorful clothes women were wearing very interesting and so were the boots and hats men were wearing. The sound they make as they are walking around with their clothes on is very unique too”, says the Industrial Engineering major.
For Hugo Chircop, from Université Bordeaux Montaigne, in France, the dance show was the most interesting part of the excursion. He is attending classes at the School of Humanities. Juliane Dainat, a Hochschule Bremen major, in Germany, claims that meeting the dance group teenagers and realizing that even the youth try to keep the gaúcho culture alive and how proud they are in doing so is very gratifying. “I like the fact that PUCRS is offering us so many different options to learn more about the Campus, the city and the culture of Rio Grande do Sul”, adds she.
The activity was offered by the Office for International Cooperation and was one of the activities of integration for international students. “When we make the tough decision to live in a different country, there is nothing more enriching and gratifying than knowing and exploring the culture and local traditions so that we can feel welcomed and embraced by the target culture”, says Vitor Schaurich, Academic Mobility officer at the Office for International Cooperation.
About CTG Aldeia dos Anjos
The warm welcome given by CTG Aldeia dos Anjos made the event special and unforgettable for international students. Founded on Jan 22, 1956, the CTG is intended to revive, preserve and disseminate the culture of the gaúcho people. The center has joined several competitions and presentations in more than 15 countries around the globe, including China, Belgium, France, Italy, Turkey, Canada and the USA. In 2017, it won the Grand Prize at Cheonan World Dance Festival, in South Korea.
