Noblesville students get immersed in culture of Nova Prata, Brazil
To celebrate a six-year tradition of first-hand experiences in local history and cultural exchanges, Noblesville students Robert Brown, Christie Hanna and Michaela Haemmerle enjoyed a “trip of a lifetime” as the three recently returned from a 12-day immersive trip to Nova Prata, Brazil, as part of Noblesville’s Tri Lateral Sister Cities relationship with Nova Prata and Cittadella, Italy.
“I’d love to go back. I missed it after the day I left. It was an amazing experience,” Brown said of the trip which was from July 19 through 30.
“I want to go back and visit,” Hanna said. “It’s an opportunity to travel, take it – its life changing.”
The Noblesville Sister Cities youth program is about learning and building relationships for our countries through youth exchange. Haemmerle first was involved in the program last summer as her family hosted foreign student ambassadors including Ariella, her Brazilian friend.
“It got me hooked. The girl I stayed with this year, we already knew each other,” she said. “I took her peanut butter, pancake mix, syrup, coffee creamer and barbecue sauce. When they came here they got it and loved it.”
The goal of the exchange program is to better educate youth on the traditions of the host nation along with social and economic conditions of the nation and community.
“It makes you appreciate your country,” Brown said. “Seeing what others don’t have that you do and live with it.”
“They’re welcoming people, very family oriented,” Haemmerle said.
Students explore the city, sample local fare, and learn about the history, traditions and social and economic aspects of that city.
While the weather in Indiana was hot during their trip, it was wintertime in Brazil – despite being just one time zone different.
“It was record cold,” Brown said. “Thirty-two (degrees) there is not like 32 here since we have humidity.”
The students said one big difference is that homes in Nova Prata do not have central heat; instead residences have wall heaters which require more energy and are costly.
“It was colder in the houses than it was outside,” Hanna said.
Public service was also a big difference. Noblesville donated a fire truck to Nova Prata, which only had a fire Jeep to serve the city.
“There were only two cops in the whole town,” Hanna said.
The students said the language barrier – Portuguese – caused some problems, especially with the elder members of their host homes.
“No one speaks English in the house but the kids,” Brown said. “The home I stayed in, they watched American TV all the time, but in Portuguese.”
Nova Prata is very close with Italy, with its history and heritage. Students said most of the meals were “Italian with meat on a stick.”
“There was pasta, rice and salad every meal,” Haemmerle said, adding each meal included several meats like steak, pork, chicken and lamb. “Dinner is an event. Go at 7 p.m., eat at 8 p.m. and don’t leave till 10 p.m.”
The three said the best part of the trip was interacting with fellow students.
“They’re definitely lifelong friends,” Haemmerle said.
Sister Cities Committee member Deborah Frankel said each Noblesville traveler received a $500 grant and the Sister Cities Committee paid for their visas.
“It’s a person-to-person, people-to-people initiative. It strengthens relationships internationally,” she said. “With home stays, they’re really immersed in the culture.”
Ted Rowland of the Sister Cities Committee said the only expenses are traveling and spending money. The host city pays for housing, food and activities.
“We spend $15,000 to $20,000 when we host. Other countries’ governments pay for all of it,” Rowland said. “The committee is working on paying for the whole thing in the future. It’s one of our goals.”
Rowland said students must be 16 years old to travel and must not have started college. Cittadella will host during the summer of 2014 and Noblesville will host in 2015.
“Everyone wants to go to Italy,” he said.
The Sister Cities Committee will begin accepting applications for the Cittadella trip soon. For more information, contact Frankel at 877-3516.
Know More
Noblesville has a Tri Lateral Sister Cities relationship with Nova Prata, Brazil, and Cittadella, Italy. Each summer, student ambassadors and their chaperones travel from two partner cities to the host city. This year Nova Prata, Brazil, hosted Noblesville and Cittadella students from July 19 through 30.
Noblesville has been a part of Sister Cities International since 1996 and is one of more than 600 cities in the United States linked with 2,000 foreign cities in 336 countries. Noblesville holds a special position of being the second city in the United States to be a Tri Lateral City.
