Marina

It can only be paradise.
The air is calm and the night is warm. Waves creep up to the shore like little fingers, grasping at the sand. The buildings of the city, looming just behind you, stands in all of its glory, with its sparkling lights rivaling the waking stars above. But all of a sudden, it all changes. Just by traveling a few hundred miles north, life starts anew.

For Maria Trovao, it has become clear that things are quite different on each of the two halves of the American continent.. A native of Brazil, she immigrated to the United States in February. Upon arriving to the haven of the heartland, otherwise known as Wichita, it became apparent that common American practices can be very peculiar.

*It's almost as if knives have gone extinct. Forks have become the dominant eating utensil there. In fact, it's just about the only eating utensil there.

*The people there take great pride in their country. They seem patriotic. Too patriotic.

*The land and the food have something in common. They are both jumbo sized.

*=not direct quotes

Yes Toto, we are not in Brazil anymore. This can only be Kansas.

While its strange customs could easily scare away many visitors, Travao a soon to be senior, embraces the opportunity to come to the United States and the KU Journalism Institute. She knows English, and can speak it well. She likes the public education system in America, citing equal opportunities as the main reason. It is also easy to make friends there, she says, and the people speak to one another at a considerably lower pace. Overall, she implies that she is enjoying her time at her new home.

But still, every once in a while, Travao finds herself thinking back to her beach side home in Rio De Janero. She misses the ocean, and most of all, surfing, her favorite passtime.
It's there. Just by traveling a few hundred miles south.....

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