Interchange Culturegrams

Transcription

Interchange Culturegrams
Culturegrams are useful in preparing the leader, junior / co-leader and Delegates to host their
partners and to be appropriate guests when they travel. Culturegrams give general information
about the country, including type of government, population, geographical features, history and
cultural details. There is also a map of the country. Details that are specific to the city and local
region where the Interchange will take place should be included.
Culturegrams are currently available for:
Americas
Brazil
Ecuador
Guatemala
Mexico
Peru
Asia Pacific
China
India
Indonesia
Europe
Austria
Portugal
Can’t find an Interchange Culturegram for your country? Why not submit your own to:
Americas: [email protected]
Asia Pacific: [email protected]
Europe: [email protected]
INTERCHANGE CULTUREGRAM
BRAZIL
CISV CHAPTERS IN Brazil: There are ten CISV Chapters in Brazil: Araraquara, Belo Horizonte,
Brasilia, Campinas, Londrina, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, São José dos Campos, São Paulo and Vitória.
OUR FLAG: The green field and yellow diamond stand for the Royal
Houses of Bragança (Emperor Pedro I) and Habsburg (Empress
Leopoldina). The blue circle represents the sky, and white stars
represent Brazil’s states and Federal District. There is a white banner
running through the blue circle with our motto,
“Ordem e Progresso” (Order and Progress).
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Portuguese
CAPITAL CITY: Brasilia
POPULATION: Almost 197,000,000 people
MAIN RELIGION: With approximately 65% of Brazilians claiming to be Catholic, Brazil has more
Roman Catholics than any other country in the world. In second place are Protestants (around 22%),
followed by non-religious people (around 8%) and other religions (5%).
CLIMATE / SEASONS: Although 90% of the country is within the tropical zone, the climate of Brazil
varies a lot. Brazil has five climatic regions: equatorial, tropical, semi-arid, highland tropical and
subtropical. The north is mostly tropical, but the regions below the Tropic of Capricorn (which crosses
the country at the latitude of São Paulo) are more temperate. Temperatures along the equator are high,
averaging above 25° C / 77° F, but not reaching as high as summer extremes found in other regions, up to
40° C / 104° F. In winter we have frost in the south, and sometimes we have snow in the mountainous
areas.
CISV Chapters
Seasons
Notes
Northeast: Salvador
Rainy Season is April-July, but
it’s almost always humid
tropical: warm and humid year-round;
lows average 21-24° C; highs average 2630° C
Central-West: Brasilia
Dry (April-September)
low temperatures average 13-16° C; high
temperatures average 25-28° C
Humid (October-March)
Southeast: Araraquara,
Belo Horizonte, Campinas,
Rio de Janeiro, São José
dos Campos, São Paulo,
Vitória
Fall/Winter (June-July)
very dry season; fog common in the
morning; sunny days; lows average 10-15°
C; highs average 20-25° C
Summer/Rainy Season
(December-January)
high moisture; hot days; lows average 1720° C; highs average 30-35° C
South: Londrina
Warm Season (October-April)
hot and humid; temperatures average 2030° C
Cold Season (May-September) still humid, but cooler; temperatures
average 13-24° C
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SPECIAL HOLIDAYS THAT WILL OCCUR DURING THE INTERCHANGE:
For all Chapters:
• June 24: Festival of São João (celebrating the birth
of St. John the Baptist)—we have street parties with
typical food, music and dancing
• December 25: Christmas
• January 31: New Year’s Eve (Reveillon)
For the Araraquara, Campinas, São José dos Campos and
São Paulo Chapters:
• July 9: holiday in the state of São Paulo to
remember the Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932
TYPICAL FOOD: A typical meal would be rice and beans, beef or chicken and salad. But each region
has several typical dishes. Brazilian cuisine uses many spices.
MEAL HABITS: We have three main meals each day, plus snacks in the afternoon. Main meals are:
•
•
•
Breakfast: bread, juice, milk, coffee
Lunch: the biggest meal of the day
Dinner: each family has its own customs
TYPICAL DAY FOR MOST PEOPLE: A typical day may vary a lot, depending on the region, family,
work, school, social and cultural conditions. But in general, we could say that for kids, most schools are
half period, either in the morning or afternoon. In the other part of the day, children might attend extra
classes in foreign languages, sports, music and arts, and do their homework. Computers and video games
are very popular with the kids.
Most adults work outside the home, usually starting from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m., depending on the occupation,
and ending from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. In big city centers (like São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro), homes might be
far from work and people may have to spend much time in cars or buses every day, leaving home very
early and coming back very late. Of course this will vary too. At home, some families like to watch TV
together, listen to music, read, or use the computer. Different families have different interests.
BASIC GREETINGS AND EXPRESSIONS: We greet friends and family with kisses and hugs.
Hello
Oi; Olá
Excuse me
Desculpe-me; com licença
Good-bye
Tchau
Sorry
Desculpe
Yes, please
Sim, por favor
Family
Familia
No, thank you
Não, obrigado
Sister / Brother
Irmã / Irmão
Thank you very much
Muito obrigado
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SPECIAL CUSTOMS: It is difficult to answer this and avoid stereotypes, but let’s try! Most Brazilians
love soccer and Carnaval. Some cultures may find that we are a bubbling people and maybe a little noisy
too.
Usually we greet people with kisses on the face—even people who we are meeting for the first time. In
some states we give one kiss; in others, we give two and in still others, three. So we have our internal
cultural differences. Young people who are close friends give great hugs. The older people are a little
more restrained.
The Brazilian way of living is not pointed out for its punctuality. But some Brazilians respect schedules,
especially in business or professional meetings. We are good hosts and very friendly people!
MONEY: Our national currency is called the Real.
WHAT THINGS COST:
•
Small Coke (350 ml can): R$ 1,50
•
•
•
•
Hamburger: R$ 5,50
Ice cream: R$ 2,00
Chocolate (180 grams): R$ 5,00
Havaianas (flip-flops): R$ 20,00 to R$ 40,00
TRAVEL INFORMATION:
•
Telephone Code: +55
•
Time Zone: There are four time zones in Brazil. The time in the parts of Brazil visited most by
foreign tourists is three hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT -3:00). This is true for all the
Brazilian CISV Chapters. During summer (December-January), all the Chapters except Salvador
have Daylight Savings Time, which moves the clock one hour forward to GMT -2:00.
•
Airports that serve Brazil’s CISV Chapters:
Araraquara
Guarulhos International Airport (GRU), São Paulo. Then you must take a bus to the Tieté
station.
Belo Horizonte
Tancredo Neves International Airport (CNF), Confins. Then you take a special bus to Belo
Horizonte, 39 km from Confins.
Brasilia
President Juscelino Kubitschek International Airport (BSB), Brasilia
Campinas
Guarulhos International Airport (GRU), São Paulo. Then you must take a bus to Campinas.
Londrina
Gov. José Richa Airport (LDB), but you must first fly into São Paulo and then take a domestic
flight to Londrina. Be careful, some flights to Londrina are from Guarulhos International Airport
(GRU), São Paulo, but other flights to Londrina come from São Paulo’s Congonhas Airport
(CGH). You can connect from GRU to CGH by bus, but check that you have enough time!
Rio de Janeiro
Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport (RIO), Rio de Janeiro
Salvador
Luis Eduardo Magalhães International Airport (SSA), Salvador
São José dos Campos
Guarulhos International Airport (GRU), São Paulo. Then you must take a bus to the Tieté
station.
São Paulo
Guarulhos International Airport (GRU)
Vitória
Eurico de Aguiar Salles Airport (VIX)
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TYPICAL HOUSES: In the large cities, most people live in tall
apartment buildings. But people also have detached houses with
gardens.
LOCAL TRANSPORTATION: Cars, buses, metro (subway),
taxis, bicycles, motorcycles…you will see it all in Brazil!
FAMOUS ARTISTS:
•
Helio Oiticica: painter, sculptor, performance artist
•
Tarsila do Amaral: painter best known for nationalistic expression in a modern style
•
Oscar Ribeiro de Almeida Niemeyer Soares Filho: architect who is considered one of the most
important names in international modern architecture. He pioneered the use of reinforced
concrete for aesthetic purposes.
•
Chico Buarque: singer, guitarist, composer, dramatist, writer
•
Carlos Gomes: composer
FAMOUS FLORA OR VEGETATION (PLANTS): Our national flower
is the blossom of the Ipé tree.
FAMOUS FAUNA (ANIMALS): Just to name a few: toucan, monkey, leopard, sloth…
FAMOUS SPORTS: Football (soccer) is the national sport, of course! Famous teams include the
Corinthians, Palmeiras, Flamengo, Botafogo, Cruzeiro Ponte Preta and Guarani. Brazil has won the FIFA
World Cup five times, more than any other country (as of the last one in 2010).
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GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT BRAZIL: Brazil is a very large country that occupies a great deal
of the South America map. Portuguese is spoken here as a result of the colonization by Portugal. Today
Brazil is divided into 26 states that are grouped to form five regions: North, Northeast, Central West,
Southeast and South. Because of the country’s size it is very common to hear that we have too many
different habits and cultures. That is right, but this is becoming less so now that the globalization process
is spreading all around the world. Cultural aspects like clothes, dances and foods are becoming just a folk
stuff. People and their lifestyles are, sadly, getting more and more alike. But there are still slender
differences, and we can point out these highlights of the Brazilian regions:
•
North: Amazon region where the Indians’ cultural
aspects are more present. This region is known for its
ecological issues, the forest and its importance to our
planet’s climate. We don’t have CISV Chapters in this
region.
•
Northeast: This is the place where the tourist industry is
more present, especially at the coastline. We have axé,
music, forró, very spicy food (including lots of fish).
Going to the inner part of this region we reach the
‘cangaço’, a very dry and poor place, with another kind of
food using goat meat and milk. Unlike the people who
live near the coast, the people of the inner region are quiet
and circumspect. We have one CISV Chapter here,
Salvador, Bahia (the state capital).
•
Central West: This region is changing a lot—the population is increasing, the cerrado forest is
being replaced by soy plantation, and this is one of our controversial environmental/political issues.
The population here is shy and reserved; we call them ‘vaqueiros’ (somewhat like cowboys). We
have one chapter here, Brasilia, which is also our national capital.
•
Southeast: The Brazilian population is more concentrated in this region. Here we have four
main states: Rio de Janeiro, Espirito Santo, Minas Gerais and São Paulo. CISV Chapters in this
region are Belo Horizonte (capital of Minas Gerais); Rio de Janeiro (the capital of the state with
the same name); four in São Paulo State (Araraquara, Campinas, São José dos Campos and São
Paulo city); and Vitória (capital of Espirito Santo). This region has a strong influence of European
immigration that took place in the beginning of the 20 century.
th
•
South: We have one chapter here, Londrina, which is a city in the state of Paraná. The cultural
and historical aspects of Paraná are very similar to what you find in São Paulo state.
WEBSITES WITH INFORMATION ABOUT BRAZIL:
•
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/brazil-guide/
•
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazil
•
http://www.v-brazil.com/
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MAPS OF BRAZIL:
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SPECIAL INFORMATION ABOUT BRAZIL’S CISV CHAPTERS
Araraquara, Campinas, São José dos Campos and São Paulo: These four CISV
Chapters are all in the state of São Paulo, so we’re writing about them together. São Paulo was not the first
place to be developed in our country. At first the Portuguese just occupied the coastline, in the Northeast.
The first people in our area settled in the port of Santos, and the village that would became São Paulo city
(the state capital) was founded in 1554 by Jesuit priests. São Paulo today is the largest city in South
America, but it did not become an large or politically influential place until the mid-1800’s, when coffee
production gave it importance. The coffee plantations needed slave labor, but when the abolition process
became a reality, immigration was highly stimulated. So, we have many cultures that came to live and
work here, from Italy, Spain, Japan,
City
Founded Population (2011)
Portugal, Germany, Poland, Russians
Araraquara
1817
almost 209,000
and Arabians, among others. All the
cities in our state with CISV had their
Campinas
1774
almost 1,100,000
initial development because of the coffee
1767
almost 650,000
production, and all have the influence of
São Paulo
1554
just over 11,000,000
more than 100 years of immigration.
Araraquara
Campinas
São Paulo
Belo Horizonte: The capital of the state of Minas Gerais has a population of nearly 2,500,000 people.
The first settlements in the region took place in the early 1700’s, but the city as it is known today was
planned and built in the 1890’s to replace the previous state capital, Ouro Preto. The city, inspired by the
design of Washinton, D.C., USA, is known for its contrasting contemporary and classical buildings. Belo
Horizonte is a leading cultural center, with more than
nine universities, a historical museum, numerous
libraries and sports stadiums. Several large parks with
native forests are home to many species of animals in
the area surrounding Belo Horizonte.
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Brasilia: Our national capital city and its district are located in the Central
West region of Brazil along a plateau called ‘Planalto Central’. Its population of
more than 2,500,000 makes it Brazil’s fourth largest city. As the capital, Brasilia
is the seat of all three branches of the Brazilian government. It is has the
headquarters of many Brazilian companies, such as the Banco do Brasil, Caixa
Econômica Federal, Correios and Brasil Telecom. The city is a model for urban
planning—its planned design includes large avenues and sectors for specific
purposes. The city was planned and developed in 1956 with Lúcio Costa as the
principal urban planner and Oscar Niemeyer as the main architect. When seen
from above, the main planned part of the city resembles an airplane or butterfly.
Brasilia is commonly referred to as ‘Capital Federal’ or ‘BSB’, and the people who
live there are known as ‘brasilienses’ or ‘candangos’.
Londrina: The only CISV Chapter city in the state of Panará, and in Brazil’s South region, Londrina
was founded by British settlers. More than 500,000 people live in Londrina. It is a regional center made
up of commerce, services, agro-industries and
universities. The State University of Londrina, UEL
(Universidade Estadual de Londrina) is famous for the
quality of teaching, and attracts students from all over
the country.
Rio de Janeiro: Brazil’s second largest city is the state capital (population more than
6 million), and was the national capital for nearly two centuries (during the Portuguese
colonial era and after independence). Commonly known as just ‘Rio’, it is also
nicknamed ‘A Cidade Maravilhosa’ (‘The Marvelous City’). Rio is famous for its
beautiful natural setting, its Carnival celebrations, samba and other music, and hotellined tourist beaches such as Copacabana and Ipanema. Some of the most famous
landmarks in addition to the beaches include a giant statue of
Christ, known as ‘Christ the Redeemer’ (‘Cristo Redentor’)
atop Corcovado mountain and named one of the New Seven
Wonders of the World; Sugarloaf Mountain (‘Pão de Açúcar’) with its cable car;
the ‘Sambódromo’, a giant permanent parade stand used during Carnival; and
Maracanã Stadium, one of the world’s largest football stadiums.
Salvador: São Salvador da Baía de Todos os Santos (‘Holy Savior of All
Saints’ Bay’) is a city in the Northeast coast of Brazil and the capital of the state of
Bahia. Salvador is known as Brazil’s capital of happiness
due to its easygoing population of nearly 3 million, as well
as its countless outdoor parties, including a street carnival.
The first Colonial capital of Brazil, it was also known as
Bahia (same name as the state). Salvador is known for its cuisine, music and
architecture, with a Colonial historic district (‘Pelourinho’), declared a World
Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985, providing a sharp contrast with the modern
sprawl of a modern city. The metropolitan population is the wealthiest of the Northeast region of Brazil.
Over 80% of that population is of Black African ancestry.
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Vitória: Like all the other CISV Chapter cities in Brazil, Vitória is a capital, in
this case of the state of Espirito Santo. It is located on a small island in a bay
where a few rivers meet the sea. Founded in 1551, the city proper (35.9 square
miles) has a population of around 313,000. In 1998 the United Nations rated
Vitória as the fourth best state capital in Brazil to live in, based on ratings on
health, education and social improvement projects.
FACES FROM BRAZIL
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ECUADOR
“ From tropical rain forests to snow on the equator,
spectacular scenery and villages untouched by time”
Ecuador is located in the western part of South America.
(South and East) and the Pacific Ocean at the West.
Borders: Colombia (North and East), Peru
Its name stands for the equatorial line that crosses through the country. We are one of the 17 megadiverse countries according to Conservation International. We have the most biodiversity per square
kilometer of any nation.
Ecuador has four natural regions: Coast, Highlands, Amazonian jungle, and the Galapagos Islands.
CISV CHAPTERS IN ECUADOR: Quito is the only chapter in Ecuador.
OUR FLAG:
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Spanish, but we have indigenous communities that speak other different
languages like Quichua, Shuar, Huorani, and others.
CAPITAL CITY: Welcome to Quito! UNESCO declared it the very first World Heritage Site in 1978
(along with Krakow, Poland). It has the best-preserved and least altered historic center in Latin America.
POPULATION: Around 15.000.000 habitants; nearly 3.000.000 live in Quito.
Page 1 of 5
MAIN RELIGION: Catholic
SEASONS: Weather in Ecuador is unpredictable. There are only two seasons, wet and dry. Local
weather and temperature patterns vary greatly depending, especially, on the altitude.
Galapagos and Coast: hot and rainy between January to April, warm and dry between June to September.
Amazonia jungle experiences rain year around, high temperatures.
Quito and Highlands: spring-like temperature all year round (10 -27 C degrees). Rains a lot in February,
March, April, May; nights can be chilly and mid days hot. You can experience the 4 seasons in the same
day; June to December is drier and temperatures don´t vary that much.
SPECIAL HOLIDAYS THAT WILL OCCUR DURING THE INTERCHANGE: Most of our
Interchange second phases take place in December-January, so Christmas and New Year’s can be
experienced by our visiting delegations.
TYPICAL FOOD: Potatoes, corn and bananas are the ingredients of many of our typical foods. Mote,
morocho, chulpi, tostado are different kinds of corn. You will try humitas, tamales, and empanadas made
out of white corn. Potatoes are included in many dishes like locro (potatoe soup), llapingachos (potatoe
patties). We have around ten different kinds of bananas, you can eat them cooked or raw, salty or sweet,
fried or baked.
Pork is the main type of meat. Seafood is very common, too. You must try the cebiche, made out of fish,
clams, oysters, shrimp, and lobster. White rice is a mandatory side dish.
MEAL HABITS:
•
Breakfast: Includes all the imaginable fruits to eat or to drink as delicious juices. Sure you will try
for the first time exotic fruits that are found only here in this world´s region (naranjilla, taxo,
granadilla, mora, chirimoya, tomatillo, claudia, guanábana , babaco, mangos, figs, etc), delicious
fresh bread, cheese, fruit jelly, cereals, and Ecuadorian coffee.
•
Lunch: This is the main meal. In the majority of homes soups are mandatory and there are
usually three or four courses.
•
Dinner: Light, can include chicken, fish, hot dogs, tuna, meat and salad. Desserts are important
in our meals, too. Fruity ice cream, banana bread or cake, fruit pies, mousses, sweet turnovers,
pastries, etc.
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TYPICAL DAY FOR MOST PEOPLE: During the weekdays most adults go to work on a daily basis,
from 8 or 9 am until 5 or 6 pm.
Schools have almost the same schedule, from 8 till 4. Afternoons are dedicated to extracurricular
activities: sports, music, dance, foreign languages, and more.
Weekends are familial time. We love to get together with our extended family; grandparents, uncles,
aunts, cousins and sometimes neighbors and friends gather for meetings and reunions that can last all day.
Visiting places near Quito is typical, too. Farms in highlands, country clubs in the surrounding valleys, the
rain forest, volcanoes, picnics near the protected areas, lakes, BBQs, or scenic train trips are the most
common activities.
SPECIAL CUSTOMS: Christmas is very special. We practice something called LA NOVENA nine
days before Christmas where we pray, sing, and eat. This is done in the evenings in a different home. It´s
a joyous time, especially for children because they receive small gifts, candy, drink hot chocolate, and eat
sweet treats and pastry.
On Christmas Eve, families gather together to exchange gifts and share dinner. Turkey, ham, tamales,
pristiños, sweet potatoes, ponche and other family specialties are part of this celebration. At midnight,
baby Jesus is settled in a hay bed, the center of a Nativity Scene, that has been built days before simulating
a town with houses, animals, plants, etc.
Next day, happy and excited children find their presents under the Christmas tree. In most families these
gifts are delivered by Baby Jesus instead of Santa.
Family Vacations start. Beaches – warm water, hot weather, coconuts, fish, and tropical music - are
preferred by most of us living in the highlands. A 4-5 hours long trip and the Pacific Ocean are there to
enjoy!
New Year is something you must live!! People make big dummies filled with wood chips representing
all kinds of characters. At midnight they are burned and everybody jumps over the fire and dances
around. Fireworks color and light the skies. It is a huge and unique celebration.
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BASIC GREETINGS AND EXPRESSIONS: We Ecuadorians are huggers and kissers. A cheek kiss
is usual when we greet each other, even to just introduced people. Men just shake hands when they meet
one another. Morning and good night kisses are usual among family members.
Hello
Good morning
Good-bye
It’s cold
It’s hot
Children
Mother/Father
Nice! Cool!
Good night
Hola
Buenos Días
Chao
Achachay
Arrarray
Guaguas
Mama/Papa
Chevere
Buenas Noches
MONEY: Since 1990 our currency is the American dollar.
WHAT THINGS COST:
•
Small Coke: $0.75 (USD)
•
One baguette (bread): $1.00
•
One ice cream: $1.50
•
One chocolate bar: $1.00
•
Big Mac, hamburger: $5.50
•
Small souvenir ‘chiva’ (typical party bus): $4.50
TRAVEL INFORMATION:
•
Telephone Code: +593 (then 2 for Quito); +593 9 for any mobile
•
Time Zone: GMT -5:00
•
Airport and/or Train Station: Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO)—The airport is
located in the middle of the city. Another bigger and modern airport is being build in one of the
valleys near the capital. It will be ready by June 2013.
FAMOUS SPORTS: Our national sport is soccer. Liga de Quito and Deportivo Quito are the
major teams in the capital.
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ECUADOR IS FAMOUS FOR: The colorful handicrafts, the Panama hats, huge variety of roses,
paintings by artists like Guayasamin, churches, volcanoes, Galapagos Islands, giant tortoises…but mainly
for the warmth of its people!
WEBSITES WITH INFORMATION ABOUT ECUADOR:
•
www.lonelyplanet.com/ecuador
•
www.ecuaworld.com/discover
•
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecuador
•
www.ministeriodeturismo.ec
MAP OF ECUADOR:
WELCOME TO ECUADOR. IT’S MAGIC!
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GUATEMALA
‘the land of the Eternal Spring’
(known in the Mayan-Toltec language as ‘the land of the trees’)
Guatemala is considered a biodiversity
‘hotspot’. Its former Mayan civilization
continued through the Post Classic
period until the arrival of the Spanish.
We owe the amazing stone temples
located in Tikal to the Mayan civilization.
Currently, Guatemala is divided into 22
departments and sub- divided into
around 334 municipalities. Nonetheless,
the most relevant urban activity takes
place in Guatemala City. In Guatemala you will be able to notice different costumes being wore amongst
the indigenous people. This is because their costume represents their
town and this is how they are used to recognize themselves. Amongst the
indigenous, you can hear 21 different languages; the most known are:
K’iche’, Q'eqchi', Kaqchiquel and Mam.
CISV CHAPTERS IN GUATEMALA: Guatemala City is our National
Association’s only Chapter.
OUR FLAG: The blue in our flag stands for the sky and the sea.
The white symbolizes peace. In the middle you can see a coat of
arms that includes the bird El Quetzal (our national bird), and a
scroll that reads, ‘Libertad 15 Septiembre de 1821’ (our day of
independence from Spain). It includes a pair of crossed rifles and
swords as a symbol of our country being able to defend itself. All of
these are framed by olive leaves.
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Spanish
CAPITAL CITY: Guatemala City
POPULATION: almost 14,000,000
MAIN RELIGION: Around 60% of Guatemala is known to be Catholic. Over the last years there has
been a major growth of Protestant religion (especially Evangelical).
SEASONS:
Rainy Season (Mid-May – October)
Day: 15-28° C / Night: 10-14° C
Dry Season (November – April)
Day: 12-22° C / Night: 5-12° C
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TYPICAL FOOD: Guatemala counts with a diversity of
typical food. You can find meals with rice and beans, eggs
and beans, as well as some more elaborate typical food
like ‘tamales’, chuchitos’ and ‘pupusas’. Our country is
also known for the variety of typical candies (‘canillitas de
leche’, ‘marzapan’, ‘tamarindo’ and others).
MEAL HABITS: All the meals depend on the family traditions, but usually include the following:
•
Breakfast: eggs, beans, cereal, bread, yogurt, fruit
•
Lunch: chicken, meat, potatoes, rice, pasta, vegetables, salads
•
Dinner: eggs, chicken, vegetables, sandwich, cereal
•
Snack: Before dinner we usually grab a snack with family or friends, have something salty or
sweet to eat with some juice, coffee or tea.
The major meal of the day depends on the family traditions and whether the kids are going to school or
not.
TYPICAL DAY FOR MOST PEOPLE: A typical day for most people in Guatemala starts with waking
up early in the morning. Kids are at school by 7:30 a.m. and adults head off to work. In school, kids
receive their classes, have a short recess followed by lunch (either in the cafeteria or from their
lunchboxes), then more classes until around 2:00 or 3:00 p.m. (depending on the school). Next, they are
off to their extracurricular activities (in school or outside the school). Kids are usually part of a team or
practice some of their hobbies (dancing, playing sports or playing some instruments). Here they gather up
with different people and friends.
On the other hand, the people at work get some time to have lunch at around 1:00 p.m. and they finish
work around 4:00 p.m. Then, depending on their responsibilities, they join their kids, go to hang with
friends, or practice any hobbies.
By 6:00 p.m. kids are back home. They do their homework (if they haven’t already done it right after
school), and around 8:00 p.m. the family usually sits together to have dinner.
On the weekends, kids and adults get together with their friends and family and enjoy going to eat outside
the home, visiting the mall, going outside the city to the beach, the lakes (Atitlán or Amatitlán), or any
outdoor activities around the city.
BASIC GREETINGS AND EXPRESSIONS:
Good morning
Buenos días
Thank you
Gracias
Good afternoon
Buenas tardes
You are welcome
Denada
Good night
Buenas noches
Yes / No
Sí / no
Hello
Hola
Family
Familia
Good-bye
Adiós
Page 2 of 6
SPECIAL CUSTOMS: The most celebrated customs in Guatemala involve the festivity of ‘Holy Week’
(Semana Santa, in April) and ‘The Day of the Dead’ (El Día de los Muertos, in November).
During Semana Santa, kids usually get a week
off from school and families and friends get
together to watch the processions that happen
all around Guatemala. Some families
participate in creating the rugs (made of flowers,
sawdust, sand and fruits), where the processions
will then go by. Religious people participate in
the different rituals that happen during this
week.
El Día de los Muertos is known in Guatemala as the day when people visit their
loved ones at the cemetery and decorate the graves and honor their lives.
During this celebration, the town of Sumpango has enormous hand-built kites
right next to the cemetery, which are then set to fly. A lot of people gather to observe how the kites fly, as
well as to admire the details on the bigger kites.
MONEY: Our currency is called the Quetzal.
WHAT THINGS COST:
•
Small Cokc, Q6.00
•
One baguette (bread): Q5.00
•
One ice cream: Q12.00
•
One chocolate bar: Q10.00
•
A ticket to the movies: Q36.00
•
Small typical hand-made bag: Q35.00
Page 3 of 6
TRAVEL INFORMATION:
•
Telephone Code: +502
•
Time Zone: GMT -6:00
•
Airport and/or Train Station: Partners should arrive at La Aurora International Airport in
Guatemala City (GUA). Here they will be picked up by the assigned family.
Once you are here, you will notice as you go out of the airport that there are a lot of commercial areas,
and a great movement of cars and public buses. You will be taken through the area where there are some
business centers, some shopping malls and places to eat and hang out, such as Oakland Shopping Mall.
TYPICAL HOUSES: As your hosts drive you through the city from the airport, you will notice there are
some residential areas with houses, but mainly commercial buildings. But then you will see fewer
commercial areas and more roads and residential places.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT GUATEMALA: The farther from the city you go, the more you will
be able to see our beautiful active volcanoes. You will see many green areas, since Guatemala is known
for preserving flora and fauna. You will be able to see different tree species and flowers around residences
and streets. We are lucky to have among our beautiful lakes Lago de Amatitlán and Lago de Atitlán.
Other sights include ancient Mayan ruins in Tikal and around the country. Aside from this you will notice
Guatemalan people are very humble and polite.
FAMOUS ARTISTS: You will notice throughout your stay here that Guatemalans support a lot of
national talents. Right now, we are famous for two great singer/song-writers: Ricardo Arjona and Gaby
Moreno.
Page 4 of 6
FAMOUS FLORA OR VEGETATION (PLANTS): Two kinds of
flowers that you will see are Bugambilia and many kinds of orchids.
We are known for being one of the places in the world where a big
tree called La Ceiba is found. This one held a lot of symbolism for the
ancient Mayas.
FAMOUS FAUNA (ANIMALS): We have some characteristic animals from Guatemala: our national
bird, El Quetzal, the Jaguar and the Coatimundi.
TWO FAMOUS SPORTS: Guatemalan people enjoy watching and playing sports. Soccer is the most
popular sport in Guatemala. Internationally, the two sports that have been recognized outside Guatemala
are marathon runners and long distance precision shooting.
WEBSITES WITH INFORMATION ABOUT XXX: If you wish to find out more about our country, we
invite you to visit the website made especially for tourism in Guatemala:
•
http://www.inguat.gob.gt/
You may also visit the following page for some facts about Guatemala:
•
http://larutamayaonline.com/guatemala_facts.php
And, CHECK IT OUT! We are on the 2012 Places to Visit by National Geographic:
•
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/guatemala-guide/
Page 5 of 6
MAP OF GUATEMALA:
Guatemala City at Night
Lago de Atitlán
Historic Antigua
Welcome to our country!
Bienvenidos a nuestro país!
Page 6 of 6
MEXICO
CISV CHAPTERS IN MEXICO: There are three CISV Chapters in Mexico: Querétaro (the only
chapter that does Interchange), Mexico City and Tampico
OUR FLAG: Three colors make up our flag: green, white and
red. On the center white stripe is our national coat of arms. The
coat of arms is based on an Aztec legend telling the story of the
founding of the capital city Tinochtitlan (now Mexico City). The
design shows an eagle holding a serpent in its claws. The eagle is
sitting on a prickly pear cactus that is on a rock above a lake.
CAPITAL CITY: Mexico City
POPULATION: Mexico has approximately 112,337,000 inhabitants.
SEASONS: In Mexico there are two main seasons. Although there is some change in temperature over
the year, the most obvious difference is between rainy and dry seasons. The rainy season through most of
Mexico is approximately May through September or October. During the rest of the year there is little or
no rain. Temperatures range from lows of 7-15° C to highs of 22-30° C.
SPECIAL HOLIDAYS THAT WILL OCCUR DURING THE INTERCHANGE: None!
TYPICAL FOOD: Tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, tamales…
MEAL HABITS: Three main meals:
•
Breakfast, around 8-10 a.m.
•
Lunch (biggest meal of the day), around 2-4 p.m.
•
Dinner, around 9-10 p.m.
TYPICAL DAY FOR MOST PEOPLE: In the morning kids go to school and parents go to work, in
most families both parents work, in some families the mom stays at home. Kids get out of school around
2:30 p.m. Families in Mexico eat lunch together around 3 p.m. Parents go back to work and kids
sometimes go to extracurricular activities such as sports, arts, etc. Families do things together in the
afternoon like watch a movie, go out, etc. In the evening, families eat dinner around 9 or 10 p.m. It’s not
usually a strong meal but it depends more on the family.
In the weekends families normally go out to eat or to hang out. They visit relatives, friends, etc. Sunday is
the day normally to go out and spend time with the family or go somewhere to visit. Everything is open in
Mexico. Some families go to church on Sundays.
During Interchanges we encourage parents to be around as much as possible, so they can spend time with
the kids. Normally they take some time out of work to spend more time with the kids, show them around,
meet the family and friends, go to reunions, etc.
Page 1 of 4
Good morning
Buenos días
Thank you very much
Muchas gracias
Good afternoon
Buenas tardes
You are welcome
Denada
Good night
Buenas noches
Yes, please
Sí, porfavor
Hello
Hola
No, thank you
No, gracias
Good-bye
Adiós
Family
Familia
Excuse me
Disculpe
Sister / Brother
Hermana / Hermano
Sorry
Perdon
MONEY: Our national currency is the Mexican Peso.
1 USD = approximately 13.5 pesos
WHAT THINGS COST:
•
Small Cokc, 10 pesos ($0.75)
•
Hamburger: 45 pesos ($3.40)
•
Ice cream: 15 pesos ($1.15)
•
Chocolate: 10 pesos ($0.75)
•
Souvenir key ring: 15 pesos ($1.15)
•
T-shirt: 150 pesos ($11.15)
TRAVEL INFORMATION:
•
Telephone Code: +52 (for Querétaro, add city code ‘442’)
•
Time Zone: Central Time Zone (GMT/UTC +6:00)
•
Airport and/or Train Station: Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City (MEX),
with flights from all over the world, is the biggest in the country. It’s 3 hours from Queretaro. The
bus from Mexico City’s Airport to Queretaro Bus Terminal costs 260 pesos (USD 19.40). This is
the easiest way to get to Queretaro from Mexico City, and is very safe. Families pick delegates up at
the Bus Terminal.
Querétaro International Airport (QRO) has flights from some parts of the United States (Houston,
Atlanta). This airport is 20 min from the city. When delegations arrive there families pick them
up.
TYPICAL HOUSES: People normally live in houses, not apartments.
LOCAL TRANSPORTATION: CISV families use private cars; delegates may sometimes use public
transportation, but only when accompanied by an adult.
Page 2 of 4
FAMOUS FLORA OR VEGETATION (PLANTS): Cactus (more than 1000
varieties), orchids, avocado, bougainvilla…
FAMOUS FAUNA (ANIMALS): Monkeys, geckos, iguanas,
toucans, parrots, flamingos, crocodiles…
FAMOUS SPORTS: Football (soccer) is our most popular sport. Some national teams: America,
Chivas, Gallos Biancos (from Querétaro). Most families have a favorite team.
WEBSITES WITH INFORMATION ABOUT MEXICO:
•
http://www.visitmexico.com/wb/Visitmexico/Visi_Home?show=regions
•
http://www.visitmexico.com/wb/Visitmexico/Visi_Queretaro
•
http://www.spanishcourses.info/cities/33_queretaro_EN.asp
MAP OF MEXICO:
Page 3 of 4
IMAGES OF QUERETARO
IMAGES OF MEXICO
Page 4 of 4
PERU
CISV CHAPTERS IN PERU: Peru has only one CISV Chapter, in the capital city of Lima.
AIRPORT: Delegations should arrive at the Jorge Chavez
International Airport in Lima (LIM).
TIME ZONE: GMT -5:00
OUR FLAG: The Peruvian Coat of Arms, centered on the flag’s
white field, is divided into three sections. One section shows a
vicuna, which represents Peru’s animal kingdom and is the national
animal of Peru. Another section shows a quinine tree, the national
tree of our country. The third section is a cornucopia, which
represents Peru’s mineral richness.
CAPITAL CITY: Lima
POPULATION: approximately 29,500,000 people
SEASONS: In Peru, which is in the southern hemisphere, we have four seasons according to the
calendar:
•
Spring (September 23 – December 21)
•
Summer (December 22 – March 21)
•
Autumn (March 22 – June 21)
•
Winter (June 22 – September 22)
However, in Lima the temperatures fall into only two categories: summer (22 to 30° C), and all the rest of
the year, which has winter temperatures (12 to 26° C). In the winter it feels even colder because of the
humidity.
SPECIAL HOLIDAYS THAT WILL OCCUR DURING THE INTERCHANGE: On December 24 ,
we celebrate Christmas. Families get together and prepare a dinner for everyone and wait until 12 o’clock
(midnight). On December 31 , we celebrate New Year’s Eve. Normally we spend time with family, go to
the beach, or any other party going on in the capital.
th
st
Page 1 of 4
TYPICAL FOOD: Our food is mainly about rice, meat and potatoes. Since we are close to the coast, we
have a variety of seafood. These are some pictures of our famous food:
Lomo Saltado
Aii de gallina
Anticucho
Cerviche
MEAL HABITS: Our big meals are at lunch (12 pm - 2 pm) and dinnertime (6 – 7 pm). We usually
have 3 meals a day like breakfast, lunch and dinner. Since parents work until late, families get ready to eat
together at dinnertime.
TYPICAL DAY FOR MOST PEOPLE: Saturdays are days that people usually don’t go to work. We
do the shopping; the families do everything together, like going out for lunch or dinner, mostly just
families’ activities.
SPECIAL CUSTOMS: We have many special customs. Our traditions and customs
involve our music, food, among others. To begin with a typical music from here is
‘huaylas’. This dance represents the strength of women and men of the mountains.
They wear colorful costumes that change color depending on the area they come from.
Another typical dance of the Peruvian jungle is the dance of the
anaconda. This dance represents the strength of the man, especially
when out hunting wild animals. She exudes sensuality in the dance.
As the area of the Peruvian rainforest is very hot, she is not used to
wear too much clothing. People use accessories made of some plants to cover certain
body parts.
The last typical dance is from the coast. Many years ago, in the time of the conquest,
many slaves were prisoners here coming from Africa. Since their rights weren’t
respected they found a way to have fun or to express feelings of freedom through their
dances with a lot of rhythm.
Hello
Good-bye
Yes / No
Please
Thank you
Hola
Adiós (or Chau)
Sí / No
Por favor
Gracias
Excuse me
I’m sorry
Family
Where is the bathroom?
I feel sick
Permiso
Perdón / Disculpas
Familia
Dónde está el baño?
Me siento enfermo (a)
Page 2 of 4
MONEY: Our currency is Soles. 2.58 Soles = $1.00 (US)
WHAT THINGS COST:
small bottle or can of Coke
hamburger
ice cream
chocolate bar
Key chains (unit)
Pins (unit)
Magnets (unit)
S/. 2.50
S/. 10.00 or more
S/. 2.50 or more
S/. 2.00
From S/. 1.50 – 3.00
From S/. 1.00 – 2.50
From S/. 1.00 – 3.00
TYPICAL HOUSES: In the city we can find houses with good materials,
especially buildings, since the lack of space and massive population growth make
the buildings look as if they are heading up into space.
LOCAL TRANSPORTATION: We can see all kinds of transportation as taxis.
Taxis are found around the city but it’s more secure to call a company to pick
you up. Since Lima is a bigger city, taxis charge more money because of the long
distances.
Buses and combis are part of public transportation. In Lima there are several routes to get to your
destination. We have the ‘Metropolitano’. Those buses connect a lot of parts of Lima, even though
places are far away.
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT OUR SOCIETY: Peru is a democratic republic in which raw
freedom of expression and respect for human rights coexistence with peaceful tolerance of ideas. The
majority of Peruvians are Catholic, and highlight moral values taught by the Church. Peruvian society is
multicultural, traditional and modern fusionist.
FAMOUS PEOPLE:
GianMarco Zignago
is a
singer/composer.
He is well known in
other countries too. He has
composed several songs for
famous singers.
Paolo
Gaston Acurio is a
Guerrero is
chef. His main goal
a soccer
was to make known
player. He
Peruvian food. That’s
is playing right now for the
why he has many restaurants in
Corinthians from Brazil. The last Peru and all around the world.
team he played on was Hamburg
from Germany.
Mario Vargas Llosa is a famous writer.
He is author of many best-seller books.
He has won a Literature Nobel Prize.
Juan Diego Flórez, was awarded
Best Singer by Opera Magazine in
Castell de Peralada Festival in
Spain.
Page 3 of 4
FAMOUS FLORA OR VEGETATION (PLANTS): Among the species used for ornamental and
landscape we can mention the ‘ficus’, ‘tipa’, ‘poinciana’, ‘freno’, ‘eucalyptus’ and various fruit trees. Corn
is a plant of Peru, and in the past was the main staple food of the Inca consumption.
FAMOUS FAUNA (ANIMALS): Peru has many interesting
animals in the wild, such as the vicuña (the national animal),
llamas, alpacas, jaguars, monkeys and beautiful birds and frogs.
We have domestic animals as pets.
TWO FAMOUS SPORTS: In Peru, soccer is a really famous sport. We have lots of popular teams,
such as:
• Universitario de Deportes (it has a famous stadium)
• Alianza Lima (it has its own stadium too)
• Sporting Cristal
WEBSITES WITH INFORMATION ABOUT PERU:
•
www.promperu.gob.pe
•
www.peru.com
•
www.peru.info
•
www.peru.travel
MAP OF PERU:
Peru is next to the Pacific
Ocean. Our neighboring
countries are Ecuador,
Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia
and Chile.
Page 4 of 4
CULTUREGRAM
China
The full name of our country is People’s Republic China. It is
located in East Asia, south of Mongolia and the Siberian
landmass, west of the Korean Peninsula and Japan, north of
Southeast Asia, and east of Central and South Asia. Lands that
border China include Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burma, India,
Kazakhstan, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal,
Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Vietnam.
China covers about 9,596,960 square miles, of which almost 70 percent is mountains, hills and
highlands. One of China's mountains, Mount Everest, is the highest in the world, while another is also
one of the world's highest mountains. In the five main mountain ranges in China, seven of peaks are more
than 8,000 meters above sea level. The country's topography also includes plateaus, basins, plains, and
hills. While most of China is in the northern temperate zone, the entire country does have a very varied
climate. The south is tropical while the north is cold, and the Himalayan Mountains experience subarctic temperatures.
CISV CHAPTERS IN CHINA: We have two CISV chapters in China—one is Guangzhou Chapter, the
other one is Xi’an Chapter.
OUR FLAG: About our flag, we want to talk more.
While there have been several Chinese national flags
throughout history, today’s flag was introduced in 1949,
when the People's Republic of China was formed. China's
original flag, introduced in 1872, featured a blue dragon
on a yellow background. After the 1911 revolt, the flag
changed to five different colored stripes. Our flag is a red
flag with five stars. Four smaller stars curve around a big
one. Our flag is very beautiful!
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Our first language is standard Chinese. Today there are hundreds of ethnic
groups in China, as well as several different languages. Most of the languages in China belong to the SinoTibetan language family. These languages are spoken by 29 ethnicities, of which there are several different
dialects. Dialects include Mandarin, Wu, Yue, Min, Xiang, Gan, and Hakka. China boasts one of the
world's oldest civilizations, and is one of the first countries to have evidence of a written language. Until
the 20th century, classical Chinese was the written language of choice, and allowed people from all
different regions with all different dialects to communicate.
CAPITAL CITY: Our capital city is Beijing, a very old city. Inhabited for more than 3,000 years, it serves
as way more than the country's political hub; it is China's cultural center as well. Beijing began as a trading
town in 1121 B.C., due to its location near the border between Manchuria and Mongolia. Because of its
Page 1 of 8
CULTUREGRAM
location it was also subject to many invasions, before the Mongols, under the reign of Genghis Khan,
conquered the city for good in 1215. It was formally given the name of Beijing and declared the imperial
residence and capital of China in 1406.
Today, Beijing boasts a number of attractions that UNESCO designates as being of significant cultural or
historical importance. The primary tourist attraction, the Imperial Palaces of the Forbidden City, with its
grand entrance, the Tiananmen Gate, is considered the epitome of imperial architecture and is listed as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. While Beijing is certainly rich in history, visitors shouldn't forget that it's
also a modern, contemporary city that offers much more than sightseeing. In addition to being home to
the world-famous Beijing Opera and the Lao She Tea House, Beijing offers world-class hotels and
restaurants. It also offers a unique shopping experience. A trip to Beijing is not complete without visiting
one of its many flea markets and bargaining for goods such as coral, turquoise, and pearls
POPULATION: The population in China is the world’s largest, about 1.3 billion. The average annual
net increase of elderly population is 800 million, which exceeds the number of the new born population.
By the end of 2010, there were about 33 million elderly people with partial and complete disability in
urban and rural areas. By 2015, the number of China’s elderly people over 60 years old will be up to 216
million, and those over 80 years old will be up to 24 million. The problem of caring for elderly people is
getting more and more significant.
MAIN RELIGIONS:
•
Buddhism—The Way of Chinese Buddhism is a middle way: a path (8-fold)
away from “suffering” (dukkha) and toward abiding joy (nirvana). Brought to
China from India, the middle way, as a general practice, sought to avoid the
pitfalls of living according to false views (false dichotomies).
•
Traditional Taoism—Three parts: The Way of Heaven
(Tian), Humanity (Ren) and Earth (Kun)
•
Laozi’s Daoism (modern)—The most commonly known
concept revolves around Yin and Yang:
Yin
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
feminine
“what is not”
dark
receptive
non-action
earth
death
Yang
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
masculine
“what is”
light
creative
active
heaven
life
Page 2 of 8
CULTUREGRAM
CLIMATE AND SEASONS: The differences in Chinese climates are vast, depending on the location of
the provinces. The climates vary from tropical and subtropical in the south of the country, up to the near
frozen climates of the Northern provinces. Most of the land in between is temperate, but extremes of
weather still occur with the different seasons. Winter is dominated by cold, dry northern winds, whereas
the summer winds blow in from the lower latitudes, making them warm and humid.
The different climates are demonstrated by examples such as the Nanling Mountains, where there is
plenty of rain and heat all year round, compared with the river valleys of Huaihe and the Yangtze, where
the four seasons are distinct, or many of the northern provinces where rainfall is limited because of the
seasonal extremes. These extremes are evident in the northern province of Heilongjiang, which lacks a
summer season, and Hainan Island, which has a hot, summer climate constantly.
TYPICAL TEMPERATURES IN GUANGZHOU: Guangzhou is situated in a subtropical monsoon
climate zone. The average temperature of a year is from 21.4℃ to 21.9℃. In general, the temperature in
November is from 15.7℃ to 24.4℃ and the relative humidity is from 30% to 70%. The precipitation is
lower and the weather is drier in November. Trousers, shirt and T shirt is suitable, but it is best for you
with a coat.
SPECIAL HOLIDAY: In China Spring Festival is a very important festival. The spring festival is the first
month by lunar calendar and the beginning of our New Year. During Spring Festival everyone can do
special shopping, light fireworks and do special paper-cutting art. People wear new clothes and eat
chicken, vegetables, and lots of delicious food. They can light the firecrackers and fireworks at night. In
the evening they eat dumplings and watch TV. On the beginning of New Year, children go to pay New
Year's calls and get lucky money. People wish their relatives happy.
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CULTUREGRAM
OTHER TRADITIONAL FESTIVALS:
•
Dragon Boat Festival—to show respect to the ancient poet named Qu Yuan. We eat Zongzi and
have dragon boat competition.
•
Qingming Festival—to show respect to the ancestor. We go to clean the graveyard.
•
Mid-autumn Festival—for the family to get together. We have a big meal and mooncakes and watch
the full moon.
•
Lantern Festival—for the family to get together. We usually have lantern puzzles and eat rice
dumplings.
TYPICAL FOOD: In most of China, rice is the staple food. It can be served at breakfast, lunch or dinner,
with fruit, sugar or vegetables to flavor it. Chinese dishes often feature a variety of vegetables. This offers
more complete nutrition in the face of not always having meat. Tofu is an important source of protein,
derived from soybeans. When meat is served in a dish, it is cut into small pieces so everyone can have a
little.
With rice or noodles as the base, dinner in China might include peppers, scallions, water chestnuts, snow
peas and eggs. For people living near the coast, shrimp and fish may be more plentiful. Pork and chicken
are the most commonly eaten meats. If eggs are scarce, they can be stretched by scrambling them and
drizzling them into chicken or vegetable broth for egg drop
soup. Won ton wrappers, made of wheat or rice flour, are
filled with small amounts of meat and vegetables, then fried,
steamed or boiled for an easy-to-eat snack. Meals are usually
served "family style" with the food in large dishes in the
middle, from which each person takes a portion. Stir-frying
vegetables and meat serves the purpose of conserving fuel
because the food is cooked quickly. It also preserves the color, flavor and nutrition of vegetables.
On special occasions, the Chinese serve delicacies like Peking duck, which includes little pancakes filled
with meat. They like to serve mildly sweet foods like moon cakes and almond cookies. Complicated
dishes are reserved for birthdays and festival days. One specialty called Buddha Jumps over the Wall can
have up to thirty ingredients and take two days to prepare.
MEAL HABITS: Three meals a day. The biggest is lunch. We
usually have a light breakfast before 8:00 am, lunch from noon-1:00
pm, and dinner after 6:00 pm.
People have meals at the table and dishes are served with plates on
the table. People eat with chopsticks; each person has one bowl and
fetch the food as they like from the plate. After meals people
usually have tea in southern areas of China.
Page 4 of 8
CULTUREGRAM
TYPICAL DAY FOR MOST PEOPLE:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
6:00-7:00 get up
7:00-8:00 breakfast
8:00-12:00 work / school
12:00-14:00 lunchtime and nap
14:00-18:00 work / school
18:00-20:00 dinner
20:00- 22:00 family time
SPECIAL CUSTOMS:
•
•
•
Cheong-sam (旗袍）is a traditional example for clothes.
Chinese people regard red as lucky color, and regard dragon as the symbol of power.
In some special occasions, such as weddings, funerals, moving into a new house, people often set
off fire crackers.
Hello
Ni Hao (Nee how)
Good-bye
Zai Jian
Yes, please
Hao de, xie xie (How de, she she)
No, thank you
Bu, xie xie
Thank you
Xie xie (she she)
Excuse me
Bu hao yi si
I’m sorry
Dui bu qi
Family
Jia 家庭, 家人
Sister / Brother
Jie mei/Xiong di
你好
再见
好的, 谢谢
不, 谢谢
谢谢
不好意思
对不起
姐妹, 兄弟
MONEY: Our national currency is RMB (Yuan ￥)
WHAT THINGS COST:
•
•
•
•
•
Small bottle or can of Coke: 3 Yuan
Hamburger: 15 Yuan
Ice cream: 2-15 Yuan
One chocolate: 2-10 Yuan
Movie tickets: 80 Yuan for a regular
film, but 120 Yuan for 3D (students can
get 50% off)
•
•
Small souvenirs
o Paper-cut art (one, size A4): 10 Yuan
o Silk lipstick box: 5 Yuan
o Chinese knot (small): 10 Yuan
o Silk fan: 10 Yuan
o Bamboo chopsticks: 5 Yuan/pair
Most parks and museums are free
Page 5 of 8
CULTUREGRAM
TRAVEL INFORMATION:
•
Telephone Code: +86
•
Time Zone: In spite of its vast size, all of China is in one time zone,
•
Airport for Guangzhou: Baiyun International Airport (CAN), 30 minutes from city center
TYPICAL HOUSES:
Apartment buildings in the city
Housing in the countryside
LOCAL TRANSPORTATION: bus, subway, taxi, light railway
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT OUR SOCIETY:
LAWS:
•
Drive on the left
•
One Child policy (because of the large population)
FAMOUS PEOPLE:
Gongli, actress
Tony Leuang, actor
Jackie Chan, kung fu actor
Yaoming, basketball player
Ziyi Zhang, actress
Lina, tennis player
Page 6 of 8
CULTUREGRAM
FAMOUS FLORA OR VEGETATION (PLANTS): metasequoia, bamboo, peony, chrysanthemum
FAMOUS FAUNA (ANIMALS): pandas, golden monkeys, Chinese sturgeon, Manchurian tigers, South
China tigers
FAMOUS SPORTS: table tennis, badminton, gymnastics, diving
WEBSITES WITH INFORMATION ABOUT CHINA:
http://sacu.org/china.html
http://www.chinaodysseytours.com/guide/intro.htm
http://www.west-meet-east.com/index.htm
http://en.youth.cn
OTHER REFERENCES:
http://cisvchina.org/
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/index.html
http://english.china.com
http://www.warriortours.com
Page 7 of 8
CULTUREGRAM
MAP OF CHINA:
Page 8 of 8
Culturegram
INDIA, known as BHARAT
CISV CHAPTERS IN INDIA: Delhi Chapter, Mumbai Chapter, U.P. (Uttar Pradesh) Chapter (based
in the city of Lucknow)
OUR FLAG:
The three colours of the flag are
•
Saffron, which stands for sacrifice
•
White, which stands for peace
• Green, which stands for prosperity
A distinct feature of the Indian flag is the ASHOKA CHAKRA in the centre with 24 spokes in it.
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Hindi, in Devnagri script
CAPITAL CITY: New Delhi
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Culturegram
POPULATION: Approximately 1,210,000,000 (the world’s second largest)
MAIN RELIGION: Hindu is the main religion. But India is a secular country with diverse religions being
practiced, like Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Sikhism and Jainism.
SEASONS:
Summer
April-June
Day: 38-45° C
Night: 18-22° C
Autumn
July-September
(humid climate)
Day: 34-38° C
Winter
October-January
Day: 10-20° C
Spring
February-March
Day: 20-24° C
Night: 3-7° C
Night: 10-14° C
Night: 18-22° C
•
June/July: Summer breaks from school
•
December/January: Winter break / Christmas and New Year’s
TYPICAL FOOD: The food is categorized as vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Various Indians are
vegetarians on account of religious beliefs or because of their likes and dislikes.
Vegetarian Food
rice, lentils, beans, vegetables, flour, breads, etc.
Non-vegetarian food
chicken, mutton, fish (and other seafood),
combined with rice, vegetables, breads…no beef
MEAL HABITS: We eat four times a day:
•
Breakfast
•
Lunch
•
Evening tea
• Dinner
Our biggest meal depends on the nature of the jobs of
individuals and also depends on their own eating habits.
Page 2 of 8
Culturegram
•
Early rising
•
Morning walk / pranayam / yoga
•
Morning bath
•
Prayer before a Holy Idol / Muslims offer Namaz
•
Breakfast between 8:00 am to 9:00 am
Paranthas (plain or stuffed shallow fried round breads), milk and cereals, fruits, toast, curd/yoghurt
•
Leave for school /work
•
Home cleaning (mostly done by mothers with the help of domestic helpers)
•
Cleaning and laundry is done everyday
•
Lunch from between 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm at home/workplace/school consisting of Chapatis,
pulses, vegetables, rice, salads, curds, pickles
•
Leave from school for home at about 2:30 pm
•
Children join mothers at home for lunch. Mothers usually eat after the children have eaten
•
Siesta
•
Evening tea/milk/snacks
•
Kids do homework till about 5:00 pm
•
Play outdoor games till about 6:30 pm
•
Shower (in summers) and study from 6:30 to 8:30 pm
•
Dinner at about 8:30 pm
•
Watching TV from 9:00-9:30 pm
•
Lights out 9:30 pm
SPECIAL CUSTOMS: The younger ones in the home touch the feet of the elders the first time they
greet them in the day and also before going to bed each night.
BASIC GREETINGS AND EXPRESSIONS: Welcome / Hello
Good-bye
Yes, please
No, thank you
Thank you
Excuse me
I’m sorry
Family
Sister / Brother
Namaskar
Alvida
Jee Haan
Nahin Dhanyavaad
Dhanyavaad
Maaf kijiye
Mujhe maaf karein
Parivaar
Bahen / Bhai
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Culturegram
MONEY: Indian currency is called Rupees. 50 Rupees = approximately $1 (USD). The symbol for rupees:
1000
500
10
100
1
5
50
2
20
1
WHAT THINGS COST:
500 ml Coke,
25 (about 50 cents)
1 liter water,
15 (about 30 cents)
Chocolate,
50 (about $1)
Hamburger,
75 (around $1.50)
Ice Cream,
50 (about $1) Indian Souvenirs:
Madhubani Paintings,
750 (about $15)
Pottery,
400 (about $8)
Crystal Taj Mahal,
750 (about $15)
Bangles,
300 and up (about $6 an up)
Sandalwood Crafts,
1000 (about $20)
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Culturegram
Travel Information:
a. Telephone Code: +91
b. Time Zone:
There is only one time zone in India. India is five and half hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time
(GMT) which means that if it is 1.00 pm in Greenwich it will be 6.30 pm in every place in India.
c. If you are going to Delhi then you need to arrive in India at New Delhi whose airport code is
DEL.
If you are going to Mumbai then you need to arrive in India at Mumbai whose airport code is
BOM.
If you are coming to Lucknow, you should plan to arrive in New Delhi (DEL) as it is the nearest
International Airport to Lucknow. You can then take a one-hour domestic flight to Lucknow
(LKO). All International Airlines arrive and depart from New Delhi’s International Terminal
which is also called Terminal 3. (www.newdelhiairport.in)
Important: Do book all your luggage only up to Delhi and not up to Lucknow. Once you arrive
in Delhi you should claim your luggage and then move to the domestic airline’s counter for
checking-in into the flight for Lucknow. These domestic airlines at the Terminal 3 are Indian
Airlines, Kingfisher, Jet Lite & Jet Connect.
If you are flying Spice Jet, Go Air or Indigo to Lucknow then you need to change airports and
reach Terminal 1D which is about 30 minutes away from Terminal -3. There is a complimentary
shuttle service between the two airports run by a company called GMR (you will find this printed
on the sides of the buses).
Please do note that you need to keep at least a difference of 5 hours between arrival and departure
flights from Delhi to Lucknow and also for the return journey while in Delhi.
For detailed costs and schedules please do visit www.yatra.com
The approximate cost of each ticket each way between Lucknow and Delhi would be Rs 2,500, if
you book much in advance.
Though we do not recommend rail travel, you could always visit www.indianrail.gov.in for more
details. There are some overnight trains from Delhi to Lucknow and from Lucknow to Delhi. It is
approximately 8 hours either way during the day journey and 10 hours overnight. The distance is
500 kms. Each ticket either way would cost approximately Rs 1,500 (in highest class) and about Rs
800 in the economical class.
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Culturegram
TYPICAL HOUSES: In India, there are different types of houses according to the varied climactic
conditions. There are flat roofs in the plains, sloping roofs in hilly areas and areas of high rainfall. Mostly
joint families with grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins stay in one big house with lots of noise and fun.
LOCAL TRANSPORTATION: There are various means of local transportation, such as autos, buses,
local trains. In larger cities like Delhi or Kolkata, you will find metrorail, rickshaws, trams, etc.
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT OUR SOCIETY: The Indian society is a blend of various
cultures. It is multifaceted and has multifarious groups. There is a lot of ethnic and linguistic diversity, as
well as economic disparity. It is a blend of rural and urban population, and generally a male-dominated
society. There is mostly a “joint family” system, in which extended family members like grandparents,
aunts, uncles and cousins all live in the same home. Marriage is an important aspect in everyone’s life.
LAWS: Laws in India vary from section to section. Cows cannot be killed. Girls are not allowed to stay
out late at night. Smoking and drinking are prohibited in public places. We must cover our heads while
going to Gurudwara (Sikh temples).
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Culturegram
FAMOUS ARTISTS:
•
Pandit Ravi Shanker, sitar player
•
Hari Prasad Chaurasia, flutist
•
Zakhir Hussain, tabla player
•
Lata Mangeshkar, singer
•
Amitabh Bachchan, Bollywood actor
•
Late M. F. Hussain, painter
OUR TWO MOST FAMOUS SPORTS:
•
Cricket
•
Hockey
FAMOUS FLORA OR VEGETATION:
•
Deciduous forests—teak, sal
•
Rain forests in coastal areas—mahogany, ebony
•
Tropical forests
FAMOUS FAUNA:
•
Asian elephant
•
Bengal tiger
•
Asiatic lion
•
Leopard
•
Indian rhinoceros
WEBSITES WITH INFORMATION ABOUT INDIA:
•
http://www.facts-about-india.com
•
http://india.gov.in
•
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India
•
http://www.incredibleindia.org
Page 7 of 8
Culturegram
MAP OF INDIA:
Page 8 of 8
INDONESIA
CISV CHAPTERS IN INDONESIA: Cendrawasih and Krakatau (both are in Jakarta)
OUR FLAG:
Red for bravery
White for purity or truth
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Bahasa Indonesia
CAPITAL CITY: Jakarta
POPULATION: more than 242,000,000 (2011)
MAIN RELIGION: Islam
TYPICAL TEMPERATURES: 25° - 28° year-round
Christmas and New Year
TYPICAL FOOD: rice, chicken, seafood
MEAL HABITS: We eat three times a day: breakfast at 7 a.m., lunch at 12 noon, and dinner at 7 p.m.
•
Adults go to work 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
•
Kids go to school from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., and have some extra courses afterward (English, math,
piano, ballet, swimming).
•
Everyone goes to bed around 10 p.m.
SPECIAL CUSTOMS:
•
Respect older people by greeting them
•
Use right hand (not left) to give or receive things
•
Wear proper clothes to public places
•
Be polite and say ‘thank you’ and ‘sorry’
Page 1 of 4
Hello!
Good Bye!
Yes, please.
No, thank you.
Thank you very much.
Excuse me.
Sorry.
Family
Sister / Brother
Apa Kabar
Selamat Tinggal
Ya, Terima Kasih
Tidak, Terima Kasih
Terima Kasih Banyak
Maaf
Maaf
Keluarga
Adik (younger) / Kakak (older)
MONEY: Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)
WHAT THINGS COST:
•
Coke: approximately 50 cents (US$)
•
Hamburger: about $2
•
Ice cream: from 20 cents to $3
•
Chocolate bar: from 20 cents to $2
•
Small souvenir key chain: $1
TRAVEL INFORMATION:
•
Telephone Code: +62
•
Time Zone: GMT +7
•
Airport: Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Cengkareng (CGK), for both CISV Chapters
LOCAL TRANSPORTATION: We normally use our own cars as daily
transportation, but we do have public transportation such as Busway, taxi, train.
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT OUR SOCIETY: Indonesia, located
in Southeast Asia, is a nation consisting of more than 17,000 islands. Only
6,000 of these islands are inhabited by people. Our country was colonized by
the Dutch in the 1600’s and was united as one nation after almost 300 years of Dutch control (1945). Our
first president, Sukarno, was ousted in a coup in 1965. After an authoritarian rule for the next 30 years,
we have made a slow recovery to democracy. We are the largest Muslim country in the world, and we
face many regional and religious challenges among our provinces.
Indonesia has many rich people, but many poor people too. In large cities like Jakarta, you will find big
houses that may be more expensive than houses in Beverly Hills, California. But you will also see slum
areas with homeless people living on the streets. Beggars go from car to car at intersections, and even
children appear to wash the car’s windscreen in exchange for some money. Indonesia is also a land of
natural beauty and kind-hearted people who will show you the best hospitality possible.
Page 2 of 4
LAWS: Indonesian laws are based on a civil law system, intermixed with customary laws (that is, laws
from the customs of the many islands) and Roman Dutch law. Foreign influences from India, China and
Arabia have had great influence in the customary laws (adat). Some places observe sharia law (religious
law of Islam), while others are still following customary animistic laws (in which animals and plants have
spiritual significance).
FAMOUS PEOPLE:
Anggun – International Disney
Movie Star
Tania Gunadi
Singer
FAMOUS FLORA OR VEGETATION (PLANTS):
Rafflesia Arnoldi
(Flower)
FAMOUS FAUNA (ANIMALS):
Orang Utan
Komodo Dragon
FAMOUS ATHLETES:
Taufik Hidayat
(Badminton Athlete)
Christ John
(Boxing Athlete)
Page 3 of 4
WEBSITES WITH INFORMATION ABOUT INDONESIA:
•
http://www.indonesia-tourism.com/
•
www.indonesia.go.id
•
www.lonelyplanet.com/indonesia
•
www.cisvindonesia.org
Page 4 of 4
AUSTRIA ( ö STERREICH)
CISV CHAPTERS IN AUSTRIA: There are four: Graz, Linz, Klagenfurt and Vienna.
OUR FLAG:
National flag
National Coat of Arms
Coats of Arms of
all Federal States
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Austrian German, which has some vocabulary differences from standard
German. Standard German is more or less a second language to Austrians.
CAPITAL CITY: Vienna
POPULATION: Approximately 8,400,000
MAIN RELIGION: Roman Catholic is predominant, around 65%. Islam represents about 6%,
Lutheranism around 4%, and the remaining 25% accounts for ‘other or none’.
SEASONS: Austria enjoys four seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. The climate in Austria is
widely continental with the Eastern edge of the country stretching into the Pannonian climate zone. It is
typical for Central Europe with cold winters (going down to minus 20 degrees Celsius during the night)
and hot and sunny summers (going up to 35 degrees Celsius during some days in August). For
Americans: this means that winter lows and summer highs range from about 0 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
The coldest months are January and February, the hottest July and August.
SPECIAL HOLIDAYS THAT WILL OCCUR DURING THE INTERCHANGE: None
MEAL HABITS:
•
Breakfast is generally from 7:00-9:00 a.m.
•
Lunch is from high noon until 2:00 p.m.
•
Dinner is usually from 5:00-8:00 p.m.
Page 1 of 6
TYPICAL FOOD: Austria's cuisine is famous for its well-balanced variations of beef and pork and many
kinds of vegetables. There is also the "Mehlspeisen" Bakery, which creates special delicacies such as
Sachertorte (a cake), "Krapfen" which are like doughnuts usually filled with apricot marmalade or custard,
and "Strudel" (such as "Apfelstrudel" filled with apple, "Topfenstrudel" filled with a type of cheese curd
called "Topfen", and "Millirahmstrudel", milk-cream strudel).
Typical Austrian dishes include Wiener Schnitzel, Schweinsbraten, Kaiserschmarren, Knödel, Sachertorte
and Tafelspitz. Eierschwammerl dishes are also popular. The "Eierschwammerl", also known as
"Pfifferling", are native yellow, tan mushrooms. Austria is also famous for its Mozartkugeln and its coffee
tradition.
If you get a chance be sure to stop at a "Buschenschank" or
“Heuriger”. There you'll also get great food: order a "Brettljause", but
not if you're vegetarian, or fond of small portions, because what you'll
receive is a circular wooden tray stacked high with an enormous range
of cold meats, and perhaps garnished with horseradish shavings
(Kren).
In addition to native regional traditions, the cuisine has been influenced by Hungarian, Bohemia, Czech,
Jewish, Italian, Balkan, and French cuisine, from which both dishes and methods of food preparation have
often been borrowed. The Austrian cuisine is therefore one of the most multicultural and transcultural in
Europe.
TYPICAL DAY FOR MOST PEOPLE: For pupils school starts between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m. Normally
it ends between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. Usually after school the kids come home directly but if the parents
want them to stay in school under supervision they can do so too.
Normally parents are at work from 8.00 to 5:00 p.m.
SPECIAL CUSTOMS:
•
Yodeling, which was developed in Austria
•
Folk dancing: Ländler, Schuhplattler, Polka and Waltz are
typical dances
•
Fastnacht: Carnival celebration in the spring
•
Most public holidays are based on the Roman Catholic
calendar. Some Austrian states also have their own special
holidays.
Page 2 of 6
Good Morning
Guten Morgen
Sorry
Entschuldigung
Good Day
Guten Tag, or
Grüss Gott (‘sgott)
Excuse me
Entschuldigung (for attention)
Verzeihung (for bumping you)
Good Evening
Guten Abend
Thank you (very much)
Danke (sehr)
Good Night
Gute Nacht
You’re welcome
Bitte
Good-bye
Auf wiedersehen
Family
Familie
Yes, please
Ja, bitte
Sister / Brother
Schwester / Bruder
No, thank you
Nein, danke
MONEY: Euro €
WHAT THINGS COST:
•
Coke (,33 can): €0,65 - €1,00
•
Hamburger: €1,00
•
Ice cream: €1,10
•
Chocolate bar (100 g): €0,85 - €2,45
TRAVEL INFORMATION:
•
Telephone Code: +43
•
Time Zone: CET (Central European Time), which is UTC +1:00 (in Summer, UTC +2:00)
•
Airport and/or Train Station:
•
Graz
Graz Airport (GRZ), or Graz Central Railway Station
Linz
Linz Airport (LNZ), or Linz Central Railway Station
Klagenfurt
Kärnten Airport (KLU), or Klagenfurt Central Railway Station
Vienna
Vienna International Airport (VIE), or several Railway Stations
Electricity: 230V / 50Hz
Plug C is ungrounded and has two round prongs. Plug E is similar to C except it is
round and has the addition of two grounding clips on the side of the plug. This is
referred to as "Schuko" style.
Page 3 of 6
TYPICAL HOUSES:
Traditional
More Modern
LOCAL TRANSPORTATION: cars, buses, trams…and Vienna has a subway
Apartment Building
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT AUSTRIA:
Austria is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic, Germany,
Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The Alps and many lakes give Austria
her natural beauty.
Austria is divided into nine federal states, and each state has its own distinct culture. Here is a short
explanation about the states with CISV Chapters:
•
Graz Chapter: Graz is the second largest city after Vienna and has a long tradition as a student
city: its six universities have more than 44,000 students. Graz is the capital of the state of Styria,
located in the southeast part of Austria. Styria is green and has lots of forests, giving it the
nickname ‘Green Heart of Austria’.
•
Linz Chapter: Linz has a university for industry and economics. Around Linz you’ll find a huge
amount of important industrial sites, such as VOEST (hydropower equipment). Each year the
citizens of Linz celebrate the famous composer Anton Bruckner on the banks of the Danube
River. Linz is the capital of the state of Upper Austria (Oberösterreich), in the northern part of
Austria. This state is mountains in the south and forest and hills in the north.
•
Klagenfurt Chapter: Klagenfurt is located at the famous lake called Wörthersee. It is Austria’s
6 largest city and is home to a university. Klagenfurt’s economy depends mainly on tourism. It is
the capital of the state of Carinthia (Kärnten), in the south of Austria. Carinthia has a typical
landscape of mountains and lakes.
th
•
Vienna Chapter: The city of Vienna is both the national capital and capital of the state by the
same name, Vienna (‘Wien’). Vienna is famous for its historic district and culture. Many
international institutions have their headquarters in Vienna (OPEC, UNO, embassies…). There
are more than 100,000 students in the various universities, which are mostly located close to the
historic center. Vienna is the only city of Austria with a subway.
LAWS: Austria has a Youth Protection Act, which is very strict and differs some from state to state.
Please ask your LIC for further information! Smoking is strictly prohibited for youths under the age of 16.
Page 4 of 6
FAMOUS PEOPLE:
•
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), composer
•
Niki Lauda (b. 1949), Formula 1 World Champion
•
Dietrich Mateschitz (b. 1944), founder and CEO of Red Bull
•
Elfriede Jelinek (b. 1946), winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature
•
Falco (Hansi Hölzl, 1957-1998), composer of rock music
•
Arnold Schwarzenegger (b. 1947), former body-building champion, Hollywood actor and former
Governor of California, U.S.A.
•
Thomas Vanek, professional hockey player (born in Baden, raised in Graz)
•
Hermann Maier (b. 1972), famous skier
FAMOUS FLORA OR VEGETATION (PLANTS):
•
Trees: oak, beech, fir, pine
•
Flowers: edelweiss, Alpine carnation, Alpine rose, heather
FAMOUS FAUNA (ANIMALS): deer, rabbit, pheasant, fox, chamois
TWO FAMOUS SPORTS: Alpine skiing, snow-boarding
WEBSITES WITH INFORMATION ABOUT AUSTRIA:
•
References for this Culturegram:
o http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austria
o http://wikitravel.org/en/Austria
o http://wikitravel.org/en/Wien
o http://wikitravel.org/en/Klagenfurt
o http://wikitravel.org/en/Linz
o http://wikitravel.org/en/Graz
o http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Travel-g190410-s604/Austria:Important.Phrases.html
o http://www.360travelguide.com/Austria/languages.asp
•
Another website with information about Austria: http://www.austria.info/us
Page 5 of 6
MAPS OF AUSTRIA:
Page 6 of 6
PORTUGAL
CISV CHAPTERS IN PORTUGAL: There is only one Chapter in Portugal, Lisbon.
OUR FLAG:
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Portuguese
CAPITAL CITY: Lisbon
POPULATION: Approximtely 10,800,000
MAIN RELIGION: Around 93% of Portuguese consider themselves Catholic. We do have a synagogue
and a mosque in Lisbon, in case a participant might want to attend services while here.
SEASONS:
•
Summer: In Summer Time, we have hot temperatures during the day and at night it gets a little
bit cooler but not that much. Some times at night we can have a light breeze. We tend not to have
rain during the summer, but one never knows! The temperatures are around 30-35° C and 20-25°
C during the night.
•
Autumn: The temperatures are around 15-22° C and chill at night. The rain starts to come and
it can get a bit windy also.
•
Winter: We get rain some days and in the Northern parts of the country, we can get some
snowfall. Temps around 10° C.
•
Spring: Temps back up to 20° C and only some days will have rain.
Thunderstorms are rare during the whole year.
SPECIAL HOLIDAYS THAT WILL OCCUR DURING THE INTERCHANGE: We don’t have any
holidays in July.
TYPICAL FOOD: We are a traditional Mediterranean country so we have a lot of
fish and vegetables at our table. We also have soup at lunch and/or dinner. Lettuce,
tomato, onion will be in (almost) every salad dish you could order. We also eat pork
meat, beef, veal and chicken.
MEAL HABITS: Small breakfast in the morning, lunch at around
1 p.m. (consists of whole meal: soup, meat/fish with potatoes, rice and salad, desert),
snack at 5 p.m. (bread, milk, yogurt, ham, cheese) and dinner at around 8 or 9 p.m.
(same as lunch).
Page 1 of 5
TYPICAL DAY FOR MOST PEOPLE: For business people the working hours are usually from 9 a.m.
to 6 p.m. School can be from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
SPECIAL CUSTOMS: We are a Latin culture mixed with Catholic traditions, as this is the main
religion in Portugal. Family is the center of our society and no Portuguese can get away from his/her
family! 
Food is also the center of everything. When we meet family, friends and even for work, a meal is always
the main set of decisions. We spend long hours of our lives around the dinner table!
Hello!
Olá!
Excuse me
Com licença / Desculpe
Good-bye
Adeus
I’m sorry
Desculpe / Desculpa
Yes
Sim
Family
Familia
No
Não
I feel sick
Estou doente
Please
Por favor
Friends
Amigos
Thank you
Obrigado / Obrigada
Love
Amor
Where is the bathroom?
Onde é a casa-de-banho?
MONEY: Euro €
WHAT THINGS COST:
•
Small Coke: €1,00 - €1,50
•
Hamburger: €3,00 / McDonald’s cheeseburger: €1,00
•
Ice cream: €1,50
•
Chocolate bar: €1,00
•
Postcard: €0,10 - €0,25
TRAVEL INFORMATION:
•
Telephone Code: +351
•
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +0
•
Airport and/or Train Station: Lisbon International Airport (LIS)
TYPICAL HOUSES: We have a lot of detached houses in Portugal, but in the city area we live mostly in
flats.
Page 2 of 5
LOCAL TRANSPORTATION: Car, trams, metro, trains, buses, boat
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT OUR SOCIETY: We have been a democratic nation since 1974
after the “Carnation Revolution” that brought down a 40-year old dictatorship. We have a republican
government (Republic was implemented in 1910) with a President, Prime Minister and a Parliament.
Although we see ourselves as traditional we have been extremely open to contemporary issues. We
legalized abortion around a decade ago and gay marriage is now a reality.
FAMOUS PEOPLE:
•
Amália (pictured) and Mariza, Fado singers (Fado is a traditional Portuguese genre of music)
•
José Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo (pictured), football coach and player
•
Paula Rego, artist (work pictured)
FAMOUS FAUNA (ANIMALS): U.S. President Barack Obama and his family have a Portuguese
Water Dog living with them in the White House.
FAMOUS SPORTS: SL Benfica, Sporting, FC Porto. Football (soccer) is our main sport. We are also
known for having a good rugby team.
WEBSITES WITH INFORMATION ABOUT PORTUGAL:
•
Official promotional video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13JzhYcS0mw
•
“No Reservations” in Portugal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sC73r8vcnIM
•
Turismo de Portugal (official National Tourism Office); has a variety of useful information:
www.visitportugal.com
•
Lonely Planet: www.lonelyplanet/portugal
•
World Fact Book by the CIA; contains data on Portugal taken from official Portuguese statistic
results: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/po.html
Page 3 of 5
MAP OF PORTUGAL:
Page 4 of 5
SOME PICTURES OF PORTUGAL:
Sintra Palace
Cristo-Rei
25 of April Bridge
th
Belém Tower
Sandy Beach
Monument of Discoveries
Jerónimos Monastery
National Theater D. Maria II
Trams in Lisbon
Electricity Museum
Lisbon and the Tagus River
Page 5 of 5

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