Handbook for

FOREIGN STUDENTSin Celin

2

SummaryWhere we areBrazilCuritibaImportant places in the city for the Celin student

What to know before comingPLE (PFL)HousingCost of living

I’m here, now what?DocumentationCPFBank accountStudent cardTransportationFoodHealthSports

Going back home

Important phone numbers

4

9

15

4

9

15

6

12

17

1818202224

26

25

8

14

17

4

Wherewe are

Brazil is a country with continen-tal dimensions, and that’s why we say that there are many countries within it.

Brazil

5

All regio ns are very different from each other regarding climate, culture and accents.

Wh

ere we are

6

"Before coming I didn't even know that the city of Curitiba and the state of Paraná existed. I thought I was going to face fave-las and fancy neighborhoods right next to each other, but that's not what I see on my daily life".

Willy Rodrigue Ndougou AddaCelin student from Cameroon

CuritibaCuritiba is located in Southern

Brazil and is the capital city of Paraná state. With its almost 2 million inhabit-ants, Curitiba is considered a big city. One of the best things about living here is that it is calm and hectic at the same time. You can choose between riding a bike from downtown to São Louren-çoParkand walking from bar to bar in the São Francisco neighborhood.

Wh

ere

we

are

7

The city offers a good quantity of cinemas, theaters, concerts, bars, parks, street fairs, restaurants, cafés and night clubs so that you’ll always find the best option to have fun. Its average annual temperature is 17 °C (64 F), but it is never below -5 °C or above 35 ° C. It is the coldest capital of the country, but also has warm, sunny days in the summer.

7

Wh

ere we are

8

Important places in the city for the Celin student

Wh

ere

we

are

9

What toknow before coming

PLE(PFL)

PLE is short for “Português como Língua Estrangeira”, which means Portuguese as a foreign language – course offered by Celin. The courses are organized into modules of 90 hours each, and are from ba-sic to advanced levels. There are the options of group or private class-es. To study at Celin you need to be over 17, have a student visa or RNE (foreigner registration), and a Cadastro de Pessoa Física – CPF (another registration number that you can easily get when arriving in Brazil).

To know more about the course: http://www.celin.ufpr.br/index.php/informacoes-para-estrangeiros

Wh

at to kn

ow

befo

re com

ing

10

Wh

at t

o k

no

w b

efo

re c

om

ing

Besides the classes, Celin is one of the application centers of the PFL Proficiency Test Celpe Bras:

http://celpebras.inep.gov.br.A complementary method in improving language skills and also

providing integration to the city and its culture offered by Celin is the TANDEM. TANDEM is a method that consists on the pairing of two stu-dents that learn each other’s languages and cultures.

For example: a native German speaker meets a native Portuguese speaker so that both can improve their language skills and exchange ideas and experiences. To coordinate the meetings Celin counts with the Núcleo TANDEM (TANDEM Center), whose core activities are the reception of foreigners, the organization of monitored cultural activi-ties, in addition to registration, training and mediation of new TAN-DEM pairs.

To learn more: http://www.celin.ufpr.br/index.php/nucleo-tandem. You can also contact directly: tandem.ufpr@gmail.com.

11

Class dynamics and integra-tion with the community

PFL Students at Celin

PLE classes are dynamic and involve the active participation of students in various activities such as conversation, games, personal narratives, discussions, production of texts of different genres, among others. These activities are based on the assumption that language is a social practice.

Students are expected to participate in the classes, as well as to interact socially in order to practice the language in various situations, thus improving their learning of the language and culture.

The Portuguese as a Foreign Language students at Celin can be divided into two groups:

- Exchange students: linked to the UFPR, they have the same rights as the Brazilian students (such as meals at the University Res-taurant – RU; access to the library; medical, dental and psychological service) and duties (such as minimum attendance to class and satisfac-tory results in the tests).

- Independent students: the ones that come on their own to study Portuguese in Brazil. They are not linked to the UFPR, only to Celin, and therefore their rights and duties are regarding this one institution.

Wh

at to kn

ow

befo

re com

ing

12

Housing

Wh

at t

o k

no

w b

efo

re c

om

ing

Those who come live in Curitiba have two main options: living with a host family or sharing an apartment with other students.

Host families provide greater immersion in the Brazilian culture, since students share their daily life with locals. Some meals are usually shared, which can make the rent quite attractive. Celin has a directory of families who are available to receive exchange students.

13

If you wish to have access to this list, please send an email to: acordoseconvenios_celin@ufpr.br.Sharing an apartmentis also interesting, because you share your

daily life with other students. Many are in the city center, which is a good alternative since most of the cultural activities that take place in Curitiba are concentrated in this region.

Another good option is to live in neighborhoods close to the city center, where transportation can be done quickly by bus or bike. We suggest the following neighborhoods: São Francisco, Alto da XV, Centro Cívico, Batel, Bigorrilho, Jardim Botânico, Cristo Rei, Rebouças, Jardim das Américas and Mercês.

To find an apartment to share or sublet a room, there are several tools on the internet, such as the websites: www.reicuritiba.org and www.easyquarto.com.br. There are also facebook fanpages such as Curitiba PR–Dividir Moradia, and REI Curitiba groups (Exchange/Eras-mus/Exchange Curitiba).

We recommend that you close a deal only upon arriving in Curiti-ba, so it might be a good idea to book a room in a hostel such as Knock Knock Hostel, MotterHome Hostel and Hostel Curitiba.

Wh

at to kn

ow

befo

re com

ing

14

Cost of livingLiving in Curitiba is not as

expensive as it is in São Paulo ou Rio de Janeiro, nevertheless the costs are higher than in most South American cities. There are many websites that can help you in summing up your monthly budget, but you’ll pay an average of:

R$ 2,00 for a cup of coffeeR$ 2,00 for a liter of milkR$ 10,00 for a meal in a self

service (por quilo) restaurant – ex-cept at the University Restaurant

R$ 2,70 for the bus fare R$ 250 to 400 rent per month sharing bedroom and bathroomR$ 400 to 700 rent per month in a single room downtown or in

a central neighborhoodR$ 1000 to 1200 rent per month in a kitchenette or hostel.

Wh

at t

o k

no

w b

efo

re c

om

ing

15

Documentation

I'm here now what?

I'm h

ere no

w w

hat?

To be registered in Brazil, you need to do all the procedures for registration at the Federal Police within 30 days after you arrive in the country. The Federal Police office in Curitiba is located in the Santa Candida neighborhood. To get there by bus, you need to take one of the following bus lines:

- Bi-articulated bus Santa Candida – Capão Raso, North-bound (Santa Candida direction). You can take it in the Central Station (Esta-ção Central), behind the Santos Andrade campus.

- “Ligeirinho” Santa Candida – Pinheirinho, North-bound (Santa Candida direction). You can take it in front of the Military Circle (Cir-culo Militar).

Regardless of the line you choose, you need to get off at the Santa Candida station. To go from the station to the Federal Police you will need to cross the Parana Avenue (Avenida Paraná) and take the Joao Gbur street, walking on the right sidewalk. The first street on the right will be the Professora Sandalia Manzon street. Turn right on it. The Federal Police is on the second block – it’s a big building on the top of the hill.

16

Check out the map for the Federal Police Curitiba: Rua Professora Sandália Manzon, 210.

Here are the steps to make the registration:Go to the Federal Police building and book an appointment. You

will need to present your passport and your visa application form. You will need to look for the area for foreigners and get a number. They will call your number out loud, check your documents and book another date for you to come back with the following documents:

- Original passport and copy of the pages that have already been used;

- Original Visa ap-plication and copy;

- 2 pictures, size 3 x 4 cm, color, white background, no big accessories, no hair on your face;

- A bill (electric-ity, water or phone) that is in your name or signed by a third party for you – ARI (UFPR’s International Relations Office) can do that for you!

- Deposit slipfor the GRUs (there are two):Fill in the GRU form, which is on www.dpf.gov.br. On the left col-

umn, click on GRU > GRU FUNAPOL > “Pessoas e entidades estrangei-ras”. Fill in with your information. On the field “Unidade arrecadora”, choose from the list: Superintendência Regional do Paraná. On the field “Código da Receita STN”, write 140082 and click on “Gerar via”. When finished, a document will open with the value to be paid. Print it and take it to the bank – you will have to pay it in cash. They keep a part of the document and give the other part back to you, now with a stamp.

You need two GRUs. So repeat the operation, GRU > GRU FU-NAPOL > Pessoas e entidades estrangeiras. Fill in with your informa-tion. On the field “Unidade arrecadora”, choose from the list: “Super-intendência Regional do Paraná”. On the field “Código da Receita STN”, write 140120 and click on “Gerar via”. They are two different GRUs

I'm h

ere

no

w w

hat

?

17

CPF (Register of Physical Person - something like the Social Security of the US), is a document that almost all the Brazilians have and that allows you to do many things, such as opening a bank ac-count, buying flying tickets, activat-ing a cellphone account, among others.To obtain it, go to a Banco do Brasil agency or to a Correios (Post) office, pay the fee (approximately R$ 5,00), and book an appointment by phone at the Receita Federal to go and get your CPF card. There is also the possibility of having it done at the Receita Federal directly.

It’s possible to open an account at any bank. If you are an exchange student, say you want to open a Conta Universitária (Uni-versity Student Account), because its fees are lower. You will need the following docu-ments:- CPF- RNE (ID card for foreigners)

- Passport- University document (it can be the student card or the enrollment declaration)

- A bill (water, electricity or phone) in your name, or in case it is in someone else’s name, this person must write a declaration saying that you are living with him/her.

CPF

Bank account

I'm h

ere no

w w

hat?

and ATTENTION: Keep track of the dates, the GRUs cannot be paid after their due dates.

18

As a PFL student at Celin you can have the student card, a docu-ment that offers 50% off on tickets for cinemas, theaters, concerts and other cultural events. To get your student card you need to hand in to Núcleo TANDEM an ID-size photo and a copy of the first page on your passport.

Exchange students can also show their university proof of regis-tration and get this discount.

There is a lot to be done on foot in Curitiba, especially for those who live downtown. “Curitiba-nos” like cars very much – which causes huge traffic jams – but a great part of the population gets around by bus. Exchange students can get the Intercampi bus, which stops in all UFPR-campi. To know more, ac-cess the website:http://www.prae.ufpr.br/links/intercampi.htm

You can get directions for public transportation on Google Maps. You can also download the app Busão Ctba, which makes it possible to get directions in your cell phone (www.busaocuritibano.com.br).

Another option to come and go is by using a bike. The fact that

StudentCard

Transportation

I'm h

ere

no

w w

hat

?

19

I'm h

ere no

w w

hat?

the streets have been planned for car use and that there are no bicycle paths demands attention and caution from the bikers, but it’s becoming better and better to use it as a means of transportation. Many students buy a bike when they get here and resell it when they come back to their countries – all that might take some time and money, but it’s still a good option. REI Curitiba has 10 bicycles available for exchange students to borrow.To know more, send an email to intercambioREICuritiba@gmail.com.

The TANDEM Center at Celin periodically organizes bike tours to show how to use a bike safely and know the bike tracks in the city.

“The bike tour was an opportunity not only to get to know Curitiba from a dif-ferent point of view but also to know how important and easy it is to ride a bike in a city that has a bike path. It was a moment of fun, nature and good company that I recommend for foreigners and locals”.

Maria Alejandra Gutierrezexchange student from Mexico

20

Food

I'm h

ere

no

w w

hat

?

What do the Brazilians eat?

Where to eat

Eating rice or rice and beans (almost) every day is a Brazilian habit. There are many kinds of beans, but in Curitiba the most common one is the black one. It’s quite healthy. For a quick snack at the univer-sity cafeteria or bakeries you can find the “salgados” (pastries): coxinha (fried chicken pastry), risoles (fried meat or cheese pastry), empadinha, esfirra (sfiha), bolinho de carne (meat loaf), cheese bread and potato bread. Nowadays there are also many options for international cuisine, and Chinese, Arab, Japanese and Italian food are quite common.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served at the University Restaurant (Restaurante Universitário – RU) for a price much lower than the average: R$ 1,30 for Exchange students and R$ 6,00 for visitors accompanying UFPR stu-dents*. The menu and the

21

addresses are on the website: www.pra.ufpr.br/portal/ru/

Another popular option are the “kilo restaurants”, in which the client helps him-self and pay proportionally to the weight of his/her plate. There are also kilo restau-rants with vegetarian and Asian options.

When you start missing the food from your country, you should stop by Mercado Municipal (Municipal Market), where you can find ingredients from Japan, Korea, China and many countries in Europe. There are also some food fairs selling typical food: www.curitiba.pr.gov.br/conteudo/feiras-programa-feiras-livres-noturnas-secretaria-municipal-do-abastecimento/259.

* Prices of August/2013. For the updated information please access: www.celin.ufpr.br.

I'm h

ere no

w w

hat?

22

I'm h

ere

no

w w

hat

? HealthFor medical, dental and psychological treat-

ment, as well as emergencies, there are two main types of services: private and public services.

When looking for a doctor in a private prac-tice you won’t wait long but will have to pay for the doctor’s visit and the exams. In the case you have international health insurance you can be

reimbursed according to the company’s policy.Public services, on the other hand, will make you wait longer

in line but are free and offered to Brazilians and foreigners with no restrictions. In the case of an emergency, look for a “Unidade de Pronto Atendimento” (Emergency Room that is open 24/7) closer to where you are living. There are 5 in Curitiba: in Boa Vista, Campo Comprido, Cajuru, Boqueirão e Pinheirinho, as you can see in the next page.

None of them is in the city center. You need to take the following documents: passport, RNE and residence proof (electricity or water bill from where you live and the declaration of the landlord that you live there). To know what location you should go to, call 156.

In case of non-emergency medical treatment any student can use SUS (Unified Health System, public and free) at the Unidades de Saúde – US (Health Units) that you can find in most neighborhoods.

Exchange students have a third option – to use UFPR’s “Casa 3” (literally House 3), where medical and dental procedures are offered to students and university workers. To know more call: 3361-3066 or look for the Casa 3 at Centro Politécnico. They don’t take in emergen-cies.

23

I'm h

ere no

w w

hat?

24

I'm h

ere

no

w w

hat

? SportsUFPR has a Physical

Education and Sports Center (Centro de EducaçãoFísica e Desportos – CED), located on the Polytechnic Campus, which offers its students (Brazilian and exchange students) various sports activities such as swim-ming, gymnastics, football and weight training. For exchange students the weight training is for free for those who pre-register at the Núcleo TANDEM in the begin-ning of the semester, so they can register properly. For the enrollment at CED you’ll need an identification card, a 3x4 photo and medical cer-tificate (a document signed by a physician authorizing sports practice).

25

Go

ing

back h

om

e

Going back home

The time to go home is for many students the most difficult one. While living here you will improve your language skills, make new friends and be a part of the city, and you will definitely miss it here when you go back to your home country. Some things that all should remember before saying goodbye:

- If you liked the place where you lived, tell us! We can suggest it to the newcomers! Another way of helping those who are coming is by publishing this and other tips on the Facebook groups destined to exchange students. It will be easier for them to know the way!

- Close your bank account to make sure you won’t have future problems. Many accounts charge a monthly fee, which may create a growing debt for you in Brazil.

26

Important phone numbers

Imp

ora

nt

ph

on

e n

um

ber

s

Celin XV

Ambulance

Fire Department

Taxi

Email do Núcleo TANDEM

International Relations office atUFPR (ARI)

Police (thefts/robberies/crimes):

3363-3354

3360-5343

192

190

193

0800 414141

tandem.ufpr@gmail.com

27

Centro de Línguas e Interculturalidade – Celin UFPR

Exchange Students Network in Curitiba

REI Curitiba

Cooperation

Leipzig University

CURITIBA