A couple of quick lessons--things you should have learned in school and probably forgot. First, in the southern hemisphere, seasons are the reverse of ours. Marcela starts school in the fall, just like American students. In Brazil, autumn is in March.

Second, the language of Brazil is Portuguese, not Spanish. "Everybody asks if I speak Spanish," she said. At her school, Colégio Marista Santa Maria, Marcela takes three kinds of Portuguese. Her senior year, she'll also take English, as usual, plus advanced calculus, geography, biology, chemistry, physics, religion, philosophy and physical education. Show that kind of course load to a senior in a US school and you'll need oxygen and a defibrillator to resuscitate the poor child.

As you can imagine, huge cultural differences exist between Marcela's home school, which is a private, Catholic institution, and Groves High School. In Brazil, school lasts from 7 a.m.-6 p.m., and Marcela sometimes has to attend school on Saturdays. The comparably few classes she took at Groves High School, where she was enrolled in the 11th grade, weren't much of a challenge--she'd taken them all in middle school in Brazil.

"English was the hardest," Marcella said of her year at Groves, but that class, along with her immersion in our culture, helped her master the language. "I had really bad English when I came here," she said.

Behavioral differences are notable, too. Students here differ from her peers in Brazil "in every way," Marcela said, most notably in the lack of respect US students show their teachers. "In Brazil, we cannot talk in class. We cannot answer (talk back to) the teacher. If you do anything wrong, your parents are going to be mad. If you do something wrong, they expel you from school in a moment. I never saw a single fight in my school in ten years," the teenager said. She said the disruptive students here make learning difficult for everyone else.

Fights at Groves occur frequently, she says, but adds philosophically, "Groves has bad kids, but it has a lot of nice kids, too. The teachers are also very nice."

Marcela enrolled in the exchange program because she felt the experience would be good for her. "My school is like a preparatory school," she said. "They have a lot of programs. A lot of kids participate in the exchange program. It's really good for my future to know a second language, know new people, know a new culture."

The selection process for the student exchange program is lengthy. "I had to write an application and write about me, about my family--I had about 30 pages to write. It was a lot. You have to get a student visa, and you also have good grades." A medical exam is required, as well to ensure that participants' inoculations are up to date.

She said the process takes about a year and includes several orientation sessions. Former exchange students speak to potential participants about their experiences in different countries, helping applicants prepare for the experience. Thanks to those sessions, Marcela said, she knew what to expect in our country.

When she arrived last August, Marcela and the others in her group stayed in New York City for a week, sightseeing. There were about ten students from Brazil, some from Germany and Spain, and one student from France. "It was really cool. I like New York."

She said she saw the World Trade Center during her whirlwind tour of the Big Apple. "It was one month before September 11. I took pictures, but my pictures, they were bad. And I wasn't paying attention. It was just a big building. There are a lot of big buildings in New York, you don't go, stop and look. And after, I thought why didn't I look and stop and take more pictures." But of course, she agreed, there was no way to know the twin towers would be destroyed in less than a month.

She did a lot of shopping, she said, but not enough. "I like to shop," she confessed with a smile, and acknowledged that it isn't easy to get enough keepsakes, clothes and other items, even with ten months to plan her purchases.

While at Groves, Marcela got involved in soccer, a new experience for her. "In Brazil, I never played soccer. It's fun." She was on the Groves High School soccer team. "We won two games. We had fun." She said she hopes to play soccer when she returns home. Although she did not play for Groves, she enjoys tennis, and played often at the courts adjacent to the Garden City Senior Center.

The week before she was due to leave for home, Garden City Councilman Bowen Jones and his wife, Dess, treated Marcela to a trip to DisneyWorld. They spent three days there, and Marcela was obviously enchanted by "Mickey's house."

Curitiba, population 2 million, is hardly a small town. Like other towns in Brazil, its teenagers are not allowed to drive until they're 18, and a driver's license is expensive. "In Brazil, someone has to drive you--your parents or a chauffeur. Here, you can drive. It's very bad for me because I cannot drive and people have to come here and take me to places."

When she begins driving next year, Marcela thinks she may get her mothers silver, 4-door Fiat. From the way she smiles when she says that, it appears Marcela is looking forward not only to the freedom of driving on her own, but the joy of driving a pretty car that's big enough to hold plenty of friends.

Teenagers can drink in Brazil, but Marcela says teens rarely abuse the privilege. And they don't drink and drive. "Nobody drinks a lot. And if you want to drink, your parents go pick you up."

Brazilian teens tend to go out in groups to clubs (not bars) catering to their age group, rather than pair off on formal dates and meet friends while out on the town. "We talk, we dance. Usually, you go with your friends and you meet your boyfriend at the place. It's different."

While in Garden City, Marcela's host family was the Russells. The Rev. Daren Russell is pastor of Chapel in the Gardens Presbyterian Church on Main Street. Marcela said she enjoyed her stay in the family's comfortable Smith Avenue home, and appreciated all of the friends, both peers and adults, that she met during her months here.

Marcela, who is Catholic, attended the Russells' church. There, learned about the differences between Catholicism in Brazil and Protestant sects in this country. She said she liked Chapel in the Gardens very much, and especially liked the members of the congregation, who taught her as much about southern hospitality as they did about the Presbyterian faith.

She learned a lot about our culture from the Russells, too. The Rev. Russell and his wife, Tinnie, have two young children, Hannah and Zachary.

Marcela has a sister and brother of her own in Brazil. Cristianne is 14, and their brother, Renato, will be 11 by the time a copy of this issue of the Spirit reaches Brazil (happy birthday, Renato!). Marcela's father, who retired from Texaco, got together with some friends recently and bought a high school.

The family spends summers at Marcela's favorite spot, Caioba, a seaside town two hours from Curitiba, where they own a beach house. "I don't go into the sea. Usually, I walk around. I go to the pool and ride bicycles, and go to shows. The town in the summer is big, but the rest of the year hardly anyone is there."

In February, Marcela and the rest of the country celebrates Carnaval, which Marcela described as "a really cool party" not too dissimilar from Mardi Gras. She can't compare Carnaval to Savannah's St. Patrick's Day celebration, because she didn't attend this year's event--she was sick. But, she said, Carnaval as celebrated in Caioba is less about drinking and more about dancing and singing.

After Marcela graduates from high school in November, she'll spend four days taking tests in order to be accepted to college.

Four hearings dealt with the proposed zoning map amendment to change the bank, Piggly Wiggly, Post Office and Blockbuster buildings to C-2A from C-1. This would allow the sale of beer and wine, and is requested by Carey Burnsed so that the grocery story can sell the beverages.

He said the Piggly Wiggly is the only grocery store in the area and loses a substantial amount of revenue due to its inability to sell the beverages.

Several members of the community objected, fearing a rise in the amount of litter already defacing the neighborhood. Citizens opposing the change also worry that if the Piggly Wiggly or any of the other businesses currently inhabiting the buildings included in the request should leave, the changed zoning opens the door for a variety of other businesses to come in and sell alcoholic beverages. No action is due to be taken on the proposed change until the July 15 meeting of the council.

A public hearing was also held on a request for a text amendment to allow storage yards in areas designated C-2(A). A.M. Wall Jr. applied for the change to apply to his property at 1508 Dean Forest Road. A text amendment will affect any area of the city currently zoned C-2(A).

A public hearing on a request to rezone 5321 Ogeechee Road from R-1 to C-1 also drew several comments, both for and against. No action will be taken on this request until July 15.

During the regular council meeting, members approved Resolution 2002-16, to secure 610 Davis Avenue, which is in violation of Section 30-200 of the city Code.

Council also approved Resolutions 2002-17, -18, and -19. These deal, respectively, with amending the General Fund budget and providing $25 thousand supplemental funds to initiate a classification and compensation analysis of city employee positions; to amend the General Fund and add $4,570 to reimburse the Water and Sewer Enterprise Fund for the value of fixed assets transferred between the two funds; and to request certification of the city as a City of Ethics. All three Resolutions passed unanimously. The Mercer Group, Inc., will perform the employee position survey.

Resolution 2002-20 authorizes Southeast Chain Baseball Academy to lease a ballfield at Bazemore Park from the city. Rent was previously $1 per year. Total revenues from this change over the next ten years are anticipated at $60 thousand rather than $10. The Resolution passed unanimously.

Councilman Bowen Jones moved that the Council accept the low bid of $21,478.60 from Triangle Construction Company for the Heidt Avenue Water and Sewer Extension. Council approved unanimously. This was the lowest of five bids received.

Council member Judy Shuman reported that the Zoning and Building Committee meeting this Monday has been cancelled.

Council member Jones reported that the elevated water tank dedication ceremony will be June 29 at 9 a.m. at the tank on Chatham Parkway.

Councilman Tennyson Holder reported that the Fire Department responded, in an average of 5.85 minutes, to 26 calls in May.

Council member Bessie Kicklighter reported that a plan has been chosen for Sharon Park, but it requires redrawing. The revised plan will be received soon and brought to Council for approval. Following that, the city will be able to begin taking bids on the work. Additionally, plans for beautification are being developed a section at a time. Anyone wishing to assist may call Tom Gates at City Hall (966-7777) or Ms. Kicklighter (964-0215).

Councilman Bob Bryant reported that half of the four new police cars are painted, striped and in service. Although not detailed in the meeting, the cars (about $19,700 each) were painted black and white (about $600 each) and received a new graphics package (about $150 each). This is the first time the police cars' design has been changed in several years. The two forensics unit Ford SUVs will also be painted with the new design.

Council member Earl Wilson reported that dry trash has been picked up, and that public works departments have addressed ditch cleaning, mowing, and other normal maintenance tasks throughout the city.