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December 20, 2023
At the start of this school year, I thought it would be an uneventful year. However, my junior year has been anything but. I decided to take AP Chemistry this year, and thought it would be only me and a few other juniors in a class of seniors. Although it is “harder than Calculus” according to some seniors, I do not regret taking it. The very first day, Ibrahim and I sat next to one another and started talking about anything. One day turned into a week turned into a month and now has turned into a full semester, and it is sad to know his semester term has ended and will now have to leave the Central Coast.
In Brazil, Neto lives in a small town near São Paulo, the capital city. Soccer is the major sport in Brazil, as America’s would be Football. Neto has played both, however soccer is his favorite sport and hobby. “Since I am 3 or 4 years old I only play soccer and it happened with everyone in Brazil only play soccer,” he said. he competes in a club soccer team out of his state, meaning he is one of few that were good enough to be part of some of the best soccer teams in the whole of Brazil, who are chosen from the whole country. If his team in Brazil played against the teams here, Brazil would easily win 20-0 against the high school teams who can only pick from the local area.
Upon talking to him further I’ve noticed that there are some massive differences between the Brazilian and American education systems. Morro Bay High School, considered to be a smaller school, “looks like a University in Brazil. The size and the sports,” Neto tells me. Although slightly controversial and often taken for granted, the education here in the states is good. He noted that school was just about learning, nothing fun. “The teachers in Brazil have a pen and board and you guys just copy and- like it's boring you know. Here we have labs and we have Mr. Gade. We have funny things during the day, in Brazil no [we don’t]. You just go there to copy and understand something that we don’t understand.”
Originally he wasn’t planning to go to MBHS. He said, “I chose SLO because [my Aunt lives there] and the school looks pretty good but they sent me here, but it was the best thing that happened. I can’t say that I hate those guys but I love it here.” The fact that he chose California is quite a statement to its prestige as a famous state.
Interestingly, lunch is different (and probably better) in Brazil. Highly-processed food and fast food is the staple in the States. Neto told me, “It was a little bit weird for me when I came here and like, ‘Where was the rice and the beans!?’”. This was because the staple he was used to was not the same here. Another difference is the culture of how lunch time is spent. “We sit with our family and you know, talk about life.” This is a major contrast between having conversations at a table to waiting at Starbucks here. It is very much a culture shock the first day here. He loves to BBQ food, especially Picanha, a tender cut of beef with a layer of fat.
Something I noticed interviewing Neto and knowing him as a friend is his take on life. It is not about thinking about the next Saturday, it is about the next month; the next year. AP classes are typically regarded as difficult, especially the AP Chemistry class he is taking. I asked him why he wanted to take hard classes here at MBHS instead of standard, and he responded by saying, “I believe that in your life- if you choose the most difficult way, in the future you’ll have a better future, you know, a future.” He comes from Brazil, where having a good education meant a secure job that is literally life changing for families. This mentality most likely came from his father emphasizing how much what happens now will affect the future.
When I asked him one word to describe himself, it was “crazy”, but not in a typical hobo way. He likes the saying “The difference between the genius and the crazy person is the result”. Before having the results, the person is crazy. After getting the result they are the genius. This can apply to everything in life, from choosing a profession to working out.
I also asked him what the best thing is. He said, “Have friends and enjoy your life with them because I believe that is why we are here; to enjoy this life and earth.” I like that. It is refreshing to have these views on life from someone who appreciates everything about it.
In short, Ibrahim Neto is somebody that I take inspiration from, and someone with a third-person perspective on the US. A lot of things here are taken for granted that should be appreciated more. Something as simple as lunch is completely different. He wanted to go to the US and not speak Portuguese for the experience. It is because of his motivation to do the hard things in life to make the future better that many kids actively avoid. Soccer is also his passion, and it is easy to see that when he plays a match. It was fun having him for the semester, however it is unfortunate that he will leave MBHS.
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