Two weeks left?! But I just got here...

Tangua Park is an old quarry that they have turned into a beautiful
park in Curitiba. We have had a very cold week, so we had to get out
and enjoy the sunshine

I cannot believe that I am nearing the end of my time in Curitiba. As I look back on the places I have been, the people I have met and the work that I have done, I am able to see that I have accomplished many things, but the time has passed so quickly. I am already starting to organize data that I have been collecting on the incidence of autism and how it relates to environmental factors. 

Over the next two weeks, I will be writing my research paper and working with some of the statisticians at the Pequeno Principe (Little Prince) Children's Hospital to see if we can establish any significant correlations. This is just a small part of a multifaceted autism project being conducted at the hospital that is estimated to take three years to complete. I have had the privilege of sitting in on a few planning meetings held by the group of doctors and psychologists who will be examining autistic children as part of this study. I was originally supposed to help interview the families, but unfortunately the hospital is having trouble importing the autism diagnostic kits. As a result, the examination of the children has been delayed for three months, so I will have to pass that off to the next person.

Overall, I have been thoroughly enjoying my time in Curitiba. One of the most enjoyable parts of this trip so far has been to see the differences in culture here in the south versus in Rio, where I lived last time I was in Brazil. It is intriguing to hear the various stereotypes that correspond to different regions and then meet people from these regions. They act differently and say different phrases. These cultural differences probably should not have surprised me because Brazil is a huge country, but it was surprising anyway. I feel as though I have gotten to experience a whole new Brazil by living in Curitiba.