Internship

Oskari Jaakkola, student from Finland

Student of mechanical engineering
Helsinki University of Technology
2 months of paid internship
Employer: UF Viçosa / MG
Period: July / August 2008

”My internship in Brazil started in the end of July 2008. I first arrived to Rio de Janeiro and after many phone calls and conversations with mimics I got myself into a bus and headed towards Viçosa, MG.  Already on my first night in Viçosa I found out that Brazilian people  are absolutely wonderful. During all my stay I have had many friends and they have helped me alot. Because I arrived to Viçosa in the end of the semester I was sent to work in a factory in Caratinga during the vacations. I was working with five other students from UFV and we lived in the same house. Working in the factory was very interesting because our job was trying to figure out improvements for the process of the factory. In fact we came up with quite a few good ideas and suggestions. The administration of the factory was happy with us, I think. In addition to the work we had a great time going out together and getting familiar with the night life of the city. After spending one month in Caratinga, I arrived back to Viçosa and started working in a project to improve a planting machine. At this moment I am here and I still have one month left in my internship (I actually extended my stay because I fell in love with this country). I must say that I never imagined that this internship would be this awesome.”