Having fun

It's been three weeks since I'm here. After a slow first week, just getting acquainted with the computer systems and people at the Inquirer, I started to find stories to write about. Now I have 3 stories published, here, here and here.
People in the newsroom is very busy these days, because of the shortage of work force caused by the layoffs. They can't afford to waste too much time coaching me. In spite of all this, everybody is very helpful - but I quickly found out that I need to bring them practical and objective questions. There's no time to waste over there. My mentor, Bob, looks more busy than most of them, because he's got the night shift. But we went out for dinner and lunch some times, and we discussed a lot about my fellowship. Since he's the one with the big picture (he knows my objectives as well as the newsroom availability to help me to achieve it), he is being very important.
I'm trying to get out of the newsroom as much as I can. We are allowed to get company cars, and I did it some times. But, when it's possible, I prefer to walk or take the public transportation system. This way, I can get to see more people, get a better sense of directions in the city, listen to them talking. This always helps to come up with story ideas, specially here in a new and totally unknown city.
I'm also trying to read all newspaper everyday, which is not very easy because the edition is very big. I read more slowly because I try to understand the context behind most stories, sometimes using the Inky's Doc Center or questioning reporters around me. I'm gonna work harder on that: studying the print edition I can have a better awareness of how do they write, what's newsworthy and all.
The third story was a collaboration with a free-lancer, St. John, who also became a good friend. He's now working at the Daily News, the other newspaper published by Inquirer's company. Their newsroom is downstairs. That story, although wasn't very big, was really good to report because the dragon boat race I reported ended up at 5:30 p.m., and our final deadline was 7 p.m. When I got back to the newsroom I had to rewrite the lead (we got the background story already written) and add other information I got that afternoon, and very quicly. I could see the editor, Julie, working, and I learned a great deal about what they consider important in a story and what they don't.
To understand how do they choose the information, how do they structure the stories and what's important: this is my first goal. In all the three stories, I made a giant leap in that sense. The soccer story also got me a good feedback from readers - another main objective here is to learn about American reader's profile.
To cut a long story short, I'm having a great time over here. Inquirer's editor, Bill Marimow, told me: "Please make sure to enjoy every day here." That's an order that I'm more than willing to follow.

2 weeks...

... and I finally wrote something. At this very moment, the editor is looking at my story about a free food distribution group here in Philly. I can't tell how interesting it was to know them and to see them giving vegetables, fruits, pastries and other goods to people in need.
This assignment was a major ice-breaking moment. All my lack of confidence on speaking English and listening to people disappeared on five minutes. I just couldn't afford to be nervous while talking to them - they were mostly blacks and hispano-americans who speak fast and with so much slang. I just relaxed and tried to have a normal conversation, confident if I missed some words my recorder would get me covered. (And it did - great machine).
I spent three hours with them, and went back to the office with that great feeling that you have a good story to tell. Next day, I talked to their "sponsors", a food bank, and I had another new experience: driving. I took the company's car and went to South Philly. It was piece of cake, actually. They have signs and all - much different from my city, the worst city in the world when it comes to street signs.
I'm waiting, now, to see if the editor has any questions. Vernon, the deputy managing editor, is taking care of my assignments and read the story before hand it to the city editor. So, I suppose it fits to print. It will be very interesting to see the kind of editing they will do. It might be on print by some time next week.
So far, this whole thing is being very good. I'm working on another story, about soccer, and I'm gonna see some amateur games tomorrow. I hope the photo staff can get there. It's gonna be a hard day, but it's worthwhile. And it's getting better all the time, as McCartney would say...

First week

My fellow friends are getting their blogs started, too. Rodney already got his first story on paper, and I hope I soon have my début.
I started to work on two story ideas. Vernon Loeb, deputy managing editor at the Inquirer, wants me to find a story about the foreign soccer culture here. Seems it has a lot of soccer going on in this city, and I already found some contacts. Other story I'll be working on tomorrow is about a food distribution program that started in 1991 as an individual initiative and became bigger, with 50 volunteers and daily distributions.
Everything was a little slow at first, but I took my time. Also took some bus rides, got my bike and subway monthly pass, shadowed reporters and got myself really busy, after all. People at the Inquirer is very helpful and interested in my fellowship.
This is being a really good start.

Getting started...

I'm typing this from my new desk in my new newsroom: Philadelphia Inquirer. That's right: I'm here.
I was just about to type "against all odds" in the end of the first graph. "I'm here, against all odds."
Well, it's kindda cool to say that I've done something against all odds. But on a second look, it is not accurate. I'm not here against all odds. The odds were all for me if you think closely. I was born middle class in a country where poverty is everywhere. Where education is not considered by the rulers an essencial right nor an essencial tool for life. Therefore, we don't have good public schools and even the private ones have problems.
Nevertheless, my parents always believed in education and hard work. They passed those beliefs to me. And, more important, they worked very hard to keep their children in private schools, where I could get this education. This background led me to enjoy books and music. It led me to pursue something more than a job: to do something that I love.
I ended up in journalism that way. I love to learn things and tell other people. I want to help people and change things. In order to do that, I managed to learn English and, by doing that, I was able to get this fellowship. I'm surviving in U.S. for almost a month now. This is happening because my mother, Angelita, and my father, Antonio, taught me how to do it. Going after your dreams, being open-minded, working hard: I learned all of those with them.
So, I'm here because many people helped me to. Ananda, my love; Alexandre, my brother; Angelita, my mother; my dad's memory; my dear friends who taughted me how to walk over this crazy world. For all of them, I'll do my best in Philadelphia.
But let's cut the sentimental crap and get busy. Welcome all!