I realize I am late with this Thanksgiving post but I figured better late than never.
Like I said before, I have been here a month and things are starting to feel a little more real. I can honestly say I am pretty much past the culture shock for the most part. The part that still gets me and I really cannot imagine getting used to is the poverty.
I live a very good life here in Brazil. In fact, I live in one of the richest neighbourhoods in Belo Horizonte. The crime rate is not high in that particular area, which is comforting but that doesn't stop me from seeing how other people live as well. One minute you are on a perfectly paved street, the next is torn up and uneven ground. Some buildings here are magnificent and beautiful and others (that could be right next to them) are worn and torn buildings with barely a stable wall.
I watch the richest people all dressed in suits, carrying briefcases, talking on their expensive Bluetooth, walk right past a food-deprived child with a terrible cough and their hands held out asking for change. They walk right past them as if they didn't even notice. At many intersections, people will come up to your window and stick their hands out. Some are so sick, they can barely talk or walk. Their cheeks are concaved and their eyes are nearly blank.
I've never seen anything like this in small-little Armstrong. It breaks my heart to see the contrast of the rich and the poor here in Brazil but I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to see it first hand. In just one month, Brazil has opened my eyes, my mind, and my heart to many things I didn't have any prior knowledge about.
This post is tied in with thanksgiving for a reason. There are so many things in my life I have to be thankful for. I am thankful for my family and friends at home in Canada, who have been supportive as usual. I am thankful for the family I have here in Brazil, who consistently put food on my plate (maybe a little too much I might add), give me a warm bed to sleep in, a place to call my own, and all the many more surprises they do for me. I am thankful for my friends here, who have been making my exchange very memorable. I am also overwhelmingly thankful for this opportunity to see the world from another point of view. To anyone and everyone who made this happen for me: I am thankful for you.
Sometimes the littlest things are the most beautiful things but the only way to recognize this beauty is to really open your eyes. So breathe deep, laugh way too much, smile always, love everything and everyone, and please just do what makes you happy.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! :)
About Me
- Hailey in Brasil
- This blog is for anyone to follow me on my journey to Brazil on the Rotary Exchange. I am from British Columbia and I will be living for a year in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais.
Wednesday, 16 October 2013
Monday, 14 October 2013
Patos De Minas
This past weekend I took a trip to a city 6 hours from Belo Horizonte called Patos De Minas where my host mom's side of the family lives. We arrived Friday night and then left on Sunday. Saturday was a holiday in Brazil called "Dia Das Crianças" meaning "Children's Day". We should defs have that holiday in Canada..
There were fireworks going all day, every place was filled with activities made for the children and the children were also given gifts. We left on Friday after lunch and arrived in Patos at around 9pm. The drive was beautiful. Once you get outside of BH, it is all country side. As it became darker, we watched the sun go down with a perfect sunset. I couldn't keep my eyes away from the window. I talked a lot of the car ride (in only Portuguese of course) and learned lots about where we were.
When we arrived in Patos we stayed in the house of my host grandparents. Most of us went to bed shortly after our arrival because we had a long travel.
On Saturday many members of the family joined us for lunch. Now. My host mom has 8 siblings so you can imagine how many people I had met that weekend. There were about 30 people in a out and that wasn't even all of the family! Before lunch, Clarice and I went for a walk around the town and went shopping. I actually bought clothes for the first time since being in Brazil because it was actually decently priced in that store. We also went to the grocery store, which I have to say I love grocery shopping in Brazil. Every mall has a grocery store right in the middle of it.
After shopping, it was lunch time. Lunch time here is a huge deal, especially on a holiday. There was so much food I didn't even know where to start. Rice, beans, potatoes, chicken, beef, salad, other vegetables, unknown but yummy thing in a pot, more rice and beans. After a month of being in Brazil I learned to take really small portions of everything first and then ALWAYS go back for seconds because no matter how much food you take at the start, they will always try to feed you more and more. I reckon if you take a little and then go back for more, they will see you going back for more therefore, you enjoyed their food. It totally works.
During lunch I also met a couple of Clarice's cousins, Deborah and Nayanna, and also little Alise who is 2 years old and ADORABLE!
I spoke with Alise in Portuguese and then I was told that Dora the Explorer teaches her English. Later on she counted to 10 for me in English and said 'Come on Hailey, let's go!' oh my, my heart melted.
After lunch I went to Nayanna and Deborah's house to hang out and jam. Deborah plays guitar really well so we played and sang for a good 2 hours. Then they had to get ready for a birthday party of one of their cousins. The two of them and their mom began to dress themselves as if they were going to a party of the Queen! They all looked so good with their makeup, dresses, heels, hair, everything. I was thinking this must be some fancy party.
When they brought be back to 'Avos' house' (Grandparents), they asked if I wanted to go to the party with them so I said yes and quickly got dressed up to match them.
We arrived at the party and they told me that it was for their cousin who was turning 1. There were about 50 people there all dressed up, waiters bringing around food and drinks, a photographer, tables FILLED with little chocolates, an area outside for the kids to play in, and a corner filled with presents for this 1 year-old. The place was decked out in a jungle theme with little stuffed animals, and balloons. I couldn't believe it. I've never seen a birthday party like that, and it was for a 1 year-old.
After the birthday party we headed back home to have some Churrasco (BBQ) with more of the family. Oh man it was so good. Them Brazilians never stop feeding you!
Later that night, I went out dancing with my host cousin Nathalia and a couple of her friends. So once again, I got all dressed up and headed out. It was a ton of fun.
Sunday was the 85th birthday of my host Grandpa. Everyone came over for lunch again and we sang happy birthday. I gave him a magnet from Canada and a little jar of maple butter. Everyone was so thrilled that I had a present for him, and he had the biggest smile on his face.
We said our goodbyes after lunch and each person said they hope to see me around more often. I love Brazilians, they are so nice!
Throughout that whole weekend, I only spoke in Portuguese. No English. By the end of the weekend, I was starting to think in Portingles, half English and half Portuguese. It is a really good feeling. I have now passed the one month mark in Brazil, time flies way too fast!!
There were fireworks going all day, every place was filled with activities made for the children and the children were also given gifts. We left on Friday after lunch and arrived in Patos at around 9pm. The drive was beautiful. Once you get outside of BH, it is all country side. As it became darker, we watched the sun go down with a perfect sunset. I couldn't keep my eyes away from the window. I talked a lot of the car ride (in only Portuguese of course) and learned lots about where we were.
When we arrived in Patos we stayed in the house of my host grandparents. Most of us went to bed shortly after our arrival because we had a long travel.
On Saturday many members of the family joined us for lunch. Now. My host mom has 8 siblings so you can imagine how many people I had met that weekend. There were about 30 people in a out and that wasn't even all of the family! Before lunch, Clarice and I went for a walk around the town and went shopping. I actually bought clothes for the first time since being in Brazil because it was actually decently priced in that store. We also went to the grocery store, which I have to say I love grocery shopping in Brazil. Every mall has a grocery store right in the middle of it.
After shopping, it was lunch time. Lunch time here is a huge deal, especially on a holiday. There was so much food I didn't even know where to start. Rice, beans, potatoes, chicken, beef, salad, other vegetables, unknown but yummy thing in a pot, more rice and beans. After a month of being in Brazil I learned to take really small portions of everything first and then ALWAYS go back for seconds because no matter how much food you take at the start, they will always try to feed you more and more. I reckon if you take a little and then go back for more, they will see you going back for more therefore, you enjoyed their food. It totally works.
During lunch I also met a couple of Clarice's cousins, Deborah and Nayanna, and also little Alise who is 2 years old and ADORABLE!
I spoke with Alise in Portuguese and then I was told that Dora the Explorer teaches her English. Later on she counted to 10 for me in English and said 'Come on Hailey, let's go!' oh my, my heart melted.
After lunch I went to Nayanna and Deborah's house to hang out and jam. Deborah plays guitar really well so we played and sang for a good 2 hours. Then they had to get ready for a birthday party of one of their cousins. The two of them and their mom began to dress themselves as if they were going to a party of the Queen! They all looked so good with their makeup, dresses, heels, hair, everything. I was thinking this must be some fancy party.
When they brought be back to 'Avos' house' (Grandparents), they asked if I wanted to go to the party with them so I said yes and quickly got dressed up to match them.
We arrived at the party and they told me that it was for their cousin who was turning 1. There were about 50 people there all dressed up, waiters bringing around food and drinks, a photographer, tables FILLED with little chocolates, an area outside for the kids to play in, and a corner filled with presents for this 1 year-old. The place was decked out in a jungle theme with little stuffed animals, and balloons. I couldn't believe it. I've never seen a birthday party like that, and it was for a 1 year-old.
After the birthday party we headed back home to have some Churrasco (BBQ) with more of the family. Oh man it was so good. Them Brazilians never stop feeding you!
Later that night, I went out dancing with my host cousin Nathalia and a couple of her friends. So once again, I got all dressed up and headed out. It was a ton of fun.
Sunday was the 85th birthday of my host Grandpa. Everyone came over for lunch again and we sang happy birthday. I gave him a magnet from Canada and a little jar of maple butter. Everyone was so thrilled that I had a present for him, and he had the biggest smile on his face.
We said our goodbyes after lunch and each person said they hope to see me around more often. I love Brazilians, they are so nice!
Throughout that whole weekend, I only spoke in Portuguese. No English. By the end of the weekend, I was starting to think in Portingles, half English and half Portuguese. It is a really good feeling. I have now passed the one month mark in Brazil, time flies way too fast!!
Wednesday, 9 October 2013
Random Facts and Differences
Okay so this post isn't really about anything in particular, it is mostly to point out things that I have noticed that I haven't really mentioned before. I think I will make a list. Yes. Lists are nice.
-20 degrees in Brazil is cold. Very cold.
-15 degrees (which is the coldest I have experienced here) is death to Brazilians. Everyone wears huge sweaters and more than one of them.
-People look at you funny when you eat acai while it is "cold". I told them that in Canada it could be snowing super hard out and you will still see people with slurpies or ice cream. Totally normal.
-Rice and beans. Everyday. I actually quite like it though so I am not complaining. But really, everyday.
-When you want juice, there is a 90% chance in a lot of homes/places that if you don't see it come out of a carton or a jug then it is probably fresh juice. I love you Brazil.
-I am now becoming a true Brazilian because I cross the street when I am not technically supposed to. (Don't worry mom, I am always careful ;) )
-Brazilians love to touch you. That sounds weird but it is relatively true. There isn't really such thing as personal space among friends but I am learning to love it.
-Chocolate chips are not a common thing to find in supermarkets. I just wanted to make cookies...
-The milk here is different... Not good or bad just different.
-Transit buses like to play a game called "Let's see how many people we can fit onto the bus and then see how fast we can go with or without hitting people" It's fun. I've played that game a couple times. I had to shower after.
-I have not watched TV at all since I have been here besides the morning news but I wasn't really watching. Yes that is correct, I have not even watched 'How I Met Your Mother'.
-When someone says that something is 'close by' they really mean it's a half hour walk.
-My Portuguese is getting better, I speak more Portuguese during the day than English. There are some words that even in my head I am saying them in Portuguese. It's a start :)
-Brazilians and their dancing... weoo ;) I'm just going to leave it at that.
-Brazilians wear shoes in the house. Still trying to get used to that one.
-There is a thing next to the toilet that looks like a toilet but it is not. I have been here for one month and I am still hesitant about asking what it does...
-If you see a road that looks like it is just wide enough for one car then it is probably a two or three lane road.
-Brazilians are honestly the most generous people.
-Be careful with the way you say "pão" (bread); it is a very nasally sounding word and if you don't say it with that nasal sound you are actually saying a word that is pronounced like "pow". Don't use this word. Without the nasal sound it means 'the male sex organ' (that is the most polite way I can say it). So when talking to someone about how much you love the 'pão' in Brazil... make sure you are using the right sound. So after a couple days of telling my new family how much I love the 'pow' in Brazil and how I would love to have it everyday, someone finally told me what I was really saying (I thought I was talking about bread..)
-Shopping here is hard. The food is cheap but the clothes are soooo expensive! This is a problem because the food is so good and cheap that exchange students will just eat but then they will need more money to buy new clothes because they are too fat to fit in their old clothes from all the really amazing and cheap food. I see what they are trying to do there...
-I tried sushi with mango in it. Yea.
-Here it is very common to drink hot milk. It is very different but actually quite soothing.
-Also, people here use spray on deodorant. It's tingly.
-In Brazil, nooo one blows their nose. At least not in public. People will sit there and just sniff really hard to keep everything in there and I don't see why they don't just get a tissue!
-I am in a place right now where I am not homesick but I do miss my family... and maybe Tim Hortons. However I am at a place right now where I actually feel like I live here. I am comfortable.
-One more thing I have noticed is that I don't really talk to many people from back home except my family. To those of you who I have not really talked to lately, I apologize, it is nothing personal I am just crazy busy. You're still in my thoughts.
I could go on forever about all the cool and different things I have found here but I think I will leave it at that for now. All I can say is that I know I am meant to be here and I couldn't be happier.
Also a shout out to the people who have their Rotary interviews coming up! I want to wish you all good luck! You are in for a wild ride.
It is hard for me to believe that I was in that position a year ago now!
Anyways, good luck to all :)
Beijos xox
-20 degrees in Brazil is cold. Very cold.
-15 degrees (which is the coldest I have experienced here) is death to Brazilians. Everyone wears huge sweaters and more than one of them.
-People look at you funny when you eat acai while it is "cold". I told them that in Canada it could be snowing super hard out and you will still see people with slurpies or ice cream. Totally normal.
-Rice and beans. Everyday. I actually quite like it though so I am not complaining. But really, everyday.
-When you want juice, there is a 90% chance in a lot of homes/places that if you don't see it come out of a carton or a jug then it is probably fresh juice. I love you Brazil.
-I am now becoming a true Brazilian because I cross the street when I am not technically supposed to. (Don't worry mom, I am always careful ;) )
-Brazilians love to touch you. That sounds weird but it is relatively true. There isn't really such thing as personal space among friends but I am learning to love it.
-Chocolate chips are not a common thing to find in supermarkets. I just wanted to make cookies...
-The milk here is different... Not good or bad just different.
-Transit buses like to play a game called "Let's see how many people we can fit onto the bus and then see how fast we can go with or without hitting people" It's fun. I've played that game a couple times. I had to shower after.
-I have not watched TV at all since I have been here besides the morning news but I wasn't really watching. Yes that is correct, I have not even watched 'How I Met Your Mother'.
-When someone says that something is 'close by' they really mean it's a half hour walk.
-My Portuguese is getting better, I speak more Portuguese during the day than English. There are some words that even in my head I am saying them in Portuguese. It's a start :)
-Brazilians and their dancing... weoo ;) I'm just going to leave it at that.
-Brazilians wear shoes in the house. Still trying to get used to that one.
-There is a thing next to the toilet that looks like a toilet but it is not. I have been here for one month and I am still hesitant about asking what it does...
-If you see a road that looks like it is just wide enough for one car then it is probably a two or three lane road.
-Brazilians are honestly the most generous people.
-Be careful with the way you say "pão" (bread); it is a very nasally sounding word and if you don't say it with that nasal sound you are actually saying a word that is pronounced like "pow". Don't use this word. Without the nasal sound it means 'the male sex organ' (that is the most polite way I can say it). So when talking to someone about how much you love the 'pão' in Brazil... make sure you are using the right sound. So after a couple days of telling my new family how much I love the 'pow' in Brazil and how I would love to have it everyday, someone finally told me what I was really saying (I thought I was talking about bread..)
-Shopping here is hard. The food is cheap but the clothes are soooo expensive! This is a problem because the food is so good and cheap that exchange students will just eat but then they will need more money to buy new clothes because they are too fat to fit in their old clothes from all the really amazing and cheap food. I see what they are trying to do there...
-I tried sushi with mango in it. Yea.
-Here it is very common to drink hot milk. It is very different but actually quite soothing.
-Also, people here use spray on deodorant. It's tingly.
-In Brazil, nooo one blows their nose. At least not in public. People will sit there and just sniff really hard to keep everything in there and I don't see why they don't just get a tissue!
-I am in a place right now where I am not homesick but I do miss my family... and maybe Tim Hortons. However I am at a place right now where I actually feel like I live here. I am comfortable.
-One more thing I have noticed is that I don't really talk to many people from back home except my family. To those of you who I have not really talked to lately, I apologize, it is nothing personal I am just crazy busy. You're still in my thoughts.
I could go on forever about all the cool and different things I have found here but I think I will leave it at that for now. All I can say is that I know I am meant to be here and I couldn't be happier.
Also a shout out to the people who have their Rotary interviews coming up! I want to wish you all good luck! You are in for a wild ride.
It is hard for me to believe that I was in that position a year ago now!
Anyways, good luck to all :)
Beijos xox
Sunday, 6 October 2013
Orientation Weekend
Yesterday I just arrived home from the most amazing week with the other exchange students in my district. It started last Sunday (September 29) and all the exchange students met at the Rotary building at 7am. There were 56 of us. I already knew a couple of them but the rest were absolute strangers. We all boarded the bus and started talking with one another. They made each of us speak into a microphone introducing ourselves (in Portuguese of course). Our first destination was Ouro Preto. The bus actually stopped about 30 minutes outside of Ouro Preto and we got to take a train through the country side to get to the city. The cool thing was that I had already been to Ouro Preto but this time we went to a different part of the city that I had never been to. All 56 of us and our chaperones walked around the entire city for the whole day. We got to go into these caves as well which was really neat. The path was very narrow and the walls were made of clay.
After a long day of walking and meeting new people, we went back to Contagem where we were going to stay for the week. I stayed in a room with 11 other girls, it was so big!
This resort place had 2 huge pools, and tons of basketball/volleyball/soccer courts, a bunch of playgrounds, multiple huge buildings for lunch/games, classes/I don't even know. That night we all got together and played a bunch of group games to break the ice. We were split into groups and had to make up a short skit in Portuguese. It was really neat to start getting to know each other. Mostly everyone spoke English so that was basically our only way of communicating. There were only 3 out of 56 that didn't speak English and 2 of those 3 could speak Portuguese. We did the pin and card trading that night and my goodness I have a lot now.
The next day we began our Portuguese lessons. Before we started, we had to do a little presentation about ourselves then we were split into our groups. I was put in the easy class for Portuguese and then found out that it was actually waay too easy. Surprisingly I knew more than some people that have been there for 2 months. It was okay though because they figured out quickly that some people were at different levels than they had thought so they moved me into the harder class.
A typical day would general go like this: 7am breakfast, 8am Portuguese, 10am snack break, 10:30am more Portuguese classes, 12:30 lunch, 2pm, activity/rules, 4pm snack, 4:30 more games, 7pm dinner, 9pm games\dancing. Notice how I did not put a time for bed? That is because there is no sleeping that occurs when with exchange students.
One of the activities they made us do that day was split into two huge groups, everyone gets a dance partner and you have a dance competition kind of. It didn't really work out because they just gave us partners, put on music and said "go". Most of us didn't know what kind of dance or how to dance so we just did our own thing. By the end everyone was on the floor dancing and no one really cared about the competition. They put on Brazilian music and all of us just had the most amazing time making fools out of ourselves. It was at that moment when I realized how much I love where I am and how lucky I am to be here. Looking around at all the different faces and knowing that these faces are going to be the ones we will miss most is really quite an extraordinary feeling.
On Tuesday we did our normal routine with the Portuguese lessons and everything. They spent another 2 hours explaining the rotary rules and most of us were falling asleep. Outside of our classroom where we were learning the rules, there was a huge hall with a stage. During our lesson, there was a huge group of old people doing dancing and stretching exercises being lead by a couple of younger people. It looked like so much fun so Kristian and I (the boy from Slovakia) decided to join in on the dancing. Next thing you know everyone follows behind us so we had a huge group of old people and exchange students dancing. It was such a great time, everyone loved it.
After supper that night there was a group of people around our age who came to teach us how to dance Forro. The guys stood in a circle and a girls stood in a circle inside of them so we could all rotate partners. This is a very intimate and difficult dance if you are doing it right but of course we were all just learning so we probably looked really funny. I think I got the hang of it after a while, it was so much fun. I'm going to hopefully be taking Forro classes nearby my house a couple times a week. They also taught us samba... ugh. It looks amazing and I really wish I could do it but it is so hard! I think I need to practice alone in my bedroom first so I can actually get it. I will not go back to Canada without knowing how to Samba.
Wednesday we did our routine once again in the mornings. Now I know it sounds like everyday is the same but it really wasn't! Everyday was so awesome because each day I talked to different people. The nice thing about this group of exchange students is that there are no 'cliques'. Everyone can talk to everyone and you sit with a new group of people all the time. I can honestly say that I am friends with each person on some level in that group. Later that night we had kind of a 'talent show' which wasn't really a talent show because people just stood up and did a cartwheel or something but it was still really entertaining. After that we played a really intense chair game that basically involves tackling. We all came out alive so I guess it was somewhat successful. Funny how the most popular games among this group all have to do with inducing pain on one another. I learned some defensive skills in jujitsu and how to do kill people with their pressure points... I just hope I won't have to use those techniques on anyone. On Wednesday during the afternoon however, some people got sick. I still don't know if it was a virus or food poisoning but I am just thankful I didn't get it. It spread for a couple days to different people. By the end of the week there was between 15-18 people who got sick. Sick as in throwing up, and having diarrhea. More than half of the people I shared a room with were sick. I felt so awful, I am glad they are okay.
On Thursday we took a bus to a place called Inhotim where we visited a very famous museum\gallery thing. I call it a museum\gallery thing because it wasn't really either. It was the biggest gallery I have ever been and it apparently takes 3 days to see the whole thing. Essentially, it was a very large forest with many different buildings filled with modern art. You just walk down a trail in the forest and it leads you to different buildings. The galleries were very messed up to be honest... in a cool hipster kind of way. There was one building where you had to take your shoes off before you went inside. Then inside the building there were different rooms. One room was all foam and it was so thick that it was difficult to walk; you could only jump. Another room was just a pool to soak your feet. One was a room with a bunch of hammocks, and another with a bunch of beds on the ground. Each room had a projector going with creepy hipster music and creepy dead people pictures. I felt like that artist was on drugs when they thought of that. But that is okay because it was very interesting. Also that forest had some of the most beautiful lakes I've seen. I really wish I could explore the whole gallery one day.
When we got back from the trip we ate supper and played a game of soccer and just hung out. It was very unfortunate that many people were sick and had to miss out on the trip. Later that night the dancers came back and we practiced more and more dancing. I can honestly say that I suck at Samba... for now. It was so much fun, I am really looking forward to taking the classes.
On Friday we woke up early for our last Portuguese class. In total, we took 20 hours of Portuguese that week. It helped a lot I think. After the lessons, we had lunch then went to this building for a presentation on all the different trips that are offered to our district. I would really love to go on all of them but obviously that is not going to happen. Thankfully I get the opportunity to go on at least one! I am really praying that I will have a spot reserved for the Northeast Trip. This trip is my dream. You get to travel to all the most amazing beaches in Brazil, learn how to dance, stay in Rio, learn the culture and taste the cuisine. It is a month long and it is with many of the other exchange students from my district. I also am dying to go on the Amazon trip. It's shorter but you get to boat down the Amazon river, sleep in hammocks in the jungle, meet Amazonian tribes, swim with pink dolphins and play with sloths. I would actually use all of my college money and give my right leg to do that trip. I can't even explain. So if anyone wants to get me a really awesome Christmas present.... *wink wink*
Anywho.. after the presentation we ate food (surprise surprise) and then waited to meet the other outbounds and rebounds. These were the outbounds that would be going on their exchange in January. It was really good to talk to them because I got the chance to speak in Portuguese again. (I have been bad because the exchange students really on speak English).
After dinner we all gathered in this 'bar' area and listened to a live band play Brazilian music. After a couple songs everyone started to get up and dance. I absolutely love Brazilian music so I was right in there dancing the whole time. The live band was so good! And they all got really into what they were playing. It was such a great night.
On Saturday I got to sleep in until 11!! That never happens! That whole week had been no sleep at all and having to wake up at 6 or 7 everyday. So 11 was amazing for me. We ate lunch and then packed up our stuff to head back to Belo Horizonte. We toured around Pampulha for about an hour. There were a few shops set up so we went looking around. ALSO I saw an alligator! IN THE LAKE! Holy man I was excited. I also saw a tarantula the night before. I am loving this wildlife in Brazil.
After Pampulha, they brought us to this famous 'Praça' in BH called 'Praça da Papa'. It was a place where you could see the whole entire city. I have been there before but only at night. It was such an amazing view. And it was the perfect opportunity for taking selfies.
Then it was time to say goodbye. It was weird saying bye to people that you just spent every second of a whole week with. It was sad but I know I will be seeing them again soon.
I love this group of exchange students. I couldn't have asked for a better group of people to share the same experiences with. I know these will be the friends I will have for life.
Thank you Rotary for making this possible :)
After a long day of walking and meeting new people, we went back to Contagem where we were going to stay for the week. I stayed in a room with 11 other girls, it was so big!
This resort place had 2 huge pools, and tons of basketball/volleyball/soccer courts, a bunch of playgrounds, multiple huge buildings for lunch/games, classes/I don't even know. That night we all got together and played a bunch of group games to break the ice. We were split into groups and had to make up a short skit in Portuguese. It was really neat to start getting to know each other. Mostly everyone spoke English so that was basically our only way of communicating. There were only 3 out of 56 that didn't speak English and 2 of those 3 could speak Portuguese. We did the pin and card trading that night and my goodness I have a lot now.
The next day we began our Portuguese lessons. Before we started, we had to do a little presentation about ourselves then we were split into our groups. I was put in the easy class for Portuguese and then found out that it was actually waay too easy. Surprisingly I knew more than some people that have been there for 2 months. It was okay though because they figured out quickly that some people were at different levels than they had thought so they moved me into the harder class.
A typical day would general go like this: 7am breakfast, 8am Portuguese, 10am snack break, 10:30am more Portuguese classes, 12:30 lunch, 2pm, activity/rules, 4pm snack, 4:30 more games, 7pm dinner, 9pm games\dancing. Notice how I did not put a time for bed? That is because there is no sleeping that occurs when with exchange students.
One of the activities they made us do that day was split into two huge groups, everyone gets a dance partner and you have a dance competition kind of. It didn't really work out because they just gave us partners, put on music and said "go". Most of us didn't know what kind of dance or how to dance so we just did our own thing. By the end everyone was on the floor dancing and no one really cared about the competition. They put on Brazilian music and all of us just had the most amazing time making fools out of ourselves. It was at that moment when I realized how much I love where I am and how lucky I am to be here. Looking around at all the different faces and knowing that these faces are going to be the ones we will miss most is really quite an extraordinary feeling.
On Tuesday we did our normal routine with the Portuguese lessons and everything. They spent another 2 hours explaining the rotary rules and most of us were falling asleep. Outside of our classroom where we were learning the rules, there was a huge hall with a stage. During our lesson, there was a huge group of old people doing dancing and stretching exercises being lead by a couple of younger people. It looked like so much fun so Kristian and I (the boy from Slovakia) decided to join in on the dancing. Next thing you know everyone follows behind us so we had a huge group of old people and exchange students dancing. It was such a great time, everyone loved it.
After supper that night there was a group of people around our age who came to teach us how to dance Forro. The guys stood in a circle and a girls stood in a circle inside of them so we could all rotate partners. This is a very intimate and difficult dance if you are doing it right but of course we were all just learning so we probably looked really funny. I think I got the hang of it after a while, it was so much fun. I'm going to hopefully be taking Forro classes nearby my house a couple times a week. They also taught us samba... ugh. It looks amazing and I really wish I could do it but it is so hard! I think I need to practice alone in my bedroom first so I can actually get it. I will not go back to Canada without knowing how to Samba.
Wednesday we did our routine once again in the mornings. Now I know it sounds like everyday is the same but it really wasn't! Everyday was so awesome because each day I talked to different people. The nice thing about this group of exchange students is that there are no 'cliques'. Everyone can talk to everyone and you sit with a new group of people all the time. I can honestly say that I am friends with each person on some level in that group. Later that night we had kind of a 'talent show' which wasn't really a talent show because people just stood up and did a cartwheel or something but it was still really entertaining. After that we played a really intense chair game that basically involves tackling. We all came out alive so I guess it was somewhat successful. Funny how the most popular games among this group all have to do with inducing pain on one another. I learned some defensive skills in jujitsu and how to do kill people with their pressure points... I just hope I won't have to use those techniques on anyone. On Wednesday during the afternoon however, some people got sick. I still don't know if it was a virus or food poisoning but I am just thankful I didn't get it. It spread for a couple days to different people. By the end of the week there was between 15-18 people who got sick. Sick as in throwing up, and having diarrhea. More than half of the people I shared a room with were sick. I felt so awful, I am glad they are okay.
On Thursday we took a bus to a place called Inhotim where we visited a very famous museum\gallery thing. I call it a museum\gallery thing because it wasn't really either. It was the biggest gallery I have ever been and it apparently takes 3 days to see the whole thing. Essentially, it was a very large forest with many different buildings filled with modern art. You just walk down a trail in the forest and it leads you to different buildings. The galleries were very messed up to be honest... in a cool hipster kind of way. There was one building where you had to take your shoes off before you went inside. Then inside the building there were different rooms. One room was all foam and it was so thick that it was difficult to walk; you could only jump. Another room was just a pool to soak your feet. One was a room with a bunch of hammocks, and another with a bunch of beds on the ground. Each room had a projector going with creepy hipster music and creepy dead people pictures. I felt like that artist was on drugs when they thought of that. But that is okay because it was very interesting. Also that forest had some of the most beautiful lakes I've seen. I really wish I could explore the whole gallery one day.
When we got back from the trip we ate supper and played a game of soccer and just hung out. It was very unfortunate that many people were sick and had to miss out on the trip. Later that night the dancers came back and we practiced more and more dancing. I can honestly say that I suck at Samba... for now. It was so much fun, I am really looking forward to taking the classes.
On Friday we woke up early for our last Portuguese class. In total, we took 20 hours of Portuguese that week. It helped a lot I think. After the lessons, we had lunch then went to this building for a presentation on all the different trips that are offered to our district. I would really love to go on all of them but obviously that is not going to happen. Thankfully I get the opportunity to go on at least one! I am really praying that I will have a spot reserved for the Northeast Trip. This trip is my dream. You get to travel to all the most amazing beaches in Brazil, learn how to dance, stay in Rio, learn the culture and taste the cuisine. It is a month long and it is with many of the other exchange students from my district. I also am dying to go on the Amazon trip. It's shorter but you get to boat down the Amazon river, sleep in hammocks in the jungle, meet Amazonian tribes, swim with pink dolphins and play with sloths. I would actually use all of my college money and give my right leg to do that trip. I can't even explain. So if anyone wants to get me a really awesome Christmas present.... *wink wink*
Anywho.. after the presentation we ate food (surprise surprise) and then waited to meet the other outbounds and rebounds. These were the outbounds that would be going on their exchange in January. It was really good to talk to them because I got the chance to speak in Portuguese again. (I have been bad because the exchange students really on speak English).
After dinner we all gathered in this 'bar' area and listened to a live band play Brazilian music. After a couple songs everyone started to get up and dance. I absolutely love Brazilian music so I was right in there dancing the whole time. The live band was so good! And they all got really into what they were playing. It was such a great night.
On Saturday I got to sleep in until 11!! That never happens! That whole week had been no sleep at all and having to wake up at 6 or 7 everyday. So 11 was amazing for me. We ate lunch and then packed up our stuff to head back to Belo Horizonte. We toured around Pampulha for about an hour. There were a few shops set up so we went looking around. ALSO I saw an alligator! IN THE LAKE! Holy man I was excited. I also saw a tarantula the night before. I am loving this wildlife in Brazil.
After Pampulha, they brought us to this famous 'Praça' in BH called 'Praça da Papa'. It was a place where you could see the whole entire city. I have been there before but only at night. It was such an amazing view. And it was the perfect opportunity for taking selfies.
Then it was time to say goodbye. It was weird saying bye to people that you just spent every second of a whole week with. It was sad but I know I will be seeing them again soon.
I love this group of exchange students. I couldn't have asked for a better group of people to share the same experiences with. I know these will be the friends I will have for life.
Thank you Rotary for making this possible :)
Thursday, 26 September 2013
Saudades/Singing
Saudades is a word that really only exists in Brazil I think. When you have "saudades" for something or someone is means you have a "longing" for them (so you miss something/someone essentially).
I have had a lot of Brazilians ask me if "estou com saudades do Canada, minha familia, ou meus amigos" And my answer is yes, I do miss some things about Canada like: Tim Hortons, peanut butter, and ceasar salad. Right now I have only been here for 2 weeks so I don't really feel like I "miss" anything or anyone too too much yet. I'm sure I will eventually.
What I do miss though, is singing. In Canada I sang ALL the time; at home, at school, on the street, in the car, at work, EVERYWHERE!
Here I hadn't really sang because I was just getting used to my surroundings and I thought it would be kinda weird to go into my bedroom and just belt it out.
However, the other day, my friends at school were singing familiar songs and asked if I knew any Rihanna songs. I said yes and started singing "Stay". I wasn't singing all that well, I just sang a few words so they would recognize the song I was singing. All my friends told me they loved my voice so then they kept making me sing different songs for them. They loved it so much that when we got back to the classroom, they made me sing for a ton of other people as well. Every day since that day that I first sang, there has been someone that has asked me to sing for them. It's weird because this has never really happened to me where so many people at school ask me to sing. (People at my school in Canada usually tell me to shut up hahaha).
One of my friends in my class said he plays guitar, piano, and bass and that someday he will bring his guitar and we will sing and play together, how cool!?!
It felt really nice to sing again, I am going to do it more and more now.
I have had a lot of Brazilians ask me if "estou com saudades do Canada, minha familia, ou meus amigos" And my answer is yes, I do miss some things about Canada like: Tim Hortons, peanut butter, and ceasar salad. Right now I have only been here for 2 weeks so I don't really feel like I "miss" anything or anyone too too much yet. I'm sure I will eventually.
What I do miss though, is singing. In Canada I sang ALL the time; at home, at school, on the street, in the car, at work, EVERYWHERE!
Here I hadn't really sang because I was just getting used to my surroundings and I thought it would be kinda weird to go into my bedroom and just belt it out.
However, the other day, my friends at school were singing familiar songs and asked if I knew any Rihanna songs. I said yes and started singing "Stay". I wasn't singing all that well, I just sang a few words so they would recognize the song I was singing. All my friends told me they loved my voice so then they kept making me sing different songs for them. They loved it so much that when we got back to the classroom, they made me sing for a ton of other people as well. Every day since that day that I first sang, there has been someone that has asked me to sing for them. It's weird because this has never really happened to me where so many people at school ask me to sing. (People at my school in Canada usually tell me to shut up hahaha).
One of my friends in my class said he plays guitar, piano, and bass and that someday he will bring his guitar and we will sing and play together, how cool!?!
It felt really nice to sing again, I am going to do it more and more now.
Monday, 23 September 2013
Igloos and What Not
So today after school I hung out with some other exchange students. A girl from the states, one boy from Belgium and another boy from Poland. We all went out for acai (of course) and had a really nice time.
While we were hanging out, the Polish boy (whom I am going to refer to as 'Mat'), asked me what it is like in Canada because he doesn't know. So jokingly I told him about life in my igloo. I honestly did not expect him to believe me but he actually did. I went on about telling him how my family and many other people in Canada live in igloos. He was very confused as to why we wouldn't just live in a house. I told him that houses are too expensive to build and it's easier to live in an igloo because you can just hire someone to come and build it for you in only one day as opposed to building houses which takes many months. He thought this was very strange because in Poland they have lots of snow as well but no igloos. I told him it's very homey living in an igloo because everyone is together. He asked," but what if you don't have enough snow to build one? Like in the summer?" good question, eh? I replied," not a problem! You can choose a property and hire someone to bring the snow to you then build it for you." He was absolutely shocked. He could not understand why we don't just live in houses. He asked how we get food and where we keep it. I told that even though every town has a walmart, my family generally likes to hunt everything we eat. But if we get a moose then we are good for a week. Also we don't have refrigerators because we keep our food outside. He thought that was funny but he said "that makes sense I guess because it is so cold." True.
Okay I know this all sounds ridiculous but it was hilarious. He was honestly just so confused and started freaking out saying "what do you do in an igloo?!"
Then I asked," the same thing you do in a house!"
He was confused about how we hire people to build our igloos but I replied saying," it's the same as if your maple syrup machine breaks down and you need to hire someone to come fix it."
Again he was a little confused.
He then asked me what I do for fun with friends. I said that we have a drinking game that consists of sitting on the dock and counting as many beavers as you can. Whoever counts the least, has to buy the drinks for the party. Where do we party in Canada? not in our igloos of course because people can destroy them, we like to party in the mountains (which is actually very true).
This went on for a good half hour... no joke. I died laughing...
But at the end he thanked me for giving him a brighter picture of Canada.
I feel good knowing I can share my experiences with other people from around the world here in Brazil. I am still laughing.... ;) I guess one day I will tell him the truth about Canada.
While we were hanging out, the Polish boy (whom I am going to refer to as 'Mat'), asked me what it is like in Canada because he doesn't know. So jokingly I told him about life in my igloo. I honestly did not expect him to believe me but he actually did. I went on about telling him how my family and many other people in Canada live in igloos. He was very confused as to why we wouldn't just live in a house. I told him that houses are too expensive to build and it's easier to live in an igloo because you can just hire someone to come and build it for you in only one day as opposed to building houses which takes many months. He thought this was very strange because in Poland they have lots of snow as well but no igloos. I told him it's very homey living in an igloo because everyone is together. He asked," but what if you don't have enough snow to build one? Like in the summer?" good question, eh? I replied," not a problem! You can choose a property and hire someone to bring the snow to you then build it for you." He was absolutely shocked. He could not understand why we don't just live in houses. He asked how we get food and where we keep it. I told that even though every town has a walmart, my family generally likes to hunt everything we eat. But if we get a moose then we are good for a week. Also we don't have refrigerators because we keep our food outside. He thought that was funny but he said "that makes sense I guess because it is so cold." True.
Okay I know this all sounds ridiculous but it was hilarious. He was honestly just so confused and started freaking out saying "what do you do in an igloo?!"
Then I asked," the same thing you do in a house!"
He was confused about how we hire people to build our igloos but I replied saying," it's the same as if your maple syrup machine breaks down and you need to hire someone to come fix it."
Again he was a little confused.
He then asked me what I do for fun with friends. I said that we have a drinking game that consists of sitting on the dock and counting as many beavers as you can. Whoever counts the least, has to buy the drinks for the party. Where do we party in Canada? not in our igloos of course because people can destroy them, we like to party in the mountains (which is actually very true).
This went on for a good half hour... no joke. I died laughing...
But at the end he thanked me for giving him a brighter picture of Canada.
I feel good knowing I can share my experiences with other people from around the world here in Brazil. I am still laughing.... ;) I guess one day I will tell him the truth about Canada.
More Things To Say
School has been really awesome, I am just now starting to understand what the teachers are talking about. Thursday (September 19?) was the first and only time so far that I slept in class. In my defence, I went out the night before with Clarice and Nina to watch some soccer and have a good time so I wasn't going to pass that up! Thursday night I had my first Rotary meeting where I got to meet most of the Rotarians and the other two exchange students in my club. Everyone there were so nice and just came up and hugged me. I didn't really understand what they were saying in the meeting so I just kind of zoned out (oops) but then all of a sudden I heard my name and everyone just stared at me. I sat there like an idiot not knowing what to do until someone said "Stand and speak!" HAHA oh sure, why not?! So I stood up and they told me I could speak in English if I wanted so my reply was "nao, nao, eu nao falo ingles, so portugues" (no no, I don't speak English, only Portuguese). Everyone laughed after I said that but they were happy that I wanted to speak Portuguese even after just arriving in Brazil. I gave my speech about where I come from, that I am happy to be here, thanks for having me, blah blah. Then they wanted to know what I did for the last week since I have arrived so I told them all about school, the food I tried, everything. Everyone was very impressed that I spoke to them in Portuguese instead of English. It made me really happy.
The next day (Friday), I went to Pampulha with Clarice and Nina. Pampulha is an area that is part of BH but it is on the outside of it so we had to take a bus for like 30 minutes to get there. It actually seemed like it was its own community. It had a really nice lake with a famous church near it. AND I SAW CAPYBARAS! Okay it was really exciting for me even though some may think it is not a big deal but it is. Apparently they have diseases so I couldn't pet them.
Anywho.. we walked around the lake and as we were walking, every.single.dang.car. that drove by honked at us or yell things like "Que Lindas!, Meu Deus!" (Oh my god, beautiful girls!)
I was not used to it so apparently my face was really funny to look at when that happened.
After, we toured in the really nice church which was really cool. Then we went and bought coconuts again. OMG so good.
Later that night, we all got dressed up like we always do, and headed out to meet some friends.
I got to meet another exchange student in my district who is also from Canada. She is living with one of Clarice's friends. Another one of her friends showed up with his exchange students and one of them happened to be Adri from my district back home! WHAT!?
So that was cool haha.
We didn't get home until about 3:30 in the morning so I slept in quite late. Since my parents were out of town for the weekend, Clarice and I went out for lunch just the two of us to this awesome buffet. And when I say "awesome buffet" I am not lying. It was a buffet of Chinese, sushi, Italian, and Brazilian food. MEU DEUS.
Later that night I got dressed up again and went out with some friends. It was soo much fun but my feet hurt sooo bad because of dancing in heels.
We got home at around 4 in the morning! Once again, I slept all day sunday hahah.
Tough life of the exchange student.
Sunday night, I went out and met up with some people from rotaract. They met in a cute café with live music outside and fresh food inside. It was on this certain street where no cars were allowed to pass through, only pedestrians. It was really nice to meet younger people in Rotary as well because they know kind of why I am here and they know perfect places to take me. It was nice hanging out with them because they only really spoke in Portuguese so it was good for me to listen and try to understand.
So far I am absolutely loving Brasil. I couldn't be happier with the place I chose or the people I've met or the things I have done. I truly believe that I am in the right place and exactly the right time. I've made many friends, gone to many places, learned so much Portuguese, surprised myself, and completely fell in love with this culture...and it has only been a little more than a week :)
The next day (Friday), I went to Pampulha with Clarice and Nina. Pampulha is an area that is part of BH but it is on the outside of it so we had to take a bus for like 30 minutes to get there. It actually seemed like it was its own community. It had a really nice lake with a famous church near it. AND I SAW CAPYBARAS! Okay it was really exciting for me even though some may think it is not a big deal but it is. Apparently they have diseases so I couldn't pet them.
Anywho.. we walked around the lake and as we were walking, every.single.dang.car. that drove by honked at us or yell things like "Que Lindas!, Meu Deus!" (Oh my god, beautiful girls!)
I was not used to it so apparently my face was really funny to look at when that happened.
After, we toured in the really nice church which was really cool. Then we went and bought coconuts again. OMG so good.
Later that night, we all got dressed up like we always do, and headed out to meet some friends.
I got to meet another exchange student in my district who is also from Canada. She is living with one of Clarice's friends. Another one of her friends showed up with his exchange students and one of them happened to be Adri from my district back home! WHAT!?
So that was cool haha.
We didn't get home until about 3:30 in the morning so I slept in quite late. Since my parents were out of town for the weekend, Clarice and I went out for lunch just the two of us to this awesome buffet. And when I say "awesome buffet" I am not lying. It was a buffet of Chinese, sushi, Italian, and Brazilian food. MEU DEUS.
Later that night I got dressed up again and went out with some friends. It was soo much fun but my feet hurt sooo bad because of dancing in heels.
We got home at around 4 in the morning! Once again, I slept all day sunday hahah.
Tough life of the exchange student.
Sunday night, I went out and met up with some people from rotaract. They met in a cute café with live music outside and fresh food inside. It was on this certain street where no cars were allowed to pass through, only pedestrians. It was really nice to meet younger people in Rotary as well because they know kind of why I am here and they know perfect places to take me. It was nice hanging out with them because they only really spoke in Portuguese so it was good for me to listen and try to understand.
So far I am absolutely loving Brasil. I couldn't be happier with the place I chose or the people I've met or the things I have done. I truly believe that I am in the right place and exactly the right time. I've made many friends, gone to many places, learned so much Portuguese, surprised myself, and completely fell in love with this culture...and it has only been a little more than a week :)
Wednesday, 18 September 2013
School
School in Brazil is very different. I know I already talked about my first day and what it was like but now I will tell you about my other experiences with school. I made a lot of new friends and I feel like I am part of the class which is a really good feeling. I still don't really understand what the teachers are saying but I can understand some words. My friends like to speak to me in English because they are practicing but most of the conversations are in Portuguese.
The classes here are brutal! On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays school goes from 7am-12:30pm, which really isn't that bad. On Tuesdays and Thursdays school goes from 7am-5:30! that's like 10 hours of school!!
Because I am an exchange student, I don't really have to do anything. I'm even allowed to sleep if I want to (I don't though). Yesterday (Tuesday) I stayed for the whole day until 5:30 even though technically I didn't have to. In one day I had: Literature, English, Spanish, Geography, Math, Biology, Chemistry, Portuguese. Some were double classes. By the end of the day I was so exhausted from listening to so much Portuguese. I liked math class because it was the only one I understood. English class was funny because of the accents and the stuff they were learning but that's normal.
For lunch my friends took me to Subway! I told them that I work there in Canada. It was so different here in Brazil though! They had mostly the same things but not all so I tried one of the ones that we don't have in Canada. I had a chicken with cream cheese sub. It was actually really good. In Brazil, they don't have hot peppers to put on your sub, only chilly flakes. I loaded the chilly flakes and my friends looked at me like I was crazy because not many people like spicy food here.
I'm starting to understand more and more Portuguese which is really awesome! Every morning my father drives me to school and then picks me up after because it is about an hour to walk to school from my house. He doesn't really speak English so the whole conversation to and from school is in Portuguese. There's sometimes confusion but we can actually hold a conversation! He teaches me Portuguese and I teach him English.
The last couple days I really began to realize how easy I have it in school in Canada. We only have 4 classes a day and here it's like 8 or 9 in one day. ALSO fun fact: in schools here, you are not allowed to use a calculator.... WHAT! We were doing math, physics, chemistry, etc, without a calculator... OMG!
It was so hard. I understood the math part but trying to do stoichiometry without a calculator.. no thank you!
In October there is a huge test that everyone has to take to get into college but if they don't do well then they don't get in. That's why they study for so many hours during the day. One of my friends takes another english class outside of school so after she gets home from a 10 hour long day at school, she goes to another class and then studies at home after that. It's brutal. The funny thing is that in class, no one pays attention. Everyone talks and texts and laughs with their friends the whole time. It's quite fun but I really don't see how it is good.
Funny story though, in physics the teacher walks in and starts talking. (This was my last class of the day so I was really tired). He was talking away and it looked like everyone was kind of dozing off because everyone had either their heads down or their eyes closed. I kinda just sat there pretending I was paying attention but then everyone at once said "amen" and I realized they were saying prayers. Oops.. I didn't know so I looked like an idiot just looking around at everyone. I guess maybe they were praying that they wouldn't fail physics? Not quite sure.
Anyways, I love everyone here, they are all so nice and always asking me questions and to sit with them. It's great.
Loving Brasil so far!
The classes here are brutal! On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays school goes from 7am-12:30pm, which really isn't that bad. On Tuesdays and Thursdays school goes from 7am-5:30! that's like 10 hours of school!!
Because I am an exchange student, I don't really have to do anything. I'm even allowed to sleep if I want to (I don't though). Yesterday (Tuesday) I stayed for the whole day until 5:30 even though technically I didn't have to. In one day I had: Literature, English, Spanish, Geography, Math, Biology, Chemistry, Portuguese. Some were double classes. By the end of the day I was so exhausted from listening to so much Portuguese. I liked math class because it was the only one I understood. English class was funny because of the accents and the stuff they were learning but that's normal.
For lunch my friends took me to Subway! I told them that I work there in Canada. It was so different here in Brazil though! They had mostly the same things but not all so I tried one of the ones that we don't have in Canada. I had a chicken with cream cheese sub. It was actually really good. In Brazil, they don't have hot peppers to put on your sub, only chilly flakes. I loaded the chilly flakes and my friends looked at me like I was crazy because not many people like spicy food here.
I'm starting to understand more and more Portuguese which is really awesome! Every morning my father drives me to school and then picks me up after because it is about an hour to walk to school from my house. He doesn't really speak English so the whole conversation to and from school is in Portuguese. There's sometimes confusion but we can actually hold a conversation! He teaches me Portuguese and I teach him English.
The last couple days I really began to realize how easy I have it in school in Canada. We only have 4 classes a day and here it's like 8 or 9 in one day. ALSO fun fact: in schools here, you are not allowed to use a calculator.... WHAT! We were doing math, physics, chemistry, etc, without a calculator... OMG!
It was so hard. I understood the math part but trying to do stoichiometry without a calculator.. no thank you!
In October there is a huge test that everyone has to take to get into college but if they don't do well then they don't get in. That's why they study for so many hours during the day. One of my friends takes another english class outside of school so after she gets home from a 10 hour long day at school, she goes to another class and then studies at home after that. It's brutal. The funny thing is that in class, no one pays attention. Everyone talks and texts and laughs with their friends the whole time. It's quite fun but I really don't see how it is good.
Funny story though, in physics the teacher walks in and starts talking. (This was my last class of the day so I was really tired). He was talking away and it looked like everyone was kind of dozing off because everyone had either their heads down or their eyes closed. I kinda just sat there pretending I was paying attention but then everyone at once said "amen" and I realized they were saying prayers. Oops.. I didn't know so I looked like an idiot just looking around at everyone. I guess maybe they were praying that they wouldn't fail physics? Not quite sure.
Anyways, I love everyone here, they are all so nice and always asking me questions and to sit with them. It's great.
Loving Brasil so far!
Monday, 16 September 2013
As Fotos No Brasil
Belo Horizonte
Ouro Preto
This church is filled with gold
My First Few Days
On Saturday (sept 14) was my host sister's birthday (Clarice). The party took place at the bottom floor of our apartment building where there's a lounge with couches and chairs, a place to dance, and a stereo for music. Our family supplied all of the food and drinks for the party (WHAT). That's a lot of beer and wine. There were waiters to bring the food and drinks to you throughout the whole night. I met tons of new people and spoke tons of Portuguese. I also learned how to dance like they do here... it's different.. hahah
Honestly though, the people here are amazing. Everyone talks to everyone and are so nice.
One thing about arriving at a party in Brazil: you must say hi to everyone. What I mean is, when you arrive, you have to go to each person at every table and kiss them on the cheek to let them know you arrived. If you do not greet everyone, it is considered rude. It was really nice because I spoke with almost everyone at the party. Most of them speak English but our conversations were portingles (Portuguese/English). Everyone was so friendly and really wanted to know about my life in Canada and why I chose Brazil.
I had so much fun!
The next day (Sunday), my family took me to a city about an hour away called Ouro Preto which means "Black Gold". I only ever saw pictures of this city and oh meu Deus... it is amazing. The streets were all cobblestone and super narrow, the walls were all stone and they buildings were so old! It was really one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. We walked around, I learned a lot about the buildings and the history. We had lunch in a really cool place were you just walk in take a plate, take some food, and sit down. Rice and beans of course ;)
We arrived back home after spending the whole day there and when we got home, I tried on my uniform for school because today was my first day of school!
Monday (Today) I woke up at 5:45am to go to school for 7:00. My host father drove my mom and I to school where we walked around and they showed me to my class. My mom left and I stood at the door of my classroom where EVERYONE stared at me. I personally don't like when people stare at me so I started smiling too much and looked away. The teacher introduced me to the class and asked the students where I can sit. When she said that, there were so many people pointing to me saying "aqui, aqui!" (here!). I felt so good haha.
There was already a chair open near a couple people so I took it. The teacher began to teach the class. The thing about schools in Brazil is that the students stay in the same classroom the whole day with the same people but the teachers change rooms. For the first two blocks we had Portuguese class. I understood barely anything but it was okay because I didn't have to answer any questions.
Another thing about schools in Brazil... the classes are crazy! Everyone is so energetic and so is the teacher! It's normal to yell your opinion in class, I never saw anyone raise their hand. After Portuguese, we had gym class. In Canada it's pretty organized I would say. You are split into teams and the sport changes every couple weeks. In Brazil, everyone goes outside to the court yard, the teacher gives you a ball and says "go". So for an hour I just played a game with my whole class but I forget the name. Basically you pass a volleyball around the circle and on the third pass, the person spikes it as hard as they can on another person to get them "out". It was very interesting! I love the people here because everyone is so close since they have been in the same class for a long time.
The best part about school here is the people. It is so easy to make friends here, it's crazy! Everyone likes to know why I'm here, where I'm from, stuff about Canada, why I chose Brazil, and how I learned Portuguese. I spoke with many people today in Portuguese and no one could believe it was only my third day here. Our last block of the day was English but the teacher never showed up so it was a free block. Everyone stayed in the class and talked in circles. The circle I was in kept growing bigger and bigger because everyone wanted to ask me questions. I felt like such a celebrity. By the end of the class, I talked to everyone. It was so nice to make friends to quickly because that was one thing I was a little more nervous about. After class I had friends ask me to go for lunch with them, and hang out during our breaks. It made me really happy :) So if anyone from my class is reading this, Obrigada! ;)
After school, Clarice's cousin Natalia and I went to the mall to buy a chip for my phone so I can use it. (it didn't work though but we will figure it out). At the mall I met up with my friend Rui who did an exchange in Canada last year. We stayed at the mall and ate acai for the first time. It's kind of like ice cream but it's made from acai. I looooved it. I don't know how I will return to Canada without it. After the acai we went to a really awesome place in BH but I forget the name. It was like a giant park with a fountain and a bunch of really cool things! It's a great place to relax, read, run, apparently it's a good place for couples to go to show PDA because I saw that everywhere. Before arriving to this awesome park type place, we walked past this coconut stand where you buy a coconut, the guy punctures it and puts a straw in it. Rui was so awesome and bought one for me because it was my first time drinking it. It was so good! It was really cheap and you get a lot of coconut milk from it. Rui and I then met up with Clarice and Nina and we all went for more acai (don't judge me it's good).
These past few days have been the best start to my exchange that I could ever ask for. I am loving every second of it. It's hard to write in this blog because there's so much to say but I don't want to ramble.
It's also difficult at times to write in English because I'm focused so hard in Portuguese.
Tchau por agora, ate a proxima vez xox
Honestly though, the people here are amazing. Everyone talks to everyone and are so nice.
One thing about arriving at a party in Brazil: you must say hi to everyone. What I mean is, when you arrive, you have to go to each person at every table and kiss them on the cheek to let them know you arrived. If you do not greet everyone, it is considered rude. It was really nice because I spoke with almost everyone at the party. Most of them speak English but our conversations were portingles (Portuguese/English). Everyone was so friendly and really wanted to know about my life in Canada and why I chose Brazil.
I had so much fun!
The next day (Sunday), my family took me to a city about an hour away called Ouro Preto which means "Black Gold". I only ever saw pictures of this city and oh meu Deus... it is amazing. The streets were all cobblestone and super narrow, the walls were all stone and they buildings were so old! It was really one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. We walked around, I learned a lot about the buildings and the history. We had lunch in a really cool place were you just walk in take a plate, take some food, and sit down. Rice and beans of course ;)
We arrived back home after spending the whole day there and when we got home, I tried on my uniform for school because today was my first day of school!
Monday (Today) I woke up at 5:45am to go to school for 7:00. My host father drove my mom and I to school where we walked around and they showed me to my class. My mom left and I stood at the door of my classroom where EVERYONE stared at me. I personally don't like when people stare at me so I started smiling too much and looked away. The teacher introduced me to the class and asked the students where I can sit. When she said that, there were so many people pointing to me saying "aqui, aqui!" (here!). I felt so good haha.
There was already a chair open near a couple people so I took it. The teacher began to teach the class. The thing about schools in Brazil is that the students stay in the same classroom the whole day with the same people but the teachers change rooms. For the first two blocks we had Portuguese class. I understood barely anything but it was okay because I didn't have to answer any questions.
Another thing about schools in Brazil... the classes are crazy! Everyone is so energetic and so is the teacher! It's normal to yell your opinion in class, I never saw anyone raise their hand. After Portuguese, we had gym class. In Canada it's pretty organized I would say. You are split into teams and the sport changes every couple weeks. In Brazil, everyone goes outside to the court yard, the teacher gives you a ball and says "go". So for an hour I just played a game with my whole class but I forget the name. Basically you pass a volleyball around the circle and on the third pass, the person spikes it as hard as they can on another person to get them "out". It was very interesting! I love the people here because everyone is so close since they have been in the same class for a long time.
The best part about school here is the people. It is so easy to make friends here, it's crazy! Everyone likes to know why I'm here, where I'm from, stuff about Canada, why I chose Brazil, and how I learned Portuguese. I spoke with many people today in Portuguese and no one could believe it was only my third day here. Our last block of the day was English but the teacher never showed up so it was a free block. Everyone stayed in the class and talked in circles. The circle I was in kept growing bigger and bigger because everyone wanted to ask me questions. I felt like such a celebrity. By the end of the class, I talked to everyone. It was so nice to make friends to quickly because that was one thing I was a little more nervous about. After class I had friends ask me to go for lunch with them, and hang out during our breaks. It made me really happy :) So if anyone from my class is reading this, Obrigada! ;)
After school, Clarice's cousin Natalia and I went to the mall to buy a chip for my phone so I can use it. (it didn't work though but we will figure it out). At the mall I met up with my friend Rui who did an exchange in Canada last year. We stayed at the mall and ate acai for the first time. It's kind of like ice cream but it's made from acai. I looooved it. I don't know how I will return to Canada without it. After the acai we went to a really awesome place in BH but I forget the name. It was like a giant park with a fountain and a bunch of really cool things! It's a great place to relax, read, run, apparently it's a good place for couples to go to show PDA because I saw that everywhere. Before arriving to this awesome park type place, we walked past this coconut stand where you buy a coconut, the guy punctures it and puts a straw in it. Rui was so awesome and bought one for me because it was my first time drinking it. It was so good! It was really cheap and you get a lot of coconut milk from it. Rui and I then met up with Clarice and Nina and we all went for more acai (don't judge me it's good).
These past few days have been the best start to my exchange that I could ever ask for. I am loving every second of it. It's hard to write in this blog because there's so much to say but I don't want to ramble.
It's also difficult at times to write in English because I'm focused so hard in Portuguese.
Tchau por agora, ate a proxima vez xox
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