Outra missa

Uii  I changed the name of the other post and therefore completely forgot to write about this mass I went to with my host family. We went to a church in Rio Preto and I can honestly say it was the most moving service I have ever been to in my life. This being said, it's not like I came out of the thing catholic, but in a seriousness, there was just something about it. The music was pretty, though kinda of loud and echoey coming from the speakers. This church here in Mirassol is by far much more aesthetically pleasing, but for some reason there was something about this service that stood out. 

Etc...

After returning from the beach, we celebrated my host mom's birthday with the entire family here in the house, then we went to the sítio of my host dad's parents, which is like half an hour away, huge and has fruits of all kinds on trees....mangoes, limes, tamarind, and some others that I've either forgotten or don't know the names of. But anyways, I learned to play, buraco a card game very similar to canasta, which was super fun. I also went fishing but kinda suck at that, haha. Then everyone left and we went back home and then for my birthday the entirety of our Rotary club came to my house and there was a party like thing which was cool.

This past Saturday I went to a wedding in Rio Preto, which was cool. I missed most of the ceremony at the church because I waited for the rest of my family to get here, and they were late, because of traffic, but the party part afterwards was really cool.

Also last Thursday I went to the waterpark with my exchange friends in Rio Preto, which was cool. It was less exciting to go for a second time, but it was cool to hang out with them, at least.

Also I am going to Rio in 9 days and for Carnaval, I am going to the beach with my host aunt, uncle, and cousins.

Santa Catarina e a Praia

After getting back from New Years, I slept approximately two nights in my new house, before leaving again for the state of Santa Catarina with my third host family once again. The one thing about traveling with them is that they stop about ever hour, half hour to go pee. Then, after using the bathroom, they drink about a liter of water to ensure that after another half hour, they will have to stop and pee again. But anyways, after we finally got there, we had this nice apartment with two bedrooms and little balcony porch thing from which you could see the ocean.

It was super rainy at first, so the first day we went to Florianopolis and visited a friend of the family. He lives alone in this giant house with about 7 floors and 40 bathrooms and has an entire soccer field and locker room thing as part of his house, in addition to the pool and everything else. Anyways, we ate churrasco at his house, then went for a ride around the city. We stopped first at this beach that I think is called Jureré or something like that. It's for really really rich people and the houses surrounding it are insanely huge and aesthetic. Next we did some sand boarding which, contrary to popular belief, is absolutely nothing like snowboarding, as you have approximately no control, so you just kind of keep your weight back and hope you don't fall. Also, walking back up that stupid dune afterwards is almost worse than sledding, because while you're not weighed down by all the extra clothing, you're sliding back down the hill because you're dying of sweat. But, it was pretty fun and afterwards we went and swam in the sea fully clothed, which was definitely a good start to the beach.

Every day following included the beach, which was literally down the elevator and across the street. One day we went to Itapema, another surrounding city and went to this park where you buy a ticket and take a cable car up and then there is this part with lots of lookouts and theme park like rides through the forest area. Then you get back on the cable car and it comes out to this beach and there are lots of shops and restaurants along the water. Then you get back on the cable car thing and return. 

Along the beach, there is this trais, and it's refreshing to walk along the beach, then through this trail, that leads to this other little beach that has far fewer people and it's just kinda cozily tucked in along the edge.

At night, everything stays open until really late, so we'd go take a walk along the main street and go get ice cream or look in the shops, or go in this mini fair like thing with lots of booths and people selling fake Hollister. Sometimes it was fun to walk along the beach at night, looking at the lights of the cities surrounding. One night, we went with my host brothers friend on this train like thing that does a loop between the city we were in and the next one and it's super fun because everyone screams and says hi to all the passerbys and cars honk and wave and every time the things starts to ascend, people start clapping and screaming "sube sube sube," encouraging the thing to make it up the ascent.

That's about all I can remember at the moment, but it was a pretty cool trip...

Natal, Ano Novo, e Familia Nova

Well, I was going to tell you about my Christmas, but then I decided to wait until New Years and write about both together. This happened to be a fairly decent plan, seeing as the customs for each are incredibly similar. For Christmas, I and my family went to the house of my aunt's mother-in-law, which is still in Mirassol. There was a Secret Santa-like exchange of presents, in which I gave my 8 year old cousin a swim thing and my host aunt gave me a nice shirt. Anyways, nothing happens until after midnight. Like, they all sit around and talk and drink and then a few minutes before midnight they all gather in a circle, hold hands, say a prayer-like thing, then when it turns midnight, everyone goes around hugging and kissing everyone else, wishing them a Merry Christmas, peace, health, success, love, and a number of other things. A majority of the people also start crying. Then, they start eating, and it's a pretty decent meal, and continue talking and crying. In my family, they all sat around the table sobbing because my brother in Mexico wrote a letter to my host mom, who starts crying just at sound of his name, so imagine what it was like with and entire heartfelt letter that he wrote... Anyways, then everyone exchanges gifts, which my family doesn't really do, because what they do is go to Paraguay the weekend before Christmas and buy basically everything their kids want for them there. Anyways, people kept partying til about 2AM, when people either go to bed or go home.

But then, the next day, everyone comes back together and hangs out some more and eats a lunch of the previous night's leftovers. It's a lot less exciting, and to be honest my host sister and I slept on the couch a majority of the early afternoon, after which we went home and the entirety of my family slept while I made origami.

Anyways, I was going to switch host families on the 29th of December, but my second host family was traveling, so I didn't officially move until the first of January. But anyways, as it worked out, it was kind of almost symbolic... Anyways, so I went to spend the New Year with my third family. My first family was going to travel on the first, and my second family still hadn't arrived from their vacation, so what happened was I packed all my bags and left them at my second house, before going to travel with my third host family. So, if you think about it, I was family-less the turn of the year, moving the first to a new home, and a new beginning, all withing the realms of the new beginning being this exchange. I don't know, I thought it was kinda cool...

Anyways, New Years... I went to this ranch that I'm pretty sure belongs to someone in my third host family's family. We left about one and I'm not sure what time we got there, but it was pretty chill and I spent the first while losing in ping pong, (though all-the-while improving). Afterwards, I went for a walk along the river with my future host mom, and it was super, super pretty - the river is huge, and clean and there was this bird protecting it's babies, at this one point; it was just peaceful, and cultureless, but all the while so full of culture, if that makes any sense... Afterwards I got kinda bored so I helped in the kitchen and washed dishes and did pointless tasks for the women who were running around crazily trying to get things done. But in the end, it was both something to do, and worthwhile, as I gained the respect of the women who were doing the cooking and stuff for just kinda doing what there was to do.

After everyone took a shower and got ready, more people started arriving, and eating, and about 11:30, things started going about the same as they did during Christmas...we stood in a circle and someone talked about being grateful and appreciating one another, then everyone said this prayer. Then everyone resumed eating and the actual turn of the year was pretty anti-climatic, as no one was really paying much attention, so at like 12:02 someone looked and went, oh, 2014!! And then the Christmas tradition commenced again, with hugs, kisses, well-wishings, and crying...(though this time there was no sitting around a table and crying for the host brother who's in Mexico).

After that, it was just kinda hanging out, partying, and eventually those sleeping in other places or going home left, and the adults went to bed and so it was just teenagers chilling and listening to music and talking until the early hours of the morning when I got bored and went to bed.

The next day, some people came back and hung out, as I did at Christmas. We ate more leftovers from the day before. I went swimming with my new 9 year old friend. It was just pretty chill, everyone eating and talking again. Then we went home, and I moved families officially.

It's super refreshing to move, but at the same time, sad. As much as I was ready to move and to have things different, I finally felt like I understood life in my first family, and routines, procedures, a way of living. I felt comfortable with asking my host parents for things and to do things. And I'll definitely miss my host cousins. But at the same time, all that I've lost, I'm gaining again, in a different family, with different people. And I love my new family, so all is well.

Going to the beach tomorrow, so I guess I'll let ya know how that goes afterwards...