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...
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...
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