Missa e Sorvete

Since the last time I've written, I'm pretty sure a lot has happened. I started taking karate classes at a school kinda near my house and it's super nice to be able to get out and do that. I can walk there and the students are very nice, and don't know my host sister, which is a major plus. Because all of my friends know my host sister, and I was beginning to think that there was no one in this city who she didn't know. But I've been doing that Monday, Wednesday, and sometimes Friday. Fridays are harder though because there are churrascos and other stuff going on and the class ends a bit late to still go do other things.

Last Sunday, I went to mass with my host sister. The church is really pretty but I didn't understand much of the service and we got there late so there was only room to stand, which made it feel a little long. But overall, it was nice. And we ate cachorro quente afterwards, which I enjoy quite a bit, though it was with my host sister's friends, who sometimes are pretty intimidating. 

Friday evening, we went to my host sister's school for a gincana, which I guess can be described as a dance competition. Basically the whole school is divided into two teams and then they have to it together a number of predetermined pieces and each team has a turn to perform each dance, then after each team has gone, some professors choose a winner and majority gets the piece, then in the end, whoever has won the most pieces wins the whole event thing and that team gets the trophy. My host sister's team won, for the record. 

Then yesterday, also Sunday but not the Sunday I went to mass, I went and had ice cream with friends from school. It was really nice to hang out with people who aren't my host sister or the other exchange student. Especially since these people are really, really nice and include me in conversations despite the fact that they know they'll have to repeat things about 500 times before I'll understand what they said and then I'll only maybe get it in the end. But we ate ice cream, like I said, then hung out on the...I guess what's the equivalent of the square and watched some people mess around on a slack line. Then we went to someone's house kinda near mine and ate Japanese food. In the end, I'm pretty sure that's the most fun I've had here since arriving, and it's not like I was the least bit discontent before.

Aniversarios e Mais

Since the inbound weekend, I haven't done too many overly exciting things. I went to a bunch of birthday things with my host sister this past weekend and those were fun. 

I also went swimming in the pool here the other day for the first time the other day. Unless you count the time I fell off the raft thing because my host sister and her friend made me laugh. But actual swimming was a bit more fun. It's getting hotter and hotter and I'm beginning to appreciate the cold a lot more than I ever thought possible.

Today we finally applied for our temporary stay licenses with the federal police which is probably a good thing considering we only have 30 says to do so without some pretty drastic potential reprecussions like getting kicked out of the country. It wasn't that exciting. They took a bunch of fingerprints and the lady spelled Chicago like Chigaco and I didn't correct here but that's about it. But speaking of this, it's so weird to think that I've been here almost 30 days and if every month passes this quickly then I'll feel as though I haven't been here for hardly any time. 

There are things that I miss, like quality cheese and familiarity but it's so much less stressful here, even when I remember that I have to college applications like everyone else. But I like this language, despite how little I speak of it. And the people here are crazy. In the best way possible. Well, some of them are a little intimidating but I really like them. Honestly, Brazilians like to talk so much about themselves and about each other. But not like gossiping. Mostly they just like to know and share things for the sake of everyone having lots of information. They're not so judgemental; like they make fun of people but not to be cruel. It's interesting.

Also, on a completely unrelated note, last Thirsday I went with two of my friends from school and watched a muay thai class that they usually take. Then we went and ate hot dogs. Hot dogs here are sooooooo much better than in the US; I don't think I can ever eat another one of those after having eaten them here. But it was super cool getting to hang out with people besides my host sister, just because I have other friends besides her and her friends.

I forget everything else I did, but it's been pretty fun.

Esqueci

Evidently I'm not too great at keeping a blog but as it happens, everytime I'm in the mood to write something, the wifi is out. I don't think that's a coincidence. Whatever. I have now been to two churrascos and those were fun. 

Also, we got cards for a sport club like 10 minutes away that's super nice and I can finally exercise. Also, today my YEO and second host dad took me to a karate place in this city and I'm gonna watch a class on Wednesday and maybe try one out on Friday or something. More on martial arts, I am going with one of my friends from school on Thursday to watch her muau thai class, which I don't really understand yet because I don't understand quite that much Portuguese.

But, speaking of Portuguese, we had out Inbound Orientation for my Rotary district this weekend and that was cool but it was mostly all in English. It was interesting to see how varied people's levels were and I was pretty proud of my Portuguese considering I didn't really study before coming and I'd only been here two weeks then. But it was pretty cool; we had this weird talent show thing so I kinda did kai men, but also it was kinda not of a very high quality but whatever, I won a Brazilian flag and some other thing from it and that was pretty cool.

I'm already starting to forget the things I've done that I haven't written down and I can't decide whether that's bad or good. Because I kinda like just living life and rememberibg what I remember without feeling the need to document every hour of my year here, but also, I really don't want to forget things that I know I will since I'm two weeks into a nine or ten month journey. We'll see.

I don't know what else to write now either. Maybe I'll add more later. For now, até mais.

Aii, Desculpa

Oops, I didn't write for awhile because we didn't have wifi for a few days and then the normal internet went out too but also I kinda was just having fun not writing, though I know I'll regret that later when I look back and can't remember some of the cool things I've done. 

Anyways, we went to a Rotary meeting on Tuesday or Wednesday and that was kinda fun. It's a really small club but also not many people were at that meeting. They had us go up and talk about our cities and that was a challenge considering I'd been there all of three days. It was fun though. And that night and the next I stayed at my second host family's house with the other exchange student because my family went to São Paulo to get a Mexican visa for my host brother who leaves tomorrow.

Also we have been going to school and all the kids are still into the picture taking and facebook adding, but then they like to also chat on facebook... This is weird but kind of nice. At least it was til this one kid told me I write like a six year old. First, I don't know the kid. Second, is that a compliment, an insult, or a fact?? Whatever.

Also, yesterday we went to Monte Libano, which is a sport club that's pretty fancy and had a churrasco and lots of family and other people were there including some of these crazy girls who like to obsess over the mexican exchange student so that was funny because we learned that he was the background of one of their phones, but also we did the cup song thing and that was nice; connecting without needing Portuguese.

Later me and the other exchange student and my host sister went to a churrasco for a guy in out class at school and it was super fun because I got to talk to some of my classmates that I don't talk to as much in school.

Today we had churrasco here and lots of people came over aka the grandmother and aunt and uncles and cousins on my host mom's side of the family and also some neighbors and my host sibling's friends and at one point when the family was leaving, everyone was crying except me, the neighbors, and the other exchange student and let's just say that was awkward.

But whatever, it's been fun and after tomorrow I guess my Portguese will have to improve because there will be no more English speakers. This, however, is for the better.

Ok, tchau tchau.

Day Two of 15 Minutes of Fame

Okay so first, I lied; this school starts at like age two or something. Instead of most classes we went around and introduced ourselves to all the younger kids and answered their questions. On the bright side, this meant that I knew every class I was in because it was basically only math, more math, and English. 

In English the teacher lady studied abroad and she made us come talk about ourselves in English and now she thinks we don't speak any Portuguese which is fine with me, I guess. Oh, but when we were going around to the classes, the person who I presume is the principal kept telling the kids they could come talk to us and they didn't have to giggle and stare from a distance anymore. I also saw my host aunt and cousins except for one because he's in one of the only two non-high school classes we didn't go to.

In other news, I have come to realize that of everyone, the only person I never understand is my host mother. This is unfortunate. Last night she told me to get a coat because today would be cold and it took about 15 minutes for me to understand and their neighbor just kinda sat there and watched our interaction amusedly.

Also though, I stayed at my second host family's house last night so my host mom and brother could go to São Paulo so my brother could get a Mexican visa but I didn't really understand that either for quite some time. On the bright side, that got cleared up.

Tonight we go to a Rotary meeting. Haha, too bad I forgot to grab nice shoes before I left last night. But the again, also too bad I didn't understand what was going on for most of last night. Also there are lots of mosquitos and I have so many bug bites which is fine, whatever, but the one making my eye swollen is mildly annoying. 

Oh, I also finally learned the word for "slow" so this is a plus in terms of communication.

K, tchau!

A Casa

A Escola

Today I went to school, in this place called Coopem on the other side of the town and there are lots of kids from probably like kindergarten or something all the way through the third (and last) year of high school. Basically, we were like celebrities there and everyone of all ages knew who we were and would come up and say hi in Portuguese or English and want to talk a lot. 

I was in the second year of their high school with the Mexican exchange student and we had like our 15 minutes of fame except it was actually a lot of hours. Honestly, so many kids sleep that I probably learned as much as they did and I don't speak Portuguese. Also everyone talks the entire time and basically the teacher either teaches to those who are listening or doesn't really teach much at all. I have yet to figure out what the first hour was today.... And Mondays have way too much physics.

But I made some friends, whose names I don't know but that's not particularly relevant. They also were major fans of origami and my pencil spinning habits. Also Arabic. They were nice and spoke really slow Portuguese except in some cases where they realized I was never going to understand them and they made one of their friends translate for me.

All in all, I like going to school because the people are cool and I don't have the stress of needing to do well...or do anything, really. And we left before some biology class started, so that was another plus. Also the dog named Hanna really likes the swimming pool. She swam all day yesterday, which is more than anyone else thus far.