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...

Foz fotos

Paraguai e Foz de Iguaçu

On Friday, my host parents, my host sister and my host cousin and I went to Paraguay and Foz de Iguaçu. This is about an eleven hour car ride, which, in a five person car was less than comfortable, but survivable. Anyways, my host dad is always going to Paraguay because it's a lot cheaper to buy a lot of things there, especially electronics and make-up and...idk, mirrors? Also fake Christmas trees. But anyways, this time they decided to take me and my host sister and my host cousin, I just had to pay for the hotel and food. Anyways, so we got to this hotel and it was honestly probably the worst hotel I've ever stayed in. That being said, the hotels I've stayed in have been incredibly clean and I therefore have pretty unreasonably high expectations for hotels, especially considering that a majority of the people staying in this hotel are only there to go buy cheap stuff in Paraguay. Also, though, I couldn't help but be a bit taken aback by the fact that this hotel was considered pretty nice, and by pretty nice, I mean more than mediocre. But it served it's purpose well, and the continental breakfast was probably the only one I've ever seen that served edible food, at least that I can remember.

Anyways, we got up at like 6 in the morning and went and parked in this garage, then took a van across the border to Paraguay. They city on the other side of the border is crowded, crazy, dirty chaos. We went and bought new phones for my host sister and cousin, and everything can be payed for in either American dollars or reais, or, basically any type of currency from the area and the dollar. It's just that it's cheaper to pay in dollars. Also, they way it works is that you choose what you want, then the people that work there print a receipt with what you want and you go stand in a line to pay. After you've paid, you take your little receipt thing that's now marked "paid" and you go stand in another line to retrieve your item(s). In my opinion, this only increases the chaos, but is kinda nice cuz I guess you don't have to walk around with 40 things you want to buy in your arms and eliminates the need for shopping carts or something like that.

Anyways, I remembered why I hate shopping, especially with other people and in a language I kind of speak. But it was overall a pretty interesting experience...

Anyways, we finally got back to the hotel thing, changed clothes, and went to the waterfalls, which are the prettiest things I've seen in Brazil, if not in my entire life. They're huge and they never cease to exist; they just keep going on and on and on. There's this one part, where you can go out over the falls and you're just surrounded by them, whether you're looking up or down or straight ahead, and at the same time there's this cold mist blowing over you, and while looking into it, there's this rainbow, so strong that you can take a picture of it and still see it. Also there're these little creature things everywhere, birds, and other things that I forget the names of, but it's really, really nice.

It was a bit touristy, but that was actually nice...I really didn't feel like a tourist there, as in like from another country. Actually, my host dad told them I was Brazilian because it was cheaper to get in by like R$25.But aside from this even, I could communicate with the people in Portuguese, and was treated by the employees as if I were Brazilian, though maybe because I was with my host family, but it was pretty cool still.

Also on this trip, I saw sooooo many things that I haven't seen since I left the US. This includes lots of things in English, certain foods (oreos, reeses, meatballs, etc...) and maybe a bit of just overall culture. There are too many pictures to post here, so maybe I'll use facebook for the first time in my life...

Exame de faixa

Well, i found something to do with my free time, sort of. These past two weeks I've been going to karate and training the afternoon to prepare for the exam that was yesterday. This was kind of cool because there's a part of the exam that consists of applications of the forms, or katas, so I trained with a friend of mine, which made it more interesting and fun. 

Anyways, the system of testing and belts is different here, it's almost like the kung fu school's new system that's actually not really new anymore I guess. But anyways, for the curious, the order is white, orange, blue, blue with black stripe, purple, purple with black stripe, green, green with black stripe, brown with white stripe, brown, and brown with black stripe, then come the series of dans and black belts. But anyways, so the younger kids have a whole lot more leeway, and often go in the order listed above. Adults, and older kids however, pften skip belts. For example, no one in the older class ever gets and orange belt; they just go right to blue. However it's also possible to jump higher. For example, my friend and I ended up earning purple. There are just different requirements for each one. Maybe his makes absolutely no sense, and maybe it makes some, but here ya are. 

Oh, and also, when they say that martial arts trains the mind and body, they weren't kidding. Here there is also a knowledge test. For example, the code of karate-do has seven parts and there are five principles. For this test, there was a written portion in which we had to write all of the code and the principles. It was kinda cool to see the emphasis on not just the physical aspects. Also everyone except for me was required to sing the national anthem of brasil, so it's really focusing on you being a good person and being aware of who and where you are.

Also, you don't learn what belt you've earned until later. There was bonekai, or a little party today, they say after, where the Shihan announced all the results. Talk about suspense, haha. 

On a completely unrelated note, it was pretty interesting because today a friend asked me if I think in Portuguese or English. And honestly, aside from the conversations I have in English, I think in portuguese. and sometimes I'm conversing in English and realize how much easier it is to communicate what I want to say on Portuguese and have to reverse translate. So that was a pretty cool revelation, actually.

Unfortunately I have little more to say as my life has been pretty much karate lately. But oh, in January my third host mom is taking me to some beach. I am spending Christmas with my cousins' cousin's family and New Years at some ranch with my third host family. Then in February I am going to Rio for a few days and in May I am going on an Amazônia trip. So I'm getting some traveling on, which I'm super excited about.

This is all I can think of for now, so tchau tchau, até mais tarde.