Photos of Brazil

Oops!

I apologize once again for not writing sooner. I will really make an effort to start writing more now that things are getting more interesting.

I will start by talking about the trips I have taken

outside of my city. The cities I have visited are Maragogi, Aracaju, and Maceio. I have been to Maragogi only once but I frequently spend my weekends in Aracaju and Maceio. Maceio is the capital city and the largest city of my state and it is about an hour away from my house. It is located right on the beach and my host mom's best friends live there. I was fortunate enough to meet Claudia's daughters Debora and Marianna my first day in Brazil. I have seen them several times since and my friendship with them grows along with my portuguese. They live in the same building as Tina, an ex-exchange student to Illinois. Tina has become one of my best friends in Brazil so I go to Maceio often to see the three of them. (The picture above is me at my first Brazilian party with Tina -left- and Debora -right-).

I also been to my first competitive soccer game here. This has taught me that Brazilians are very serious about their soccer! I did not know what I was in for when I bought my tic

ket for the finals game: Asa v.

America! I wanted Asa to win because America was the team from my friend Sommer's old city and I knew she would be watching t

he game. When I got into the staduim there were p

eople crowding me and screaming all around getting ready for the game. Asa's colors were worn by every person in the crowd and everyone from my city screamed when Asa

came out. Then I watched the referees who were escorted onto the field by police armed with batons and shields and the game began. Asa started in the lead but was quickly outdone by America causing the Arapiraca fans to get very angry. I think I learned all of my portuguese swear words at that game. Asa ended

up loosing but I was happy I got to

see the game because I think it expressed the culture of the country.

One of my favorite

weekends in Brazil has been my weekend with all of the exchange students in Maragogi. My district for exchange has ten students but my Norbex multi-district has about fifty kids. So we could all meet they took us to the beach for a few days in my state (Alagoas) for a weekend of fun! The city was called Maragogi and it is almost nothing but beach. It was nice to be around people who understood how hard going on exchange was and could sympathize. I was very excited to go because of the hotel we were staying in. In New Mexico last year there was a Brazilian boy named Luiz (The photo above is with him) that I became friends with and his father owned the hotel we were staying at so I was going to get the chance to see a friend that I recognized. When we got there I was blown away by how amazing everything was. The water was the bluest I had ever seen and the palm trees made it seem like something out of a movie. We arrived before all of the other exchange students so we got to go to the beach and move into our new rooms before everyone else. I was so happy when all of the others got to the hotel though because I knew that I had just made fifty new friends from around the world. The strange thing about exchange students is that no matter who they are or where they are from they will normally get along wonderfully despite the fact that they are all very different.

The first night we all just swam and got to know each other and got a lecture on the 4 D's (rules for being an exchange student). I also met a boy who had been an exchange student in the US and when I asked him where he went he told me Santa Fe, New Mexico (It is amazing how small Rotary makes the world). The next day we just played around and had contests and I was really interested to hear the many languages that were being spoken. Many people from Europe could communicate through their languages because most are similar and everyone was more at ease hearing their home language. That night we got to see a capoeira group dance and we had a party not wanting to sleep knowing we would have to leave each other the next day. When everyone had to get into the buses and go home the next day we all said goodbyes and started counting the days until the Christmas party in Natal when we will see each other again.

All of the other exchange students in my district live in Aracaju.

I am the only Rotary student in the state of Alagoas so I am always excited to get to go see the other exchange students in my district.

I get to see them 1-2 times a month so I am not completely cut off from them, but I do miss them a lot. In a few days they are going to come visit me and stay the night in my city. (Photo: My district- Veronika from Slovakia, Lexie and Me from the US, Ville from Finland, Johanna from Germany, Erin from Canada, Lars and Stefan from Denmark, Narimane from France, Robyn from South Africa) We have been able to bond in so many ways since I have met them. We have been to the beach numerous times and a few weeks ago we went trekking to the top of this mountain where we got to repel down a waterfall! I really feel privileged to have met each of them and they have all taught me something new.

I will really try to update my blog more. I realize that this is how many of you are kept up to date about my year so I will keep posting with more pictures to come.