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On what I like to eat:
Paula: Do you like pasta?
Me: Church is cool!
(pasta=massa, when translated on Altavista, massa=mass)

On a pumpkin dessert:
Me: In the United States, we don't really eat pumpkin like this. (It was prepared like candied yams.)
Others: How do you eat it?
Me: We grill our pumpkin.
(Grilled and baked both = assada, and I was trying to say that we bake it in pies.)

Keep in mind, this was all in Portuguese. There are many others, but these are the good ones.

Marli: What foods to people grow in Pennsylvania?
Me: Corn, grains, pumpkins, faces--
Marli: --Huh?
(I was trying to say gourds (you know, like squashes) but it only translates into Portuguese as heads or faces)

And last night I tried to order bread as my entreé at a restruaunt.

Marli: What foods to people grow in Pennsylvania?
Me: Corn, grains, pumpkins, faces--
Marli: --Huh?
(I was trying to say gourds (you know, like squashes) but it only translates into Portuguese as heads or faces.

I tried to order bread as my entreé at a restruaunt.

Me: Where are we?
Others: Huh?
Me: Where ARE we?
Others: Huh???
Me: WHERE ARE WE!?!?
Driza: uuuhhh...I think you mean Where are we going?
Me: *palm to face*
(I'm dumb, haha.)

While buying school supplies, I need to get a pencil sharpener, becuase they don't have them in classrooms here. I picked up what I thought was a plain one, with no desings and such on it, as most everything here has some sort of annoying graphic. However, my host sister immediatly stopped me! It turn out it had a picture of a guy from Rebelde, a popular musical group here that appeals mostly to tweens. The equivalent here would be Zac Effron from High School Musical. Thank god she told me!

So...in my post about my first day of school I wrote that fogo=fuck...but it doesn't. I remember hearing "fogo," but before that kid said it, other kids were definatly using (what I though was) "fogo" as same way as american kids would use "fuck." So...now I'm not sure.

Marli: Did Ricardo about those documents we have for him?
Me: No, I didn't eat there.

There haven't been any good ones lately, however, when I come a across a hard word, like the Portuguese word for February, I just kinda say teh first syllable and mumbe the rest.

"Yeah, he arrived way back in Februwogjrigçç......"

Me: In the us BBQing-ing is a lot different!

Mistaking the word for make-up (pinturas) for photos/pictures (fotos) lead to some great moments including...

Me: Would you like to see my make-up?
and

Me: Do I need to bring my make-up with me?

Rinata: Do you think Spanish and Portuguese are very different:
Me: Well, the sounds are pretty different.
Rinate: ...that's interesting, do you find the women different too?
Me: Huh?
Rinata: You said you think the men are different.
Me: No, I meant the sounds.
(sons=sounds, homens=men, I was saying sons wrong though. I was pronouncing it like somes.)

"Schools here are a lot different from...schools here."

Me: What do you call her here? *points to a picture of Strawberry Shortcake*
Bruna: Strawberry
Me: In the US we call her Black Patty.

(strawberry = morengo, black (as in dark skin) = moreno, and there isn't a word I know for shortcake so I used "small cake" which is also used for the word "patty")
What: On the word "it"
Where: POLE (where my host dad works)
When: July 23, 2007

Ok, so I can't actually write what we said, but imagine me trying to explain in Portugeuse to native speakers why they English word "it" doesn't translate into Portuguese. Queue ensuing confusion.

What: On me
Where: Church
When: July 23, 2007

Some Lady: You speak Portuguese well! (Queue ego boost!)

What: On pumpkins
Where: my house
When: July 26, 2007
Backgroung: A few guests we over and looking at my photo albm and were very surprised to see all the different types, shapes, and colors of pumpkins we have up here.

Man: You use all these pumpkins?! What do you do, wear them on your head or something?

Same man: You dad is a biologist, right? Is he...uhh...is he messing with their genetics or someting?

What: On my name
Where: my house
When: July 26, 2007

Flávio: Are you the exchange student from Orkut?
Me: Yeah.
Flávio: How do you say your last name?
Me: cha-PEH-tah.
Flávio: Ohh! Now it makes sense. You see, in Portuguese, your name looks like capeta, which is our word for devil. So, I was reading your profile and it was funny because it looked like Ray: From Hell

What: This was on the cover of a notebook
Where: some store
When: July 30, 2007

Notebook: "Fashion Target Breast Cancer"
(I definatly need to go back there and take a picture.)

What: On where I live in Uruguaiana
Where: Tênis Clube Rio Branco
When: July 30, 2007
Background: Talking with Chris over dinner at a Roatry meeting. He's an exchange student from Canada who has been in Uruguaiana since February.

Chris: Where do you live
Me: 15th of November Street.
Chris: What is it near.
Me: Hmm...I don't really know.
Chris: Ok...well if this is the praça (center square) *motions to plate,* then this is 15th. This would be the pharmacy *motions to fork* and thi--
Me: Ohh, I gotcha. Ok, so it this is the pharmacy *motions to fork* I live over here, by the Enchanted Castle.
Chris: You live by the Enchanted Castle?
Me: Yeah, right next to it!
*laughter ensues*

The Castelo Encantado, or the Enchanted Castle, is a nursery school for young children.

What: Music
Where: PUSRC (some university)
When: August 4, 2007
Background: with Chris from Canada and Sabini from Germany, Chirs is listening to Sabini's iPod

Chris: What's Botten Ana by Bass Hunter?
Sabini: It's a Danish song that means Fat Ana. It's a good one.
Chris: What are they saying.
Sabini: It's something like "Fat Ana is sitting in a boat. She wants to kill herself because she ate too many burgers..."
Chris: And they made a song about this?!

What: a joke
Where: school
When: August 9, 2007

Roberto: (In English) Which came first? The kitchen or the egg?
Me: (In English) Deeeeefinatly the kitchen.

What: plain talk
Where: Pole
When: August 8, 2007

Preta: Work?
Me: Huh?
Preta: Work?!
Me: I don't understand....
Preta: mockingly "I don't understand. I don't understand."
Me: I understand "work," but I need some sentences to work with too!

What: on the USA
Where: A Church event at some school
When: August 13, 2007

Me: (talkign about the US...)...and Philadelphia is only 2 hours south of New York City.
Zeze: And how far is New York from the US?
Me: Uhmm,   New York is in the US.
Zeze: Oh right, so Philadelphia is 2 hours from the US?
Me: I live in the US!
*laughter*
Zeze: How do you say rir in English?
Me: What the word?
Zeze: Rir, like, haha.
Me: Oh right, laugh.
Zeze: And you laugh 2 hours from New York?
Me: *snorts* Huh?

What: on hamburgers
Where: home
When: August 15, 2007
Setting: Host family at dinner, sitting with delivery hamburgers in front of us and eating.

Me: *laughing*
Family: Why are you laughing?
Me: *picks up hamburger* Peas? Eggs? on a hamburger? C'mon, is this serious?!

What: on music
Where: the school gymnasium
When: August 17, 2007

Me: Umm, this is kind of strange. We're hear for churchs, but club music is playing.
Ana: (jokingly) What are you talking aobut? This is church music!

What: on the only black kid in class
Where: school
When: August 13, 2007 (this is an oldis I jsut remembered)

Lucas: Hey, hey Ray! Meet Bob Marlie!
Bernardo: Yeah, look, it's Snoop Dogg!

What: on photos
Where: my house
When: August 21, 2007

Natalia: (looking at my photo album) Do you know these people?
Me: They're my parents...

What: on Gadi
Where: my house
When: August 22, 2007

Bruna: You know the song Big Girls Don't Cry?
Me: Yeah.
Bruna: Well Gadi is a big girl, but she cries a lot.

"Woman equals man?"

"Hey, in English, mom is boob!" (mama = breast in Portuguese)

G:Do you have the last Harry Potter book?
Me: Yeah
Diane: You have HP and the Order of the Pheonix?!?!

"Babies for breakfast!"

On: English Names
Where: Colégio Marista
When: 6/9/07

Bruna: So, what are common names in the US?
Me: Well, we have Michael, David, Stephem, Anna, Mary, Caroline...
Others: Marykate, right? And Ashley! (laughter)
Rafaela: BRIAN, BRIAN, DON"T FORGET BRIAN!!!
July 23, 2007 23:56
Listening: Artificial Sweetener by No Doubt
Feeling: My stomach feels like liek it does when I'm nervous, but I'm not. My feet are cold.

This is a monster post, but I think you'll like it.

Woahhhhhhh! I'm in Brazil!!! Oh Em Gee. Haha. I guess I'll start from the begining. The keyboard is a bit different from those nos Estados Unidos, so mind my mistakes.

Saturday: Woke up around 9 or 10 and got ready quickly. Too quickly. I wasn't leaving until 1 pm, but I was so ready. I ate a small breakfast, finished some menial packing and my mom, dad, and I were on our way. We got to the airport at 2, checked my bags and made out way to security. My parents stayed with me until we reached the x-ray area. We said out last goodbyes and I joined the queue.

After passing through security, I hade a while to go before boarding, so I sat down in my gate and whipped out Harry Potter. After eadying for a while I got a bit to eat at   Burger King. I didn't see any kids with Rotary Blazers on, so I assumed that there were no other exchange students on my flight. I boarded and was seated in a windo seat and another seat seperated me from an elderly lady. She was asleep for most of the ride, so I read and listened to music on the plane.

I landed in Chicago O'Hare sometime later. I thought a man would meet me at my gate upon arrival, but I didn't see any Rotarians. After a few minutes I just took out his buisness card and called his cell phone. He told me where he was and I made my way to my next gate. As I reached the gate, I oculd tell that a large amount of other exchangers were there already. I singed in with the man and I began getting to know everyone. They were pretty diverse. There were girls from California, a slight hick from South Caroline, and a total scene girl from New York who was wearing gold boots. There were probably something like 35 of us in totaly.   I met a girl I knew from the Cultures Shocked forum for exchange students adn recognized another girl from Facebook, but she was very stoic and unaprochable.   We boarded out flight to São Paulo at around 10. I was seated with another exchnge student from southern New Jersey. We talked a bit, but he fell asleep pretty quickly while I was keep awake by the sole reason that I find it extremely dificult to sleep on planes. We a delicious but small dinner on the plane. I really like airplane food.

Sunday: So I'm still on teh plane at this point. The ride was very uneventful, so I'll use this space to describe some better things about the flight:

1) Twin Stewards. They were probably the most obnoxious people EVER. Neither spoke Portuguese, and when they passed out papers that needed to fill in for customs they were horrible. Here's the deal, there are different slips for Brazilian citizens and non-citizens. When a person clearly spoke Portugese and didn't understand, they were just repeat themselves, like "Are you a citizen or non-citizen? Citizen? Are you a citizen of Brazil? Do you live in Brazil? Non-citizen? Citizeon of Brazil?" ect. I noticed that as one served an girl in front me he tried to make a joke, which she didn't get. He was obviously offended and was like "*gasp* Were you even listening? *gasp/sigh*"   In the morning, when they served breakfast, I was filling out my non-residential customs slip and was one fo them bent down to put something away his face ran into my pencil. Seriously! And then he thought I did it on purpose. I apologized, but the exchange student next to me and the one in front of me needed to stifle laughter.

So then we landed at around 10am (which is like 8am Eastern time) went through customs and baggage claim. When everyone regrouped, we had to seperate. Most of the kids needed to be shuttled over to another airport (the one were the explosion happened last week!:0) I however, and   others were staying at the airport we landed at. A former exchange student to Florida helped us as were checked in, but then we were left to ourselves. I was the first of the 4 to depart, so I found my gate, although with a little dificulty. Luckily, I learned that a man near me spoke English when I asked about the gate.

This is when it got bad.

So I was supposed to board at 2:05 for the 2:45 flight. I looked at the clock and it said 2:15. I asked the man what was up and he said that it as delayed, which wasn't so bad, but there was no info about how long it would b e before it was here! The minutes passed quickly, and with no info, I was really getting worried. The man told me periodically that no change had happened and that we had the same situation with his flight, delayed and no information. However, eventually he had to leave because his flight arrived.

So here I am, basically alone in an airport in Brazil and not many peole   were speaking English. I wandered out of teh gate to see if I could find information on my flight, but it really wasn't working. People kept directing me to the baggage claim, think I had arrived from Porto Alegre, and not understanding that I needed to go there.   My Portuguese was pretty clear, at least I thought. Nesecito información sobre um vôo a Porto Alegre. É atresada. Vôo 3445. (I need information about a flight to Porto Alegre. It is delayed. Its flight number is 3445.) Anyways, Ifinally found someone who understood and lead me back to the gate I had been at previously. This time there was a man at the service desk. He didn't understand English, but it wrote the new flifh time, 5:20 on my boarding pass. I was worried now because my host family though I was arriving at 5:15, and now I wasn't leaving until after that! I mustered up some more courage and asked another many and his wife/girlfriend in Portuguese for help. This man too knew Portuguese, so I could talk in English. I told him that I need a phone to call my host family to tell them about my flight delay. First of, my cell phone doesn't work now becuase I'm in Brazil, and the pay phones were really weird.   Eventaully they helped me use the phone, and when I couldn't communicate effectively with my host mother over the phone, he took over and everything was fine.  

Then my flight was delayed more! Ah! But because I exagerated the time it would take to get to Porto Alegre with my host mother, it would still be fine.   By this time, I really needed to go to the bathroom, but didn't want to go because I did'nt want to miss any annoucements about my flight. Although in Portuguese, I could understand enough to pick out my flight number, time, and gate. But I couldn't hold it any longer, and lo and behold! at I go I can here a announcement and "...vôo 3445..." Irony at its finest, no?

I finished up as quickl as possible, and asked the man who spoke English what the announcement said. He said it was going to depart at 6:20. He didn't know the gate, so I ventured to anothe gate where I had heard there was an English speaking employee to ask which gate I woiuld depart from. He told me to wait because an announcement would come on soon.   I tehn found out my gate and made my way back to my original gate.

It seems silly now because it all worked out, but I was really afraid that I might have to find a hotel to spend the night or sleep in the airport or miss my flight. This was amplified by the fact that I don't speak Portuguese. However, it was a learning experience because it has showed me that you don't need to be afraid to ask for help and yadda yadda yadda. Cliché, no?

Ok, skip to 6:20, I boarded the flight, whichw as going to make a stop at another airport before it reached Porto Alegre. Here's how tired I was, since I didn't want to fall asleep in São Paulo in fear of missing flight info or robbed, even after a night without much sleep. Ok, so when I boarded the plane to Porto Alegre, I could see out the window that these two steuwardesses were struggling with carrying luggage, and because I had been reading Deatly Hallows all I was thinking "Why don't they just take out their wands and levitate it or somehting!?!" Then I realized how dumb I was...and I pretty much just passed out during take off and work up at we touched down. I asked "Estamos em Porto Alegre?" and a man replied, "Não, em Campinas *chuckles*". What ever, I wasn't phased, I didn't havfe to move or anything. I took off again, but this time with a lot more passengers that filtered on when we stopped. My blazer had fallen to the ground, as an flight attendent pointed out, but I didn't understand and with a "Não falo Português," she understood. And then I learned that yet another man near me spoke English! He talked to me for a little about what I was doing in Brazil and such.

We touched down around 10. I forgot to mention that I got to actually climb stairs from teh ground onto the plane, like presidents and celebrities do from their private jets. I had never done it before, so it was muito legal (very cool.)

I found me luggage and made me way towards the exit, not recognizing the family I though was picking me up.   Slightly frustrated, I was found soon by the real people who were picking me up. There was a guy, maybe 20. I think his name was Burt, his sister (whose name was really weird, something like Grêmio oe Christêmio or soemthing liek that...but unpronouncable,) and their father. They told me that to get to Uruguaiana, I needed to take an 8 hour bus ride. We drove to the station and I tried to ask if they were coming with me. The girl said I was going alone! Ahh. I was like "Tennessee trip all over again!" The girl baught me my first meal in Brazil, Coco-Cola and a sandwhich. For some reason, the family though the idea of a Coke and a sandwich was hilarious!

Monday:

Anyways, so around 11 or 12 (hence Monday) we got to the bus and I was pleasently surprised. Actually my first impressions was Harry Potter NIGHT BUS! It was seriously like that. There were big blue plush seats that reclined totally horizontal and things that came out of the seat in front of you for your feet.   I no longer dreaded the 8 hours adn sleeped for a good 5 or 6 hours. We finally arrived in Uruguaiana. I took a while for me to collevt my stuff, so I was the last one off. As I walked off the bus I was immediatly in a big hug with my host parents! Haha. We collected my luggage and made out way to the house. It was now 7am.

This post is way to long, so I'll stop here and add mroe later. I'm doing great by the way!
July 25, 2007 15:56
Listening: The maids cleaning something (every has maids here, it isn't a big deal or anything)
Feeling: Content

Wow, my 4th day in Brazil. I'll go through the past days, but I'll keep it to the highlights so this post isn't as long. If you missed the post about my epic Odyssey or Uruguaiana, be sure to check my Journal Archives page and read it.

Ok, so Monday: I had jsut gotten off the bus at 7:00, met my host parents and drove to the house. It was still dark out. Remember, it is winter here.   I go in the house, asked them what there names were and we sat down for a small breakfast. They woke up my younger host sister, Paula, to eat with us.   Breakfast here consisted of   salami/cheese/ham on rolls with coffee or juice. I've taken up drinking coffee becuase they don't really drink much water and they don't have my usual staple, ice tea.   Anyways, I was surprised to see a container of caramel on the table and tryed to explain that it isn't a breakfast food in the US. How much they understood...I don't know. Caramel on bread, by the way, tastes good. An hour or 2 after breakfast I called my parents for the first time since my arrival to tell them about my trip.

Later, My host mom, Marli, took me and Paula around town. I distinctly remember that she said that we were going to the supermarket, but our first destination was POLE, where my host dad, Paulo, works. I think he owns the buisness, which handles imports and exports I think. Apparently, a lot of family worked there, so I met them all. Two aunts, Preta and Sandra were really interested in speaking English, but they had a really hard time pronouncing words. They trieds to ask me what I can cook, but it cam out as "Whaht yuu chu clockay?"   Needless to say I spent most of my time there laughing as I tried to help them.

After that Marli, Paula, and I drove over to Marli's mothers house. I meet her and ran into others from POLE who had left before Marli, Paula and I did.   We were only there for a little before we walked across the street to a churrascuria, which is a special restruaunt for BBQ. I meet even mor people here and such. Luckly there was a boy my age who spoke some English so he helped me to communicate.

We went back home after lunch and I slept until 6:00. When I woke up and we had what I though was dinner. I was surprised becuase it was teh same as breakfast and it was only Marli and me. We watched some television and a telenovela called 7 Fishes. You know, the typical hilarious Latino drama. They sounds effects for hilaaaaarious. Seriously, I could have recorded the whole soundtrack on the dinky Casio synthesizer I have at home.  

Around 10, I was surprised when Marli said we were going to church. I was thinking "Church? Now? My parents are usually asleep by 10 and we're going to church?" Anyways, it turned out it wasn't a service, but some sort of social event. After what seemed like hours of others standing up and talking (which meant me trying to understand and then eventually spacing out) some guys brought out an accordia and a guitar and began to sing. Then outhers motioned that we were having dinner. Yeah, they eat dinner here around 10 or later. I met, yet again, many more people who I tried desperatly to communicate with but   had to settle mostly on "Não entendo," (I don't understand.) We got home around midnight, and went into my room and started reading Harry Potter. I was already aroung 3 hundred pages in and I read way more than I should have so late at night...but it was just too good to put down!

Tuesday: Oh Oh Oh! I forgot to mention that my family has Super Nintendo....but it doesn't look like they use it so much. I may have to change that... So on Tuesday, I woke up around 10   or eleven, and had lunch. At 2, this girl Mariana came over. Marli had called her and asked her to help us becasue she's basically fluent in English is going to be an exchange student in Michagan starting in August. We went around town, like to POLE again adn then to the police station, becuase I need to register there or face deportation and other fines. I couldn't finish because I needed to have a photo for my ID, which I didn't hae. Luckily they give you a month to complete registration. So instead, we went to the photo place (where more family works) and got a photo. I got in an encounter with a lady who wanted to know my views on Bush, and luckily Mariana could translate for me. I won't go into that, but she turnedout to be of Arab descent and "wants Bush's head" sak Mariana told me.

After that we went to Argentina! It's right across the Uruguay River, which Uruguaiana lies on. Everything is suppsoed to be cheaper there, but the Argentinians resent us (the Brazilians, yes, I am now   Brazilian) because we won't learn Spanish...and because we are so much better than them in soccer and basically every other sport : ).

We got back home aorung 5, Mariana went home, Marli, Paula and I had a snack and aorung 7:30 minha prima (cousin) came over with some or her amigas. They all really wanted ot meet me, and later, two more amigas joined us. I got to explain Halloween, things about how Americans drink and how Americans drive (of course we don't do both at once!), about New York and Disney. (My host sister, as it turns out, confused Philadelphia with Pennslyvania, so she though I lived in Oreland, Philadelphia, which sounds jsut like Orlando, Florida...where Disney World is. So she thoguht I lived right next to Disney World basically.)

The girls left at 10   and minha família and I had dinner.

Wednesday (Brazilians CANNOT pronouce this!): I woke up around 11 and went to lunch at a casa de minha avó (my grandmother's house) with more famile, like my aunts. There is also this man that everyone says is my sogro...which means father-in-law. I have no idea what this means. Everyone is really nice here and I can feel my Portuguese improving. Becuase no one in my family speaks English, it is comming pretty naturally and I'm already forgeting the English counterparts for the most common words I use, especially the word where.   After lunch Marli and I went to the supermarket and now I'm just chilling at home.

In other news, prouncing Ray is hard in Portugues,e so here I go by Hi, which is how they pronouce Ray. I'm not feeling homesick at all, but I still want you guys to contact me! Email: r_chappetta@yahoo.com
July 27, 2007 15:20
Listening: You Can't Stop the Beat from the Hairspray soundtrack.
Feeling: Kinda Bored. I guess the whole "Euphoria" phase is ending.

I actually plan on proofreading this one, after I wrote big seal instead of bid deal in my last post.

So Wednesday night, my first real embarrasing moment. I won't go into any details but I misunderstod something and sorta made a fool out of myself. It's all good though. I'm fine. For dinner my family, and Paula's friend, Gabriella, went out to Can Broa, a burger joint. I looked for the most unusual item on the menue and ordered it. It was a hamburger with peaches, pineapple, and mayo. It was better than I thought. In addition to french fried, they also serve fried mandela (it's something like that), which is another type of starchty vegetable and fried polenta, which is made from corn meal and like corn bread but more gelatinous. It tastes better than it sounds.

Later, Mariana, the exchange student I wrote about previously met up with us. The plan was for me to go out with her and some of the other people that I had met, so I stayed at Can Broa after my family and Gabriella left. I moved to sit with Mariana and met her friends. I have to say, peoples' names down here at amazing. They have names like Terezina, Andrieze, Frabrício, Romolo and others. It's hilarious. I really wish my name was Frabrício now. Imagine, what American girl could resist me if I walked up to them and with a Brazilian accent said "Hi, my name is Frabrício, want to dance?"

Anyways, none of them other than Mariana could speak English, so I wasn't involved in much conversation, but I could understand some things. I was really surprised when I could understand this girl talking abuot me. It was soemthing like this:

Gracie: Porque ele não está comendo? (Why isn't he eating?)
Mariana: Penso já comou. (I think he already ate.) to me Did y--
Me: Sim, já comi. (Yea, I already ate.)

Go me!

It was nice. They asked me is I had ever had quinto, which is like hot wine with spices. It's pretty good. They we surprised that I don't drink in the US, but ya know, I don't know how it will work down here since it's very different from the US. And that was my night!

Thurday was more low key than the other days. We went to church for lunch. (Haha, I almost typed ingreja, the Portuguese word, instead of church.) Again, it wasn't a service, but a social event. They food here is really good. However, it's very heavy, so I can't eat as much as they do. It isn'a as different as I though it might me. There is a lot of rosted chicken, polenta, and pasta. They eat a lot more pumpkin that we do here. Look in my quotes section for more on pumpkins. They have lead to some funny things.

Around 5, tia (aunt) Preta and her family came over, as well as my avó (grandma) nad another family. Of this family, the son, Flávio, spoke really good English, so he helped with communication. He goes to the same school as I will, so it's nice to meet another peer. During this event, tia Preta made a reference to The Book is on the Table which is a hilarious song. Brazilians like to say it when you don't understand something, because the book refers to a dictionary. Seriously, look it up on youtube, you won't regret it.

I also played mt first real "I Don't Understand" card. "I Don't Understand" cards are played when you do some something bad or stupid and pretend you don't understand what you did or said to get away with it.   Like, I played mine when I told a joke that no one got...so I pretended I didn't really know what I was saying. Other ways you can put them into play is if you are in a train/subway station and can't afford the ticket, you go up the counter, speak in a mix of you native and host language and pretend like you're lost and helpless so the you can get a free ticket or something like that. If you're a girl, crying can help too. Haha.

Marli, Paula, Marielle, and I went to dinner at a restruaunt which is where I further embarrased myself by trying to order bread as my entreé...again, i just pretended I was a stupid American and all was good.

Today has been no big deal. The highlight...replacing some lightbulbs. However, my sister went to get her hair cut and the hair dresser came out to great us. I couldn't tell if it was a woman or a man. They looked like a woman but sounded like a man. They were fat too, so body shape gave no indication. Marli told me they were Marielle's brother or sister. I couldn't tell which she said because the words for brother and sister   sound very much alike. It's irmão versus irmã. Now I'm just chillin. I wanna start school. I've read a bit of my younger sisters books. Not read, but glanced through,and reading is really easy. I've also made verb chardts for the most common tenses. You know, present indicatice (I speak), preterite indicative (I spoke), future indicative (I will speak), imperative (speak!), conditional (I would speak), and imperfect subjunctive (I might speak). Bah, there are so   many useless tenses out there, like the future present subjunctive, which doesn't even exist in English. Well, now I'm just chillin.

Tchau.
August 5, 2007 19:57
Listening: Nothing much
Feeling: Content

School:
First. Week. Is. Done. And I don't feel like returning. The kids are nice enough, but it's hard to understand anything becuase of all the noise.   It hard to focus on just one voice in that environment. As such, when kids talk to me, I often have to ask "Repeat please."   However, that must really be Portuguese for "You better just say everyhting in English," because that's what ends up happening. Some kids here speak a surprising amount of English. Gah, I can't understand anything that the teachers say. Maybe a few words here and there, but it's too noisy. But, I can understand almost everything they write on the board. It's not to hard to figure out what Reforma Religioso means.

It's so boring. We don't use text books, so its you and the teacher...who writes stuff on the board and then explains it. The kids don't have questions, because they don't really pay attention. It's really blatant too, like they move around to sit and talk with friends, they sit facing away from the teacher, etc. For example, on Friday I had double geography, that's 100 minutes. We probably covered everything for the day in 25 minutes.   that 75 minutes nothing productive, which I don't approve of. I'm a worker, just gimme something to do and I'm fine.

The highlight of the school week was definatly on Tuesday. Here's some background. The boys hear like to crumple up notebook paper and throw them at   each other. And, if you get hit, its customary to throw it back at them. They seem really into it. They don't just toss these paper balls, they seriosuly put some arm into it. So, lo and behold, I got hit...but it obviously wasn't meant for me because it like bounced off a few places. Anyways, I had no idea who threw it, and I thought it was stupid so I didn't bother to try to throw it back. However, the guys around me were adamant that I did.   So, not really meaning to hit anyone, I lobbed it with a flick of the wrist...and it hit this girl sqaure in the forehead. Seriously, it was the funniest thing EVERRR.   She had been reading or something so she was like "Huh!?!" and the people surrounding me and I were just hysterically laughing. It was great, although possibly mean. The girl just kinda brushed her shoulders off about it. It was kinda like the "3rd Grade Catastrophe" that some of you might know about.

And, while we're mentioning paper and girls, it seems like the guys here also like to thross any trash (mostly paper) at the girls, intsead of just finding a trashcan. I'm not really sure if this is the case, but it does happen and it is hilariously sexist.   As if they are saying, "Trash is woman's work." *Tosses paper at girl.*  

On Wednesday and Thursday I had Rotary meetings where I gave presentations. They went well. I presented with Sabini, a short stat exchanger girl from Germany. She did a popwerpoint in English while the presindent of the club translated, and I passed around my photo album and Philly book while giving my presentation in Portuguese. It went really well.   Everyone's been saying that I have good Portuguese. I'm learning it faster than I though I would. It's not hard, but it isn't easy either. Chris from Canada was there too,   but he didn't give a presentation. He's been here since February, so he's probably already done one. I find it easier to talk in Portuguese than to listen and understand.

Thursday's presentation went just as well, although I remember stumbling over the word publicidade (publicity), I was like prubric-no, um, plibici--no, um, publicidade!. I was saying to explain that my sister works in marketing...but there isn't really a word for it in Portuguese. I also have no idea how to say "My mom is the head of culinary operations in 17 retirement communities in 5 states." So instead, I just say "My mom works in the food industry."  

This meeting was intersting...first off, if you think communicating in a new language is hard, you might wanna try comunicating a new language...with a mute person. Yes, there was a guy at this meeting who was mute...or had a servere mental disability. However, he seemed to realize what we were doing, and could function fine.   But...maybe he didn't realize he was mute...because he did "talk." But it was really just something like "Blehblehbleh rrrrrrrrrrrrrrhabobleh blehwrewrewre" etc. And I am being TOTALLY seriously. It was horrible yet hysterical at the same time, but I managed to hold back laughter 99%   of the time.

On Friday, I spent the night with some other guys at my friend's house. His name is Flávio.   It cool having friends. (That's not to say I've never had friends before! haha.) Anyways, we didn't sleep. We stayed up all night either playing video games or cards.

Let's talk about one certain card game: Truco.   It's probably the msot ridiculous game ever.   Its a Rio Grande so Sul thing. It's not *so* complicated, but complicated enough where I'll won't grasp it for a while. You play with a special deck of Truco cards. There are four suits of cards: Swords, Goblets, Coins, and Clubs (actualy wooden clubs, no those weird clovers.) The cards hav values from 1 to 12. And...that's basically as far as I got. It's like war, so you need to beat the other cards...but you can also place bets like in poker, abd if two cards are the same suite, the third card (you only get dealt three cards) equal twenty, and then you add all the card alues on the table, but the 4 of goblets ins stronger than the 7 of swords...and my head just exploded.

Also, I'm good at Guitar Hero and the kids hear have no idea how to play poker. No, I don't play alot, but they were sooo bad and I couldn't find the words to explain in Portuguese!

Alot of the people here remind me of people back home. My favorite example is my friend Roberto, but people call him Beeshoe (that tha fonetik speling) but he's really Sean Daley. They look alike and have the same mannerisms. It's weird.  

On Satruday I has another presentation, but this time it was with the other exhanger students at some university. Before the presentation, I had a lot of free time, so Chris, Sabini and I hung out. I got to speak English, and it was fun. You know, we got to know each other, had a few laughs. Blah blah blah, and then we had to present. Again, it went smoothly, and Sabini even tried presenting in Portuguese which was cool.  

Today I went to a freind's party. His name is Julien and he turned 16.   We and few other guys and his family drove into the countryside to somehouse a relative of theirs' own.   We had the usual: churrasco. We a lso played some soccer, which I wasn't to bad at. I was there for a long time: 9am to 6pm. I can definatly say that I was spaced out for at least 2 hours (cummulatively.)   A good 45 minutes of watching a soccer game is totally gone. They were watching on a 5" portable B&W tv, in Portuguese, about soccer.   Not very appealing.

I really need to write my "dog in the diaper" story, but this psot is getting a bit wordy. I've been meaning to write it for over a week now!

Wow, it's weird to think I've been here 2 weeks already.
August 10, 2007 13:42
Listening: De Costas Pro Mundo by Fernanda Porto
Feeling: Content. I was suposed to be going to a party tonight, but it got canceled. : (

I should update more...but its hard. I find it amazing that other exchangers can be so much more active with blogs and journals, but I don't have that kind of motivation. I plan on making   page that will have links of other people's exchange blogs, you'll enjoy them.

Anyways, the second week of school is over and it was much (much) better. I'm remembering more names and no longer just kinda drift around people.Yeah, some times I do, but I feel a lot more connected now, and it's easier to understand the teachers and other kids even if it is noisy.  

My least favorite class is definatly the once I should be trying the most in...Portuguese. But Meus Deus is the teacher crazy! Her name is Andrea Pomba and it feels like she comes in (the teachers move classrooms here, not kids), sits down, opens her mouth and screams.   It's note really Portuguese class, it more like Vestibular Grammar Practice class. The Vestibular is like the SATs, except wayyy more important.   The kids will be taking it next year, but you know, you gotta practice, and I've seen a few "The Best Vestibular Practice Book Everrr" books.   Ok, so she doesn't scream, but I don't feel like she teaches, only passes out worksheets with questions like "In the sentence: "Mommy likes to buy candy" classify the subject as either interdeterminate or occult." Wait!?! What is this word that looks like occult, because my mother doesn't practce the dark arts! It confusing. I've already had 2 tests. The first one she didn't return to me, which is weird...and the second one I had to revert to writing "I don't know" for questions that asked me to write sentences with   interdeterminate or "occult" subjects.

Bio isn't much better. We're learning something about amphibians or something and the teacher, Mara, is sorta like Ms. Pomba (Teachers here are more or less addressed by first name, but I thought Ms. Pomba sounded better than Andrea).   It's weird because Mara looks like my mom. Like, my real mom, not my host mom...(Yeah Mom! She really looks like you!)  

My other classes are pretty good though.   I feel closer with my classmates. I have no more problems about throwing paper at other kids now...and I love thinking aobut how hot headed US teachers would get if we acted like the kids here.  

On tuesday, after school I randonly meet another outbound exchagne student in the area. Well, it wasn't exactly random, he kinda just showed up at my house with two of his friends. His name is Ricardo and he'll leave for Quebec, Canada at the end of August. I told the maids I was going out and took my cell phone that my host parents got me.   I made my way to the praça, or city center with Ricardo and his friends Antonio and Aliana. It was kinda weird just randomly meeting these kids on my doorstep and then going out for lanche (a "meal" between lunch and dinner), but you know, as an exchange student I'm kinda required to meet everyone in existence and take any offer given to me. : ).   So I was gone from maybe 3:00 or 6:00. Durring that time I got call from my host dad told him I was fine and at the praça. Everything was a-o-k until I went home.

The maids had left earlier than expected and I didn't have a key (I since have a key, but it tole a while for it to get copied, that's why I didn't have one), so I had no way in. In any case, I continued to Ricardo's house with him and the others.   Long story short, I got home safe and sound and went to some birthday dinner for a friend of the familys'.   These dinners get a little awkward, becasue I can tell when people are talkigna bout me, even if I don't understand everything, and a classamte was there with his girfiend. So, like he wants to be with his girfriend, and then me and my little host sister come in and have to sit right next to them, and yeah, it was just kidna awkward.

Anyways, yesterday at school we had something that was kinda like Study Day at STMS, which is to say, for the last two periods od school, everyone was assigned to two different presetnations. Of course, I had no idea what was going on in this strange language but made my way to presentation 4 with a few other classmates. The fact that it was in room 81 was basically as far as I got in understanding anything about the presentation.   There were two middle aged going on elderly women in sweat suits. And for 50 minutes as I understood was something about 25 minutes in that went something like "If your parents smoke, they might be influencing you to smoke." I ended up just falling alseep after that and a classmate, Ciça woke me up when it was time for the next presentations.   Presentation 9 was jsut as bad, haha. Someone had told me it was aobut choosing careers, but it was really about being an Epreendedor, aka, I had no idea what was going on for another 50 minutes.

Last night I had another Rotary dinner. I have a feeling I'll be attending every meeting while I'm with my current host family.   The meetings are kinda odd. I've been to 2 and if teh pattern keeps up, the women are onlt allowed (or supposed) to come to every other...so I had to give yet another presentation because the rotary women/wives had to hear it. Rotary dinners can also be pretty awkward, because it's me, and I'm the youngest unless my host sister is there, with 20+ other people who are all 30+ and there's the mute guy that doesn't think he's mute who I wrote about previously.

I need to figure out someting to do during the afternoon. Since I've been adjusting better, I don't really need to sleep as much in the afternoon, but no one is really home, so if I'm not sleeping, I really have nothing to do. My parents work and my host is as school because the younger kids go to school in the afternoon. I'm not really bored, but I'd rather be able to hang out with some peers and stuff.  

I'm really enjoying learing Portuguese. It's not easy, but it would never call it hard.   I understood completely when my host mom explained that I couldn't get my Residential I.D. yet because the police had yet to recieve Rotary documents from Porto Alegre and my school hadn't written there own documents about me studying there. Reading is definatly easier, because, for example, the word detective is spelled the same, but if spoken it sounds like je-te-CHEE-vay. So, it like watching English shows with Portuguese subtitels, becuase I can understand and learn. I even watched a french show yesterady with subtitles in Portuguese and sould more or less understand all of it.   *shrugs* Langguages are cool.

Blegh, my little host sister can be annoying. I feel like she thinks I'm stupid. When I ask her to repeat she repeats it like I'm four. Helloooo, I don't need you to point at yourself when you say "eu" (I) or at me when you say "você" (you).

*thumbs up*
Cry for Me Argentina!

August 12, 2007 15:58

Ok, improptu entry, but I thought you'd like to know that since I've been to Brazil two things have happened to me that I thought never would (although not in this order).

1) I was deported.
2) I was an illegal immigrant.

Ok, don't worry. I'm still in Brazil. I'm not getting sent home by Rotary, I'm not even in trouble, but I was deported...from Argentina. Hopefully, you guys checked out my "Where the Heck is Uruguaiana" page, but if you didn't, Uruguaiana is less than a mile away from Argentina; it is right across the Uruguay River.

So today is Father's Day here. Happy Father's Day! to any babys' daddies out there. And, as such, my host family and I were going to Libres, the adjunct Argentinian city for lunch. My host mom reminded me to bring my passport, because I don't have a residential I.D. yet.

So we hopped in the car, got on the bridge and eventually arrived in Argentina, where the border patrole is. Paulo rolled down the window and we showed an officer our documents...but he stopped when he got to mine. Paulo told him I was an exchange student and I confirmed it, but for some reason it didn't work out, so we parked and Paulo and I entered the nearby customs building. They definatly looked at my passport, so they should have seen that small but incredibly significant stamp that is my visa. And I know that my visa is multi-entrance, because the Rotary/Bokoff-Kaplan travel agent assured me so. That means I can enter and leave the country as many times as nessecary long as my visa has not expired. Anyways, the customs man said something like "He can't enter the country" and Paulo turned to me and said "We have to go back."   So, I was "deported" and we went to lunch at some Brazilian lancherria.

I can't enter, it seems, until I get my residential I.D., which I can't get until Tuesday because important documents about it won't arrive until then.

Thinking back on it...I've been to Libres 3 times already, and I don't remember showing them identification once...so I guess that would have made me an illegal immigrant, right? I'll be more careful next time.
August 15, 2007 21:54

I've chosen a quote from The Exchange Student Survival Kit to describe how I more-or-less feel.

"Identity. In the U.S., Rachel felt pretty confident of her identity. She knew what she believed, knew what type of person she was, and understood how she fit into her culture and society. Here's how she described herself on the application forms provided by the exchange organization:

'I'm an active person and am always doing something or, more often, several things. I belong to three or four clubs at school as well as the student government, so I'm always busy wuth activities and meetings after school.'

Like many Americans, Rachel describes who she is by talking about what she does. She is active, involved, busy. But after several weeks in India, she realizes that this description no longer works. Who is she? According to her hosts, 'She comes from a well-educated family. Her father is a buisnessman and her older brother is studying medicine.' This was certainy true, but what did it say about her? She knew little about buisness or medicine. But neither could she continue to think of herself as very active or involved. It seemed that she was spending most of her time in the house with her host mother ans sister and grandmother who lived with them. Had she suddenly become a homebody--someone who does nother but stay at home? (Hansel 37-38)."

It's disapointing. At the moment, I don't really know how I should feel about my exchange so far.   It's like a rollercoaster, which I think I have written before. Sometimes I'm really happy, other times, not so much.

Uruguaiana and this whole experience has been different than I expected...and I didn't think I expected anything!   It's been colder than I expected, which hasn't impacted me as much as the natives. Because it is winter, I've been told that many things like clubs and ice cream shops are closed because the people get too cold.   This means that nothing much happens at night. I didn't expect to have so much free time. I get out of school at 12, the family meets for a big lunch, and arounf 1 or 1:30, My host dad goes back to work, my host mom, Marli and sister, Paula, go to school because Marli is a teacher and younger kids go to school in the afternoon. That means I'm usually alone during the afternoon until 6 or so. Now that I have a key, however, I can go out and walk arounf the city and such. It jsut feels like everything is just a little different, which is weird.

In the quote, I was more or less like Rachel back in the US. Busy, busy, busy. Band, chorus,YAG, Class Officer, Set Design, and the list goes on. In the US, everyone was a bit different. One kid likes to draw, another plays trumpet and sings, some girl plays 3 sports, another boy is known for his guitar skillz, etc. Here, everyone seems to be pretty monotonous. It's like soccer, basketball, or guitar. I've met one person who plays the drums. Schools have basically no activites except for a few sports. I have no extracurricular activities here. Those were like the only reason I went to school lsat year.

I miss playing the trombone (and tuba)! I miss reading and playing music. And it stinks that even if I had my trombone, I'd have nothing to do with it here. No one really plays anything except for that kids who play the drums...and an old man with an accordion...A lot of people "play" the guitar....but you never know what that means, because like in the US, everyone "plays" the guitar too.   Of course, this usually only constitutes being able to play Stairway to Heaven. Yesterday I was flipping the chanels and the Phantom of the Opera was on. It was just my luck that it was during the Phantom's song. I was like, "I can play that on the trombone!!!" And then I was sorta sad that I didn't have one to play. Bahhh.

I don't feel like I'm in Brazil. Uruguaiana and the rest of Rio Grande do Sul is nothing like the rest of Brazil. It gets cold here, it's very European, it isn't very racially diverse. There aren't many black people here and I've seen one asian...and that wasn't even in Uruguaiana, it was in Santa Maria.   Down here is were the gaúchos live. These are the cowboys with the rodeos and the bombachas and herds of cows. I was excited to experience this, but, I was placed in a family that doesn't do that sort of stuff. Why couldn't I have been placed with a gaúcho family?

I'm not trying to complain, I do enjoy it here, but I wanna experience this year to the fullest, and I'm a little upset I can't do that at the moment with my limited (but expanding!) Portuguese and unfamiliarity with the city and places in teh area. I just don't want this year to pass me by. These 25 have gone so fast and I don't want to miss out on anything during my next 340! I just feel lazy, I need to find some activities to do!
August 17, 2007 16:56

This week was kinda busy, so I'll give a little update with the highlights.

Monday: I was planning to go to my friend's English school after regular school today.   He has it on Monday's and Thursdays. I had planned to go last Monday...but I fell asleep. However, I couldn't do this when I was invited into a group for some kind of acting project for my Portuguese class. This meant I had to go over to one of their houses shortly after lunch and get cracking on this skit.

At around 2 o'clock, two of my groupmates, Pedro and Dada (short for Edwarda) arrived at my house and lead the way back to Pedro's house, were me met the other two group members, Carolina, and Duda (also short for Edwarda.) They more-or-less xplained to me that the scene was a summary of a book called Conte by someone with a name like Montche Assisi.

I was Vilela, the best friend of Pedro's character, and I guess I had a crush on the girl that he was involved with or something, because then I ended up killing them both. Duda was the girl I think I killed (you don't actually see me kill her, but she lies dead in my "house"), Carolina was the narrator, and Dada was some hippie Gypsy fourtune-teller. It was probably some lame story about a love triangle from Portugal in the 1800s. It didn't seem that great.  

I had one line, the epic, "Siga-me," which means "follow me."   I got to say it when Pedro arrives at my house and I lead him into another room where Duda is laying dead on the floor. Then I shoot Pedro with a toy gun. I made sure to practice my one epic line with the most menacing voice ever.

After "learning" the script, they explained to me that I needed to bring in a suit the next day to perform. I was a little surprised because of the short notice.   They asked me soemthing about walking in the city, so I though we were going to walk around Uruguaiana, which I was kinda excited for...but no...they took me home, which is kinda funny in retroflect (is that a word? I don't remember.)

On an unrelated note, the name Vilela was insanely strange to pronounce. Phonetically, it might be spelled Vilwelwa, because Portuguese has strange r/l sounds. More accuratly, to convey my frustration with this name, it might be spelled DEATH.   (I bet the sounds a lot funnier in my head than in writing. But it's pretty hysterical in my head, so that might mean its a little funny in writing.)

That night I gathered my suit and folded it as carefully as a could, as I didn't think I'd be able to take in any hangers as there really isn't anything I could think of that it would hang on. I couldn't find my Springfield dufflebag, so I used this more formal type dufflebag that my hosts had.  

Tuesday: The morning was a little more hectic than I had expected. Even though Paulo woke me up, I drifted back into sleep, which put me about 5 minutes befind my schedual.   I hadn't actually packed my suit yet, so I had to do that, which took time, and I skipped my usual beakfast. I got to school around 7:40, when I'm supposewd to be there around 7:30. The principle/director lady gavee me and other late students a typical, "You're late" type schpeel (that is a word, I just don't know how to spell it.)

Luckily, Portuguese isn't the first class on Tuesdays, so I was only a little late to math.   The Portuguese teacher must have given my second period teacher a heads up about the performances, so before the end of the second period, I made my way to the bathroom to change. Just my luck, I finished changing just at the class change, meaning I got walk all the way down the hallway in a suit in front of all the other students as they took a break outside their classrooms.   I made the best of it.

Just to clarify, all the students had performances to do, so I wasn't the only one wearing a suit/costume that day or aynthing.

Portuguese started and we made our way to the auditiorium to use the stage. I hadn't expected it to be that formal. The first group performed, and their skit was weird. I couldn't understand the narration of course, but it was like students in a classroom and then the teacher took a belt and punished a few, and...yeah, that was more or less it. The second group was doing the same book as us, which I hadn't been expecting. I figured every group had read a different book, but half had seemed to have read Conte as well. Their skit was really good, even though it was an all girl group. I basically laughed through most of it because two of girls diligently dressed in suits and wigs to play the male parts...which was hilarious. The wigs kinda distorted teir heads because they had to fit so much hair under them, and one of the girls kinda looked like she had a mullet, plus they were performing male lines in high voices.  

Then it was our turn. The others set up, told me to stand in one place, and when to come out and yeah. I had my signature line, "Siga-me" and proceeded to try and kill Pedro...the toy gun didn't make its usual *bang* but Pedro fell anyways.   I guess it went well. I was a little confused when a photographer came in and made me take a pictures in character. So, somewhere there is a picture of me, standing over a "dead" body, while pointing a toy gun at another person, and another picture with me standing over two dead bodies.   I couldn't help but laugh in the last picture, so I might also be laughing or look like I'm crying in the second one.

I wish I took my camera. Its would have been great to get shots of those girls dressed as guys. I just never think to take my camera to school.

In the afternoon, Marli took my to her school to give a presentation about myself. I took my Philly book and photo album and we made out way to the school,m where I was to present infront of kids that I would guess were 7 or 8.   So, I met some other teachers, gave my presentation, and figured that was all. No. I was wrong. Then I was expected to basically teach these children English, which was a not fun experience. First, every kid was told to bring up an item that they wanted to know the name of in English. These kids must not have been listening well because I got about 3 trucks and 4 erasers. Then I had to translate the names these pictures they had all over the board, and trying to get them to pronounce them correctly.

Me: In English, tomate (toe-MAH-che) is tomato (toe-MAY-toe)
Class: toe-MAH-che
Me: toe-MAY-toe
Class: toe -MAH-che
Me:...close enough...

Haha. I just wans't interested in these little kids. I don't even really like little kids. It was another encounter with the cultural event of not telling the whole story. Yes, Marli tols me I was presenting, but not that I was expected to teach. A few weeks ago is was "Yes, we went to pick up school supplies, but you didn't tell me you wanted to take a 1 and 1/2 hour detour to the jewelry store." One of the teachers took a bunch of pictures that I know have and will post later, as I'm not really "home" this weekend, as I'll explain later.

After presenting/teaching, we went to get my Residential I.D., as the documents I needed for it had finally arrived...So now I have my reseidential I.D...

Wednesday:   In Portuguese class, we watched more presentations. These ones promted me to again wish that I had brought my camera. One was about some conductor/composer and his musical writer's block and them success in rpducing a fine piece of music. I another hilarious skit followed. Only two kids were in this one, Gabriel and Henrique.   I had not idea what was going on what-so-ever.

Henrique: *knocks on door* Is Senhor here?
Gabriel: (behind a curtain, with a girl's voice) This house is only for girls.
Henrique: NOOOOOOOOOO!

The last "scene" was Henrique just sitting on a couch, but made funnier by the fact that he had tried to "age" himself by dusting his hair with baby powder durring the scene change. He was successful in geting half his hair and this shoulders.   I had to stiffle laughter so much during their performance that the Portuguese teacher was prompted to ask, "Are you ok?"

There was one more skit that was even more strange. It opened on these two guys covered in blankets and talking to each other. Then other guy walked in wearing a dress...and that was basically it.   I can't really explain it, it was a Kodak moment I wasn't able to capture.

That night for dinner I had that dreaded pea/egg/bacon hamburger.

Because not much happened today, here is a good time to say that this week was full of testing. On monday and wednesday I had math tests, tuesday was a physics test, and thrudays was a Portuguese test, but I didn't have to take that one because it was a hardcore composition/writing test. It seems that Portuguese tests are more like American quizzes. They only have like 10 to 15 questions. A history test I saw was all multiple choice, whereas in the states it's more likely to be a mixture with short answer/essay questions. They also grade on a smaller scale, opting to use decimal for grades, like using a 2.4 out of 3.0 isntead of 24 out of 30, which I find interesting.

Thursday:   Thurday came and went. Again I wish I had had my camera because the Bio teacher drew a great fish diagram that kept me amused while I didn't understand anyhting about her lectures on fishes and amphibians.

Today, I was picked up by Rinata, who I will be staying with untill Monday along with her husband, Sergio, and their dog, Arobous.   Sergio also has a nickname, Katanga...but I won't be using this because I think it is utterly ridiculous. I'm staying with them because my current host family is traveling to São Paulo to visit my host sister, Bruna, and I can't come because there are still other documents I need to do that.  

Anyways, I kinda just hung out until 4:00, when Rinata asked if I wanted to go down to Quaraí and Uruguay with Sergio. She said that after I came back we'd go back to my real house to get some stuff for my stay.   I obliged, picked up my documents that I might need to get into Uruguay, and we were on out way. Unfortunantly, Quaraí and Uruguay were a lot farther away than I though.   I figured maybe 30 minutes each way, but it was more like and hour. And there was no radio in the car, as you buy them seperatly here. Instead, I just soaked up the beautiful scenery, as it was toal country from Uruguaiana to Quaraí. The clouds were ominous and really low, as if someone had made a footprint in the sky. It's weird to see the trees here, because there more than you would expect, but it looks like they huddle together in groups far a way from each other, kina like cliques in a lunch room. Its also surprising when you're driving through the falt countryside and realize there is a huge mountain comming up. Where are these random mountains coming from?  

We got to Quaraí eventually, stopped and met some people, and then made our way to Uruguay. I ended up not needing any documents and we just got waved though. For some reason, I had this idea that Uruguay was drastically different fromk Brazil...but duh, it isn't other than the fact that they speak Spanish. We went to some store called Neutral, when Sergio picked up a radio for the car, some wine, and a suitcase. We then went to a supermarket where we bough some bread...not very exciting for a trip to Uruguay. I forgot my camera again...I really need to be more diligent about that...

We went back to Quaraí for a moment and themn made our way back to Uruguaiana. We got back srounf 8:00 I think.

Sometime between the time we got back and 10:00, was petting their dog Arobous and he bit me! I think I touched his leg or soemthing and he just clamped on my arm! And he's a pretty strong dog. He's a sleek racing-type dog, kinda like a greyhound but smaller...and not grey. I let out a lound "Owww" and he released my arm. Any pain disapated quickly, and I pulled up my sleeve to see if he had left a mark. There were two "battle wounds" as I think I'll call them. on the top and bottom of my forearm. They weren't bleeding, but they are indented. I cleaned by battle wounds and hung out. Sometiem before this I must have returned to get my clothes and otehr things for the weekend here, but I don't remember the sequence of events. For some reason, however, right after I was bitten, I had a really strong pang of homesickness...but it went away after a few minutes.

Even later that night my new host parents sorta insisted I call my parents. I told them it was expensive, because my phone cards haven't been working right, but they said Rotary would take care of it.   So I called and it was nice. It was my first really conversation with them since I left. I had called before, but the line always got disconected early on in the conversation.

Friday: Hmm, today started with double Geography. I had to borrow a book to do some busy work where I basically had to copy important info about tectonic plates and other things like montains and plaines.   However, halfway through we stopped and went to "Mini-Church" in the school gym. It was confusing. The walls were set up with booths about churchs in Uruguaiana and there was a big circle of people in the middle. Eventually they started to pray and then sing in what was some weird mix of Portuguese and German, because I kept hearing Auf Weitersein.   After that it got more strange as they started playing club music.

Me: Umm, this is kind of strange. We're hear for churchs, but club music is playing.
Ana: (jokingly) What are you talking aobut? This is church music!

Bio was a snoozefest. In physics I recieve my test that I had taken on Tuesday. I'm not sure how the point system works here, but in America, it would have been a 5/12.   It was a 12 questions test. I only answered 6 questions becasue I only understood those six and only got one of them wrong. However, somehow that relates to a score of 1.0 here. That actually isn't so bad here. After we recieved out tests we went down to the tech lab to use computers for more physics work. I kinda just wroked with the people next to me. The questions weren't too bad, its jsut that I don't know how to write the answers in this strange new language!

And that's basically all for my week. I'm not really doing anyhting tonight because its more complicated since I'm with a different family this weekend, but tomorrow and the next day I'll be going to two farewell parties for exchange students down here. One is for Ricardo, the boy going to Quebec who I have met. The other is a student of Rinata, who works as a private French tutor. As such, this girl is going to France.

Boa noite!
August 20, 2007 17:12

It's been 30 days. 30 days which have included afternoons bored at home, nights out until hours that American parents might shriek at, one way conversations, two conversations, waking up and thinking I'm still in the US, gross food, great food, meeting new people and much more that if I could type it all, I'd nexver get our of this seat. And, throughout my first month Brazil, I only feel like I need one thing. A haircut.

Haircuts can be so significant. As this first month turns into a second month I am resolved to get active, get involved, be more outgoing, and have more fun. What is a better way than to welcome the new Ray (or Hi depending on who you ask) than to get a new haircut, make a change, reinvent myself. It works for celebrities...and I was in a newspaper and have a blog with over one thousand hits...I think I'm a qualified local celebrity. This is what being an exchange student is about, right? Changes, adaptations.

So, be ready when I return in 11 months to get reaquainted. You might just be skocked.

And, the fact that I've revealed this to the world lets me know that I can achieve this. This is my goal; I reach my goals.

End of entry.
August 22, 2007 16:20

Just a note about my last post: I'm not actually sure if I'm going to get a haircut in the next few days. I was mostly using it as a metaphorical/proverbial example. Although, I'm considering it more after taking a few pictures that reveal my hair-related messiness.

Today was an ok day. I got up easily since I sleep more than I do in the U.S. This is probably because 1) I'm more tired because of the whole learning Portuguese thing, 2) Culture Shock is supposed to make you tired (but I don't knoe if I'm experiencing culture shock...) 3) I try to sleep more so that I do wake up easily.   I got dressed, had some breakfast, blah blah blah, and got to school on time today.

Physics was my first class. The teacher, Bernardi, started with prayers, as some teachers do if their class is first. After that, we went over questions he had given us yesterday. By "went over," I mean that he just gave us all the answers. That's what makes school here easy. You don't really need to do classwork because you know that the teacher is just going to give you the answers. The bad side...you have no idea how to do questions on the test, haha.  

I had double chemistry next with Mrs. Tabajara next. We call her Taba for short. We had a test, which I was had been planning to study for, but never got around to it...haha.   It was 10 questions and i was able to do 5 of the question. Of the other 5 I just kinda made up numbers and hoped they were right. One I didn't answer at all because I had no idea how to get an even close answer at all. A double period means 110 minutes worth. It feels so long. We didn't even start the test right away, but figure that we took it for 80 minutes. Some of these kids needed all of that time, and they had calculators. I didn't need that much time without a calculator. Gah, that was annoying have to figure out 203/108000 and such by hand. There are other observations that I've made about Brazilian test taking. The major one is that the kids will just yell the teachers name, in this case TABA!, over and over until they come over to help them. And the kid in front on me needed a lot of help, and by the end of the calls I was like "If he yells TABA! one more time...gah." Haha.

After third period we have a 25 or 30 minute break, so everyone left the class, and decided to take some pictures of the school to post here.   It was also a good way to aproach some new people as I took pictures of the whole area! When break was over, I went back to my class. However, we always need to wait for the next teacher to arrive and open the doors. I took this opportunity to discretly take a picture of the ugly platform boots that the girl here wear. However, I guess I wasn't so discrete because the girl whose boots I photographed moved away pretty quickly.

History and Portuguese class passed quickly. History was more copying, and it wasn't new info becuase tomorrow we have some sort of standardized testing over everything they've learned this year in every subject. Think I'll do well? In Portuguese I sat there and read by Essential Portuguese Grammar book while the other kids did some sort of composition practice. I actually learned something!

Classes were dismissed at 12:00 until 1:30 and I was picked up by Paulo and we went to my avó's house for lunch.

At 1:20, with a full stomach, I returned to school a bit early and was met by classmates Dada, Julien, an d Bruna. They struck up a conversation, which was nice, and lead with me trying to ask about this thing on the campus that I was confused about. They had no idea what I was saying so I jumped at the opportunity and exclaimed "Vamos!" and took them to what i wanted them to see. I was so happy that people were listening that I didn't care how badly I was butchering the Portuguese language. It was likea verb here, noun here, conjugated this, participle that, irregular what?  

Eventually the conversation got back to a math test we had recieved earlier. I told them I had recieved a 48% and told them that another kid said it was a good score. I asked them if it was, and they said that it was pretty good considering I'm an exchange student and that any grade 56 and up is considered pretty great. I then tried to explain that I htink I deserved better, but that the teacher had taken off credit because I didn't use the formulas we learned for some of the things, and solved them more manually. I couldn't use the formulas becasue they were different from what I learned in the US and had only learned the Brazil equivalent the day before and couldn't study because I wasn't aware we had a test! Anyways, they looked at my test, and they said he had writted soemthing like "You used a calculator" over said problems. Hello Mr. Teacher! I showed my work ON the paper. Bah!

Anyways, the bell rung and we made our way to more Chemistry.   In the afternoon on Wednesday my class has Chemistry from 1:30 to 2:42 and Math from 2:46 to 4:00.   Since we had just taken a test today, she just gave out a worksheet and starting grading tests. I did the first part because it was easy and didn't understand the rest, so I waited as I figured she would just put it on the board. She never did, only the first part, so everyone kind just stopped working and hung out. By the end of the class, most people were huddled around Taba as she graded papers. That's an annoying cultural difference...everyone sees every part of your test! In the US, it's more or less a verbal communication of your grade...if you want to share it. But here, the teacher should just hand it out and tell the class your grade to save time! "Damn!"I though "I hope they don't get to mine...I basically just made up half the asnwers!"

Class finished will me taking a few pictures and Taba called me over to see my test. She pointed to one of my answers and the right answer and looked at me.

Me: They aren't the same.
Taba: *point to another question*
Me: Those aren't the same either.
Taba: (looks af me)
Me:...umm, ok...they aren't right...

What am I supposed to say!?! Just mark it wrong!

Shortly after I was told I culd leave becasue the MAth teacher wasn't in today. So I left early around 3:15 and walked home. I wanted to stop by the Praça shops to buy some nice stationary to write to you guys, but I forgot to bring money.

And, about 5 minutes ago a gaggle of girls arrived at my doorstep, so I'm going to go hang out with them. My cousin Mirella bought them over. At 6, two classmates are supposed to call because they wanna study with me for the big test hting tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be able to make it.
August 27, 2007 13:19

So I reread my last a post and it came off a bit harsher than I expected, but it pretty accuratly explained my feelings at the moment. And sorry about those spelling errors, but I didn't have time to proofread.

Luckily, last night there were peers who I was able to hang out with and had a better time than I expected.   I don't really feel like writing right now so I'll leave it at that.
August 26, 2007 20:06

I AM SOOOO BORED!!! Gah. This weekend was supposed to have SOMETHING to do! But alas, it did not. My friends invited me to a party for Saturday. This was teh conversation we had on thursday or friday.

Him: Ray, do you wan to come to a party on Saturday.
Ray: Sure, but I'll need to ask my host parents. Whast are the details.
Him: It's on Saturday.
Ray: Umm, how aboiut you call me so you can talk directly to my host parents. It will be easier that way.
Him: Yeah ok, I have your number.
Ray: Call around 7, cuz that's when my host parents usually come home.

That was more or less it. Notice the lack of information he had. Bah. Come on kids, I can't hang out if I don't know the details, it's not hard to understand. He ended up never calling, so I ended up going to a god awful birthday party for one of my host parents' friends. Once again, I was the only person between the 11-34 age range.   Thankfully we left early.

I was further irked because it was a direct copy of how my Friday night went. This time it was my host dad's birthday, but seriously, even with a bunch of family it was soo boring! I tried to be into it, but I ended up becoming really really tired and it became to much of a hassle to try. Thankfully and uncle left early and he drove me home.

There was like a 30 minute period when I felt really happy on Friday. It was evening, before the party and my host dad gave me a new jacket. I'm actually wearing it right now. It's sooo ridiculous. It's this billowy windbreaker and in that spot in the front right where some kind of logo goes, it says POLE. POLE is the company my host dad owns, but it furthered my hypothesis that he is secretly in love with himself, or his name or something. Seriously, he names his buisness after himself, as POLE is made out of his initials. He puts the logo everywhere! We have magnets on our fridge, it all over his office, on his car, there is even this wooden wood carving in his office that he carved POLE into. (Hahaha, I wrote wooden wood carving...my English is going to the dogs.) And apparently, it's also on clothes. I don't know why, but this jacket is just ridiculous and I love it. It's basically made my exchange, haha.

Another let down for this weekend was that I was supposed to start piano lessons,which I was thrilled about become I've miss music wayyy more than I though I would. However, that fell through because the teacher had to organize some Rotary dance event and was too tired, so I guess I'll start next week or something.

I'm really going to try hard to find somethings to fill my schedual with. Unfortunantly I didn't find anything this week, except for those piano lessons. I've also started to write letters to you guys. I've written 5 so far I think. I plan to send them out tomorrow and write more. They'll be sent on a staggered schedual to don't fret if a friends gets one and you don't right away!

--Ray

Now I'm off to another party/churrasco/thing. Hopefully some peers will be there. Please, please, pleaseeeeeee be there, peers!
September 2, 2007 22:30

So it's probably time for an update, no? I kinda skip backwards and forwards throughout the week, so don't get mixed up. This entry isn't proofread. I'm sleepy and don't have the time. Sorry.

School was better this week. I can understand a lot more, so I can participate more. That is, of course, if we do anything! Most of the time is spent doing nothing, unfortunantly. For example, I think this was how my friday school day went.

For starters, my schedual on friday is double geography (7:35-9:15), biology (9:15-10:05), a 20 or so minute break, and double phyisics (10:25-12:00). Those double periods are longer than normal blocks at STHS. It's crazy! So I had two tests that day. In Geography we started probably 20 minutes...we hadn't done anything for those twenty minutes. The rest was for the test. It was only like 15 multiple choice questions, but it took me the whole class since I had to try and decipher the questions, the answers, and then guess the answer because because they haven't supplied me with a book yet. At one point I was supposed to explain why Europe imported a lot of things from Asia. I ended up writing something like "Kings and people imported things from Asia because things from Asia are generally cool and people wanted them."

In bio we had a test to. Same format. 15 multichoice questions. This test was easier because the questions and answers were shorter and Portuguese scientific terminology isn't so different from English's. For double physics we did nothing. I think we were supposed to be in groups desinging some kind of car, but no one explained anything to me, so we just sat in groups and did nothing until the day ended, not very exciting.

So, I've jsut brought up two very interesting points. 1) We don't do so much in school, and 2) when asked to explain things on tests, I have no idea what I'm doing.

The first point is important because, while I hated "doing nothing" when I started school, it's been getting better. Now that I have a better grip on Portuguese and listening is easier, even in noisy environments, its been easier to intereact with others. I've opened up more to my classmates and in turn they've opened up more to me and I'm becoming better firends with everyone in my class rather than just the people who tried to get to know me right when I arrived.

The second point really isn't that important, but it leasd to a funny happening this week. On a Portuguese test I was first asked to classify some kind of predicate. I had no idea, so I just chose "nominal" becuase I knew that was some type of predicate. However, I was then asked to justify my choice, which I obviously was oblivious too, so I decided to be nonsensical and wrote "Sometimes I like to eat Top Ramen." I even put a cool restiction mark next to Top Ramen for added effect. I did get this test back, because I wrote a note on the test asking to recieve my test from now on. She didn't write anything about my bogus answer, but as Brazilians do, everyone wnated to see everyone else's test, so everyone saw my Top Ramen answer. They. Loved. It. +10 for Ray!

I also made an epic mistake on Wednesday. I was trying to copy down Chemistry work from the black board. (Gasp! They use blackboards here!) However, this by Gabriel was in the way. His head, specifically, since he was standing. So I was like "Hey Gabriel. Gabriel, move your head." He looked at me and gave me a weird look, and so did everyone else, and then they turned to Gabriel and we like "GAY!" I was like, "ummm, what just happened...?"   It turned out I pronounced his name wrong. In Portuguese Gabriel is like   GAH-bri-ow, rather than English's GAY-bri-el. I only got is half right, with GAY-bri-ow. Haha. There were no hard feelings. The word gay means the same in Portuguese.

On Tuesday and Thursday I had run ins with what might either be called forgettfulness or spontinaeity. You see, on both days, I had taken a shower, put on some pajamas, and started to watch some tv when my host dad walked into the room, wearing a suit, and asked "Aren't you comming to dinner with me??" On both occasions all I could think was "Umm, you never told me ANYTHING about this! Ahhhh, I'm all comfortable and ready for bed!" However, on Tuesday he said it was a churrasco, so I though maybe it'd be kinda fun. Big mistake, haha. It ended up basically being a socail get together for SDEARGS. Yes, SDEARGS, which translates to something like Society or Customs Brokers in Rio Grande do Sul State. It was all middle age men. I know my host family means the best, but sometimes I feel like they're just showing me off, as if I'm a toy or throphy or something. I mean, did he honeslty think I'd be interested in such an event? It was bland. No one really aknowledged me, so I just existed untill we had dinner and we left. On thrusday Paulo asked me if I wanted to come to the Rotary meeting, but I politely turned it down this time, so wanted to repeat Tuesday night, which I knew would happen.

Back to Friday, I had brought in some of my nifty Rotary buisness cards with my phone numbers on it the kids in class who I spent the most time with. That way they could contact me and maybe I'd get some more invites to get to gethers or parties and whatnot. I brought 25, but only expected to give out 7 or so. I brought the extra in case other kids saw me handing them out and wanted one themselves. Lo and behold (I feel like I say that a lot onthsi blog.) that is exaclt what happened. My friend Bernardo showed this girl Rafa, and she was like "Que LINDO!" loudly and then evryone wanted one, so I'm bringing in more tomorrow. My class has 40 or so kids, so I needed to write up quite a few more!

Saturday was eventful. After lunch, Marli and Paulo took me to buy some gaúcho attire. Gaúcho clothing is simply amazing. It's like the coolest stuff ever. Typical cowboy clothes but wayyy better. I only got some gaúcho salpados, which are like a type of shoes kinda like slippers or maccasins, and a pair of bombachas. Yes, bombachas, which are typical gaúcho pants. Paulo and I have the same show size, so Marli told me that if I ever needed boots I could just use his. I'm definatly stocking p on gaúcho stuff before I leave. People don't wear this stuff everyday, so it's not like I need a whole worebrobe of it.   A little after that I had my first piano lesson in years! It was pretty much exactly the same as it would be in the US, except instead of using letter notes as in CDEFGAB, they usedo re mi fa sol la si do. So as I try to learn the latter, my teacher is learning the former. It was nice. I enjoyed playing. After the lessons I went to my first church service in Brazil. Its weird that that was my first in almost and a half. It not too different, but there is more singing and some of the events have a different twist to them. For example, for the Concecration, everyone raises their hands as if to grab the bread and chalice while saying what probably translates as "Lord I am not worthy to recieve you, only say thy word and I shall be healed." It's interesting that they use archaic equivalents like thy and shall in Portuguese gospel too. For example, the word convosco is never used in conversation but it more common in holy text.

After chruch I was kind of tired, but at around ten my host family and I corssed the border (legally) into Argentina, where we went to the Casino Rio Uruguay for dinner and gambling! So get this, at that time I was living in Brazil, but in Argentina, at the Casino Rio Uruguay. We started with an ok meal. Wasn't so great wasn't so bad, but I really did not enjoy the whole gambling part. First off, it was Saturday, so it was crowded. Secondly, I was sticking to the slot machines, so I had to wait a looong time for a good machine to open up on a game I actually knew how to play. Some of the machinges were really dificult to understand, even thought all the words were in English. Third, I could see the air. That's how much smoke there was. By the end of teh night my eyes were tearing. I mean, come on, is it that hard to open a window. I don't wind the smell, but eyes really did hurt. Eventually we left, me only 3 pesos richer, and I went straight to bed.   I was looking forward to the fact that I would be waking up at around 8 to leave for a gaúcho thing with my host uncle and cousins. I was like "Cool, I can wear my sa-weet bombachas!"

When did I wake up? 10:30.   They didn't come. Sadly enough, I hate to say that I wasn't so surprised. So instead of bombachas, I threw on some courderoys and got on with my day. We walked a few doors down the street for a lunch at the Lions Club building. Yes, we have a Lions Club here. Odd. After lunch, however, arounf 2:30, my host uncle and cousins did show up for take me. At this point, I was even intersted anymore and kind of resentful that they even showed up, but it's pretty much the first rule of being and exchange student to be a good sport, so I threw on a happy face and went with them. I though I might regret not changing into my new attire, but I wasn't. It turned out to be sort of a dissapointment. I didn't expect some huge event, but I didn't think it was going to me sitting around doing nothing for 3 and a half hours. There were liek two horses, and the mojority or the people were either sitting and talking, or playing and betting on a game that was sorta like horse shoes. I waited all this time for a horse race that lasted 10 seconds. I don't even know who won! It wasn't stupid, I jsut can't appriciate it yet. Maybe once I learn more about gaúcho culture and more Portuguese, yes. I mean, this is a big sort of entertainment around this time. It's colder than usualy so people don't go out much, and there aren't many other places to go. There isn't a movie theater, bolwing alley, etc. in all of Uruguaiana. What els eis there to do?

Anyways, this next week will hold surprises. I did find something social. I've started a gym membership, since a lot of kids like to work out after school and stuff. It's kinda a double win. I get to hang out with people my age, and combat my inevitable exchange weight, which is slowly but surely encroaching on my suave phyisíque, haha. I won't lie, I'm really not to thrilled, but you gotta do what you gotta do.   Also, I think I'll be going to Florianopolis this weekend to visit my older host sister, Larissa. Florianopolis is an island/city/capital of Santa Caterina, the state above Rio Grande do Sul. I'm looking forward to it. it's supposed to be one of the most beautiful cities in Brazil!
September 6, 2007 20:41

Fuck. I'm just going to say it because I spent the last hour and a half writing an entry and my comp got crazy and deleted it. This has been a very good week so far, so don't worry. Hopefully I'll get to rewrite this later, but I'm ready to stop at the moment.
September 18,   2007 18:45

Ooo, hopefully I can finish everything by 8 (20:00) because I have na event thing to go to, so I’ll keep this post to my weekend in Livramento.

I was excited to go to Livramento, as it was my first actually rotary district event and I was told I would meet the other exchange students. We left on Friday in the afternoon around 2 o’clock. Along with my host family, Edna, a rotarian and Alekssandra, another exchange student were traveling with me. Or small car, as most brazilian cars are small sedans or station wagons, was packed with our luggage and we started on our 2 hour long way to Livramento, which lies on the border of Brazil and Uruguay. I was able to sleep for half the ride, which was good, although it was a bit uncomfortable.

Around 4 we arrived in Livramento and our meeting place, a language school. There I met and began to get to know the following exchange students:
Nikki from Australia
Carlos from México
Ronaldo from México
Guillermo from México
Ana Caroline from México
Stephen from Germany
Ana Christina from Germany
Guevanelle (or soemthing like that, haha), from France
Anthony from the USA (Idaho)

There was also one short term exchange student, Maya from Germany. Chris from Canadá and of course Alekssandra from poland were there too but I’ve already met them.   Almost everyone speaks pretty good English except Guevanelle, so it was harder to communicate with here since she also hás been in Brazil only a short time and doesn’t know much Portuguese. Also, aside from Nikki and Chris, who have been here since February, I’ve been here the longest and I’m also the youngest, which its a neat-o fact.

We started our orientation around 5. It was long and a bit boring, since we were basically just sitting and listening, but it did enlighten me to a few things I hadn’t thought about. After our orientation, we went “home.” We exchange students were going to live with foster host families for the trip, and I, along with Ronaldo and Carlos shared a family with Ana-Claudia and her parents. We made our way to there house. After putting our baggage away we had a little snack and just hung out. Ana Claudia, is applying to be an exchange student, so she had a lot of questions. It was also interesting because Ana Claudia, Carlos and Ronaldo were all speaking in Spanish! Ahhh! It was hard to understand anything at first, but by the end of four duscussion I could understand everyhitng they said! That’s really cool!

After that we went out for dinner with the other exchange students at a typical lancheria in Livramento. We had hamburgers, typical of the área. It was pretty cool. Quite a few of them smoke, and while I really have no problem with smoking (unless it’s all around me and burning my eyes like in that casino...) it’s really not a habit I’m planning on picking up. We walked around Livramento for a while and then Ana, Carlos, Ronaldo, and I were picked up. Around midnight, Carlos, Ronaldo, and I went out again and took a táxi into the town as we thought the plan was to meet at a club. It turns out it wasn’t the plan, and that we were the only ones who thought that, so we just sorta wandered around Livramento seeing if anything cool was happening and checking up at the club occasionally to see if anyone had actually arrived. Unfortunantly it never happened and eventaull around 1:30 we just gave up and went home.

The next morning we woke up early at 7 to get ready and be at a school at 8, because, you see, not only was it na event for inbounds, but it was also the applciation weekend for the brazilian kids interested in exchange. At 8,   standing before 30 exchange hopefulls and their families, all of us exchange student introduced ourselves. After some photo taking, the kids and their families moved to different rooms for their tests. The Brazilian system is very selective. First they have to take a testo n Rotary, Brazil, Geograpgy, English, Portuguese, and maybe some other stuff. Then, if they are good enough, they pass to the second round where they have an interview in Portuguese and na oral test and interview in English. These kids, no matter where they want to go, have to have a strong command of English, since it’s basically the universal language these days.

While the kids took there tests, the others and I went around Livramento. From 9 to 12 we walked around, popping into stores and markets to see if there was anything good. I, the every thrifty shopper, didn’t purchase anyhting as there was nothing of much I needed or wanted. However, I’d like to go back again because there were some cool hippie venders with cool items that, looking back on, would make gifts and souveniers.

At 12 were made our way to a hotel where everyone from the school came to eat lunch. I mainly talked with Nikki and the German students, since they were the kids sitting around me. It was really interesting to listen to the Germans laspse into German, It’s a pretty language and I really didn’t care that I could only understand “du hast.” After we were well into our meal, the Youth Exchange Coordinators stood up and annouced that out of 30 applcants, 21 were moving on the next round. Out of the 6 kids who applied from Uruguaiana, only 3 made it, which was sad because I know two of them pretty well and they were obviously upset. We were at this lunch for a while, but soon everyone started to leave and I went back to Ana Claudia’s house, collected my stuff and we went to another girls house, where all the other exchange students were, and we watched Epic Movie. Now, in the US, I never would have considered watching this typical stoopid humor american film, but living in Brazil for two months hás made me realize how much I really enjoy this “stoopid” humor. It was fantastic.

After the movie and some, everyone took a mini bus back to the hotel where we said our goodbyes until our next meeting. Alekssandra, my family, Edna, and I boarded back into our car and started the bumpy trip home. We stopped for a quick snack and arrived home arounf 9. And that, my friends, was my weekend in Livramento.

Woah, I finished this post in recode time!
September 13, 2007 18:41

Heyyy. Long time no update! So here's the story of why this update seems nessecary. I was going to write an entry last Wednesday, but I lost track of time. Then I DID write an entry on Thursday, but it deleted itself. I didn't have time on Friday and during the weekend, and when I went to update on Monday, the internet didn't connect and wouldn't untill last night.

I'm gonna save my self the time and just do a general highlights moment of last week.
*Lots of listening o the nation anthem of Brazil
*I started going ot the gym (Mons, Weds, Fris)
*I started Portuguese lessons (Tues, Thus)
*I met Alekssandra, another exchanger from Poland and am taking Portuguese lessons with her
*On friday was Brazilian Independence Day and I attened a parade and met some new people
* Said new people took me out on Saturday and Sunday and we hung out in Uruguaiana

I can't believe I've been here 7 weeks! It doesn't feel like it at all!

Today was pretty good. I woke up and went to school. We started the day with history, which included a lot of writing. In biology, a group of kids gave a presentation on reptiles. We went to an auditorium like room because the teacher thought they would have a powerpoint presentation they would show. However, this group prepared posters instead and decided to cast a huge picture of a human that seeminlgy had been attacked by a boa constrictor. This picture. Nice. I didn't really understand the presentation, as I wasn't really listening. I was more interested in watching my other classmates makeing spitballs and thowring them at the wall with the projection. The presentation lasted a good 30 minutes and by the end there were also about 30 spitballs stuck to the wall! I must say, even though its childish, I thinks it's hilarious!

No that I understand more Portuguese and have settled in more, I like school a lot better. I'm generally just happier here now, so it's a lot easier meeting new people and I've warmed up to the kids and visa versa. I like how brazen everyone is. In the US it was weird because 24 out of 25 people in a class were quieter with that one loud person and it was almost awkward when that loud person...was loud, but here everyone is like it so it's different.

After school and lunch, I went to my third portuguese lesson. I like the lessons. I'm also taking them with another exchanger. The teacher, Cristina, is fluent in English and is actually an English teacher. Alekssandra and I are her first Portuguese students. Even though we've been here for sometime, we're still starting with the basics. I think it's good though, my foundation probably does need to be reenforced and my pronounciation can be better. I do think it's funny though, becasue today we were "learning" the present for of the verb ser, which I already know. It's like, do we really need to go over this? Did you not just hear me conjugate in the imperfect indicative and use the crazy reflexive sentence structure that is Portuguese?

After my lessons I went to my friend, Renan's, house, where I met some other firends. They showed me a movie they made more English class a while ago, and I must say, it was soooo funny. It was like a murder mystery, and all in English, so it had a lot of priceless mistake and great lines, like:

Mark: Ok, let's go to my house.
Davis: We're in your house now.
Mark: Now I have to go to the bathroom.
Lily: Quick, let's take all his money!

And it cracked me up when they tried to use either the world burgler or murderer. I couldn't tell which because they ended up making up their own word...murgler. Hahaha. I have a feeling they probably put it on youtube or something, so I'll try to get it. You won't want to miss the scene with "News with Macron."

I got home about an hour ago and about 20 minutes ago I recieved a hand delivered invitation to a party for a girl I met a while back. It's her 15 birthday, which is a super important event for Brazilian girls. Whenever it happens the girl and her party get like half a page in the news paper. It's a big deal, but it isn't for another week and some.

I'm excited to the weekend. My family and I and Alekssandra are going to Livramento for our first district orientation type thing. I believe I'll get to meet all the other exchangers in the district, so expect between 7 and 13 more kids. Livramento is about an hour from Uruguiana and lies write on the border of Brazil and Uruguay. I leave tomorrow afternoon around 1 or 2. Also coming up is me getting to meet my second host sister. Her name is Larissa and she lives in Florianópolis, a very pretty city in Brazil. Unfortunantly, my family and I weren't able to go there last weekend because something came up, so she's comming to visit on the 20th.

Don't expect an entry until Monday. After this weekend I hope to start updating a bit more frequently and eventually get to writing journals for my picture pages. I also will had photos from the Independence day parade. I'm having a really good time!

End of entry.