1 post for 2 months

It's been a long time since I've updated. It's not because I haven't wanted to, but because I've been without internet for 2 months! (The wires that run under my house were not connecting completely making it impossible to install internet (not really sure exactly how it works)). I've been able to check my email at school during the week, but home has been a internet free zone for quite a while. In the beginning, I didn't like it, but then I realized how healthy it was for me. Life without internet has forced me to focus more on learning the language and to really immerse myself into life in Brazil.

I'm going to go through a normal week day for me so that you can understand a little better what life is like for me here.

6:00 AM - Wake up and eat something light (usually fruit)
6:10 AM- Shower
6:20 AM- Get dressed in jeans and my school shirt and get my things ready for school
6:40 AM- Fill up my water bottle and wait for my sister and mom
6:50- 7:00 AM- Leave the house
7:00- 7:10 AM- Arrive at school. School technically starts at 7 but I quickly learned that 7 o'clock doesn't mean everyone is in their seats and class is starting. At 7 everyone is up socializing and usually the teacher hasn't even arrived. Students are allowed until 7:10 to make it past the gate with classes on the other side to be able to enter. If you arrive later you have to sit outside (but still in the school) for the next class to begin (7:50). If this happens more than 3 times in one month you are not allowed to enter class at all and have to go home.
7:10ish AM- Class begins. Since I've already graduated back in the states I'm enrolled as a student that is just there to listen. This means I'm not required to take the tests every Saturday. Because I don't have to take the tests, I don't usually pay attention to lectures. If I do it's usually Biology, Physics, or Geography. If I'm not paying attention I will usually read, (I'm reading Harry Potter in Portuguese) doodle, study Portuguese or sleep.
10:20 AM- Intervalo (break)- There is a place at the front of the school where my friends usually hang out. People talk, eat, walk around the school, or go to the library which is the smallest "library" I've ever seen. There are literally only like 30 books. I miss huge libraries and endless selection. This library makes me sad.
10:50 AM- Class starts again (2 more classes)
12:30 PM- School ends! I'm usually starving at this point and so excited to get home and eat delicious Brazilian food.
12:35 PM- Walk with my sister to the other Colegio Perfil for little kids and wait for my mom who brings my little brother to school and picks us up. Most of the younger kids start at 1 and end at 6.
12:40 PM- Arrive at the school and wait patiently
12:50-1 PM- My mom arrives
1-1:10PM- Arrive at home! Most days I take a shower after school, but if I feel fine or I'm planning on going to the gym in the afternoon I will wait. Get changed and go downstairs to our outside kitchen and eat lunch.
1:30 PM- Read, watch TV, take a nap, and starting a couple of days ago, check email and skype with people
3 PM- Go to the gym. Since it's not safe to walk alone in Brazil at night if I'm planning on going to the gym alone I have to go with enough time to return home before it gets dark (5:30). It takes about 7 minutes to walk there and I'm usually there for about 2 hours.
5 PM- Get home, shower, and do things I do in the afternoon. If it's Friday I go with my sister to the gym at 5 and we take a dance class and then I do my regular work out.
6:30 PM- Eat dinner (usually coffee and bread)
8 PM- Shower
8:30- 9 PM- Go to sleep. I sleep a lot here and actually get the recommended hours of sleep at night. Because of this I actually wake up ready to start my morning at 6AM and on the weekends I'm usually up at 7-8AM.


Last weekend I had my 3 month orientation. It was so much fun because I got to see Nevo and Sylvia (American Exchange students). Even though we were only together for less than 48 hours in Miami we all became really close (unfortunately Nikita and Cori weren't there because they live in Sao Paulo). It was great to talk in English for a couple of days and talk about all of the things that only exchange students understand. The other exchange students at the orientation were from Thailand and Japan and there was one girl from Latvia. I learned how to say hi in Thai and witnessed origami from the Japanese exchange students (I took home a paper frog)! And the girl from Latvia (Laura) could easily pass as an American, her English is really good!

All of the intercambistas (exchange students)!

I and my American friends spent our little break from our exchanges being super American. During lunch we went to a restaurant where you go though a line of food with a plate and get what you want and then weigh your plate. Since we were all starving and AFS was paying, we loaded up. Staying true to our American identities we got way too much and none of us finished completely. Whoops. Nevo and I had the heaviest plates. We were talked to and told not to get so much food next time. U.S.A!! Haha just kidding.

Saying goodbye was not fun. I wish our orientation was longer! If Nevo and I get permission from AFS we are going up to visit Sylvia in a few weeks in Acaraju so at least it wasn't goodbye forever! Plus I might be meeting up with them this weekend in Salvador so I'm really excited! When I got back home I experienced the worst homesickness I've felt here. I really love my life here but getting a little taste of back home really got to me. Luckily it didn't last too long and I'm back to my regular self.

Time for photos!

Me and the other exchange students waiting for our plane in Miami!

Nevo, Sylvia and me at our orientation with our flag. It's amazing how much pride you have for your country when you're in a foreign one!

Me, my little brother, Rodrigo, and my sister, Fernanda. This was taken at a playground type thing that was connected to a restaurant that I went to with my family during my first month here.

Me and my other sister, Raissa, running on the beach before going for a swim and then watching the sunset with my dad

My host mom, Rosina

My host dad, Jailton

Me and some girls from my class. This was on the bus to our field trip to Salvador. Natalia, me, Lili, Talita, and Jessica. Natalia has been a really big help since I've been here. She teaches me slang and corrects me when I say something wrong which is very very helpful. If no one corrects you you'll never know you're saying it wrong. She's thinking about doing an exchange in the US which makes me happy! I would encourage anyone to do an exchange if they have the opportunity. It's really a once in a lifetime experience. Lili lives in my condominio (gated community) and was a lifesaver in the beginning. She sort of directed me during school and helped me switch classes (the other class was a little too loud and crazy for me). Talita and I aren't really good friends but she's really nice to me just like everyone else in my class. Jessica is really nice and she is receiving an exchange student from Germany in August! It was really weird for me to see the other side of the application process. I looked at some of the applications when she was looking for someone to host and it made me think about how many families looked at my application. For me I just filled it out and clicked send, but there was a whole long process behind me receiving my family that I had never really thought about.

And there are a lot of other people who have been a really big help to me while I've been here so even if I didn't mention you. Thank you!!

Well it's late (for me) so I should take a shower and lie down.

Boa noite galera!