Winding down, going home??

Keeping a blog is an incredibly difficult thing to do. When you become so accustomed to your new life and stop feeling that everything is so different from your home country, you kind of stop feeling the need to talk about ever little thing that happens to you. Because it's no longer this crazy experience, it's just your life.

When I used to read blogs of exchange students before coming here, I would expect them to talk about not just everything they did, but how they felt, and how their experiences were changing who they were so that I could get a taste of what it would be like for me.

Now, I realize that most exchange students don't do that because: 1)it would be impossible to describe how even the littlest things can make me stop and think, make me question myself, or make me so thankful for this experience I've been given, and 2) because what I feel and experience here is so personal and deep that I just don't want to even try to talk about it. Most of the ways I've changed can't be seen or understood by anyone other than myself.

It's not a lie when people say that you discover yourself on an exchange. I can testify to that. Seeing another side of the world is such an extraordinary thing that really can't be substituted for anything else.

I have less than three months in Brazil. Time has passed so quickly. It's extremely bittersweet. I feel so conflicted. I miss Alaska a lot, but at the same time I'm so scared to go home. Leaving home was so easy, I knew I would be back in a year. This time, leaving "home" is going to break my heart. This place is my home and my family is, well, my family. Not knowing when I will see the people I love again makes my heart ache. But, knowing that my other family will be there for me when I arrive back in the states is so comforting.

Anyway, here are some photos that I took at a market my class visited. Not the cleanest or best smelling place I've ever visited, but very cool! Enjoy!

If anyone has any questions about my experience, about Brazil, or anything, or if you want me to write about something in particular, don't be afraid to ask! Thanks!

5 more months

I've been in Brazil for 6 months. I can hardly believe it. Time is passing so quickly, but at the same time, I feel like I've been here forever.

During the last 3 months I've done a lot of really amazing things that have all contributed to making my experience memorable.

About a month ago I traveled to Santos, Sao Paulo to visit an exchange student friend of mine, Nikita. I had so much fun and it was great to see another city in Brazil. The city is beautiful and the people I met there were really great.

Here are some photos:

Santos's beach

The street in Santos

The view

At the top with Nikita and her host brother

Going down on the lift

Me with Pele, a famous soccer player

At a soccer game

The crowd rooting for Santos

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!

lindo demais

Last week I went on a field trip to Salvador with my class from school. Field trips are really uncommon here during high school so everyone was telling me how lucky I was. We took two buses, one for each class, to our destination. The buses were not like school buses, but like tour buses with comfortable seats, personal lights, and a bathroom.

The beginning of our trip involved a lot of picture taking, screaming, switching seats, and singing and dancing in the aisle. This to me was very strange. Yes buses full of high school kids normally are pretty loud and crazy, but standing, let alone dancing, while the bus is moving is definitely not allowed. Once again another example of how different the rules of the road are here. More dangerous!

When we arrived in Salvador we walked for about 5 minutes to the church we were there to see. Salvador is the capital of Bahia and the first capital of Brazil so it is filled with a lot of history. I've seen a lot of pictures beforehand of the pelourinho, which is the center of the city, but photos don't do justice to how absolutely beautiful it is. I'm not kidding, it took my breath away. Anyone who was standing near me I'm sure heard me say, "Ahhhh que lindoooo!" a million times.

Sadly I stole this photo off google because I'm still waiting for the cable for my camera. It's very sad because I have a ton of great photos to upload!








The church was also very, very beautiful. Gold is covering just about every inch of the walls, it's gorgeous.

My host mom is going to take me again in a couple of weeks to see more of the city and I'm really excited.
I really, really want to travel while I'm here. Seeing Salvador makes me want see more of what Brazil has to offer. Hopefully I will have the opportunity to do so!

When it rains, it pours

During my first week in Brazil, I experienced the heaviest rainfall of my life.

When it started, the heavy pounding the rain created drove me the the window. As I stood there in awe, my sister ran into my room, handed me headphones, and ran out. I put them on just in time to see her run out into the yard from my window and embrace the rain while I listened to something similar to Mozart.

Soon I was standing downstairs. I stood on the threshold between our roof's protection and the pouring rain.

I was reluctant to take a shower, but somehow I reasoned with myself and I too, was out in the rain. I was SOAKED after 3 seconds.

Eventually a mini soccer game was started with me, my sister, and my younger brother and sister that soon joined us.

It was really fun, and just like that, it was over. Pouring one second, sunning the next.

Bem-vinda ao Brasil.

blast from 3 weeks ago

Today I became a legal resident of Brazil. I have registered with the Federal Police and don't have to worry about it again until August. I was finger printed for the first time in my life (I think). It is great to finally have that done and over with since it was pretty stressful and difficult getting the paperwork together and finding time to make it to the airport where it's located.

This is the same airport where I met my host family for the first time and started my new life. It was so strange to see the spot where it all happened. That whole day was so surreal and feels so far in the past.

I remember exactly how I felt standing at the baggage claim. I remember exactly what it was like to walk through those double doors and into the huge crowd of people and think "oh my god" ... and yet, it kind of feels like a dream.

I'm not a tourist. I'm a temporary resident. This is my life now. If my time here was already up, I would be so angry, disappointed, and sad for so many reasons. I've had an amazing time so far, but I know there are still SO many new things I have yet to experience here. I haven't seen enough of the country, the people, or the culture. I haven't learned the language. I haven't changed. And therefore, I'm not ready, and glad I don't have to be.

I remember when I was younger and I used to think that a year was such a long time. Now, it's not long at all. Years fly by in Alaska. Here, they will go even faster.

What language do they speak in Alaska?

I apologize for the lack of photos. I left the USB cord that goes from my camera to my computer at home... I knew I was going to forget something. My mom sent it to me in the mail but I have no idea how long it will take to get to me.

Well, a lot has happened but I don't know where to start. I guess I should talk about Carnaval first since I mentioned that I was going in my last post.

Carnaval: (date? no idea)
About midday I drove with my father, sister, aunt, uncle and cousins into Salvador for Carnaval. We are farther away from Salvador than I thought, but still pretty close (the drive was about 40 minutes). It was really cool seeing all of the run down houses and buildings along the way, along with the modernity of parts of Salvador, but I'm more interested with the historical looking places. Unfortunately I didn't bring my camera because there was a very high chance that I would lose it or it would get stolen, however, I still have plenty of time to take pictures of the area! We drove through extremely crowded streets where we literally hit a person with our car, or maybe the man hit our car with his person (??) don't worry we were going like 1MPH. We parked with the aid of this guy who stopped traffic and directed us into a tight parking space. Apparently that's his job because my dad paid him.

There were so many people everywhere and we had to hold hands in a line so that we wouldn't get separated. We walked for about 10 minutes to the street where It happens. We settled on a spot behind the police booth and sat on this wall that separates the sidewalk from the beach. It was pretty uncomfortable and it was really hot out. Eventually the first band came on a giant truck followed by a huge crowd of people dancing, singing, and just going crazy. It was really loud and I didn't know the band or that song that was playing. There are apartment buildings located along the street and so lots of people were watching from their windows. The large truck that the band plays on is called cameao and there were also people riding on it along with the band.

This is what is looks like, but I didn't take this photo.





Honestly it was all a bit overwhelming for me and I didn't really like it, but it was a good experience!


Now I'm going to take a minute to talk about English in Brazil. Most students take English starting in "Kindergarten". Most students literally don't speak any English. To me, this is crazy. I don't understand what is being taught for 10 years. I think language classes in the US are way more effective. Anyway..

Let's see. I've had a lot of fun at the beach over the last few weeks. I learned to ride the waves in the ocean on a boogy board, but I also was thrown around a bit. I still haven't mastered the art of riding the wave or going under it. Also, I don't know what it's called but you throw the board when the tide comes in and you jump on it and ride it. Even though I was being pulled, I wiped out pretty bad so I'm going to take a break from that. I also walked on a slack line at the beach (with someone's help). It was really fun! What's been not so fun is getting sunburn every time I'm in the sun for more than an hour. Even though I use sunblock religiously, I always burn. The sun is SO strong here. I had a pretty bad burn on my shoulders for a couple of days. It's gone now but they are starting to peel. Fun stuff.


The language is still difficult, but it's getting easier. I can understand and speak better, but of course I'm still a long way away from being "fluent" at this point. Luckily it's only been 19 days so of course it's not very good yet. I'm extremely glad that I began to study Portuguese before my arrival here, otherwise I would be a million times more lost all the time (it's already pretty bad).

School is alright. School is school. I'm taking classes in another country, in another language. That's awesome, but it's sometimes really, really boring, especially when I don't understand anything that's going on. Trying to figure out what the teacher is talking about makes me exhausted, so yes, I've slept a fair amount of time in class. But it can be fun and the people are really nice and interested about Alaska. I'm giving a presentation on Friday about my country and state and I'm pretty nervous because I have to give it in Portuguese! But I definitely like that I get to shed some light on life in Alaska. No it's not cold ALL the time, and yes it's a part of the United States. I even had a teacher ask the class what language is spoken in AK..

I'm starting to appreciate Alaska's cold. It's hot here. So hot. You can't step outside to cool down. You're best bet is to take a shower, or sit in front of a fan. We have air conditioning in the classrooms at my school, but sometimes I feel like it's not working. At home we don't have air conditioning, but we have fans in all parts of the house. I'm pretty sure it's going to be like this all year. It might cool down a bit during rainy season, but probably not. Alaska's winters a harsh, but I miss the snow and normal clothes (not shorts and tank tops everyday). Well now I know not to make the mistake of choosing a year round hot place to live when I'm older. Beach weather everyday is nice, but too much nice weather is strange. It's going to be really weird for me having Christmas in 90 degree weather!

To future exchange students- What I wish I would have brought:
Books!! I brought one but finished it the first couple of days I was here. Sometimes I just want to read, but can't.
School supplies. I know I can buy them here, but everything is more expensive here. My notebook was about $17
More cash! I'm still not sure if I can take cash out of an ATM or a bank, so I'm a bit nervous about that.
More clothes (the opposite of what everyone says, I know). My suitcase was only 40 pounds so I could have brought 15 more pounds with me. Clothes are really expensive here.
I know there are other things but I can't think of them right now.

All in all, I've been having a really great time here and can't wait to experience more!

neither good, nor bad, just different

I've heard it many times from returnees that after the first week you will feel like you have been in your host country for several months, and now I can validate this statement. I've been in Brazil for one week today, and yet it feels like forever. The things that once gave me culture shock are beginning to feel normal and I don't feel like an outsider anymore. I'm slowly becoming Brazilian. When you go on an exchange, you must start with a clean slate. You are like a baby. You will have to learn how to talk, how to eat, how to walk, how to dress, how to act... etc. I'm very lucky that I have been placed with a family that is so kind, helpful, and just great. Already I feel like a part of their family and it's just the beginning.
In the next couple of days I'm going to CARNAVAL! I'm so excited! It's going to be so much fun, and filled with so much culture. Hooray!

While bored in school one day I compiled a list of the things that are different between Bahia and Alaska:

1) There are walls outside of houses, none are exposed
2) Brazilians are crazy drivers
3) There are no speed limit signs anywhere
4) Motorcyclists can ride between lanes
5) No one wears seat belts
6) You can't flush toilet paper
7) Teachers switch rooms instead of students
8) You don't leave campus for the break (it's kind of like lunch)
9) A lot of students have to come back after another break that is at 12:30 for afternoon classes
10) The white boards have graph lines
11) There is a TV that displays the computer behind one of the whiteboards
12) There is an optional microphone that teachers can use
13) The area where teachers stand is like a mini stage and is lifted off of the ground by about 8 inches
14) Most girls have really long hair
15) The teacher hisses to quiet down the class (sounds like PSSSSSS)
16) Kisses to greet one another
17) Lots of touching
18) Very food oriented
19) It is normal to take 2 showers a day (I've started (one before bed, one when you wake up))
20) So many people wear watches, there are no clocks anywhere! even in my school
21) It's very very common to have a maid
22) My school is so small
23) Most kids attend private school (me included)
24) Classrooms have absolutely no character. White floors, walls, board. Nothing on the walls
25) The windows in classrooms are not transparent
26) No scrub days
27) There are two seasons in Bahia-- Summer and rainy season. Now it's summer and VERY hot
28) There are no substitute teachers so if the teacher doesn't show.. you don't have class (this happened twice already in my class)

There are soo many more things but this is a really long list already

Today I didn't have school because of Carnaval (yesterday too). It's been nice and today I watched a movie in Portuguese and actually understood it. It's a very slow process, but I really am learning more and more everyday even if I don't realize it, but because I already feel like I've been here for so long, I feel like I should be able to speak Portuguese already. But I know I will be able to eventually. Today is just a week. I still have so much time, and am so thankful for this.
Bem, ate a proxima vez.
Tchau.