Happy Valentine's Day :)

Sarah and I (Man my hair has gotten long!)At her birthday party a few weeks ago/ going away party for Leticia

Yesterday I woke up early to go with Rotary to hand out pamphlets on how to prevent dengue in communities where it is more likely to occur. Nobody has gotten sick yet but there are the mosquitos that spread it so caution needs to be practiced. For example, one woman's water tank does not have a lid so that is an ideal breeding spot. Rotary is going to look into getting one for her. People seemed grateful that we were there to support them against dengue.
There was this one stray dog who followed us the whole time and went up with us when we went to people's doors etc. What a good-natured little guy.
I talked to my Rotary President about dengue, malaria and two other diseases. One of them you get it from dogs. It jumps from dogs to humans. I couldn't help but wonder if our little friend (and his little friends who arrived later on) had it. My President (Adélio) told me how he works for a lab that researches these diseases. I think they research the immunity or something like that. He told me that here does not have malaria but that there is alot in "The Amazonias". He said they have to make sure that an infected person from the Amazons does not come here because if they get bitten by a mosquito then that is how the disease is transferred. I used to always think that mosquitos only bite once, I guess I was wrong. Stupid little greedy blood-hungry creatures!! Lol.
A news team came later on and interviewed Adélio. Everyone stood beside him, so I guess that means I was on T.V. I probably looked really awkward but it's okay.
Afterwards I had lunch and then went to my host parents farm. The country was really beautiful threre and I got to see my host dad's HUGE crop of soya beans. He showed me how the caterpillars have been eating the plants really bad. Today he told me that they are adapting to the spray that is used to kill them. Because there is no winter like in Canada, they stay alive the whole year and therefore adapt more. I told him how I worried about this and thought that in the future they would be like "super bugs" and go out of control and then people would starve because of this. He said that it is a probability.
We drove in a pick up truck so near the end my host mom and I stood in the back. The wind blew a sweet smeell into my face and the breeze was refreshing. I closed my eyes and remembered how I was in Brazil. With all the wind rushing past it felt like I was flying, and then it was so loud it felt like I was on fire and I could hear the roaring of the flames, then I was cold and surrounded by water. I was just about to think that I needed to imagine myself in earth when my host father ran over a wood stump and I was knocked back down to earth with a jolt and opened my eyes. It broke the right part of the front of the truck but the damage wasn't detramental.
We went to one farm and there were these two little kids there. we picked goiba and ate them. To my dismay when I was half-way through mine I saw a plump little worm squirming around, and then another. Because I have my whole "fear of worms" I dropped it to the ground and couldn't will myself to eat another. My host mom laughed at me because of this. She said children that live on the farm eat everything. Well I am sorry, I just can't eat a worm when I know it's there, I can eat ants sometimes, but not worms. Lol.
We then went and picked some limes and also acerola. Along with another fruit that I liked alot. I never tried it before but it is really orange/red, juicy, and sweet.
I went inside to see the little boy's music video that he liked to watch, it was a song about a child who lives on the street. Really sad, and kind of heavy for a five-year old to watch. But I guess it is good for him to know the reality of the world. I played with this darling little puppy who fell asleep on my lap while I watched. He had these enormous bulgy eyes.
I also found a mango seed with a seedling growing out of it. The little girl, the boy, and I planted it. It would be cool if it actually grew and I returned one day to see it bigger. I taught the little girl how to give a high five.
We also went to see where the water is kept that is then transported to water all the crops. The water was a strange murky-grey color I have never really seen before. Interesting how water is different colors around the world.
Later when we went home I ate with the daughter of Christina who works with my host mom. She is twenty and taking bio-medicine. Somehow I ended up showing her some ballet and then telling her that I will start having a class where I will teach some girls who wanted to learn. She said she was interested.
After that I went to my friend's apartment. We talked, laughed and played the game of life, and then ate (again, meals are like "hobbit" meals, you know, "lunch, and then second lunch, and then third lunch" etc. lol).
Her mom made some rice wrapped in seaweed and this soup from euka root. I had it before, it is very good. She said that one day she will teach me how to make it. then we just talked for a long time and laughed alot.
We returned to our game of life and then I went on the computer to show them pictures of my family and friends in Canada and also the News clip of my Mom. Oh yeah, my mom in Canada happened to be walking down the street on Thursday when a man suddenly lit himself on fire. She started to help him and yell so nine other people heard and came to help. It is lucky that my mom has such a loud voice, also that there was an ambulance that happened to be passing by. It is sad that the man did that to himself, it is because he did not want to be deported out of Canada. This just shows what kind of an amazing country I had the privilege of being born in. I can never be too thankful for that. I hope that the man gets better, he is in hospital right now.
They thought it was very sad that it happened and were very interested in the story. Then my host dad came to pick me up.
This morning I left at 7:00am in the morning to drive to another city to visit my host dad's brother and wife. His brother (Eduardo) has a farm as well but grows potatoes. They took me to a huge plantation of carrots, it is where the carrots are grown for most of brasil. I ate one. Hehe. There were carrots in perfect rows for as long as the eye could see, and where it ended there were coffee crops.
Then I went to my host Uncle Eduardo's potatoe crop. There are lots of caterpillars eating there too. He let us take some potatoes home. They are the less attractive kind because they are used to make "Elma Potatoe Chips" in the states!! So if you ever eat some of those, just think that you could be eating potatoes from the same farm that I visited! Cool huh?
His wife (Helena) gave me a nice little red pouch as a present that she made to keep earrings in etc. It was very nice.
Then I drifted in and out of sleep on the car ride home and went to sleep when I got home. Then woke up, ate, and then went on the computer. I use chop sticks to eat alot here with this host family, I just thought that was an interesting thing for you to know. Also that we eat alot of Japanese food including "tempuro" (not sure of the spelling), friend vegetables in batter. I just thought you might want to know that to be a little jealous. Heheh :P
I would also like to say; HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!! People don't celebrate it here but I am pretty sure most of them know what it is. I hope you all had a good one!! And also, I left it to last because it is pretty important, to my sister and Ryan (the newly Wed's) who married on Feb. 14, 2009, the anniversary of when they met,

CONGRATULATIONS FROM YOUR SISTER IN BRAZIL!! BEST WISHES!!! LOVE: EMILY <3 Hugs for baby Molly!!!

P.S - the link (if it shows up) is to the news story



http://calgary.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20090213/CGY_good_samaritan_090213/20090213/Flashpoint

Ok I don't think it showed up (or at least I can't see it) so just copy and paste.