3 days...Just to Remember

The Southern Cross which is only possible to see when you are in the Southern Hemisphere


This sweaty Canadian's adventures in Brasil are sadly but surely coming to an end. For now. But I can assure you (well like 99.9%) that one day she will return and one day the adventures will continue. For right now I want her to remember that she is never allowed to forget. That is why this blog is here. So that in the future she will be able to rewind her mind like a movie and relive all of these experiences. To remember all the lessons she learned. Well, since I am talking to myself in the future I should technically say what "you" learned.
All the people you met, the friendships you made that are as far away in distance and as varying in nature as each star in the sky. Remember that you are a star and to always let your own light shine to help light up the world, especially when it is in the dark. Remember the person you brought with you to this strange new reality and the little pieces of that person that you left behind to remain scattered as an everlasting mark. More importantly remember the person that you found and took back with you,the one that became one and the same with the person you already were. Just like an expansion of yourself.
Remember the meaning of life is the choice you make to be happy. The power you have to respond to every situation and realize that love is truly and always the only choice. Doing this, you live every moment to its fullest which in turn leads to living life to the fullest. Remember to live now, because this is life, right now. Don't worry about what other people think. Just do what is in your heart. In doing this you will have no regrets. Say what needs to be said. Always. Because the moment that passes with the unsaid words still hanging in the air may have been the only one chance you were given. Take every chance you get, embrace every new opportunity. Remember that there are unlimited possibilities with what you can do with this life. So just do it. Live. Live and only look back to remember what you learned. Give like you have given without thinking of what you will be given in return. Remember this feeling that you have right now of complete and utter joy. Never lose your self to the tangle of wordly worries, and if you do, realize how easily it is to find yourself again. Because your true self never leaves. Now tell me what more you have learned and if you remembered. Because I believe right now that it would have been impossible for you to have forgotten. So remember. Just remember. Don't just remember, but know. Know that in wherever place you are that is where you are meant to be. Home is where the heart is and your heart is always with you so you are always home. Go and live it all, give it all. Most of all; love. And remember one last thing; I love you......infinity. There is no end.

4 days!

I moved families!! I am now back with my first host family. Yesterday I went with my host brother to his friend's house and then walked back home. We danced some Michael Jackson which was pretty funny. I got ready to go to the Roteract meeting. It was at the place where they always give speeches and stuff. I met many people there that I knew and saw Natalia (the one who I went to her house) and Carol. I sat with them. But then a person from Roteract came and said that they would call my name and I would have to go sit up at the front as a guest. So they called my name after it had started and I went. At one point I was the only girl. Then near the end the special guests were invited to get up and say a few words. I wasn't planning on going but then all the Roteract people said my name, so I went up. To their disbelief for many of them. I thanked them for inviting me and talked about how Roteract and Rotary is such a good thing and it is so nice to see the young people of Roteract wanting to make the world a better place. Then I talked about how well the city had received me and how I was happy yet very sad at the same time to be leaving.
Afterwards I went to a dinner/party. I returned home and went to sleep at 2:00am!
Today I went to lunch with my second host family and their friends. It was nice, we took lots of pictures. Now I am trying to get all the pictures off of the computer at my second host house so I can take them on CD's to Canada. My host sister Tatianna is helping me.

Remember: Your city here is just like a big family! Every new person you meet is more often than not already related to somebody that you already know!

9 days, good-byes and then some dirt and english

One more of these pictures for ya of me as a human farm doll. :)


Today I had my good-bye rotary meeting in the morning. Everyone stood and said something about me and wished me good luck. Then I thanked Rotary for everything at the end. I got a little teary. There were Rotarians from the two other clubs there as well. It is kind of funny because I was the only exchange student in my town so I got to know all three clubs.
I got some presents too! A face towel and large towel with my name and initials embroidered in them! They also have the flag of Brazil and the flag of my state here. I also got a t-shirt that was from the, well it is the best way I can translate it, "vodka festival" here that Rotary volunteered for. The type of drink is actually called "Cachaça". I also got a DVD of a Rotary party from a Rotarian from another club.
I received an "honorary diploma" for completing school here too! I doubt that they will accept it when I go back though. I guess I will just repeat grades 11-12 lol. But how many people can honestly say that they have legitimately graduated twice? Lol.
My first host Dad and host sister were there along with my second host parents. My second host mom also won a certificate from Rotary International for all her help with the exchange program! I thought that was pretty cool.
I didn't go to school but returned home. I started to pack most of my clothes because I will be returning to the house of my first family this Thursday. I watched Michael Jackson's funeral on T.V and cried. He brought a lot to the world, despite any mistakes he made. We are all human.
My host dad came and picked me up at 3:00pm to go to his work. He owns a business that analyzes soil. It was very interesting. I asked him many questions which led to me finding out that this region in Brazil was once under water millions of years ago. This area now is a savannah. The driest semi-arid region in Brazil is in the northeast in Bahia. It also happens to be the poorest. I wonder if climate has something to do with it. It probably makes living more difficult, I mean with less water and all.
Filipe and Laiza came knocking after and I walked with them to their English school. The boy named Lucas who didn't believe that I was from Canada was there again. This time he believed me I think. Then I went home and saw my host mom going into the house. She had taken the bus and then walked. She gave me a yellow bag that people at her work wanted me to have as a present. It was very nice of them.

Remember: you lived in a savannah! ( I don't know if that is how you spell it)

Just Dance.....It will be okay

Izze, Andressa, Me, and Bia

Trip to Patos

I left after dance class on Tuesday with Ana-Paula my dance teacher. We went on the ônibus. It was a three hour ride. I got in touch with Ben (Oregon, U.S.A) and Carmen (Pennsylvania, U.S.A). We met at the shopping center and then went to an exchange student's good-bye party. Her name was Leonie. She was from Germany but she was using a program different than Rotary. I saw exchange students that I already met and some new ones. It was really fun.
The next day was pretty busy, I woke up early because Ben had asked me to go to school with him and Sebastian (Sweden) but when I called him he was still sleeping!! So Ana-Paula and I went back to bed and woke up later to go shopping with Carmen. I bought them chocolate and then we went to a park to eat it. Later I went to a concert with Jurin from Iceland playing violin and then went to a good-bye party. We went to a restaurant and I met a woman who was American and had been an exchange student in Brazil in 1977 or something like that. She was with her Brazilian friend who had gone to Texas. It was interesting to talk to her about how Brazil was different back then. She went to the city Brasilia (the capital of Brazil) when it was only a few years old and she said that there was barely anything there!
We went back to the good-bye party after. Ben came and I wrote him a message in his book. Then everyone got ready to leave and because three exchange students were leaving everyone was crying. I felt kind of out of place and just awkwardly danced to the music. The exchange students in Patos were such a close knit group, like a family. It is funny because I just randonly showed up in their city the day before almost half of them left!! So there were lots of tears. Maybe at least I made some of them laugh.
I went back to Ben's house and he finished packing (even though he had to go catch the bus in like ten minutes!) and then later I went with Carmen and got dropped off by Ben's host dad at Ana-Paula's house.
Ben's host sister was so sad that he was leaving that she got sick! I felt really bad for her. I also met Brazilian's who are going to have exchanges in Germany, one was named Lucas and the other Pedro (but people called him Guatamala).
The next day I woke up at around 5:00am and caught the ônibus at 6:00am. I walked back home, slept, had a shower, then went to dance!

11 Days

I have been so busy lately. I have not been able to write in here everyday, I should have realized that things would be hectic since my exchange is winding down. I will just update you with a summary. Some how the only thing that sticks out in my mind is how I went to my friend's birthday party and while I was waiting to get picked up with Arthur, somebody spit over the side of a balcony in the apartment building and it landed dead center on top of my hand. I just can't seem to remove that experience from my mind. There, now maybe you can be stuck with the image too. Hahah sorry.

Remember: People clap after the National Anthem, do we do that in Canada?
How it is nearly impossible to walk down a crowded street non-stop here because you know everyone and they all stop to talk!