The Canadian Goose Went South!

Wow, it has been a while, first I need to start by saying:




HAPPY EASTER!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got back from a trip to the South of Brasil! I visited many different cities, even some other countries, not to mention met a lot of other exchange students. The photo above is of me and my friends from Mexico, France, Germany, and the United States! Down in the south, Easter is a really big deal because there is a large European influence so that is why we are "bunnified". They also make chocolate in the south which I had the pleasure of going to one of the factories. Where I got free chocolate and got to see the largest chocolate bunny in the world.
I got to visit the "Foz do Iguaçu" which are HUGE waterfalls that connect Brasil, Argentina, and Paraguay. Because of this I got to go to both Paraguay and Argentina!

There are five million people in Paraguay, the majority of which have a standard of living below the middle class. As soon as we crossed the bridge over the large river that seperates it from Brasil, I could definately see how Paraguay was uniquely different from Brasil. It had a dusty street-vender feel with markets lining the roads. Paraguay is known for its low prices and actually its "fakes" (for example a puma purse that isn't a real puma purse). Walking down the street many people approached me trying to convince me to buy socks. That's right, socks. Everywhere I went. They weren't even the hardcore kind of socks, they were ankle socks. My question was, why would a tourist's first need be to buy a pair of nike socks, especially in the blistering heat? And when they were wearing flipflops. Well apparentally there had to be some reason because it won some other exchange students over. The funny thing is, I had thought that I had wanted to buy "a cultural item" of Paraguay. Looking back now I realize that "the cultural item" would have to be a pair of socks. I just thought it was funny, but it's okay, I like socks. I am a sock person. I even have some fuzzy ones. Anyway...lol. Maybe I should have bought some...hmmm.
We just shopped in Paraguay and I guess I must have been a little overwhelmed by all the stuff because all I ended up buying was lipgloss. Even though it came in a bag that said "keychain, made in Korea". Kids at school were dumbfounded that I didn't buy more, they must think I am crazy or something for not giving into the deals down there. What can I say, I guess I am just not the biggest shopper.

So that was Paraguay. In Argentina we went and saw the waterfalls of course. Then we did some more shopping. It was duty free. Again I just bought some make-up (eyeliner) and some skiddles. There was a store that had American candy that you can't get here. So that was nice to have a familiar taste in my mouth. You know, taste the rainbow. Oh that reminds me, at all the waterfalls we went to there were beautiful rainbows where the water crashed, along with many butterflies. Oh and there were also these vultures that circle the top of the waterfalls to watch for when an animal falls over so they can dive down and get the dead meat. There were also these rodent things that were common in the area. They remind me a little of raccoons. they are not afriad of people and know how to work the tourists. They will steal the food out of your hands, that is all I have to say. :)

We also went on a Safari where at the end we got into boats until we came to the meeting of all the falls and then went underneath them! At one moment I was on the side of Argentina and the next I was back in Brasil. The water was colder than you'd think, but I dried quickly. It was an amazing experience, so refreshing, and so breathtakingly beautiful. When we were going back and the wind was blowing in my face and I couldn't hear anything, it was just such a great moment where I was just so thankful to be there. Trying to soak it all in. On the safari there were these HUGE blue butterflies. I always saw them in movies but to see them flying in their natural surroundings was just awesome.

I also went to the beach one time in Florianopolis, Santa Catarina. It's nickname is "Floripa". One time I body surfed and caught a wave perfectly. I just floated with it like I was part of it and it took me really far! You have to get it just right or else you will be too fast or too slow and miss it. The water was a little colder (as was the later part of the trip, mainly in Porto Alegre) the Canadian in me adapted pretty quick. All of us also went sandboarding on the sand dunes! when I stood on the top of them I could see the ocean and then more dunes and some foliage off in the distance. It was very beautiful as well. Well pretty much, the south was just very beautiful in general. Sandboarding can be compared to snowboarding, but with the exception that it is done on sand (obvious. I have never been snowboarding in my life which is kind of funny considering where I come from. I have been sandboarding but not snowboarding! It was really fun and also really scary all at the same time. I even went off a sand jump....but a really small one.

Another time we stayed at a hotel that backed onto a lake (I think translated it was called the "black lake") and we went on a boat to the other side where we walked to see another waterfall (and I swam in the water!). We then ate FRESH shrimp and fish at the restaurant. It was very delicious. They think that some people got sick from the shrimp, but I ate a lot and was perfectly okay so that was lucky. We also went to this place where they used to grind grain (or something of the sort). As a tradition they still do it every year!

Before I started on my Rotary trip I stayed in Belo Horizonte with the Exchange student Coordinator for about four days. He gave like a tour of the city and I also went to Ouro Preto (which is an antique mining city) and into a mine! I found out that the state I live in, "Minas Gerais" actually translates to "General Mines". Referring to all the mines that are present. It is rich in gold and diamonds for example. That is also why it is more populated because people came here many years ago to make a profit. Slaves were also used a lot. I can't believe that I didn't make that connection before about the translation! I knew that there was lots of mining, I should have looked at the name more closely! Anyway, I thought it was neat.

Here are some places that we visited:
Curitiba, Iguazu Falls, Gramado, Canela, Paraguay, Argentina, Florianopolis, Porto Alegre, I am pretty sure the list goes on but these were the main destinations. Here is a link to Ouro Preto if you would like to check it out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouro_Preto

I am sorry for how "stream of consciousness" style this entry is and I hope that you could follow it! I just did and saw so many things! I don't know where to start. I have many stories as well. I will write more in another blog about my trip.Brasil is a big, diverse, beautiful country!

<3 Emily

P.S - here is a picture of me at the Foz do Iguaçu (this is a smaller waterfall! Look up "La Garganta del Diablo" That was huge!!)

Math, +25 degrees feels like 10

A rose in the front of my house


At my city's gold mine with the wife of the governador of Rotary and Lydia (rotarian) Withthese glasses I look like my mother in the eighties and nineties!! LOL


Hugging the Rotary sign in my city


A little piece of Brazilian sky


My little ballerinas :)

So I haven't really written in here for a really long time. I guess it is just because I have been procrastinating. I have been doing so much and don't really know where to start with what to tell you. So I guess I will just start with today. That is always the best way to start anyway, right? I'll fill you in on the other stuff later.
Today in school I was completely surprised by myself. A few weeks ago in Math class my teacher asked a question and asked this boy named Willian to answer it. He didn't know the answer and the teacher just waited there expectantly. So my friend Felipe told me the answer, which was really simple, and I put up my hand and answered it. Just for fun. And so of course everyone was all like, "oooohh, Willian, the exchange student knew it and you didn't". So then he kinda stuck his tounge out at me, so in playful response I told him that on the math test I would get a higher mark than him. This was said as a pure joke. I didn't actually think there was any way for it to happen.
First of all because I didn't even finish grade 10 math in Canada. Because I was doing so bad I didn't want to have a terrible mark so I decided to stop while there was still hope. So I can repeat it in summer with a tutor and actually learn and understand it while getting a better mark. Instead of uselessly scratching through, and then not really understanding anything so doing even worse in grade 11 math.
so that was the first thing. The second thing is, I am not even in grade eleven here. I am in grade twelve. So I am doing grade twelve math, with having pretty much skipped grade 10 and 11. And not only that but right now, I have difficulties in math, especially trigonometry. On top of all this, I am learning it in Portuguese.
Anyways, I did the test, actually amazed that I was almost sure I got a question completely right. Today when I got it back my teacher said, "You scored higher than Willian". I didn't believe it. And I felt kinda bad for it, like I didn't mean to actually get a higher mark, I thought that it was impossible.
Now before you go thinking that I got 60% or something, politely just throw that number out of your mind and take all the above factors into consideration. So with everything I managed to get 26%. I know, I have never been so happy at failing in my life!!!
Also on my Brazilian Literature test I got 31%, which was really surprising. Again this was a higher mark than some people. But that is not the point of course. The point is this; now all the kids who scored lower than me are saying to themselves, "the exchange student who doesn't even have to write the tests managed to get a higher mark than me? And she wrote them in her second language?". So maybe now they have a little motivation. I hope. Or maybe they just hate me. But they are not those kind of people. I just think that maybe next time they will study a little harder. Which will only do them good.

I should also mention that last week or so I was freezing in class. Shivering, the works. I commented that it must have been at least 10 degrees outside. After school when Mamãe picked me up, I asked her how many degrees it was. Turns out it was +25....and I was cold. I couldn't believe it, my body has really adapted to the climate here. When I return to Canada it is gonna be like shell shock.

Wednesday I am going to go to Belo Horizonte by bus. Then I will stay in the house of the coordinator of all the exchange students. then on Friday I am gonna catch a plane with all the other kids to go to the South of Brasil. There I will see Foz do Iguaçu, Santa Catarina etc. It is colder there so I better pack a hoody. My god, it could actually be like 20 degrees. LOL.

I won't get back until like the 10th of April I think, so, good-bye until then!!!

Emily <3

FIVE MONTHS!!!!!!!!!

I have been here for five months today! Whoo hoo! I have five months more. I have come to the halfway mark. You can expect some blogs really soon, with photos too. I have been working on them but not finishing them so saving them to "drafts" lol. But anyway, WHOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOO!!!

<3 Emily

Dancing to Laughter

Yesterday I taught my first ballet class here. It wasn't anything fancy it was just in my house. I had three studants, Andressa, Vanessa, and Elaine. They are twelve, nine, and ten. I had them laughing alot because of the analogies I used for them to understand and remember the movements. For example that when they point their feet they have an orange under there foot and they need to point completely or else they won't make enough juice. It went really well.
Then today I learned that three more girls were coming who wanted to learn ballet. So in all there were six. Two six year old twins and an eight year old. I moved the class to the garage so we would have more space. But all through the class more kids showed up, watching from the street. So I invited the ones who wanted to join to come in. Later others came in who just wanted to watch along with the girls' mothers. There were some boys there, I think they wanted to learn too but were too shy. Maybe next time I can bribe them with some "bubbaloo" (gum).
I didn't use any music this time because I needed to teach them all the basics first. Tomorrow I will get music to dance to. So instead of music, we danced to laughter. All of them just seemed so happy. When somebody went to try a new exercise and the others watched, everybody clapped after they had finished. Everybody had big smiles. So we were dancing to laughter.
I was so amazed that so many people are interested in this. I guess to be a ballerina is the dream of many little girls. Even for some who don't have the conditions to make it happen. So I am helping them make it happen. I touched all of there barefeet to show them how to point, their barefeet with the dust of the street. Afterwards they asked me if they could bring socks tomorrow. I told them if they wanted to they could.
When it was over they asked me what they could call me. I told them they could call me whatever they wanted. One little girl named Rafaela came up to me after (she has a twitch where she cricks her neck back every thirty seconds or so) and she said to me in a soft voice that I had to bend down to hear, "Can I call you 'Rosinha'?" I told her that of course she could. It means "little rose" it is an endearment of the name Rose. If these many kids stay wanting to learn ballet I think I will have to use a space at the church across the street to teach them. I also want them eventually to have ballet shoes.
Yesterday I went to meet another Rotary Club. The club called "The Rotary Club of Paracatu 200". I think (logically) that it was created when Paracatu turned 200 years. Which was ten years ago.
The meeting went well and they talked about how people from India will be coming here and how to accomodate them. This is because the only meat that most of them eat is chicken and fish. The girl that will be staying in my host mom's house only eats fish. It is probably difficult for the ROtarian's to comprehend completely because this is Brazil, people eat alot of meat!
On the table during the meeting there were bowls of fried pork. I was eating them when I met the man beside me. He was the son of a rotarian called Mauria who was sitting on my other side. He asked what country I was from. I said India. He told me that I wasn't from India so I told him Canada. I then asked him how he knew that I was not from India. He said it was because I was eating pork....like duh. Heheheh. Before trying to trick somebody about your origin you should probably not overlook a fact like that. Especially since people just talked about how they don't eat meat. Oh well, he probably believed for like a millisecond.
I talked to the President of the Rotary Club. He said he lived in Vancouver for a bit and also took a bus tour through the rocky mountains. Pretty cool. I think he also visited Calgary. He said, "Good city, lots of oil...lots of money." lol. Well at least people see Calgary as a prosperous city.
Yesterday I also went to get my clothes from my first host family's house. I have been living for two weeks with one pair of jeans...and that is the only kind of pants we are allowed to wear in school. Gustavo showed me where my clothes were because Matteus didn't know and was making chocolate/banana pancakes with his two friends Denise and Natalia. He better not forget that I was the one who taught him that. lol. Or I just might have to remind him and steal all the pancake ingredients in Brazil to get the message across that they are a Canadian delicacy. I wouldn't have to steal the maple trees considering that they don't have any...but I guess I could plant some then dig them up after. Well I don't know where I would get the seeds too....ok wow, I am rambling.
SO while I was there I talked to my first mom about Carnaval and she said that we won't be going to another city but staying here because everywhere was too full. I will go to their friends farm again so that will be fun. And also go to see the music and stuff in the street. Lots of people who live in Brazil say that Carnaval is really crazy, and I have been finding that a few people don't even like it! So I am ok with not going to a huge city for Carnaval. I am sure it will be fun and new though.
Today I went to my club's Rotary metting in the morning. I spoke about everything that I have been up to. They talked about the people coming from India as well today.
When I arrived at school I had to wait for the next class before going in. So I sat in a chair near the front office. People passed me by (people in my class) and asked me why I was there. I told them. Then they were off to go back to class. I thought that it didn't really make sense that I wasn't allowed to re-enter the classroom with them, but whatever.
I was really happy in chemistry because I solved a problem all by myself and then got it checked and it was right! My professor seemed really happy too.
After school I went home and ate lunch and then went to a Jazz class. It went well and I am only about two inches away from doing the side splits. The closest I have ever been in my life. I think it is because the heat makes my muscles more malleable. Anyway, it was exciting. And the other people in the dance class freaked out a little.
After I went to school to play basketball and got three baskets! Then did like this gymnastic swimming class thing where we did exercises in the water. My toes started to cramp and would not move. the toe beside my big toe was pressed up against it and wouldn't return back to normal (well as normal as my gnarled ballerina feet can be lol). It hurt so much, I told the teacher and she helped and told me to eat bananas to help it. After the class it happened again and I accidentally let slip some swears in English, but at least that means that people couldn't understand me. Hehe hehe hehe hehe....oops. But the pain was excruciating.
Then I walked home, met Andressa in the park and talked with her, went inside had a shower and when I came outside all the little girls were waiting for me to let them in. I am just happy that I have something to give them. Something I hope they will never forget.

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.

Pancakes, Giraffas, and Gabriel's 4th Birthday

I look overly happy, the birthday boy, Andressa, baby Gabriela, and my new Host Mom

Natalia (with my stuffed penguin doddle), Laíza, Luiza, and I with "Bubbaloo" (the translation for bubbalicious gum, awesome huh?)

Giraffa's

Hey Jude; it's been four months

Today marks the end of my fourth month in Brazil. YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!
I have been doing alot lately. Yesterday I went to school, came home, ate lunch, and then went to my second jazz class. I really enjoy dancing again, even all the sweat feels good. Hahah my host mom makes me bring a towel with me. Sorry, that could have been a fact that you didn't need to know. Lol. But it's amazing how muscle memory works, my body is like right back where it used to be and remembers all the different movements. Although it does cramp like crazy sometimes. Sigh, I'm not as young as I used to be..hehehehhee. I know my mom would probably yell at me for saying that.
After dance I went back to school and played basketball. The last time I actually played I was thirteen (I know, it's sad) but I was awe stricken when the coach let me pick teams. I do have a height advantage, I was the tallest one there. I am like a giant. Every family I stay with I like tower over everybody, I am this giant from the land of ice and snow. Heheheh. This girl that I picked to be on my team asked me if it was cold in Austrailia, I told her that I was from Canada and that it is cold there. I also reminded her that Austrailia is hot like Brazil. It seems to be a trend lately that people think I am an aussie, probably because of my rugged giant look.
After we played I walked home/ran home. In the heat. But wasn't hot. It was strange. I just felt like running. I saw little Gabriel, his mom, and baby Gabriela leaving their house so I walked a little with them.
Oh I forgot to tell you what happened in school. I went to the laboratory and saw a human head cut in half, a whole preserved human body, fetuses, etc. I have to admit that I was surprised how well I handled it. Like I have been trying so hard to avoid having to look at that sort of thing but I have to be honest, it was pretty interesting. It is a little weird now though because I can't help but think to myself that the whole time I have been going to school "Fred the head" and "buddy the body" have just been laying there (Yeah, that is what I named them) waiting.. wow my blogs have really gotten...interesting. But still, I am playing basketball thinking, "Yep, Buddy's there, in that room I can see right now while I bounce a ball around that isn't at all reminding me of a human head..."
Anyway, my host mom told me that a rotarian was going to take me to college with her at 6:30pm. Her name is "Laís" and she has an uncanny resemblence to Ashley Tisdale from High school musical. I will eventually get a picture of her and put it beside one of Ashley Tisdale's so you can see. She said that three people have told her this.
We went on the ônibus (public transit bus), it was my first time. On the actually bus there is a gate that you have to pay and then the guy lets you pass. I talked alot with Laís because the drive to her college was really long. Or longer than most drives here in Paracatu. She is taking a course on law because she wants to be a Judge. Everybody takes the same law course and then later branches out into what they want to be. She is twenty years old and the youngest rotarian in our rotary club. It is funny because some exchange students turn twenty in Brazil! she is a really cool person.
She told me that she is the sixth generation grandchild to the grandchild of Pedro Álvares Cabral (the explorer who discovered Brazil!). It's amazing, I actually met a descendent of the man who discovered the country I am in! He discovered it on April. 22, 1500, which is why she is the sixth generation lol.
The college was made to look like Greek Architecture. It is called "Athena's" which would probably explain that part. Laís showed me the different parts of the school, the libarary, and also explained to me how the judicial process goes in Brazil. Brazil is a federation, not a confederation like Canada. It also is not common law here, it is derived from Portuguese civil law. Here is a link if you are interested in checking it out:
I got to go to her class as well. It was pretty cool, I even took notes. I can't lie though, I didn't really understand anything but I think it was something about a pregnant woman.....
Later I looked at the door and there was this guy motioning me to go outside. I just looked away but he kept doing it so I told Laís. It was her friend so we went outside to meet them. They were all really cool. We stayed in the corridors talking after that and I met more people, and also I met the people who tell the people who are in the corridors to leave the corridors. Hahah. It is very similar to my school in Canada. Alot more independence. The people didn't make us leave though because they were distracted......by me. I did my dolphin noises for them and then it lead to one of them asking if there were Kangaroos in my country. Again, with the Austrailian thing. I then explained to them that we don't have kangaroos but have polar bears. Which then lead to the question if I have a bear as a pet. You know, because I ride one to school everyday. I love talking to people about these things, it is really amusing. They were also really excited that Canada has reindeer, because of Santa and all.
Then I met more people and some professors, some thought I was going to school there. They asked me what course I was taking. I also got to see Laís' friends' class which was just a screen with a guy talking on it. It goes to all of Brazil and the guy is actually in São Paulo teaching. She is the only person in the "mini course" which is what it is called. I knew the professor on the screen was from São Paulo before they told me because I could tell from his accent. They sound more like pirates or maritimers. They pronounce "R" like "Arrr" instead of "pushing the R" which sounds more like a French "R" pronunciation. People here in Minas Gerais speak with the "French R" (well that is what I call it) so I speak with it too. When I first arrived I said one word with a São Paulo accent because whoever I had learned it from had one. It was the word for "because". Later I changed the way I pronounced it because I thought I was wrong. It wasn't until later that I realized both ways are correct.
People said that my accent is beautiful...and then tried to imitate it. Which was a little depressing. Hahahah. I am determined to lose my accent eventually (or most of it) even if it takes me getting a speech coach later on in my life. People still say I speak good Portuguese but I still want to lose my "Austrailian" accent lol.
A met a student who is training in medicine (Omg I just forgot how to spell medicine right there, I had to respell it like five times, see, I am losing English!!) and I was stupid enough to tell him that I went to the laboratory at school that day. He then told me that I could come back another day and he would show me the lab there, that has a lot more "things" to look at than my school has (Fred and Buddy). I said okay because it will be a learning experience.
Then we went home on the ônibus. Before we ate and stuff too. I got home at midnight and then did some homework. I woke up at 6:30am this morning. I was really happy because in Math class I showed my professor the work I had done and that I understood it, he was pleased and stamped my paper with the word "legal" which means "cool". But sadly, I fell asleep in Chemistry. I had copied the notes before everyone else because my hand just moved automatically, and laid my head down to wait. But when I opened my eyes the class was over. Oh well, at least I am understanding Math, for once in my life. It is funny because I am understanding it better now than I did in English.
Today I went to sleep after lunch for a little bit because I was just so hot and exhausted. The heat can be really wearing. Right now I have a fan blowing directly on me at the table beside the computer.
Andressa came over later on and we fooled around on the computer a little bit before I had to go to a different Rotary Club's meeting. I showed her Beatles Music.
The Rotary Cloub I went to is called "The Rotary Club of Paracatu" and has been going for twenty years (heheh the same age as Laís). There are lots of members. I saw the other Matheus who will be my next host brother. His sister is in Belgium. It just so happened to be the President of the Club's birthday today as well as another member's birthday. So Helena (my host mom) got this idea that I should sing "Hey Jude" for them. So I did. And it went okay, or at least they liked it. They seemed pretty happy. It reminded me of a time in Calgary with my friends on Steven Avenue at night and we started singing it and then all these random people on the street started singing too. One thing I have learned is that these things are universal; music and laughter. They are part of every culture. Or every culture I know of. They are just part of human culture. That's why I think it is possible to communicate and connect with anyone despite any differences, because what we all have in common is our human-ness.
Almost half of my exchange is over and I am learning alot. I have decided I will do even more now that I am thoroughly settled in here. And sleep less, because I want to savour every moment. An exchange is more than just going to another country, it is going to another world and leaving everything else behind. Going there with nothing and then in that, finding yourself.