School

School.  School is very different.  If I had to imagine what it was going to be like, I would have automatically failed.  I mentioned school briefly in a previous post, but really, school is so much more than that.  Teachers are friendly and always willing to help, and they have a great relationship with students.  My first day of school, I was late, and I didn’t know anyone.  Things were done differently, and I had had no way to really prepare for it.  To signal when a subject is finished, music is played from the speaker system.  It was shocking for me to be sitting there, and all of the sudden here music from the United States playing.  I have three classes in the first half of morning school, and three in the second half of morning school.  There is about a twenty or twenty five-minute break in between them.  This break is for students to buy food or drink, to hang out, and to basically relax.  School ends at 12:20 so students can go home for lunch.  Afternoon school is everyday, but Tuesday and Thursday are optional and for students who want extra help.  In total they take nine classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; and six classes on Tuesday and Thursday.  Every Friday at 3PM they go and take tests on all of their subjects, and they take 14 subjects total.  My class is really nice, and I have been with them for only about six days.  They help make sure I understand what is going on, instead of leaving me to fend for myself.  My class is at the same level that I was at when I was at Shelby High.  Brazilian school is much more intense and if you don’t study, you will fail.  Universities are hard to get into as well.  Most students study all the time in order to do well on a certain University’s test. This is a picture of my class from last year, last week we took this year's pictures. 

First week :)

I am updating from our farmhouse.  There is no internet at my casa  yet, and I do not have a phone yet.  I should be getting a phone next week, and I am not positive about the Internet.  I live in a house perto my new school.  I am in the 3^rd grade, which is similar to being a senior in the United States.  I really like it, and I have made many friends already.  Acai is still my favorite doce so far in Brazil.  It’s a kind of fruit drink thing, similar to a smoothie but a lot better.  I went to my first Rotary meeting last night, it was very different.  We met. Had our meeting, ate dinner, and then we played bingo.  I got to meet the other exchange students as well.  Berke from Turkey, Tasha from Canada, Tom from Australia, and Lara from Germany.  We hung out this afternoon and had lunch at a friends house (most lunches consist of rice, beans, vegetables, lasagna, and a doce.)  Then we went for Frozen Yogurt, another very good doce.  Doce is what dessert is called.  My Portuguese has increased tremendously; everyone says that I am brilliant for learning so much so quickly.  A friend from escola has been helping me during escola.  Escola (school) is very different.  I go from 7AM to 12:20PM, and then we go home for lunch and on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays we come back at 2:10PM until I think 5PM (last Tuesday I left early with Lucas because he walks me home everyday.)  On Tuesdays we g at 3PM until about 6PM I believe.  On Wednesday we have P.E. from 5:40 until 6:30, although yesterday no one stayed for it.  Lucas has walked me to and from escola everyday this week, starting on Tuesday because I was not in Paracatu in Monday, it is very easy to get to escola from my casa, but somehow I have gotten lost twice trying to get there.  The roads are not in a grid formation like in the US, more like random roads everywhere.  Everything is different, and going well.  I love everything, and everyone is very nice and willing to help me.

Finally in Brazil!!

So the first weekend that I am in Brazil has been amazing!  The food is fantastic and I love it all.  I have spent the weekend in Brasilia and I could not have asked for a better family.  They are truly amazing and accepting and open about everything.  They try to feed me every second of every day and the food is great.  I got a tour around Brasilia today and ate some really awesome acai.  It was awesome.  The toilets here are square shaped, the cars are very small and compact, families are very close, and Brazilians eat all the time.  

Thank You

I am so close to my exchange year beginning.  I cannot wait to get on the plane on Friday.  I am so thankful to everyone who has helped me get to where I am today.  I could go on and on thanking people.  I feel as prepared as I could be.  I started eating meat again, and I have learned some Portuguese, and I have graduated high school.  I don’t know how often I will blog, but I am planning on about once a week or so.  I will be uploading pictures on facebook and posting links for them here.  I will miss everyone tremendously, but you can email me and I will respond as soon as I am able.  I am very grateful to come from such a supportive and loving community.