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.