Mallory Richey - ¿Habla español? SPAIN

Buen día para todos,
   Why am I speaking Spanish in France...well I just got back from a week in SPAIN! Barcelona, and the south of France...and with some help from some exchange students from Argentina, Mexico, and Venezuela...I can now speak a bit of Spanish (it also helps that it is similar to French and I have been taking Spanish class here in France). I LOVED IT...it was a bus trip so there was a ton of other exchange students and we all got along really well. We started off with two days in Paris, climbed the Eiffel Tower, went to Versaille (third time for me) and then my first time to the Louvre where I saw the Mona Lisa. It was insane. Then we headed to the South of France for a day in Carcassonne which is a huge old fortress castle that is a cute little village now. In Barcelona we checked out some architecture from Gaudi (obviously we were in Barcelona and had to check that out) which included his garden and cathedral. We also had a delicious lunch on the coast which was probably the best lunch I have had on this exchange thanks to the company and the quality of the food for the price. We had calamari, mussels, fried anchovies (these were actually pretty good), potato cakes in a cream sauce, and shrimp, followed by a mean plate of Paella (SOOOOO GOOD), and a spanish creme dessert that is a bit like creme brûlée and lemon cake....IT WAS AMAZING. All with some great people that I met. Later we hit up the Pablo Picasso museum which was my favorite of the trip. We also had some free time in Barcelona and I may have done some shopping ;) We finished the trip off with a tour in Girona...which was a beautiful little old village in the north of Spain. Overall an amazing trip and only a month until my big european trip..three weeks till I see Hope Nelson...and a month and a half till my family! Things are going well. Some days I am ready to go home, but some days are some of the best of my life. Things are defiantly speeding up as I hit the six month mark today...four left. I hope all the Rotarians out there got to meet my host sister Faustine! She spend a week with my family and she is loving the US.
Bisous

 BEST LUNCH EVER...Fried anchovies with my friend from Mexico

 Gaudi's Garden

 After we put a lock on the bridge in Paris ( for friendship and happiness...your supposed to throw the  key in the Seine but we kept them)

Barcelona

Mallory

Kestral Johnston - A viagem da minha vida

My trip of a life time:

So after New Years began the most amazing memorable and indescribable adventure of my life. In 29 days I experienced 13 cities, drove 10,000 km, spent who knows how many hours on a bus, and laughed with 48 of the best exchange students.

I left from São Paulo with about half of our entire group. I was so excited, and incredibly sleepy after waking up at 5:00 AM to arrive in São Paulo on time. It was nice to see some of the exchange students that I had already met from my district on the same trip. We traveled the entire day on the bus to arrive in Brasília, the capital of Brazil. There, we encountered the other half of our group.  Brasília began our tour of brazil. Since it was a planned capital of the country, everything is very precise, and organized. From an overhead view, the city looks like an airplane. Another cool fact is that there are no walls in the city. The architect didn't want it to be closed off, so the president's house (Palácio da Alvorada) doesn't even have a wall, just a small pool of koi (of course there are armed guards). After Brasilia, we traveled to Lençóis in the state of Bahia. We visited Chapada Diamantina, and natural fresh water pools. One even had a "slide" into the water. After Lençóis we began our beach part of the trip. The Northeastern part of the country is known for its beaches and being incredibly hot. We went to Maceió, Natal, Fortaleza, Recife, Porto de Galinhas, Salvador, Arrail D'Ajuda, Porto Seguro, and Rio de Janeiro . Fortaleza was one of the most memorable cities. There, we went on this sand buggy ride. It was literally insane, but so much fun with the wind in your hair and screaming like you might die. In Fortaleza we also had a BBQ (churrasco) on the beach with music. Another place that I enjoyed was Salvador. In Salvador, we visited the Mercado Municipal that had all sorts of things to buy and a semi-deserted island where we spent the entire day on the beach.  To be honest I could write a novel about everything I saw in these places, but there just isn't enough space. There isn't enough space for all of my photos either.....

The group <3 - Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro

On top of the "Torre de TV" - Brasília

World Cup Stadium - Brasília

Chapada Diamantina - Lençóis

Rock slide - Lençóis

Capoeira show :traditional fight/dance - Lençóis

Sand Buggy ride - Fortaleza

Porto de Galinhas

Over looking Recife

Exchange Student mini Carnaval - Olinda/Recife

2 week old sea turtles - Praia do Forte

Igreja de Nosso Senhor do Bonfim - Salvador

Semi-deserted island - Salvador

Where settlers first landed in Brazil, first mass - Porto Seguro

First road in Brasil - Porto Seguro

Escadaria Selaron - Rio de Janeiro

Favela - Rio de Janeiro



STARBUCKS! - Rio de Janeiro



On top of Pão de Açúcar gondola - Rio

Ipanema beach - Rio

Christ the Redeemer w/ fog - Rio

What could be seen from the city below... Copacabana beach - Rio

When it cleared..... - Rio

My best friends during the trip: Denmark, Alaska, Norway

Last but not least, the most well known city in Brazil, the host of the 2016 Olympics and World Cup stadium: Rio de Janeiro. It was an amazing feeling to actually be in that city that everyone thinks about when you say Brazil. Despite the rain, we toured the city on foot, saw one of the world cup stadiums, went to Florest de Tijuca, had a samba class, visited Praia de Ipanema, went to the top of Pão de Açúcar, and saw the famous Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer). Unfortunately because of all of the rain and fog, we only saw the statue clearly for about a minute, and barely saw anything of the city below. It was still incredible. Each of the different cities we visited had difficulties. Some had different dialects of Portuguese, and some even had new words for things I already knew. At the end of the trip, I learned things and again saw Brazil in another light. Slowly I'm starting to fill in the pieces of this puzzle that makes up the culture of Brazil. I know that even at the end there will still be gaps, but the picture will still be clear enough to grasp the meaning of "Brazilian". 

Mallory Richey - ALPS!

With the six month line in clear view...I have been reflecting a lot on the first bit of my exchange. Things have been moving pretty quickly now....as for the update on the new family. I LOVE THEM...it is a completely different family but I am so happy and comfortable here, I get along really well with my host sisters and we have some good laughs. They have some horses and it has been fun learning about that lifestyle as well, and how much work goes into it. I went to a real french farm at the beginning of the month which was interesting, it was literally like a movie (with the smells added). In an old farm building, the house was beautiful and old (even though it was falling apart) and the family who owned the farm was so so so nice, and offered coffee out of a tin kettle (so french). I ate that up, my host mom is going to take me again the next time she gets hay. Things, as I said, are starting to gather speed. I am looking into taking a test to see if I am fluent in French that could mean I could receive a diploma that will be valid for the rest of my life, so I am a little nervous but I think it will be a good thing to do while I have the time and resources. School is chugging a long. I am looking into taking more difficult classes now that I have a firmer grasp of the language which is going well. I just got back from the Alps and a Rotary weekend. At this Rotary weekend we did a talent show which was a laugh riot...me and my friend from Finland did an American dance called the John Wall, and man there was some talented individuals out there. A girl from Venezuela had some of the most powerful pipes I have ever heard...next to Adele. I was impressed. The alps were amazing, but really showed me just how out of shape I have become...one run and my thighs were burning. It was amazing though seeing some French people that I have know for a long time who I can actually speak French with now. It was so fun...also to just be out there and skiing for a little bit was nice. My host brother's girlfriend also skied for the first time! I think she really liked it...she was out there everyday and by the end of the week was killin' it! I got to do some off piste runs in the backcountry with some Patrollers which was amazing! The view and the powder were amazing...and it was the first pure blue sky with sunshine that I had seen in months (we don't get much sunshine up north). My 19th birthday is coming up this Sunday (Feb. 17th) and I am really looking forward to a big French birthday dinner, with  some good food (maybe a little bit to much food..but hey I am in France) and laughs with my family. I am also going to have some cake with my first host family because my host dad's sisters birthday (she is awesome...I am in her dance company here) has the same birthday! So lots to look forward too this weekend...then tuesday I leave for my first bus trip to SPAIN! I am so excited...I am going to try for a little spanish....until next time!

 We found an igloo

 Fancy cheese store! Lets eat it a lllll

 Beautiful bluebird powder day

 Keish that me and Liz Baldwin made...SO GOOD

Taking one of many breaks...I have for sure gotten soft up north

Bioussss

Mallory 

Hope Nelson - 6 months

After a difficult holiday season I am heading into my sixth month and the second half of my exchange.

As stated above, the holiday season was difficult as I'm sure you can imagine. Being away from your family and friends during the time of year when your 'supposed' to be with them is never easy. My advice for future exchange students is to get as involved in your host family's Christmas (or whatever holiday they celebrate) as you can. Ask your family if you all can go do something. My family and I went into le Centre Ville were the whole community was doing fun activities like a horse drawn carriage ride and a balloon release - and included hot chocolate and les galletts des rois (a cake/bread that you cut into pieces, and in each there is a little porcelain figure, and if you find this 'figure' then you receive a paper crown for the day). Try and get so busy that you don't have enough time to think about the things you may be missing at home.

My host brother Hugo with horse and carriage



Christmas trees and pony rides

Being now officially halfway through my exchange makes me reflect back on what I have done and how I have changed. This reflection isn't exclusive to the "life changing moments" but includes the small accomplishments, like how I can slice a baguette without cutting the table (the French don't use cutting boards). I have tried pigs head, pigs tongue, chicken intestines, geese hearts, sting ray, squid, rabbit, horse, and ...veal. (I felt really sad about the veal but my family knew the farmer that 'raised' it).


My current host dad posing with a boar at the market

Dinner

BUT apart from my bread cutting skills and my adventurous eating habits, I am a much more educated, and independently stable person. My confidence, competence, and other things I never would have imagined to be changed by this exchange have changed, and for the better.

Looking a head I have a lot of things happening in the coming months. I am going skiing in the Pyrenees with my host families and doing a tour of Spain with the other rotary exchange students during the next school break. I will also be heading to Futuroscope (an amusement park) with Justin ( mon meillur ami!) AND .... I'M SEEING MALORY RICHEY IN MARCH! Well that's all for now, I hope everyone is doing well.

Kestral Johnston - As Ferias, Parte Um

I cannot believe everything I have experienced in the past two months, let alone six months ago when my exchange started, or a year ago when I was just wondering what my exchange would have in store for me. This past year has been filled with so much excitement, adventure, anxiousness, and stress. Reflecting back I couldn’t have possibly imagined what this year has brought me, or what I will see in the year to come.



Rotex event

Teaching how to fold paper cranes

Atibaia Rotary Christmas event

The presents

Moving....




December was a very busy time here in southern hemisphere. Before Christmas, I got to participate in the two Rotary events for underprivileged children. For the first event, I went with the other exchange students to a nearby city called Amparo. There, we gave presents to the kids that lived in the area and played with them. One of the activities we did with them was fold paper cranes as a tribute to this year’s Rotary International president Sakuji Tanaka, whose symbol is the origami crane. An interesting twist that occurred is that no one knew how to fold papers cranes. Thus, I got to teach about 70 people at once how to fold paper. Quite an experience! The second event was held in a town nearby Atibaia. There, I also gave presents to underprivileged children as well. It reminded me of the Agua Prieta trip that I had participated in for the past two years. Que saudades! Projects like these remind you how fortunate you are. That smile on a child’s face when he or she opens a present is something you never forget.






Horses from all over the area come to walk dowtown

 

On the 26th of December I went downtown with my couselor to watch the Cavalhada. The Calvalhada is a parade of horses (and sometimes bulls) that lasts for about an 1:30 and has been a tradition in my city for 260 years! The best statement I have to say is that I will never see another horse parade exactly like this one.

Me on the beach during New Years

My new host mom and host aunt making esfihas



Right after Christmas, I changed host families. Now I have two new host sisters, 14 and 8 years old. For those of you who don’t know, I’ve been an only child for my entire life, and even in my first host family, so this is pretty exciting. For New Years I traveled to Ubatuba with my new host family. Ubatuba is a beach town located in the south of Sao Paulo.  I got to meet almost the entire family on my host mom’s side. That was neat, plus just getting to spend New Year’s on a beach in shorts and a t-shirt is a new experience in and of itself. Some of the traditions involved with a beach-side new year are: jumping 7 waves and making a wish at each wave, eating 12 pomegranate/grapes and then keeping the seeds in your wallet to bring you more money, throwing money into the ocean.

 



My pomegranate seeds



A little different than snow....

Feliz Carnaval pra voces! E feliz ano novo....um mês mais tarde. Espero que seus anos sao cheios de saude, felicidades, e paz!

Beijos

P.S. I will be posting soon about my month long trip along the Entire Northeast coast of Brazil…. J