It's the beginning of fall here in Brazil, and I just can't believe how the time is passing by. Seems like just yesterday I arrived here not knowing anything, about the people, the lanuguage or culture, and yet I feel like I have changed so much and my knowledge has grown imensely.
One day, my host mom told me she was going somewhere and asked if I wanted to go with her. I couldn't make out exactly where she was going, but I decided to join her because you never know what you might encounter. We ended up driving to a town called Perdões that is about 10 mintues away with a downtown area of, at most, three street blocks. There, we visited a retirement house, but not just any retirement house. It was a retirement home where a couple of people didn't even have relatives, and the others that did, only a few actually visited. The Casa of Amizade, which is a group of the spouses of my rotary club, helps the people there by giving donations such as food and presents to the old people. That day, we dropped off dry milk powder and gave yarn to a woman there who chrochets. The atmosphere there was sad though, with some of the people bed ridden, not truly living. One of the stories I heard there was of a women whose legs were permanetly bent because her son locked her in a cage. Some things just can't be understood.
On a much brighter note, Happy Easter to everyone back in the states, and I hope everyone is eating lots of chocolate. Here in Brazil, it's tradition to have the "ovos de páscoa" or easter eggs. But these aren't your typical plastic easter eggs. These are hollow giant chocolate eggs that you can get in every flavor imaginable and some even have toys or stuffed animals inside. Imagine receiving a 6 kg, or 12 pound chocolate egg with a teddy bear inside! You would be set for chocolate for a year.
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| My host sister and I's chocolate eggs |
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| New host family (minus host dad taking picture) |
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| Rotex event with other exchange students |
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| My city from the sky! <3 Atibaia |
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| My new project :) |
I moved families right before the Easter holiday, so I got to meet many new people this weekend. My new host family is great, and already I feel at home. Today they took me on a wild adventure up to "Pedra Grande"to overlook the entire city of Atibaia. It was absolutely beautiful and a fun ride up the dirt trail to the top.
oMy next big adventure is the Amazon at the end of April....definitely looking forward to sleeping in hammocks on the Amazon River with 60 other exchange students! Até, Beijos
