We learn through a lot more then school

Well, I have officially finished one and a half months of school and not learned a thing. Last Friday, my school work consisted of letting all my friends draw things all over my arms. It was quite amusing.

Last weekend I went to my friend Polly’s sitio (a resorty, farmy, getaway place) with a bunch of kids from school! We all piled into an old, really old, VW van Saturday morning and took off. I didn’t think we were going to make it up a couple of the hills that we had to climb. Well, it took about an hour to get to this place. Wow, it was beautiful too! It sat outside the city and had lakes and nature and had many of these sitios inside of it. It is kinda like a combination of a resort and a secured neighborhood. Anyways, when we got there we sat by the pool and soaked in the sun, then jumped into the very cold and refreshing water! We ate lots of food (especially brigadero. Wow that stuff is good. Its like a mixture between caramel and chocolate. I am definitely going to make it for everyone when I get back home!). I went on a run with Lorran while the others walked behind us. It was a great weekend, except for how lonely I felt. The people here are great, but I continue to struggle with not being able to talk. I want to be so much more involved. In the planning, in the leading, in the carrying out, in the knowing of what is happening. I feel sometimes like the little sister dragged along, who doesn’t understand anything, just goes with the flow. Its like I have no voice, no opinion, no say in things. I know that’s not totally true, the people here do try to include me as much as possible, but there still is a gap, and that won’t be closed until I learn the language. However, I can certainly tell that I am getting much better at Portuguese! I can understand so much more and actually hold simple conversations with people.

One exciting point that proves my progress in Portuguese (ah, alliteration!) is that Sunday the 7th I thought my first thought in Portuguese without consciously thinking it was Portuguese (wow that is confusing. Anyways…). It was a very simple three work phrase. I was putting things into my purse and thinking to myself, “Eu preciso isso, Eu não preciso isso…” (I need this, I don’t need this…) But it was my first! And I am proud of it! (now I cannot wait until my first dream in Portuguese!)

Well I’ve had my good days, where I laughed so hard that I cried, and I’ve had my bad days, when the only thing I want to do is go back home. Living here is a great experience and I am so glad I get this opportunity, but there is a lot of struggle as well. I have been hurt a little by how unreceptive some of the people are to my heritage and culture. I have a couple times tried to show them small parts of my culture (such as making peanut butter cookies, which they have never had here….). I didn’t know, until now, how much it would mean to someone living abroad to share some of their home with the people around them. Its like I want to show them as much as I can, but in return they want to change it into something Brazilian. It has been hard, I feel like the people here just expect me to disown my “Americaness” and fully embrace everything Brazilian as my own. I know they are not trying to put down my country or make me feel bad, so I try not to take it personally. But I don’t think anyone here can truly understand how much it means to me to share part of where I come from with them unless they have also been in a place like I am at. Its something that I cannot even explain. I have a certain pride that I want to spread across my friends as well. And they are telling me they don’t like it and giving me something else that they say is better. So this has been hard and I would greatly appreciate prayer that I would be understanding and not take this personally. Because I know they are proud of their country too.


Well I also have my good days! Like yesterday! Yesterday I went with Iza (the maid, she is super cool! I love hanging out with her!) and my sister Livia to Pamphula! It is this beautiful lake that we walked partly around. We stopped to take lots of random pictures too! It was super fun. Then I went with my friends Jessica and her boyfriend Lorran and two of their friends to this place called Minerão. Wow it was so awesome! There are no words to describe what happened there! Well I guess I should tell you what it is first. Minerão is the second largest futebol (soccer) stadium here in Brasil. And boy, do people get excited about their soccer! Its so crazy! There are seats, but they are never used, except for standing on. There are military men with German shepherd dogs surrounding the field. People were either cheering or booing the whole time. It was crazy. Such an experience! I loved it and I cannot wait to go again! The team I was cheering for ended up loosing 0-1. Sad…but it wasn’t that big of a deal to me…I’m not fanatical about it like the rest of the 60,000 people that were there. Haha.

Well this post is kinda scattered with lots of random things. Sorry for the “unflowiness” of it. But I hope you still enjoyed it. Please leave comments I love hearing from you guys! I want to know that people are actually reading this! Thanks so much.

Until next time,

Tchau

-Hope

p.s. I have discovered how much English uses the verb “get” try to count someday how many times you use this verb. Its crazy cuz here they don’t use “get” like we do. Its hard cuz I have to actually use other verbs… haha =)