Roei's Final Report

June 5, 2005

Well here's the facts... one of my good friends i met here on exchange left about 1 month ago.  Since that day everyone had started counting how many more days they have left... I refuse to do so... but i know i have about 6 weeks...
This is the last month we have and rotary is being extremely liberal with all the good exchangers on their last month. Travel is easy and recommended. with he other rules they still stay strict... no drinking, driving or drugs.
i have seen some friends go home... most of my good friends here are German and we formed a really close relationship together.... Conrad (Léon) was the one who left last month. he lives in Stuttgart, DE... for those who don't know, that's the birth place of Porsche. Another friend of mine, Rasmus is going back to Copenhagen, DK in 1 week. But most of all i will miss my best friend Nicolas Heiming... He lives in Heidelberg, DE. 
The exchange year was great for all of us. it was a wonderful experience. Many of us learned another language besides the language of our country. I for instance, learned Portuguese here, and with my German friends i learned some basic German. That will be my next ideology.
for the exchangers that their parents came, many said it was annoying... ahahah i couldn't imagine why at first but then i was with 1 of the families and the mother said to the daughter... "put a jacket on, its gonna be cold." AHAHAHAH apparently parents will be parents forever. we have been living independent lives for a year and still our parents think we don't know we should use a jacket when its cold... hahhah but its okë... i know i will annoy my children when i have the chance... eheheheh
I have developed a love for Brazil and its Culture. i am going to miss it a lot and i know i will be coming here every chance i get.
My English has gotten rusty and pretty funny. I have noticed i use German Grammar in my English writing. I have used Portuguese words as synonyms for English words that i had forgotten. I have MADE UP my own synonyms as well... once i forgot the word Vase... and substituted it by calling it a "Plant Container."
Also being around so many exchangers from all over the world, we learned to differentiate between culture and languages. also many physical features in people that we now know how to recognize. People came from France, Mexico, Germany, Denmark, Romania, Hungary, USA, India, Austria, Australia, South Africa, Belgium, The Netherlands and many others i cant recall at the moment. You would think that Dutch and German would sound the same... But NO WAY!! they are similar but yet completely different.
Exchange has its ups and downs just like anything else, but its up to the exchanger to make sure he has more ups than downs.
Well i am leaving for home on July 12th... gotta get a job, buy a car, university... here comes reality to slap us in the face once again...