Lindsay's Report

October 5, 2007

Bom dia!

So much has happened since my last report. I went to the infamous metamorphose party here in Londrina with some girls from school, which was very exciting. We dressed up in costumes, I was Sandy from Grease, and there was lots of bands playing music, and TONS of people! It was very crazy, and I was exhausted afterwards, but I’m glad I went, definitely an experience, kinda reminded me of spring break back in Freeport. Haha.

Then last weekend my district had an orientation trip for all the exchange students. We went to Canyon Guartela, which is about a five hour drive from Londrina. It was the most amazing weekend ever! There was in total about 25 exchange students from: Canada, USA, Mexico, Germany, Belgium, Finland, Romania, Australia, South Africa, India, and of course Bahamas. We all met in Londrina on Friday night, and went for pizza, then walked to a famous ice cream parlor, in the rain. Yes, it hadn’t rained one drop the whole time I had been here, but it decided to rain the weekend of our trip.

We waited around until about 1 am, before getting on our bus to go, and we slept on the bus. We arrived at the park around 6, ate breakfast, then got sometime to rest in our cabins or shower, or explore until lunch time. After lunch we started on a two and a half hour hike up to the top of the mountain. It was amazing! We had to climbed through natural springs, and mud, and at first we were careful, but after we fell in the first time, we really didn’t care anymore and were ready to have fun. Hahaha. When we finally got to the top we knew it was worth the flooded running shoes, and muddy bums. The view was the most spectacular view I have ever seen in my life, and I know all my fellow exchange students reading this thinks their new country is the prettiest ever, but, wow I have to say your wrong! Haha just kidding, but it was really amazing.

Also at the top of the mountain was waterfalls, and even though the water was freezing, and we couldn’t feel our feet after standing in it for more than three minutes, we all got in, and splashed around. It was freezing but it was amazing! And after that we started on the two and a half hour hike back down the hill. The next day we went rafting through rapids, horse back riding around the mountain, and repelling down the cliff. Honestly the best weekend ever, but on top of all of that one of the coolest moments was when a girl from Germany, a girl from Belgium, a girl from Mexico, and I were all singing Disney movie songs at the same time all in our different languages. I just thought that was sooo cool!

Also back here in Londrina, I am taking a Brazilian dance class and a kirigomi class at the same university I take the Portuguese class for foreigners. At school I have started to insist on participating in class, the teachers would rather just give me a corner to sleep in, like the other exchangers do, and although that seemed like school heaven the first couple of weeks, you can’t imagine how boring it is. So now, I’ve been persistently asking for the school books for a week, and I don’t plan to stop asking for them until they finally allow me to have them, it’s kind of the way it is here in Brazil. They love to tell you they will do it later, which is code for putting it off long enough that the person forgets that they asked for something.

Today is a very exciting day, because for one, I just received a long-awaited care package from my mom in Canada. It had taken even longer than usual to come because the mailing system in Brazil was on strike for about two weeks, haha. But I am also very excited because this weekend the exchange students of my district were invited to spend the weekend at the Rotary in Rolandia (a city about half an hour away from Londrina) because Rolandia is a German decent town and they have a huge Oktoberfest celebration there!!! On Sunday all the exchange students will walk in the Oktoberfest parade wearing our blazers and carrying our flags. The last thing I’m excited for is next week we don’t have school. It’s a national holiday, all week, and when I asked my host mom why, she said there was no real reason, it’s the week of the lazy people she told me.

Well, I’m loving Brazil, it is a lot more fun now that I know how to bus on my own, and I know pretty well my way around the city… well I keep a map in my purse just incase! My friends and I like to go walk around down town in the afternoons, and stop at juice stands, browse the horrible English selections in the book stores. Haha Also I had another rotary meeting on Tuesday, and met the district governor, and presented him with a flag and pin.

I’ll send some pictures soon. Thank you so much rotary! OBRIGADO POR TUDO!!!

Lindsay