Gabriel's Reports

Date Posted

Report quick links

Click on a date below to go to that report

 

September 20, 2009

December 4, 2009

May 9, 2010

    

May 9, 2010

 

BACK TO TOP

SEE GABRIEL'S RECENT PICTURES

 

"Hey guys, I am here once again. It kind took long for me to write again for reasons which do not really matter right now. So, on my last journal I was about to go Nassau in order to experience Junkanoo (Bahamian carnival). Well, to describe it I just need one word: AWESOME!


Paula Harris, my mom, and me went to Hotel Atlantis and it was just gorgeous; she showed me the whole city. Something that was very different to me: I entered in the year of 2010 inside a church. Yea, but that’s what exchange is all about: experiencing new things. 5 pictures are attached. I just have to thank a lot the Harris family for all they provided me, it was for sure 4 wonderful months.

 

Based on the way I am talking, you guys can easily guess I moved; yes, I did. At the beginning, the idea was very scaring to be honest with you all. On my last day with the Harris, we went to Port Lucaya: we had a pizza by the pizzeria Pisces and then we went to the centre where me and mom were dancing. Yea, I was sure I was going to miss them.

 

New year + new house + new family = new experiences. I moved to the Burrows family on January and I could see it was such an important change in my exchange year. The first shock was to find out that I would live with 7 people under the same roof: me, Princess (mom), Neil (daddy), Shade (19 year old sister), Marcus (13 year old brother), Nicholas (3 year old brother), Tori (9 year old cousin) and Gloria (auntie).

 

The first thing we did was go straight to shop for groceries. Right there, a fast relationship was built: my lil bro, Nick, was running on the market and I was chasing him; after, he was on my shoulders and I was playing with him. My mom was talking to my daddy like: look, they are already friends.

 

From this day until now, everything has been great. I will have to summarize because it is too much story for a journal. Nicholas is like EVERYTHING for me. I ask him “whose babe are you? Who is the boss here? Who you love the most?” and his answer is: “GABE! GABE! GABE!”. I play with him all the time.

 

My sister Shade and me are very close, something that me and Janae were not. We watch movies many times, we talk about everything, we laugh and have fun with each other. Yea, Shade is just that kind lovely person that is impossible to don’t like.

 

Marcus is the most annoying brother I could ever have. LOL, I am just kidding. I keep playing with him like this all the time. We play of fighting, we play games, we play basketball (me, my daddy and him go to the court every weekday), we talk. He is like my little brother that I never had.

 

My mom and my daddy are like everything for me, they are so kind and lovely. I can’t describe in words how I am thankful to them. Well, I don’t have space to mention everybody. My parents have 6 children (5 sons and 1 daughter).

 

Life has just been amazing to me, my exchange has never been so good. I go out with my friends almost every weekend, me and my family go to the beach constantly (it is like 10 minutes away walking), we go fishing on my daddy’s boat, we play basketball every weekday as I said before. As a family, we do a lot of things together; every time some people come to the house and we eat together and watch a movie (my family is huge). I love this family more than anything else in this world.

 

Madeleine came with her family to Bahamas and we got to go out together. It was awesome (as she always says). When she left, I was sad because I hate to say bye. My mom dropped then to the Port and on the way back home I was crying. Not only because my friend was leaving, but because it came to my mind that I will leave here one day too. I was telling mommy how much this idea scares me and how much I am gonna miss them.

 

My mom, Princess, is like a real princess to me. I love her so much. So, she is the kind very emotional person, she doesn’t want anybody to see her cry. So, she said that when I leave, she will get the car and go for a ride. She will drive and drive and drive and she will only come back when I were gone; she will let daddy take care of my departure.

 

She said that when I leave for good, she will go with me to Brazil. Let me stop it, because I am almost crying now. I am gonna miss them a lot. Oh, I went to the United States and my mom called me saying that Nick was giving her problems: he couldn’t stop crying. She told him I went, but I was coming back and he was like “I don’t want Gabe tomorrow, I want Gabe now. Why did you let him go mommy?”. He is my little babe. And, yeah, I had to be talking with him through an international call to say that I was going to be home soon.

 

It is funny the way things happen. Right now, he came crying to me saying that my brother hit him and came to lay on the bed with me.

 

I was even supposed to go to a third family, but I did not really want to move. I was wondering for one month if I should do what I want (stay) or what I should do (go) and I decided to stay. It was kind difficult to get it said, even because my next family was going to be my counselor’s one and the decision of not moving has to be reported to your counselor. But he did understand it and everything’s okay.

 

To be very honest, I would say that NOW I became a real Bahamian: I dress like a Bahamian (baggy clothes), I talk like a Bahamian (all the slangs and stuff), I walk like a Bahamian, I LIVE like a Bahamian. I got so many friends, people that I love so much. They are even talking about organizing a good-bye party for me.

 

My year has just been great, I couldn’t ask for nothing else. Thank you Rotary for providing me this wonderful year that I will remember forever and wherever I go."

 
December 4, 2009

BACK TO TOP

 

SEE GABRIEL'S RECENT PICTURES

 

2 months and 6 days away from home, 1 month and 25 days in Grand Bahama - Freeport. When you stop to think about how long you’ve been an exchange student, you really get surprised. Time goes fast.

We leave our country, our culture, our family, our friends, people that we love so much. And, then, when you are abroad you know more people that you start loving. I think the best part of the exchange is exactly THE exchange. Exchange of knowledge, experiences, love, thoughts.

Undoubtedly, I learned a LOT these 2 months, especially from my parents. I didn’t know perfectly how to wash, dry or iron clothes (I had a maid in Brazil). I also didn’t know perfectly how to do the dishes. My parents taught me some techniques that I can use in doing this kind of things.

It is good to have some people abroad to care of you. I love my family at all and I will save in my memories everything that I will experience here.

Let me start telling about what I did since I wrote the last report. But, before this, I need to say how glad I am with the weather. Like, yesterday I took shower 4 times because it was very hot; nevertheless, when I got up this morning the weather was so cool, the breeze was amazing :D.

Okay, let me talk about what I’ve been doing. My sister turned 16 on September 14th and she had some kind of sleep over with her friends. On the last day of the sleep over, the girls came to our house to have lunch with us. It was a very good day, we had a very good lunch where I became able to know her friends and make more friends.

Do you remember I didn’t go to the beach when I wrote the last report? So, now I went. It is so beautiful, at sure I’m in paradise :p. The water is very clean and clear.

Last week, I had a swimming day on school. Each one of us, Students of Bishop Michael Eldon School, are separated in houses. I’m on the Rum Cay. So, this day was a swimming competition. Unfortunately, my house didn’t win, but we are going to improve our results next time.

On October 12th, me and my parents went to McLeans Town, distand 2 hours by car. We had the 37th Annual Conch Cracking Competition Discovery Day celebrations. Initially, I didn’t know what it exactly was. A friend of mom suggested me to go there and try. I was like: ‘what is it?’ And then she answered: ‘you only have to crack it. You’ll enjoy it’. And I almost went, but fortunately I discovered that the animals were alive. So, I decided not to go. hahaha

But, it was very fun and also funny. Some people could do it very fast. They were also prizewinning with some trophies or medals.

On October 10th and 11th, I stayed in USA. We went to Miami, Coral Gables and Everglades. There were two amazing days, because I was with teenagers that are also experiencing the same thing that I am experiencing. We talked a lot and had a lot of fun. My friendship with them is growing really fast. The only thing I miss in Bahamas is other exchange student.

This afternoon, I am going to West End, distant 40 minutes by car. It seems good. My parents are trying to make me know everything about the city and country and I appreciate this.

By now, I think that’s all I can tell you."
 

September 20, 2009

 

BACK TO TOP

SEE GABRIEL'S RECENT PICTURES

The last day in USA. In the next day I am going to Bahamas, my host country. Roy Joseph warned me that my host sister (Lanny) and all my family (Joseph - father, Paula - mom and Janae - sister) will come to Florida to the departure of Lanny. Because of this, I am supposed to be in my counselor's house a couple of days.

However, I became very SURPRISED when I arrived on the airport and saw my dad waiting for me. I thought this so unbelievable. Joseph didn't go to the departure of his daughter only to welcome me. Based on this, you can understand how lovely is my family and how I'm mainstreamed with them.

So, let's resume my almost one month here. I went to restaurants, Rotary meetings, Port Lucaya (center of the city where the teenagers hang out on weekend). I also went to the sea with a boat. The water here is so clear. I was able to see many fishes and other sea animals. The day before yesterday, I, my counselor, his son and friends of us went to a camp. They controlled some kind of little airplanes. It was amazing. I am planning to feed and swim with dolphins, go the movies, go bowling and go to the beach. Yeah, crazy, I didn't go to the beach yet, because it is raining too much here.

Oh, I almost forgot. I appeared on the news too. I'm getting famous here.

The thing I love here is that the people are very friendly. It's easy to build good relationships.

My school is very strict. My uniform is something like Hogwarts uniform, but it's good. I think that's all I can summarize now. Definitely, this is a wonderful experience.