Week Two

Part of São José dos Campos...

My cabin and the Mexican boys at our traditional brasilian wedding party.

My cabin and our ridiculous outfits. (left to right: Giselle from Mexico, Jill from Germany, me, Oliva from Wisconsin, and Deborah from Denmark)

Technically last week: in front of city hall with host rotary presidents and councelors.

The exchange students in São José. Jill from Germany, Kelsey from Canada, Oscar from Mexico and Me!


Another week that feels like 3 months. I feel like I know mostly everything about my town now and I'm really starting to get aquantied with everything and everyone. Life is nothing but good here.

August 22 (Saturday)-

It was another early wake up though it was Saturday. We had to leave São José by 7am to go to Jambeiro for a Rotary Inbound Orientation Camp. I didn't even have time to eat breakfast! The place were we had the camp had 3 lakes, chalés (chalets), recreation hall, dining hall, conference center and more locations to host a lot of people. We ate a little in the dining area and I met a girl from Pennsylvania, Renée. The only problem with this place is that it was built for a Brasilian summer and it was winter and freezing! And I mean freezing, like Yakima's October weather.. Everything is tile and that just adds to the chill. First we listened to hours (well it seemed like it) of powerpoints about rules, expectations, and other "important" things. They weren't very complete so I don't know how much that helped me. To warm us up, Alcione (the Inbound Coordinator) made us get up and dance around.. It was not very helpful. Lunch was really good, because it was warm. We all huddled around the hot food dishes to get warm. There was so many different kinds of food, I can't even name them all here, plus the normal rice and beans. We then went back to the cabins before our portuguese class. We couldn't decide where to sleep so we drew papers... I got "UP" so that meant I was sleeping upstairs with the other American who also drew up. The beds downstairs was the couch individually pulled out. We got an actual bed. We had "class" in the dining hall because it was warmer. We had to practice our portuguese then we got individual cards and had to find the word in a magazine. I was lucky to avó because I knew it meant grandma. Queen Elizabeth was the first grandma I found. There were some random words such as, geladeira (fridge), lua (moon), almoço (lunch) and suitã (bra). After we set up for festa junina, a festival celebrating the rural life. The main attraction of this is a mock wedding. We would have one at ours. The interesting part about this festa is that everyone dresses up in country clothes, like cowboys with boots and checkered shirts and cowgirls with checkered dresses, freckles and pigtails. We also had to wear such outfits. We looked so ridiculous. But everyone looked so ridiculous so it was okay. The actual wedding "ceremony" took forever because it was conga line after conga line, line dancing, circles of people.. After this we ate. The food was interesting... unlike anything I have eaten here so far. And it was not the best food I'd eaten here either. There was a fishing game were you could win prizes from GM, like pens and mousepads. Throughout the night I met all the inbounds, all 19 of them. By the end of the night I was with Amalie (Denmark), Alex (Germany) and Joelle (New Mexico) taking weird pictures of each other. When we finally got permission to go back to cabins we all but ran back to get out of the cold. I hung out in Cabin 1 with Amalie, Anja (Norway), Renée, Luisa (Brasilian outbound) and Constanze (Germany) until I needed to go back to my cabin and finally to sleep.

August 23 (Sunday) -

The weather did not improve overnight. We all woke up freezing, putting on as many clothes as we could. None of us took a shower because the water was cold and the entire bathroom would get soaked because there was no curtain. I didn't sleep well because Oliva all but screamed in her sleep. We wandered down to breakfast in the bright sun, reflecting off the lake. At breakfast the was so many cakes and sweet bread and cookies, which I didn't expect. Then it was back up to the conference center to listen to more powerpoints. But these were more exciting, about the Brasilian trips and ours about ourselves and home country. We had lunch up in the conference center, the traditional rice, meat, sausage, cucumbers, tomatoes and bread. The best part was dessert though. While the first person was going, Kelsey from Canada, they started passing out pineapple and brown sugar. Then I had to go, and flounder in my speech. When I got back to the table there was more pineapple. Then came the banana and brown sugar. By the time we were all full, Mara (Romania), Pablo (Mexico), Oscar (Mexico) and Sarah (Canada), we had finished off nine plates of dessert. And we were worried about getting fat! We took some last pictures then headed back to the chalés to get our stuff. It had started to rain. I went home with Maria, Jõao (next host dad), Valería and Kelsey. I miss the crazy guys from D5060 (there are only 4 boys in my district), but the girls from my district are so much fun. When I got home I unpacked and made some bracelets with Álvaro while watching Drake and Josh in portuguese. Vó came over for a bit and we had a bite to eat, flavored rice. Before going to bed I recieved a chocolate bar, Sufair (like Canadian AeroBar). It was delicious.

August 24 (Monday) -

The day started as usual, 5:30 wake up, shower, getting ready. School was biology, math, history, history, math and physics. I only slept a little in history, an improvement, because it was slides of pictures the teacher was talking about and I didn't understand. After school Fred, Ylana and I waited for Maria. Pai ended up picking us up and I was so hungry because I had had no time for breakfast. Lunch was meat, with mushrooms and wine sauce, tomatoes (fresh), potatoes, and rice. Today we went to the police station to get my id. There we met Anna Laura (German inbound) and got the list of what I needed. It was crowded everywhere we went, the police station, to get copies of my passport. I went to the local bakery with mãe and bought some sweet bread. It had started raining and we went to get Álvaro from school. Mãe had a client so fixed my chipping nails and listened to McFly (A British band) borrowed from my cousin. Then we ate again, corn cake, lots and lots of bread and an apple. I took a quick shower and then we went to the mall. There we looked at phones for me but couldn't buy them, for some reason, and got some ice cream cones from McDonald's. Back home I hung out, filling out paperwork, listening to music and iming people. I was really congested so mãe gave me some vitamin c pills and they worked in less than a half hour. It was amazing. Then I went to bed and get to sleep in a little more the next day.

August 25 (Tuesday) -

My routine is now to wake up, do my hair/get ready, eat breakfast and go to school because I shower in the afternoon. My breakfast is always light, toast and peanut butter today. At school I had biology, biology, history, history, history, and chemistry. For lunch just Fred went with me today. Lunch was french fries, another kind of meat, vegatables (green beans, carrots, tomatoes). Then pai left so we had to wait until he got back to go to the police station, in the meantime I took a nap in front of the tv. Marie invited me to a movie later. I ate dinner (breads, apple and chocolate cake) and waited for Marie. She was a little late getting to my house but Gabi, her and I still made it to The Proposal on time. It is a little different going to Brasilian movies. First it's cheap, about 3 bucks to go on a weekday. Second, you pick your seats before you go in the theater. The movie we saw was in english but had portuguese subtitles. After the movie we went to go get my id picture in the mall. Gabi's mom picked us up and she kept losing the parking ticket. We laughed the entire way home about the movie. I watched some more tv when I got home and again fell asleep on the sofa. Hopefully I am finally catching up on my sleep.

August 26 (Wednesday) -

I now have a routine, but breakfast was french bread and chocolate milk. School was, math, chem, biology and then repeated. Both my chem and biology teacher tried to talk to me.. I hope I said the right answers to the right questions. Ylana and I went home together and we made a quick stop to fix the car's gas flap. Lunch was meat, brocoli, sausage and a kind of beans (it's cousin) and rice. Then it was time to get my id. It had gotten so much warmer! It went from a February day to a May day in a matter of hours. I was so happy driving in the warm car, listening to Brasilian music. We went to the bank but had a problem paying for the id because my debit card was not working. We also went to get a copy of my passport so I have a mini passport in my wallet. At the station, Jill was there and I got my id, plus getting fingerprinted! After that we went to the mall to get cellphones! It took hours (or at least felt that way) and lots of negotation but I now have a new samsung phone. :) We then had to go home to save the house from the boys and save them from each other. Dinner was more bread, apple and chocolate milk. I took a shower after that and starting watching Pirates of the Carribean (2) with Álvaro. I ended up asleep on the couch again.

August 27 (Thursday) -

Life continues as usual. I had 2 pieces of toast this morning with peanut butter. School was normal with chemistry, physics, biology and math. However I didn't go to math. Some friends from school asked if I'd like to go get açaí with them because they didn't like the math teacher or the lesson he was teaching. So I went with João (a different one, haha), Gue, Vikki, Felipe, Breno, and the guy from Argentina. I copied Gue's choice of açaí and orange juice. It was much less sweeter than João's with condensed milk. I talked about a lot of things with João and Gue because they spoke english. After school I went with Ylana to wait for mãe. Lunch was oven-toasted bread with oregano, and "little" spaghetti, though I didn't eat that much after being full from açaí. I started to read a book Marie let me borrow, in portuguese, translating as I went. Then mãe and I went to SESC to exchange tickets for a piano concert tonight. SESC is the local "cultural center", with a gym, swimming pool, theater, outdoor court, excerise classes, free internet, and café. Also a park is right outside with Japonese gardens, lakes and life-size models of the first airplanes in Brasil. It was so beautiful. We stopped by the bakery again to get more bread, adding potato bread this time. We ate dinner (sugar bread and potato bread) and I had to get ready for Rotary. Maria picked me up and I made an appearance at Rotary but had to leave early to go to the concert. I ate dinner with them, something weird I can't even describe. Mãe texted me and I went outside to the waiting car of mãe and vovó. The concert was an "experience". The woman that played must have been 70 years old and she played all of her husband's studies first. It was decent music and I was tired so I slept for a couple songs. Whoops. It was just too hot in the theater in my outfit and the theater was very small. Then we went to drop vó off and pick up our sleeping boys from her house. At home we all went to bed.

August 28 (Friday)-

Breakfast today was more potato bread. I didn't have time to pack a snack, good thing I take extra. At school I had portuguese, portuguese, physics, and then repeated. My second portuguese class was literature and the teacher was talking about art so I took a little nap. Fred went with me after school today. Lunch was chicken, brocoli, zucchini, rice and beans. I then talked to my parents for a long time on Skype and then my cousin came over and we left to go watch movies at her quieter house. We walked to the corner movie store and rented I love Valentine's Day and the Nanny Diaries. First we watched I love Valentine's Day in english with portuguese subtitles and ate lemon and chocolate ice cream, plus lots of popcorn. Then was the Nanny Diaries but we watched it in Marie's room because her dad was coming home and the living room would be really loud. I sat in the hammock and Marie was on her bed. My "dinner" was french bread with ham and cheese (two things I normally don't like) and chocolate milk. Both movies were good but we both liked the Nanny Diaries more. Then my other cousins, Rico and Pam had come over and Marie, Fred, Rico, Pam and I sat in the kitchen talking, laughing and drinking Guaraná. Soon Álvaro joined us. Then we got picked up to go home. I ended my night watching the sing-a-long version of High School Musical 2 in portuguese with Álvaro cuddling with me.

That's it for this week!

My First Week.

Left: Counselor Terezinha, Me, Presidente José at my first Rotary meeting. (21-8-09)

Left and around to the right: Marie, Mih, Bru, Iza, Guedes, Bruna, Thaís, Gabi, and me. We are at Barbaesco in the mall for Talís and Bru's birthday. (19-8-09)

Left to right: Mario, Kelsey Sarah, Kelsey Marie, and Gabi at the mall. (19-8-09)

Me in the car. (Taken by my host brother) (15-8-09)

Unpacking with my new host brother, Álvaro, hanging out with me. (15-8-09)

My new family! Left to right: Álvaro (9), Valería, Me, João Heitor (11).

I can't believe I have already been here a week. It seems like I have been living in Brasil forever. :)
I am going to start at the beginning and hopefully keep it short I don't want to bore anyone or have them reading for weeks.
Thursday (August 13th)- I was woken up really early so we could get to the airport on time. As I said goodbye to my parents outside the secruity checkpoint I somehow manage to hold back my tears though my mom had not done so well. The last things my parents said to me were that they were so proud of me and that they loved me. Then I was on my way. As always I got stopped at security because i was wearing a belt. Good one, Kelsey. Then I walked to my gate but had nothing really to do but sit and wait for the plane. I was still kinda in shock, that I was really leaving. It didn't seem real. So I wouldn't think about anything and get sad I slept on the plane. When I landed in Dallas I called my parents, Craig and Josh as well as texting everyone I knew for the last time. I had some Texas BBQ because that's a must in Texas. :) It seemed like I was waiting forever for my plane to come. When I finally got to my plane was almost empty, I had a whole two seats to myself. So I spread out and watched 17 again and then fell asleep. That was the end of my half birthday.

Friday (August 14th)- I didn't sleep well on the plane, I kept making parts of my body fall asleep, and the cranky flight attendant was mad that I didn't eat my breakfast and we were landing in 30 minutes. All I could remember thinking was, we are here already?? I was nervous that I had filled out the customs forms correctly (the video didn't work on the flight) and then I had to go. It was a long walk around the outside of the airport and then I headed for the line that said "Foreigners". I waited for what seemed like ever, and then it was a short walk to the baggage claim and my bag was waiting for me. I then walked outside to the cold São Paulo air and had the option of going two ways out of the exit. I, of course, choose the wrong direction. But my host family called to me and I was soon in their arms, Valería (mom), João Paulo (dad), João Heitor (host brother), and Álvaro (host brother). As I sat in the car for the one hour drive to my town the first thing I at in Brasil was raspberry candy. I hope this isn't foreshadowing anything.. As I drove through the Brasillian countryside it was so beautiful. So green and there are rolling hills all around. Once I got to the city, it was a short drive past Johnson and Johnson to my new house. A sign was welcoming me as I entered. We then ate breakfast, french bread and papaya. Then I started unpacking my stuff, with Álvaro always hanging around. Álvaro and I played Uno so I could learn portuguese numbers and colors and he could learn them in English. For lunch we headed to casa de vó, my grandma's house. I met some cousins, Fred and Marie, and their mom, tia Marta. Lunch was an excellent rice, beans, brocoli and meat with mushrooms. Pumpkin and cloves was my dessert. At home minha mãe and I got dropped off so I could take a nap while the part of my family went to the grocery store. After I was rested some, mãe woke me up so I could get ready for everyone to come over. Our small backyard was soon crowded with cousins, aunts and friends. Fred, Marie and tia Marta were back as well as Rico, Pam and Naty, plus Bruna, Maria, João, and João Victor. (Anyone starting to get the idea that everyone here is named João?) My host dad cooked pizza. But it was not just any pizza. The toppings were, brocoli, corn and tuna to name a few. Dessert was banana pizza. So delicious! When the last of my cousins left we all sat in the living room while my host dad played the piano. My host brothers were asleep on the couch so we decided it was time to go to bed. My first day in Brasil was great!

Saturday (Auguest 15th)- I was awaken by minha mãe because we were going to visist her brother in another town for his birthday. We drove by many factories, Fujifilm, Nestle, and a windshield company. We drove through the town my host mom grew up in and by the biggest church in Brasil. At minha mãe's brother's house no one spoke english so I sat there and listened to everyone in portuguese, trying to understand something. They had two dogs and a mouse that Álvaro found very entertaining and kept showing me and making me hold. We looked at Mima's pictures from De Pere and her at Red Robin. Oh how I miss that. I played a motocycle video game with Álvaro and then it was time to go home. The loooooong drive back was due to my host brothers amount of energy combined with my amount of tiredness. They were fighting, singing and moving constantly. When we finally got home I took another nap before the other Kelsey came. She woke me up when she came but it was a good thing. We sat downstairs and watched Harry Potter and Goblet of Fire on WB. Minha mãe had gone to the airport with Bruna's family to see her off so meu pai took us to dinner at the corner hamburger stand. I had a hamburger with egg, something i never do, and pineapple juice with milk. When we came home we finished watching Freaky Friday and Álvaro sat next me while I was talking friends on the computer and he was playing a game. It was so cute. :) We went to bed around midnight. But then Kelsey and I stayed up talking, playing Farkle, and listening to music. When it got to be too late in the morning we decided we should go to bed.

Sunday (August 16th)- We took advantage of when minha mãe said we should sleep as late as we wanted, we slept till 2! Tu Tu was over, another cousin, and everyone just relaxed, reading books, playing computer games, making bracelets and I was looking over stuff for school tomorrow. Once Kelsey had left, my other cousins, Rico, Pam and Naty called me to go out with them for açaí. We went along with João and Álvaro. I had it with condensed milk, it was really good but really sweet. After I got back and hung out with the boys for a bit, Tu Tu's parents came by and we discussed plans for the upcoming break. Mãe, pai and I went over the rotary questions from the first night and I asked any questions I had. I think I am really going to like the Benedetto household. Then my host brother yelled, "Kelsey, seus pais!" My parents were online to talk about my first couple days. It was so good to talk to them. We had "dinner", leftover pasta from lunch, and then hung out in the living room before going to sleep.

Monday (August 17th)- I was so restless for school that I didn't sleep much. Minha mãe was taking me, Fred and Kelsey to school on the first day. From the moment you walk in the school everything you see is bright green and blue. We put our stuff down and then go out of the classroom to continue talking to people until the second bell rings and the teacher goes to class. My first class was Brasillain Geography. I just sat there and tried to understand and took some notes. I met all of Fred's friends, he is in my class. My classes went as follwed: Math, History, Biology, Math and Physics. When the teacher was not in the class everyone is talking, throwing papers, passing notes, shouting.. it gets so crazy. I had so much fun though. I walked with Ylena after school so Maria could pick us up, Kelsey had left school early because she was not feeling well. I met João and Álvaro as I was coming home. I then ate lunch and talked to some friends on facebook. At 7, my councelor and her husband come over to meet me. They were so nice and I feel completely comfortable with them. We talked about Yakima and I showed her my room. After they left we made portuguese sentences to help me learn as well as putting words on everyday objects. Then everyone gathered around the piano to sing Avirl Lavinge, Jason Mraz, and Miley Cyrus. Then I got one last gift, Havianas!, and went to bed.

Tuesday (August 18th)- I was still nervous for school but Fred's dad picked me up and everything went fine. Classes were less interesting today, just biology, chem, history, history, chem, and biology. I am starting to understand more and fit in a little better. Lunch was delicious as usual, "beef", potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and passion fruit juice. While João took João to get his haircut, minha mãe and I decided to rest a bit before going to the store, well I ended up falling asleep. Another cousin came over, Ahnina. Then Joãos came home and the noise kept building, minha mãe started talking on the phone and I began to get overwhelmed. So I finished my conversations and took another nap. I got woken up to help set the table and it had started raining. A friend of Valería's came over and got a massage and then Janinha came over to exchange money with me. There was a bit of a mix-up. Minha mãe thought I had $5000 with me not the $500 I had. But that was resolved quickly. I was talking with my host family and I looked at the clock, it was almost 12! I had to go to sleep!!!

Wednesday (August 19th)- After passing out came an early wake up. School today started with math, then chem and then biology. The teacher was asking individual people questions, and got to me, not knowing I was an exchange student. Some yelled out "É americana." So then my teacher said "I come in peace" (in portuguese) and then started talking in spanish and french so no one understood him. He then said bem-vindo, but it took me a while to understand so he said, "WEL-COME" It was so funny/embarrassing. The entire class laughed. He then pointed out stuff in english the rest of the class. Then the classes repeated and when I got back to biology my teacher waved at me and had me say stuff in portuguese to embarrass myself. After school, Marie, Gabi, Mario, Kelsey and I went to CenterVale Shopping. I bought new jeans! Now I have a Brasillian style. Mario walked with us, and ever so often would say oi to Kelsey or I and ask to take a picture with us. It was so funny. Marie asked if I would like to go out with them later for a friend's birthday so when I got home I had to get ready. I put on my new jeans and boots. We went back to the mall and at a fancy restaurant there. I was introduced to Me, Bru, Iza, Taliz, Goedes, Bruna, and Gabi again, plus Marie. It was so much fun, everyone wanted to take pictures with me (Marie said I am a rockstart), ask me questions and make me say stuff in portuguese. They laughed so hard when we sang happy birthday and I didn't know how so I just clapped a lot. I got home about 11 and had to go to bed for school tomorrow.

Thursday (August 20th)- I was not hungry this morning from eating so much the night before so I had papaya and took two muffins to school. School was chem, history, physics, chem, math and phsyics. I still had not enough sleep and was falling asleep in class like most days. I met some other girls in my class and went to the drugstore with them during our first break. During second break I talked with Ylena and got chocolate from the library, with a strawberry in it! After school, Fred told me we were going to my grandma's house for a special lunch. It was salmon, stroganoff, rice, french fries and limeade. I practiced my portuguese with vó and her maid, they were so proud of me. Then Marie came over and gave minha mãe and I manicures for Rotary that night. I got mine done in vibrant green. :) Then Marie and I hung out, talking, until I had to go to Rotary. We arrived late because Maria and Kelsey were late to pick us up, so the meeting had already started. I was introduced to my club by Terezinha and I was introduced to my third host family. They seem really nice too. The meeting was very short, only an hour. I gave my family their gifts and they love them so much. :)

Friday (August 21th)- Today I did not have to go to school because I was visiting the mayor of São José dos Campos. Well I actually ended up meeting the mayor's assistant, who was so nice, and watched a video on São José. I met the other exchange students as well, Oscar from Mexico and Jill from Germany. Before going home we got dropped off at Terezinha's apartment. The view from there is so amazing. Then I went home to eat lunch and went to the paper store with minha mãe to by a notebook for school. I still need to do my power point for this weekend so we picked up Marie to help me. Then I still needed an American flag so we decided to make one. Marie and I bought paint and paper and went to her house because my crazy host brothers would not be around. Well my other cousins were at her house, Tu Tu and Anhina. But they were not too crazy and we went to work. After drawing all 50 stars and 13 stripes, Marie and I were in the middle of painted the stripes when tia Marta came in and said, you can keep painting if you want but we have found an english school that will let you borrow a flag. So we stopped and went inside to watch Zoey 101. We were hungry so they ordered tuna pizza, the best!, and the my family came over to eat it. When Marie and I got done watching Drake and Josh it was time to go home. I had to talk to my parents! I was so late to talk to them but I had so much to tell them. Then I listened to my host dad play the piano, even though I had a headache >:(, and packed for my orientation camp this weekend.

I will be updating this week by week so look next Friday for an update!