in the past month, i have beeen doing some activities that made me think, "man, i'm a dude!"
my current family loves to go jeeeeping. jeeeping is basicallly taking a jeeep on "paths" (no, they are not paths, you make your own) and explore places that you cannt normallly seee with a car. we climbed the mountains in coronel fabriciano, me being thrown around in the backseat, seeeing alll of Vale de Aço and eventuallly stopping to hike through nature (yes, i did think about getting attack by anacondas again. its always on my mind here) we went to a waterfalll, hiddden by the treees and would have gone unnoticed if it wasnt for the crashing water. when we got close, i looked to my dad and said with a huge grin on my face, "can i go under the fallls?"
"oooh ofcourse!"
i threw offf my shoes and ran under the falllls, running and dancing around, soaking up the energy that radiated from the waterfalll.
afterwards, i was dripping wet, dirt everywhere, smellling of lake water, leaves interlocked in my hair, and a huge SMILE acrosss my face. :D just being one of the boyss..
my next family is reallly into shoting guns so they invited me to this special clube here where you practice shoting at targets. i've never shot a gun before in my life so i was prettty excited to shot at litttle targets, and so was my father and brother. they had 3 or 4 diffferent types of guns and they kept kinda throwing them at me, "here, try this one. ooh here's another one, try it. youre doing great, ariana, again!" and i was doing prettty goood (according to myself) for someone who has never touched a gun before. i hit probably a goood 10 targets !
*sidenote: people dont hunt animals here. because of their love for animals and the Amazon, it just doesnt happen (which i find funnny cause where i'm from, EVERYONE hunts.) theres a joke here that if you shot a person, youll go to trail for it and such. but if you shot an animal, youre going to jail.
just being one of the boyss..
my last family invited me to go repealing down a waterfalll with them for my brothers birthday.
ofcourse i said yes. who can say that they have ever repealed down a waterfalll before?
we traveled outside of the city, through more dirt roads that eventually just lead to dirt where we had to walk another km to our waterfalll. the view was absolutley out of this world! i wanted to camp there and just spend hours and hours just loooking at the surrounding mountains and valleys and other waterfallls and greeeen forests. so beauitful!
while the repeal team set up the equitment me and the boys explored the area, climbing down to the base of the waterfalll. everyone is fallling on their buttts cause of the wet rocks. it was one after the other after the other after the other, just EVERYONE is falling on their butts and we are laughing like its the funniest thing in the world. then its my turn and im thinking, "i'm not gonna falll." i hit the ground so hard,
so we are splashing at the base of the falll, its deeep enough to swim so we are just swimming around in our clothes. we got out to have a litttle snack and we were dry within 20min because the sun is THAT powerful here. we had lunch at the top of the waterfalll. who can say that they had a picnic on a waterfalll? it was so peacefull and relaxing.
we watched one group of 3 repeal down the falll and i'm thinking, "man this loooks awesome! and easy"
it was one of the most challenging, grueling, difficult things i have ever down in my entire life. and i am dead serious.
the waterfalll was set up kinda in 3steps, one was not in the water, the second just your feeet would be gettting wet and the third step youre whole body would be submerged in the gushing water.
my arm is aching, my leg is cramping up, my glove is fallling offf, my back is hurting, i'm getting commands yellled at in português that i can barely hear, i'm slipping everywhere on the rocks, my leg is bleeeding blood cause i wacked it offf the rock, we are screaming out our energy, im yellling out my pain. now the water is gushing over my face and i can barely seeee and breathe. i can hear everyone below yellling encouragements to keeep on going.
IT WAS AMAZING !
afterwards, we are dirty: theres mud on everyones clothes; people neeed bandaids on every part of their body; we smelll of sweat; everyone is sunburn to the max; people have bloood on their clothing, blood of someone else; we have bruises and cuts on our legs and arms.
the day was perfect, just being one of the boyss..
i think we can alll say that ariana is kinda like a dude now.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Dia de Ação de Graças
Thanksgiving Day
While you all were snuggled up near the televisions watching footballl and eating as much foood that was humanly possible, i was laying by the pooool, reading a good book, preparing for my own Thanksgiving Feast, here in Brasil.
my family was reallllllllly excited for the dinner that i had planned for them. Since the day I moved in, they already were anticapating, a month beforeheand, the meal that is All-American, something they only seee on movies. Because i have made this day out to be one of the best days of the year on the American calandor, they were expecting ALOT. please remember that i'm just a girl with eightteen years who has never cooked a meal for 14 people.
my feast consisted of:
Turkey (peru)
Sweet Potatoes (batata duce)
Stuffing (doesnt exist in português)
Apple Pie (torta de maçã)
Pumpkin Pie (torta de abóbora)
what a challenge it was to find all these ingredients
I made the pies the night before and i have to admitt, for someone who has never made a pie before, they turned out prettty dang good. it was nothing in comparison of Grandmas or the pies we buy from the church, but hey.. Brasilerios have never tasted the sweeetnesss of Grandmas pies so i was in luck ;D
the only problem was with the pumpkin pie. they dont have a can of pumkin like we have at home where you can just buy at Wal*Mart. therefore my momma and i made a replacement: a real pumkpin. we bought a pumkin from the supermarket (pumkpin is commonly eatten here) boiled it down and got alll the gooodness out of it. Let me telll you, it was wayyy better than the can; i will never use a can of pumkin again.
I cooked the stufffing the morning of and it definatly didnt have any "curb appeal" it did not look prettty at alll but it was good! i got the recipe offline and i was proud, and surprised, of myself once again.
The whole family gathered that night to give thanks to our God for alll our blesssings and to taste Ariana's creations. I said a prayer before, in English, and then said, "Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Now let's eat!"
It was a beauitful evening full of laughter and wine and friendship and way to much fooood, ofcourse. I looked around at everything and just had to smile: I'm having Thanksgiving, an American holiday, with Brasilerios.
They HAD to include rice on the meal of fooood. I was a litttle bit appauled with that fact; never have i heard of people eating rice on Thanksgiving. But when i looked at everyones plate, EVERYONE had a cupfull of rice. And when i said this to my brother, he was like, "Its Brasil Baby." só no Brasil..
I skyped with my family the day of Thanksgiving and afterward I got a litttle sad, thinking, "man, i wish i was there eating Grandma's cranberry sauce or seeing Mick and Chris from London, or gettting attacked by Aunt Monica's dog."
But i wasnt there. I was here, in Brasil. Excatly where I am suppose to be..
While you all were snuggled up near the televisions watching footballl and eating as much foood that was humanly possible, i was laying by the pooool, reading a good book, preparing for my own Thanksgiving Feast, here in Brasil.
my family was reallllllllly excited for the dinner that i had planned for them. Since the day I moved in, they already were anticapating, a month beforeheand, the meal that is All-American, something they only seee on movies. Because i have made this day out to be one of the best days of the year on the American calandor, they were expecting ALOT. please remember that i'm just a girl with eightteen years who has never cooked a meal for 14 people.
my feast consisted of:
Turkey (peru)
Sweet Potatoes (batata duce)
Stuffing (doesnt exist in português)
Apple Pie (torta de maçã)
Pumpkin Pie (torta de abóbora)
what a challenge it was to find all these ingredients
I made the pies the night before and i have to admitt, for someone who has never made a pie before, they turned out prettty dang good. it was nothing in comparison of Grandmas or the pies we buy from the church, but hey.. Brasilerios have never tasted the sweeetnesss of Grandmas pies so i was in luck ;D
the only problem was with the pumpkin pie. they dont have a can of pumkin like we have at home where you can just buy at Wal*Mart. therefore my momma and i made a replacement: a real pumkpin. we bought a pumkin from the supermarket (pumkpin is commonly eatten here) boiled it down and got alll the gooodness out of it. Let me telll you, it was wayyy better than the can; i will never use a can of pumkin again.
I cooked the stufffing the morning of and it definatly didnt have any "curb appeal" it did not look prettty at alll but it was good! i got the recipe offline and i was proud, and surprised, of myself once again.
The whole family gathered that night to give thanks to our God for alll our blesssings and to taste Ariana's creations. I said a prayer before, in English, and then said, "Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Now let's eat!"
It was a beauitful evening full of laughter and wine and friendship and way to much fooood, ofcourse. I looked around at everything and just had to smile: I'm having Thanksgiving, an American holiday, with Brasilerios.
They HAD to include rice on the meal of fooood. I was a litttle bit appauled with that fact; never have i heard of people eating rice on Thanksgiving. But when i looked at everyones plate, EVERYONE had a cupfull of rice. And when i said this to my brother, he was like, "Its Brasil Baby." só no Brasil..
I skyped with my family the day of Thanksgiving and afterward I got a litttle sad, thinking, "man, i wish i was there eating Grandma's cranberry sauce or seeing Mick and Chris from London, or gettting attacked by Aunt Monica's dog."
But i wasnt there. I was here, in Brasil. Excatly where I am suppose to be..
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
differences
i have been pondering this post for quite some time now, i wanted to think of all the differences that stand out. the funny thing is that since i have been here for 3months (três meses!) the differences arent quite so loud, so bold; i have grown accussed to them, they are just part of my daily life
*ofcourse, the major difference at first was the language, português. but now, its the exact opposite. when i hear inglês from someone that usually doesnt speak inglês, i think, "wait that isnt right. i didnt have to translate that. ..ohmygosh thats my native language, inglês!! woahh"
*the climate. hottt. ofcourse, everyone is envious when i telll them i spent the day by the pool, gettting sun burn and i have another summer vacation coming soon. but the truth is, its gettting so hottt that its not even funn. this wkend, i wanted to cut my hair offf cause it was making me sweat somuch. everyone says that you dont know what hottt is until you are in Vale do Aço, Brasil in Januray. should be fun !
*like most south american countries, Brasil's biggest meal is lunch. i didnt think i woud love having my biggest meal in the middle of the day, but man, i love it somuch. i look forward to it during school, hoping that we have a big delicous fresh salad, thinking of the savory beans and rice.. ahh i am coming home to US expecting a fullcourse meal in front of me at 12:30
*having a maid, in one word, is amazing. i know that i am slowly becoming spoiled. my maid was gone for 3days, i am not exergatering when i tell you that i was struggling: my bed wasnt made, my bathroom was a mess, my laudry was overpiling. i neeeeeded some help !
*clothing here, esp womens, are ofcouse diffferent. diffferent land, diffferent styles. i told you all about the bikinnis, you can only imagine what they wear during the day. its not modest and i always feeel like the conserative american cause i like layers and turtle-necks and cardigns.
*everyones nails here are always neatly manicured and colored. my nailbeds are always a mess therefore i look slopppy.
*speaking of fashion and how fabuous brasilerias are, everyone wears highheeels. go to the mall on thursday afternoon, lets put my heeels on. going to a random dirty bar, put my heeels are. so OFCOURSE i had to get a pair :D
*this is one of my favorite differences and its probably the stupidest one there is: girls know how to put their hair up without having a hairtie. they can liek twist and knot it in a way that it will stay up ! its the cooolest thing ever and i try with my own hair, but its tooo curly (bushy)
* public transporation, buses, train, bikes, are very commonly used. i have learned how to take the bus, meu deus, that is a hilarious post
*have i already told you enough times that brasilerios drivers, make me car sick? well just to get the point acrosss, it makes me sick, all the time
*every neighborhood (ipatinga has over 30 and the neighborhood is kinda like the size of "downtown" new wilmington) has a fresh bakery which people visit on a daily bases
*almost everyone goes to the country clube, for both social purposes and to practice sports. i like it :)
*justin beiber is a controvsial isssue here: you either love him or hate his guts haha
*common professions that teenagers desire: medicine or enigeer (when i say that i want to be a professora, maybe, they look at me funny cause that career path isnt with high respect)
*teenagers, i think, are more stressed about their classes and future than US teeens. they have to take a test, similar to the SATs, but when Universities look at the students, they only look at the test, Vestibular, not their previous grades, activites, recommandtions etc. just the test which causes alotalot stressss.
*every school has a uniform. atfirst, i hated this idea cause usually i look nice for school. here is the complete opposite: i roll outta bed at the ungody hour of 6am, take a shower, and leave. no makeup, dont do my hair, dont put anything cute on. i am a sloppppy messs. but thats how everyone looks (sorrry if that upsets anyone, but lets be honest, we are sloppy at school)
*McDonalds &Burger King. thats alll. no one knows of Wendies, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, White Castle, A&W etc. just this. McDonalds is considered expensive which i find kinda funnny. a meal is around R$14 which could get you better quality, healthier meal
*Brasil = affectionate.
então, this is way i wanted Brasil. this is their culture. and this is what i have grown to get used to, these are the reasons why whenever people mention Brasil, my heart just throbs with allll the love i have for this place. BRA > EUA
*ofcourse, the major difference at first was the language, português. but now, its the exact opposite. when i hear inglês from someone that usually doesnt speak inglês, i think, "wait that isnt right. i didnt have to translate that. ..ohmygosh thats my native language, inglês!! woahh"
*the climate. hottt. ofcourse, everyone is envious when i telll them i spent the day by the pool, gettting sun burn and i have another summer vacation coming soon. but the truth is, its gettting so hottt that its not even funn. this wkend, i wanted to cut my hair offf cause it was making me sweat somuch. everyone says that you dont know what hottt is until you are in Vale do Aço, Brasil in Januray. should be fun !
*like most south american countries, Brasil's biggest meal is lunch. i didnt think i woud love having my biggest meal in the middle of the day, but man, i love it somuch. i look forward to it during school, hoping that we have a big delicous fresh salad, thinking of the savory beans and rice.. ahh i am coming home to US expecting a fullcourse meal in front of me at 12:30
*having a maid, in one word, is amazing. i know that i am slowly becoming spoiled. my maid was gone for 3days, i am not exergatering when i tell you that i was struggling: my bed wasnt made, my bathroom was a mess, my laudry was overpiling. i neeeeeded some help !
*clothing here, esp womens, are ofcouse diffferent. diffferent land, diffferent styles. i told you all about the bikinnis, you can only imagine what they wear during the day. its not modest and i always feeel like the conserative american cause i like layers and turtle-necks and cardigns.
*everyones nails here are always neatly manicured and colored. my nailbeds are always a mess therefore i look slopppy.
*speaking of fashion and how fabuous brasilerias are, everyone wears highheeels. go to the mall on thursday afternoon, lets put my heeels on. going to a random dirty bar, put my heeels are. so OFCOURSE i had to get a pair :D
*this is one of my favorite differences and its probably the stupidest one there is: girls know how to put their hair up without having a hairtie. they can liek twist and knot it in a way that it will stay up ! its the cooolest thing ever and i try with my own hair, but its tooo curly (bushy)
* public transporation, buses, train, bikes, are very commonly used. i have learned how to take the bus, meu deus, that is a hilarious post
*have i already told you enough times that brasilerios drivers, make me car sick? well just to get the point acrosss, it makes me sick, all the time
*every neighborhood (ipatinga has over 30 and the neighborhood is kinda like the size of "downtown" new wilmington) has a fresh bakery which people visit on a daily bases
*almost everyone goes to the country clube, for both social purposes and to practice sports. i like it :)
*justin beiber is a controvsial isssue here: you either love him or hate his guts haha
*common professions that teenagers desire: medicine or enigeer (when i say that i want to be a professora, maybe, they look at me funny cause that career path isnt with high respect)
*teenagers, i think, are more stressed about their classes and future than US teeens. they have to take a test, similar to the SATs, but when Universities look at the students, they only look at the test, Vestibular, not their previous grades, activites, recommandtions etc. just the test which causes alotalot stressss.
*every school has a uniform. atfirst, i hated this idea cause usually i look nice for school. here is the complete opposite: i roll outta bed at the ungody hour of 6am, take a shower, and leave. no makeup, dont do my hair, dont put anything cute on. i am a sloppppy messs. but thats how everyone looks (sorrry if that upsets anyone, but lets be honest, we are sloppy at school)
*McDonalds &Burger King. thats alll. no one knows of Wendies, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, White Castle, A&W etc. just this. McDonalds is considered expensive which i find kinda funnny. a meal is around R$14 which could get you better quality, healthier meal
*Brasil = affectionate.
então, this is way i wanted Brasil. this is their culture. and this is what i have grown to get used to, these are the reasons why whenever people mention Brasil, my heart just throbs with allll the love i have for this place. BRA > EUA
Monday, November 22, 2010
segunda familia
a litttttle description of my second family for everyone:
Pires Familia:
meu pai, William:
he is a professor at the local university teaching other students on engineering because he was once an engineer as well. he is older, around 50 i think, but that doesnt mean he isnt full of energy. he is like a hurricane of energy, running from here to there in a split second. he is constantly saying, come here ariana, let me show you this, lets go here for you to seee that. just one ball of energy. he is crazyyy about nature. he has a little garden in the backyard in which he shows me his prized watermelon weekly (its progress is actually coming along very fast) on my first day here, he basically climbed their cocount treee just to get one, crack it open and have me taste (afterward he was sweeating) he has a jeeep in which he loves to ride, preferiably in with mud and rain. we went on a littttle adventure to seee beauitful waterfallss and hiddden places that wouldnt be known unlesss you had jeeep and a crazy dad to take you there. he is just a reallly sweet, kind man.
minha mãe, Gladia:
she is a business women that owns many eyeglass stores &film in the 3cities (Vale de Aço) which causes her some stress but that doesnt mean she isnt constantly with a smie on her face. she is an intelligent women, speaking português, inglês, and french all fluntly and very quickly. its funny because she speaks inglês to my brother and português to me. hah she always looks fabulous with a cool flowing dress and cute shoes. she bought me my first pair of brasileria highheels, in which you can ask Barbara Carr about them ;D she takes dance lessons, and i watched one week and it was so beauitful. the way her body moved with ease throughout the flooor, how sensual and seductive it looked, it was as if i shoudnt be watching, like it should be kept as a hidden secret between her and her professor.
meu irmão, Alessandro:
ooh Alessandro. he has 16years, being in the same year as me in school but different classrooms (he is in the smart classroom hah) he is my brother, if i ever had one in a previous life. we are constantly teasing eachother, picking on eachother, my português and his inglês, talking about pretty girls and cute boys in our classs. he is not shy towards me at all and i am not either, therefore he knows pretty much my life story. we're close. unfortunalty (or fortunatly) he is one of the most studious people i have ever met in my life. he has class in the morning. he comes home to have lunch and immediatly starts to study, then at 6 he returns to school to STUDY more. next year, he isnt returning to the same school as me, instead he has been accepted in the best school in minas gerias in BH. so i will be missing my brother when he leaves me in Feb..
minha irmã, Amalia:
I have yet to meet her, she studies in BH and hasnt had the time to come home. She comes home in the middle of Dec in which we, just me and Amalia :D will travel to Balia together. i know that she is beauitful and intelligent and will be my sisterrr :)
so thats my family :D they live in the same neighborhood as the Santos, Horto, so i can visit whenever my litttle heart desiress.
before i moved, i didnt really want to because, as you allll know, I love the Santos family. But as Rotary insists, its a good way to see a different culture and lifestyle. they are different and yet the same as the Santos, both loving and warm Brasilerios and both my family :D
Pires Familia:
meu pai, William:
he is a professor at the local university teaching other students on engineering because he was once an engineer as well. he is older, around 50 i think, but that doesnt mean he isnt full of energy. he is like a hurricane of energy, running from here to there in a split second. he is constantly saying, come here ariana, let me show you this, lets go here for you to seee that. just one ball of energy. he is crazyyy about nature. he has a little garden in the backyard in which he shows me his prized watermelon weekly (its progress is actually coming along very fast) on my first day here, he basically climbed their cocount treee just to get one, crack it open and have me taste (afterward he was sweeating) he has a jeeep in which he loves to ride, preferiably in with mud and rain. we went on a littttle adventure to seee beauitful waterfallss and hiddden places that wouldnt be known unlesss you had jeeep and a crazy dad to take you there. he is just a reallly sweet, kind man.
minha mãe, Gladia:
she is a business women that owns many eyeglass stores &film in the 3cities (Vale de Aço) which causes her some stress but that doesnt mean she isnt constantly with a smie on her face. she is an intelligent women, speaking português, inglês, and french all fluntly and very quickly. its funny because she speaks inglês to my brother and português to me. hah she always looks fabulous with a cool flowing dress and cute shoes. she bought me my first pair of brasileria highheels, in which you can ask Barbara Carr about them ;D she takes dance lessons, and i watched one week and it was so beauitful. the way her body moved with ease throughout the flooor, how sensual and seductive it looked, it was as if i shoudnt be watching, like it should be kept as a hidden secret between her and her professor.
meu irmão, Alessandro:
ooh Alessandro. he has 16years, being in the same year as me in school but different classrooms (he is in the smart classroom hah) he is my brother, if i ever had one in a previous life. we are constantly teasing eachother, picking on eachother, my português and his inglês, talking about pretty girls and cute boys in our classs. he is not shy towards me at all and i am not either, therefore he knows pretty much my life story. we're close. unfortunalty (or fortunatly) he is one of the most studious people i have ever met in my life. he has class in the morning. he comes home to have lunch and immediatly starts to study, then at 6 he returns to school to STUDY more. next year, he isnt returning to the same school as me, instead he has been accepted in the best school in minas gerias in BH. so i will be missing my brother when he leaves me in Feb..
minha irmã, Amalia:
I have yet to meet her, she studies in BH and hasnt had the time to come home. She comes home in the middle of Dec in which we, just me and Amalia :D will travel to Balia together. i know that she is beauitful and intelligent and will be my sisterrr :)
so thats my family :D they live in the same neighborhood as the Santos, Horto, so i can visit whenever my litttle heart desiress.
before i moved, i didnt really want to because, as you allll know, I love the Santos family. But as Rotary insists, its a good way to see a different culture and lifestyle. they are different and yet the same as the Santos, both loving and warm Brasilerios and both my family :D
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
provas
after having been in school for almost 3months now, i have taken a total (count em) 2 tests! wooah. and both are going to be detailed for all of you below:
first of all, you have to understand the school system here. they typically make 2tests here a week, only on friday. for awhile here, i didnt like fridays at school. before you think i am crazy (what teenageer doesnt like fridays) let me explain:
everyone is stressing about the tests. they study so much that they barely have time for conversation, or to make fun and laugh at their favorite american. which isnt funn.
we have inglês class on friday, just once a week, and NO ONE pays attention which made me mad for a little bit. half of my class has perfect inglês and the other half doesnt speak but a few words. I just wanted to listen to my native language for 40mintues, pleasee! the one class i can actually understand, i cant understand cause everyone elses loud calls to eachother drown out professora.
before i made the tests, i would have to sit and wait by myself for the bus while everyone else made the tests. i just wanted to be included with everyone else, so i wanted to try this "prova" stufff, so i did. and heres how it went:
primeria provas estava inglês:
my class had to read Phantom of the Opera, a condesed version ofcourse, for a test that would be made in groups of two. the week before the test, i read their book in 5mintues cause i was bored during class, completely forgetting everything. so when i come into inglês, i ask the professora if i can make the test and she says ofcourse. so this boy comes over to me, Ricardo, a boy that i havent really talked with much, and he wants to be my partner for the test. i say, yeah sure ofcourse.
when we sit down for the test, everyone is yelling, "HEY thats not fair, he has the Americana. She speaks inglês." guys, dont be jealous of him, i dont remember this book at all hahah
we start making the test and he kinda just throws it on me, you speak inglês, this must be easy for you. "Ricardo, did you read the book?"
well no.
sweet, so when we get everything wrong, cause you didnt read the book and i dont remember anything, youre gonna blame me.
we got our tests back today and we made 4/5 ..haha
a girl by the name of vanessa, who DOESNT speak any inglês, made a 5/5 ..explain yourself now menina.
segunda prova de sociologia:
this past friday, the organizer of the 2nd year came up to me after class and asked if i would like to try and make a test today, either math ou sociologia. considering the fact that the math here looks like a Senior in Law School would be struggling with, i went with Sociologia.
I come in late for the test, everyone already is engrossed with their own material but i can see some smirks on their faces like, "haha she is gonna make this test, boa sorte americana."
there are about 5muilpte choice questions but its nothing like our mulipte choice. these muilpte choice, you had to read a huge paragraph (in portugês) then each A B C D was another paragraph in itself (again, português) lets just say that it took me a good long while to get through those questions.
but i could moreorless understand the questions ( i had my best friend, português dictionario, with me ) if i actually paid attention in class then i would maybe have done better in that part. but Mr.Lutz, i was channeling back to your class, all those months again, trying to remember all the knowledge and insight you gave us.
then came the short answer, now it gets interesting :D
the first one, i literally wrote (in português) I dont speak português. I understand the question but dont know how to respond. Sorry Professor.
Next question i actually tried to answer in português, but i think i just rambled on and on, using the same words over and over. HEY, i tried.
Final question, just to be annoying, i responded in inglês. Sorry professor. Someone was like, but "ariana i dont think he speaks inglês." ..yeah but i speak inglês hahah
After i left the classroom, i guess the teacher let everyone look at my test, everyone laughed at what i wrote! i was embarrassed :( bahh nahh, nothing embarrassses me anymore.
this past week, someone asked me if i understood the material on the test. i said yeah moreorless. they were like, haha i didnt understand ANYTHING! ..welll that makes me feel a little better. haha
this week is the final week of classes then next week is all tests.
after that baby, ITS SUMMER VACATION !!
bring on the sun burn, lazy days, Christmas, travels, New Years, and parties. I am so ready
first of all, you have to understand the school system here. they typically make 2tests here a week, only on friday. for awhile here, i didnt like fridays at school. before you think i am crazy (what teenageer doesnt like fridays) let me explain:
everyone is stressing about the tests. they study so much that they barely have time for conversation, or to make fun and laugh at their favorite american. which isnt funn.
we have inglês class on friday, just once a week, and NO ONE pays attention which made me mad for a little bit. half of my class has perfect inglês and the other half doesnt speak but a few words. I just wanted to listen to my native language for 40mintues, pleasee! the one class i can actually understand, i cant understand cause everyone elses loud calls to eachother drown out professora.
before i made the tests, i would have to sit and wait by myself for the bus while everyone else made the tests. i just wanted to be included with everyone else, so i wanted to try this "prova" stufff, so i did. and heres how it went:
primeria provas estava inglês:
my class had to read Phantom of the Opera, a condesed version ofcourse, for a test that would be made in groups of two. the week before the test, i read their book in 5mintues cause i was bored during class, completely forgetting everything. so when i come into inglês, i ask the professora if i can make the test and she says ofcourse. so this boy comes over to me, Ricardo, a boy that i havent really talked with much, and he wants to be my partner for the test. i say, yeah sure ofcourse.
when we sit down for the test, everyone is yelling, "HEY thats not fair, he has the Americana. She speaks inglês." guys, dont be jealous of him, i dont remember this book at all hahah
we start making the test and he kinda just throws it on me, you speak inglês, this must be easy for you. "Ricardo, did you read the book?"
well no.
sweet, so when we get everything wrong, cause you didnt read the book and i dont remember anything, youre gonna blame me.
we got our tests back today and we made 4/5 ..haha
a girl by the name of vanessa, who DOESNT speak any inglês, made a 5/5 ..explain yourself now menina.
segunda prova de sociologia:
this past friday, the organizer of the 2nd year came up to me after class and asked if i would like to try and make a test today, either math ou sociologia. considering the fact that the math here looks like a Senior in Law School would be struggling with, i went with Sociologia.
I come in late for the test, everyone already is engrossed with their own material but i can see some smirks on their faces like, "haha she is gonna make this test, boa sorte americana."
there are about 5muilpte choice questions but its nothing like our mulipte choice. these muilpte choice, you had to read a huge paragraph (in portugês) then each A B C D was another paragraph in itself (again, português) lets just say that it took me a good long while to get through those questions.
but i could moreorless understand the questions ( i had my best friend, português dictionario, with me ) if i actually paid attention in class then i would maybe have done better in that part. but Mr.Lutz, i was channeling back to your class, all those months again, trying to remember all the knowledge and insight you gave us.
then came the short answer, now it gets interesting :D
the first one, i literally wrote (in português) I dont speak português. I understand the question but dont know how to respond. Sorry Professor.
Next question i actually tried to answer in português, but i think i just rambled on and on, using the same words over and over. HEY, i tried.
Final question, just to be annoying, i responded in inglês. Sorry professor. Someone was like, but "ariana i dont think he speaks inglês." ..yeah but i speak inglês hahah
After i left the classroom, i guess the teacher let everyone look at my test, everyone laughed at what i wrote! i was embarrassed :( bahh nahh, nothing embarrassses me anymore.
this past week, someone asked me if i understood the material on the test. i said yeah moreorless. they were like, haha i didnt understand ANYTHING! ..welll that makes me feel a little better. haha
this week is the final week of classes then next week is all tests.
after that baby, ITS SUMMER VACATION !!
bring on the sun burn, lazy days, Christmas, travels, New Years, and parties. I am so ready
Monday, November 8, 2010
switching
yesterday, Nov7, i switched families.
this is a little early (ive only been here for 2 1/2 months and typically you switch after 4months) but many factors were considered for the switch. my second family, the Pires, have 2children. Amalia has 19 years, and Alessandro has 16years. Amalia studies in BH but will live at home for the hoildays, December-January. Alessandro is in the same class as me but will also go to BH to study after he finishes this year. so if i would stay in the Santos family for the correct amount of time, until December, than being in this family, I wouldnt get to spend alot of time with my siblings :) plus, after the third family, i can go back to the Santos for the remaining two months if i want. ooh i want to. it all makes sense but leaving was not easy.
the morning of the big move was rainy and just a crappy day, which contributed to my mood. i felt sad and tired and anxious and lazy. had little to no motativation to switch. i literally packed my life into 3suitcases within an hour time frame. it was a messss.
i just wanted this whole process to be like taking off a bandage, fast and painlessss. but i knew deeep down, i would cry when i had to say goodbye.
and guess what? i did cry
not because i didnt want to move into this family because i know i already love this family. but because i love the Santos family THAT much.
they have been with me since April when they first emailed me giving me details about Ipatinga, helping me through the frustrating process of the Visa (just thinking of that dang Visa makes me hate the postoffice even more, STILL) they were the first people i met in Brasil, holding up the SEJA BEM VINDA sign and hugging &kissing me when i was in arms reach. i know their whole extended family, cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles. its like they are my family too. they held me when i cried and kissed away the nonsense of my worries. they listened to my worthless portuguese and taught me SO MUCH. we laughed over everything and had many conversations, in english and portuguese, about everything. they took me places that could only be described in pictures because words fail. they gave me more love than i could imagine possible, considering i was never actually their daughter. but now, i am their daughter and they are my family.
so i would like to thankyou, Rógerio, Flávia Laura, and Vítor, pai, mãe, iramã, iramoã. Muito Obrigada . know that i could never repay you for everything you have done.
this is a little early (ive only been here for 2 1/2 months and typically you switch after 4months) but many factors were considered for the switch. my second family, the Pires, have 2children. Amalia has 19 years, and Alessandro has 16years. Amalia studies in BH but will live at home for the hoildays, December-January. Alessandro is in the same class as me but will also go to BH to study after he finishes this year. so if i would stay in the Santos family for the correct amount of time, until December, than being in this family, I wouldnt get to spend alot of time with my siblings :) plus, after the third family, i can go back to the Santos for the remaining two months if i want. ooh i want to. it all makes sense but leaving was not easy.
the morning of the big move was rainy and just a crappy day, which contributed to my mood. i felt sad and tired and anxious and lazy. had little to no motativation to switch. i literally packed my life into 3suitcases within an hour time frame. it was a messss.
i just wanted this whole process to be like taking off a bandage, fast and painlessss. but i knew deeep down, i would cry when i had to say goodbye.
and guess what? i did cry
not because i didnt want to move into this family because i know i already love this family. but because i love the Santos family THAT much.
they have been with me since April when they first emailed me giving me details about Ipatinga, helping me through the frustrating process of the Visa (just thinking of that dang Visa makes me hate the postoffice even more, STILL) they were the first people i met in Brasil, holding up the SEJA BEM VINDA sign and hugging &kissing me when i was in arms reach. i know their whole extended family, cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles. its like they are my family too. they held me when i cried and kissed away the nonsense of my worries. they listened to my worthless portuguese and taught me SO MUCH. we laughed over everything and had many conversations, in english and portuguese, about everything. they took me places that could only be described in pictures because words fail. they gave me more love than i could imagine possible, considering i was never actually their daughter. but now, i am their daughter and they are my family.
so i would like to thankyou, Rógerio, Flávia Laura, and Vítor, pai, mãe, iramã, iramoã. Muito Obrigada . know that i could never repay you for everything you have done.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
a língua, português
after that last post about the wax, everyone seems to know me a litttle toooooo well.
but i know what youre thinking, "ariana, enough about fabulous vacations, surprise birthday parties and waxes that make you scream. we wanna know about what youre suppose to be doing there: learning portuguese!"
i've been here for a little over 2months now (holy cow) and i can honestly say that it depends each day.
Sometimes I feel like I know ALOT of português, like i can have a conversation with my friends and family and not even have to think or translate, just speak. that in itself, is one of the most beauitful feelings i have ever felt. to think that i know a language that 2months ago, i knew 6words, is astonishing.
you also have to understand how much i love português. its a romance language, along with spanish, italian, and french, all formed by the roots of latin. as Liz Gilbert would say, each word, its like a truffle. like a sweet candy that rolls off your tongue.
for football fans, speaking português is like your favorite team winning the SuperBowl.
for Grandma Hall, speaking português is like you winning the lottery.
I love it that much.
Now, dont let my love for this language fool you, i am no fluent speaker that learned everything she needed to know within a 2month period.
I am waiting for the day that i can have a conversation with Vanessa or Iasmim or any other of classmate that doesnt speak english and not have to grab my dictionary or have Laura translate for me.
I am waiting for the day when a teacher makes a ridiculous comment and the class erupts into laughter, that i can laugh along too and ACTUALLY know what they are laughing at.
I am waitng for the day when i wake up and know that i dreamt in português..
Am i being patient?
Absoletly not.
i wanted all these things the first week I arrived here. Many of you have no idea what its like to sit in a room with 40kids and not understand a thing they are saying. To gather around a table for a meal and just sit and listen, trying to catch atleast what they are talking about. To have people talk to you and you just nodd and smile cause you are tried of saying what? repeat? again &again. To cherish all the conversations that you understand, whether in english or português.
And that is the joy of being an exchange student :D
Sometimes i get really frustrated with my português. why cant i understand this, why cant i understand when they talk to eachother REALLLY quickly, why cantt they understand ME when i try to say a new word and completely butcher it, why cant i just join a conversation without having to think really hard about what to say? ahhh!
You better believe that I am coming back with many many MANY português phrases that i will be saying, and you will be tooo :) some of these phrases make NO sense in english, there is no translation. like everyone says, vei, meaning "dude" but vei is short for old. why are you calling each other old?
or minha filha or meu fihlo, my son/daughter. why are you calling eachother your daughter? you cant even have kids yet.
or my personal favorite: Nossa Senhora. Translation in the dictionary is Our Lady but its used like Ohmygosh. Our Lady..huh?
my love of português, a beauitful langauge that someone back home should start studying so that we can tlak to eachother :) overrules how frustarting it is to communicate in the land of Ipatinga ;D
but i know what youre thinking, "ariana, enough about fabulous vacations, surprise birthday parties and waxes that make you scream. we wanna know about what youre suppose to be doing there: learning portuguese!"
i've been here for a little over 2months now (holy cow) and i can honestly say that it depends each day.
Sometimes I feel like I know ALOT of português, like i can have a conversation with my friends and family and not even have to think or translate, just speak. that in itself, is one of the most beauitful feelings i have ever felt. to think that i know a language that 2months ago, i knew 6words, is astonishing.
you also have to understand how much i love português. its a romance language, along with spanish, italian, and french, all formed by the roots of latin. as Liz Gilbert would say, each word, its like a truffle. like a sweet candy that rolls off your tongue.
for football fans, speaking português is like your favorite team winning the SuperBowl.
for Grandma Hall, speaking português is like you winning the lottery.
I love it that much.
Now, dont let my love for this language fool you, i am no fluent speaker that learned everything she needed to know within a 2month period.
I am waiting for the day that i can have a conversation with Vanessa or Iasmim or any other of classmate that doesnt speak english and not have to grab my dictionary or have Laura translate for me.
I am waiting for the day when a teacher makes a ridiculous comment and the class erupts into laughter, that i can laugh along too and ACTUALLY know what they are laughing at.
I am waitng for the day when i wake up and know that i dreamt in português..
Am i being patient?
Absoletly not.
i wanted all these things the first week I arrived here. Many of you have no idea what its like to sit in a room with 40kids and not understand a thing they are saying. To gather around a table for a meal and just sit and listen, trying to catch atleast what they are talking about. To have people talk to you and you just nodd and smile cause you are tried of saying what? repeat? again &again. To cherish all the conversations that you understand, whether in english or português.
And that is the joy of being an exchange student :D
Sometimes i get really frustrated with my português. why cant i understand this, why cant i understand when they talk to eachother REALLLY quickly, why cantt they understand ME when i try to say a new word and completely butcher it, why cant i just join a conversation without having to think really hard about what to say? ahhh!
You better believe that I am coming back with many many MANY português phrases that i will be saying, and you will be tooo :) some of these phrases make NO sense in english, there is no translation. like everyone says, vei, meaning "dude" but vei is short for old. why are you calling each other old?
or minha filha or meu fihlo, my son/daughter. why are you calling eachother your daughter? you cant even have kids yet.
or my personal favorite: Nossa Senhora. Translation in the dictionary is Our Lady but its used like Ohmygosh. Our Lady..huh?
my love of português, a beauitful langauge that someone back home should start studying so that we can tlak to eachother :) overrules how frustarting it is to communicate in the land of Ipatinga ;D
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