i've beeen here for exactly 10months
10months of language barriers, cultural confusion, unusual food, new introductions, living out of suitcases, and jumping head first into situations.
in less than a month, this will be over.
i'm almost ready to go home. (i say this very losely and depending on the day)
i'm ready to be normal again!
i havent felt normal in the past 10months ..because of my accent, or becasue of where i've come from, because i'm not a typical brasilian or because i cant relate to my peeers. because i'm different.
i wont be called the gringa (foreigner) or the ameican or the exchange student.
just ariana.
and then theres a part of me that is holding on to each day ..because i know that each day that passes, is one that i wont get back here. my families here mean the world to me, without them i know i woulnt have fallen in love with brasil. they've shown me everything i know here and taught me the language and culture. telling me, "you probably shouldnt wear" and "dont say that to people" ..sparing me embarrassing moments.
but here in brasil, it has turned winter.
winter here is around 60F ..some days are warmer and some are colder.
a perfect example of "winter:" i went to my country clube on sunday afternoon with my dad ..it was cold in the early morning with the clouds hovering above but as it came closer to noon, it became reallly hot. i came home and later realized, that yes, i got sunburn. that stuff only happens here.
but i know in the south of brasil, it actually snows. yess, snow in brasil. you dont see shovels or school delays ..but there is a little frost on the ground.
houses here dont have heaters, why would they need it when it doesnt have negative temperatures and this cold lasts for only 2months. so ususally during the day ..i am bundled in clothes and layers and blankets, drinking tea and eating lots of soup.
i'm not sure in all of brasil, but in my houses here, all the water is solar heated. during the winter, you have to switch the knob so that you can have actually heated water ..because if the day isnt very warm, youll be taking a very freezing shower (i did that once before school and my teeth were chattering the rest of the day.)
another fun fact: there is another brasilian holiday this week:
Corpus Christi.
It is a Catholic hoilday that celebrates the Body of Christ or Holy Communion. It is celebrated on a Thursday ..giving everyone a four day weekend to travel or relax.
i asked some people why they celebrated this hoilday and a lot of them didnt know. all they knew was a four day weeekend was approaching and they were about to sleep in. although most of these people werent Catholic ..shows you how excited and much they love their hoildays even if they have no idea what it is.
other typical brasilian things: during the month of june and july (their winter months) all over brasil celebrates "Festa Juninha" or "Festa de São João" Wikipedia has told me that it was first introduced my Portugal during the colonial period. Men dress up with large straw hats and checkered shirts and the women have pigtails, freckles (with you rarely see here) and country-type clothing. The Northeastern part of Brasil is the most famous and has some of the most richest traditions. Among the schools, each class dances a form of squeeze dance with their partner.
i will be dancing this with my friend ..and embarrassing myself :)
another random fact: my family is leaving in less than two weeks for Germany to pick up their daughter, Laura, who went on exchange. Meaning i have to say goodbye to them soon..which i dont want to ..and i have to move houses, again. i'm either going back to my second family (good possiblity) going back to my third family ..or you know, living out of a suitcase somewhere on the streets. anything is possible.
just a little recap of whats going on :)
