Oi! Como vai voce? Estou muito bem. Now I have a little free time so I can send you all what I have written in my journal so far, and tell you about how I am doing, and brasil. Right now my family is taking their son Ricardo to the airport to go to the U.S. and I could have gone in his girlfriend's mom's car, they invited me, but I decided I didn't want to go drop him off, because it is a sad occasion. First I will write what I have written in my journal so far, then I will tell you about everything I haven't written yet, I'm a little behind.

8/12 11:16 A.M.-

Right now I'm sitting alone at a table in the L.A. airport. There are probably more people in this airport than even live in Brookings. It's huge. I spent about an hour finding my terminal. It was pretty easy to check-in though. I don't leave for another two hours, so I grabbed something to eat and tried to call home, it was busy....

Well, my first time flying was cool. A stewardess found out it was my 1st time flying, so I got to meet the captain, go into the cockpit, get my picture taken in his hat, and in the cockpit...it was funny.(I felt like a 10 year old though :P). He also gave me "wings"(plastic, but still cool.) I felt a little sick for a little while but I think it was just nerves. I only got about two hours of sleep last night because I had to repack everything. I've been up since 4:00 and I'm tired. I definetally plan on sleeping on my flight to Sao Paulo.

It was so hard to leave my friends and family. I tried to hold back tears so many times, so I only cried a few times. I still get teary eyed thinking about them.

Well I'm going to go exchange some money, try to find somewhere w/the internet and walk around for a while. Bye
Quillyn

I walked around got money exchanged, got on the internet and wrote to Cora and my parents. I also left a message on our machine for them. It took a long time to go through security, but when I went to my gate I ran into about 9 other Rotary exchange students going to Brazil. One was from Crescent City, the one I knew was from my district, so that was cool. Unfortunetally we are all apart on the plane. Write more later, dinner time.....

They say plane food is gross, but it wasn't too bad, I liked the entree'.

My plane from L.A. to Sao Paulo left about half an hour late, but since I have 11 hours in Brazil I don't think I will have any problems. I'm starting to feel happy again. When I left I was so sad and did not want to leave. I kept thinking why am I leaving. All my friends are here, all my family is here, I am happy here. but now that I am going there, my confidence is going back up and I'm getting excited again. Well I'm going to work on my portugues and get some rest. Bye.

Since it is Friday I will have to write a lot for the past few days. When I arrived in Sao Paulo I had to go through immigration (I think is what it is called)...and then I said goodbye to everyone I had justmet from Rotary. When I walked out the exit there was a man holding a sign with my name on it and I went to him. He was picking up me and another student from Germany, Katarina. To our surprise he was not just taking us to the other airport, he took us to his home for some sleep, food and shower. We did not shower though, we were too tired. I checked my email here also. He was a very nice gentleman. I got to see Sao Paulo from his house. I thought it was supposed to be pretty, but I did not think so. I thought it was a very big, dirty city. One thing in Brazil, everyone drives small cars, very small. Like Geo metro small.(The same cars that we have, just they own only the small ones.) It is very dangerous to drive in Sao Paulo, very crazy. They drive very close together, fast, and the roads are not marked well, if at all. Also, motorcycles drive between cars, like in movies. A lot of people drive motorcycles because you don't have to wait in traffic. And to make it worse there was no seatbelt in the backseat. The apartments there are small and reminded me of the ones in 101 dalmations. very narrow, but long. Anyways, when we went to the airport we had to rush because we gotr stuck in traffic and were the last to get on the airplane. When we arrived in Meringa' we had to wair for about 10 minutes for our luggage. There I met the distric governor, my counselor, my familiy, 2 other students, and my brother's girlfriend Mariana. They are sooo nice and spoke to me in english since it was my first day.

It was about an hour drive to my city from Meringa' and driving is much better outside Sao Paulo. The roads are marked better also. When we got to my house, they showed me around, I met my other brother Daniel, and we(Ricardo, Mariana and I) went out driving that night to show me that town. It is very pretty here, but a different pretty. Here they have Gates and walls around their houses, and stores when they close they have like garage doors over their windows. Not that the crime is high here, but just for protection just in case. Imagine like the jewelry section of fredmeyer at closing, except it's not just a gate, its a whole covering. But it's a different kind of pretty because you cannot see people's yards, or houses, only the walls. And there are a lot of trees lining the streets.

Yesterday they let me sleep in until lunch, noonish, and I can't remember what I did until dinner but I was amused either way...haha. After dinner Ricardo took me to hang out with him, and I got to meet a few of his friends. We just went to the gas station, got a beer(not me I don't like beer), I got a Coca Cola(cause Pepsi is not as good here), and hung out at the table outside.

Today was fun though! Ricardo woke me up when his friends got here, and I helped them prepare for his going away barbecue. Here barbecues are not frying hamburgers on the grill. They are sticking big pieces of meat onto, I don't know, big prongs. and setting them over fire in the barbecue. It is like a fireplace but set up for cooking. (You'll all see pictures when I get back.) His barbecue was held across the street at a sort of park, but it is private, walled off, and gated. It started around 12:00 and did not end until about 9:00. He had all of his friends show up, there were about 40 people there, it was great. We played a game of soccer and I did not start playing until the end of the game because I wasn't going to, then was convinced to, but had to run home to change into shorts. It was funny, after the game a bunch of guys were just like, you are the best girl soccer player(only because it isn't common for girls to play here, and I'm good just because I was playing..lol...that's what I think anyways.) It was Ricardo's going away barbecue, but I was also one of the attractions, not by everyone, but I always had people around me. It was funny! I already have a 'date' to the 'Opera'(the name of their disco) for next weekend...lol. Everyone was trying to speak a little english, and whenever someone would say something right, they would all clap hands, etc...was funny. I learned more words though. They all say I am learning fast, but I don't think so, all I'm learning are words, and some verbs. But enough to get my point across to someone who only knows very little english. Anyways, by the end of the barbecue, there were a few drunk guys...but it was funny. I forgot almost everyone's name, you don't realize how hard it is to remember names when they aren't common for you. You can remember common names in a snap, like Mariana...but everyone else's name...I don't remember...lol. The person I am going to the disco with next week speaks a little english, and he is helping me with my portuguese. Um poco ingles, e um poco portugues. A little english and a little portuguese. My family is using this same technique.

The barbecue was soo much fun though, and I met a lot of very nice people. sou novo amigos. My new friends, they all keep saying.lol At the end of the barbecue Ricardo was crying, and Mariana was crying...and it was sad. Everyone was saying goodbye, they threw him in the air a couple times...haha...and hugs galore. It made me cry though because it made me think of when I left....I got hugs for crying too...lol. My mother here said, see she is now part of the family, she is crying for Ricardo. lol...and I was. Last night I heard Ricardo typing so I went in to talk to him. and we just talked and watched tv for a while. He was feeling the same as I was feeling just a couple days ago, he also didn't want to leave because I just got here, and he liked having a sister...lol...But it is hard for him like it was hard for me.

Today I woke up early(all by myself)...7:15...(shocking if you know me well :P) and I said goodbye to my new brother Ricardo. He was all talking about if he comes back early we will hang out, and If I go back early we will hang out....but I hope he does not come back early, because I want him to have as great an experience in America as I am having here. I will miss him though, he is a very nice brother. :P

This evening I will go to my family's farm with an Austrian couple(prima da sou pai-cousin of my father), who are on their honeymoon, and touring brazil for it. I also got invited by the guy taking me to the disco to watch him play futesol(short for arena soccer), but I don't think I will be able to, because that is about when we are leaving for the farm. My father was like you had someone hanging around all night, and he is a nice guy, but you can't go to the disco so soon...and I just said, ok, and he was like oh, you are so obedient, you are a good girl you can go....haha...I love my family here they are wonderful.

Everything they say about Brasilians being friendly is sooo true, they are the nicest people, all of them!! They are very welcoming, and love to laugh and joke! I miss you all so much but this is a beautiful place and I am very glad I am here. Monday I will go to school though...ugg...and I'm in the second level(out of 3), so everyone in my class is going to be younger than me. Also in their schools their have lecture style classes, like college. I'll have about 60 people in my class and we are sitting like in a theater(levels like steps), facing the teacher. But I don't have to take tests or anything. I am going to next year though when I am in the third level and know portuguese better. (I don't know how I will make this work for my graduating, but I will work something out) and about food. They eat a lot of rice and beans! But it is very good, and they also eat meats and salads, and fish, and have had desert every night. But my mai (mother) told me that they have been eating special for me and the Austrian couple so I'm not sure exactly what is normal I guess, except rice and beans, those are eaten a lot.

My mai and pai are young, like early 40's and are wonderful. guess what, I also have a maid!! She is very nice, does not speak a word of english. Well now she does, she can say strawberry(moranga), and bread(Päo)..lol...but is working with me in portugues also. My mai told her to tell me words, like if I wanted a piece of cake she would tell me how to say it in portugues(bolo da chocolate)(chocolate cake).

Anyways...I have written soo much, you are probably tired of reading. I cannot even describe everything, it is soo maravilhosa. (wonderful). And everyone kisses one cheek when greeting, or saying goodbye. (it's 2 in Rio-and 3 further north they told me) I love it. Everyone here is happy, (and they point it out :P) and it is the perfect place for me to go on exchange because I am a happy person as well!

Tchau!
Quillyn

August 21

Hello

i'm going to tell you all about this last week. I decided instead of writing in a journal, and then re-typing it to all of you guys, i'm going to just write a weekly note. That'll be my journal. There is to much going on to be writing in a journal everynight.

First I'll write about last weekend. Last weekend Ricardo left to the U.S. When my parents got back from dropping him off, We went to the farm (My parents here, a couple from Austria, and me.) Their farm is very pretty, and when it gets to be summer here, they will have Tucans coming to eat the fruit off the trees(I really want to see a Tucan!!!) The first night we just went there, had dinner a little fire, and just relaxed. The next day, we went horseback riding. It was sooo much fun! I haven't riden a horse in a long time. And we rode all over their farm, looking at the cows, the terrain, etc...we even rode through a creek :) It was great!

Later on after lunch, I got to go motorcycling. I'd never been on a motorcycle, so it was new for me. the Austrian couple went on one, and me and Marcel(my dad here) went on one. We went in a few pastures looked at more cows, etc...caught air over a few bumps...lol.

After that I went horseback riding on my own, just through some pastures and around. I rode a different horse than I had before though....and this one was a bit more disobedient. yikes...it was still fun though, just a bit more of a challenge. LOL, and you'll love this, when I jumped off, I ripped my pants(cause I was wearing an OLD pair of jeans of mine) I tied one of the sweaters I was wearing around my waist and just went inside to change into another pair of pants. They all got a good laugh. :P

I got to see some red maccaws while I was out there. (blue ones two, but they aren't native, and I only saw 2, but they were caged.)

Monday was my first day of school....luckily everyone here is sooo nice. I sat in the back with Andre(a son of one of the rotarians here, he speaks english so he was helping me out.) It was pretty cool...very boring also, because I don't speak portugues yet, so the teacher is in front of the class talking, and I don't know what he is saying so I just sit there. This is how the school day is: I have 2 classes then a 10 minute break, 2 more classes then a 20 minute break, then 2 more classes, then school is out. And I'm only in school from 7:15 to 12:00, it's nice! And then some people have afternoon classes, but those you sign up for if you want them. Like gym, or labs, etc...

So many people write notes in class, I get 3-4-5 notes a day. Also, classes are just like here, some people pay attention, some people talk, some teachers are more interesting so more people pay attention, some just stand up there and talk so nobody listens....and of course some teachers are strict so the class is quieter, and some teachers joke around with the class. Monday one of the teachers was asking me questions, and Andre was translating for me...one of the questions was in the US are the teachers like here, and I told Andre to say yeah, he said something like , yeah, they are dumb just like here. I didn't know what he said and the teacher was like, what, what...lol...finally Andre said what I wanted him to. It was crazy though, cause the whole class was laughing, and I was just like Andre, what did you say? what did you say?. Monday night I also met Sara, the exchange student from Mexico. We went to 3 different gyms to see which ones we liked the most. And the teacher at one of them gave us a free Aché (spelling?) class. It was sooo much fun. It is very fast. there is a different dance for every song, and he only teaches one dance a class, so the rest of the time, you just try to keep up with the rest of the dances. all the beginners(me, sara, etc..) probably look dumb trying to do it like everyone else. but it's still fun.

Tuesday was kind of the same, except Sara was there also, and the same teacher asked us questions again, like: Are the boys cuter here, or in the U.S. (equal)...lol etc... Everyone here is so open though, everyone says hello, and me and Sara already have a group of friends. We were invited to go out for icecream, and I was thinking just the 2 people that asked us....no, we went with like 12 other girls, all close friends, it was so much fun! and this same night I went out to dinner with pipi(nickname, can't spell real name,) Andre, and sara.

Wednesday, was cool also, I'm starting to be able to hear more words when people are talking, and even understanding a little bit(can't talk much myself though), so it's getting better. Sara and I went to Ache classes again, and we signed up for the gym. I'm going to be taking two Ache classes a week, mondays and wednesdays, and lifting weights 2 days a week, whenever I want, but I'm going to try for tuesdays and thursdays. And I only pay about $15 a month! everything is much cheaper here!

Today is Thursday, and school was cool again. We had english class today. There are two 2nd year classes, about 60 people in each. Sara and I had to go into the other class, introduce ourselves, and then they got to ask us questions, it was soo funny. They asked questions like do you guys have boyfriends, what kind of music do you like, where are you from, etc...and also, will you switch to our class? Then we had to go back to our class. Later when our class had english, we did the same thing except in our class(who already knew us), and they asked the same questions, and more. two kids in my class had seen me doing the ache classes on monday and wednesday, so the whole class was trying to get us to go up onto the platform(for the teacher), and dance Aché....don't think so! :P And where we are from more specifically, and if we thought certain people were cute...it was hilarious. Then they all whistled when we sat down..would be embarrassing if I wasn't already friends with them :P. Tonight I'm going to a girls birthday party, I was invited the second day I met her, that's how friendly people are here.

Another thing about school, I'm very glad I finally met some girls, cause all I knew were boys, Ricardo's friends, so like the first break of the first day, I was just talking with all of the guys, now I have girls I can talk to also :P.

Now a little information about differences in Brazil.

People eat with their families. School gets out at 12:00, everyone goes home and eats lunch. People eat at home much more, and not industrialized foods(pop tarts, etc..) they eat homemade meals, almost every meal. It is very good, Rice and beans for every meal. And then some sort of meat and vegetables. And they have the best juices here!! mmmmm.... I'm eating so much healthier.

Since it gets very hot in the summer, all the houses are made for summer(no insulation). So the first few days I was here it was very cold, and we wore pants and sweaters around the house, and town. (yeah, mom and dad you can laugh at me now) The last couple days have been much warmer, like in the 90's warmer. It's nice though! but it scares me for summer because I like the 90's ...100 is good...but hotter than that is very hot! and that's what they get during summer...uggg...lol

Anyways...I have written a lot again! so I'll go now. You guys can write to me anytime, and tell other people if they want to know anything to write also, I like hearing from my bville people.

To sum it up: It is wonderful here, everyone is so nice, I'm making a lot of friends, I'm slowly starting to be able to communicate, it's nice that some people know a little english, while I'm learning portugues, and it's beautiful. When you meet people, or greet people you kiss on the cheek! I love that!! And it's customary...it's common, not a big deal, I like that very much.

Tchau!

Sorry I'm a couple days late. I'm trying to only write once a week, so then I will cover my whole week and won't repeat things, or forget things. There is no possible way I could tell about everything, but I try to talk about most things, as you can tell since I've been writing 2 page logs.

Ok, about my week. Starting with Monday. Monday, was um...embarrassing. The whole day was fine, except for the last class of the day, the last 5 minutes actually. There was time left in class, and the teacher wanted to me to come in front of the class to juggle this ball of paper, and so I was walking up and....I felll. Right in the middle of the class, with everyone watching. I just got to my knees and said "I'm ok!", and everyone was just quiet and conserned till I started laughing, then everyone else starting laughing also. It was embarrasing for me because me and Sara(mexican) were joking all week about falling, and then what do I do, fall, in the middle of class. But everyone just laughed and it was over,then I juggled the ball, impressed the teacher, and carefully walked back to sit down.

Monday I also decided to start taking português classes. The teacher is ok in english, not fluent, but enough to communicate with each other so it works. We are working out of an english teaching book, not portugues though, so it makes it more difficult for me, which we decided was better. She ordered the portugues one, but this way makes me think more, which is good. I'm not really learning words, as much as learning to think about the words, and say them. The book has paragraphs that I have to read, and teaches connecting words, and a few verbs, then has practice paragraphs. Since it is an english book everything is written in english, she makes me say them in portugues so I have to think and remember, and conjugate them correctly, which is better. I'm going to be taking these classes 3 days a week for about a month, then less. and everything here is sooo cheap. It's only 3 reais per hour...1 dollar an hour!!!! that's all!

Later on Monday I had another bday party to go to. my best guy friend here, André. He speaks english, and introduced me to the class, and his dad is also the Rotary counselor for us exchange students, so he is one of the people I hang out with the most. His birthday party was very fun. He had about 24 people there, and it was a barbecue(they have the best barbecues! I say we aren't allowed to call ours barbecues anymore :P) so they had really good food, everyone was talking portugues, I was listening, and understanding, and attempting to talk back...it was great! He took a whole bunch of pictures so if you guys want any just email me and ask(Capri210@hotmail.com). It was so much fun! Everyone was just talking, eating, watching tv, dancing, listening to music, we had a couple dog piles in the tv room(had to be there), it was great!

Now for Tuesday...(like I didn't write enough for monday right?) School was the same, sit and doodle cause I don't understand anything but a few connecting words(they lecture fast). After school me and Sara went tothe Rotary meeting, and we met an exchange student that was here in 2001. He had returned on vacation to visit friends and everything. It was cool meeting someone who had been in our shoes before. What was also funny about that meeting is that me and Sara realized how accustomed we had become to eating rice with beans, because they had rice, but no beans at this meeting. And every meal has both rice and beans, you eat them together. I just looked at her when we sat down and in portugues(ooh...yeah!) I said, now it is so hard to eat rice without beans, and we just started laughing. They have the best rice and beans here. I used to dislike beans, now I eat them every meal, and miss them when I can't. After the rotary meeting, me and sara went to a friends house for chocolate. Well to our surprise it wasn't regular chocolate it was something we made. There were about 10 girls there, and we made this chocolate type paste(soooo good!). Here sweet things aren't sweet like in the US, they are rich! VERY RICH! They used condensed milk a lot in making desserts, and things. Well this chocolate stuff I can't remember the name right now, was made with condensed milk, and chocolate powder, like the stuff you put in chocolate milk. Then you cook it, and it is sooo good when it's done. my mom was shocked I'd never had it before, and that we hardly use condensed milk in the US. After making this stuff, we all just watched a movie(just Married) and chilled, it was fun!

Later, after walking around town with Sara we went to the gym. I was shocked at what I could do. Since the trainer found out I played soccer(even if I'm not playing it here) he is making me work more, and do twice as many leg workouts. So to warm up, I jogged for 15 minutes on the tredmill(I was shocked that I was able to). My legs killed me for like 3 days! And last but not least, my parents had a special dinner planned for me. Not a brasilian dinner, but something different. Since I'd never had fondue before, they made it special for me. It's good!!!

Wednesday! again school was uneventful. but I had portugues class and I'm going to start helping her with her english when I'm done with my hour. just pronunciation though, I'll read a paragraph, then she reads it, and I just correct her(not that I'm the best one for this htough, you have all heard how I talk). Later I picked up my pictures! They were from a disposable camera that I had taken on my trip to get here, and when I first got here. There is a picture of me with the captain, wearing his hat, it's cute!! and then some of my house here to show my family. I'm going to try to send them home soon, and maybe my mom can show them to Tim(if he wants for my journal online) for you to see my house, it's nice!

Then I had Axe class....still soo fast!! thank goodness we can still say we are beginners cause we probably look so dumb! but it's fun!

Thursday was like most days, school, portugues class, then gym. but I worked with a different trainer this time cause I went earlier, and he also knew I played soccer, cause the other guy told him, but he didn't know how much the other guy worked me and that I was still sore, so it was a hard session :P But he was talking something about me playing soccer, and I really wish I could have understood everything because I really want to play soccer here. I'm going to have my mom go in when she gets back to see what he was saying, cause I think he said there was a girls team somewhere.(who knows...haha)

But Thursday night I got to get dressed up for a dinner party. It was really really cold(another cold week- like 40's) so I wore my black pants, then one of my mais sweaters, and boots(stilletto heals..haha) and a black leather jacket, I looked snazzy. This dinner was to pass on the presidency of the Farmers association from my pai to the new guy. My pai had held the position for 3 years so he was sad, not to give it up cause he didn't necessarily want the position anymore but sorta. There were no seats for us though because they were supposed to have a table for the important peoples families, but the person who set it up didn't do it, so we just found some friends, pulled up some chairs by them, and called it good. There were about 500 people there. We didn't get home until like 1 in the morning, and my parents stayed longer, we got a ride home with some friends of theirs.

Friday I lost my little notebook that had stuff I was learning in it. I had just re-written it all taking out everything I had already learned and just had other stuff in it, and I dropped it somewhere(it was little) o'well I remember most the stuff in it anyways I found out. I went to Meringa on a school trip, like a career fair at the University there. Rotary was sponsoring it, so there was a room for Rotaract, interact, etc... people, and me and sara went there, and met two other exchange students living in Meringa, it was cool talking to them. I read a whole page in portugues and understood it!!! I was sooo excited, it was about the town of Meringa, and it only took me like half an hour to read(haha). but I was happy cause I didn't ask about anywords or anything and still understood It! After this career fair we went shopping! Only for about an hour though, the mall in meringa (there are 3), was 5 stories tall, and was nice. We spent the whole hour though looking for a pair of Adidas shoes for Sara. Certain ones though, so we walked from one mall to the other to 2 stores, and we finally found the ones she wanted, I didn't buy anything cause we spent the whole time looking for her shoes. But I can buy what I need in Paranavai, so it's ok. The bus ride was fun though! There was a teacher on the front of the bus, but you wouldn't have known it. It was a tour bus, because our school doesn't have buses, so you could play music through the whole thing. so everyone was standing and dancing, etc...it was sooo much fun!!!

Sleep!! It's tiring here! Since our classmates have tests Friday, we don't go out friday nights, sometimes me and sara hang out a little though.

Saturday! my parents left for Columbia for two weeks this day so I'm staying at Sara's on the weekends, and at my house with my bro on the weekdays. Sara and I went to a party at Maria's, it was fun. She has a tienda on the edge of town(so not too far away), it's huge and beautiful! It was fun! only about 30 people, but it was still cool. The new german girl went also, and she is strange but hilarious! We di'dn't have to be home until 3 in the morning so we stayed until 3 in the morning. The next day we slept, then went to Andre's and found out there was a party at his house that night for his friends bday(don't know why it wasn't at his friends house). So we went and got ready for that. It was fun too, like his bday, but not quite as fun cause different people and fewer so it was more calm. I'm starting to learn the words to the bday song since I've been to 3 now. It follows the same tune as ours, but different words. I like their bday traditions. They light a sort of sparkler(like our 4th of july ones) and then sing until it goes out. First the bday song, then a different one, then there is one more(by that one it's out). Then it's the same, blow out candles, cut the cake. Butthey hvae anotherthing. Some friends surround the person and kind of have a huddle around them, then just jump up and down around them singing a song, kinda bashign the person, then a big hug, dog pile, whatever turns up! lol! It's fun though!

Today, Monday, school was ok, trying to understand, and stay awake :P didn't get home until 12:00 last night, like Sara's mai says(my next mom), be cinderellas. When she wants us home by midnight. After school came home for lunch. That's one cool thing about here. everyone eats lunch at home. at 12:00. All the schools get out, at least for 2 hours, (if they have to go back), and everyone, well most people come home eat lunch with their families then go back to work, it's nice. took a nap, portugues class, then just went shopping. I actually went by myself, and bought a pair of pants, only being able to speak a little portugues. it's was cool! Then just hung out with Sara and Stephany(Germany), till dinner time(9:00), then came home. not eventful, but fun!

Tomorrow me and the other exchange students are going shopping, to be more brazilian. Cause I stand out like a sore thumb, them, not as much, but me, my fashion is too relaxed, not fashionable enough. :P I get to be girly here....(still trying to find a soccer team though). Everyone wears jeans here! everyone. and at school, everyone dresses comfy, not fashionable, we have a teeshirt for a uniform that we have to wear, then just jeans, and hardly any makeup, if any(cause you have to be there at 7:15, and leave by 12:00 so it's pointless). but in the evenings, they are very fashionable(usually still in jeans though.) but they are more fashionable jeans, stilletto heals, and nice shirts. Like clubbing clothes.

Since my parents are going to be gone for 2 weeks, It's going to be all portugues, I'm so excited, cause they are always speaking english, and of course it's easier so I talk back in english. I keep trying to ask them to speak in portugues, and they will for a while then back to english again. Ugg...but I hope to improve inthe next two weeks, the only time speaking english will be withthe other exchange students. i'm excited!

Well write more about the details later, have to go to bed now, it's about 10:30 here, and I have to get up early for school, and I still need a shower