Ola Brasil!

Arriving at the Salvador airport! Finally!

          Okay! Since I last posted I 1.Got my visa, 2.Flew to Brasil, and 3.Met my first host family! I think I might as well just jump in then! So I got to the airport in Salvador, and Katarine of rotary picked me up and brought me straight to this restaurant downtown where all of the district’s exchange students were having lunch. They are all super nice and in the two days that we were all together we all got so close! I already miss them so much, but hopefully I’ll see them every so often. But anyway, after lunch we went walking around Salvador, looking at this little market next to the beach, buying sorvete (ice cream) which tasted amazing! I got this flavor called graviola, which is some tropical fruit I have never heard of, but was super delicious. We heard some drumming and saw a crowd of people, so we went to have a look and guess what… it was a group of SAMBA DANCERS AND DRUMMERS. So we hung out there and danced and listened for a while. It was so cool! In Salvador samba dancing is like flamenco is to Sevilla, it’s everywhere in the streets wherever you go. As we were walking back to the bus, we stopped on this cobblestone street surrounded by tall, brightly colored buildings. A huge crowd with drummers and people holding political flags was there and they were all chanting “Dilma, Dilma, Dilma!”… and then they started cheering! we looked up, and low and behold the Brazilian president, Dilma, pops her head out of a high up window and waves to us all. What?!?!?! Guess who saw the president on her first day in Brasillll! This girl!!! As she walked through the crowd, two of the exchange students even managed to shake her hand! AHHHH!

Right: Eva from France, Center: Tiffany from USA.

          The next day we had the orientation, and that concluded with a little rotary party outside at night, which we all got dressed up for. The party turned into a huge dance, and all of the Brazilians wanted to teach us the dances to each song! They tried to teach us some partner dances, too, and one guy who I danced with was amazed when I was able to dance one of the hardest partner dances, Foho (because it had the same moves as swing dancing) so we went in the middle of the circle and everyone was watching! So fun! I told him that next time we were in Salvador I would teach him how to swing dance, and he was very excited to learn!
         On sunday we went on a boat and visited two islands, one of which we had to jump the boat and swim to. The beaches there are out of a dream, sandy with the clearest water! It was like a vacation in paradise! and we danced more on the boat ride home. That day deserves its own post, so maybe I will write more soon.
          The bus ride that night was eight hours from Salvador to Itabuna, so we arrived around six on monday morning. My host family was there, and they greeted me with hugs and kisses! I went back to their apartment--or should I say our apartment--which is very beautiful and has a great view of the city, and I had breakfast and then took a nap as my parents went to the clinic for work, and my sister to school. around noon they all returned, we ate lunch, and Tiffany (from Florida), and Annika (from Germany) came over. Later we were joined by my grandmother and my host sister Marcela’s best friend Filipe, and we played songs on guitar and sang in English, Portuguese, and even Spanish. A very nice way to end my first day in Itabuna. I love my family, and I think they love me too. Marcela is the best sister in all the world and we get along so well! She taught me a song on guitar earlier!
          Everyone here is amazed that I can speak portuguese in full sentences already, but I tell them that knowing Spanish helps me, and that I still have a long way to go. I’m so happy I can communicate, more or less! Some of the intercambistas are struggling with the language, but I know that eventually we will all get the hang of it. I should go now. If I told you everything that I want to it would take all day! I miss all of you, but I also am so happy to be here and surrounded by so many loving people who I can already call my family. So for now, Tchau! Beijos!


*The word for beach is praia. Vamos para a praia means Let's go to the beach!