I´ll start with today and work backwards... easier my tired brain

So today. We went to a BBQ at Cris and Arturos, fun.. I ate way tooo much. But I actually participated in the conversation for a little bit.. mostly talking about exchange, and differences between Canadian and Brasilian culture, stuff like how at home I do my own laundry, .. do dishes (ok I load the dishwasher.. my actual dish washing skills are lacking, I won´t lie), clean my own bathroom (on ocasion), work, and I´m (at least compared to the Brasilian 18 year olds I know) very independent. Kids here (well in the upper class... here its really.. the have and the have-nots... so the haves is who i live with, and know.. minus the maid.. etc) have maids, who do everything but dress them in the morning. Everyone was saying that Brasilian kids would have a hard time not having that, I don´t think they would... you just get used to it. Like I´ve gotten used to doing very minimal cleaning. We also talked about my trip I´m taking at the end of October.

This morning I asked my mom if my Mexican friend Vianey could stay over friday night, and she said yes, so Friday Vianey is going to come over after school, we´ll do.. something, and then Saturday we´re going to go to the beach! I´m going to try and get a proper brasilian bikin (top atleast) so I can get rid of some of the tan lines I have going on..

Yesterday, we went to the beach, one I hadn´t been to before, it was gorgeous!


Me prentending I´m a surfer at the beach yesterday. Hopefully in the summer I´ll take some surf lessons, and learn how to do that :) I´ve always wanted to, and now I have a chance!


beach


my host dad and host sister



Friday we went and looked into Portuguese classes, which I´m going to start on Tuesday, I´m excited. I think its not so much that I can´t, its that I lack confidence, so hopefully this will help.

Wednesday was *dia de ciencias* all the classes from.. the Canadian equiavlent of grade 5 and up did presentations, my classes was on Global warming,


Dudo( a nickname.. I don´t no his actual name opps), Bruno, me, and Tais


Lu, me and Carol


All the girls in my class... I can´t dance, hence my lack of a skirt


Ivandro and I

Rest of the pictures from dia de Ciencias here

Dia de Sciences

and thats pretty much all thats happened recently, thats worth reporting. Here are some random pictures from... a few different things




Me, and host mom- the day my host brother (igor) left for Mexico, she was very sad


Me a bunch of Igors friends (who I didn´t/ don´t really know) and Igor, right before he left.. i think my red blazer kills his blue blazer.. blue is so over used.. lol


Me and a guy I go to school with whose name I don´t know (I´m really bad with names, here at least, and a lot of people just start talking to me because they know my name... you are known as an exchange student)



My trip is all booked and payed for. I leave on the 28th of October, and get back the 5th of November, I´ll also be moving families over that time. I finish school on the 13th of November, I´m excited for that. I´m going to see if in early December, or late January if I can get down to Itabuna to visit my friends there, or maybe go visit kids I meet on the Pantanal trip, so I can see other parts of Brasil, which would be really exciting, and cool.

So thats all to report from brasil! I´m going to buy some postcards this week, and get them off soon, I have adresses for a bunch of people... if your not sure I have yours email it to me at sheila(dot)elizabeth(at)gmail(dot)com and I´ll send you one too! and remember to check out the first post and find out how you can text me, and then text me!! It makes me happy :) as well comment here, just to let me kno your reading, thanks :)

Tchau

Sheila

Excellent relaxing weekend down here in Bahia.

Saturday I did a whole lot of nothing, well actually I walked, but I´ll get into that after.

Sunday was awesome. We went to a beach, up past Praia de Forte (about an hour north of here) it was gorgeous... we went to the Tamar project, where they resuce tutrles, and save turtle eggs... so beautiful! and then we went to a beach in another town, and by town I do mean a very small little hamlet of paradise. It was great, the water was so warm, lkike taking a bath.. which was nice, because our shower has not had hot water for about 3 weeks... I like my cold showers as much as the next person, and I think i read somewhere cold showers make you live longer.. but at this junction in time.. I´m down with a shorter life for a warm shower... for now..

So Walking.. well I´ve resigned to walking to combat this weight gain thing.. its not much but its something. I walk about 3 kms, everyday, just around condimiums where I live.. think Midnight Express except with more sun, less Turkush prison, and I have an MP3 player...where as Billy Hayes did not.

Pictures from our beach trip!

Praia

Tchau Tchau from Brasil!

Sheila

Sheila is going on a trip! At the end of next month I´m headed to the Pantanal. Its looking amazing, I´m soo excited, I can´t even describe.

Things have been ok here.. nothing to exciting, I´ve met all of the other intercambista in Lauro de Freitas now, they´re all super nice. In October we´re going to Salvador for the interact forum, I´m looking forward to it, we´ll get to see all the other intercambista from the district again, and Natalie, my friend from floria, who is living in Itabuna is going to lend my the 7th Harry potter Book... mostly I´m going to read it because I´ve read all the other ones, and why stop there...



I´ll try and get some pictures up this weekend, you can always check out my picasa site though, which can be found here <--Click


Tchau


Sheila

I went for a walk around my condiminum complex a few days ago.. the pictures I took are here -->

Walking Tour

Its nice here, thought I´d share that. Things are good here, tomorrow is Independence Day here, so no school. Most families are travelling but we aren´t... BBQ and the beach I think is what we have planned.. fun!!

I´ll try and update sometime this weekend.

Hope everyone is well

Sheila

went to an Axé (a-shay) show last night, lots of fun. Here are some pictures






I tihnk its fairly clear who is not Brasilian...



Big update tomorrow...


Sheila

Soo on to my weekend, thus far at least.

Yesterday school= blah, we watched a movie *under the surface* espoisá d´agua in portuguese I think. It was ok, english subtitles>>>>>life lol.

Show was great fun.. fun Carnival-esque music, people really like to party here, so it was great! Hopefully we´ll go to more, it cost $R25 about $15 canadaian.. but it was worth it. Negra Cor was the band, it was at Bahia cafe hall.


Today we went to the beach.. my thighs are sunburned, I can feel it under my jeans... ewwy feeling... I´ll put some aloe on them later. It was fun, I ate cashews (which are huge here) freshly roasted. Yum. and fried cheese, also surpringly good, and had a drink with pineapple, it was sooo good.


This week we´re going a project at school... it involes us getting shirts... This week is also like mid-terms, so the exchange students get to leave at like 10am, cause we´re to cool to write exams. Friday is also a holiday, something about an independence Day... I´m not sure.. apperently people travel, but don´t think we´re going anywhere... maybe the beach

Well Time for bed!

Tchau Tchau!

Sheila

Well today was a bit of a downer.

There are 10 or 11 Canadians down from London (Ont) they´re all members of the University of Western Ontario Rotaract club here on a international project and I was suppose to be helping out with the project which is building 4 houses in a needy village close to here. But alas I´m not allowed to miss school to do it, and I thought I was going to be allowed... it was a whole big thing... and anyway it sort of ruined my day.

I did however manage to peace out of school today and hang out with them. We went to the village called Quingoma and saw the rotary sponsored school, and met the families who are getting the homes; it was really nice. I hung out with two of the girls at Heathers house, had lunch there and such.. mummm salmon! and met Heathers son Gabrielle, he´s 2 and pretty much the cutest kid ever no lie! His father, Danilo is Brasilian so hes all perma-tan and such! so cute!! And the girls and I went down to the beach, and walked for a little which was nice. We went back and played with Gabirelle and Tito (pronounced Che-to here) cam over, and after we picked up everyone else and went to the Furniture store to buy some things that the Rotaract Club was going to donate to various institutions here (mattresses, fans, washing machine etc) and then we went and got construction supplies.

When I got home it was like a big thing, that I wasn´t allowed to go and whatever... I guess one of the guys in rotary was like no you can´t go, you must go to school.. and I was all.. that bites... so now I have to go to school and see if I can hang with them in the afternoons and evenings.

Other then that nothing to exciting, I´ll post pictures and a video from today, tomorrow, or when they get uploaded.

Tchau!

Sheila

Well its been a while since I updated here... I did mean to do it more, but ahh I get side tracked.

Partys partys partys.... (last) Saturday was a BBQ with ex-intercambistas back for Heathers wedding, Sundays was Igor and Larissas going away party and Mondays was in Salvador, it was someones birthday party. The power was out pretty much the entire time, which was unfortunate... I had a nice chat with Susan, and her host sister, as well as Larissa. I met two of the other inbounds at the parties (Susanne from Canada (BC) and Joel from Germany)

Igor (host brother) left last week, so he´s off in Mexico now.

Got lots of info this weekend on the trips I can go on this year, one to the Amazon is a about 150$ more but seems a lot better, you get 5 nights on a boat in the amazon (plus 4 nights in a hotel) and sleep on hammocks on the boats, and get to keep the hammocks and make jewelry... I´ll send you the email it looks AMAZING!!! Also there is a trip to Macchu Pichu! Its like $2000 though (US) but seriously how cool would that be.. although I´d love to go by myself, like back pack around south America in a few years, and be able to do it my way... but the tour looked really cool... lots of things that´d be hard to do on your own.. its only like 8 days though (plus two travel days...

we went whale watching Sunday. I was mad sea sick.. it was very unpleasant,... 50ft little "Schooner" type deal maybe a 1.5 meter hull... it was a little sketchy.. 2-3 meter waves... not fun. Saw some whales though, just the dorsal fins and some blows, but it was cool.. minus the insane vomiting part... not so fun.


Went to Rotary in the yesterday (which meant I ate two dinners). It was good, met my councillor he doesn´t see there being anything wrong with me volunteering at the English school so that´ll hopefully work out. I´m also going to go build houses with Rotaract which I´m very excited for. Some Canadians are coming down from London (Ont. not England) so that´ll be nice! I´m super excited, and Heather will be there, shes really cool (Canadian who came here on exchange a few years ago and is now married to a Brasilian).

onto the


Canadian Girlies at the beach

Susanne thought her flip-flop had floated out to sea.. but I found it on the beach after taking this picture

Natlie (from Florida) and I

Mila, our Rotex president

Susanne, myself .. blah I do not photograph well

Andrea and I (she is also canadian

Joel, Myself and Susanne

Sea Turtle

Canadian Girls standing by a whale.. statue


Lu and I wearing the same shirt (I didn´t get it.. to expensive.. like $R35 my dress was only $R28 (divide by 2 for US/CDN$..ish)


Girlies at dinner


Shorts

Shirt #1


Shirt #2


Dress... It was like $16 CDN! Score!!

there are more I could post.. but honestly I´m lazy.. I´ll get around to it, in the near-ish future.. also if you´re on facebook, a lot can be found there:)


Tchau Gentes!

Sheila

Big post tomorrow, heres some pictures of my trip into Salvador yesterday, well two days ago now...

Salvador

EDIT


so you´re wondering whats new in the life of everyones favorite Brazilian Exchange Student (Brasilian Intercambista.. if you will) Well the answer not to much..

Went to a BBQ with a bunch of ex-intercambistas last night, and met one of the other inbounds for the district, joel He is from germany. It was nice. He´s pretty cool, but sort of tired, His hostfam couldn´t come get him (his city/town is a few hours from here) so he´s chillin in Vilas for a few days, well until after Orentation.

Today (I think) there is a party for Igor, he leaves this week. THis morning we went to an Interact thing and planted what hopefully will grow into Palm trees, and we planted some other flowers which we got to bring home (in sawed off water bottles)

Weather here has been what is apperently typical Brasilian winter weather (in the north) so there has been more rain then there was over my first few weeks, and its sort of chilly (I have a long slevve shirt on right now :o!

well back to watching Pan-Am games, right now equerstrian stuff.. the Canadian guy isn´t doing so well (Ian Miller) but the Canadian who went before did really well so thats good.... its only canadians and Brazilians in the final... so far as I can tell... geee wonder who I´m cheering for...


Tchua for now

Sheila

Photos from my yesterday! A Day in the life of a Brasilian exchange student.

It was a pretty boring day.. normally I do a little more.. anyway... enjoy

Remember I like getting comments, and even those of you that aren´t registared GJ-users can do that! Just click anonymous!




Mumm Sleep


haha oh my...


I have Harry Potter-esque abilities in fireballs?? Or was that Charmed?


Pretty Flip-flops


Mystery brown bag...


I give you breakfast...


All gine.. but yet I´m still hungry..


Time by the way- 6:15-ish


So I induldge in further calorie filled goodness.. in the form of a chocolatey powder that makes the milk yummy (they like their long shelf life milk here.. its just not the same as the stuff I get at home..)


Yup I´m awake.. Brushing the teeths


Bag, I like being the only person in my school with it.. not like at home where I´m one of.. every girl in the school


My shoes are MIA


I go on a hunt


i found them..:/


I have Canada socks.. not only are they patriotic they are also comfy!


Time is- 6:30


I sit down for a few minutes of a histroy channel documentry on the ancient Myans.. and their torturing.. something about ripping out peoples hearts, wonderful first thing in the morning... not


Books!! Peter Pan and Little Mermaid.. in Portuguese!! go me


Walking to the car, host dad and host-step-brother lead the way


On the road again... well the first time today... but you no.. same thing day after day on my way to school :/


At School- Time 6:50- Kill me now.. or let me go back to bed... either or


We are amused that there is a new (functioning) light switch


I do Physics! abd get the right answer to boot. Time is 9:40


Chocolate! Yummy


My German exchange friends, Katarina, and Anika


Canteen


Friends at school..


My friend Tais and I


Class... fun?


Lu totally didn´t know I was taking this..


Yup I understand...:/


Time check 11:03 and cool fact. My city in Brasil is in the same time zone as where I live in Canada (Nova Scotia)!


Physics.. ahh fun...? not so much


Leaving school! 12:16


Walking the path to the parking lot


I´ll be back here later (Rotary Library where we also have interact)


Flower


Do You know the ice cream man?? well if not here he is


School billboard thinger


Dude, wheres my ride??


Palm tree.. there are lots of them here, but *fun fact* they are not native to Bahia (by-ee-a) (the state I live in here in Brasil)


Learn English from Canadians!! I drive by that sign at least twice a day, it makes me smile


this store has beautiful dresses, well from what I see in the window, I´ll go in some day


Host sister walking home from the gate


The pool is in that general direction, through the "Clube" where there are foozeball tables


My street


My House


Host mom chilling with the Salad


Host sister eating.. mumm beans


Pork Chop!! But no apple sauce... sad


All gone!


Mango smoothy...sort of icky.. I´m not a mango fan, well mango flavored things (Yogurt for instance) i like.. but actual mango.. well icky


Humm I wonder whats under here??



Cake!


I like cake


Changed into shorts, note the whiteness that is my thigh


Checking the email


And watching some Veronica Mars


Facebook!


Me being bored, I was suppose to go out, but then My host mom couldn´t drive me.. so I stayed home. Sad


They´re building a house next door.. its loud


Time Check- 5:15-ish.. I had a nap VM ended at 4.. so I napped for an hour


Snack..


We have a turtle!


My legs are good an beaten up.. and bitten, stupid bugs


Battle Star Galatica.. I only no this because one of them was like Cylon.. which is the only thing I know about Battle Star


My glasses are broken.. I´ve been meaning to get them fixed for weeks.. but just haven´t


Star Trek.. relaly this is making me out to liking Sci-Fi way more then I do, don´t get my wrong I enjoy it, but I prefer Gilmore girls, The Nanny, and Third watch..


5:46


Novela time.. think Passions, minus the magic, and more over the top dramtics.. fun.. I don´t understand much though


Dog.. peachy


History Channel.. fun.. its good because its in Portuguese and English


Mega cinstruction.. they´re beuilding a rig of some type... all time- 6:52


Ready for Interact.. and by ready I mean I put on a t-shirt because I was cold,. brushed my hair and put earrings in.. lots of prep work I know


7:46 we head out


I stealthy take this. Malu so didn´t know


School Again.. waiting


Towel for shower


More bread... its white bread,. gross


Shower Box as its called here


10:13 all ready for bed


But first I watched some of "The day after tomorrow".. a or "O dia proxima amanhã" lol


Good night




I´ll do another when i do something exciting

Sheila