Me with my lovely new mother Lissandra and sister Larissa a few minutes before I left for Lins.First off I should apologize for being woefully lazy in regards to this blog. I believe it has been three weeks since my last entry and it's not as though I haven't had time to update, it's rather that I'm simply a terrible procrastinator.I shall really attempt to be prompter in future though, so bear with me^^.Three weeks ago on the 19th of september I left for Rio Preto, which is one of the largest cities in my area and is about an hour and fifteen minutes drive by car , although three hours by public bus * shudders.I had to go to Rio Preto for my orientation for inbound exchange students in rotary district 4480.Orientation actually did not commence until the 22nd and lasted until the 26th; but Alyssa's host family was taking her early as her temporary host family wanted her to come early to spend the weekend and as my temporary host family was equally excited to have me come earlier it was far easier to just go several days early with Alyssa.I was quite excited at the prospect of finally having the chance to see a bit of Brasil apart from Lins and at the chance to get away from my host family in Lins as well and go to a family that actually seemed interested and excited about me,even if I was only going to be able to live with them for a week.
Before meeting our new host families Alyssa and I went with Ana Paula and Mariana to get our hair cut in Rio Preto.Ana Paula goes to quite a good stylist and agreed to schedule appointments for the both of us.An opportunity I was delighted at as I had been feeling unkempt and hideous for quite some time now because it had been over seven weeks since my last cut T_T ,and finding a good stylist in a different country where you can barely even communicate is daunting to say the least ^_^.The stylist did an excellent job on me although I had quite the trying time attempting to persuade her to cut my hair in the first place as she had declared my hair perfect and was rather woeful at the prospect of trimming it .Fortunately her technique was superb and my only problem now is to devise a way to come back soon as people here barely get their hair cut so it's not as if I can just go with Ana Paula in another five weeks.It is interesting to me that most stylists here seem to have their salons inside their own homes, which makes them difficult to find if you don't know the right people but also creates a lovely relaxed chic enviroment, we curled up in her kitchen and drank cappucccino ( my first decent unsweetened cup of coffee in seven weeks ^_^) and ate cake together while chatting during a break. It was one of the most welcoming and friendly atmospheres I had experienced in a business enviroment.
We met up with our respective host families at a mall and bade farewell to Ana Paula and Mariana that evening.I was slightly apprehensive that this family would turn out to be similiar to my current family in that they seemed loving and fun in writing but in actuality were far from it.I needn't have worried however as this family could not have been more different from the Hiratas.My host mother Lissandra made me feel welcomed and loved from the start as did my younger sister Larissa ( 16 years old ). My youngest sister Nathalia ( 9 years old) was extremely shy to talk to me at first but after I pleaded with her she brightened up and in a day was making fun of her friends for acting silly and being shy with me ^_^.I will never fail to find it odd that so many Brasilians are very shy and hesitant to speak their native portuguese with me and feel far more confident trying to talk in bad english, which I never let them unless it is only a sentence to explain a word etc...I have to beg , plead and cajole them to speak portuguese and usually have to start by stumblingly asking them not to be embarrassed and that they are making me sad that they won't talk with me etc... whereas I should be the one embarrassed as my portuguese is still essentially epic fail.I went out to eat friday evening with my host family and spent some time getting better acquainted with them.My week with this family was so good for my portuguese and really makes me wonder how much father I would be along if I lived with a family that was younger,talked with me, or did things with me more often as I was constantly talking whether it was to ask questions,explain things about me, my family , the USA etc.. or just curling up with my host mother and youngest sister while teasing Larissa about how incredibly slow she was at getting ready :p.
On saturday night Larissa and I had a fifteenth birthday party to attend.In Brasil fifteenth birthday parties are essentially a formal debut and quite and elaborate affair so I was thrilled at the oppurtunity to attend/observe one ^_^.This being Brasil although the party began at nine in the evening we actually didn't arrive until a quarter till eleven as Larissa really does take an age to get ready for a party. I think all told I was ready in about twenty minutes and she took over two hours so I spent most of my time waiting around talking to my my host mum and together we engaged in some lively teasing of Larissa ( I've really missed having someone to tease ^_^ and clearly I was spoiled by how fast Bananas can get ready ^_-).
We finally arrived at the party and spent an hour or so talking with people until more diverting things began to happen at the party.It started off with a large amount of the guest of honor's best friends or classmates and their dates forming a processional and then a pathway of raised roses and candles for her to enter through.She entered and began to waltz with her father,grandfather and of course her boyfriend whilst a photographer flitted about her snapping pictures and her friends formed a ring with lit candles to surround her.After the dancing there was some sort of speech by her father and then a man came into the room bearing upon a pillow a single lavender high heeled sandal, he then knelt at her feet and delicately fitted it onto her foot.I practically died of laughter at the absurdity of it all, I was quite aware that most Brasilians I've met are disconcertingly obsessed with disney but I hardly expected to see bad reenactments of Cinderella when I attended parties ^_^.After that was the presentation of the cake which involved two men clad only in trousers and bow ties running down the center of them room bearing it above their heads and presenting it with a flourish.It was the epitomy of bad taste, who hires half naked playtoys for a fifteen yeat olds party????I could hardly believe it at first and took so many pictures of them to prove to myself that I wasn't actually hallucinating :p.The cake itself was quite pointless as well, as they never even ate it although considering that it obviously conatained a great deal of fondant it probably would have tasted vile anyway.It still bothered me though as I have had so much experience making cakes and pastries for special occaisons and believe that it is just bad taste to have a center piece that isn't actually appetizing as that is the primary function of it, regardless of the desire for attractiveness and it's hardly as if both qualities are especially difficult to attain ^_^.
Later that night they opened up the dance floor, which Larissa was pleased about as evidently she loves to dance.I did dance some although I've resigned never again to try and dance much in five inch heels as it's ridiculously tricky to mantain balance ( I really need to find a balance board here to work on mine ^^).There was a man who danced with and threw flames around the birthday girl on the dance floor, so that was entertaining.The people at the party had trouble believing that I had seen things similiar or superior to this display, I'm not exactly sure why though as it hardly seems uncommom to me.They had an interesting thing where the staff went aroung blowing whistles and making people open their mouths where upon they poured some type of liquor into their mouths,grasped their heads firmly and shook them extremely rigorously for twenty seconds or so.Evidently this was supposed to make them go crazy or some such thing.Well me being rather amused and curious at the whole ordeal decided to give it a go and as the staff were very fond of me at this party ,so instead of just shaking my head ,I got the privilage of being the only person that they actually picked up and twirled around the dance floor in their arms ^_^.The alcohol and spinning didn't have any effect on my though ( even though I tried it again the normal way just to experiment) but I've always loved spinning in circles so I didn't regret it in the least ^_^.Around three it was anounced that they wanted to everyone to leave with in forty minutes, something that shocked and dismayed the Brasilians who then spent a great deal of time complaining about how it was a terrible party and who leaves a party as early as three anyway? I didn't mind in the slightest though as I was unusually tired at the time and quite happy that my host sister was being forced to return home ^^. All in all I thoroughly enjoyed myself though as it was quite the most absurd event I have attended in recent memory and I could barely stop laughing at most of things which went on, which was of course why I enjoyed myself ^_^.I am extremely happy that these parties aren't common in the USA though as they are a terrible waste of money and I would far rather travel to some interesting country as opposed to having a party at which everyone fawns over me.
Sunday was relaxing and lowkey.I spent it with my host families visiting their aunts and grandparents and having to explain that I didn't mind in the slightest that they all were extremely loud and talkative when their family was together as it was hardly relegated to Brasil as they seemed to think and actually highly remniscent of my own family ^_-.My host family was amazingly and sweetly insistant and perserving in their attempts to find me food that I like and I think we must have gone to five or six supermarkets until we located one that sold sushi and raw vegetables that I like.Something they need hardly have done but that was wonderfuly kind and welcoming of them especially as they couldn't actually understand why I would actually want to eat raw fish and vegetables anyway ^_^. I was ecstatic at the prospect of finally having healthy food as I had been positively pining for it and spent the entire week eating lightly steamed vegetables and sashimi.... ahhhh... bliss ^_^.
My family had a minture poodle puppy called Baby, who was quite cute. Although I found it immensely diverting that my host family considered 80 F far too cold for her and made her wear a fleece dress during some of the time I was there.When they inquired as to how I liked it all I could bring myself to say was that I have always preferred dogs with only their natural coat as adornment ^^.I also then had to recount stories to them of my dearest Zipper ( my little cute kitty ^_^) shivering in 20 F weather and walking through the deep snow while going up to paw at the door to be let in, an account they were shocked by as the concept of allowing a beloved pet outside in such conditions in beyond their comprehension ^_^.
The sunset from the back of my family's house
Larissa's bedroom ( and mine for the week) and yes this is actually a perfectly common and acceptable way to decorate your room.I sometimes long for the refined sophistcation of my own with its gentle focus on living plants,books and learning, art, light,and soft fluid fabric..sigh...I also can never get over the fact that they all have these massive framed photos of themselves over their beds...how do you keep from dying of shame I wonder
The back of the house
The view from Larissa's balcony
At the party , I was lazy in uploading photos so there are tons more at my facebook if you haven't seen them
Me being forced to wear a dress, I don't think most people have ever even seen me in one so here is a photo to prove I am aware of their existence, actually I adore dress design due to my study of fashion, I just always feel ridiculous wearing them
Forming the pathway for her to pass under ( I apologize for photo quality, lighting was simply dreadful at the party )
The charming cake bearers. What, don't you want to hire some for your next big event :p?
That stuff was disgusting and I have no idea why they were serving it as it seemed little more than congealed pepto bismal, luckily I didn't actually get a cup but due to my curiosity I did sample a friend's as I couldn't believe that it was actually all that bad, my mistake .
The guest of honor herself, looking nice and silly, although at this point in the party that was actually the formal theme. Did I mention she changed outfits four times?
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