Wow! Who would guess? I'm actually here, posting a new entry!
School started last Monday, and it was actually really enjoyable. Friends came back with new haircuts, different clothes, and bronzer skin coloring. And of course, everyone was happy to see each-other again.
Something else interesting happened over the break. I came back from vacation with much improved Portuguese. Maybe it was due to all the Novellas that I watched, but something definitely worked. I'm finding that I feel closer to friends, I laugh with them more, and I think they feel closer to me too. I wouldn't come close to saying I understand everything, but I know that my friends no longer have to explain things over and over, and I don't have to fake laugh with them, pretending that I understand what they are talking about. There are so many things I still have to learn, and I'm just so happy that I got a chance to stay here longer.
The two exchange students that were supposed to start turned out to be three, all from Germany. One boy got placed in my class, and the two other girls in another. I think our school is now over-saturated with exchange students. But honestly, it is such a relief not to be the new kid in school. I have a set group of friends, I know who I can trust and who to avoid. I feel now that I truely belong, not as though I'm only temporary.
Being an exchange student you never really think about how you being there has affected a group of friends, and a school, but it really does. It has to be hard to be the friend of an exchange student who doesn't speak the language. Constantly explaining things over and over, trying to find simpler language to explain it in. And having the person follow you around everywhere. Seeing the three new exchange students at my school I have realized just how difficult it is, for both sides.
I hope I explained well enough about the last few months, but please if there is anything anybody would like to know, comment on this or on my facebook. Sometimes I feel like some information isn't enough.
Love,
Frankie :)
Saturday, August 14, 2010
The Update (Part 1)
I have decided to make a big summary of my last few months here, because I realized that I haven't updated this blog for a long long long time. I don't even want to know the last date that I put up a new blog, it's too embarrassing. But I promise-that is I PROMISE to have a new update in a weeks time.
So I think I should begin by explaining why-and how, I am still here. The original plan was to stay in Brasil from late January until late July, about five months. But somewhere around my third month here, I started to realize how little time I had left, and how much I really really didn't want to go home yet. There was still so much more that I wanted to learn and do while I was here I got so upset about the idea of leaving after only two more months. Then, as if my host mom was thinking the same thing, she suggested, why don't you just stay with the family for the rest of the year?
And so after a LOT of talking with my mommy, after she and my father had meetings with my high school counselor and after I myself thought about the whole situation, my mom finally gave me the word that I could stay until January. I was smiling for a week :D AFS was pretty easy to work with about this-I guess I'm not the only exchange student who wanted to extend their program. There was a price difference between the six months and one year to pay, but all in all everything worked out very nice.
A funny thing happened though after everything got settled. I got really homesick. I started missing at first my family and friends and then I missed everything from my room to Mexican food. I really just wanted to be back in Irvine. I think the idea that I would be away from home for one year instead of five months mentally hit me really hard. Slowly I got over the homesickness, but I guess there’s always a part of every exchange student, no matter how great of an experience they are having, that wants to be home sometimes.
I am due to start school again this Monday, and I'm really for it. After a month of not doing much all day and not seeing friends, I'm anxious to get back. Plus, I heard there are going to be two new exchange students starting at my school!
Beijos, Frankie
And don't forget, new update up in a weeks time, I sure will try not too ;)
So I think I should begin by explaining why-and how, I am still here. The original plan was to stay in Brasil from late January until late July, about five months. But somewhere around my third month here, I started to realize how little time I had left, and how much I really really didn't want to go home yet. There was still so much more that I wanted to learn and do while I was here I got so upset about the idea of leaving after only two more months. Then, as if my host mom was thinking the same thing, she suggested, why don't you just stay with the family for the rest of the year?
And so after a LOT of talking with my mommy, after she and my father had meetings with my high school counselor and after I myself thought about the whole situation, my mom finally gave me the word that I could stay until January. I was smiling for a week :D AFS was pretty easy to work with about this-I guess I'm not the only exchange student who wanted to extend their program. There was a price difference between the six months and one year to pay, but all in all everything worked out very nice.
A funny thing happened though after everything got settled. I got really homesick. I started missing at first my family and friends and then I missed everything from my room to Mexican food. I really just wanted to be back in Irvine. I think the idea that I would be away from home for one year instead of five months mentally hit me really hard. Slowly I got over the homesickness, but I guess there’s always a part of every exchange student, no matter how great of an experience they are having, that wants to be home sometimes.
I am due to start school again this Monday, and I'm really for it. After a month of not doing much all day and not seeing friends, I'm anxious to get back. Plus, I heard there are going to be two new exchange students starting at my school!
Beijos, Frankie
And don't forget, new update up in a weeks time, I sure will try not too ;)
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