Quarterly Report No. 3 - March Quarterly Report January
Schon bald geht es zurueck nach hause, nach Deutschland. Bis zum Tag meines Heimfluges sind es bereits weniger als drei Monate, und es zeigt sich, wie wahr the us is the exchange proposed theory of the process: after the first day that the homesickness is probably the strongest, comes a stage where everything is new and scary ineressant appears, it will be followed by a further but less powerful wave of miss, which decreases by about half a year with time more and more. With the last three months is probably the time of exchange, which will evaporate the fastest! This means for me: not only enjoy every day, but every minute that you have left here ...
How to remove the top portion can already, it's time for me really well. After the holidays, who went to early February, we had only two weeks of school, which by a further Holiday weeks Carnival was accepted. This time I did not spend with my Brazilian friends, but also with my cousin, who for three weeks from Germany came to visit me. Carnival itself was of course an absolutely unique experience and totally different than in Germany ... the carnival time here in Rio de Janeiro, besides the football game, the biggest holiday of the year. In contrast to Germany, you go to Rio in the "Sambodromo" what you are paying an even for Europeans, very large sum. The "Sambodromo" must be thought of as a street, the two sides have built up huge tribunes. There are parades of so-called "samba schools" instead. The best of these schools will take part in a kind of competition. We need to lay the best music, best costumes, choreography and best performance overall. The winner gets a very high prize money. In order to cut in this competition as good as possible, these samba schools spend the rest of the year to prepare for the move next year. Each of the samba schools were founded by a "Favella" (slums), but today people come from every imaginable layers together without the status of the other to attach the slightest weight. We, ie my cousin in January to Nova Friburgo Suedafrikanerin comer Nicole and I were on the second day of the carnival in Sambódromo were exceptional and marvel at this spectacle. To our great regret, it rained almost the entire night, which we nevertheless could not take your fun to the beautiful images. The only thing that was hard to bear for some time, was the music, as each samba school has a song that is accessible throughout their appearance and repeated over and over again. Now you have to imagine that any of these schools is between one and a half hours occurred, and you had to hear during this time, the length of the song according to countless repetitions. To all you stand still almost the entire time, and given that we arrived at 18:00 clock and clock at 4:00 in the morning, before the end, are gone, it is not surprising that we woke up the next day until around 15:00 clock! A visit to the Sambódromo in my opinion is definitely recommended, even if I no longer difficult to understand why a majority of Brazilians tried before the carnival to run away, as must the whole crowds every year to experience again is certainly very stressful ...
the rest of the visit of my cousins, we spent in the company of Brazilian friends in some of mine on the north-east trip visited places that I was allowed this time, however, experience from a completely different perspective. So we learned, for example, some Brazilians, but also very many tourists from all possible corners of the world, with whom we have exchanged some even e-mail addresses in order to be able to hold later in touch. Very interesting it was to learn more about other ways to make an exchange. So we got to know as a woman who was already in several states where they were in school English classes. This one, she said, not rich, but you get to know many cultures and languages and has a very colorful life. Another girl has finished her training as a nurse and a half year now travel through Latin America, from city to city, without knowing beforehand where they will stay and where they will travel next. Among others, we also have a German Students pair met, which has learned to know in that both have taken part in the annual exchange of Rotary. Amazing, where you can not find all of them former Rotaryaustauschschueler!
What I was also completely new and different experienced the city of Rio de Janeiro. This was my first stay in the big city, where I was not with my family, even with a fully planned by tour, but could decide where we go and what we do when and where. We lived in a small hotel in Copacabana, one of the "good" district of Rio, and moved away practically only by public transport. I think only now, after I have asked the city on your own, I can To say that I really know Rio de Janeiro, where there are still many things that I have not seen and might not see in front of my departure will. All in all I must
to visit friends or relatives from their home country during the exchange say that, at least in my experience, this brings only positive aspects and new with it. And you can come back even after the exchange year with friends and relatives, if it has a well liked, because at least in Brazil is so large that one could make this years holiday and we would have still not seen everything.
Both my host family, and my entire circle of friends has just got over the visit of my cousins and have already announced, including him to visit when they come visit me.
The family, from the discussion here is still the first and so far the only family where I was. However, my counselor has finally spoken to the family of my good friend and classmate, Laila and I be given for a move in this family. Now, unfortunately, a slight dilemma has arisen because I feel very comfortable with my current family, and she seems to have got used to me and get along well with me. When I was not at home recently, an entire weekend and had seen my host mother until the Monday after school, she told me that they would have me during this short time already really missed. This makes I have to say it any easier that I'm going to go now but in a different family, but for a second impression of family life to get here in Brazil ...
What will I while do not change this whole time certainly is my school, and I go to the end of last year, at least in the class had, for my first class is now in the last school year, must, as the students really learning a lot and have significantly more hours per week, which for us exchange student is not required. For this reason, all exchange students in new classes in the penultimate school year came. Since I'm already since mid-February in this class, I had enough time for me my new classmates to make friends and make good contact. The people in this class are really nice, even if we have exchange students seem less interested in us as my first class. This can also be a deceptive impression, because I've been here and speak the language. With my old classmates I see myself on a regular basis during the breaks, and with close friends after school or on weekends, with me in the new class is missing sometimes, already, as one or the other former of my classmates was able to joke during class . My best friends are still left to those with whom I am in my first class all became friends at the beginning of the year, but have This is quite natural, because they were the first people I met here in the then still completely foreign land. Besides me, the above-mentioned Suedafrikanerin Nicole in this class, but this is more theoretical than practical because it is difficult to class, which is probably largely because they have completed their school education did last summer and it is no longer used is to come to class regularly. I try to teach her some Portuguese, but she is not interested enough in learning the language, and is also committed to not thus. At this state of my knowledge of Portuguese is to say that I have a week ago, co-written an essay in Portuguese und 87,5% der gesamten Punktzahl erhalten habe. Besser als ich haben von 43 Schuelern nur vier abgeschnitten.
Zu meinen Aktivitaeten sind nun noch Capoeira- und Schlagzeuguntericht hinzugekommen. Capoeira ist eine brasilianische Kampf-Tanz-Sportart, welche hier zur Zeit der Kolonisierung entstand. Da Sklaven oefters unter sich kaempften und ihre “Herren” nicht wollten, dass sie sich verletzten, wurde eine Mischung aus Kampf und den religioesen, aus Afrika stammenden, Taenzen gemacht, welche Capoeira (deutsch: Haehnenkampf) genannt wurde. Bei dieser Sportart werden zwar viele Elemente einer Kampfsportart benutzt, allerdings ist es verboten, einen anderen Taenzer absichtlich zu beruehren oder gar zu verletzen.
Desweiteren mache I, as I said in the last report, three times a week and twice Soccer singing lessons, but I have at least temporarily aufgehoert the guitar lessons because I liked all the teacher is not too much. We also exchange students but now found an opportunity to attend a social project. We will help out next week in a kindergarten for children from poor families. The parents of these children do not have enough time to play with the children and maybe even just once to hold in her arms. Thanks to all these activities is more than my week filled with hobbies that give me lots of fun, and I sometimes could thus may not practice in Germany.
To the local Rotary is not to say much new. Last Friday (26.03.2004) has become my host club, 24 years old, which, compared to the club Marburg / Lahn, yes last year, its 50th anniversary, is very young. But if you see the age difference between the states per se, this is not very surprising.
In the first week of April, I now keep my report to our Germany and the two other Rotary Clubs here in Friburgo. Even the end of last year I had asked my counselor this for a date but it has, like almost everything here, took some time before I had an answer ...
In May we will have our District Conference, after a prior Reports mentioned meetings in Araruama the third coming together of all the exchange students throughout this time will be. The second meeting was in March, only recently, but this was just a one day meeting, which went from 9:00 to 13:00 clock. This time there was informative only for the parents of the future outbound. The out-and inbound themselves were busy for this entire period with a game that should have a purpose in the preparation exchange, and it turned out to be quite amusing. It should have been re-enacted situations in which a person always came as exchange students try, and to behave appropriately as possible. Afterwards, the behavior discussed and discussed about other possible reactions. Otherwise, I
must say that, as we see, still very little initiative on the part of Rotary's coming, and we here in Friburgo even get a little too little attention from our Counselor. However, this is understandable, for he is not only our common Counselor and Youth Service Officer of the club but also vice-chairman of the district and the representative of the local governor. The only thing you should think about is whether it really makes sense to pursue all these activities simultaneously.
What would be interesting to mention is that our friends have decided to rebound from Friburgo here to found a Rotexgruppe in our district. As we in Germany as we prepare some contact had to Rotex and here are just two so far, I try, though I yet at home and am not rebound, something to help with the organization of the whole. However, this is currently quite difficult, as these two rebounds in the last year in school, and, as already explained, must therefore learn a lot. Despite this obstacle, it goes ahead, even if only very slowly.
Finally, I must say, the more I write, the clearer to me that not all of these topics, about which I should write, but what goes on in my head, or to what extent my mind / way of thinking through the experiences that I'm here changes.
to realize this, everything still seems to put into words I currently very difficult, but I hope after my return to Germany in time more and more recognize those changes and to be able to understand.
People need time to everything he is going through to implement and process. So it is with my replacement, because I am sure that I will be really clear after some time how much of this exchange has brought me into reality. My time here has been and is certainly a very versatile and educational experience for which I am extremely grateful: Certainly one thing. I hope this gratitude in the future, both through my presentation, and possibly in other ways, at least a little, and can thereby some of my experiences from this exchange to share with you.
Thank you dear, Rotary Club of Marburg / Lahn, to every single one of them, who allows me to do!
've Until our meeting very soon, your
Alex Pevzner
