Kristine’s first report

Hello!
I’ve been here for nearly two months now, and it only feels like a few weeks! So far I really love Australia, the places, the people, not to mention the sunsets!!

I arrived the 15th and was sick for about a month, so not the best start. One of the questions on the report form was if I have been homesick. I actually haven´t been all that home sick considering the circumstances, but after what happened in Norway, it wasn´t too good to be here to be honest. I thought it was hard seeing people smile and having fun when the only thing I could think about was the people in Norway and that my friend died. So I really wanted to show my support by being in her funeral or light candles with all of my friends. So I felt really bad that period, being sick and everything. My second day here was my birthday, so my host mom, host sister and host niece took me shopping an hour away, so I could get some more clothes. Since I could only bring 23 + 7 kilos that was very useful.

I started school two days later and it was pretty good. I got to know a few people, even though I was scared. I have never been “the new girl” before, so it was a really odd situation. But luckily there were a few people that took care of the German student and I the first week. After getting to know the social system at the school better, both Larissa (German student) and I changed the group of people we hung out with, and we still hang out with them. I don’t hang out with Larissa too much, I like to blend in to the Aussies, its just how I have always been.

Marie, from RC of Frankston Sunrise, is also in my school. I have music and food tech with here, and we hang out with each other there, but not in recess or lunchtime. There are two main groups of people at our school I would say, and she is in the one I first started in, and I´m now in the other one. I think it´s a good thing though, because then we get different experiences and get to know different people. But we do hang out a lot in our spare time. She just joined a gym and I get to come with her for free the whole stay, so our exchange babies (my babies name is Roger) don’t get too big by all the Tim Tams. I like to call it an exchange baby, so I can have a reason to be fat.

It was a bit hard to get friends here in the start, because the people at my school are a bit reserved. My group also had an exchange student here that just left when I came, and they got all really attached to her, and it was a really hard goodbye, therefore they have been a bit unsecure if they wanted to go through that all again, but I think I have convinced them now that it is worth it. I think it is better to have a fantastic year and a hard goodbye, than an okay year, and an okay goodbye. So they´re inviting me to different things and they definitely include me. I know that they also care about me. I have talked to a lot of them in private and shared problems and they shared their problems, so it´s all good!

I´ve also met up with the exchange students two times after camp, which was really good. I just spent the night at Lucas’ place (Anthony´s host child) with some other exchange students and it was heaps of fun. I get along with everybody and we have become a really good group. I have also met up with Adrianna a few times, because she lives in Frankston, which is only 20 minutes away, and sometimes it´s good to be able to speak your native language.

In school I struggle a bit with music. A lot actually, but I´ll get over it. It´s also hard to follow some other subject, but after a few more months I guess that everything will be better.

Here is a picture of my school uniform. I´m not used to wear a uniform back home, but I don´t mind it too much. It´s nice to just get up in the morning and don´t have to think about what to wear, but I miss having the ability to “express” myself in what I wear.

I like my host family a lot. My host sister lives next doors with her two children and their father. My host niece is 9 and I get along with her well. My host nephew is 12, I get along with him to, but we have our arguements.

Australia has been great and thank you for all your help this far!

Regards,
Kristine

Orla’s July report

Okay, so it’s been a while since I wrote in my diary…

Birthday!

I got home the night before before my birthday and my host mum and sister waited up until midnight so they could sing happy birthday and give me a cupcake! This was the first time my birthday’s ever fallen in the middle of the July holidays so it definitely was different. All of my friends from school had organised a surprise party for me at one of their houses so we had a fun afternoon and then I found out my host mum had invited everyone over to our apartment for another party she’d organised with all of the family! There was lots of celebration, many hugs and so many people! Definitely not a birthday I’m going to forget anytime soon

Host sister

My older host sister, Taynara, who was on exchange to the US arrived home. It’s been really different living with one more person in the house but it’s really fun because we get along quite well and have a lot in common. Definitely strange not being the oldest anymore though!

Cabo Frio, family holiday!

It’s the middle of winter, but we went on a beach holiday. Gotta love Brazil. We spent a week in the costal city of Cabo Frio, 11 of us in a two bedroom apartment was quite a laugh. I got to know the extended family a lot better and we had an absolute blast everyday Trying new foods, walking to places I’m sure no one has ever actually set foot on they were so hard to get to and just forgetting everything that needed to be done back in Teresopolis made for one of the best weeks of my exchange so far.

Hatchi

The thing we think is a dog is finally learning to stop eating everything and everyone… Thank goodness

The oficial end to my being a ‘newbie’

The other three exchangers in my city all went home. It was sad to see them go, I’ve had so much fun with all of them, they’ve been a huge part of my year.

And then they arrived

Finland came first, followed by Canada then Sweden and Denmark. I’m so excited to get to know all of them better and I’m sure many adventures await the five of us. Still can’t get over how many of us there are in one city, all four of us girls go to the same school too!

Visits

Sheridan, the other Aussie in my district here finally made her way up for a weekend. We explored almost the entire of Teresopolis, made some Australian deserts and had an awesome weekend without a second of silence. We’re planning to travel further down south to Sao Paulo and Parana state in the next few months to visit everyone else and see more of Brazil!

Other things that don’t fit under any particular headings

– Brazilians love fairy bread

– My Portuguese is getting better everyday

– It went from 4 degrees celcius (top) one day to 26 the next

– I’m going to do the 40 hour famine next month

– I’m thinking about getting dreadlocks…

– Included in my birthday package were 4 tubes of Vegemite and a giant caramelo koala… The koala remains untouched, but as for the Vegemite..

In conclusion, this has indeed been a very busy month, time’s running out, I still don’t really miss Australia and I’m going to jam as much into the next five months as possible!

YEP report, July 2011

 

From our exchange student Orlaith McAlinden

Time has flown by so quickly! When I remind myself to write in my diary because I haven’t for a couple of days, I realise it’s been over a week. I can’t believe we’re almost half way through already.

New (although temporary) host family 
My host family went to visit their daughter in the United States for her graduation and as a result I was moved to live with another family for three weeks. I had a great time with this family. We went bush walking in the national park and horse riding through the city. It was really great to see how completely different two families living within a kilometer of each other can be.

District Conference
What fun it was getting there. None of the other exchange students in my city were going so I couldn’t get a lift. Bring on the busses of Brazil! A night in Rio with another Aussie student and 7 hours on public transport later, we arrived in Cabo Frio, a beautiful coastal city where the wind never stops blowing… Hence the name ‘Cape Cold’ I suppose.

A few hours of speeches, our presentaion and a huge wine and cheese party brought the conference to a close and so began the huge journey home. All in all it was a great weekend and I made a few more friends with the other exchange students in my district. But now they’ve all gone home

Hatchi
Could be a dog, but I guess we’ll never know with all that fur…
He is still however, the prime suspect in the case of the missing socks.

Travels
The first weekend of the month, I went to Cabo Frio for the district conference. The second I spent in Nova Friburgo, a city very close to mine. I went to catch up with the exchange students there before they left for home. We had a party for the American girl, Serena’s last night and saw her off at a ridiculous hour the morning. The rest of the weekend was spent watching movies and helping the Canadian girl, Daniella, pack her bags as well as going to a Capoeira class which was very entertaining.

The third weekend, I went to Niteroi, in Rio to visit Sheridan, the other Aussie in my district. We were all excited to go to the Men at Work concert but when we went to buy tickets, THEY WERE SOLD OUT! An Australian band, sold out in Brazil! Oh well, at we know now that they have good taste in music eyy haha.

Odd bits and pieces

Sheridan lent me 5 books… I read them all in under a week. I think I will invest in some more books written in English

I finally found a Portuguese teacher, she is just as crazy as I am so classes will be interesting…

We are planning a surprise 18th birthday party for one of my friends from school here. It’s a dress up party…

Batman themed. I don’t think I’ve seen many people so excited before

It’s currently warmer in Alaska and Russia than it is in my city here… I didn’t know Brazil could get so cold!

My host sister gets back from her exchange in two weeks. Excitement!

The newbies start arriving in a few weeks, the fun doesn’t seem to be slowing down at all

In conclusion, this year needs to slow down, I need to learn more Portuguese, the dog needs a haircut and I am honestly having the time of my life.