Chapter four: words, worlds and snow.

Monday begun hurried. I took a shower, organized my things and I was late to have breakfast. All monday morning all the high school met in a very warm room. The coordinators talked about what they have to do this week. Their school year is finishing in almost three weeks, so the sophomores have to finish their personal projects and present it. The seniors have to study for their final exams. In two days they won't be high school students anymore. In addition, the juniors are planing Model UN. I got really curious to know how it works here, but unfortunately, I won't have time. I know that we post lots of funny things here, but seriously we do have a lot of homework. 

After that we went to the "Meet the Seniors." It is an event where all the seniors show themselves and talk a little bit about their experience at Riverstone International School and also where they are going to college. At this moment I realize lots of things. I don't know it was strange. I hate have to use this cliche sentence, but I have no other options. Everything here is so intense. I became friend of a person I could never imagine I would meet in 2 or 3 day and now I miss them just thinking about next week, when I won't be here... Coming back to the meeting: I needed to write while they were talking [I know it may seems impolite, but I wasn't XD] and it was almost the following: The Seniors were talking about their choices, how they made their decisions and it is funny because I can truly see we [thrid year in Brasil] saying exactly the same things. I though it would be more or less like this, but I couldn't imagine that it would touch me as it did. [Maybe 15 days and only one country cannot be enough to affirm it, but I'll do the same way] I'm sure that whenever you are, wherever you were born we feel the same feelings. Not only about college, but also about future, relationships an human doubted. A boy, who wants to do economics and personal relationship said: "Every human everywhere are in some way connected". And we can think about in the economic way, I mean, think that I'm a brazilian writing in a computer designed by americans, factored by chinese, sell all over the world, but I can think in the human way. It's just carbons, hydrogen, oxygen and some more elements. Just it mixed in billions different ways. What you have just read is called cheap philosophy or Filosofia de Bar, no Brasil.

However, to answer another question a girl, who wants to do biology said: "If your dreams don't scary you a little bit, they are not not big enough". I think it is a good definition of dream.

Let's stop with this sentimentalism, it's time to talk about fun! After classes we went to Bogus basin. It is ski place during the winter since it is a very high place in the top of the mountains. Even though we are almost in summer there is some snow there. So Me, Jeanette, Parker[Jeanette's brother], Yaro[Parker's friend], Bruno, Caio and Robbert had a snow fight and we also sled down the mountain on a piece of cardboard. Yes, exactly how people do in parks and squares in Brasil XD! Pictures and videos:

I though the subtitle of this picture could be "Party in the USA" does it make some sense?

Time to go back home. This part you already can deduce: homework and bed. 

Special Edition: Jeanette's sixteen birthday. Chapter five: keep following.

Towne Square and Foothills!

Hiking and shopping... Do you want something better then this? I`ve hiked up Spring Creek in the Boise Foothills. Only word to describe it: Awesome! Running with Kaitie (our dog), crossing rivers, climbing hills, with a confortable sun, and a cozy wind. What is better than hike in a beatiful place, with incredible people and a perfect wether?

 I think that the only thing that looks like it is shopping with our friends, seeing the ecxitement of our friends buying his IPhones and IPods, buying a lot of stuffs, gifts, foods and loosing our brazilians. Why not a new shoes? A new perfume? Maybe some clothes? The are cheeper then we use to find in Brazil.


 Warm hugs,
 Esthevão Vervloet.

Oh yeah!

Hii everybody!

Well, I have lots of things to tell you, since my last time here was on Thursday haha. On Friday, we had math and science's classes in the morning and in the afternoon we went bowling, and it was AWESOME. I'm not good at bowling, but I tried. Theeeeen, we went to the mall, I was very excited with so many things to buy and to get in touch. Imagine a Victoria's Secrets store with everything that girls love. I loved it.

(Esthevão, me and Jenny at Farm's Market)

On Saturday, Lisa and Jenny, my hosts, took me to the Farm's Market, and we ate burritos, cookies and I could meet new things. Coincidence or not, we met Esthevão with his hosts. Then I went to the Capitol Building, such a wonderful place to see.

(Capitol Building)

In the afternoon we went to Camel's Back, a great park where we played soccer, volleyball, and enjoyed our time there.

(Jenny and Kristin, love them)

Theeeeen, we went to my house (actually Jenny's house haha), watched Scream 4 (Pânico 4) and when everybody but Esthevão had left, we played videogame. I lost. I'm fine now.   

Yesterday, I had a big breakfast with waffles, chantilly, NUTELLA \o/, orange juice, coffee, etc..

After breakfast Lisa took me to Bogus Basin, a place where you can go skiing, João and Alex went with us. We saw snow and played with snowballs, that was awesome.

(João, me and Alex)

We also went to Costco, a huge store that sells everything (electronics, shoes, food, clothes..) and we could buy nutella. After that, Jenny and I went to Jeanette's house (Milena's host) to eat pizza (hmmmm) and drink milkshake. Esthevão also was there, we had lots of fun. 

Today at school, we had a meeting with the Senior Year and the students were talking about their plans to college, then we had normal classes.

Well, I hope you liked it.

Thank you for visiting us.
Brazilian hugs,
Larissa :)

Chapter Three: Weekend!!!

The day started cold. But it was FRIDAY and here it really means the beginning of weekend because there is no classes on Saturday! And also their schedule on fridays are always different. In the morning we had Math and Science class. I discovered that we are going to have a test on Thursday! Well, I know logarithms, but anyway, it's a test! Let's keep going... Since all the brazilians are here we went to Bowling to have lunch there and play. We went in one of those yellow buses, that was funny, because they are exactly the same on the movies. We arrived and then we organized everything to have lunch. Sandwiches with peanut butter and strawberry jam, or meat, cookies and chips. Time to start playing! My group was formed by four people. Me, Jeanette, Bayard and Hannah. I think I have no pictures now =/. I started winning and suddenly I failed most of my moves. Embarrassing XD.

We finished the game and then we went to the other room to play other games. We came back to school [in the yellow bus] and, since we are tourists we took a picture in front of it! Look:

We were looking forward to the night because it was time for shopping! Before going to the mall we went to home to get some things and we had to solve a problem with Jeanette's brazilian visa. Everything went all right, and it was now time to go buy! I felt excited and bad at the same time. Come on, it was the consumption in my veins. But was great. I first bought sunglasses and then my very first iPod. It was fast, just it, fast. Third: lotions, fourth: clothes. These are very cheap things to buy here. REALLY. I almost got crazy in the store XD. And then we were trying to buy tennis shoes. It was hard, believe me. We got lost from our hosts so we are four brazilians [Me, Larissa, Caio and Joao] looking for tennis shoes in a unknown place XD. It was hurried. When we found our hosts they got relieved and it was time to go home.

A little of homework and time to go to bed. Saturday was coming! Morning: sleep and saturday market. I tried a crepe.

The market was very nice. It happens every saturday morning and the stores are all local, so they sell jams, plants, hand crafts, clothes and things like these. i though it was very similar to Feirinha de Copacabana, but the weather was cold XD. Some pictures:

Afternoon: Camel's Back Park. It was amazing. We arrived and we saw some high mountains [that's why it is named camel's back (I have to confess that i spend sometime to understand it.)] So climbed to the top. It was a tiring exercise, because it is so inclined. But like Table Rock, we were rewarded. Another stunning view from the city:

Time to play: we started doing "montinho" and human pyramids, and tickling:

Awesome time. Then we went to Jenny's house to watch Scream 4. Before watching it, we had dinner. I made a very good sandwich. The movie was scary and funny at the same time. More funny than scary. Anyway, good. Home again. We tried one more time to do some homework but me and Jeanette kept logging onto Facebook. So on Sunday we would have no options: work on our homework.

Morning: sleep, afternoon: work, night: movies with pizza and milkshake. It was an extremely stereotyped program. And also very good. Actually we didn't watch the movie but the pizza was tasty. We walked to buy our milkshakes and it was cold, but really nice. I enjoyed walking because the street we are is one of the historical ones, so the houses have a very specific and cute architecture. I choose blackberry one and Jeanette choose mint. Both were good. While we were coming back to home I pick some leaves to put in my Travel Journal. I hope they get beautiful in the pages. 

Before it I was a kind of nervous. The end of sunday wherever you are means beginning of monday and when you have two big projects to work on it is kind of scary. Scarier than the movie XD. However, as Bob Marley used to say: "baby don't worry about thing because every little thing is gonna be all right" That's all. I blogged almost every thing. I'm not late anymore XD.

Waiting to know what is going to happen in chapter four. As soon as i got it, I will tell you.

Good Night Everyone

Warm Hugs.

Milena (Miley)

P.S.: I have to tank my host who helped me correcting everything. She is a really nice teacher XD. And she is going to speak Portuguese when she comes to Brasil.

Bacon, Snow, Hills

     Oh, Sunday! It started with another american breakfast :) (at this time I took pictures, though). Then, we met Larissa and Lisa - Jenny's mom, who is hosting Lari - and we went all the way up to Bogus Basin, one of the mountains here. It was such a nice way up there, with lots of curves and some awesome corvettes all the way up. When we were almost at the top at Bogus, we started seeing snow besides the road, what was an unforgettable experience, such as the snow ball fight we had there at the top, which Lisa started. It was really cool - both ways -. Anyways, seeing snow was brand new for Larissa and me. We had a great time up there, we even tried to eat the snow, but it was not tasty. One more thing about the snow is that, since you are in a snow ball fight, be careful with your hands, because they are gonna start freezing, haha. After we came down the mountain again, Alex and I walked up the government house's hill, a beautiful place with a large green lawn and a huge american flag at the top. It was really fun the way back to the car, since you can speed up running down the hill. 

Warm hugs, Joao Vitor

Chapter two: Brigadeiro

The second day of school, what means the third day here, was also great. We watched a presentation at 9:30. It was about the green week they were having here. It was similar to Segunda-feira Verde (Green Monday) we had in our school. Someone who went to Antarctica showed pictures and histories about her trip, then another woman also talked about researches on South Pole. Both were fine but, for me the most interesting was the propose that the school was doing. You should say one thing we could give up for saving the planet. I think we could try it in our school, it would be really good. I do not think it has to be something big, but if you promise something you could really give up for saving the planet you would truly act and not just talk about it. They made a big poster where you could write what you were giving up. I gave up eating meat! XD 

 I had to do it! Monday without meat. Discover new tastes. 
For the people. For the animal. For the planet.

Lunch, soccer, classes, home. Afternoon: Jeanette invited everyone to go to her mom's house so we could watch a movie and play basketball. So it was what we did. I decided to show Brigadeiro to them, so when they arrived I cook the candy. We watched Get Him To the Greek while we were eating and after we went to the backyard to play, even though it was raining. It was really cool. And cold.

Here the sun goes dawn very late, so when it is like 8:00 p.m. is already light. It just got really dark around 9:15 p.pm. So we feel like it was 5:00 and it is 8:00, it is funny.


Kristin came to Jeanette's house and we made brigadeiro again. These one tasted better than the first one. Here are the pictures:

Kristin is a really nice girl, she is spending only this week with us, because next week she will be in Canada.

Jeanette and Kristin


Here are me and Maryana with brigadeiro!

Time to go to bed, again. I wish I could stay wake up without sleep, this way I would be able to enjoy more.

But, if we are going to bed, means that another day is coming soon. The fourth one arrived. We drived to school [yes, here they can start driving at 14and1/2, so usually drive to school] Here a picture of my amazing and carefully driver:

I made a cup of pottery at art class and it hurt my hands, but it was amazing. Now I want to do a mug, it's kind of hard because you have to put you arms on your legs and keep them there, but sometimes is impossible and the clay breaks in your hands. I will try! This afternoon we went to a benefit concert to help an orphanage in Mongolia. One family from here spent some time there and they showed a video about the place, the children and their way of life. It was a very poor place and with no infrastructure, so they were trying to help them. I thought it was a very nice initiative. 


When it was finished Jeanette started looking for her keys and she couldn't find them. Worried, she went to the car and the keys were there, closed with the car locked. We had to wait until her brother, Parker, arrive with the spare key. I was freezing, because the wind was really cold. We arrived at home and we were tired. It means: time to go to bed.

I know that this texts my seem repetitive or... I don't know. It's just because I cannot use other words unless good, amazing, awesome, fun, cool, different and things like these. I mean, when you spend just two weeks on another country and they receive you very well, these will be your unique feelings. Well, I am feeling it now, so, that's all I have to tell you. In the next chapter: Friday and Saturday!

Weeeeeekend!

The expected moment arrived! The week is over and now we have a lot of time to go around Boise and have fun!

On friday after lunch, we all went bowling with the whole class. It was really fun and again we received new names: Jaoa, Caia, Larrisa, Esteban... We stayed a long time there and after that we went to the mall. 

Arriving there, we met at a huge clothes' store and I (Caio) asked for help to buy a little gift to my sister - what an idea - the girls started a war operation to help me buying the gift. They were very kind and after some searching I could find what I wanted. The next stop: Apple Store. Everybody was very interested for the i-stuff but me, I (Caio) lost a lot of time there. The Victoria Secret's was another funny place for many of us, many things for little prices, we really broke the bank. After shopping, Robert drove us to the best pizza restaurant in Boise and we had a great dinner with his family. 

Boise at night

As you know, after friday comes the saturday. We woke up at 8:00 and went to Robert's soccer game and after it we had mongo BBQ for lunch - a kind of noodles with some meat and lots of sauce. Then, we had to pick up Esthevão. Robert didn't know the way to the place where he was, so we got a bit lost.

                                     

Mongo BBQ!

Robert and Drew going crazy trying to find "Stevan"

After a little bit of suffering and luck, we could find the "braziliano" and then we went to the Camel's Back, which is an awesome park with lots of free space and a great hill where we could see the Boise's downtown. We spent the whole afternoon there playing everything possible in a park. 

We left the park and went to Jenny's house. There we first had sandwich for dinner - there was a mushroom that looked exactly like hamburger meat and I got it thinking it was meat, but unfortunately it wasn't. After that, we watched a horror movie: Scream 4. I (Caio) was the only one who got scared :(

Scream 4 :x

Today (sunday) we woke up at 8:00, had cereal and milk on breakfast, watched half of a soccer game on TV, had lunch at 11 something and went to the last game of Robert's tournament... his team lost (3x0). After that, we went to the supermarket. Where our host family bought things really really really fast. Then, we went home to finish our homework (Yes, exchange students also have homework, and it's terrible because, although we have already had most of the subjects, we have to translate EVERYTHING, like the names of the acids, bases, salts, etc).

Now, here we are, posting and having lots of things to do. And, to finish, just some:

Curious facts (by Bruno): 

-Every price of everything you see in every store you get is lower then what you're gonna pay, because the taxes here are not included and the prices, in the end, always surprises you. (Some 10 or 20 cents more)

-Every candy you buy here taste like medicine... It's AWFULL... only some of them taste good.

- Everyone here has an iPhone, iPad and a MacBook... that's weird.

Hope you enjoyed the post,

Caio and Bruno

Chapter one:Candy, mountains and fun!

Hey guys!

I'm Milena Barp [da chapa Parceria] and I have so many things to tell you. I have already tried to post, but for some reason I just couldn't. From the beginning: The trip was so long, imagine yourself almost 25 hours traveling, boring isn't it? Fortunately it was good and calm and I rested most of the time. This is we with Miltinho at Galeao. 

When we just arrived I saw my host family. They had written my name in colorful balloons, so I was surprised because they were all caring one of the balls. Then we went to the supermarket, I bought my lunches and other stuffs. It was interesting because at the same time I could recognize everything I couldn't really recognize anything. After, Cindy [my host mother] made a awesome dinner, with vegetables and tofu. It was a short day, because we waste most of it traveling but we were all excited to finally arrive and meet our hosts.

The second day was also amazing. It was my first day at Riverstone International School all the 10th grade had breakfast together, so I met most of the students. During the lunch time we played something similar to soccer and it was very fun. Of course they thought we were great players, so I think they got a little disappointed when we started playing and it was not that good. However, it was really nice. In the afternoon we decided to go to Powell's store, which is a place where we could find LOTS of candy, from different countries, different tastes, all these great stuff. There was a part in the store based on Willy Wonka factory, so there were many of Wonka themed candies. Here you can se the picture. 

The hosts were thinking where we could hang out and they thought Table Rock would be a great place. They were right. From there we had a stunning view of Boise. Before we arrived there Jenny and Jeanette started running. For some reason, I prefer thinking that was because of the weather or the altitude, me and Larissa could not run as fast os for as long as they did. We stayed in the back, almost dying. Fortunately, when we arrived in the up of the mountain we were rewarded. This is a part of the city. 

and this is our picture.

Before that we took another one, but the man who did it for us simply could't take a good one, so it was like this:

After we got home. My host sister is Jeanette, is an amazing girl, and we decided, after we had done the homework, to paint our nails. We went to bed and one more day was finished.

Miltinho on the bed, sleeping.

I just did not take as many pictures as I wanted, but I will do it during the next days. The first contact was a kind of strange because if you stop to think I slept in a house of some one that I did not really know and that is a kind of crazy. But the thing is, it was the first moment we realized the true meaning of exchange. The language,  the food, the habits, everything. It has just begun

Preface:Beginning?!

Well, I know it may seem late to start, but never is too late to start. So, instead of start talking about what I've been doing I think I have spend enough time here to talk about what I am felling and my impressions about every thing. Then, in other posts, I am going to complete what the guys have talked about and also what I've been doing here.

                                         When we just arrived, both groups.

Everything seems equal but different, like mini brigadeirao light according to Bruno. Boise is not big, but you cannot say that is small. It's extremely organized and clean. It is funny because I feel like I am in a movie all the time. 

                                         Robert, Jenny, Bruno, Larissa, Joao, Jeanette, Alex, Eu and Caio 

My host family is amazing. My host sister is called Jeanette and she is always worried about my fun here, so we are always doing something different, it's awesome. Parker is my host brother, I don't talk very much with him, but he's a nice guy. Maryana is the young host sister and Cindy is my host mom. She is a good person and makes me feel very comfortable at her house. I spent my firsts four days with them at a beautiful house on the foothills. This weekend we went to Jeanette's dad's house. My host father is named Tim Thornton and his wife is named Kristin. They both are amazing, very attentive and kind people. Their house is located in the historical part of Boise so it has an old style, which is beautiful. I really think that it's the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me. Seriously. To become apart of an american family for 15 days is strange and good at the same time. 

Riverstone International School is great. The spirit we feel there is amazing. The walls are covered by students' work and paintings. These things make it seems more comfortable, as if you were a big part of that, I do not know how to explain it but having colorful walls makes it warmer, at least I think so. I was talking with Cindy and she defined it with a great word which is casual. The classes and the teachers are casual, I think it makes it easy to understand the topics. They have the same classes everyday and on Friday they have another schedule. But, since our schedule is completely different in Brasil, we can go deeper in some topics.

Art Class

The most different thing, I think, is their way of eating. First of all, they do not eat fast food or high fat food all the time at all. But they have food from all over the world here. I've already tried lots of food that I hadn't eaten before. Falafel, tofu, blueberry jam, Chobani [greek yogurt], different types of potatoes, peanut butter, on thing very similar to Goiabinha but with blueberry, brussels sprouts, bagles, crepe, candies,...  Because I love food, I enjoyed all of them. They also have lots of vegetarian food, low fat food or fat free food and organic food. Truly it surprised me, I'm very happy because I haven't drank even one cup of soda.

Me and my host Jeanette. We were at a market and I tried american crepe. We chose lemon and sugar. Amazing, believe me.

The way we act around each other is also different, we really are more affectionate, we hug and kiss people XD. It does not mean that they are not affectionate, they are really nice, its just different. Anyway, each day we become closer, more friends and I, and I cannot talk about next saturday, when we suppose to start our return trip.