So starting off I had a bit more of a normal week, starting to get into the swing of things. Class is going pretty good for me, and its a lot of fun. Everyone is really nice, they all talk with me a lot and help me out with anything if I need it. I am also starting to make a few friends at my gym which I am going to every day since everything is started up. Really, its just nice to be having a normal life a sort of. I think its going to be a lot of fun here.
Now, what I was really excited to write about was orientation in Maragogi. Friday morning all of the exchange students in JP met up at a bus stop, and before long a bus pulled up with more exchangers in various other parts of the district. We piled in and the adventure started. We had a long bus ride to Maragogi, and we stopped a few times to pick up more exchange students, but we made it eventually. We had a lot of fun playing a few name games and listening to music while talking, but after a while the lack of real food started to get to us. Near the end of the long ride we were a bit quieter, but then we arrived! We were in a small hotel that consisted of a main building that had the reception and kitchen and what not, and a half dozen small buildings that were pure housing. We took up the majority of the hotel but there were other people there. Right from the start I knew it was going to be a great weekend. All of the exchange students were so nice and so much fun to be around, and the scenery was amazing. We were directly on the beach, without so much as a fence between us. For the first few hours we got to run around on the beach, and we didn't really do to much. Then later we got dinner, and it was amazing. After dinner we had a Rotary presentation on some trips that we would have the option to go on later in the year, and a few general things. Then it was free time for all of us until we went to bed. We all had a blast hanging around the beach at night, talking, playing volleyball or juggling soccer balls, and just enjoying it to the max. We went to sleep right around midnight, and we had to be at breakfast at 7:30 the next morning.
On Saturday morning I got up and headed to breakfast, again, the food was just amazing, a theme that continued throughout the entire orientation. Right after breakfast I was just hanging out and then all of a sudden there were tiny lemurs in the trees. They were small enough to fit in just one hand, but they were a bit shy. A few exchange students held out grapes and the lemurs would bite it or take it from them. One little guy came up to me, and held onto the tip of my finger for balance while he took the grape I was holding. Honestly it was so cool, they were so cute, and it was just an unbelievable experience. I don't have a photo of it, I am waiting for someone to send me the photos they took of me feeding the lemur, I promise I will upload it as soon as I get it. After that, we got our blazers and took large group photos. I also don't have that one but it will get uploaded. Then afterwards we had a longer meeting that was more the orientation part of this little trip. We got all the info we needed for the year, and took care of some paperwork. Once we had that out of the way, we had free time again, and as it was shaping up to be a hot day, we all went to the beach. A lot of people jumped in, while I just sunbathed for a while, before we got to have Brazilian barbecue for lunch, which left the entire area smelling wonderful for the next few hours. After lunch, more sunbathing and leisure activities. It was wonderful. The weather was perfect, the company was great, the area was beautiful, and a carefree feeling fell over everyone. I just relaxed in the sun while talking, before going for a run along the beach. Around two we all walked down the beach to where a boat was waiting to take us to a shallow sandbar area that was a lot of fun to swim in. The water was crystal clear and warm. We goofed around, jumping off inner tubes and swimming. Several of the Finnish exchange students and I tried to make a three person tower, which after much splashing around eventually succeeded (see photos). After an hour we went back to the hotel where we relaxed more before eating some great food. Then, after dinner we had a cultural show! A group came and gave us a sort of class and then a performance of Capoeira (google it). Then, directly afterwards, There was a DJ set up under the shelter next to the beach where we got to dance to all sorts of music including the Brazilian Forro! We spent the remainder of the night there, having the time of our lives.
This morning it was just a quick clean up, everyone trade pins and lets go. I gained even more pins, and my blazer now is completely full on the front, they are just packed in. We all slept a good deal on the bus, the rest was greatly needed, so the ride passed quickly.
The combination of the perfect location and perfect group of people created a magical weekend, that left us all just feeling relaxed, happy, and extremely sun burnt. I can't quite put into words how great it was, but it was a wonderful weekend, with wonderful people. So a big thank you to Rotary for making it such a wonderful orientation, and such a memorable time.
Thanks for reading!
I am trying to get a slideshow or secondary page where I can just drop all the photos but just bear with me!
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