High School Exchange in Brazil

Saying good bye to my parents was difficult; I mean I was not going to see them in a long time and I kept wondering how was it going to be to get up in another house and say “good morning” to a family that wasn’t my family. That really scared me a lot. When I cross the gate of the plane, I looked into myself and notice that I was going to experience a huge change. I was not going to be a teenager anymore that relies on his parent´s to get everything that I need and also most importantly, I realized that I needed to start to make my own life. When I arrived to Brazil something strange happened. I was no longer afraid, it was like something changed in me and made me feel that everything was going to be fine. When I first met my Brazilian father I knew that this experience was going to be incredible and when I met my Brazilian mother I felt happy and secure. Suddenly I felt that a needed to know this lovely country from the top to the bottom and did my thing. Brazil it’s a country full of contradictions, on one hand it’s a growing economy with a first class growing economy and population; on the other hand they have also people that lives in extreme poverty. That reminded me of Mexico a lot, and also made me thought, what it´s going wrong in the world? I mean, how aren’t people realizing what it´s going on? They live like they’re in a bubble that cover´s them from the reality that their living? I got very angry with myself, because I had to go to another country to realized that Mexico it´s in a very bad situation too. I guess that the big difference about Brazil and Mexico it´s that Brazil wants to make a change and the ones that are searching for it are the young ones. I saw how the teenager´s wanted the best for their future and how they were searching for ways to improve the economy, health and most importantly the education. They are doing it and Brazil it´s changing because of them. I really didn’t know why I chose Brazil to make my academic exchange, but something inside me told me that Brazil had a lot to show me and teach me. My feeling weren’t wrong at all. Now I have tons of new ideas and a new sense of change and I don’t know how, but I would like to share these with my family, friends and the entire world. So now I know why I chose Brazil, and I couldn’t be happier with my choice. I really would have loved to stay a little bit more and without a doubt I would love to go back, mainly to visit my Brazilian family and also my new friends that I really love and also consider them part of my family and why not to dance a little bit of samba.

Last year I had spent a year in Brazil ! I had a father, mother, brother and sister in Brazil – they treated me like a real son and brother. When I first arrived I did not know anything in Portuguese, just “ Hi, bye, sorry mother, father” ( oi, tchau, desculpa, mãe, pai ) so having a conversation with my host Family and friends was so difficult. But my host Family and friends helped me a lot – so I think I have learned Portuguese really quickly ( everyone: THANKS VERY MUCH ) I thank you all ! Brazilian people are wonderfull, they are friendly, fun ... I was in a good mood every single day ! We danced, laughed, travelled; last year I have done so many things ! The year went by so fast – passed away so quickly. At first I did not know how to speak and write in Portuguese, now back in Japan I can write and talk in Portuguese and another thing I have learned is to be GRATEFULLNESS – I believe that every day in Brazil I said the word “obrigado” because everyone helped me, so I repeated “thanks” all the time ... before in Japan I did not say thanks a lot, but now I say thanks all the time as well. This program is really good – I grew a lot in the past 10 months. It is not easy and also there are difficulties but just to make me stronger There are no barriers in the language of the world ! Now I know , every human being are friends