new famliy and new beginnings

The past week has been full on since I wrote last time,The rugby hadnt been too good with the players having too much recuperation time and not keeping the routine due to the wheather not being the best treatment for the trainning field .Last weeks game wasnt to great as we played a 7's rugby game against Sao Paulo Athletic Club.We played and lost against them 1-3 trys to them. We had only trained one time since the tournament a couple of weeks ago,I was a little sick too with a mild flu. I had met my new family over dinner earlier in that week and we had dinner together to meet and introduce ourselves to each other. I nice bunch of brazillians with big hearts whom I call family.I have a new cool little sister, Rafaela, and a brother Dudo whos a little older than his sister at 10yrs old.I also have another brother Vinicius, at the same age as me, more or less that went to Germany for a international student exchange like me,I only got to meet him once but he's a rocker of a dude, non the less. The saturday game that followed my introduction with my parents had them come to my game to and watch me play which was enthusiating to see but still made a rugby loss for our U19's team but our A team came out on top overall with a close win overall which keeps our rubgy club in high recognition over Brazil.This saturday coming I have managed to find some fresh new recruits to play and train with us in Lagoa de Conceicao,they are the good friends I have been building bridges with from school in class and the rest of the year group.School has been good too, im beginning to build bridges with all sorts of people in the school like with new exchange students that have recently arrived at school.The new house im living in is a little further away from school then the last house I was living in, but still in the Center of Florianopolis. This place is not as big as the last house but is still nice to live in and the other little perks that come with living in this apartment block is awesome with a basketball court,games room like foosball and snooker type games and there is also a pool and to top things off theres monkeys that dwell around the surrounding forestation which are funny to look at and observe. I also got to meet the parents of my host mother and some of the family of my father too,his mother and brother and the son of his brother also who is a little young adventurous kid.
Living in a new house in a different does change my schedule a little bit but im still doing the same things more or less.

SChool AgaIn AnD FrieNDz

The last weeks here have been awsome, before school started back up again I was going to my friends house every day and relaxing there calling up other friends to go and do something but since the whether has been wet here me and my friend Marco have just been doing work here and there outside the house. Now that school has started back up again the first week had me sick with a cold but I was eager to go to school non the less to see those whom I adore and to catch up with some school buddy's to see how their school break went. They were all interested to hear about mine since I play rugby a high impact sport which always has them jump out their seats once I hit the climax of my tales I tell. One girl in paticular has caught my attention, Luana, but I am sticking to the ways of the rotary and
seeking my rushes through trainning and sports. I sit next to her in class and she will be a exchange student also this year in Australia and the class has noticed communication between us because I have never spoken with much girls in the class but I talk to her because we have things in common but now people are talking amonst each other in the class and now its reached a point in our class where they are trying to put us together by writting things on the chalk board like Luana 4 Tihei etc kidz stuff but I dont let it get to me so instead I relax and watch things play out as they should and another cool thing in class is that I got a higher score for the first time in a test than a friend of mine.Last week gone was one of the best weekends I have had here so far, my parents went out on a trip so I was allowed to stay at a friends house for the weekend so that was cool, Marco asked his parents and I got to stay for the weekend.Going to the beach to meet some Argentina Intercambista's and they all speak a little portuguese.When we were at another beach where you can go air parachuting we met a guy who lived right on the beach who owned somethings there like a boat and a canoe which me and two other friends got to paddle on using a two sided paddle.The day was nice and sunny too, a little windy but not too bad. There was also a weight bar there also so my friends and I decided to have a competition on how well we lift the thing in all kinds of angles.I won, so I just got the reward of satisfaction and left it at that. Once we were about to leave others began arriving including some people from Cananda and when I introduced myself as a New Zealander they questioned my statement as being false because they said I speak to much portuguese to be Kiwi, as if they knew Kiwi'ss inside and out but then I just left them as know it all's and departed the beach with my friends but before we left we had met a guy who had promised us some fish and once we went to his house to ask for some he gladly came out with more than we asked for giving us chocalate and coke which on a day like this we couldnt resist so we graciously accepted and waited while he got the fish for us and they were big too, he gave us 2 fish the size of my thighs so then we gave our thanks and departed together towards town and once we got there we went back to my friends house for lunch and the other guy had things he had to do else where so we just gave our thanks again and parted ways.The fish was awsome,we fried fish steaks in a pan
and chowed.Once we were full we put a film on (clash of the titans) and relaxed a little bit after our day at the beach.We relaxed for the rest of the day and only went outside again before going to sleep to get dinner.
The last day at my friends house I got to make breakfast for my friend and I, scrammbled eggs on toast with tomato sauce, a first time for my friend but he seemed to enjoy it.After breakfast me and my friend had to do some things like dig a grave for their dog that had just died some time overnight and we had to move a large mess of large wood blocks about 15m away from the place they were situated.After all this was done we had lunch then cleaned up a little before I had to catch the bus back home and prepare for the week ahead.

Brazil Rugby Tournament -SP

A week long rugby tournament in Sao Paulo is great experience and great socially to learn more about the culture and language. My week started with a smile from ear to ear knowing I was about to embark on a week long trip with some people whom I only call friends here unlike others from school etc. We left florianoplis at night and travelled for ten hours by bus until we arrived in Sao Paulo early in the morning, game day today and we all went to our humble sleeping arrangments which was altogether in a classroom with matresses laid down like every other team.We ate lunch before we went to the playing field, our team was the first game of the tournament against 1 of 3 sao Paulo teams, Sao Paulo white. We didn't fair to well losing against them but that did'nt phase us any and so we just looked forward to the next game against another Sao Paulo team the next day. After our first game we had watched the other games until we all had finished then it was opening ceremony with all teams in front of the flag singing the national anthem etc. After all that was over it was time to rush back to the school and wait in line for a shower before going out and seeing what the night life in Sao Paulo had to offer. It was cool seeing all the teams walking around like gangs and our team decided to go and enjoy some Acai a famous milkshake type sweet only served in Brazil. Mmmmmmmmm very very satisfying that all of us went there every day to buy some or even some of those days we bought more than one. Orders were given for lights out at a reasonable time of 10 o clock but before then when our team got back it was chaos in the hall way leading to the room of each team.The mass of each Sao Paulo team together were calling on every other team to face them in I don't kknow but what seemed to be like a sort of fight but really it was just all the testosterone in the air and young men wanting to prove and test how hard they trained against everyone else. When things were'nt going their way they started to force their way into every teams room and occupy their space if they were'nt challanged at the door first which every team put their forwards up front and got into scrum formation and forced the intruders out of their space which was really fun to see and get envolved in and I know that everybody else would agree that this was a crazy and exciting first night that was tenaciously welcomed by the teams of Sao Paulo.





Day 2
Waking up today was cool to know that I was with a good bunch of guys and that we would all be playing rugby today, breakfast was the first thing on the mind of most of us who were called last night to eat at 8.30am as we were going to be the last to play so it was only fitting that we ate last too along side our opposition for the day Sao Paulo Red.
We all came down in little groups one after the other, the hosts were serving normal brazil food very common all over, ham in a bun with a side of in between milk and yoghurt strawberry drink, I liked it but thats just me I like almost anything here and have never turned down anything for the record.Our team was scheduled to play at 4.30pm in the afternoon, alot better than 1pm when the heat is a killer but rather play in the dusk of the day when its plenty cooler.So our team had alot of time on our hands so some of us decided to go and get some Acai while others lounged arouned the room catching up on some sleep that was missed from the long journey here which looked tempting but I knew that sort of thing only slows you down and is not a good way to prep for a game.So me and a group of friends went out and about to see how things looked from days perspective which was'nt too bad.Its lunch time now and we are all liniing up for some grub when by the time some of us at the end got to the front to get some food all the cutlery had been taken already so it was up to us to wait for some other player to finish with theirs before beginning our meals. After lunch it was time for us to begin putting our heads into the game for we only had a few hours before our game so we all went to watch the games that were first. We watched especially our opponants for the next game,Rio de Janeiro.About an hour before the game we went to our room to get our rugby jerseys and rugby boots on and then it was back to the field to warm up for the game ahead.The game was here and in the first half we managed to convert a penalty kick and in the first half they got awarded two penalty shots at goal but only managed to covert one and in the end it was a tie breaker 3-3 which was a good game we thought and I could see that we were only getting better and better as long as we were here together bonding and growing strongly everyday at the tournament.Atfer the game we all went to the showers and ate dinner which was usually rice,beans,salad and a type of protein that changed every day, we finished up then had the rest of the night for our selves so we all we out to get Acai before bed at 10pm but once we had returned some of the guys were getting a little peckish so they decided to order some pizza which was really good and cheap too.

Day 3
Today was a day of recuperation for all the players to relax and heal those swollen, scratched, aching and bruised muscles like my own. But we all still hadvto get some practise in for tomorrows game and our team was the very first to get to use the field in the morning light which was good for us to get out of that sleepy mode and turn our motors on again. We trainned for an hour then it was the next teams turn to train whilst .whilst I played I suffered a knee to the hip when giving the tackle to the ball carrier which wasnt to exciting to walk around with but other than that I was o.k, but other players in the team had things like knee pains, ankle pains and wrist pains.We all spent the morning relaxing and trying our luck to sleep under the constant chatter of those with a little more energy than the rest but other than that we all just fooled around with one another being teenagers etc.Lunch time came quick and after we all had something to eat we all went out to get some acai again but this time once we finished some of us visited the internet cafe to check up on girlfriends family etc. We went back to the school to relax more and let our food settle, before I knew it their were a bunch of us getting haircuts and the thing that was so funny about this was the outragous stylist making everybody look like retards except me, mine looked almost normal but really really different unlike the others whom were over the top crazy and clown looking with bits of hair all over the head . Now that we lokked like a bunch of idiots in front of all the other teams it was time to go downtown to all the shops and show off our beautiful haircuts to the public whom gave their smiles freely and sometimes without comment but when it came to the players their was always a whistle or something to let us know how much they think of us.
Night came quickly and everybody had some energy so it was time to start some wrestling up among us.The game was simple we put the matresses in the middle of the room and played our own version of MMA,the first person to tap out was the loser,their was no punching or kicking allowed just grappling and clinches. There was about 4 fights altogether and afterwards when everyone was hot with energy it was time to take a warm down walk into downtown and buy some acai to replenish some energy and and walk back in time for bed but when we did arrive some of us noticed that other teams in their room was doing the same thing, MMA.



Day 4
Today we played Rio de Janeiro in the second game, our team up together to eat breakfast to let others know that we operate as a unit and that we shouldnt be taken lightly. Our coach and assistant coach came early to go over strategy and take us through a stretching lesson which made everybody better in one way or another as our entire body was stretched from head to toe. After all of that was taken care of those of us still with a haircut that made us look like clowns all got baldheads including me which made me so happy because our stylist was our captain who is the strongest in our team and he wouldnt let me do it on the first round so I had to wait for a long time until I got what i tryed to get in the first place but i didnt let it get to me too much but instead I went with it like the rest of us clowns in the team. We were all told to eat light to make sure we were all in good nutritional working order. Once we were finished it was time to gear up and go to the rugby field and and prepare for our match against Rio de Janeiro(River of January).We take about half an hour to warm up with stretching and sprints etc. Now the time had arrived where we played and they got the lead in the first 20 minute half but in the second half we totally dominated winning our first victory of the tournament but everybody was getting weary by the fourth day and the enthusiasm from our win didnt come as big as I thought it would but I knew that it was becuase of fatigue.The team still went out to celebrate non the less with acai and pizza which was very cheap compared to the prices in Florianopolis but thats just one of the perks of being in a big city.
Once we had done all of that it was time to look towards the next game because the team we were about to play against was the best U19 team in Brazil with this team having about 7 Brazil U19 rugby selection players so the thought in everybodys mind made us even more weary but for our health tomorrow so every body got a good nights rest for the toughest game for us in this tournament.

Day 5
Today was the toughest game for us in the entire tournament and every player by now was feeling a little hurt by now but didnt stop our spirits from pushing on.The day went quick and before we knew it we were playing a little game for us but our main focuses coached into us was defense and experience to better our techniques that may be lacking.we lost this game against the Sao Paulo Black and I got a red card for kneeing some joker in the chest because he was holding my leg while I was trying to go for the ball in the ruck but the referee didnt see him holding my leg just me kneeing him in the chest. For the afternoon we just watched the team who we were about to play against in the match for 3rd place and after, later that day during the night it was time again for another team to spawn out of their quaters and begin playing about as a team in the hallways stirring up the other teams with jokes and games until we went to bed and joked around a bit before going to sleep.
Today there was no game just another recuperation day for our injuries and another trainning for the finals the next day.Our team spent the day doing bits and pieces in groups after having our trainning before lunch.I went with a friend after trainning looking around the place we were living in for the moment and it was cool looking at the scenery high and far which wasnt like florianopolis but it looked more poverty stricken.This day would be our last night in Sao Paulo so our team got me to do something for them which at first I didnt want to do but after all their coments for me to begin made me front up and teach them a little about doing the New Zealand All Blacks haka. It was fun stirring them up and playing leader for them.I got alot of feedback too during the lessons they were giving about how good it was making them feel to shout and let some of that anger in defeat go. After they could do it without me thats when I called it a night and went to sleep after the guys had settled down after all that agressive haka.
The last day today was a good day every body was feeling a little more energetic except me, I couldnt play the last game of the tornament because I got a red card the last game so our coach repayed this by setting me up with the organizers and I had to go early and help them by getting water and gatorade for the players and help setting up the sound systems etc.Our team matched up against the state team of Parana and they had a team full of baldheads, almost all of them had baldheads except for a few but other than that their team looked good and were too as they beat our team just and claimed the 3rd place in the tournament and us the 4th whilst the last game played was both Sao Paulo teams white and black , in the end the last game for 1st and 2nd was directly after our game and the winners went to Sao Paulo Black. The prize giving and players selected to trial for the Brazil U19 selection team was anounced and then it was time for us to pack all our things and take a couple bus rides all the way back to Florianopolis as 4th place winners from the Sao Paulo tournament.

still keeping it real

One thing I have enjoyed here is the music, all the types are really good especially the rap which i like most well because it was a little like what I had expected it to be, thats original and funky.Brazil partys also called festa's are always great fun with the music and the company, alot of bands formed at my age in local florianopolis play the metal hard. I was surprised to see the amount of bands that played to have the crowd rocking all night with mosh pits a bright moonlight blue light shining from behind the bands was awsome and the ground level had them rocking on top of the hill because the way there was so steep and my legs were getting sore because I had been playing rugby early that saturday morining and getting a try ain't ever a easy feat to attain on the Desterro Rugby Club field. We played Desterro vs Desterro for the U19 game confidence and I manged to score a try from a offload right before the try line from our U19 coach Dani. School has been good with the school holding their own olympic games made up of team sports like volleyball and basketball etc. Its was cool to see that our class got to customize a shirt design for our class too, its turquaise blue with our year 2nd E on the left chest, and our name above our num
ber we wanted on the back of the shirt.Trainnings are starting to pick up as its getting closer to the Sao Paulo U19 Rugby Championship. We have began training with the joachina players to build more numbers for the selection and have other players trainning in another city far from florianopolis who are going to play with us also. I can't wait till we go because its gonna be alot of friends that are going and I will be able to document the lot with the video camera I got.

The big 18

Last week gone was so cool, from monday to sunday I had been spending a lot of time with rugby friends after school and doing things around the the city like going to the arcade at the shopping centers and just being teenagers fooling around the place, especially my friends being stupid sometimes just randomly walking up to girls and asking them for the time and pretending not to hear making them repeat themselves over and over until they finally got the hint and went away, it was amusing for a while before we had enough and just began roaming the place here and there looking for our next little adventures on the island. Rugby has been getting better with the Brazil U19 rugby selection championship about to begin on the 18 of July. More and more players are beginning to show their faces again for the trainning needed if we are to succeed in the championship and players from another club are about to begin trainning with our club players to build the numbers that are needed so badly!.Friday night I was out with a good rugby friend at his friends house for a BBQ. We went together and once we got their it was only his friend that lived there for now because we arrived at about 6.30. We all had to pay $10 for the Bbq because we were the ones incharge with putting it together.Since the rest
of the guys had'nt shown yet we decided to go to the shop and get some drinks and chicken heart to go with the Bbq which is really tasty when eaten with the rest of the meat or even when eaten alone.Once we returned it was time to put on some music and start grooving to the music before the others were about to arrive.When the guys did arrive I met a guy who I had'nt me but the others I had got to know from before. They arrived at about 9.30 more or less and now that they had it was time to start the fire by tipping in the charcoal and igniting the paper to burn the chracoal but it took the guys a little while to do so, so I had to step in and put the fire together which I did without hesitation.The beef and chicken was looking so good that we put them on as soon as we was ready to.By the time everything was ready it was already midnight but that did'nt stop the boys from enjoying the meal that we all helped contribute to put together and prepare. Afterwards it was really late and the guys decided to call it in for the night. My mates and I were up early before sunrise even but that did,nt worry me non, we all just decided to finish up what was left of the Bbq and catch the bus back to our homes and on the way home I got a call from the family wishing me a happy birthday and that was nice to hear their voices again since it had been a long time since I spoke to them last. Once I got home I took a shower and preped myself for a national holiday called festa junina and our rugby club was spending the holiday in a town at a beach north of the island called Inglesses and so Once I had everything ready to go I caught thhe bus to the bus terminal where I was called earlier to wait for some of the guys who were going to pick me up and we would go and collect wood for the party. It was a tight squeeze in the back with some wood stacked already and it was about to be more of a squeeze once we get more but I managed.Once we got to the party it was my first experience of a festa junina, people dress different like their gypsies or something wearing bright colours and sowed on patches of colours onto their normal clothing which is different and fun. The place that the party was held was awsome it had all sorts of little mini games to win prizes and leisure games like foosball and snooker and other types like air rifle shooting. I left early at about 5pm because I had to get home for my host father and I's birthday party at home and it was cool too. When I got home, family just started arriving which was great because the gifts just started coming from here and there and before I knew it, it was time to blow out the fire on the candle and make a wish. My cake was a strawberry cake with lots of whipped cream and my host fathers cake was a chocolate cake with a layer of caramel in between the layers. It was good to see all the faces there and everything going smoothly that I was starting to get restless so decided to pack it in and call it in after things had calmed down. The next day there was so much left overs that I just got to help myself with all that was there which was nice . I was planning on seeing an friend who was at my school in Gisborne but he didn't call so I hung around the place with the family and enjoyed the relaxing sunday for the fruitful week to come.

Whats new under the sun in Brazil

The past weeks have been tough but exciting because I have pushed my self a little more at rugby trainnings and have been forcing that stretch at capoeira a little more too.Rugby trainning on tuesdays and thursday have been lacking in players I was noticing so now that when I went to a trainning and it was only three including me was the time I felt I had to train with the adults rugby team whom train until late but which always has a full trainning of 30+ players all ready and commited to running the ball hard,tackling hard and running circuits that make you want to vomit, if you get targeted to be pushed by the trainer who is from Argentina.I have trainned with them for a week so far and on my first day my neck was stiff for the next 2 days and on my 2^nd day we ran alot which made my legs scream and made me walk funny until the next trainning on saturday which was a little better because we had some players from my team train so we were all doing the same thing pushing it but not exactly pouring out that sweat.Capoeira has been a good way to fully stretch out those sore muscles that have been aching alot and make me walk different. But at the same time im also improving my techniques and learning more manouvers but im not sure of their names though, still I can do them the more I practise,the more my monouvers are being executed properly to fit the fighting/dance style of capoeira. Im improving my instrumentals too which is good because sometimes we have to multi task by singing a little bit whislt we play our instrument but its those bits where the group has to sing that I need to improve because the lyrics are hard to learn correctly under all the loud sound of our instruments.

The 2 weeks ago I went to a place called Larges for a rugby 10's day. This paticular place is above 1000 metres above sea level so during our trip, 3 hours long made us depart from Florianoplis at about 6am more or less by cars and we were constantly travelling on a slight angle upwards and upwards along the beautiful country side of deep valleys and large hills and mountains until we got to our destination.This day we were schedueled to play 4 games against the Larges and another team from the capital of the state, Joinville.Once we got there it was bloody cold so we were all out and about in the sun tossing the rugby ball around trying to generate some heat until our organizer met up with the organizer there and confirmed some details before we got changed into our rugby gear and got some ball skills going with a game of touch, now that we were out prompting our selves for the match ahead the other teams were not long to follow. Once all teams were on the field and had stretched out a bit we were to wait the first game out until we got to play the next.Now that we played we got the best of the Joinville team by winning with no trys scored against us, it stayed like this through all our matches with our team winning by tremendous leaps, so now by the time we got to our last game we had already won enough games to be declared the top team of the day and the last game was canceled by an anonymous decision.

During our games I managed to find another maori from Ngati Porou who use to live in Auckland before here, it was cool to meet another brother from the same country.He was playing for the joinville team so it was cool to know he only lives close to where I am. I scored 2 try's while I played ,one from running over the winger and been tackled and falling over the line and the pass was to me standing with me having to run about 10m from starting position, and the next was from me beeing the full back/wing , I joined the attacking back line and got the offload from a forward right by the line and from there it was smooth sailing once he set me up by taking the last defender.by the end of the ruby all the team got ready and went to a bar where the after function was being held and we alltalked a bit before my ride was ready to go and leave Larges and the rest of the gang.Now the Portugues is reallu improving ,I don't speak english now unless Im not undestood properly then I will either say it english or rethink what im trying to say and deliver it another way and in most cases this works.In july there will be a weekend long rugby Brazil rugby team selection competition for under 18's and only those selected from each state may go and in this state our coach and another has been delegated to select those of us who will be going to the compitition.The last friday night gone I went to a leaving party of some exchange students from Germany, I arrived there with a friend from Austria and before we entered the gate we coincidentally met with another exchange student from Mexico and some of his friends. We were almost the first to arrive there and when we did only another who had arrived from Germany about 2 months ago had arived before us which was cool because now that we were there it didn't take long before wehad a crowd and then soon enough there were people left, right and all parts of the house in and out. It was cool to see how much people you can get to know in a year and how strong relationships can be bonded, makes me think of how it will happen for me but when I do i know it will be good for sure and that I have no problems when it comes to the amount of people that I formed that bond with.Anyway the party was cool I played Fifa Soccer on playstation for the first time and they were serving different types of a yum finger food called cozinha commonly made of chicken potatoe deep fried, only a little bigger than a ping pong ball and these are in found in almost every dairy in Brazil. The music was cool, it was a mix of modern American and Brazilian.We had people playing texas holdem and others conversing with everyone even if they didn't even know them, even I worked up the nerve to talk to a girl at the party who I never met before and before I knew it she was really conversing with me and so after a little while we exchanged numbers and facebook and she introduced me to her friends and they all didn't go to the same school but were friends with the Germans I think.While the time started getting later and later in the night so I got a ride with some friends

once we got the finishing call from the parents.The next day I had rugby trainning and I had got up late to catch the bus and I felt really sleep deprived but I didn't let get to me.When I got to trainning I was lucky it was just about to begin so I had to hurry my gear on and rush to the starting line.It was a good sweat up full of circuits and mauling stratagies.

Afterwards I ate lunch at my friends house and played some videogames a bit before walking to another friends house 4km down the road which was o.k because the view from the beach is breathtaking and my friend is trying to learn guitar so he plays a little while I sing a little and just fool around all the way there. Once we arrived he wasn't there so I decided to catch the next bus home because the day was beginning to darken and by the time I got home the day turned to complete darkness so I beat my rule to get home before dark becuase I don't want to cause my host parents any worries because the darkness is full of dangers for tourists.This weeks tuesday trainning was interessting for 2 reasons ,one we trained in the sand and two, I got a narly scratch mark from a high tackle and I was too focused on the trainning to focus on injury's that occured just then so I thought it to be a sand graze but once I got home and cleaned up a little I looked at the damage and found it to be serious.

Previously on my travels

The past weeks ain't been so exciting as the others but like always there are

highlights that make Brazil a wonderful place to live.The Mothers day gone was a treat as my family met up with others from the family and had lunch together, Mothers day is one of the bigggest holidays in Brazil next to Christmas so when we got to the restaurant it was really full and this type of restaurant is not cheap to dine in. It was awsome the atmosphere was really fancy and the place even had a singer who wasn't too bad aswell. Whilst I was there I met a famous pro tennis player who lived in Florianopolis, and we got photos together too. The afternoon was great and afterwards we all said our good byes and went home. The following week was full of my original plans of capoeira and rugby but on a tuesday I was really flemmy and sneezing alot so I asked my host parents for a day to recover which I was granted.The rest of the week was was I got to use as my moment of weakness had passed and had got me prepared to utilize the rest of the week. Tht weekend our Rugby team had a rugby game against a neighbouring club, Joachina. We played tens rugby as our club doesn't have much under 18 players and their team does, what a hard game because not many players hadn't gone to the trainning and during the week and only came to the game so once fatigue kicked in early we started leting trys be scored yet everyone knew the problem to our demize but didn't want to see it coming and anticipate its arrival. The next day I used alot of my time thinking of a solution to what had happened and how we could improve our situation but when it comes down to it all we got a shortage of players for starters and secondly the players we do got need to commit a hundred percent to trainnings and games, wet, rain or shine.The week just gone was awsome too A full week but the rain has its way here of making people change their plans so our team was called off for a trainning and when it came to the next trainning during the week only five of us from our team showed among us five a newbee but I cant blame the others for not showing up because the trail that leads to the rugby field has giant puddles and is muddy as hell, all of us were forced to remove our footwear and trudge the rest of the way through the mud puddles. Since the rugby field was very wet from the down pours the only logical thing to do was to have a sand trainning but the sand was wet too so all of us just got really seasoned with sand.This saturday gone was great, I went to a Rotary conference in Balneario Camboriu. I met some Brazillians going and I met

other exchange students aswell living in other parts of Santa Catarina. I went there with an American friend Chris and we just hung out and stuff, after lunch all the students had to say a little something about themselves and where they are staying. Once we done that we got to sit and enjoy a presentation of Brazillian students in other countries which was cool to see that they were having a goodtime here and there all over the globe.After this we all were about to leave once we had said our goodbyes to one another.

Things have been getting really great for me lately, from monday to sunday everyday is just full of exciting things like on monday I have school which I am enjoying very much every single class and after lunch I return at about 4pm to do physical education which is always fun and new, then once we finish at about 6pm I begin catching the bus to go to capoeira practise at the university which is free. I love capoeira it is a source, for me, of yoga or pilates, here is where I balance things from rugby trainning, here is where I am peaceful and calm instead of hyped and agressive on the rugby field. We begin our sessions at about 7.30pm and finish at 9.30pm three times a week on mondays, wednesdays and fridays.

Tuesday was another awsome day of school and after lunch at about 2pm I return for english class which is compulsory like all others which is fun having others practise what I already know instead of me practising what they already know. Once we finish at about 4pm I go to the gym for about an hour before I go to rugby trainning by bus in another area on the Island called Lagoa De Conceicao.Trainning begins at 6.30pm and I am always attending trainning no matter the wheather, rain, wet or shine I am commited to giving my all for the club. We train for 2 hours more or less, finishing at about 8.30pm and then I go with friends to catch the bus back home.Wedensday is good, back to school for another day of brazilian schooling and after lunch I have another class in the afternoon at about 4pm. Spanish which is cool because there is alot of people from my class that are in here like me. Now that we finish at about 6pm I do the Capoeira again.Thursday is another day of school and this time I have no classes in the afternoon so I do things on my laptop and I go to the gym again but for a little longer before going to rugby trainning again.Friday is always a good day at school because the weekend follows, but still I miss class mainly those few within. No classes after lunch this day also so i just do things in my room maybe watch a little T.v in the sitting room, spending a little time with the family before going to the gym.Today i couldn't go to capoeira because my friend was having a farewell Bbq at his house so I decided to go there instead where alot of other exchange students were there giving their best wishes for the future to him.The night was awsome he put on a mexican theme for us all serving barito's, corn chips and some other things that had a distinct cultural name that I can't remember but the memory of the experience will stay for as long as I live. Everybody were having a good time dancing a little and taking alot of pictures to remember us all before he goes, I even gave him a parting gift, a red Bic pen that I remember him asking for because it was made in New Zealand. The night was coming to a close for us as people began leaving around midnight so I was about to say my goodbyes when another exchange student needed a place to stay because he lived far away and the buses stoped running so he had to come to my house for the night.

SATURDAY RUGBY

Today I left with my friend at about 10am to the rugby field where it was game day against a Santiago, Chile Rugby club and what a beautiful sunny day it was too.The first game started at 2pm so in the mean time I was helping prep the field by marking the lines with more white paint and setting up flags. Our teens Desterro team has just enough to field a game of 10's rugby so thats what we did. What a awsome game it was too mainly because I got a try within our 50m which I was very pleased with , my peers also. A hard game but at the end of the game we tied 17 all and at the end of it all its rugby culture here to rip the underwear out of the shorts of he who scores their very first try for the team which I was warned earlier but forgot so they all caught me off guard and surrounded me before I realized what was going on, then.... pain!! .

The next game to play was the adults and they all played well taking a win for the club and after their was another game with the Florianopolis selection whom I played with. And in this game I was still a little fatigued from the last game but played my best any way and to my skill level it payed of with another try and this time it was from within our 22m making me have to run almost the entire field, once I touched down i got the entire team cheering me saying how well I have done and from my action caused a momentum boost for the team that I could feel and from this another was to follow because before mine we were losing 10-0 but now that the team were fired up we had one of our forwards make a break in the line which I followed immediatly and assisted greatly once he got caught and passed the ball backward to me and from me I manged to get it to an attacking back line which was awsome to see and be followed through into a try.

The final result was 10-10 with no kicks converted so with all the games at an end it was pushing into the dark and a select few from our club team were put incharge of making the Bbq including myself which I was put directly into flipping the patties. Once we were finished it was time to walk to the local bus terminal to return back to our homes for some shut eye.

SUNDAY FOOTBALL FINAL

My family are big fans of football especially my host father for a local club called AVAI and today they had made the Santa Catarina state finals against a team from the biggest city in the state called Joinville.

Today we are all up bright and early and we go to the beach in a place called Campeche which is a beautiful place and the sun rises from the ocean here in the east which reminds me of home. We stay there for about an hour n a half then we go to the house of my host fathers cousin, Henato, for a Bbq and here we are all Avai supporters to the MAX with everyone wearing football shirts with nothing but Avai regalia. The Bbq was awsome and gave us enough energy to cheer on the team for the rest of the night. We all went together and on our way you can just see groups of blue all over the palce and in cars infront, behind and passing us. It was great seeing so much commitment for football here and by the time we got there like an hour early people in pubs and bars near by were already chanting Avai and other people already selling 2010 champion merchandise. The game was outrageos, the stadium has a capacity of 17,000 yet the radio screamed the total of 17,500, people were all excited once the first to score was Avai and even more when they got a second, from there they had the game in the bag and the fans were going psycho all shouting together eplicit remarks that are not to be repeated yet it happens every game but this time they were even mentioning a team that wasn't even playing but just hate this team very much for some reason. The final score was 0-2 to Avai and our family were so pleased with the result that we went out for dinner and on the way shouting aloud for all to here like everyone else that Avai are champions and after dinner on the way back to our home, what a night to remember and now for some sleep but still can hear the beeps of cars and very loud stereo anouncing the victory.

Curitiba & Capoeira

My rugby has been going good while i have been here it's opened up new opportunities and he as given me new friends whom are local brazilians, My rugby trip to Curitiba was awesome I got to hang out with my friends more and do things together that will keep friendships for life. On the way to Curitiba we had the bus encounter technical difficulties so we all had to wait it out until the mechanics arrived and they could find the problem then fix it but it the mean time I got a chance to use my video camera and capture the surrounding people, landscape and traffic. The bus eventually returned to working order and we continued on towards our destination, when we got there we had arrived with 3 teams ready to play, a womens team, an adults team, and our under 18's team. We unloaded and had lunch while the womens team went to prep for their game first. Next after the womens team were the adults team which showed the strength of our by taking the victory against Curiitiba then it was ours, by the time we played it was already dark. Our game was'nt the best as we had just enough to field a game of 10's rugby whilest the Curitiba team had subs on top of their 15's team so they had alot of fresh players at their disposal, at the end of the game we had been beaten but it made us more hungry for a win the next time we play as I seen the commitment in the next trainning sessions we held .It was late by the time we had something to eat and eventually leave Curitiba. Our bus did'nt arrive back till one o clock in the morning

and we had all had enough for the day.

Capoeira is the next sport I have just began to do, my first experience of brazilian capoeira was awsome and even better its free because the university where it is held is having a little project with capoeira by holding free lessons and giving those of us who stay free capoeira pants. I had done my first lesson and it was great, I tryed everything with all I got but it takes alot of concentration and co-ordination to even come close to how the instructer does the moves. It takes alot of finesse to do capoeira as it is a combo of dance and fighting, the moves are done really slow so we can learn them first before we can use them so we don't hurt ourselves and the beat is so diffirent but cultural and to my liking, the instruments used are the drum and the most important a intrument called the be-dim ba-ol(I don't know how to spell it but it sounds just like this when i say it), all these intruments are played whilst the group sing along with the constant rythm of the instruments.At the lesson I went to most of us were just starting the project as I met people who were on their second and first day.

Easter

Easter experience in Brazil was totally different to what im use to in N.Z. This holiday is celebrated here with the utmost importance like any other holiday.The school got to have a 4 day holiday by finishing school on a Thursday and it was fun having Easter eggs for a midnight snack before going to sleep. The celebrations I had with my family were great We hosted a lunch at our apartment where we exchanged eggs with some of my host mothers family on a saturday which was awsome and on Sunday we were hosted by my host fathers family at their home which was full of people, chocolate, food, and more chocolate. After the lunch my host fathers father, him and myself went to a football match hosted locally, our family supports a team called Avai and they are allways a good show when I go and whats more they seem to always seem to win when I go but thats just pure luck, they are one of the best if not best ranked team in this states football.The entire experience was all new and a learning experience of how different cultures and people make some holidays take major priority over others.School has been great i've recently cut my hair and it's totally out of the ordinary here it's a cut from my home in N.Z

and when I introduce my haircut to the class it causes a major stir, even though I might not understand fully my intuition feels so promissing that my peers enjoy that im different and for that accept me, well from my friends in class I think they do anyway just by the way they were excited to have a word or 2 with me, touching my hair, smiling from ear to ear, it was good. Rugby trainning is beginnning to be easier and easier as I have built a rythm and my rugby friens like too they all got something to say although it might not be good they just like fooling and having a good time which is what its all about.

My first weeks in the life of school in Brazil has been so cool. My first day at school I was a little nervous, I went to school with my host mother on my first day so I did'nt get lost.Once I was sorted my host mother left and some other exchange students and I were directed to our classrooms. I got put in a grade the same I was when in N.Z but that did'nt mind me and I was also the only exchange student in my class not like some others who got put together.My first day in class I got to familiarise the faces of all the people in my class,its 3 classes in a row before break and the teachers come to the students classroom. On my first break I was approached by a local classmate who was new to the school also and he spoke a little english which was a bonus, we got to know one another and he began asking me about rugby, since I was from new zealand so I told him I was a rugby player and so he invited me to play with a local team which a accepted without delay. It was good that we were both new to the place so that now I had someone to hangout with and not have to find the other exchangees during our break that lasts for about 15 minutes then another 2 more before school ends for lunch at noon but there is usually 1 other class

later in the day close to 4pm. My new friend Andre told me we have rugby trainning on tuesdays, thursdays and saturdays and that they had just finished sevens rugby and were just about to begin 15's ruby which I was more than keen to show at trainning what us kiwi's can do on the rugby field.School finishes and im getting picked up from school and get taken back to my Host mothers parents house where we are staying for that moment because our new apartment that we were going to move in to was being renovated and wouldnt be be done till the end of the week.all I done for the rest of the day was relax and soaked up my first day at school doing bits and pieces around the place, eager for the next day I saw my day fly pass and before I knew it I was begining my day at school which flew bye as I had'nt played with a rubgy ball it a long time and now that I was going to my first trainning I made sure to find that mental focus for the trainning that began at 6.30pm and finished at 9pm.On the same day I was about to beigin rugby in Brazil I began gym trainning.Training with Brazillians was not too different from N.Z but it was rainning before trainning and the rubgy field was boggey so we trainned on the sand and the biggest obstacle I am still facing is the portuguese at trainning, around school and at home becuse its the most important to me but im learning quick i get told, I can speak a little and understand a little when I go from day to day but what counts the most is when im at trainning but they do things that ain't new and its cool becaese even though i might not completely understand I can still do by example without fail and some new guys to rugby are understanding whats beeing said completely but still lack that mental focus for the game.the week goes by fast once I found that rythm of

school,gym,rugby and making time for friends and family but things are never the same its always something thats new or exciting.just the other weekend I went with my parents and their friend from Spain whos come to visit to a place inland where we went rafting which was so much fun because i have never been rafting down the rapids before and it was rainning which made the waters furiously exciting. The geography of this place was so beautiful especially with the rain slowly falling down making things wonderous making me think of the history of things that could have taken place in such a spectacular enviroment. This day was one of my best days since I have been here I got up early in the saturday morning and went to rubgy practise, had a good sweat up before enjoying myself with a rapid rafting adventure.The fun never stops, thank you god

Carnival

My very first carnival. It was so new and full of excitement as it happens once a year, the locals are so enthused about this national holiday too very much. On my first day of carnival I went downtown with friends to look at what this cultural experience will be like which I found to be really energetic as the sound system almost made my ears bleed as i was moving amongst the multitude of people with my friends yet the locals we were getting past were just having an alcohol fuelled good time. Once we reached where we wanted to go we were just overlooking the crowd from where we were.on our little journey we met up with friends and began hanging out watching at one point what seemed to be a fight on the edges of the crowd.its getting late and now I catch the bus to the beach house .

On the next day my host mother and I organised some exchange students to come over for a BBQ and to participate in the local carnival parade that was about to take place that day. When they came over they started pulling out their cameras once we all got our official carnival shirts and wrist band that allowed us into an exclusive carnival festival party with the locals where the drinks and food were free. The place was cool they had good sounds and everybody was dancing so some of us exchange students got the nerve to go and dance with each other like myself. The day pushed on and crowd began moving on down the street with a truck that had a cow decoration over it. We all paraded across main st whilst the parade had their band that made all of us really cheerful parading around looking at the bystanders and us at them just all having a good time. We returned the same way we left dancing and trying to sumba all the way back to the place we left. We stayed their till night fall then the others decided enough so we walked back to the beach house which wasnt to far and once we got back played cards and gossiped a little bit before some of the parents came to pick up the students except this German guy Lars who stayed over the night.

Today me and my friend Lars went to town where we looked around the markets a bit before he went home and so we went to the bus terminal and before he left i rang up some other friends who were going to do something that night so i told them I will meet them at one of their host families house as they were at the other friends house and now i had to seek direction from my friend Lars before he left on his bus and I on mine. I got there just fine in the end but once I got to the house I was early though but I was familier with the family and just let my self be known and waited there, where I was invited to swim in the pool while i waited which I did. When they got here we hung out a bit and even played video games, our plans were to go to another carnival in the neighbourhood of Santinho but the rain changed our plans entirely as it was really heavy with lightning so now its a little late I got directions from one of my friends and made a safe journey by bus to my host parents beach house where i settled down for the day to ready for tomorrow.

Tomorrow came and I prep myself for the day because now is the last day of Carnival and firstly i make arrangements to stay at the my friend Lars house becuse to get back to the beach house it takes about an hour and a half because from central florianopolis I would have to go to three bus terminals, where is if I was able to stay at Lars host parents house with him we only have to catch one bus meaning i could stay longer and enjoy myself that little bit more with the others. And now that I had set the plan with my host parents I took a bus directly into centrol downtown where I would find the others. We found each other after a little bit there was about five of us including an American university exchange student but some others were still coming by bus so then we decided to go to the show grounds made especially for carnival floats and sumba formations, it was really cool the costumes and vibrations the band were giving off was such a cultural experience. The time pushed a little and finaly my other friends were about to arrive so I went to the central bus terminal to pick them up and show them where all the other exchange students were but before we went to the showgrounds we got something to eat which was satisfying then it was off to find the rest of the friends. Now that we found them it was good that we were altogether and now there were more exchange students to meet who were being hosted in the state of Parana but they decided to spend their last night in Florianopolis which was fun to meet more people from Germany,Australia and Mexico. We all were having a good time on our exchange alot of laughs and stories were shared under all the noise of the music and crowds of people. The night was geting late so we decided to call it a night, first to go were the bus people like us exchange students here in Florianopolis because they had a taxi cab fome otr them for the whole night so they carried on with the festivities we had to wine down and go back home otherwise we would have missed our bus.

Florianopolis

My 3 hour delayed flight from Sao Paulo to Florianopolis was good as i sat next to a guy from Argentina and he new just a little english but was a cool bloke. Once we had arrived i went to get my baggage, when i seen my new host family and the parents of my host mother, the father of my host mother was my councellor which will be a huge advantage towards my stay here. The first week here has been pretty exhausting, once we got to the beach house in Inglesses beach north side of the Island i met alot of people including my host fathers parents, his sister and sister's partner and their family of 3 boys. This night i just settled myself in by joing in and playing the new game of poker that was about to begin which was relaxing. A couple of photos then i started to lose the game which was going for a long time, then it was of to bed for the next day. I woke at about 8.30am to go for a run which was tiring but i got to have a look at the beach because the house is just a 2 minute walk away. I came back to shower and spend my company with everyone over breakfast, then it was of for a swim at the beach with everyone and we spent the whole day there but would return for lunch which is always a mighty spread for the multitude of people that are here. At night I would enjoy games like Uno with the youngens as they loved to play games, i learnt alot from playing games with them as they helped me to develop a better vocabulary of Portuguese. The next day we went to the beach in the morning then i would go with my host mother to central to look at the apartment they lived in and go to the mall to buy me a TIM chip for my phone which was cool because the mall is much bigger than i have ever seen and there is always so many people. Once these things were taken care of we returned to the beach house where i returned to the beach for a cool down. Now its dark I play more games with the kids then its off for some shut eye. Up in the morning I go with my host parents to drop of my host father at work then my host mother and I go looking around stores for an adapter for mylaptop which we manage to find then we go back to the apartment where I must stay whilst my host other does some things around town which suits me as i can use the wireless internet in their house and manage some personal things online. She come back so we can go for linch which is a buffet place, it was packed with people and the way you grab your food was so new but it made an perfect example of hygene as we had to where a plastic glove to serve our plates and when we were ready to go to sit and eat wehad to weigh our meals before we could enjoy what was on our plates which was amazing, never before had I enjoyed such a great experience, it was realy worth remembering as all the food were catered for by chefs which gave me a sweet, sweet satisfaction of how wonderful this place is. Now that I had sabered this moment it had come to that time that we must depart this place and drop of my host father at work again and head back to the apartment with a full stomach and enjoy some sounds and wireless internet whilst My host mother does some things around town until we go and pick up my host father up from work then its back to the house for dinner and some down time till bed. Up in the before noon and im invited to a exchange student Balam from Mexico's birthday. I preped myself and went to another beach called Jurere where they were at and i met up with a guy from Canada called Devon who was the person who told me to come along and so we both went together to Balams house and when we got there it was just us because the others got the call to come at about 5.30pm. It was just us so we went for a walk downtown to buy a couple of 2 litre bottles of Guarana which is my most favourite drink and some ice because thats the best way to drink it ice cold. When we get back we play a game called Dragon ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 2 which me and Devon were boasting about who had the madest skills earlier before we went to the shops and then it was agreed that a challenge had been set between us 2 to fight for supremacy which lead to me having the last victory as i lost the first couple but began winning in the end. We played up until the exchange student from Ausrtia came as she only lived in the neighbourhood unlike the others who lived a long way like myself but they had to go by bus as I got a ride by my host mother. We swam a little afterwards and played pool games like volley ball which i had the upper hand on by winning a-lot and just hung about until the rest of the invites came like a french girl Claire, 2 mexicans Haime and Ulonda and the american Chris whos a bit of a character. Its nightfall now and the BBQ is cooking away and we all hanging out conversing about their tours and im just asking questions about them. I ask about the Amazon tour but they all replied that they all didnt go on the trip because it was to expensive for only 13 days whilst they all went on the north-east trip that was for 30 days. Now that the food is ready we all start digging in and as we are doing so the host brother of Balam has some of his friends come over and now the birthday BBQ just doubled in size. Time moves on and i get that call i was expecting and waiting for which is my ride with my host parents back to Inglesses where i have been staying at their beach house.

I hung out the next day in Inglesses just sorting out things around my personel space and going to the beach which is always so packed and tring to play my flute I brought from Chile and keep trying to learn portuguese out of my portuguese book. That night i asked if I could go go-carting becuse i had seen a indoor go-carting place along the main road from Central to Inglesses beach. It was agreed that we could go the next day and so we went there and I could still feel the effects of jet-lag on the way there as i was feeling a little sleepy but by the timme i got there and got out of the car I automaticaly jumped out and began revitalizing myself for the challenge ahead. It was a bit of a wait as my host father and I had just registered in to race as others registered by phone and came in as a group as the minimum to race was 6 and 4 others were coming to race a little later and we raced with them. Now that we had the right amount of people it was of to this room where we got the low down in portuguese of course the rules and regulations of what is to happen on the track and just how to be safe while having a good time and the whole time i was getting a little help from my host father on what these flags meant if they were shown to me blue,black, and two others that were a design different from just 1 colour. So that was over now we went to gear up with a helmet, gloves, a bib and balaclava. Now its time to find our racing machines and wait for the man to start our engines as we anticipated the race close at hand. We all done 4 easy non-competitive laps to get the feel of the track then it was of to the starting point where we were lined up about 3-4 metres away from each other then it was go time after the flag had been wiven from the man.

Away we go and im starting at 2^nd to last round and round we go the carts are chewing the gas and im just having a good time not using the brake but drifting ever corner and of course i end up becoming last place but that doesnt mind me im just having to good of a time drifting and as im doing so among my laps i ram another cart in the rear which i get spoken to about and i turn a little to sharp which ends in me facing the opposite direction and geting anther little talking to in portuguese again but im not phased and just keep doing what im enjoying at that time. The race comes to an end and we get our score sheets that reads me as dead last with the worse time for a lap reading 24.29 and my host father with the best time being first on the track reading 20.93 with the 2^nd fastest being about 2 seconds behind him. What a good afternoon now we go back to the beach house to go for a swim at the beach to close the day because both of us drenched our shirts in sweat and gave our hands and wrists a mighty work out which we both felt the previouse day.

Chile, Santiago to Brazil Sao Paulo then.......Florianopolis

3 day stop over in Santiago,Chilli

Day 1

Arrival at the International Airport from a eleven and a half hour

flight was so exhausting and the air food was below average to say the least but what can you do, and the only thing cool about the flight was the entertainment unit in the back of each seat.So we get to the Airport and we farewell another Rotary student from Argentina, Flow, who returned from N.Z. We got our baggage and we meet up with an exchange student from America named Kim who was beeing hosted by a Chile rotarian couple Raquel and her husbund who was there also. From the airport we went to our accommodation called Hotel Moltir where we just unloaded our swag and then we took off to lunch at a restaurante/swimming facility where we tryed the national drink of Chile which consisted of lime, lemon, brandy and tequila i think but we all just had one glass each. We stayed for the remainder of the day, it was so hot and the boys were rushing to jump in because the water looked so refreshing. After the swim we packed up and went back to the hotel to get changed for dinner.

Dinner is usually late so we went out at about 9.00pm to a pizza restaurante which was the most tastiest food i had eaten while i was there. We stayed there for about an hour and a half, then back to the hotel for some wireless internet and shut eye.

Day 2

Waking up in Santiago,Chile, South America was so excitng that i hardly had any sleep just about 6-7 hours and i had been awake for more than 24 hours the previous day. Got ready for the day and went down stairs for breakfast where i found some of my amigos there already, the hotel serves a nectarine juice box, a piece of toast,slice of cheese,a soft chocolate bar and a warm milk coffee or just tea... so new but non the less fills that early morning void and the coffee is so so delicious.

At a set time every ones ready and we go for a long journey to these place's called Valparaiso and Vina Del Mar, both cities have beautiful beaches full of life and these places are very interesting as tourist destinations. When we got there we went for a walk on the beach where all the boys were sold T'shirts which represented chile and another amigo bought himself a football because he was a player and a big fan of the sport and i some sun shades. We met another exchange student there too from America also but i forgot her name, she was schooling a N.Z girl on what school and her host family might be like so she goes prepared for what she would be encountering when her exchange began at the family on our way to lunch.Lunch time now and we went to a casino buffet which was so grand, the size ,the amount of people and just how classy this place looked because in the dinning area on two walls there was 4 plasma screens each and 2 each for the other 2 walls. The food was exquizard especially the dessert, it was so so sweet and different that i couldnt finish because i was so full, it's been like that most days. After this we went to the port market for a little look around where i bought a nice big sun hat and a live sketching of myself in pencil which portrays me as a younger version of myself yet the others thought i looked like a girl but i liked it, now of for a ferry around the port with the group to look at the massive tourist ship from Europe, the defence of navy batlle ships which was so wicked up close and a sea level view of the two city's that was i sight to remember. After this we went on a lift to a high point in the city where we can see the entire port and most of the 2 citys towards the port way that we were looking at which was a beautiful sight to see. We got to go for a little walk about around the little market that was on this high ground then it was off back to the hotel to get changed for dinner where we dinned at this beautifuly lit restaurante that was showing a cultural spectacle of Chile, alot of dancing, costumes and envolvment. The perfomers were so invigorating and i managed to capture some on my video camera. The food was so gooood and they presented the meat on a hot stove with the meat still heating up from the hot coals under the hot plate, so new, so fresh, so tasty. Most of our group got to get envolved as the performers would get the audience to get on stage and dance with them but i got the best dance as i got to dance with the performers from Easter Island and i have the photo from that night to prove the truth. Once the performers stoped the disco began, everyone who was keen got on the dance floor and boogied the night away so new, so out of my comfort zone just being a person i never met before. Its late now about half 1 and we all head back to the hotel for some internet and shut eye.

Day 3

Up in the morning preped for the day and just managed to get breakfast in me before we cruise to the presidents palace for a tour but he happened to be gone so we only got to see the exterior and the presidents own room where he praises the most high because he is Catholic. Now we take a little stroll looking at entertainers like a man who was still, who looked like a copper miner with his enitire outfit and body shining with copper paint, next we saw a group of 6 or 7 people dressed as businessmen/businesswomen who were doing random things in sequence which was quite hilleriouse. After we looked at these things we went into a very large Catholic Church which was my first time in a Catholic Church and I was astounded at the marvolouse art work and craftsmenship that was before my eyes, it was really poignant and I driffted on my own to sabre this momentus occasion as i read on the locals faces that they were really faithful. Once we left we travelled to this Rotarians house outside this township of Malloco whom put on a BBQ lunch for us and what a spread they had, simply divine and their hospitallities were so welcoming. The group all loved what was served and afterwards there was a swimminng pool that we were aloud to swim in and where we played games in stuff . After a while Murray our chaperone got me to russel up the boys and perform a haka in honor of our hosts, yet pre-warned a couple of days earlier i quickly gathered the men and took them through

Ka Mate, Ka Mate and it wasnt to shabby at first but as we got more and more repitition in us it started to look promising, so now that i had accommplished this task set by our chaperone our crew was honored by our hosts with a gift that was a musical instrument which was so cultured and the girls done a little song to then the entire group of N.Z exchange students done our national anthem in english then maori which was so cool and everybody just took away that shyness and got together and had a mary time. With everyone all cheery we all decided to have a game of football whch was fun and even more fun when we were wininng and even more! fun when the sprinklers came on. What a day, now we head back to our hotels to get dressed up because this is to be the last night in Santiago, Chile and we were aloud to go out and experience the night life, we all went out at about 11.30pm and went roaming until a couple of us got hungry and had some chile

Mc D's then we were of again to find a disco which we did and just danced the night away.... now it's 3.00am and its time we return back to the hotel for some internet and shut eye . At the latest the last to go to sleep went down at about 4.30 or close to it.

Today we go to Sao Paulo

up at 9am in the morning trying to make a move can feel fatigue from last nights jumping about and we are all looking sleep deprived. We got to pack our stuff and head down stairs where we all awaited for the host parents of Chile to pick up their students. One family after another came and we all had to say our greetings to these familys and farewells to our new friends then it was off to the airport for those of us that were leaving to Argentina and Brazil.so now that we are at the airport and we check in only to have our flight delayed so so went for a cup-of-joe and waited. The first to leave were 2 friends leaving to Argentina then it was Jorden Mckay, a student returing to Brazil Barbarra,a Rotex student Ruiha, the chaperones and myself to Sao Paulo, Brazil.

On the plane i sat next to Jordan and just syched him and myself up about how vast this place is and such. When we start flying over the city he and myself are astonished at the amount of lights that can be seen as far as the eye can see.we land and are bused to the terminal where we check in and get our baggage then its a wait for barbarra to get things at the gift shop for her family, but the guys had left them waiting long enough and go through without her and meet her family and our host rotary caregiver for the night Kyoshi Oshima. So we go to his place just a little small talk, but he was such a character and knowledgable man. Now that we get there we meet his family including an exchange student from Thailand named Thai. We are settled now with me and Jordan a bed each so we wash up for dinner, Pizza which was so filled with toppings butt so good and they had my drink guarana

which i adore. Now that we're finished i we were aloud to use their wireless internet but i needed to charge my laptop but they had no adapter so Kyoshi made a little trick called a gum-be-ah-ha

which was just two wires to fit around my plug and into the power point which worked like a charm and i was able to charge it over night while we slept. Up early in the morning and i decide to find Kyoshi who was taking the dog for a walk so i went to meet up with him and and i did, what a good stretch of the legs walking down hill and back up hill. When we got back we went on the jeep to a feira(market) to buy some things for the BBQ we were going to have for lunch and it was so cool to look around Sao Paulo. When we got to the feira it was a little smely and a guy came to us to say he will watch the car and we tip him later, so we did because Kyoshi said that we just say yes otherwise they might scratch your car or do something to it. Kyoshi had a list of what to get from the feira given to him by his wife, fish, meat, herbs and bananas and now that we had these things I got the chance to try this pesto thing that was prety good and this drink made from sugercane which didnt look great but once in your mouth was goodness. After we got these ingredients we went to Kyoshi's office to get a stereo then it was of to the butcher for the meat and some charcoal for the fire. We got back and unloaded everything so now by the time I returned to the room I found Jorden still asleep in his room which was kind of sad because i had done all these cool things and he had missed out. When he got up he got to taste the drink and the pesto thing, and now we were preping the BBQ but Kyoshi had it sorted and didnt want any help so i decided to get my swag sorted for when i go to Florianopolis by doing a load of washing and drying which i just managed to sort before we left with another family of rotarians whom had lunch with us also which was good. Now that we were about to go i handed over some gifts for the man and women of the house and the their young daughter who was about 5. We said oour goodbyes and headed of to the airport and where we said hooray and waited for our flight. I had to say bye to Jordan because his flight was earlier and on a different gate than mine becuse my flight got cancelled and i ended up having to catch a 6pm flight rather than my original 3pm flight.

Next post.

Hello Florianopolis and my new host family