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.