My fazenda experience (farm) and Emily visiting me

Just thought I would update my blog because i do not want to forget what has happened in these past 2 weeks after ExpoTres. 

First of all I had my amazing Australian friend Emily Gray come and stay with my for public holidays and a weekend. I met her at amazon and we wanted to see each other again before we go on Northeast Tour in November/Decemeber. So Tres Lagoas had 2 Australians for 4 days :) 1 hour after Emily arrived we had to have an Icecream adventure to remember Amazon, so we went to the local icecream store. We then went to a bar called Emporio w/ Dennis, Roberto, Fabio, Emily & a lot of Brazilian friends (Felipe, Matues, Raul & Lara etc). The next day Emily and I had adventures around Tres Lagoas (pastels, jean shopping etc) That night we had Dennis's farewell dinner and after we went to the local club w/ Dennis, Roberto & Fabio, that night there was a band that played Sertenejo (brazilain country music) and it was so fun to dance to and also to celebrate Dennis's last time in the club. 

Sunday came, Emily left :( and it was Dennis's last day in Tres Lagoas. There was another farewell get together for Dennis in the night and then after Dennis, Fabio and I went to Hotel OT for Dennis's last night. But the temperature reaching 0 degrees that night did not make it very enjoyable. And then receiving 2 days of cold weather that was had temperatures of 10o through the day.

I went to the farm of my father today with my parents, it was a long 2 hour bumpy dirt rode ride (i think i hit my head on the roof of the car 10 times. This farm had around 4 houses for workers and the main one for us. They had a lot of cows, chickens, dogs, horses, geese and tucans ! 

I went and collected the eggs with my host mum, got to spend time with a black ladrador (this made me miss my dog in australia), cooked cake and lunch with my mum(with things from the farm), fed the chickens and saw alot of different types of cows, bulls etc. She also went and showed me the way that they milk there cows and the big tank that holds over 800L's of milk and keeps at 4o.  I had a nice afternoon sleep in the hammock listening to the cows, horses and roosters loving the fresh air. Reminding me of times i had at Amazon in my hammock (but in amazon listening to the water), but it was great to get away and get some fresh air and also spend more time with my parents and see the way a Brazilian farm runs. 

I think they are very similar to Australian farms, and it reminded me of Australia a lot seeing the rolling hills. It will defiantly be something I will remember about Brazil, relaxing and reflecting on my time in Brazil and the amount i have changed in this past 5 months and also thinking that i just have over 6 months left of this amazing experience and i have so many amazing experiences ahead of me. 

Like going to Sao Paulo, Emily coming to visit me again, getting new exchange students in August, my mum visiting in Sept/Oct and a numerous amount of trips. 

T xx

June.

So June so far has been such a rollercoaster, nearlly reaching the 5 month mark and also receiving my return ticket for Australia. 

This month is were i have to say goodbye to all the people i called my family for the past 4 - 5 months, becoming so close with them and then having to say goodbye was one of the hardest things i have to do in my entire exchange. We first of all had our 4470 district conference in Birigui, it was great catching up with everybody, but also very tough with rules with rotary as our whole district commity attended the meeting. So we did rotary lunch's, dinners and then would go out after and talk and hang out together. IN Birigui i stayed with the President of the Rotary Club of Birigui and he was very nice. The last night was soo hard saying goodbye to everyone, tears were defiantly shed and it was veryyyyy saddddddddddd. 

This month i was also taken to the hydroelectric plant just out side of my town by my counsellor w/ rodolfo (the mexican exchange student), i had already been to Itapu a large hydroelectric plant near Falls Iguassu, but it was good to see the different ways that they do things and how i get my electricity in Brasil. That night we also went to Paintball, which is veryyy close to my city with Dennis, Rodolfo and rotarians to say goodbye to Rodolfo who was leaving on the Friday. 

It was then the start of ExpoTres (a show in my town that happens every year), my host father Domingos  also organises it so i went everyday to lunch's and to the rodeo and show every night. It was great as i was given VIP for the rodeo and show but could also go with my friends into the main area. We also had other exchange students with us Korrin, Lilen and Rodolfo with us(Dennis, Daniel and me) and it was sooo much fun. I saw two very good sertenejo(country) music artists in Expo (Guilherme e Santiago and Micehl Telo). During Expo we also had farewell parties for Daniel as he left the Friday after Rodolfo and I also had to say goodbye to my lovely Korrin (Texas) and Lilen (German) in the week aswell. Only leaving Dennis and I in the town. Dennis now leaves in 1 week and i am now planning what i will get up to during my school holidays in July, as i am the only exchange student in my town until i get newbies in August. 

T xx