This is a report of my first few days in Brasil as a Rotary youth exchange student. Reference Ethan R. L. Quant's Daily Diary! My journey started from the Freeport international airport where I was seen off by friends family and well wishers. Including The president of my sponsoring Rotary Club the Rotary Club of Lucaya Mr. William Duncombe and MP for the Eight Mile Rock Constituency Mr. The Rt. Hon. Lindey Russell, and representatives from various branches of the media. Accompanying on this trip was my lovely mother Mrs. Esther Hall-Quant we flew into Miami International Airport on the 4th of August and stayed there until the 6th of August. During this time I was making last minute mental preparation for the journey ahead. I contacted and tried to contact several Rotarians in the East South Florida district to try and locate my business cards. When I finally got in contact with Suesan Mandell She told me disappointedly that she had just returned from the post office where she had gone to mail our business cards to the Bahamas to the person of Mr. George Thompson. I did speak to several other Rotarians including Tom McDermott, Marta Junco-Ivern, and the wife on Roy Joesph, who all wished me well on my year in Brasil, to all of them and the many others I extend a heart felt thank you. August 6, 1999 I was met at my hotel by a rebound exchange student João Paulo who talked to me about my expectations, and to give me some advise and background information on Brasil. To him I say a special thank you. It was know time for me to officially time for me to leave the sheltered walls of known and enter into the darkness of the unknown as I went up the stairs I looked back at my family below me waving, crying, and saying good bye, I at that moment I remembered thinking.........................my sister owes me $20.00. So I run back down the steps and gave my family one last hug and kiss. Then I went back up the stairs to the waiting terminal. I mean the amount of people that were in there was too overwhelming It felt as though everyone one was staring at me, but I knew that they weren't, they were only staring through me. No one here knew me and that felt great, and the amount of different languages that they were speaking was like wow! They called my flight number and they were calling the seat rows when I didn't hear my section get called I started getting worried I waited until they had let all the people on the plane then I asked them I they forgot to call my number and they said that my number was the first that they had called. The movie that was showing on the plane was "Never been kissed" and it was alright. There was a group of, what seemed to be, college students making funny noises. They served dinner and it smelled good, but little did I know of the horror the call airplane food! I had the meatloaf it was cool but I went to the bathroom three (3) times afterwards. I almost missed my flight to Londrina. It took me awhile to realize that they are a hour ahead of us so instead of reaching São Paulo at 8:15am I reached at 9:15am so I had to run down the flight. When I reach to the gate (gate 17) they were closing the door to ground transport I ran down tree flights of stairs and had to flag down the bus, this I liked until it did not stop and I almost fell on my face. On the bus going to the plane there was a kid who looked like an exchange student and he had fit the description of the one the Chairman said would be on my flight to Londrina, but he wasn't. I reached Londrina at about 11:20am Saturday morning, unfortunately my baggage did not do the same. I waited at the airport with my host family, because the person behind the desk said that my bags might be on the next flight but that fight wasn't coming until 6:00pm. My host mother, father and brother had lunch and they let me sample at little of everything the thing I liked the best was the heart of cow. It was tasty. I did try the Guarãna it is a very Brazilian drink and it is good. They took me around the city to take pictures and kill time. I still did not get my bags that day, or the next day, or the day after that. My host family was very nice to me though I had two change of underwear in my overnight bag (Its a good thing that I listened to my mother and put them in there) and my host mother gave me some pj's. Even though I was extremely disappointed at the fact that I did not get my bags I did not let this hinder me from enjoying the first few days with my host family. At first I thought that I only had a mother, father, brother, and a sister, to my surprise I found out that I had another brother. Its alright though I have enough gifts. I did not go to school on Monday, but I did however go on Tuesday. The school is not that big and their senior high school is made up three (3) classes 1P, 2P, 3P. I am in 3P with my host brother. It is taking a little longer than I thought but I am learning the language, and just for the record it is not the same as Spanish as many people think. I found that out the hard way. I am making alot of friends and now even find my self not being in the same place as my host brother, where as when I first came I went every where he went and didn't go anywhere he didn't all of that is changing his friends have accepted me as one of there own as did everyone else in the town. On Wednesday the 11 I went to my first Rotary meeting with my hosting club. They look like a nice group a guys and it is not very different from the other rotary meeting that I have attended except their own is at night. I exchanged flags with them and said a few words n behalf of my sponsoring club the Rotary club of Lucaya district 6990 and then they gave me their flag. I told them I honored I was for being chosen to come to Arapoti and that I feel that this year would be beneficial to al parties involved. They told me that I was welcomed and then President Fernando Henrique Cardoso asked me if I brought my saxophone, regretfully I told him no. Nothing much has happened, except for at school I have become quite popular over the past few days, I went to school and some little girls were writing me love letters. One of them wrote me a letter that said " Halo nice to meet! I like you! Please, kiss-me! Thanks!" So I kissed her, now please keep in mind that this girl is no more than 7 or 8 time progresses. I had some really years old. I kissed her on the cheek and before I knew it there was a line of little cute girls waiting to be kissed be me. I thought that it was so funny, and cute. One of the teachers said that I was a celebrity, this was cool sort of. Its like I am different and that I stand out and I like standing out. I like getting the attention. Then a little while after that another girl came on behalf of the fan club and gave me another letter. This one read "We love you!" then they went running of screaming. It made me smile and blush so much. The days at school are becoming shorter and shorter as bad headaches like the first three days because I was trying to figure out what was being said in class. I have grown to accept the fact that I do not know the language, but I will learn it and the headaches stopped. My town is a very small town about two (2) hours drive away from Londrina the population is about 30,000 most of the population is young people and most of them are female. Don't worry I am not getting any ideas, yet. Arapoti is like one big happy family. I live with mom, dad, 2 brothers and one sister. It is a three bedroom 2 1/2 bath with kitchen, living room, and wash room. I share a room with my host brother, Carlos. He was an exchange student 1998/1999 he went to India. He speaks English but is not speaking to me in English any longer he said it is for my own good, it is so I can learn the language. I am now having short dialogs with friends and family. This is my monthly report for the month of August you can expect another report from me one month from today. Tchau! Ethan R. L. Quant OUTBOUND ROATRY YOUTH EXCHANGE STUDENT 1999-2000 ARAPOTI, PARANA, BR. |
Ethan's First Report from Brazil! |
