Por que será que tem que ser assim
A gente gosta, a gente ama, a gente muda
E o tempo faz verdades nos teus olhos deixa ver
Solidão abusa

Foi tão bonito, tão intenso, tão maravilhoso
Cada segundo
E a vida nos revela cada dia uma nova cena
Um outro mundo


Saying goodbye has never really been easy and when you add in the fact that I'm seeing some amazing friends for quite possibly the last time, it really begins to hit me that, even with all the gripping and complaining I've done over the year, I don't really want to leave. I want to leave and I don't. Meh. I'm excited to see all of my friends and family back in the States, I really am, but at the same time- I don't want to leave me friends and family in Brazil either. Who knew it could be this hard?

I've had a lot of really great experiences and I'd like to thank everybody for all the gifts. They're wonderful! Paulo, Victoria, and Iago for the Sao Paulo futbal shirt =D AMAZING GUYS!, Annelien for the Belgian chocolate, my family for the bracelets, the little storage box, Adston for the (hand drawn) T-shirt (Your my little art bug!), all of my friends for signing my flag and all the love and support, and so forth. If I missed you- I'm sorry, but I'm multitasking and drying my hair while I'm writing this. xD I just don't have enough time for everything so I'm doing a million things at once!

Speaking of my hair, I decided to end my year in Brazil on a sort of... crazy... note and my hair is now blue and pink. =D But, I'd also like to say that today is my last full day in Brazil and it's downpouring. Which is very depressing because I have so much I need to do today and I need to walk for most of it. In the rain. Oh well.

Anyways, I really just wanted to say goodbye to Brazil.
Te amo muito, muito, muito. Eu não consigo dizer o que eu quero dizer. Este ano era legal demais. Tinha amigos aqui no Brasil que era bacana, e eu vou ficar com saudades para vocês. Me liga sempre. =D Meu skype é Viva Alyn Nevar, pode me adicionar, por favor! Que mais? Obrigada por tudo você fêz, e não precisava fazer, para mim. Obrigada pelo amor, amizade, compreensão(? Posso usar aqui?). Eu nunca vou escqucer de vocês.

Te amo, mesmo. (:

Beijos + amor,
Viva.

PS: My suitcase doesn't fit! AHHHHH! HELP!

Nothing new is in the world of Viva. I'm not sure why I keep writing here, actually. 8D I don't think anybody reads it anymore! When I first started my trip, like, everybody read it. (and if you didn't-- well, that's just lame) and the farther my trip got along, the less interesting I became, or something? Now it's just: "Is that crazy broad still in Brazil?"

Well yes, yes she is! Anyways, yesterday, went out with some friends and we took... pictures. So, here you go. Other than that, it's mother's day. So happy mother's Day Mommeh and Maes! =D You know I love all three of you. (You also feed me).

And that's it. My family and I are going to Sao Paulo today to do some more family visiting. .-. I feel very confused. I'll just let the pictures talk for me... yes.


That's my desk and hand during third period? I don't know. It's very colorful.


The exchangers.


8D Whitney (Texas) and me.


Yes, this is just going to be filled with attractive pictures.


And people say I'm not amorous! HA! I'm very snuggly when I want to be.


...


Viva has love from Belgium. =D

With less than two months left in Brazil, it's really hard to keep up with updating my journal since I've been fairly busy running around with friends as of late. I've also been cramming really hard to finish up some of my classes before the end of the year (Haha! Go figure?). Anyways, I'd like to congratulate all the seniors adults of the 2009 class year. (: You all really deserve the diplomas you are receiving and I'm proud to say that I participated in many, many, many years of schooling with you. I wish you all the best of luck in whatever you do and wherever you go.

But, that being set aside, I'd like to kind of update what has been happening in the world of Viva since my last post. WELL. Last weekend we had Thursday and Friday off so my family took me to a nearby city called Rio Preto (Black River) to meet my Host Dad's side of the family. We stayed in a very nice house with my aunt and uncle, and there two sons. While we were there, we slept in a lot, frolicked around, ate lunch at my host dad's mother and father's house, and went shopping. I also got to see the movie Monsters vs. Aliens in 3-D (and in Portuguese, of course) in this ginormous movie theater! It was really something to see! Anyways, my aunt and I exchanged bracelets that we made. I make mine and she makes all of her beads herself out of ripped shreds of newspaper an then somehow manages to spin them really tight to make this very colorful, unique (albeit, not waterproof) bead. Since it isn't waterproof, I didn't want to wear it, so I put in on my jacket. (: It fits in really nice.

Other than that, life has been typical. It's getting cold here and sometimes gets down to about 40 at night. Brrr! It's so cold! I feel ridiculous for saying I'm freezing when that's like--- short weather in Wisconsin! But, it also gets really warm during the middle of the day so you have to learn how to dress. You start with a tank top, then a t-shirt, then a sweatshirt so you can strip off layers as the day goes on. It's annoying by the end of the day though when you have to carry around a bajillion different shirts that you don't want to wear anymore!!

Other than that, I've also started to try and "shed." I've accumulated a whole boat-load of stuff while in Brazil and I'm not sure how I'm going to take it all home!! Some of my old t-shirts that I brought from the States I gave to one of the new exchange students who just arrived and I've also started picking through stuff that I'm not going to need to bring back. It's a very difficult process for someone like me who tends to find sentimental value in just about everything. I should have my stuff just about packed by the 23rd of June, and it's getting awfully difficult to decide what to bring and what not to bring. Also, since I've been staying in this family's home for nearly seven months, I've really gotten "settled in" if you know what I mean. My room is more like my room in the United States (minus the clothes on the floor) so, it's very comfortable for me and it's hard to take it all apart.

That being said, I'd like to wish the exchange students, especially in Mexico, good luck with the news of the flu. I'm sure everyone will be fine, but I've heard some that students from Mexico will be returning to their countries, including our very own exchange student from our district. I'd like to wish her the best of luck!! Also, to all the other exchange students: good luck getting packed up and leaving!

D=

<3 Viva


The youngest cousin, who's room Ana and I slept it, is into (and very good at, may I add) Kung-Fu. I was kind of afraid to get on his bad side!!


My bed with all the trophies and awards my cousin won.


Ana, my sister, decides to be daring.


This dog, named Lobinho, was my most amazing friend. It became ritual for the four days we were there that every morning I'd get up and go say hello to him. Hence why my hair looks mildly nuts, but I was getting attacked with lollies and kisses, so everything is much better! I walked away kind of slobbery from that one... And my "Help! I'm being attacked!" face is especially attractive. XD


Lobinho posing for a picture. (Note: "Lobo" means wolf.)


The entire family.


And the car ride home... Haha

How to paint a wall:
Step 1: Shave down the drivewall in your nice school pants. Why nice school pants? Because you NEED TO GET THEM DIRTY, child. Also, I suggest wearing a black shirt so all the white drywall dust can make you look ridiculous.

Step 2: PAINTING. Revert to pajamas for this. Why? For comfort of course! Then, get a roller, some white paint, a paintbrush, and go away! Go, I say, go! Don't forget to spill some paint on your face just for the "I'm a painter, look at me" effect. Bonus points for getting it in your hair. Note: I accidentally painted some of my hair into the wall. So, my DNA shall ever be in that paint. Also, I would suggest putting some music on to get the full effect of working your butt off.

Step 3: Show yourself OFF. Put those paint soaked hands in the air and grin like an idiot. Also, sit on the floor and look like you're working hard when all you're really thinking about is lunch and how your going to get the white paint off the floor that you spilled (I did end up getting it off, thank goodness).

Step 4: CLEAN. Viva's favorite.

Step 5: Show how proud you are of your freshly painted wall by looking goofy and having someone take a picture! Nothing says "I outdid myself" like a goofy camera face.

Step 6: Take a shower! And put on the dirty paint pants again after your shower! Yippee! Your done! You can also get Burger King Big Kid's Meal Pink Panther Sunglasses and wear them. Why? Because they're hip. And that's how you paint a wall, my friends.

(: My family got a new wall installed between mine and Ana's room, so we had to paint them. Haha. It took a lot of blood (none, actually), sweat (a lot), and tears (some) to finish-- but in the end, it looks pretty good. My Mae asked me to paint a design on the wall for the family to remember me by. (: And I was like GASP. OKAY. And then Ana was like "I want one too!" And now I'm not sure how I'm going to design and paint two full walls in two months. It's nuts! But, I shall try. (:

Other than that, it's Easter! I woke up at 1:00 AM and hid eggs for Joao and Ana. It was not fun. I'm not really one for getting up in the middle of the night, but it was well worth it in the end. We all woke up at about eight and we exchanged gifts. There is enough chocolate in this house to feed the Chinese army for a week. I'm not exaggerating. Anyways, for Easter, I made some really nifty Easter baskets. For my two siblings, I put together a hand-crafted box with a chocolate-bread inside and chocolate bunnies, then hid four eggs for each of them. Since we have a pet bunny named Wonka, I claimed that Wonka had lost her eggs for Easter and needed the kids help to find them! It was fun. (: Joao, at four, loved it and was running all over the house with his little box. For my Mae and Pae, I put together a box with Barnum & Bailey posters, chocolate eggs, two stove gripper hot things (look at the picture below XD), and some small little things. I got a small gift for my first family and Raquel (the cleaning lady!) as well.

And that was Easter. Then I painted the wall. =D All in all, it was a pretty good Easter. In other news, last week, Whitney and I went to Burger King and got Pink Panther glasses from the Big Kid's meal and have worn them since. We're celebrating--- actually, we're celebrating nothing. But it is fun!!

(:

<3 Viva


Thank you, Annelien for the best.expression.ever.


My Easter gift basket for my Mae and Pae.


That would be me in the cart at Extra.... looking for Easter presents.


That would be Whitney in the cart at Extra...


And of course, Annelien doing her thang. =o


I'm in ur house. Stealin' ur cookies. I'm not actually giving you the finger. I'm actually holding up a three. (: It's just Annelien fails at picture taking.


Don't even ask.


He ha heee haaa.


Whoooa.

Ooookay- so, I haven't updated in a while cause I'm lazy and stuff. But, decided to finally update now. Not too much going on. Last Saturday Rotary took all the local exchange students to Sao Paulo for a day of touring churches and religious museums. We ate Mortadella sandwiches for lunch, which are these giant sandwhiches (I believe there is a picture of me gnawing on one a long time ago when I went to Sao Paulo with Lucas). Anyways! That was fun. (: Not really much to explain. It was churches and religious paintings, so, I'm not exactly sure how to explain what we did. I don't really remember the names of the churches BUT! Rotary is also going to take us to an infamous Brazilian soccer game (Go, Sao Paulo, Go!) and later Hopi-Hari which is a giant theme park. Thing six flags in Portuguese.

Other than that, we got a new exchange student from Texas named Whitney and she arrived about a month ago. Uhm, we (Annelien and I) have taken her out to Pizza Hut AND OH MY GOODNESS I FOUND PEANUT BUTTER. It was expensive, and nearly impossible to find-- but I did it. I found smoothy, peanut-buttery, deliciousy Peter Pan peanutbutter at the local extra and it was worth the buy. I made PB&J for my family and they really liked it; however, they looked at me strangely when I took a spoonful of peanutbutter and just began to eat it. (: Oh well.

Foods I miss most:
1. Mac and cheese bites
2. Campbell's chicken noodle soup
3. Arizona Iced-tea
4. Home-grilled hamburgers (or Jayar's)
5. Pancakes
6. Ranch dressing
7. Berry Berry Kicks
8. Normal Milk
9. Earl Grey
10. Mini Mama's Pizzas

Merrrr. So. Hungry. I'll be home in three months, which I'm both excited and sad about. But, I'm going to have some food demands when I come home. (: I LOVE FOOD.

<3 Viva

PS: I shall now distract you all from my lack of posting with the clever use of pictures.


The pool at our fitness club. Very fun. <3


After a long day of school and a several mile run, nothing says "I love Brazil" like a Paraty Brazil T-shirt and a coke in a bottle.


Whitney hanging out with her pizza hut box and the rat's nuts. Mer her her.


I have so many ridiculous pictures of Annelien. Here's another one to add to the list.


That is some attractive faces right there.


"Hey Viva."
"What?"
"Don't...laugh."
o____o -bursts out giggling-
And that's how the picture came to be.


Kind of neat. Kind of awkward. (: I dunno.

Okay...

So, I bit the bullet and bought a new camera, which killed me. A lot. But! I have a new camera and his name is Aleksandr. Everybody, please give a moment of silence to my old camera, Edwardo. He was such a good camera. Anyways, Aleksandr is the same camera as my old one. A spiffy black Kodak. (: I love him to pieces.

But! That being said! I said I would tell about my Carnaval experience... well. It's really easy to explain, there wasn't that much. Due to bad weather, I missed two of the parties I was going to attend (curse you rain!!) but that's okay. My first party started at 11:00 and went until 5:00 in the morning at my workout/membership club called Ipanema. That was a lot of fun, super exhausting. I took pictures, but I didn't loose my camera until AFTER Carnaval was finished, so I have no pictures to show you guys, sorry, my bad. But, basically, it was just pictures of any club with really undressed-looking men and some drunk men. Not many people actually wore masks, a few, but not many. I also didn't wear mine, but I did wear my awesomely amazing colorful make-up! Yep, that was party number one. I went home with a taxi and slept well in to the afternoon the following morning. The next was a parade. Unfortunately, it was raining so it wasn't as big of a bash as it was supposed to be. But, lots of women in skimpy outfits and head-dresses taller than they were went doing the Samba down the streets in carts and festivities. I didn't stay very long, because it was raining and-- as such. Then, it was here that I lost my camera. I went to a juice house, got my beloved strawberry milkshake and rather stupidly just forgot my baby. By the time I remembered and came back, poor Edwardo was long gone. Then, the next day, I bought a new one. Talk about impulsive spending.

Anyways, I went to a few other smaller parties in Carnaval, but basically it was just a very long series of parties, no sleeping, and no school all during the week. But then yesterday, my family had this giant.... I don't even know how to explain it. Corn festival? We started the morning with cutting down a sugar cane stalk and eating it. I've never had raw sugar cane before, but it was really good! All you do is chew on the husk and basically get sugar water. Then, at about two o'clock, all my Mae's work friends came over. We bought about fifty pounds of corn (that was a lot of corn) and everybody went to dehusking, squishing, squashing, pounding, throwing, cooking, baking, eating, and everything else you can imagine with corn. We made corn on the cob, corn juice, corn bread, corn corn, corn biscuit-things, corn pulp-- it was so much corn. I never figured out exactly why we had this giant festival of corn. But, we did. And I don't think I'll be able to eat another piece of corn until I'm thirty. We still have corn in the fridge and I every time I open the fridge I give it a suspicious look, get whatever I need as fast as possible, and avoid it. I'm really sick of corn. Stupid yellow vegetable. Anyways, that being said, it's Sunday which means I have school again tomorrow....

Merrrrr....


Okay, you can't have pictures of Carnaval- but you can have a picture of me hanging out with Nana on the couch playing with my new camera. It was raining so I was soaking wet. Not an exceptionally attractive picture of me, but you know what? 8D


Marcia and Joao hacking apart a Sugar Cane plant that is growing in our backyard.


YAY CORN!


The making of the weird corn puffy almost-bread-but-not-really things. Hmmm...Almost like Children of the Corn... only more like Viva of the Corn.


<3 Viva
PS: My loverly Adston has a blog now! So, go take a look at: http://sorrybabe.wordpress.com/

...Even if you can't read Portuguese, you should still look at his artwork. Isn't he amazing? You have to love him! (:

So, I lost my camera...
In a house of juice, which is ridiculous. I left it in the bathroom, remembered, went back fifteen minutes later and it was gone. Went to the desk, they didn't have it either. Which is really idiotic because it had like no battery left and whoever took it (and failed to turn in it) won't be able to use it. They won't be able to connect it to their computer or charge it, seeing as they don't sell parts for that camera in Brazil. So, if they wanted to keep my old clunker camera, they'd have to buy stuff internationally, which would cost just as much as the camera itself.

-humph-

So, I'm in a grouchy mood. All of my photos from Carnaval were on it and now I won't have any pictures from all the partying I went to. Even worse, afterwards, I accidentially broke my mask, so I just feel like-- curling up in a ball and dying. Although, I promised a friend I'd go to another party with her tonight and I really don't feel like going in the current mood I'm in. But I'm forcing myself to go. Maybe make myself feel better.

Either way- if anyone would like to buy and send me a camera, that would be great. Because I can't really afford one. Haha, just kidding. (: But, it looks like no pictures anymore. Sorry, but I really can't afford another camera with college, my exchange, and the poor economy.

XD Ouch
<3 viva
PS: I'll update about Carnaval later when I'm in a better mood.

I haven't updated much. I'm busy. (: With CARNAVAL! Yes, my dear friends, the famous party of Carnaval is this upcoming week (and we don't have school!). I've been making my mask and costume for the Campolim party that I can't wait to attend with my good friends from school. It's taken nearly a week to complete, but my mask in finished, I think. I may add feathers. Or something else tackey. Either way, my mask, I bought just the rough basic mask, which was gray and black. It would have been easily spray painted on, but thankfully, I didn't have to do that. Added some purple glitter down the nose and forehead, green glitter spanning out across the eyes. Then, added some jewelry. All of this took much, much longer than expected. I've also been working on my costume, which is cute and simple. (: Just a black little dress-shirt hangey thingy, black tights, and peter-pan boots.

Yay! I sound... strange explaining that.

Anyways, in my freetime, when I'm not working on my mask, at school, or talking with friends, I've been working on a pair of pants. Some of you may know my infamous red pants. That I love very, very much. Well, the maid accidentally put them in the wash with a black shirt and they stained. For a while, I was very depressed and couldn't bring myself to throw them away. So, when I finally looked at them, I figured: "Hey, I could do something with 'dem pants." And so, came forth my Brazilian memory pants. I've made everything myself with permanent marker, buttons, old jeans, and other assorted tools, and have been working on them for about three weeks. They haven't gotten very far because it's incredibly difficult to find time to sit down and work on them, but they're coming along slowly. (: I like them alot.

Hmm, I also made pancakes for my family and they loved them. They don't have pancakes here with maple syrup so I whipped up a batch from scratch and made pancakes. (: I've also made chocolate chip cookies, cakes, and other assorted goodies for my family. I'm not much of a cook, really, but I like to bake!

Anyways, that's my plans. I'll post more pictures after the Carnaval party.

<3 Viva



My super-fun-to-do-eye-makeup. This was just a test to play around a bit, but it was still super fun. I don't usually get to play with such outrageous colors and get to go out in public!



Okay, here it's done. Haha. Yippee!!



Zee pants. Sorry about the blur. I fail. (:



Permanent marker fiesta! OBA!



"Vida Loka" made out of old jeans I bought in middle school (I get good mileage out of my pants...) and sadly just recently died on me. D= So, I made them into this. Vida Loka is technically spelled wrong, but it's a common phrase found in Brazil. It means "Crazy life."

I actually have something to talk about today! Well, first off, I got my Rotary money for February! Which means I'm no longer a poor person. Haha. Anyways- today. Yes. Today my family took me for another rock climbing trip to a city nearby called Sao Hawk. It was so much fun! Anyhow, the cliff we jumped off was only about fifty feet this time, so smaller than last time, but it curved inward a little so it was much more vertical. Either way, it was a lot of fun. I went down two times and just kind of hopped down in my little harness and helmet. (: I love to Rapel (pronounced hapel). I think that's how you spell it. I'm not sure. Anyhow, we climbed up this nearly impossible-
to-climb up cliff-side to get a good "veiw" and staggered through grass and rocks and trees and all sorts of things. My arms are all cut up and gross, thank goodness I wore pants. Anyways, we were out there from nine to three o'clock and I got a ridiculous burn on my arms. I don't know if I didn't put enough sunscreen on or what but I have bright red lines on my arms from where my t-shirt sleeves ended. I mean- I have turned in a particularly hideous breed of lobster.

Anyways! I've started doing some sports as well. I'm absolutely horrible at Volleyball, but I play with my friend from school. I'm sure I kind of look goofy, but that's okay. I also run a lot, and play soccer (again, I look like an uncoordinated chicken-lobster hybrid running after a soccer-ball)
But! Being shameless (and foreign) I have two rights:
1. To dress like a tourist.
2. To look absolutely ridiculous doing anything and everything.
So, it's alright. I'm foreign. That's what foreigner's jobs are, right? Anyways, it's a lot of fun. Annnnd school! Yes, it's a blast. Still save for Brazilian history. I have made a lot of new friends and I frequently go out with them to clubs/the sports club/out to lunch/etc. (: Now that my Portuguese is better, I have an easier time talking to people, so I've made more friends than when I first arrived.

That being said-- I have a Rotary BBQ tomorrow. Hmm. Perhaps I should get some sleep. Or rather, I'll go watch Tom and Jerry with Joao. haha.

<3 Viva

I got my flight to return home yesterday.
I'll be leaving Brazil on the 26th of June and will be back in Madison Airport the following day. For anyone who is curious, my flights will be (most likely):
Leave Sao Paulo 8:50PM
Arrive in Atlanta, Georgia 5:30AM
...NINE HOUR LAYOVER.
Leave Atlanta at 2:45PM
Arrive in Madison at 3:47PM.

:]
That lay over is going to be really boring and really exhausting. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself! Perhaps I'll perfect the art of twiddling my thumbs and whistling.

Hmmm....Suggestions would be appreciated.

-Vivsters