I'm super excited! Today I FINALLY received the long awaited email from Lilian explaining my living situation!!! I have a host family! In the beginning of the summer, I was worried that I wouldn't get a host family since Aly told me that it's difficult for Lilian (the Brazilian coordinator/my former PGSE teacher) to find host families and most likely I would be placed in an apartment nearby the university with other international students (wow, I'm going to be an international student!!) I had adjusted to the idea of living with the international students--I even was looking forward to it. But then a couple of days ago, Aly told me she'd met my host brother's girlfriend...which shocked me because I had discounted the idea that I was going to have a host family! But I dooooo!!!
So today as I was checking my email, my eyes jumped out of their eye sockets when I saw an email from Lilian with the subject line Bem-vinda ao Brasil! I immediately click on the email and it's a long email. I savor the Portuguese words. I think to myself, wow this is actually happening. Eu tenho uma família Brasileira! I have a Brazilian family! My host mother is a biologist; my host father is a lawyer. They have a son who is 27 and his girlfriend also lives in the house. The son is a pianist and the girlfriend is an English teacher (perfect!! I can ask her about grammar!) and a pianist as well. They have two pianos in the house, a backyard with a pool and a veranda...it sounds amazing! I wish I played the piano! Unfortunately, I have no musical talent.
They have two dogs--Wolf and Babica. Although I'm alergic to dog hair, the dogs can't enter the house so I'll be fine!
Afterwards, I tell my mom the information in Chinese: "the mom is a biologist and the dad is a lawyer". She looks at me weirdly and I realized that I called my host mom, "mom" because I don't know how to say host mom in Chinese, and I think my mom felt a little taken aback, maybe even hurt that I had acknowledged my host mom so quickly as "mom". I retract my words and simply say again "the wife is a biologist and the husband is a lawyer". And I moved on to describe the other details. I forgot how awkward it can be to have a host family--do you address them as "mom" and "dad" or by their first names? I remember during my first host stay in Costa Rica, I fluctuated between calling my host parents by their names and by "mama" and "papi". It was so strange. I think I'll stick to the first names...
Anyways, I couldn't really focus at work today because all I wanted to do was talk about my host family, Brazil and my career. My manager asked me today what I wanted to do with my degree and I responded "I have no idea. Maybe work for an NGO?" yeah, I don't know what I'm going to do with my life. but it's okay, cos I'm going to BRAZIL!! 12 more days!
I am also vaccinated against Yellow Fever! This is becoming more and more real as each day passes!
the twentysomething year old
- mosaicpieces
- New York, NY, United States
- What makes life so interesting are the risks you take and the people you meet. I've lived the majority of my life fearing the consequences of risks. Well, that's what the twenties are for! I am going to write about my trials and tribulations of being a twentysomething year old in this big world, trying to figure it all out. It's going to be a topsy turvy ride, but that's what being in your twenties is all about.
Wow!!!! I am so excited for you!! I can't believe this is actually happening...to all of you! It's incredible. :) I'm so happy to hear that you have a host family--they sound fantastic! Maybe, you'll even learn to play the piano?
ReplyDelete<3
Este então anima!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree with Afsana--you'll definitely learn how to play the piano, especially if they have two of them in the house. :D
It's so interesting--you know that concert pianists exist and all, but you never think that you'd meet them in real life.
And I totally related to you re: what to call the host mom. I just told my parents that I was living with a family--not sure that there *is* a word for host-mom in Vietnamese.
I am so excited for you!!!
your house sounds amazing!! A pool, so lucky! you'll have sooo much fun =) and TWO PIANOS!?!?! I am sooo jealous. dude, the piano is AWESOME. learn it. I don’t remember the last time I played the piano; I really miss it. (granted I have a piano at home just waiting to be played, but I haven’t gotten to it all summer =/) still, I’m sure they can give you a lesson or two. It doesn’t take much to learn how to mess around =P
ReplyDeleteabout the host parents, I’d address them by first names too. It’s just weird to me to call someone else ‘mom’, you know?
And yeah, the future seems so blurry to me too. Cuz IPE/IS is so broad, which is a good thing, cuz it means a lot is open to us. Hopefully we’ll get a better idea while we’re abroad??