My Rotary Youth Exchange: Saturday - Chamber Presentation and Picnic in the Park!

Saturday morning at 9:30, the classical music chamber group that I practice with every Monday, had a presentation! The group is called "Sementes de Harmonia." (Seeds of Harmony) I love playing with them! The music is simple but beautiful and I love being able to practice and perform often with my friends!

Here's a video of the whole performance!

My grandfather here took pictures for me. He is so sweet!!

There were also other performers before us- a group of children playing guitar, two guitar soloists, and a piano soloist.

Sementes de Harmonia left to right: Andre (cello), me (oboe), Bruno(violin), Renato (guitar), Ana Claudya (piano)

Later in the afternoon, I went to the Parqeue de as Indiginas with my friends!

My friends Bruno, (He was one of the first friends I met in Campo Grande!) Carlos, and Ana Gabriella from Mexico!

Notice what Ana is drinking. It's tereré, a REALLY popular drink here that people drink when it's really hot through a special straw. It's always sooooooooooo hot so when I hang out with my friends they ALWAYS have terere and sit around playing the guitar and/or talking. It's like the Brazilian passtime! Terere looks like hay and tastes like a ground up tree in water! Apparently it's something that I need time to become accustomed to!

Henrique (also one of the first friends I met here!) and his brother Fernando

Talking politics with Henrique! Henrique leans toward the left, socialist side of the political spectrum, while I'm more in the center leaning a little right. Very interesting discussion!

My friend Bruno wants to be a photographer and an artist. (He's an incredible artist!!) He took so many pictures like this of me with a funny face!!!!!!

I have to concentrate really hard to know what people are saying in Portuguese so sometimes I look angry! I'm not!

This park has a lot capivaras so I just HAD to see them !!!! We went around trying to find some and found a huge "herd" of them! They're like the size of sheep but look like gigantic guinea pigs!!!! So cute and fat!!!