It may seem like I dropped off the face of the map, but I've been doing some really cool things and haven't had the patience to sit down and write about it all....but I'm going to get caught up!
About three weeks ago, it was "prom" or "formatura" at my school! The Brazilian formatura is an all night party with the graduating class and everyone wears formal dresses and dances all night to celebrate the end of high school! It's not like prom where a guy asks a girl to go with him as a date. Everyone pays $110 reais or $55 USA dollars to get in and that's it!
Before the formatura, I went with my friends to the church Halloween dance! Afterward, I went to my friend Jean's house to get ready.
My friends in this picture left to right - Victor, Tiago, me, Jean, Ana, Leehay
Victor, Jean and I! Best friends! Haha!
At about 11:30 I arrived at the dance. Most of the other exchange students were already there! In this picture left to right - me, Niko (Germany), Laura (France), Deborah (Brazil, she's not an exchange student, but she's an awesome friend!), Mattheus (Italy), Giovanni (Switzerland), Denisse (Mexico), and Lisa (Italy)
The dance hall was so beautiful! And there was also a lot of food! I didn't feel like eating though - my dress that I borrowed from my cousin was so tight!! haha!
At the beginning, each of the graduates walked down the middle of the isle with someone imporant to them - a friend, sibling, or parent - and photographers took pictures! Then they each danced a traditional dance - the Valse, (I think it's just the Waltz in English!). It's a pretty fancy tradition! It was even cooler because my friend Ricardo asked me if I would be hs "special person" to walk down the "runway" and dance with him! What an honor that he'd ask me out of all his friends and relatives! It was really cool to be able to do that!
After everyone danced, each graduate received a glass of what is supposed to look like champaigne but it's actually Brazilian called "guarana"! I totally thought it was champaigne so I didn't participate, but my friends told me afterward that it was only guarana! Hahaha! But it's ok, I took some cool pictures!
Afterward, everyone watched videos that the exchange students from last year sent to congratulate everyone! Next year I'm going to send a video of my own! Can't wait!
At about 3:00 am, a school of Samba came and performed! It was way cool! The samba rhythm is so fast and the dance is absolutely impossible for me!! But I loved watching!
I wasn't a big fan of the dancers' costumes, but whatever! They danced really well!
Here are my friends Ricardo and Henrique. Ricardo is a really great friend! When they started playing a type of music called "Funky" whcih has toooons of swear words and is the dance is super dirty, he told me to come outside and we waited until it was over! That meant a lot to me that he would help me maintain my values and feel comfortable and not alone!
My friends Carol and Luciano! Luciano went on an exchange to the USA two years ago!
Resting our feet at 4:00 am! Gosh, I don't know how I didn't break my ankles wearing high heels all night long!
I ended up leaving at about 4:45 am!! I took a taxi with my friends and when I got home I slept until noon. It was a really good night! I had a lot of fun dancing with my friends....or at least trying to dance while they laughed at me! hahah!
