Eddy in Brazil

As most of you know I am wanting to go on a one year exchange in 2006, Brazil being my preferred option. Today I received my Application Kit from S.C.C.E. which contains all these forms and contracts and declarations, which is kind of off-putting but I will work my way through it. I have to write a personal essay, provide lots of photographs and get a doctor to sign off on a medical report etc. How exciting.


Republica Federativa do Brasil


Brazilian flag: green (symbolic of the great wealth of the forests) with a large yellow diamond in the center(representing the vast mineral riches of the land), bearing a blue celestial globe with 27 white five-pointed stars (one for each state and the Federal District) arranged in the same pattern as the night sky over Brazil; the globe has a white equatorial band with the motto ORDEM E PROGRESSO (Order and Progress)

I considered France or maybe even Germany, but it's really all the same in the sense that they're all Western/European countries. To try something completely different, I liked Brazil, as it is in South America, it's a third-world country and well the prospect of the beaches over there doesn't bother me either:

The language spoken there is Portuguese, which I don't speak but I'm sure I'll pick up with time. The proposed exchange is for 10 months, departing in January '06. I will stay with one host family and do another year of high school there. Not that this matters, because I will have my IB Diploma anyway. I know some friends (yea right) in Perth who have been to Brazil and they absolutely loved it. Hannah Watson had a pretty good time there, from what Lucy's told me so yea, bring it on. I also have the wild dream that I will become a soccer star in the time that I am there.

I'm quite young for my year (only just 17) so as far as that goes I can easily afford a year off. When I return I will most probably go to uni; I'm interested in medicine and engineering, possibly combining the two. These interests may well chance over the coming year though.