Into the Jungle

Preparations
I spent yesterday packing my suitcase for the Amazons. The agency with whom I am traveling provides a check-list on their website if things the travelers need to bring. So, a good part of yesterday afternoon was as follows.
"Passport. check.
2 pairs of tennis shoes. check.
Bug repellant. check..."

My host mother's mother gave me a smaller sized suitcase to borrow for the trip, but it ended up being too small. So, I decided bring out my suitcase which had been stored away on the top shelf my host parents closet since early December. In the suitcase, I found my 70 sheet, wide ruled green notebook, which I used for notes, vocabulary and thoughts during my first few months in Brazil. I glanced through it a bit and was reminded of the times when I was so completely lost in Portuguese that I was provoked me to write things with my left hand just for the purpose of having something to do. For example I wrote hardly legible " She said writing with our left hand would mAKe us Smarter.".

Domesticated
Today I woke up early and made two loaves of Banana Carrot Bread and muffins. Around noon my host grandparents came to the house and Li and I ate lunch with them. After lunch I spent a good part of the afternoon watching movies and knitting. By 8 o'clock I finished my first scarf.

Big Day
Tomorrow is the big day. After lunch I have plans to ride with two other Rotarians to the airport in São Paulo. There I will meet up with about 20 other exchange students from all around the world who will be making this trip with me. Our flight leaves from there around 23:00. On the 4th I will arrive in Manaus, the Amazon capital and then will spend the next nine days traveling the beautiful yet dangerously hot jungle state.
So, ten days from now I'll be letting you know how things went.

Brazil 101
-It is customary for one (male of female) to live with his parents until marriage.
-Accents and skin tone differ greatly among the regions in Brazil.
-The head of the Brazilian Health administration announced a little less than a week ago that sex is a priority factor in matter of one´s health