From the 5th December 2009 until the 16th January 2010, I had the wonderful opportunity of being a Rotary Exchange Student in Brazil. For six weeks, I stayed in the small Brazilian town of Curvelo in the state of Minas Gerais.
I travelled to Rio de Janeiro for four days with 65 other exchange students from all over the world. I met students from the U.S.A, Canada, Australia, Thailand, Finland, Hungary, Mexico and New Zealand. We were exposed to all the tourist attractions like Cristo Rendetor (the Art Deco sculpture of Jesus Christ on Corcovado Mountain that overlooks the city of Rio), Sugar Loaf Mountain and Novo Maracanã Soccer Stadium. We also saw the impoverished Favela of Racinha, the contrasting world famous Copacabana Beach with its four km long beach and promenade. Of course, we could not miss the Rio de Janiero Hard Rock Café. On the fourth day, we travelled further south along the beautiful coastline to the bay of Angra dos Reis where we stayed overnight. I then returned to my host family in Curvrlo and had the opportunity of seeing local places like Pampuhla, the Zoologica and Cordisburgo.
The six weeks exchange programme in Brazil allowed me to change from a foreign tourist to a local. I made new friends and became part of a new family. I would not exchange these memories and experiences for anything in the world. The Rotary Exchange Programme allows for personal growth and wonderful relationships with people from different cultures. I encourage other students to participate in this fantastic programme.
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