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Rafaela Gontijo Moreira da Costa
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2004-05 Inbound from Brazil
Date of Birth: June 6, 1987
Hometown: Patos de Minas, MG, Brazil
Sponsor: Patos de Minas-Guaratinga Rotary Club, District 4760, Brazil
Host: Gainesville Downtown Rotary Club, District 6970, Florida USA
School: Gainesville High School
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| Bio |
| September 10 Journal & Pictures - "I
am member (how chic) of the GYM, it's soooooo cool there ... so many cute
guys ... that I'm not looking for because I HAVE A BOYFRIEND!" |
| November 27 Journal & Pictures -
"I'm giving advice: Never call your parents in a homesick moment, just do
something else, because my parents were like taking the next airplane to
come visit me." |
| February 28 Journal - "These
exchange students are not just common teenagers, we are the adults of the
future, and we know that by changing the today, that we are going to have a
different tomorrow!" |
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Rafaela's
Bio
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Hi, my name is Rafaela Gontijo but here they call me ''Hafi''.
I am 17 years old and in the last year of high school in my city Patos
de Minas, MG, Brasil. I live with my father Emidio and my mother Mirian.
I have a younger brother Gabriel, who is 13 years old. My dog's name is
Kika.I like to dance and have studied ballet
since I was 6 years old. I also like to visit my friends and go to
parties, in Brasil they are very different. First there is a party every
weekend, on Friday night and another on Saturday. The parties don't
start until 11 pm and everyone goes home about 6 in the morning.
I became an exchange student because I wanted to learn
about another culture and also to learn another language. I think this
experience will also help me grow up. I love everything here, my family
is awesome and everyone has been very helpful. I hope to travel and have
many new experiences so, if you are doing something interesting, CALL
ME!!!!!!!!!!!!! kisses (beijos)
Rafaela-Brazil. P.S. Visit my
website for lots of pictures:
www.rafinhagontijo.fotologs.com.br
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September 10 Journal & Pictures
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 Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
guys how is everybody doing??? I am doing great without school…..is not
awesome??
Well about the orientation….. Taking off the fact that everyone was in
trouble because the boys was in our room….. But don’t worry Rotary people we
gonna be good exchange students in Disney……I promise….so, anyway I want
thank Al Kalter and all the country counselors for the wonderful job that
you guys do….for real…..you don’t believe how important this is for us…
Ok, so…. I'm living in Gainesville and this city is really great….all the
people want to help and bring me to meet different places…..I went to
Jacksonville one time with a Rotarian’s wife, yes, but it was not a
completely great experience……I was in a punk rock show there, with so many
strange people looking at me, and then I was lost!…. I find a police guy and
I ask him if he can call for a phone number, I was an exchange student and I
was lost, and you know what he said??? "This is a joke????" Do you
believe???? I wanted to say, yes SMILE YOU ARE ON CANDID CAMERA…..orrrr
…..ok, after 2 hours they find me…..it's ok….I'm alive now!!!
Ummm, but I did a lot of fun things, I was in a boat with Bob Rella 2 times
and we have a lot of fun…..I went to Orlando to do shopping with my host
mom, who by the away is a great person, and I'm very blessed to have them as
my host family… School….ummm…..we have a lot of Brasilian people, which is
good…..but not too much…school is ok….OOOOOHHHH, I am member (how chic) of
the GYM, is soooooo cool there…….have so many cute guys….that I'm not
looking for because I HAVE A BOYFRIEND, hehehe, anyway, they are in the
college and are very nice!!
HURRICANE…..well, I was not scared about the hurricane but when I saw so
many trees and houses down I start to worry, but one interesting thing that
I saw is that everyone is very dependent on power….is so shameful because
you don’t talk with your family anymore, is just TV, computer….and when the
power goes…..WHAT I GONNA DO??? So is a good thing……to think more in your
family and see if someone has a problem or what….just talk…..and another
thing that I saw is that everyone is very helpful, like with neighbors and
stuff like that…
Ok my text is really big, so I'm gonna stop……..I really miss everyone, the
guy that can't control his feellings…..the girl that thinks that she is
annoying (Elle you are not annoying), Tibor, who dances soooo
great….ok…..everyone…….kisses and more kisses.….
And my doors are open for you spend the weekend here!!!!
Rafi is right at home at the mall |
Above: Me and my host mom Anne and my host dad Tom
Below: Exchange students on Bob Rella's boat |
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November 27 Journal & Pictures
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Hey guys, what's up???
I hope that everyone is having as much fun that I
am......now I have a lot of friends, and we party every weekend, YEAPIIIII,
the bad thing is that the parties here are like 8 until 12(pm)...not like
Brasil that is 12(pm) until 6(am).....but that's ok.....hehehe, so I went to
Disney twice and was soooooo much fun, I'm looking forward to see you guys
next weekend, we gonna rock Disney.........in a good way, of course........hehehe
So I was homesick this last month.......and it
sucks........I'm giving advice, NEVER CALL YOUR PARENTS IN A "HOMESICK
MOMENT", dude I drove them crazy, and the next day I did not even remember
the reason that I was crying the lest day, I mean, we all have bad days, but
just try do something else, because my parents was like taking the airplane
to come visit me.... hahaha........parents thing......
Sooooo....I might go to Mexico with my parents to spend
the Christmas, how cool is that???? Is just awesome, we gonna do voluntary
job, which is awesome even more......I mean, the Christmas is gonna be the
toughest day here, because is like a family day, so in Mexico I gonna be
busy working, so I'm not gonna be feeling that Christmas feeling.....you
know what I mean...
Hey I wanna say something for all of you that drive, WHY
GET SO PISSED WITH THE TRAFFIC??? I've never, everrrrrrr went to a car here
in America with Americans that they didn't complain about the traffic, you
gonna be just 5 minutes late,.......who cares??????? Really I've learned
that the traffic is the thing that most ruins your day..... so people, just
take it easy....and be happy =o)
Guys, without the traffic thing I'm having the happiest
moments in my life, to be an exchange student is the smartest idea that I
ever had.......and if yo u
wanna be an exchange student and are reading my journal, don't think twice,
because you're not gonna change your life just for a year, you're gonna
change your life forever.
OK I gotta go now, I miss u guys.........loveeeeeeee ya
BEIJOS
PEACE
RAFAELA |
February 28 Journal
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It's unbelievable how the time passed so quickly, like a hurricane
but in the same time causing so much damage and difference in my life. I guess
that now, just now, I'm feeling a little bit homesick which is not something
that I'm thinking about, but something that I'm feeling. This last 7 months were
the most amazing times in my life. I learned so many things, things with my first
host family, such as having the pleasure to taste an amazing food every single
day cooked by my host dad Tom, and with Anne learning how an American women is,
and figuring out that all the women in the world are the same, we are
connected, we are alive... my host family were remarkable in my life and I don't
know if they are aware of it, I wish I could scream out loud and let all the
exchange students borrow them for even if was just a day!! It's amazing though
how a single ''hi, it is really nice to meet you'' can make yourself a better
person for a day, or even for a moment!! And that's one of the things that I love
the most about America, how the people are so nice to you, and how they can make
so many compliments about you that you didn't even know about yourself, that's
what being an exchange student is about: learning who you are, and what you were
born for!!
I went to a Rotary meeting this passed Wednesday, was 100
years of Rotary, and no one knows how proud I am to be here right now, in a
such special moment........emotional?? yeah.....might be.... the reason is
not clear right now, but after a Rotarian's speech I caught myself with
tears in my eyes, even though I couldn't understand what he was talking
about very clear. There was just something emotional about that moment, and
about that day, when Rotarians from all over the world get together and a
vibration was sent into space, somehow I got this energy, a Rotary energy!!!
Now I changed families and I'm able to experience
different things, with my host sister especially, we get along pretty well,
and my parents are awesome, I'm getting to know different ways of family
living, and is turning out to be a great experience too. I am happy, as I
always have been after I got out of the airplane!!
After Seacamp some people saw me crying in the bus, as a
lot of people, and you wonder why! The reason is simple, we get to know the
most amazing people and spend the most awesome times with them and all of a
sudden you just have memories, Disney memories, new year's memories, Seacamp
memories, and you fight so hard, trying to keep them alive....but no....the
time passes in a tremendous way, that I can't understand, but one thing I
know, no matter how far I am from these friends that became my family now, I
know that I had passed unexplainable nights of laughing with them, and I can
always know in my life that moments like you see in movies exist, because I
did experience them....
I wish people could take time to read the journals,
because these exchange students are not just common teenagers, we are the
adults of the future, and we know that by changing the today, that we are
going to have a different tomorrow!!
I love America.......with all my heart.......thank you
Rotary!!!
Always
Rafaela |
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