Nordeste Nov-Dez 2011.

Ola,

       Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year.

Writing my monthly report for December, I know its late but was on my trip so couldn’t write it earlier.

I had gone for my first Rotary Trip, it was for 27 days from 20^th November to 24^th December , visited the full North-East part of the Brazil, including  the famous Cities like, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Bahia, Natal, and also the capital city Brasilia. Visited the Christ Statue in Rio de Janeiro, which was the best thing that could happen.

The trip was really exciting as it had 105 Exchange Students from 22 different countries. Met everyone for the first time, as didn’t know anybody. Stayed with them for 27 days, made new friends, exchanged cards and pins. Represented India in the “Talent Show” where I wore Indian clothes and PROUDLY sung the NATIONAL ANTHEM.

The most exciting I found was the “FAVELAS” commonly known as slums in English, the tour guide said that there were many brasilians also who haven’t entered the favelas as they are scared. He said that one month before the favelas were safe as the drug dealers protected it, and today after one month it is safe because the police are there. He said that 15 – 20 years back even the police were scared to enter as the drug dealers had more powerful and better armaments, so the police force used to go early morning hide in a place and in the night used to encounter and used to leave, but now that the police force has improved with the help of the government they have dominated the place. We were also taken to the place were “fast and furious 5 (fast 5) ” was filmed in the favelas. Also Rio de Janeiro has the two most famous beaches of Brazil, and one of them is the “The Copacabana Beach” where most of the parts of movie “Dhoom 2” was filmed.  And also the state Bahia and city Salvador are the cities for which Capoeira is famous, I also did Capoeira the Capoeira people who had come to show us what is capoeira, feels good when you have 100’s of people cheering you and doing Capoeira a Brazilian sport with the Brazilians. Also visited the worlds biggest cashew tree. In Brasilia we were taken to the “Congress Meeting Hall and the Parliament House and also were the President Meeting room, where she conducts her Important meetings, We also saw the Presidents House.” Felt great to visit these sites.

Also just wanted to tell you this that the Capital city Brasilia is a city which was planned by an architect who lives in Rio, he planned the full city by airplane and was made accordingly, hence they call Brasilia “a Planned City”.

Over all it was a good experience as now I am rich with foreign friends and its always good to socialize.

And talking about the preparation of Christmas, the whole city is lighted up, people are going mad behind shopping, they have taken holiday from work only for the preparation of Christmas.

Don’t have much to write as the whole month was on the trip, but surely in January will have a lot to write as will experience my first SUMMER CHRISTMAS.

Regards.