AFS Orientation Otherwise Known as Free Time Part 1

Last weekend was our first AFS orientation at Americana. So at 6 am on Saturday everyone from ABC chapter arrived at the bus station half asleep and ready to get this over with. Of course something immediately went wrong. Everyone except Germany, (FYI I'm going to be referring to everyone by their countries), had a large bag or a medium bag and a backpack but Germany just had one small backpack. So I asked her how she had managed to pack so little especially when we were told to also bring sheets, pillows, and towels.
Germany says, "We don't have to bring bed sheets."
Everyone else, "Umm.. Yeah you do."
G," I read it three times!"
Me," You got it wrong three times."
G," But I put it in google translate and its says sheets of paper... So I just have paper."
Instead of sheets and blankets to sleep with she had brought just sheets of paper. Oops. Oh well, what can we do? So, we board our bus and everyone immediately falls asleep. Except me cause I can never sleep on anything moving. Not buses, cars, planes, boats... Nada. After three long and incredibly boring hours I start seeing signs for Americana. As soon as the bus stops at the next station we all immediately run for the exit. Mistake #2. Our first sign should have been that it wasn't really a station, It was more of a shack in a tiny town selling drinks but we'd been on the bus for three grueling hours and just wanted off. So I didn't give it much thought. We collected our bags and then our senses and had Italy #1 ask the bus driver if it was Americana. Nope. Next exit. So Hungary, Germany, and I all jump back on the bus with our jumbo bags and her small backpack. The bus starts pulling away and I look out the window and see Italy #1 and #2 just standing there at the drink stand. Whoops...
Me, "Um.. You guys we just left the Italians behind..." (Starts laughing hysterically.)
Everyone else freaks out. Germany calls the Italians and I text our chapter President (AKA Yoda.)
Me: Don't panic but we left the Italians at the wrong bus stop.
Yoda:WHATT?? U WANNA KILL ME???!!"I AM HAVING A HEART ATTACK! THE ITALIANS ARE ALL TRYING TO KILL ME!!"
Yoda happens to be in the middle of teaching a class and immediately stops to call the boys who of course don't answer. So he's freaking out and Italy #1 calls to say,
"It's ok. There's this guy who's offering us a ride."
Yoda: "WHATT???!!! DO NOT GET IN HIS CAR!! DO NOT GET IN HIS F*****G CAR!! I'M COMING TO GET YOU!!"
It's important to know that the first rule of AFS is no hitchhiking and you will be sent home  if you do. So Yoda cancels all his classes and meeting and calls his wife to tell her he's making the three hour drive to Americana because, "THOSE DAMN ITALIANS ARE TRYING TO KILL ME!!" Thankfully, the Italians called him back to tell him they caught a bus to Americana and he doesn't have to come get them. The rest of us that were able to get back on the bus have arrived at the bus station. We've been given the instructions to retrieve the boy's bags. The problem is that they have the tickets that we have to exchange for their bags and we don't speak enough Portuguese to explain (ironically, the italians are the only ones that speak portuguese.) Germany is freaking out,
" How are we gonna get their bags?! We don't have tickets!! We can't explain!! (begins to hyperventilate)."
So here's how we did it,
Me: "Shut up and smile and follow my lead." We go up the guy passing out the bags.
Me: *Smiles, tilts head, and points to the two bags.*
Guy:"Portuguese (asking for tickets I assumes)."
Me: *Shrugs* "No Portuguese." *Begins to pout and points at the bags again. German stands behind me smiling.*
Guy: *Looks conflicted for a moment but then smiles and hands over the bags.*
Me: *Smiles big* "Thanks!"
German: "That was amazing."
Success, but it doesn't say much for the security in Brazil. Thankfully it worked in our favor this time.

Sad faces cause we lost the Italians.
I love that Hungary looks like he's trying not to smile!

We waited around for about an hour before the AFS volunteer showed up with the other exchange students. There were a total of fourteen of us, 6 from Italy, 3 from the USA, 2 from Denmark, and 1 from Belgium, Germany, and Hungary. Then we had to wait for the Italians and at this point we weren't in contact with them and didn't know how they were getting here. And did I mention that a woman on the bus told us that the place we left them at is very dangerous? Double whoops. Thankfully the Italians show up without any visible wounds and we quickly departed for the orientation site. We weren't even there yet and already I was done for the day. 

Stay tuned to find out how crazy it gets once we arrive.