PORTO ALEGRE

"Say cheese!"

How to consume maté - NB hot water is involved

                                                                                I spent nearly two weeks in Porto Alegre, hosted by the very lovely Ana Paula and Rodrigo seen here in front of a curiously spiky tree, with thorns on its trunk.  They live in downtown Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil's most southerly state and the home of 'gaúcha' culture.  There are many guys wandering around the city streets wearing boots, big baggy trousers, scarves and cowboy hats, sipping maté through a bomba from a cuia and looking more Argentinian than Brasilian.  As you can see from the clothing of the delightful pair above, RGdoS enjoys a more temperate climate, which is now entering its wintry stage...

I arrived in PoA feeling a bit ropey after a dodgy Bahian fish lanch, but soon recovered thanks to the great cooking of Rodrigo and the delicious pinha (industrial-sized pine nuts R$3 the kilo) plus a fantastic evening at Odomadé Ponto de Cultura, where I had my feet and hips seized and forced to move around vigorously by the seductive power of samba (video above, below or across, depending on where the program editor decides to put it - I've given up trying) 

MUSIC of SALVADOR

First up
Samba da Roda

This band were playing in a sort of community space, attended by members of the local community.  They are playing the medley of samba tunes that you would expect from such an function, but listen to the African influences in the guitar playing
Following this, I wandered the streets of Pelourinho and chanced upon the following duo playing outside a bar, on the street to an appreciative crowd of 40 or so.

The singer/guitarist has a fine voice and guitar style, but the drummer really stole the show with 2 hours of ever-renewing invention which I hope the following short excerpt will give a tiny idea of... Next time...Porto Alegre in gaucha country


Pad
 

SALVADOR

I bade an ate pronto farewell to Gobira, Tyr and Dona Tereza, stepped on the bus and set off for the aeroporto to catch the plane to the North-East.
There was a traffic accident in the middle of Belo Horizonte, the bus was an hour late at the rodoviaria and what should have been a leisurely trip turned into a race against the clock and bus timetabling but luckily I made the onibus connection  with minutes to spare, boarded TAM flight 3226 after a curious 10-minute conversation with an old guy from Scunthorpe who appeared very discomfited by meeting a fellow Brit (either he was just odd or he had unsavoury motives for visiting the city - either are possible), and four hours later was sitting in a taxi thinking "I must remove the hoodie IMMEDIATELY!".  I spent the night in a cheap hotel in Itapua, lulled to sleep by the rattle of the ceiling fan but feeling strangely unprotected by the single sheet covering the bed (entry for cheap detective novel start)

pregnant sky over baroque cathedral

The next day I awoke at 6.30 with bright sunlight streaming through the windows.  However, by the time I had located another hotel closer to the centre of Salvador and got a taxi there, clouds were gathering over the 400-year old city, the precursor to four days of rain heavy enough to confine me to a room, reading and writing (re-vamping my file of workshop activities, adding more activities and organising them into four chapters).  However, I organised a very positive meeting with Jackie at Cultura Inglesa, who encouraged me to continue composing more complex activities after I showed her the linguistic activities collection that is growing in my documents file.
In a hostel I stayed at in Pelourinho the old city centre I met a very charming French flight attendant called Alex who had the strongest Manchester accent I"ve heard in a long time and asked me "Do you know Blackley?".  How odd to be discussing the maternal birthplace thus!  Pelourinho is a bit raggy round the edges but will be buzzing in a few years time when the world cup happens.  Best of all is the amount of music to be experienced there, which will be the second blog, to appear soon once Iṽe figured out how to upload the video using Linux, whcih is the only way to connect to the internet where I am just now...
At this point in my stay the clouds parted and also the wonderful Bira Azeveda returned to Salvador, and offered me a floor to sleep on at the flat he shares with an English teacher from Albany NY called Andy della Rocca until my flight to the south...Bira was up to his ears in preparations for a show involving 700 people to be part of the celebrations for the beatification of Irma Dulce, a Brasilian Mother Teresa figure.  His show opens on May 22nd.  Break a leg, Bira!!
Watch this spacef for Salvadorean tunes

Sunset over Bahia de todos os Santos

Paddy

Easter in Ouro Preto

I spent the Easter weekend on a visit to the old city of OURO PRETO which translated means, literally, ''Gold Black'' - testimony to the fact that this beautiful baroque city which appears to be an old Portuguese town uprooted and plonked in the new world is in fact built on the sweat and lives of the many slaves who were brought here to work in the gold mines of the Portuguese empire.

One of many beautiful churches!


 

Sacks of coloured sawdust are the material

Tapeta

Ouro Preto retains its antique appearance to this day and every Easter, the inhabitants, following a tradition that is at least 300 years old, decorate the city streets with dyed sawdust to create carpets of colourful designs on religious themes using their hands and plywood stencils

Rooftops of Ouro Preto

Crowds watching the tapetas take shape

Early morning inspection of artwork

Working through the night, dozens of people labour to transform the city and by dawn the tapetas are finished.  The early morning crowds arrive to admire the designs, stroll up and down the kilometer or so of artwork and gather to await the Easter Sunday procession that will follow the night's hard work.

After Easter Mass, a procession of hundreds of people, many in biblical costume, walks along the decorated streets from one church to another, and trampling all over the tapetas, whose transient beauty will not be seen for another year

Belo Horizonte (2)

I have made some important links here in Minas Gerais.  Firstly, the training session for Carmen Idiomas is confirmed - Fri 20 May.  The following week I hope to ru a session at an Arts week at the University in Ouro Preto.  I have also made some good links with Plug Minas a culture and IT centre for youth in BH, who are interested in having a workshop.  (photo below)

Yesterday I visited the headquarters of Cultura Inglesa BH, on the recommendation of Laerte at Cultura Inglesaq São Paulo.  Here the programming officer Litany was also very interested in the idea of professional development programme for Cultura Inglesa teachers and I am going to continue knocking on doors of their partner C.I. orgs in other cities I visit.  A tour could be in the offing...
I'm going to the old city of Ouro Preto tomorrow to witness decorated streets, processions and Easter celebrations as well as meet Julie's friend Leandro.
Then, I'm going to take the opportunity of visiting Salvador, Bahia as my expected rendezvous with Ana Paula in Porto Alegre must be postponed for a week.
Expect more posts soon!
I will be very sorry to have to leave the wonderful house of Gobira and Tyr where there are so many friends, human and otherwise... 

but I look forward to returning in a few weeks...
Abraços a todos - Paddy

Belo Horizonte

A lovely week in Belo Horizonte staying with Gobira & Tyr.  Here they are, along with Tyr's brother Silvio and mother, Dona Teresa.

On Wednesday I met Gil Amancio a musician and community artist (musicadecena) on a trip to BH with Gobira.  On Friday I went back to meet with people at Plug Minas, a new digital and creative arts centre in the city.  Saturday we attended a live music event in a banca de revistas (magazine stand) made into a stage for an impromptu street party.
Afterwards we retired to BH's ''most bohemian nightspot'' for a meal listening to samba music from a club over the road.

G & T's house continues to provide natural wonder at every turn - check out this ganfonheta (a kind of cricket) I spied leisurely munching on some leaves in the afternoon sun...
Next week I aim to firm up offers of employment from here and São Paulo, before heading for Ouro Preto for Easter and then arranging the 24-hour ônibus trip to Rio Grande do Sul...
Paddy xx

A day of wildlife

Hello everybody!


These past two days I have been glued to the laptop planning the next two weeks here in Minas Gerais, keeping on top of initiatives from SP and Rio, worrying about spreading myself too thin, but enjoying the fresh air and tranquillity of the countryside after the relentlessness of São Paulo. 


 This evening I had my first contact with Carmen the language teacher from Nova Lima, visited her school, chatted with students and then went to the CEMPRE school she also runs which is night-classes for ordinary folk who want to learn English.  I really enjoyed interacting with the various students, introducing them to my activities and enjoying their happy and engaged responses! Carmen would like me to run a training session with her (18) teachers in a few weeks' time. I am also planning a trip to the beautiful 17th century town of Ouro Preto to run some sessions and spend Easter.  Meanwhile...

 during the day there was a display of local fauna at Gobira and Tyr's house.  First off the appearance of the Louva Deus or Stick Insect .  Immediately after, a cheeky Lagarta (caterpillar) put in an appearance and after lunch a troop of Macaquinhos (little monkeys) dropped by for some bananas.  


Tomorrow I am going to Belo Horizonte with Gobira where I will finally meet Gil Amancio who I started corresponding with last year about the START programme.  Maybe this time we can get a collaboration really off the ground...


Until next time in the blogosphere


Paddy