Saturday, February 28, 2009
Parading with Tamo Junto
Well, Sunday finally got here...I'm going to parade with the best bloco in the west (Zona Oeste of Rio de Janeiro), Tamo Junto in Folia. 'we're together in revelling' ...bad grammar, but you get the idea! There is at least one other bloco named tamo junto, and maybe one that is tamo junto EM folia, so I'm sure that's why they say IN folia. Anyway, I was told that we would parade at 3, so being the gringa that I am, I didn't want to miss anything, I was there at 2:30, waiting....and waiting.....finally about 4pm, we played for O Globo, and listened to the activist politician who is underwriting the group and the whole pre-carnaval party speak for a while. Then we took a looooong break until about 6, and played for half an hour in place then paraded for about an hour and a half....it was pretty great, I'd been one of the people following along two years ago, now I was part of the bateria! Because this went so late, I missed seeing Beija Flor's last technical rehearsal at sapucai, and at the time it bummed me a little. Now that I look back on it, this was a real experience, an active thing I did; not just observing and trying to pick up some way another baterias' caixas or surdos play...I played WITH the tamborins, surdos and caixas....
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Three Pauline moments
Being out of tune with the universe:
I'd been kind of wondering when I'd do my Rio embarrassing fall down in front of a lot of people that I do. Don't think about stuff you don't want to happen...it'll happen! I was rushing down my street one night to a rehearsal, thinking about how I'm going to make an escape from the sweet and really friendly ladies that are always sitting on the sidewalk in front of their house...I had been in Botafogo with Sue & John for the past week. I usually stop and talk everyday with them.
I knew they'd want to chat for a while but I was in a hurry. I was deep in thought about that and tripped over a speed bump. They call them Quebra-Molas (suspension breakers), but I call them Quebra-Paulinees now. So, this speed bump not only has a bunch of yellow lines on it, but it has a spotlight on it from the street lamp...it was very visible. It's in full view of not only those ladies, but all the neighbors to every side, who were also out on their sidewalks. Now, remember, I'd been wondering in Rio when I was going to fall, but had also been thinking while in portland about how the next time I fall, I'm going to see if I can roll and minimize injury. Well, it pretty much works! I tripped and rolled and jumped up at the end like a gymnast. I heard a smattering of surprised laughter and amazement at first, but they changed it really fast into, 'are you ok?' I was super embarrassed, and said airily, after I laughed a little, 'oh yes, it's nothing, how are you guys?' I really did think I was ok. I got about a block away and saw some blood running down my leg. I scraped my knee and have a big old scab now, but other than that, the rolling really did work!
Being in tune with the universe:
My friend Brenda Bratton (and old friend of many of you dear readers!) had emailed me telling me that she'll be arriving in Rio on friday the 6th of Feb.
Now I'm going to repeat the Lions email I sent:
HI I just wanted to relate a cool little thing that happened on sunday. I'd gone to a party for Xuxa yesterday, sunday. I then went with Jacare and Marko of marko mallets to a bloco rehearsal that they were going to play in. I didn't stay there because I wanted to go to sapucai just because I can never get enough. It had also rained really hard on us at the bloco, but I had a feeling it would stop, and it did. I went over to sapucai, stood near the first recuo (where the bateria stays and plays while a predermined part of the school goes through.) to listen to Unidos da Tijuca, a really good bateria. Tijuca left the first box and was still playing, on it's way to the 2nd recuo. I was tired from the heat, rain and the end of my cold and thought that I'd just go home....it was just a random time, not the beginning or end of anything; I was just in a mood. I get to the metro, and am sitting there kind of without energy, when I look up and see Brenda (yes, our Brenda) throwing something in the garbage. She'd emailed me telling me a while back telling me that she'd arrive friday and asked for my cell number, which I sent. I sent my OLD cell number though. I didn't know at the time that I'd have a new one by the time she arrived. I sat there for a while trying to think of something witty to say, couldn't, so I just walked up to her and said "you didn't call me!" The look on her face! It was great! She kept saying that she knew I was there in that huge crowd of people somewhere and she expected to see me.
Jay replied to the email with, "That is fantastic. What a great story. You in the flow. That's why, in my opinion, it happened like that."
I agree.
first you're King of the world, then you just want to get home
I'd arranged my day so that I could make it to the last rehearsal for Tamo Junto, the very cool bloco I'm playing in tomorrow. It's always supposed to start at 6, but I knew no one would start until 8-ish, so I timed it to arrive around 7pm. I set off with my Tamo Junto shirt and chocalho. I was getting an unbelievable reception on my way to the rehearsal! It was like I was Obama or something (they LOOOOVe him here). People who'd kind of noticed me before or maybe never saw me before were waving, saying the equivalent of you go, girl!, asking questions, or just smiling and giving me the thumbs up. I guess the community really loves their bloco! It has been written up and O Globo is going to be at our bloco parade tomorrow for their article on blocos in Rio, so no wonder they're proud. I was feeling great mostly because I like to smile and have smiles returned and it also felt great to be so accepted by so many of the people who lived there. Still smiling, I got within site of the rehearsal hall, and was struck with uncertainty...where are all the cars and people? Is this saturday? I distinctly remember not one, but two people saying goodbye to me last week and saying, so I'll see you next saturday? They were kind of drunk, now that I think about it. Well, I walk around the place and hear someone cleaning. I asked him what was up and he said, no, last week was the last rehearsal! I'm sure someone probably said it at last week's rehearsal, but I wasn't paying attention. I was probably drinking beer, dancing to blackee music and showing American moves to the brazilians. All I could think was, I don't want to do a walk of shame back through all the well wishers....what was I going to say, I'm so clued in that I didn't know we weren't going to rehearse today?
I ended up going to a supermarket near the rehearsal hall, doing some grocery shopping and ignoring the looks I got for having a chocalho in my cart. I took another route home and tried to be invisible so no one would ask me anything. It worked.
I'd been kind of wondering when I'd do my Rio embarrassing fall down in front of a lot of people that I do. Don't think about stuff you don't want to happen...it'll happen! I was rushing down my street one night to a rehearsal, thinking about how I'm going to make an escape from the sweet and really friendly ladies that are always sitting on the sidewalk in front of their house...I had been in Botafogo with Sue & John for the past week. I usually stop and talk everyday with them.
I knew they'd want to chat for a while but I was in a hurry. I was deep in thought about that and tripped over a speed bump. They call them Quebra-Molas (suspension breakers), but I call them Quebra-Paulinees now. So, this speed bump not only has a bunch of yellow lines on it, but it has a spotlight on it from the street lamp...it was very visible. It's in full view of not only those ladies, but all the neighbors to every side, who were also out on their sidewalks. Now, remember, I'd been wondering in Rio when I was going to fall, but had also been thinking while in portland about how the next time I fall, I'm going to see if I can roll and minimize injury. Well, it pretty much works! I tripped and rolled and jumped up at the end like a gymnast. I heard a smattering of surprised laughter and amazement at first, but they changed it really fast into, 'are you ok?' I was super embarrassed, and said airily, after I laughed a little, 'oh yes, it's nothing, how are you guys?' I really did think I was ok. I got about a block away and saw some blood running down my leg. I scraped my knee and have a big old scab now, but other than that, the rolling really did work!
Being in tune with the universe:
My friend Brenda Bratton (and old friend of many of you dear readers!) had emailed me telling me that she'll be arriving in Rio on friday the 6th of Feb.
Now I'm going to repeat the Lions email I sent:
HI I just wanted to relate a cool little thing that happened on sunday. I'd gone to a party for Xuxa yesterday, sunday. I then went with Jacare and Marko of marko mallets to a bloco rehearsal that they were going to play in. I didn't stay there because I wanted to go to sapucai just because I can never get enough. It had also rained really hard on us at the bloco, but I had a feeling it would stop, and it did. I went over to sapucai, stood near the first recuo (where the bateria stays and plays while a predermined part of the school goes through.) to listen to Unidos da Tijuca, a really good bateria. Tijuca left the first box and was still playing, on it's way to the 2nd recuo. I was tired from the heat, rain and the end of my cold and thought that I'd just go home....it was just a random time, not the beginning or end of anything; I was just in a mood. I get to the metro, and am sitting there kind of without energy, when I look up and see Brenda (yes, our Brenda) throwing something in the garbage. She'd emailed me telling me a while back telling me that she'd arrive friday and asked for my cell number, which I sent. I sent my OLD cell number though. I didn't know at the time that I'd have a new one by the time she arrived. I sat there for a while trying to think of something witty to say, couldn't, so I just walked up to her and said "you didn't call me!" The look on her face! It was great! She kept saying that she knew I was there in that huge crowd of people somewhere and she expected to see me.
Jay replied to the email with, "That is fantastic. What a great story. You in the flow. That's why, in my opinion, it happened like that."
I agree.
first you're King of the world, then you just want to get home
I'd arranged my day so that I could make it to the last rehearsal for Tamo Junto, the very cool bloco I'm playing in tomorrow. It's always supposed to start at 6, but I knew no one would start until 8-ish, so I timed it to arrive around 7pm. I set off with my Tamo Junto shirt and chocalho. I was getting an unbelievable reception on my way to the rehearsal! It was like I was Obama or something (they LOOOOVe him here). People who'd kind of noticed me before or maybe never saw me before were waving, saying the equivalent of you go, girl!, asking questions, or just smiling and giving me the thumbs up. I guess the community really loves their bloco! It has been written up and O Globo is going to be at our bloco parade tomorrow for their article on blocos in Rio, so no wonder they're proud. I was feeling great mostly because I like to smile and have smiles returned and it also felt great to be so accepted by so many of the people who lived there. Still smiling, I got within site of the rehearsal hall, and was struck with uncertainty...where are all the cars and people? Is this saturday? I distinctly remember not one, but two people saying goodbye to me last week and saying, so I'll see you next saturday? They were kind of drunk, now that I think about it. Well, I walk around the place and hear someone cleaning. I asked him what was up and he said, no, last week was the last rehearsal! I'm sure someone probably said it at last week's rehearsal, but I wasn't paying attention. I was probably drinking beer, dancing to blackee music and showing American moves to the brazilians. All I could think was, I don't want to do a walk of shame back through all the well wishers....what was I going to say, I'm so clued in that I didn't know we weren't going to rehearse today?
I ended up going to a supermarket near the rehearsal hall, doing some grocery shopping and ignoring the looks I got for having a chocalho in my cart. I took another route home and tried to be invisible so no one would ask me anything. It worked.
NOOOOOO! The city of Rio shutting down Saara?!?
Kind of a sensational headline, but that's how I first heard about it. You may be asking yourself (if you didn't read my previous entries or have never been to Rio), who cares? what is Saara?
Well, first of all, it is, at various times: my favorite time waster, the place to hate with a passion, the place to love for the good deals I find, the place to hate for the jittery unsettled hot humid over stimulated way I sometimes feel there, the place that, if I'm already in a bad mood, can make me almost psycho, the place to love for the old rotted buildings, the place I can laugh out loud by myself at the commercial that BLASTS over sound systems in the street; the one where they have a woman purposely (I hope!) sing extremely off-key, I assume to get people's attention...it works! Oh, did I mention that it's LOUD and CROWDED?
Well, I was told that the next time I come to Rio, it won't be there....what!!! I ran to get a newspaper to see for myself. It turns out that the city is planning on starting work on extending the Metrô line One to Barra da Tijuca, (rich people land). It's going to cost R$2.8 billion, and the city of Rio says that the land that Saara (also known as Uruguaiana or the Camelódromo) is on and other parcels are worth R$700 million to R$1billion. Now, they SAY that the legitimate businesses will be relocated somewhere nearby, on Presidente Vargas...hmmmm....we'll see.
The association SAARA (Sociedade de Amigos das Adjacências da Rua da Alfândega)...hehe...I just realized after all this time that it wasn't named after the land of Bedouins and their propensity for trading! had a meeting wednesday and are, of course, worried. They say that the area supports 10 thousand people, directly and indirectly involved. They're worried about unemployment. If the project is approved, they'll fight it in court, one of the founders said. He said they have their whole lives there.
Like I said, we'll see.
Well, first of all, it is, at various times: my favorite time waster, the place to hate with a passion, the place to love for the good deals I find, the place to hate for the jittery unsettled hot humid over stimulated way I sometimes feel there, the place that, if I'm already in a bad mood, can make me almost psycho, the place to love for the old rotted buildings, the place I can laugh out loud by myself at the commercial that BLASTS over sound systems in the street; the one where they have a woman purposely (I hope!) sing extremely off-key, I assume to get people's attention...it works! Oh, did I mention that it's LOUD and CROWDED?
Well, I was told that the next time I come to Rio, it won't be there....what!!! I ran to get a newspaper to see for myself. It turns out that the city is planning on starting work on extending the Metrô line One to Barra da Tijuca, (rich people land). It's going to cost R$2.8 billion, and the city of Rio says that the land that Saara (also known as Uruguaiana or the Camelódromo) is on and other parcels are worth R$700 million to R$1billion. Now, they SAY that the legitimate businesses will be relocated somewhere nearby, on Presidente Vargas...hmmmm....we'll see.
The association SAARA (Sociedade de Amigos das Adjacências da Rua da Alfândega)...hehe...I just realized after all this time that it wasn't named after the land of Bedouins and their propensity for trading! had a meeting wednesday and are, of course, worried. They say that the area supports 10 thousand people, directly and indirectly involved. They're worried about unemployment. If the project is approved, they'll fight it in court, one of the founders said. He said they have their whole lives there.
Like I said, we'll see.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Saturday
I just returned from the blastiest blast of a night. I'd spent the afternoon inside, partly due to the heat and the fact that I'd like to completely get over this cold, plus, there were gun shots for about an hour in a favela near here around 4pm. I was supposed to go to a rehearsal 
next to the favela, but wanted to wait a while to see what was up. It turns out that the police entered the favela looking for bandidos or traficantes (drug dealers) in a caveirão looking for and shooting at traficantes. A caveirão is an armored vehicle adapted for use in the military or police force. The word refers to a skull, which is the emblem on the side of the vehicle used by BOPE (Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais), familiar to anyone who has seen the brazilian film Trope de Elite). I heard from a friend of Renato's who lives in Vila Vintem that the military police like to go in there and terrorize people in their caveirãoes and it sucks. I can understand. Who would like to live in a place where the police go in every now and then to root out the bad guys, but maybe and unfortunately innocent people are killed because of balas perdidas (stray bullets) It happens too often, I hate to say. 
On the other hand, you can't just say 'bad police' because in a way, these traficantes are terrorizing their own neighborhoods. They become rich and powerful, but at the same time attract the police with their caveirãoes and guns. The regular people who live there just want to have a peaceful life and a safe place to live. They see the trafficantes minding their own business, for the most part, and they see police as instigators of gunfire violence. Trafficantes who invade other favelas start plenty of gunfire as well, but police here are often brutal; they have a bad reputation. I've seen it myself.
A lot of people at the rehearsal, who are largely residents of V.Vintem, were in strange moods tonight at first, but beer, dancing and playing music have a way of relaxing a person! I got there early and heard an all women pagode group with a guy in black (to be kind of unobtrusive I guess!) playing a guitar in the very back on the edge of the stage. They had a banjo, cavaquinho, tantan, pandeiro, surdo, and reco-reco. They all sang and that was the part that needs some work. It wasn't bad, but there wasn't a stand out strong voice. Their voices all had a similar girl sound, and no one sang high or low, or raspy.... I talked to them afterwards, they were excited that there is a group of all women in the US. I sat with the ritmistas of the bateria and we all had beer and danced to cds of american music...they love it and wanted me to dance like we do in the US. I didn't have to be asked twice! In the bateria, I played hard and held my own. Those chocalho players I played with are so good...I'm happy. Taking life as it comes and enjoying what is right in front of you is part of what I learn here.
next to the favela, but wanted to wait a while to see what was up. It turns out that the police entered the favela looking for bandidos or traficantes (drug dealers) in a caveirão looking for and shooting at traficantes. A caveirão is an armored vehicle adapted for use in the military or police force. The word refers to a skull, which is the emblem on the side of the vehicle used by BOPE (Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais), familiar to anyone who has seen the brazilian film Trope de Elite). I heard from a friend of Renato's who lives in Vila Vintem that the military police like to go in there and terrorize people in their caveirãoes and it sucks. I can understand. Who would like to live in a place where the police go in every now and then to root out the bad guys, but maybe and unfortunately innocent people are killed because of balas perdidas (stray bullets) It happens too often, I hate to say. 
On the other hand, you can't just say 'bad police' because in a way, these traficantes are terrorizing their own neighborhoods. They become rich and powerful, but at the same time attract the police with their caveirãoes and guns. The regular people who live there just want to have a peaceful life and a safe place to live. They see the trafficantes minding their own business, for the most part, and they see police as instigators of gunfire violence. Trafficantes who invade other favelas start plenty of gunfire as well, but police here are often brutal; they have a bad reputation. I've seen it myself.
A lot of people at the rehearsal, who are largely residents of V.Vintem, were in strange moods tonight at first, but beer, dancing and playing music have a way of relaxing a person! I got there early and heard an all women pagode group with a guy in black (to be kind of unobtrusive I guess!) playing a guitar in the very back on the edge of the stage. They had a banjo, cavaquinho, tantan, pandeiro, surdo, and reco-reco. They all sang and that was the part that needs some work. It wasn't bad, but there wasn't a stand out strong voice. Their voices all had a similar girl sound, and no one sang high or low, or raspy.... I talked to them afterwards, they were excited that there is a group of all women in the US. I sat with the ritmistas of the bateria and we all had beer and danced to cds of american music...they love it and wanted me to dance like we do in the US. I didn't have to be asked twice! In the bateria, I played hard and held my own. Those chocalho players I played with are so good...I'm happy. Taking life as it comes and enjoying what is right in front of you is part of what I learn here.
Don't try to fool John!
I forgot to mention a very important discovery John Jenness made while he was here. We'd gone to hear Amaro's band, then they (sue and john) joined me at Moyseis' show, when John realized that both bands used a dubbed tantan background track! OMIGOD! We couldn't believe it! These groups are soooo good, yet they 'cheat'! I had a feeling that it's common, and Bruno and Michelle both confirmed it in a very unconcerned nonchalant way, "oh, yeah, everyone does that around here"...whaaaa? John said that he first noticed at Amaro's gig that the tantan player's hands weren't playing what John heard. Then he went to Moyseis show....there was a tantan sound with no tantan player!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
I finally did my 3rd Tourist thing and liked it
Sue and John had to catch their plane monday night, so in the afternoon, once they were basically done packing, they decided that they had time to go to Santa Teresa on the Bonde (tram). I'd been avoiding it because I went once (walking) and while I thought the buildings old and beautiful, it seemed a little too aware of it's quaint-ness. Sue REALLY seemed to want to go, so seeing that I was feeling too sick to care about whatever I might be doing, I thought, 'why not go and make the best of it'. We went to wait for the bonde, which turned out to be interesting. First, there was the guy who I started talking to in the line for the bonde. He'd been waiting in line for 10 minutes before we got there. He was a character. He was a young Israeli guy who just finished college and was treating himself to South America. He said Israel is so small that there is no where to travel to in his own country, so they wait until they finish either university or army, and go abroad. He'd already done the 'favela' tour which horrifies me, but whatever, and the Christo (Christ Redeemer, one of the new 7 wonders of the world). At the Christo, he mentioned that he didn't stick his arms out to the side like the statue like everyone does for photos because he's Jewish. I thought that amusing because when we went there yesterday, I'd wondered about that same thing. He was interesting in a weird way. He told us that everything is ALWAYS on time in Israel and that they would protest quite vocally the delays and the lack of concern by the perpetrators here in Rio. He couldn't believe that cariocas just put up with it.
We stood there in line for a while and I told him that cariocas don't mind waiting that much sometimes because they have a good time talking to people. He didn't get that we were having a good time talking. He must have had a good time because I kept laughing at stuff he kept saying, and people always like that.
Ok, finally our turn to board the bonde. The bonde gang waited a little while to get going because they wanted to fill every inch of the bonde and also the conductor had to walk around or something first (the Israeli guy mentioned the first tram delay was because the conductor was exhibiting the same behavior.) Once we got going, I was very sorry that I wasn't hanging on the sides. I almost asked the girl next to me who was doing it if she wanted to sit and I'd hang. It seemed super thrilling...you go on overpasses that are have a little wire fencing between you and the street below. You squish by walls that are inches from your bunda. That's what had concerned me before, but if a brazilian bunda can get through, my little disappearing bunda (it sucks, I'm losing weight again) can for sure. I'm going to do it before I leave.
Sue wanted to get off to walk around. There are some beautiful and amazing homes up there. It was good, I'm glad I went.
Good, now I'm done with the tourist sites. Glad I can now say yes, I have seen blank and blank and blank. (I do have to admit that I was a little bit choked up when I first saw the Christo statue when we were approaching from the back.) Jardim Botanico: it is somewhere I will say, yes I've been, but I'll go again! (we didn't see any monkeys when we went. apparently, there was a monkey virus that went around 3 weeks prior and killed 'em all.) I like monkeys.
We stood there in line for a while and I told him that cariocas don't mind waiting that much sometimes because they have a good time talking to people. He didn't get that we were having a good time talking. He must have had a good time because I kept laughing at stuff he kept saying, and people always like that.
Ok, finally our turn to board the bonde. The bonde gang waited a little while to get going because they wanted to fill every inch of the bonde and also the conductor had to walk around or something first (the Israeli guy mentioned the first tram delay was because the conductor was exhibiting the same behavior.) Once we got going, I was very sorry that I wasn't hanging on the sides. I almost asked the girl next to me who was doing it if she wanted to sit and I'd hang. It seemed super thrilling...you go on overpasses that are have a little wire fencing between you and the street below. You squish by walls that are inches from your bunda. That's what had concerned me before, but if a brazilian bunda can get through, my little disappearing bunda (it sucks, I'm losing weight again) can for sure. I'm going to do it before I leave.
Sue wanted to get off to walk around. There are some beautiful and amazing homes up there. It was good, I'm glad I went.
Good, now I'm done with the tourist sites. Glad I can now say yes, I have seen blank and blank and blank. (I do have to admit that I was a little bit choked up when I first saw the Christo statue when we were approaching from the back.) Jardim Botanico: it is somewhere I will say, yes I've been, but I'll go again! (we didn't see any monkeys when we went. apparently, there was a monkey virus that went around 3 weeks prior and killed 'em all.) I like monkeys.
Monday, February 2, 2009
In between last week's sapucai and yesterday's sapucai
I have had some week while Sue and John are here. I have a horrendous sinus and chest cold to prove it! Let's see if I can remember some highlights.
Monday night we went to Arlindo Cruz show at Teatro Rival with Amaro and many friends of Xuxa...amazing! After that, Sue, John and I went to Lapa with Amaro and saw some great chorinho. We couldn't keep up with him and left before he played pandeiro with them.
Tuesday...Bruno and Michelle took us to possibly one of the best bars in the world, Salvação in Botafogo, where they live. Their food is exquisite, the beer icy cold and to top it off, a pagode friend, Taylor, from portland walks in and stands at the end of our table....if I hadn't been sitting, I would've fallen over! She's going to be staying in brazil until july....lucky girl!
Wednesday, we went first to hear Amaro play percussion for a great band in Lapa. The singer was really good. Sue and John stayed to hear two sets of Amaro, but I high tailed it next door to Moyseis Marques show, a great performer with great voice and great band. Stayed out reeeaaaally late. I met Moyseis at brazil camp last august. I danced samba all night, but think I got the cold from the air conditioning between sets. Moyseis told me that he'd gotten a cold because of that. It was so good to see him. I'm going to take Jorge to Moyseis' show on some wednesday before we both return to the US.
Thursday, we were supposed to go to Santa Tereza with Amaro, but Bruno wanted to go to Grande Rio to get a rehearsal in before their technical rehearsal on sunday....there was no way I was going to miss that! We went, got to see the bateria from above, (which turned out to be the only place to hear anything!) They've built a grand huge quadra that is just tooo big. The sound is awful in there. I didn't take my camera because I didn't want any added weight hanging off my shoulder in my purse...I forgot that grande rio has some of the best dancers...not passistas, just regular people....usually little girls and travestis (transvestites). Oh well, no video again. I guess it's just as well, I learn a little more each time by just observing the feel and time.
Friday
Amaro and his mother, a journalist photographer, took us to Jardim Botanico. I'd never been there before. I don't usually like tourist spots....big dummy me! His mother knows the gardens inside and out and got us in free. I kept forgetting I was in the middle of Rio!
Friday night
We sat on Bruno's couch and Sue, John and Bruno had lots of beer while we showed bruno 2 dvds that John found of musical and comedy moments from Saturday Night Live from various decades...Bruno loved it!
Saturday
Got up EARLY to catch the metrô to Centro, then from there, we caught an Expresso to Padre Miguel. We needed to get to the instrument factory by 11am, and we did it. We spent some time there, and then went to Frango Chic, probably one of the best places to eat in Zona Oeste. They give you huge amounts of REALLY good rotisserie chicken, vinagrette (olive oil, onion, white wine vinegar, or whatever kind you want, tomato, cilantro), the BEST french fries, and a 'torre da cerveja' (beer tower) they bring you this glass (or plastic) tube with another metal tube inside that has ice in it to keep the beer cold. (the ice doesn't get into the beer). It looks like there are 40 glasses of beer in this thing, but it holds only 8 or so.
Sue and John got a taste of Padre Miguel in over 100 degree weather. They probably want to stay far away from now on!
Sue and John also got caught in a tropical thunder and lightning storm on Thursday just after they'd bought an alfaia and rebolo...I have to admit that it was kind of funny running behind John as he ran with his alfaia on his head. Part of it was that I'd never seen him run before. Thank goodness they'd both bought cases. It was weird that once we got onto the Metro, we were the only ones soaking wet. Even the other passengers legs were dry.
Saturday night we were on our own. We were exhausted from the heat and long bus ride, but I heard from Moyseis that there was going to be carnaval in Lapa for free that night. I'd also read about it, so we went. Rio Maracatu was great, we wanted to get close, so we braved the crush. It became way more fun for me when the rain came and cooled us off, and when they launched into songs I actually know. It is a thousand times more fun then! At the end as we were waiting for the final band to start, Moyseis saw me out of thousands of people. I got to meet his pretty wife. We left after a while, I saw some cops being disrespectful to a father and son, but as Bruno said, they probably did something wrong and there is no room in the jails.....so the cops had to make them think twice before they do (whatever) again. I still didn't like the attitude of those cops though. Sue and John had their first hotchee doggees XTudo (with everything). They loved 'em, in fact, since they had beer left over, they got a hamburguer XTudo as well!
Forgot Sunday day!
We went to the beach where John got a sunburn on his legs solely from the reflection off the sand, and then went to the place I've been putting off going to...O Cristo Rendentor.....truly amazing!!!!
Monday night we went to Arlindo Cruz show at Teatro Rival with Amaro and many friends of Xuxa...amazing! After that, Sue, John and I went to Lapa with Amaro and saw some great chorinho. We couldn't keep up with him and left before he played pandeiro with them.
Tuesday...Bruno and Michelle took us to possibly one of the best bars in the world, Salvação in Botafogo, where they live. Their food is exquisite, the beer icy cold and to top it off, a pagode friend, Taylor, from portland walks in and stands at the end of our table....if I hadn't been sitting, I would've fallen over! She's going to be staying in brazil until july....lucky girl!
Wednesday, we went first to hear Amaro play percussion for a great band in Lapa. The singer was really good. Sue and John stayed to hear two sets of Amaro, but I high tailed it next door to Moyseis Marques show, a great performer with great voice and great band. Stayed out reeeaaaally late. I met Moyseis at brazil camp last august. I danced samba all night, but think I got the cold from the air conditioning between sets. Moyseis told me that he'd gotten a cold because of that. It was so good to see him. I'm going to take Jorge to Moyseis' show on some wednesday before we both return to the US.
Thursday, we were supposed to go to Santa Tereza with Amaro, but Bruno wanted to go to Grande Rio to get a rehearsal in before their technical rehearsal on sunday....there was no way I was going to miss that! We went, got to see the bateria from above, (which turned out to be the only place to hear anything!) They've built a grand huge quadra that is just tooo big. The sound is awful in there. I didn't take my camera because I didn't want any added weight hanging off my shoulder in my purse...I forgot that grande rio has some of the best dancers...not passistas, just regular people....usually little girls and travestis (transvestites). Oh well, no video again. I guess it's just as well, I learn a little more each time by just observing the feel and time.
Friday
Amaro and his mother, a journalist photographer, took us to Jardim Botanico. I'd never been there before. I don't usually like tourist spots....big dummy me! His mother knows the gardens inside and out and got us in free. I kept forgetting I was in the middle of Rio!
Friday night
We sat on Bruno's couch and Sue, John and Bruno had lots of beer while we showed bruno 2 dvds that John found of musical and comedy moments from Saturday Night Live from various decades...Bruno loved it!
Saturday
Got up EARLY to catch the metrô to Centro, then from there, we caught an Expresso to Padre Miguel. We needed to get to the instrument factory by 11am, and we did it. We spent some time there, and then went to Frango Chic, probably one of the best places to eat in Zona Oeste. They give you huge amounts of REALLY good rotisserie chicken, vinagrette (olive oil, onion, white wine vinegar, or whatever kind you want, tomato, cilantro), the BEST french fries, and a 'torre da cerveja' (beer tower) they bring you this glass (or plastic) tube with another metal tube inside that has ice in it to keep the beer cold. (the ice doesn't get into the beer). It looks like there are 40 glasses of beer in this thing, but it holds only 8 or so.
Sue and John got a taste of Padre Miguel in over 100 degree weather. They probably want to stay far away from now on!
Sue and John also got caught in a tropical thunder and lightning storm on Thursday just after they'd bought an alfaia and rebolo...I have to admit that it was kind of funny running behind John as he ran with his alfaia on his head. Part of it was that I'd never seen him run before. Thank goodness they'd both bought cases. It was weird that once we got onto the Metro, we were the only ones soaking wet. Even the other passengers legs were dry.
Saturday night we were on our own. We were exhausted from the heat and long bus ride, but I heard from Moyseis that there was going to be carnaval in Lapa for free that night. I'd also read about it, so we went. Rio Maracatu was great, we wanted to get close, so we braved the crush. It became way more fun for me when the rain came and cooled us off, and when they launched into songs I actually know. It is a thousand times more fun then! At the end as we were waiting for the final band to start, Moyseis saw me out of thousands of people. I got to meet his pretty wife. We left after a while, I saw some cops being disrespectful to a father and son, but as Bruno said, they probably did something wrong and there is no room in the jails.....so the cops had to make them think twice before they do (whatever) again. I still didn't like the attitude of those cops though. Sue and John had their first hotchee doggees XTudo (with everything). They loved 'em, in fact, since they had beer left over, they got a hamburguer XTudo as well!
Forgot Sunday day!
We went to the beach where John got a sunburn on his legs solely from the reflection off the sand, and then went to the place I've been putting off going to...O Cristo Rendentor.....truly amazing!!!!
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