Joe’s Week 1: Olá, Brasil
Note: I’ve been here for closer to two weeks now, so it feels like I’m delving into my distant Brazil past for some of this stuff! However, I plan to post my week two highlights on Tue/Wed, my actual two-week mark, and then everything will be back in order on the space-time continuum.
Oi (Hi) everyone! Welcome to another blog. First off, a huge thanks! You didn’t let me down on the commenting front, and I’m genuinely quite touched by all the support. I’ve attempted to answer some of your, erm, ’queries’ at the end of this post. Without further ado though, and spurred on by that wave of British/Brazilian encourgement, I shall write about Week 1.
Here’s some notable events/highlights:
- A smooth and comfortable plane journey into Brazil (Tuesday 10/02/09). It was eleven hours, which was ahead of schedule and slightly shorter than I’d thought, but this was long enough. Obviously, the best part was watching High School Musical 3 on the in-flight entertainment (it was just on, OK?). The meals were nice too, but there’s nothing like a generous double helping of Troy and Gabriella to leave you feeling warm and fuzzy when you’re on your way to a strange new continent.
- My first proper day with the kids (Thursday 12th). After a sunny, hot Wednesday, we had some torrential sub-tropical rain on the Thursday, which was actually quite refreshing, in the literal sense. I spent the afternoon at the project, looking around, chatting to Beth about the work, and talking to the kids. They were all stuck inside because of the rain (and the apparently ‘freezing’ weather; still hot by my standards), but luckily there was some alternative indoor entertainment…me. Mostly with Beth acting as translator, I stood infront of all the kids and answered various personal questions about my life, ranging from ‘can you fly a kite?’, to ‘do you have a girlfriend?’, to ’can you please list all the countries you’ve ever been to?’. After the exclusive ‘audience with a volunteer’, we had a bit of a dancing display, with some of the kids showcasing their cconsiderable aptitude for rhythm and movement. Then came the biggest question of all: ‘could I show them a dance from England?!’. My reply was obvious: ‘I’ll go and get my Frisbee…’ Hence, I then gave the first frisbee freestyle demo of the trip, which, of course, went down a storm (rather like the one outside). I think the kids naturally understand and appreciate freestyle quite well and, happily, there have been many requests for spontaneous coaching sessions from this point on. Comment Competition: I’m looking for the best suggestion for an alternative answer when requested to show a dance from England. “You should have said…….”
-Learning some Portuguese! With a combination of help from my excellent Lonely Planet phrasebook, tips and lessons from Beth, and generally trying to absorb as many phrases as possible in conversation (particularly with the kids at the project), my Portuguese now, at least, is not non-existant (that’d be existant, then…). Though it’s still broken, basic phrases, I’m enjoying it - and am even starting to get a feel for the ‘Carioca’ (Rio) accent on my d’s, t’s and s’s.
-The trip to the Museum. On Friday 13th, we went with the children on a Project coach trip, to a ‘Popular Art’ museum. It was a stop-start coach journey with a driver complaining about the tricky route, the kids were riotus fun (think ‘Our Day Out’ in Portuguese), and the museum, once we finally got there, was very interesting. It was full of small, modelled figures displaying features and cycles of life and tradition in Brasil, and we were taken around by an all singing, all acting, guitar playing guide duo. Beth has written a PAGE on the blog about it.
-Meeting Bia and Gabriel, two of Beth’s kids. Well, when I say kids, they’re 21 and 22 respectively, but they’re great fun to be around, and it’s welcome to have two young people with whom I can speak English (their level’s impressive). Gabriel sure knows his sport, whilst Bia’s the literature (and, she tells me, Disney) expert. And I will definitely take you up on that offer with the Portuguese help, obrigado!
-Watching a Carnival parade Rehearsal. I went to this on the night of Sunday 15th, with Monica and Wellington; two of the young Brazilian ’staff’ members (they are ‘monitors’, helping the kids generally) at the Project. It was a full, stadium-set, school of samba parade - just without the costumes, as the actual carnival was not until a week later (the week I’m writing this!). The scale and scope was still spectacular, but more on Carnival (I should be saying Carnaval, really) in my next entry.
Looking forward to writing about that, as well as my teaching, in week 2.
Some photos! (click the link to view or right click and ’save as’ to download):
1. View from my (sitting room) window.
2. The (lack of) view from the window in the rain.
3. Relaxing in the sitting room.
6. The elevator/bridge for Project-Centre transport.
7. Plenty of slums, few millionaires.
8. Sunset from the centre (3) - From the elavator bridge.
9. Some of the kids at The Museum
10. Museum Puppet Theatre (see Beth’s PAGE for more Museum photos!)
Ok, very quickly…commenters…
I am looking after my ears (responding to popular pressure), but they are always clean anyway, and I have not one but two small bottles of hand wash gel that never leave my sight for long. Anyone going to take Beth on and research Brazilian phoneboxes!? Frisbee is a brand name so doesn’t need to be translated, although they do say ‘Disco’ alternatively. No parrots here nicer than a certain panto star, hope you’re enjoying John’s panto DVDs. Speaking of JC, missing your input on the blogs here, but loving the comments. Thanks everyone for the info about what’s going on at home - keep it up! And to general relief…the confusing ‘Please Add’ feature on comments is now gone! And, I am eating…more on this later…
Tchau!
Joe
x
February 22nd, 2009 at 11:08 pm
Boa Dia/Tarde/Noite (depending on what time of day you are reading this),
Comment Competition entry: You should have said “Now children, don’t be afraid… but I’m about show you the Chris Coxhead hover groove”
Great to hear about the ins and outs of week 1… Sounds absolutely incredible! And who could have hoped for a better start to a trip than a spending several hours with everyone’s favourite East High gang? I’m sure the likes of Jake and Jen will heartily agree with me on that matter, taking into account their excitement when the J’s (of the John & Joe variety) encountered cardboard cut-outs of the aforementioned stars in LA last summer.
Every aspect of the week sounds fab… the idea of ‘Our Day Out’ in Portuguese is creating hilarious scenes in my head! Glad to hear of the ever improving language skills and all the amazing people you’re meeting. Great to see the photos too; views are stunning (except during a torrential downpour)!
Now then, Brazilian phone boxes… as Beth has kindly informed us they are called orelhões (literally “big ears”). They were named so as the phone booths are actually in the shape of a giant ear, with the phone tucked away neatly inside. As a result, the phone booths are largely open which explains why the idea was never exported to the UK as for 90% of the year it would be (far) too cold. Now interestingly the orelhõe was originally designed in 1971 by a certain Chu Ming Silveira, a woman with an unusual mixture of Brazilian and Chinese names (she was of a Brazilian family but born in Shanghai). The first orelhões were inserted in Rio in 1973, meaning that 2009 marks their 26th anniversary in the city. I am keen to keep some research open to other commenters, so my challenge to them is to find out where the largest orelhõe in Brazil is located? And just how big is it (in relation to the size of a standard orelhõe)?
Keep having a wonderful time, and be sure to enjoy all the carnival frivolities!
(It’s comforting to hear you won’t be disrupting the space-time continuum any further following the posting of week 2)
Tchau for now,
John
PS. I would like to offer my deepest thanks to Jake keeping our hunger satisfied for descriptive meal-related information on the blog.
February 23rd, 2009 at 01:04 pm
Hello sir!
Firstly, to get it out of the way, if I was a pedantic wannabe physicist I would have to argue that the space time continuum (for you relative to us) was actually more disturbed (if such a thing is possible) by your 11 hour flight than your mistimed blogs, and I am so I have.*
Secondly, those pictures are fantastic. I bet the kids are amazing to work with and be around - they must be equally impressed with you too! And tell me, what did you say in reply to the girlfriend question? I think they would have seen through ‘Gabriella’…
And John, I couldn’t resist such a challenge. In reply, the most famous orelhão stands in the central square of Itu (100 km from São Paulo) as a tourist attraction, about 10 times the size of the normal one - it does not work, though. One can imagine, perhaps, of a distressed tourist named (for the sake of argument) Joe, crying out “Where’s the nearest payphone? This one ‘ear doesn’t work!”
Hahaha. Ahem.
Looking forward immensely to the next blog,
Jake
P.S. You should have said “Right, who’s ever heard of the Quadruple Speed Macarena?”
* It is sad, upon reflection, to think that I only made that comment because of my inner need to conform. From now on, no physics geekage.
February 23rd, 2009 at 07:08 pm
Hello Joe! (ello cherry) :0)
Wow, well impressed - cant believe you went on your own (saw your mum), you are very brave! Bet its so interesting, Keep up the good work! The photos are fantastic what a view from your sitting room! The panto DVD is great- girls have been watching it - several times!! and now all songs are in my head again aaaahhh - its great fun im missing it! Well take care of yourself and im sure your ears are fine :0)
Maxine x
February 23rd, 2009 at 10:34 pm
Hi Son
So proud of you such an impressive blogger…sorry the ‘clean ears’ comment caused such a stir..I will keep my ‘personal hygiene’ questions for our e-mails from now on! Meanwhile, have you cleaned your…oh no I will resist!!
Can’t believe you have been gone two weeks to-morrow, I miss you so much!
The house is so quiet during the day..well when Bethany’s not home anyway!
I want to enter the competition: you should have said ‘Sure, I can ‘CAN CAN’!
Remember January 2008 when you & Gillian did the Panto CAN CAN - 8 shows to an audience of almost 1,000 adoring ‘Hans’ fans!
Maxine has reminded me how you must be missing me singing ‘Wakey Wakey shake a leg’ every morning, out of tune of course!
Great that John & Jake are so well into their ‘commenting’..I always wondered what Uni students did!!!
Gillian apologises she can’t comment tonight, she is at ‘math class’ and will be devastated to-morrow to discover that the sums have disappeared!
Love you millions Mum
February 23rd, 2009 at 10:57 pm
ola
Great second blog, the pictures were fab! Good to hear HSM is not far from you even on the other side of the world, perhaps its the start of a “wheres the strangest place you’ve watched it” competition! I have resisted buying the DVD to add to your collection so far but i’m not sure how long it will last!
The museum trip sounds incredibly cultured, as does the increasingly portugese accent! My southern accent returned in an instant after a weekend at sion, as you can imagine!
comment competition: you should have said “yes, it involves following a small child (for arguments sake called ‘Ashley’) doing strange walks across a stage…”
I only have one query with Johns phone box research, why are they worried about them being too cold for England? Surely we are used to it and i can’t remember the last time i went into a phone box to ”keep warm”! Just a thought as i would love to see them here!
Tchau até o blogue seguinte!
February 23rd, 2009 at 11:02 pm
P.S. thanks to google images i discoverd there are a plethora of weird and wonderful shaped orelhoes, including this one: (copy and paste the link)
http://img122.imageshack.us/img122/5441/dsc017978go.jpg
i would like to shake firmly by the hand whoever came up with this. I want one for my room mum.
February 23rd, 2009 at 11:04 pm
PPS (im so sorry about this) Broody has met his match!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2203/2083752438_988d7eb53a.jpg
February 24th, 2009 at 12:01 am
Ah. I was well going to say the Quadruple Speed Macarena, I am now going to think of something else. Possible the ‘work it out’ dance routine from HSM2…something that I KNOW you have rehearsed
Your first few days sound really amazing! Art galleries, frisbee sessions, teaching, carnival goings on, language learning?! Ah, after looking at the pics, I so wish I was there. Honestly tho, really does sound brill. And what more could you ask for than a bit of Troy and Gabs to get you through the 11hour journey. Did you notice the back somersaulting mascot in the first scenes?
Anyway, apologies for this really short comment, I am essaying…
Look forward to hearing from you soon.
And as per usual, am tingling with anticipation for Blogo 3!!!
Jen
xxx
February 24th, 2009 at 12:35 am
Joe, my dear. You are in Brazil, in the amazing heat, on an amazing journey of self discovery, and somehow, somehow, you still manage to reference high school sodding musical!
I am rolling my eyes!
I hope that when they asked you if you had a girlfriend you told them about Jake… I think he’d be a little put out otherwise. I don’t want a crying Jake on the phone again.
On a more serious note, you sound like you’re having an awesome time and I’m suitably jealous. See you in a few months!
xxxxxxx
Ps - I got back into Mancs - panic over
February 24th, 2009 at 01:06 am
Just burning a few podcasts as we speak;hopefully you will get them by the weekend.
That’s a great view from your lounge, but why is sugarloaf called sugarloaf? The picture makes a good wallpaper, but bet the real thing is just amazing (when it’s not raining that is).
Sounds like you and John could do a spot of museum guiding in the summer as another ‘all singing, all acting, guitar playing guide duo’.
Answer to competition: ‘I would love to show some traditional english morris dancing but I forgot to pack my bells and sticks’ or ‘let me show you the ‘Danny Boyle Tigger bounce’ which is now all the rage in Manchester’.
Love Dad
February 24th, 2009 at 01:28 am
Firstly, I am soooo annoyed to discover that my quadruple speed macarena idea has already been used!
Sounds like you’re having a fantastic time and having fun with all the kids. The pictures are amazing and that view is soo stunning!
And i’m glad to see your linguistic skills developing.Você está aprendendo o português muito rapidamente!
Haha i love the idea of ‘Our Day Out’ - brings back good memories!
Looking forward to hearing all about carnival in the next blog!
xxx
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l217/henryart/BrazilianHamsterPhone.jpg
This is my favourite by far!
February 25th, 2009 at 10:18 am
Well Joe, it all sounds wonderful and the pictures are amazing, good to see the sunflower card on the table….SUNFLOWER! The day out sounds like fun, I bet the kids were excited - is it the same group of kids each day? I bet the dancing was wonderful and so to the challenge, what you should have said was “I TWO HAVE ……….. SIRENS ARISE!!” Louise and I could soon fly in to Rio using fairy britannia magic and help you out. Glad to hear about the hand gel and Happy Ash Wednesday, I wonder what traditions they have for Lent in Brazil. Pancakes here last night, light and fluffy with my new non-stick frying pan. ( just in the spirit of food descriptions).
Keep on truckin lots love Gillian xx