Today I had a moment...

Today I took one of my last runs along the beach. I popped in my ipod shuffle, turned on the capoeira CD my new friend, Tomate, gave to me, and ran with the ocean at my side. I made it all the way to Barra and stopped to watch the sunset. It was one of those empowering moments where your emotions overtake your body... kind of like playing in a Capoeira Roda for the first time. My favorite capoeira song came on, singing about fishermen and their mermaids in the ocean, in the most beautiful chant I've ever heard and my tears started flowing.

I cried because I was so happy and at the same time because I was so sad. I cried over all that I accomplished this summer, and all that I didn't. I cried because I felt so moved by that exact moment and I didn't know what else to do. It just felt right to cry. Crying, with my headphones on, skin sweating, and the sun setting. I am leaving Bahia, but Bahia is not leaving me.

I have grown this summer. I may not have any new answers to those rhetorical questions in life, but I have a stronger soul and a smarter mind. Bahia reminded me of what is important in life, and I hope that I never forget it. Through this blog, and my own journaling, I will remember every moment I spent in Brasil this summer. For sure, I grew as a person, as a woman, as a capoeirista, and as a lost 26-year old trying to figure her life out... I am happy and I am at peace, and there isn't anything else I could ask for.

Thank you for those who sent such wonderful comments and emails to me this summer. I'm glad I was able to share my blog with so many people. This was fun and now I have great documentation of my trip! I look forward to reconnecting with each of you, and to bringing home some of the paz and axé I found in Salvador this summer.

Salvador... Fique tranquilo porque já estou voltando!!!!

Beijos no seu coração,

Já Fui.

*Fadinha*

Political Propaganda

It is that time of the year in Brasil too!  Politics are hot and propaganda is EVERYWHERE. Literally!  

Let me set the scene for you... Cars and vans like the image I've posted above drive around the city all day with large speakers on their roofs (the red box in the picture above).  Each politician has their own "jingle" set to axé music, making it indistinguishable from the music you hear on the streets during Carnaval.  Seriously, if I didn't actually understand the lyrics, my best guess would be that these colorful speakers-on-wheels were for upcoming "festas" in the city!

You can't escape this political propaganda, it is everywhere.  In the two months that I have been here, I have become so familiar with the jingles, that I too can sing along.  Although I know nothing about their political platforms, I sure do know Renato Braga "a voz que faz a diferença", and Professor Carballal "competência que faz história", two candidates for Vereador of Salvador.... and also have some of the most catchy jingles.  

I guess this is political marketing at its best.  In a country where everyone is required to vote (by law), and has a literacy rate of only 88% for its voting population, this is the best strategy possible.  Songs are easy to remember.  Think of how many songs from the radio you have memorized in that head of yours, and apply it to the illiterate (or literate but without access to, or interest in politics).  Their strategy works.  It is cheesy and unprofessional in many ways, but incredibly effective.  I wonder what Obama's mobile-campaign and jingle would be...

Of course they advertise on the television, and on billboards as well.  It isn't all about driving cars and  blasting political hymns!!!  They also hand out pamphlets (I think I've collected over 50 by now) and paint the sides of buildings, walls, and billboards with their names, and their slogans.  Most of it isn't fancy, but it is obvious.  Isn't that the point, anyway? 

Two weekends ago a huge party at the end of my street started around 10PM and lasted until the wee hours of the morning for Renato Braga.  Ivete Sangalo (the pride and joy of Salvador, and Carnaval!) was the special guest and gave me and the rest of the Rio Vermelho neighborhood a free concert!  The best analogy I can make is having someone like Madonna play at a political fundraiser for Barack Obama.... so loudly that no one in the neighborhood can sleep and instead are forced to enjoy the music and thus absorb themselves in the political extravaganza!

It is all over the city, but much more so in areas where you find lower-income communities. My guess is that these are also the neighborhoods with a lower literacy rate, and less of an active interest in, or knowledge of politics.  In richer neighborhoods like Ondina and Barra, you see almost no political propaganda on the streets.  Such is life in the 3rd world...

I have been happy to see just as many female candidates as I have male candidates!   I've spent enough time in Brasil throughout my life to realize how great this is for their country - especially for slower developing cities such as Salvador. 

I chuckle when I see it, but I'll be glad to be far from the mobile-speakers that blow out my ear drums in the middle of the night, or while I'm resting my head against the window inside the ônibus.

Just a few more days in Brazil... 

Meagan

Teatro na Bahia

Destination: Teatro Castro Alves, Campo Grande, Salvador da Bahia.

Featured Artist:  Rosa Passos,  Opening Act: Alexandre Leão

I had a cool experience Sunday evening.  A good friend of mine was visiting from NYC and we treated ourselves to the best type of Brazilian art:  música!  We dressed ourselves up, and after a nice dinner headed to the theater!  Teatro Castro Alves is the “Lincoln Center”, or “Walt Disney Concert Hall” of Salvador.  It is an enormous theater in the middle of a grand plaza in the center of the city.  International groups such as Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal and popular Brazilian artists like Rita Lee perform at Teatro Castro Alves.

Rosa Passos is a world renown Bahian “Cantora de Músicas Românticas” influenced by the likes of Caetano Veloso and João Gilberto.  She is a singer/songwriter with a spunky attitude and wonderful stage presence who helps define Bossa Nova!

Not realizing how popular of an event this is in Salvador, we didn’t reserve tickets in advance.  Upon arrival at the theater, to our disappointment, the show was SOLD OUT!  At R$20.00 a head, Rosa Passos sold out in Salvador!  We knew there would be scalpers, so we decided to be dangerous and scope them out!  Within seconds a scalper approached flashing “ingressos”.   He was charging R$30.00 a head, and we were desperate.  In my poor effort to bargain, we got the two for R$50.00, so R$25.00 a head.   I figured paying 10 extra reais to see a world famous singer was worth it.  But…

As we walked in the theater the guard looked at our tickets and asked us for our student ID’s – which neither of us had.  Apparently, the tickets we had scalped were for the student’s rate of R$10.00!!!  Ugh. Fooled by the scalpers! So much for “blending in” in Bahia! We fell for a classic tourist trap. After pleading and lying to the guard about where we got the tickets, he sent us back to the ticket booth to pay the difference for the upgrade.  Seeing as we had gotten 75% of the way into the show, we decided to suck it up and put down another R$20.00 to upgrade our tickets to regular admission.  So, R$70.00 later, we made it in! 

The first thing I noticed inside the theater was how beautiful the architecture was.  It was enormous inside, and filled with well-dressed Brazilians of all ages.  We waited for the show to start in the open courtyard, sipping on some café com leite with the locals in anticipation of call time!  The theater filled up immediately, surprisingly punctual for Brazilians! Our seats ended up being great with clear views of the stage.  I was so excited to see such a large group of locals at the theater on a Sunday evening.  It was really incredible.

The opening act, Alexandre Leão, was surprisingly pleasing!  His music was upbeat and got the crowd excited.  I had never heard his stuff – it was sort of samba mixed with bossa nova.  His last song required audience participation to serenade the main act onto stage.  “Rosa, Morena, Baiana…” the audience hummed.  Rosa Passos entered the stage with her cute samba shuffle and the crowd went wild!  She took over the mic and before I knew it, the entire audience was singing along to her song.  I thought the karaoke from the audience would stop after the first song.  Nope.  The audience sang along the entire show!  I have been at concerts where the audience sings along, but never in a fancy theater to slow love jams… hahaha.  But in Brazil, they do!  Rosa didn’t seem to mind the added background music and continued to put on a great show.  This clears so much up for me – now I understand why my Brazilian cousin shamelessly sang along to the entire Phantom of the Opera musical when I took her to see it on Broadway! (I was mortified)… But this is how they do it in Brazil!

It was interesting to experience a different social class in Salvador.  Most of my day is spent walking around in areas, or on buses with Brazilians of a lower socio-economic class.   At the Teatro I was exposed to the fancier side of Salvador, reminding me much of a night out in Montreal, or New York. Most of all, I was pleased to see so many Brazilians gathering for a night of leisure, with their families, to appreciate some incredible art.  R$20.00 is a totally reasonable price in Bahia, so I also applaud the Teatro Castro Alves for making their events so available to the public, and believe that this is the only way Rosa Passos can sell-out in Salvador.

Remember, if you’re looking for some good Bossa Nova: Rosa Passos and Alexandre Leão – I give them two thumbs up! 

Meaguinha.

A Criança in Bahia

Today I made a friend.  We didn’t exchange names, and to him I was just “Tia”.  I was on the beach, alone and reading my book when my little friend approached me.  I was ready to say “No, obrigada” while avoiding eye contact, as I do with every other overly persistent vendor on the beach.  But I noticed he was a child, so I listened. 

He asked me to watch his stuff while he went to “tomar um banho”.  In Brasil, we use the phrase “take a bath” when referring to swimming as well as literally taking a bath (in your shower).  His stuff consisted of the clothing he was selling on the beach to make money for his family.   Although I didn’t ask, my guess is that he was about 10 or 11 years old.  Ten years old, and working on the middle of what should have been a school day. 

I told him that I would watch his stuff and make sure it was safe while he swam.  He dropped his stuff, tightened the strings on his sunga and took off towards the ocean.  For a brief moment, in his exhilarating sprint from me to the first breaking wave, he was a kid again. In an odd way, I felt responsible for him, so I watched each dive and breath he took. I watched him swim for over 40 minutes, during which he started to play with some American children - clearly tourists in Bahia.  It was apparent from the beginning of their “playing” that my little Bahian friend was different.  Where the American children played with him as if he were none other than their next-door neighbor in their cute, suburban town, my Bahian criança was clearly aware of the difference in culture, in color, and in life.  There were fewer smiles and hesitant laughs.

He came back to me and thanked me.  I assured him that it wasn’t a problem, and asked how his “bath” was.  He smiled and said “foi muito bom”!  I watched him clear off a piece of wood on the ground next to me and lay down, face up, without a towel to “bronzear”.  This warmed my heart because I fully expected him to take his stuff back and head back to work.  I was happy for the company.

Within minutes another beach vendor approached me selling “salada de frutas”.  My little friend caught my eye and I knew he was hungry after all that swimming.  I slipped him R$2.00 and watched his grin as he jumped up off his piece of wood to proudly purchase a fruit salad for himself.  Within minutes it was finished.  He thanked me and sat back down.

We laid next to each other in silence for a bit and then I started to reapply suntan lotion. He asked if he could use some too.  I smiled to myself because this little boy was so dark that it would be impossible for his skin to burn… or so I thought!  J  I teased him and told him that he was too “Moreno” for sunblock.  He smiled but insisted that his face needed some.  So of course, I shared.  He splashed way too much lotion all over his face, his arms, his stomach, his legs… everywhere!  Unfortunately, this priceless moment wasn’t caught on camera because I usually don’t bring mine to the beach.

He left me within the hour, we shook hands and that was that.  I like to think that he felt happy about our interaction.  I hope that my ability to speak Portuguese and my willingness to help and to share made him feel positive about his interaction with a “tourist”.  I wish I could have asked him so many more questions.  I want to know his name, and his age, and his story.  I want to know if he has ever gone to school, and how many siblings he has.  I want to know if his parents are still alive, and if he has running water in his house. These are questions that I will never have answers to, nor would they have been appropriate to ask at the time.  I can only hope that his work, selling t-shirts to tourists on the beach in Bahia, helps his family in a constructive way.  Pelo menos, eu espero que ele esteja aprendendo coisas que irão lhe deixar uma vida melhor.

Buenos Aires, Argentina!

I've been in Buenos Aires for almost a week now. I'm trying to be as much as a tourist as a capoeirista which means little downtime, and little sleep! In a city that is so reminicent of the energy of New York and the charm of Western Europe, I can hardly believe I am in South America. What I notice most about Buenos Aires, in comparison with other major cities I've visited throughout Central and South America, is how modern and clean it is (well, aside from their inability to clean up after their dogs on the sidewalks, it is pretty clean!). In Brazil, for example, you can be in a wealthy "bairro" but they still don't have the infrastructure to maintain the type of architecture you see here in Buenos Aires. It is really beautiful here, it reminds me a lot of Europe - in particular of certain areas in Spain and Portugal.

I asked an Argentinian friend about poverty in Buenos Aires. She immediately said that they are all poor! I smiled, thinking back to where I am living in Salvador... and then I explained myself. I realize that the Argentian economy is not at its hottest moment, and the Brazilian real is actually stronger than the Argentinian peso, but Buenos Aires does a great job of hiding its difficulties behinds walls of fancy apartment buildings, well-maintained streets, and the apparent lack-of shanty towns in and around the city. I walk on the streets in the middle of the night and feel completely safe here. I would never do this in Brasil, for example. It has a different feeling, a safe and contemporary vibe. I would say a "second-world" experience. :)

In spending time with the Capoeira Brasil Buenos Aires group, I've been invited into homes in neighborhoods that guidebooks would never have taken me to. Areas such as Martinez, San Isidro and Olivos have been some of the greatest discoveries for me in Argentina. They are beautiful cobbled-stone neighborhoods, far from the hustle and bustle of tourist-frequented Centro de Buenos Aires.

I have to do my research, but apparently Argentina is having a problem with "monedas", or small change. As a result, public transportation is affected. A ride on a "Colectivo" or "Subte" is $0.90 centavos, which means that if you give 1 peso, you expect $0.10 centavos back. As a result of the disappearance of monedas, small change has become a precious entity in the city. Often times, public transportation has been free. What I think happens is that as soon as the Subte station runs out of change, they start opening the doors for the public to enter free of charge. There are no electronic booths to buy rides or Subte cards, like in New York, everything is done with cash. I can only imagine the repercussions this city is experiencing as a result. Even something simple like giving pocket change to the homeless is immensely affected.

I don't have a lot of time to write now, but I am enjoying myself. Actually, I am fully indulging in Argentinian culture. I am eating more than I have ever eaten in my life. I am drinking some of the best Vinho I have ever had. I'm watching tango and flamenco, and experiencing some very impressive female-capoeira here in Buenos Aires!

Capoeira Brasil Buenos Aires is a small group of about 15 solid capoeiristas under the instruction of Bugiganga, a professor from Minas Gerais. CB-BA has opened its arms and been a wonderful host to me. The group has great energy and thus far has been one of my favorite to train with down here!

Lots of new photos from Argentina on my photo website: www.fotki.com/meaguinha!

Uruguay is tomorrow, and then back to Salvador to wrap-up my summer.

Até Logo,
Fadinha

Learning a New Skill...

So in general I'm not the most domestic of women... and I push off doing laundry for as long as a can, sometimes up to a month!  I've always admired a Brazilian woman's ability to cook, clean, and well, be domestic.  It is right up there with their ability to be sexy.  Hahah.  It doesn't matter what age, or what profession, they all can do it!  I don't mean this in a sexist way at all, nor am I implying that Brazilian men aren't domestic, I am solely comparing myself to other women here.  

So that being sad, when I arrived and discovered that my house here in Salvador doesn't have a washing machine, I started to count my underwear to figure out if I could last two months! Well, I can't.  I asked the lady who cleans our house where I would be able to wash my clothes and she pointed to the sink outside.  I smiled.  Umm...

So I had to teach myself how to wash my clothing by hand.  My first experience was pretty rough.  I ended up taking a bath in the soap suds and failing to remove any of the dirt from my white abadás.  Then, I hung them to dry only to find them still soaking the next morning because it had rained all night.   

I tried again, this time washing a larger amount of clothing that had accumulated from my first two weeks in Brasil. This time I took three buckets, poured soap into each of them and filled them with water. Then I separated: whites, colors, capoeira stuff.  I let the clothing soak, and mixed them around like you do with cake batter.  I came back in 20 minutes, and took each piece of clothing by hand and rinsed them individually.  I ringed whatever water I could out of them, and hung them to dry.  My second attempt was a bit better, but it still left my clothes smelling moldy and moist.  I live about 50 feet from the ocean, so the air is damp and salty.  

So on my third attempt, which was yesterday, I decided to try a totally new technique.  This time I took each piece by hand, soaping it individually with coconut-flavored soap.  After completely drenching the article of clothing in soap suds, I took a rock and this grated metal-thing (not sure what they call it here), and scrubbed the stains out of my white capoeira clothing.  Then I ringed it to dry, and hung it in a spot with direct sunlight.  It was the greatest arm workout of my life!  Who needs Capoeira.... :p

The second trick is hanging to dry in a strategic way such that they don't have unnecessary wrinkles (I'm without iron and ironing board), and/or dirt from the outdoor clothing lines. Shirts should always be hung from the shoulders, and it is best to use plastic clothes pins, and overlap items for best space management.  Do not dry colored clothing next to white clothing in the chance that the colors bleed while drying.  Do not hang clothing above items you don't want to get wet (like chairs with cotton seat pads)!  Oh, I'm getting so good at this.

I can't figure out which is worse: walking up and down 5 flights of stairs with my laundry in NYC so that a machine can wash it for me, or spending two hours scrubbing my clothing by hand in Brazil!

I head to Argentina on Tuesday!!!

Beijos,

Fadinha

Ginga Sem Limite 2008

I spent the last few days in Siribinha, Bahia.  It is a small village bordering the state of Sergipe in the very north of Bahia.  I reunited with my Capoeira Brasil Los Angeles (CBLA) group and headed up to attend the 4^th International Capoeira Event known as Ginga Sem Limite.  Mestre Itapoan, a world-renown Mestre and original student of Mestre Bimba (creador de Capoeira Regional) hosts this annual event and works extensively with the poor community of Siribinha to make it happen.  Capoeiristas from all over the world fly in to attend Ginga Sem Limite, surrounded by more than 30 Capoeira Mestres. For a capoeirista, it was an opportunity of a lifetime.   We attended workshops taught by each of the Mestres, mingled with students from capoeira groups all over the world, participated in Rodas, watched the locals perform for us, experienced the serenity of Siribinha, and helped support the growth and progress of this local community.

I went to Siribinha right after finishing the book “Three Cups of Tea” – a story about Greg Mortenson and his humanitarian work in Pakistan through the Central Asia Institute.  Mestre Itapoan is doing very similar work in Siribinha, and the effects are already apparent in the community.  The parallels between Mortenson’s work in Pakistan and Mestre Itapoan’s in Siribinha are numerous. I learned that this 5-day event brings in 75% of this town’s annual income.   Since bringing Capoeira and Ginga Sem Limite to Siribinha 4 years ago, Mestre Itapoan has motivated the children to attend school, find jobs, and realize their potentials.  Three young men have left Siribinha to attend University in Salvador, a city 4 hours away, with the support of Mestre Itapoan and Mestre Careca.  Twice a month, Capoeira instructors from Salvador travel to Siribinha to teach (voluntarily) Capoeira class.  Practically all the children and young adults in the village attend these classes.  This is how passionate they have become about this art that has changed their life, and the lives of their families.   For the rest of the month, the children train on their own in a center Mestre Itapoan built especially for them.  

Siribinha has a population of less than 1000 people.  There are no banks, no warm showers, and people wear the same outfit each day.  There is one store that feeds the entire town.  It is very similar to the town of Encarnação that I blogged about earlier, only smaller.  The people are some of the warmest and most honest Brazilians I’ve ever met. For 5 days us “wealthy” capoeiristas from around the world were free to leave our doors unlocked, and valuables visible without worrying about thieves or assaults.  This is a rarity among poor areas in Brazil.   We slept in the houses of these people; in their extra beds and mattresses purchased especially for this event.  There are no hotels or pousadas – lets just say it isn’t much of a tourist destination.  I hope it never becomes one either. It is so beautiful just the way it is.  During the day the locals came to watch and participate in the capoeira workshops, and at night celebrated with us by dancing samba and forro into the wee hours of the morning.  It warms my heart to think about the difference Capoeira has made in Siribinha, and I feel so proud to be a part of it.

It was a first for me to experience so many different “types” of Capoeira. Capoeira Brasil is my group, but we are only 1 of many.  I’ve trained with Capoeira Luanda and Ginga Mundo in Salvador, but in Siribinha I saw dozens of other styles, from all over the world.  We had students from Asia, Australia, Eastern and Western Europe, Chile, Argentina, and of course the United States and Brazil.  Capoeira is an amazing art because you can be anyone, any color, any gender, any religion, come from anywhere, but in the Roda you are one big family.  Your common dialog is your game, making it possible to communicate with anyone.  In your white Abadás and Capoeira Corda you are each a student of Mestre Bimba, and therefore, all the same.

For me, it was a very positive experience.  I had been feeling frustrated with some of the Capoeira I’ve experienced here in Salvador.  In Siribinha I found the Axé and Energia I was looking for…