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…

Capoeira em Encarnação

I took a 2-day trip outside Salvador to visit another Capoeira Luanda group in a small town called Encarnação, no interior da Bahia. Two buses and one ferryboat later, the 3-hour journey took me to one of the most simple and pristine places I have ever visited. It is a fisherman’s village, surrounded by water. The beaches were deserted; the sand was white, and the water crystal clear. We were hosted Instrutor Vagalume and his family. 

Upon arrival in Encarnação we had no address. We were told to get off the bus and ask for “Vagalume”. It seemed strange to me, but I figured he must just be that well known in the community… Well, now I understand why! The “community” is a couple of blocks of cobblestone streets and cement/brick structures within a 1-mile radius. Sure enough, we got off the bus and the first person we asked knew Vagalume, and walked us right to the Capoeira studio where a wonderful Roda welcomed us! We quickly changed into our abadás, and spent the rest of the evening playing Capoeira in the serenity of this quaint little town. The only sound for miles was that of the beating atabaque (drum) and our voices chanting capoeira hymns.

I haven’t blogged much about Capoeira. Even though I train 5 days a week here in Bahia, I haven’t felt compelled to write about it. There are a couple of reasons why, but I think the main reason is that I have so many mixed emotions about Capoeira in Bahia. I’m not ready to put them down on paper yet… but when I am, there will be a long blog entry about it! I will talk a little bit about the Capoeira in Encarnação, however.

Mito and I were the only women in the room. For me, coming from my group in LA, this is a drastic change. Very few women play Capoeira in Bahia, and no women train in Encarnação. When I enter a Roda at a new academy, I never know how my being a woman will be perceived by the fellow capoeiristas. I’m happy to say that one of the nicest receptions I’ve received so far was in Encarnação. They were so happy to have visitors, international visitors, in their small town! Although Capoeira has brought other Americans to their town, it happens infrequently and they are honored each time a new guest arrives.

The studio they train at is pretty much a 3-D cement rectangle. There is nothing inside the room but the Capoeiristas themselves, and their instruments. The floor was dirty; there was no bathroom, and only 1 light in the room. The doors were locked and windows closed to keep out unwanted intruders. There were about 15 men training, ages ranging from 6 to 30 years old. Their games were beautiful. It became quickly obvious that Vagalume is an amazing teacher. He teaches capoeira in Encarnação voluntarily. His students are very poor (as is everyone in this village), and have no money to pay for class. But still, they train every Mon-Wed-Fri, and Vagalume commits to being a role model in capoeira, instilling respect, structure and diligence into their lives. It is pretty incredible. And for this small, humble town, a great opportunity…

After the roda, and a round of photo-taking with Vagalume’s digital camera, we walked backed down the cobble stone streets to Vagalume’s house, took very COLD showers, changed, and headed back out to breath some fresh country air. I actually saw stars in the sky! I had forgotten how beautiful the night sky is without the florescence of NYC’s lights in the background. It was breathtaking. We walked around for 30 minutes in the middle of the night, in the middle of Bahia, in the middle of Brasil, and it was completely quiet and completely safe. There are few places in Brasil where I can say the same.

The next morning we spent the day touring Encarnação with our wonderful host! The first stop was his grandmother’s house, a Condomblé leader in their village. Vagalume’s grandmother hosts the Candomblé ceremonies in a large room in her house. They start at 10 PM and last until 3 AM. She gave us a special tour of the sanctuary, took us to each one of the vigils (1 for each Orixá), and introduced us to her family. Condomblé is a white-magic religion in Bahia. It originated at the same time as Capoeira and was practiced by the slaves. Like capoeira, it involves drumming, chanting, and dancing. It is very beautiful and provocative. I’ve seen Condomblé ceremonies in the past while in Brasil, and I’ve always been intrigued. We were so lucky to have a personal guide in Encarnação! As the leader of their group, his grandmother blessed us each with our own Orixá (basically, a spirit or god) and mine is Oxoss – the night and shining armor on the white horse. Candomblé followers believe that each individual has a particular Orixá who watches over them until death. Sort of like a guardian angel, but a stronger, more physical connection. Before leaving the sanctuary, she bathed us in rose perfume water, danced for us, showered us with lembranças (souvenirs), made us take about 100 pictures in the sanctuary, and asked for our donations. 

Encarnação makes Salvador look like the first world! The simplicity of life there is indescribable. You have to see it to understand it. It is bittersweet though. The beauty is incomparable but the poverty is prolific. No one works, no one plays, and no one does much of anything because there isn’t anything to do. There are no jobs if you don’t fish. Schools are sparse and the center of town consists of 1 payphone, 1 local bar, and a bus stop. I think I probably met just about everyone in this village – most of them were cousins or 2nd cousins of Vagalume. His grandmother had 12 children… You can imagine the color Capoeira adds to this community. Vagalume has done a lot for his town, and it was through complete serendipity that Mestre Jelon brought capoeira to this small town 8 years ago. I wish them the best of luck in trying to raise money to build their own Capoeira academy. 

Encarnação, it was lovely. And it reminded me of how lucky I am.

Açai na Tigela com Granola e Banana

This is my breakfast every morning. Açai na Tigela (bowl) with Granola and Banana. Mmm. Açai is probably the single most delicious purple berry in the world.  Since I've been in Salvador, I've been trekking around the city visiting all of my favorite Açai spots!  Thank goodness I'm playing a lot of Capoeira because each bowl contains a ridiculous amount of calories - but "good" calories!  Hahah.. It is a "wonder berry" from the Amazon region known to have more anti-oxidants than blueberries, pomegranites, etc.,  It is one of the things I long for the most when I'm not in Brazil. There are many versions and brands of Açai in the States, but none of them do it justice, at least none that I've tried. So each morning, I wake up, have an Agua de Coco and then walk to Barra beach to have my morning Açai.  It is my favorite part of the day!  Mmm...

Riding the Bus in Bahia

Since my entire existence in Brazil is 100% reliant on the bus system of Salvador, I figure now is an appropriate time to introduce you to what is definitely the most “loco” method of public transportation that I have ever experienced.   I have spent months at a time in Brazil in the past, but always with the luxury of a family member, or a friend, to drive me around in their car.  This time lets just say I’m roughing it third-world style via ônibus todo dia!

I have never felt so desperate for a car in my life.  After 2 ½ years in Los Angeles, I thought the desire to drive would never reappear… until this summer in Salvador!  Hahah.  Okay, I’m exaggerating.  But seriously, if you think rush hour on the subways in NYC is bad on a sweltering summer day, well, you ain’t seen nothing yet!  These Bahians fit more people on a bus than physically possible.   I think I finally understand why Brazilians act the way they do in airports!  Just read on, and I think you’ll agree!

A brief tour of the Brazilian bus system:

How to Catch the Bus

a.      Finding the right waiting spot: Each bus stop is marked by a little blue sign with a white picture of a bus.  This is about as organized as it gets.  The bus stop is usually along a curb, but this doesn’t necessarily mean the bus will stop by the designated sign, or “ponto”.  Actually, depending on the speed of the bus arriving, the time of the day, and the number of other buses arriving at the same time, the bus you want to catch may stop anywhere in a 50 foot radius of that sign.  So, first tip: be ready to run!  If you are too close to the sign, your bus may be stuck behind a long line of other buses, and if you are too far away from the sign, your bus may zoom in front of you before you realize… and you’ll be waiting for the next one!  Your best bet is to judge where the middle “waiting ground” is at your particular bus stop. Make sure you avoid puddles (it rains a lot at this time of the year!) and have a clear path in front of you at all times so that when it is your turn to sprint…. You catch your bus!

b.      Finding the right Bus: So unlike most organized methods of public transportation, there are no bus maps or schedules in Salvador.  Actually, you’re lucky if when you arrive at a bus stop there is a list of buses that pass by your stop.  By list, I mean all the “names” of buses – there are no numbers, just names of neighborhoods in the direction of travel.  Very interesting, or rather difficult, for a non-local as myself!  So needless to say, without knowing which neighborhoods are which, it becomes a gamble!  The best thing to do is figure out some landmarks that are close to where you are headed, because each bus, on its front windshield, has a list of popular landmarks that it stops at.  However, be reminded that you can only read this list when the bus is passing right in front of you – so don’t forget your glasses!

c.      Hailing the Bus: Okay, so in New York we hail taxis and buses by raising our hands. You’d think this is universal.  However, Brazilians have a very unique style!  They don’t raise their hands higher than their hips. In fact, they seem to have perfected this twitch of the wrist to hail the buses.  It reminds me of what dancers would call “jazz hands”!  They flick their wrists, jazz-hand style, and some how, the bus driver notices!  I’m still working on mine…

2.     Getting on the Bus 

      Once you’ve figured which bus is yours, hailed it, you still need to get on it!  Never wear high heels, because jumping in high heels is dangerous. Often times, if it is rush hour, the bus doesn’t actually come to a complete stop. It does what we love to call a “California Roll” through the bus stop.  So most times, you, and about 10 others are jumping on the bus (everyone enters from the back) as it slowly rolls-through.  Once you are safely on, you have to pay the driver R$2.00 and push yourself through a turn-style.  Yes, all of the buses have turn-styles!  Hahah… I love it.  Sometimes you really need to use your core strength to get you through too because you’re moving in the opposite direction of the bus’ momentum.  It’s a good warm-up for Capoeira class 

3.     Riding the Bus

     If you are lucky, you’ll get a seat.  If you’re not so lucky, you’ll be standing.  I often ride the bus at rush hour because Capoeira class is in the evening.  I have to leave 2 hours before class to get there because of transito (traffic).  In actuality, it is only 6 miles from my house!  A bus during rush hour is a claustrophobic’s worst nightmare!  The buses are already narrow to begin with.  During rush hour, there is no space to breath.  People shove themselves into any space possible, and just when you think you can’t possible fit another hand, leg, or head on the bus, 10 more get on!  I have never been so acquainted with the armpits of others!  :p

4.     Getting off the Bus

     So you’re thinking, phew, finally off this bus!  But wait, you’re not there yet!  Getting off the bus is just as much as a process!  First of all, there are no announcements along the way, so unless you are paying attention to landmarks outside, you’ll have no idea when to get off.  Try as hard as you can to peek your head through the hands and arms of others to see out the window.  Pay attention, and familiarize yourself with landmarks well in advance of your stop because you need at least 5 minutes to fight your way through the crowd to exit the bus at the front.  There is only one exit, and it is at the front!  Another tip: don’t carry a lot of baggage with you, and try to make yourself as skinny as possible by sucking in your stomach – this will make your fight to the front much easier! As you’re walking (or shoving your way rugby-style) to the front, don’t forget to jump up and pull the black cord alerting the driver of your requested stop!  It is funny, Brazilians are short, and that black cord is so damn high.  You think they’d come up with a better solution!

 And finally, you’re off the bus… and you can breath! 

What can I say it is back to basics for me, I suppose.  No car, no cell phone, no landline… just me, myself, and the ônibus.   And I love it!

Beijos,

Meagan

Dance Brazil

Last night I had the opportunity to see an incredible display of Brazilian dance, capoeira, and culture here in Bahia.  The group is called Dance Brazil, lead by Mestre Jelon of Capoeira Luanda. Many of the dancers are the Capoeiristas I'm training with here in Salvador.  Luckily, they were having a formal dress rehersal open to friends and family last night at Espaço Xisto here in Bahia.  I went with Mestre Jelon, Mito, and a few others. It took my breath away, and made me want to jump up on stage and dance with them all at once!  They incorporate capoeira, ballet, modern, and afro-brazilian dance into their moves.  The music is independently composed for the show, and is electrifying - drums, berimbau, keyboard, guitar, vocals...

Dance Brazil is internationally renown and travels extensively through North America and Europe.   Speaking of... they are flying to New York on July 25th for several performances in both New York and Boston.  To all you New Yorkers, check them out!  It is definitely worth it!

http://www.dancebrazil.org/

I've been busy... will write more soon!

Meagan

Colorful Brazilians...

Last night I went to a local bar to “tomar uma capirinha” with my housemate, Rildo, and some of his Brazilian friends. It was an interesting crowd: Rildo, my housemate, who is a 42 year-old translator, speaks 5 languages, smokes and drinks way more than he should, and believes in living life “au natural”. Fabio, a young, educated and very successful Bahian, who when the law passed for no drinking and driving, decided to sell his car and succumb to the “ônibus” because he couldn’t give up his addiction to brazilian cerveja (beer). Saraja e Rubinha, a lesbian couple who also happen to be 1^st cousins with a 13 year age difference, hence are the scandals of their family (in their words, not mine!). Vagabondo, the local vagabound whose name I didn’t quite catch, but refers to himself as a “vagabondo”, who left his mother in Zaragosa, Spain to return to his native country and pursue teatro (theater). And of course, myself, the “local” American Capoeirista with a little bit of Brazilian soul!

So I made my first mistake by introducing myself as an “Americana”. I immediately saw eyebrows rise. These sharp-witted and clearly educated Brazilians were quick to claim that they too, are “Americanos”. In reality, we are all Americanos. It is an indistinguishable term. Unless, of course, I specify, “Americana do Nord” (North American), which is still ambiguous as it refers to Canada, U.S.A, and Mexico. It sounds silly, and to most of us Americans, a waste of an argument, but to these passionate Brazilians who feel so strongly (against) American politics, it is a very significant difference. So I promised to them, and to myself, from here on out to introduce myself as “ Meu nome é Meagan e sou dos Estados Unidos”. They have a point, and I think it is a good one.

You can imagine how the rest of the night went after starting off on that note! Saraja had an earful to say about our President Bush, pronounced here as “Bushy”. I smile, just thinking about it. So fitting. It made for some very one-sided conversations, though. I have a hard enough time talking politics in English, let alone in Portuguese. But it was fun. I had a good time, and I think convinced them that not all of us from the United States are in agreement with our “ President Bushy”.

Axé e Capoeira

In Capoeira, we believe that your game will never exceed that of the Axé (the energy) of the Roda. Good Axé brings upon good games, and vice versa.  For those of you who have never seen Capoeira, a roda is the circle that we play in. Capoeiristas and the Orchestra form the circumference of the circle, and create the energy.  This is done through song, instruments, clapping, and movement.  By facing the center of the circle, the Axé is maintained within and the two capoeiristas playing move to the rhythm of the berimbau and at the level of Axé within the Roda.

Last night I experienced what it was like to have Axé when you least expect it, and saw what it did to my game.  At the end of a class, training with Mestre Jelon's group in Salvador, we had a Roda.  There was nothing energetic about the setting.  It was dark, damp, and muggy in the room. The floor was torn concrete and the stench of the uncleaned bathroom was overwhelming. We were sweaty, and dirty, full of mosquito bites, and there were only 7 of us. It was essentially an open shack in the middle of a low-income area in Salvador with a somber feeling to it.  But it was beautiful.

Maybe it is the energy of Brasil itself, or the energy of Capoeira, but I have never felt so drawn to the Roda as I did last night.  I don't remember any of my games, which is how I know that I succeeded in letting the matter in my body take over my mind.  But I do remember how I felt. I felt like I was flying.  I felt like I was really, really playing Capoeira.  In Capoeira, you have to feel the game. You can't think through the game like a math problem; there is not 1 solution applicable to every game.  Every game is different. There is a different energy level, a different opponent, a different song, a different setting.  The capoeiristas I played in the roda with moved so fluidly, almost weightless, with an eye contact so intense that you knew exactly when to esquiva.  It was the real dialog that IS capoeira. I rose to the level of their game, and I thank them for allowing me to do so.

And the most unique thing about last night... there were no instruments, there was no singing, and no clapping - just the 7 of us, breathing, focusing, and an ipod chanting in the background. But the energy, the Axé of the Brazilian capoeiristas in the room, was overwhelming.  You could feel it and you could taste it, and it was the most fun I've ever had in a Roda. 

Beijos

Meagan

Flying like a Brazilian...

Okay, a bunch of you have requested that I blog while I'm down here.  I do have to say that writing is not a forté of mine, but I'll give it a shot.  If anything, it will refresh me of my english as I immerse myself in Portuguese for the next 8 weeks. 

So I figure my first posting will be about my trip down here.  I flew on TAM, the only Brazilian airline left after Varig's bankruptcy. There is something very unique about a Brazilian's inability to follow directions at an airport.  I can't help but laughing each time the airline steward calls (in portuguese, of course) for passengers traveling with small children or elderly to board first.  At this point, all 200 of the brazilian travelers have already lined up, across two or three airport gates waiting to board this flight, fighting for their spot at the front of the line. And of course, no one listens to the announcements. Or, rather, no one cares.  So instead of allowing small children and the elderly to board, a stampede of Brazilian women with their tight jeans and high heels rush towards the front, thrusting their numerous hand bags at whoever is in their way.  Believe me, these are tough women.... And of course, none of the airline staff choose to enforce the boarding priority, and thus they get away with it. For as long as I've flown to and from Brazil, this has always been the case.  I still can't understand why.  So if you are ever in an airport and see a herd of people rushing to board in the most disorganized and loud fashion, it isn't because Michael Jackson is on the other side, it is just a bunch of Brazilians! 

Once you are on the plane, you are greeted by the "Aero-Moças".  Literal translation: "Air-Girls".  So the Air Girls greet you, offer you water, and a sweet candy to chew on, and then return to their seats.  The Air Girls wear body-suit-like matching outfits, excentuating each curve in their body. So Brazilian, right?  The outfit is topped off with two inch heels that look painfully uncomfortable to be wearing for a 9 hour overnight flight.  The Air Girls give out the cutest packages to each traveler. They include blankets, ear phones, slippers (yes!), toothbrush and toothpaste, and a duty-free shopping guide.  Along with the goody-bags, the food is great (for airline food) and it is all complimentary. It has been a long time since I've flown with such luxuries :) 

The third most impressionable moment about flying with the Brazilians was passing through "customs" in Såo Paulo.  I have a Brazilian passport, so I was able to pass through the "natives" line at customs.  This is what it involved: opening my passport to the picture page and smiling. The customs lady didn't even take the passport out of my hand.   I didn't get asked any questions, I didn't have to show anyone my luggage - none of that.  I just had to smile.  Believe me, after living in Montreal for 5 years and dealing with customs at the Canadian border, this experience was unbelievable.  

So after all the Filas, Aero-Moças, e Customs I'm here. I'm safe, and I'm in Salvador!  

Beijos,

Fadinha

E agora, Eu vou...

July 2nd, 2008.  Today I leave NYC for two months of travel and Capoeira in South America.  I'm excited, I'm nervous, and já estou com saudades. It has been three years since I've been back to Brasil. Those of you who know me well understand why.  It is also my first time in Brasil as a Capoeirista.  I can't wait!

My first stop:  Rio Vermelho, Salvador da Bahia.

Até logo, Gente!

Beijinhos....

Meagan