meu brasil brasileiro

6 dec 2009

8.28 in the morning now. i am finishing up with packing before i catch the coach to go to london healthrow airport terminal 4 to catch my tam flight to sao paulo to then catch another flight to fortaleza to finally be in another tam flight to teresina - home at last!

i don't even really know what i'm feeling right now. since i finished teaching on friday i've been sort of entering in a new 'layer' of existence, as it is my plan to take things easy on me from now on. the nuffield theater with diana was an excellent starting point for all this. saturday and today i still feel very much occupied with lots of administrative things to do, about both the trip and my research. however, i do want new life, new mode, new energy in the very inside of me.

until almost 2o'clock in the morning of this very sunday 6 december i was sending documents to people here and in brasil concerning this data collection / the research, which is work that requires full concentration. still, i want to see and feel it all pretty much under new perspectives from now on: lighter, more joyful, and fulfilling.

now i have to finish up packing. at times i wonder if i have forgotten something. i'm afraid i have )-: but let's hope it is just my ordinary worry, and that it should not be confirmed as such.

Me aguarde, meu Brasil lindo e colorido e caloroso e alegre e de amor e de abracos e beijnhos e carinhos sem ter fim. . . chega de saudade!!! (obrigada Joao Gilberto)

Kalina Morena

cheers

1 dec 2009

today i went to the cowherds to spend some time with my good friends from uni. i walked from avenue with mariko a little before 7pm. there we met with sonia and callum. later on agota justyna and adalberto arrived and then agota. it was fantastic and i am so glad i did go to this one because i have missed so many events latelly i would not be surprised if people stopped inviting me, but they are all so understanding of my hectic days, as they sort of go through the same situation.

it was started with sonia wanting to see us before she and callum move back to the isle of wight. it is their plan to stay there for a while to organize their life together and save up some money. callum has a house there which is currently rented out for some young guys. he's do some refurbishment in the house to rent it out for a family. i love sonia. she is such a sweet person. and she likes me so much. every time we meet she gives me big hugs. today she asked me so many questions about brazil, about my life, about my job with the justice system, very interesting questions.

callum said his idea of brasil is the one from violent movies. i said to him that the violence from movies such as 'city of god' is part of the story, not the whole story. it is not possible for any country to be, the whole country, one single thing. if brazil were all about slums and violence, it would no really be a charming country. i don't even believe it is possible to have such a large extension of land populated by violence. how can that be? i said to him i believe any generalization is unfair.

it had been a while i didn't see justyna and adalberto. for me it was a great opportunity to see my friends before i go to brazil this sunday. and even better because we met right here at the cowherds, this great pub right close to where i live. we laughed and ate good food (i ate the chargrilled chicken with mushroom tagliatelle) and talked and hugged and wished us all good wishes and promised ourselves to get together for a tea or something when i come back from brazil in the beginning of january. i was really so pleased and light after these almost three hours with good people. this time i didn't have my camera on me. too bad, but the photographs are taken, i am certain, and stamped in my heart. colorful and soothing images of camaraderie.