six plus twenty-two

4 dec 2012

at stourhead national trust - 18 nov 2012

. . . and quitting work to dance to 'sister golden hair' by the sensational group 'america' in the corridor in the middle of a busy afternoon in the house and later on eating lamb with roasted potatoes and parsnips for the sunday roast cooked by him and pear and fig galette baked by her with a glass of wine each and watching the news and silly tv programs and having an ordinary day in between and on monday the 3 december eating salmon with potatoes cooked by him and the leftover of the galette she baked the day before they celebrated six plus twenty-two or six plus six plus six plus six plus four or two years and four months together . . .

abre alas pra minha folia

12 February 2010

Carnival

I just realized that these are carnival days in Brazil. I believe I try not to be connected with events which are very different from here because they show me that I am in a different world. This is, at times, slightly disturbing to me.

Another thing I just became aware of, and which always make me feel heartbreaking is that today is the 12th of February. Well, the day after tomorrow – the 14th Feb – my brother Henrique would turn 49 if he hadn’t passed away at age 28. See, too bad. Maybe I have been away from this blog because sometimes the free writing leads me to pain, not to join.

Well, let’s try and come back to carnival. I don’t remember have been a super carnival enthusiast, but it is very obvious that the beauty, the joy and the good energy that it makes us all feel in Brazil these days is contagious. I like to dance, to watch the wonderful parade in Rio, to see the carnival aficionado people who fully stop leading a serious life to devote these days to, just as seriously, let go of imagination, freedom, joy, opportunity for redemption, really. I find it so healing. Honestly, going to the streets to dance and play along with your peers dressed up in whatever disguise you think fit your mood that year can only be great.

Pernambuco, particularly Recife and Olinda have a fantastic tradition of putting an enormous number of people in the streets. These people remain there for soooo many hours, standing and dancing. Yes, it ought to be a soul cleansing and spiritual development ritual. Olinda has those giant dolls, of which I used to be very afraid. The maracatu, the frevo, and the other many peculiar traces of the local history are indeed very good to see.