Quote: my friends

Me and my friends at a dinner party:

Lena: "I'm allergic to eggplants, shrimp, and honey"

Allegra: "All kinds of honey?"

Guillermo: "No, it's just the kind with the little bear, you know"

Cachoeira III:

15 Nov 2009

The next morning we woke up to this:

At 4 AM! The party began. There was a lot of cross-dressing, I suppose that's an easy costume. The thing is that this party, like Carnaval, is supposed to be toppsy-turvie: social order is turned upside down.

Another common one was dressing up like the stereotypical bahian Black doll. They are usually very black and have a colofrul dress of a particular fabric very bright and eye catching, and hair that is tied in bright orange or yellow scrunchies. The person on the left embodies the doll almost perfectly.
then these dudes with the big heads are supposed to be symbols of the Portuguese. Until then I had never heard of any stereotype of big-headed Portuguese.

Then I decided to take some more pictures of the ex-nun convent. It was a really peaceful place to be.

Then there was this tiny little tiny stairway that led up to the rooms. But I was so scared every time I went up them because it creaked and the steps were so short my whole foot couldn't even fit on them! So on one occasion I decided to prepare myself before going down them by firmly grabbing onto the rail, and all of a sudden the rail shook and I let out a tremendous scream like the whole world was falling apart, because that's how I felt. The one thing that I thought would be stable and it was wobbly and I thought the whole thing sould just break--but alas! it did not! and I'm still alive and well. Isn't that wonderful for us all?!


Down this hall, my friends and I recited some Afro-Brazilian dance steps we learned.
Then I took some time to walk around. Oh actually there was still dancing going on, and my friends and I started dancing at what seemed to be like a little lanchonete or restaurant but they made room for dancing.
And I had to go back to my favortie places like Pouso da Palavra literary cafe.

They had all sorts of stuff there: artisan work
vintage record players, records, cameras
"ancient" irons, oil lamps

Books!

Then we headed out to an historical Fazenda (farm) for lunch. But we had this interesting adventure on this bridge. It is historical in my memory because of our encounter with some people who wanted the big 99 Rainbow bus to back up so he could get through first. yeah, i won't go into the details but everyone got through it safely.
And we reached SANTA CRUZ! the farm. I'm guessing this was an ex-plantation, again that's one thing that I didn't like so much that we weren't given a historical background to many of the places we visited, just like look at this nice place and have a wonderful feast of a lunch, but I had no idea where we were.

WE were all really hungry especially after the bridge delay, and I was thirsty and her were these ladies at the entrance offering a beverage, and I take a little cup and gulp it down just to find that it is liquor and wow it burned. It was not what I was expecting and I should have asked but it was dericious none-the-less. It was really great. It was maracujá liquor for which this Fazenda is known.

Man, these plantation/slave owners had it good.
Great view and everything.
We got some appetizers, my poor friend Algebra. So she asked my friend Debbie to test these balls for any meat flavor and she's like "no these are just fried bread" and yes, it resulted that debbie is not very good at detecting meat. :(

I wish I had a video of the phenomenon that followed. Oh my gosh! or rather Meu Deus! And it was my fault. So, remember how I am always at the end of the food line on every buffet occasion and just get to have whatever was left over, usually no vegetables or meat, just the potato or rice sides, and by the time the cooks come out with some more fresh food, my inspiration has left because I have already started eating beans and i'm not approaching the main course in full gear anymore? This usually happens because I'm not the pushy type or because I'm a slow walker and get stuck at the end or both.
But this time, I noticed that the waiters were bringing out to the plates to the buffet table, and I told a few friends "dude, I'm gonna stand over by that window next to the table and pretend to take pictures, because I don't want to be last today"
So I get up and walk over to the window, and my friend Lana fallowed, then another person came up too, I hadn't realized that most of the 55 other people sat up and looked over at what was going on, and they just all start looking at eachother and getting ready to spring forward and suddenly 40 people got up and RUSHED over to the table, that had nothing but some plates on it.
It was ridiculous and to think that i caused this? So I just quickly made a step forward to make sure I was first in line. But it was really really ridiculous because we were just standing there for a good 5 minutes waiting for food, and it was really a Lord of the Flies, survivalist--almost cannibalist moment!
Even Fred got up to stand between us I could see he had a worried look on his face, ready to referree becaus seriously people were like, defending there place in the line and my friend and I said well we have to organize in a way so that there is only flow in one way on each side of the table otherwise we'll just crash but people on all sides wanted to go at the same time! And we're like wow we can't even compromise.
And comments to our couples who were trying to stand together in line and people were saying "hey, that girlfriend boyfriend thing doesn't count here" half jokingly but not really.
Oh the chaos I can cause. I was really not expecting people to actually do this.
But the food was totallyworth it! Look at this goregeous salad!
This was my final plate, yes finally i get the good stuff! mmmmm.... It was soo good, nice tender meat and fresh veggies and onions, and beans, and fried aimpim (manioc)!

This was a great trip. The fazenda was beautiful and I really liked hanging out with my peer friends like this. Just chilling talking eating. loving! It was a great day. Like the mexican saying goes "el que madruga Dios lo ayuda" God helps those who wake up early. haha, but yeah I always find the days that I wake up as early as 4Am turn out to be odd marvelous adventures.
Interview with Algebra:

It

I thought it was odd that a gas station was right in front of a church....odd is a pretty good word for most of this day. but in a pleasant way.

drinks with Arivaldo

11 Nov. 2009

They were closing up the Botanical Garden and apparently Arivaldo, Debbie, and Arivaldo's partner were going to a concert back at Campo Grande, so Arivaldo offered me a ride and I'm like thanks! But we were going to pick up his partner still. So we went over to her apartment and there was like a little, casual bar thing (they're all over the place by the way) outside of her apartment so Arivaldo Debbie and I just chilled there waiting.

[Like this, but I took this photo in Arembepe]

I guess Arivaldo already anticipated the long wait... we were there like 45 minutes or something while she finished getting ready.
But it was chill, we just sat there talking about stuff.
Arivaldo is one of the favorite people that I have met here. He's really relaxed and easy to talk with. He also has so much interesting knowledge. And I love plants, as fellow inhabitants of this earth. So I love talking to people who know a lot about them.
Anyway, I then I asked him if he had a lot of plants in his house and he's like: "not one" and I thought it was pretty funny and this is when he introduced me to the common saying:

"casa de ferreiro, espeto de pau",

which means something like the blacksmith's house, a wooden fireplace, which is about the irony about how some times what people do professionally is not reflected in what they personally do outside of that realm. Like the English "The shoemaker's child goes around barefoot"

He is pretty knowledgeable in Spanish and Mexican customs too. Apparently he has some Mexican colleagues and friends. He was saying some of the words that his Mexican friends have trouble with like "Bairro" and "Feira"; they tend to forget and say "Barrio" and "Feria" which is more Spanish. So that's a good pattern to take note of: most words that end with "-rio/a" or "rria/o", are likely to be -eira. or -airo, -airro. And a few others words that are the most commonly mispronounced by Spanish-speakers.

But Arivaldo and Tania both knew about a lot of the animals and life in Mexico. For example how we love to eat cactus and we never mix oranges or pineapples with milk in Mexico like they do here in Brasil (It's associated with stomach aches like not mixing lime and milk either because it curdles! --and it's just weird to many Mexicans, anyone hear any other reason why we don't do that?).

Oranges and Milk:

[photo by: JohnAugustinestate's]

I had realized this Bahian/Brasilian custom before Arivaldo told me though, because I was really surprised when my mãe asked if I wanted my orange juice with milk, I'm like what?!
It's so taboo to me I guess.
It's like in the U.S. you don't mix fish and milk very much, or put "American" cheese in smoothies... Okay I'm having trouble finding a U.S. equivalent, but Japanese people, would it not be absurd to mix green tea and milk? That's what I hear anyway--from being scolded for doing it myself, jaja.
But I tried it! (the orange juice and milk). I did it because I feel like the milk they have here is not the same as the milk I have had in the U.S. or Mexico. In Mexico it's often more fresh and less processed; in the states it's a little more processed--but in both cases I know they have a lot of lactose. Meanwhile

the cow milk they have here is bought in little cartons that can be outside the fridge for months...

so I don't know. And sure enough I didn't have any lactose intolerant reaction luckily :) . but I do restrict my consumption--don't go trying a lot if you're lactose intolerant too though, because I don't know for sure it won't hurt.

Avocados! or Abacate [Port.], Aguacate [Span.]:
There is also this difference that here in Brasil, Avocados are conceptualized as being in a sweet/dessert family. Arivaldo was also aware that it is not the case for a lot of places. In Mexico and in most parts of the States it's associated with more savory foods; it's in guacamole. Lime and salt come to mind to me for avocados.
Like you don't add guacamole to your cake. (Or do you?) But here my mãe likes to put some sugar on it and eat it in spoonfuls. Which I am not against either, I tried that too. And I got my sisters to try the lime with salt version and we both liked the new versions.
It is very common in Brasil to make avocado milkshakes (again with the milk jaja) with sugar and lime--woah! watch out Mexicans, triple taboo. Jk. But those are also good, I recommend you try an avocado milkshake.

Then we were talking about Bahian slang and we found out where "Ó Paí, Ó" comes from. Yes it's the title of a pretty popular movie (which I recommend because it's a really good Brazilian film), but it also is a kind of stereotypical Bahian expression that is also used all over Brasil, although not as frequently. We decided that it most likely comes from "Olha para isso, olha" It's common to repeat either the verb or "não" for emphasis. Like: "não brinque com isso, não" emphatic "don't NOT joke about that".
And "Ó" is commonly used to substitute for "olha" which means "look" either figuratively or literally. To call your attention to something usually. and para isso, means "look at that", or "watch out/it". Actually someone said that to me one day that I was in a little local store and I backed up and accidently bumped into a lady behind me, and she said that to me "Ó Paí, Ó"

Arivaldo is really awesome. He's also been a single daddy for a while; I'm not sure why, I didn't want to pry, but he has a little 2 year old baby. I sat next to his car-seat. Arivaldo had some pretty funny stories to tell about him. And explained why the car-seat was all torn up...apparently he likes to bite things.

The reason I tagged this blog with so many different things--well besides feeling like they're relevant and appropriate--I thought it is important to tag it under "gender relations" and "men" because I don't want negative things to be the only things to show up for them-- that wouldn't be representative.
I feel like Arivaldo was completely respectful and casual-professional the whole time, and I am very aware/sensitive about this kind of stuff and sexual harassment etc., and I at no time felt like he was crossing any line.
It was casual because we were joking and laughing and chilling, but he was not implying any inappropriateness, he was not dominating, he was like a good teacher friend who treated Debbie and me like colleagues who were deserving of respect. There was no focus on how we were women and he was a man or that he was older and we were younger; he still respected us and treated us like equals.
Finally his partner came and we were off back to our side of town. He was so kind in taking me literally to the gate of my apartment.
Obrigada Arivaldo!
I came back way later than expected and super hungry but I had a really great time.

The Jardim Botânico

11 nov. 2009

The Jardim Botânico is the Botanical Garden. My friend Debbie did an internship there for the whole stay. It has a lot to do with what she studies I forgot if it was like environmental with bio or if it was botanical something. But anyway, she brought me here finally and I got to meet a whole bunch of her super cool colleagues, like Arivaldo in this picture:

They all taught me a little more about botany and plant names and history. These people were really really knowledgable. Oh by the way a culture note: when I got there and started talking to the researchers and botanists etc, and at seperate times like 4 people told me "você fala português bem melhor do que ela...ela fala bem puxado" and I thought it was really funny and unexpected that people would just straight up tell someone "you speak way better than her", right in front of the other person and talk about how she speaks with difficulty.
I guess that's not really rude, I mean I don't think I'd be very offended but I am just not used to it and I think it could be percieved as something rude to say in California by most people. But anyway we thought it was funny especially cause Debbie was like "Yeah it's cause she speaks Spanish too". Anyway....


We went through a section where they're growing little Pau Brasil I think it was
oh right so this garden although it has a part of of in-pot growing plants, there is also a huge section that is meant for no touching nothing by one of the botanist students there, I think he's going to be writing a dissertation on this project of trying to remake a section close to what the forest would have looked like before colonization.



Oh I was having a blast with all the trees and plants. I love all this biodiversity and learning about the origins. For example the picture below is a Jaca tree!
Otherwise known as Jack Fruit in English. The Portuguese brought it from Asia (Malaysia area). And Jack fruit is super popular in a lot of Asian food and drinks. It's really quite delicious.
Baby Jaca
They opened one up with the machete that Arivaldo was carrying around. This is a very unripe one but nonetheless id kind of looks like that except the pulp is more of a bright yellow. However, apparently my mãe likes it a little green. But the researchers like it nice and yellow and sticky.
Growth to me is an interesting phenomena, and concept.

Then we went into this area in which they are growing a lot of the most commonly used herbs and plants in candomble ceremonies. It is interesting to note that most of the plants used in candomble have healing properties.

I totally forgot what the uses were of each one particularly but I know I took a few leaves of the one for stomach ache. You make a tea out of the leaves. Then there are some for headaches and a lot of things, I'm so sad i didn't write this down.
This one however is poisonous if consumed. Its colloquial name is "nobody can with me"

The jesus christ crown




This bright flourescent, fuchsia tree is around Algebra's house too, and I love how it spreads a bright fuchsia blanket all over the lawn and anything under it. These pictures are anything but exaggerating the color, my camera couldn't really capture it well but it's super bright pink!
Then I was about to go home when there was a huge traffic jam, we never found out what happened possibly a crash but people just decided to get off the buses and walk to wherever they were going. So I decided to wait a little longer there. --I stayed till closing.

The image that this garden uses on their logo or whatever is this pendulum tree. It's really really cool it looks like a tropical Christmas tree really. These little spheres just hang off the branches.


they showed me around the various steps they work on to archive the plants they're working with. Those wooden rack things are used to dry out the plants.
Check out the Nescau! researchers gotta have their chocolate milk, you know.
What they are working on now is collecting various parts of a plant, like the seed, the flower, the other things that are indicative of their structure.

They also showed me around the record room. And I apparently thought archiving was bloody hilarious. But what they do is they have a large part of the plant with the roots preferably and in a bag in the corner they have to include the seed, and I never thought about it but the flower is super important too; without the flower the plant can be indistinguishable from another apparently. There is also a description there too. There were soooo many archives and the room was cold so we didn't stay very long.
Arivaldo and his girlfriend were going to a concert near where I live so he offered to take me home but we had to pick up his girlfriend first...to be continued