Bye, Bye Brazil

08.07.2012 18:56

Tonight I watched my last sunset in Salvador, a good time to reflect on the last month and a half. I’ve met some incredible people here—my housemom, the director of my language program, my Portuguese instructor and fellow classmates, as well as local students, musicians, and social workers spending their lives to improve their communities. Friday I had a chance to visit the community of Liberdade and meet the director and founder of Ilê Aiyê, the esteemed bloco afro that started the Bahia's black consciousness movement decades ago with the intention of transforming lives through music, fostering pride in one's self and solidarity in the community, which plays an integral role in development in Brazil. Friday night we gave presentations on our learning experiences and had a huge reception and party with the school's faculty and students from Steve Biko. Though I’m very ready to be home in Austin, a piece of my heart is now in Salvador and I know I’ll be back again some day. Until the next time!

Bagunçaço

04.07.2012 17:49

My trip is wrapping up, and I can’t believe how quickly the time has passed. I’m sitting on a terrace café at an French language school on the bay, a pleasant reprieve from busy streets and a perfect spot for focused study. Yet another world within the world of Salvador. I spent today with a community music project called Bagunçaço (“a big mess”). It started in 1991 in a favela of stick houses built over the sea, with a group of kids that beat to their own drums of cans and recycling materials. One of the older kids, Joselito Crispim, decided to formalize the group into a band and hence was born Bagunçaço. Today the group has a brick-and-mortar site for student-led music classes, a Web-based TV project (see http://www.tvlata.org/), schoolwork reinforcement, English learning, and a positive environment for kids to learn from each other. Above all, the idea is to use music to transform kids’ lives from within, keeping them off the streets where drugs and crime rule. I was so impressed today by the leadership we saw in 12, 13, 14-year olds. They showed us their Web TV project and artwork, we had a drum lesson (all the instruments are made from recycled materials), and even participated in caipoeira. Though rarely recognized, in a formal way, it is these types of community projects that are so essential to development and education in Brazil. I feel honored to have spent the day with Bagunçaço! 

 Percussion instruments made of recycled materials. 

 One of many paintings - this is a typical beach scene of a vendor selling queijo quente - fresh cheese grilled over coals, served with oregano and molasses. Yum!

N'Kosi Sikeleli

27.06.2012 19:51

This week we spent two days learning from students at Steve Biko, the school for Afro-Brazilian high school students. This time, instead of helping with English we got to learn from them in Portuguese. First, we learned about African foods brought over during the slave trade, including okra and the black-eyed-pea used to make acarajé. Since we’ve been learning a lot about African religions and syncretism found in candomblé, the lecture was also tied to the spiritual connections of the foods as offerings to orixás. Then the next session was a hands-on music lesson. As a group, we sang Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” complete with a soloist (Omaris), chorus (the rest of us!), and keyboardist. Then, we learned a song of particular significance to the Steve Biko group: N'Kosi Sikeleli, the national anthem of South Africa. It’s a very moving song! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFW7845XO3g&feature=related

São João

26.06.2012 21:29

I think every traveler hits a moment when they miss home. Like right now I’m craving Mexican food (not a tortilla to be found here!), longing for a hot shower in today’s cooler weather, I miss my trail runs with friends (Laura, Mel, Katie, Sky – talking to you!), and above all I wish I could hang out with my heart, my home, Zak. But, I only have two weeks left in Salvador and I am making the most of it. It never really stopped raining Saturday night, but we went out to celebrate São João despite the drizzle. Totally worth it! We kicked it off with street food (it’s good stuff here!)—chicken kebabs, queijo quente (fresh cheese sprinkled with oregano, browned over hot coals, and served with molasses), and acarajé all accompanied by cravinhos, clove-infused cachaça and capirinhas. Of course, after these indulgences we had to dance it off, not hard to do in Brazil! The Pelourinho area had numerous stages with live bands, and we found some great forro music and danced into the night. These are times I’m going to miss when I’m back in Austin! Pictured below: Helena, Ellie, and myself (my friend Asal is taking the picture!).

Rainy Season

23.06.2012 12:47

Today is Saturday, and the plan was to enjoy outdoor festivities of São João, a popular holiday being celebrated this weekend. However, rainy season ventures in the city on a day like today aren’t super fun as you’re likely to get drenched by a passing bus or find yourself up to your shins in questionable looking puddles. In any case, I am making the most of it by spending time with my house mom Helena. We watched a Brazilian movie, ZuzuAngel, about the 1970’s military dictatorship here and a mother who courageously sought the truth about her son that disappeared. Also, we made a bolo de carimã, another yucca-like root used in indigenous foods here. The cake is made with coconut milk, eggs, and sugar and some people add cinnamon and cloves. It’s chewy and has an interesting, earthy flavor that goes well with tea of coffee. It’s pictured below with beiju seco with coconut and maracujá (passion fruit). 

Paradise

22.06.2012 20:09

So much of Salvador is like a slice of paradise: Beach every day, amazingly fresh fruit at every meal, and fresh coconut water for cents. Definitely things I’ll miss when I go home. But it’s all at a cost, too. Yesterday in class we were talking about the price of material goods in the States compared to here. Like jeans, phones and computers, Honda Civics, chocolate. It all super expensive in Brazil – not just more in actual US dollars, but also as a ratio of income. Why? Because of super high taxes. And what are the taxes used for? That’s where paradise piece becomes nuanced. Instead of using taxes for social needs such as education, health care, and infrastructure, politicians notoriously pocket money, live in penthouses, and drive around in bullet-proof Mercedes. And it’s not just the poor that suffer, it’s the middle class too. What’s more, is that there’s a theory: In Brazil, and much of Latin America, education is de-emphasized as a governmental project. Why? Because an illiterate population is easy to manipulate. Which is why the working class mobilizes so often in protest and looks up to historic leaders like Che Gueverra. Just this year in Salvador, teachers have been on strike for over a month (it’s the school year now, but no one’s in school, even the university). Early this spring, the transportation system was on strike (no buses for several days!), and even the police have been on strike. Though perhaps with some flaws in design, the intention is clear:  agitating the waters to make it a paradise for all.

Rambutão

20.06.2012 20:04

Since I missed a couple of days of blog entries (bad Internet connection!!) I thought I’d post some fun pictures to make up for it. The first one is a crazy looking fruit called rambutão. The inside has a sweet, slightly acidic fruit that pops out and you eat around the seed. Yum! The next picture is açai bowls—blended açai with your choice of other fruits (I like mine with chlorofila, a mix of greens) and topped with bananas. So good! In the photo below I’m with colleagues Omaris, Priscilla, and Ellie. I will definitely miss our frequent tigelas de açai!