Barbecue and firedancing

22 October 2011

Tonight there was a barbecue at the home of some of the foreign teachers who live in a house nearby.  I didn't have my camera with me, but fortunately others did and graciously gave me permission to use some of their photos.

Photo: Andrea Yates

Photo: Andrea Yates

Brazilians don't typically barbecue hamburgers, and for many of them it was their first time to have homemade burgers, but they were very well liked by everyone. In this part of Brazil, it's traditional for families to have a barbecue every Sunday - and any other occasion that gives an excuse for one.  The barbecue can be outdoors, but many homes also have indoor barbecues such as the one in the photo below.  With the amount of rain here, this is quite a nice luxury.

Photo: Beth Yates

One of the Brazilian women provided an unexpected entertainment in the form of a firedance.  It was really cool to watch - I have friends who do this but had never seen one before.

Photo: Beth Yates

 The audience reaction was very different from the US as well.  Back home, people would have been clapping and cheering throughout, but the Brazilians watched in complete silence.  Only after the performance was finished did everyone burst into applause and cheers.

Photo: Beth Yates

After the lights came  back up, she graciously allowed me to have a go at swinging the UNLIT fire cables.  It was great fun to try, but I discovered that yes, it IS as hard as it looks, perhaps even harder.  It would take me a very long time to get coordinated enough to use real fire, as my left hand refused to cooperate with my right.  If they had been lit, I would have set my hair and clothes on fire several times over.  Still fun! :D