Saturday, June 30, 2012

Butterfly and Booze

30 June 2012

Found these photos in a folder marked "miscellaneous" where they were overlooked.

A gorgeous butterfly photographed in the garden at school. It took me forever to get a photo with wings open for display.

And a great brand name for booze (I guess no one knows what it means in Brazil) - tell it like it is!

And finally, quentão, or mulled wine, Brazilian style. I looked online for some recipes and found that in most of Brazil it is made with cachaça, citrus and spices, but here in the south it is made with cachaça, wine and spices. I decided to combine the two and used wine, citrus, cachaça and spices. Perfect autumn /winter drink!

Friday, June 29, 2012

Capital Inicial

29 June 2012

On this particular Friday night I went to a rock concert with my Brazilian friends. We paid an amazingly low price for tickets for a really great show, just R$35 - and I bought mine late, earlier on they were R$30. That is less than USD$20. I think back home a similar show would have cost at least twice that. The music was good, the special effects and videos were good, and the lead singer played the audience well.



Along with their own songs, they also performed covers by the Clash and the Ramones which were a lot of fun and well done.
The lead singer was wearing a T-shirt and floppy ganster-style stocking cap, and the lead guitarist in cowboy gear. Funny combo, but it works here.
Here's the video footage I took at the show - you might want to reduce the volume before clicking "play" because my camera's microphone isn't too great and there's plenty of distortion. Anyway, you can get an idea of the visual part of the show. Sadly, the part where fire shot up out of the stage was too out of focus to include it, it was cool.

Post-show group photos are mandatory in Brazil!  Hmmmm, I didn't think our group was that large and I don't recognize everyone, so maybe some "extras" got into the photo...

After the show it was 2:00 AM, still early by Brazilian standards, so we went to a nearby bar/lancheria to hang out.
Old fuddy duddy that I am, I called it a night at 3:00 and went home, hitting the pillow at 4:00 AM. I think I'm getting too old for this, but it was fun anyway!

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Noite de Carreteiro e Violão

23 June 2012

A fabulous evening with my friends, homemade dinner and guitar singalong until the wee hours.
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Edited to add comments and videos
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The friend who hosted the party has a FABULOUS apartment. Look at this view!

The cook wouldn't allow anyone to help in the kitchen, so potatoes were being peeled in the living room.
Wine, friends, balcony, view... very nice.
The cook, doing it all on her own!
I have got to learn guitar, it is such a great way to entertain friends.
Dinner is almost ready and they are lining up near the kitchen!
Yummmmmmm!
Someone always has to be silly...

Carreteiro is a rice dish which traditionally was made with rice and whatever leftover meat and vegies were around, but ours was made from scratch.
Om nom nom!!!
After dinner, the whole group gathered around the guitars, I love this.
Cool lighting effects in the Disco Apartment.

The TV is on, but no one is watching it. Win!

Bright and shiny faces.
Oh my god, what happened here?










And now, the videos, so that when my Brazilian friends become famous I can say, "I knew them when..."
This is hilarious. He sings "Besame Mucho" in a parody of various languages. It always has everyone rolling on the floor laughing.
The lone Gypsy King!
The guitars kept changing hands as the hands needed a break. There were two guitars and at least four players.

Friday, June 22, 2012

June Festival at the elementary school

22 June 2012

During the month of June it is traditional to hold festivals here. Traditions include a kind of mini carnival, certain regional foods, bonfires, and dressing like hillbillies. The local elementary school had a festival and since the majority of our child students go to that school, I went over to see it, and was amply rewarded by running into many of my students there.  I got to meet the children of my adult students and the parents of my child students. The decorations and festival were great and everyone looked to be having a wonderful time.



  The children's paintings were sweet!
  
Some friends I met up with by chance at the festival.
 I don't know whether this was a dad, a big brother, or just someone who wandered in, but he was REALLY hamming it up!

 View of the hall, it was very crowded and wonderfully decorated.
 Potato and Cheese Bread. I'm not sure whether this was one item or two.
 Dunno what these guys were announcing...
 ... but look at the reaction they got from the kids! Wooooowwwwwww!


 "Little Churrasco", aka shish kebabs.
 Some more of my wonderful girls!
 Friends!
 I love these flags, hand made from magazine pages.
 Popcorn booth.
 The fishing booth was hugely popular throughout the evening.
 Watch this little boy's face as he puts his line in...
 ... catches something, wow!
 And the cutest part, showing it to his sister.

Finally, for your viewing pleasure: adorable small children dancing!