One Month

I wrote this on Tuesday, the day that marks the end of my first month in Brasil. I’m posting some pictures to show you some of what I’ve seen. I would have to write several books to try to explain the myriad emotions and experiences I’ve encountered in that time, besides pictures are more fun to look at than text. I heart you.

m.


Candomble: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candomble On street corners, it is common to see bowls filled with beer surrounded by potatoes, corn and sometimes entire unplucked chickens. Over the course of a day it is likely that poor person will drink the beer and take the chicken to make a meal.

On Saturday I went to Acampamento Gaucho. For this event, Gauchos build cabins out of the wood you see here. There are roughly 300 cabins and booths on the site. People sell erba mate, cuiras and bombas, handicrafts, food, beer, traditional Gaucho garb, etc. We talked about the cultures within Brasil, listened to music, drank beer, ate churassco and danced. The fellow in the blue was the bartender, the singer and a jovial and gentle man. He’s playing a German accordion that is over 100 years old. The fellow on the right was raised in a German region of Rio Grande do Sul near Farroupilha, and did not learn to speak Portuguese until he was 25.

Traditional Garb



Uvas: These are the orchards where grapes are grown for wine. In this region they grow grapes for table wine. Other types of grapes here (if I heard correctly) are called Isabelas and Nanguens



Chaves: Since there is so much poverty here, there is a high rate of theft and where there is the threat of theft there are locks. Where there are locks, there is a need for keys. I see, at minimum, 5 of these places everyday. They are ubiquitous.