header Ottawa 3

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Cachação

Yesterday I bought thirty-six bottles of Sagatiba cachaça, thus bringing my current export potential to forty-five bottles. Some would call it a lifetime supply. Others would call it a darn good party. Either way, I'm not looking forward to paying the duty on all forty-five bottles in one shot (unfortunately exemption from import duties is not one of the job's perks!).

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Why it Doesn't Necessarily Pay to be Too Organised

Over the past year, I have been slowly repatriating my fall and winter clothes; every time that either I, or someone visiting me, returned to Canada, so went a pile of sweaters, long-sleeve tops, and scarves. Having only wore a light jacket exactly three times in Recife in the past two years, I applauded my forward thinking. Knowing that my shipment back to Canada will take a matter of months, I was pleased to know that I could already count on having the basics of fall waiting for me.

Fast forward ... southern Brazil ... August 2007.

Temperatures are currently below zero in the south and in the single digits in the southeast where I will be heading for my predeparture final fling. News footage from São Paulo shows everyone all bundled up in winter jackets and tuques. Ack! My jean jacket is looking seriously deficient for the days ahead! I did buy a new jacket last month though and, although it is more about style than warmth, it'll have to do! Being up here in the Northeast, I had forgotten that parts of Brazil do actually experience winter....

Friday, July 27, 2007

Uma Cesta de Pensamentos - A Basket of Thoughts

Either today is a full moon or the driving skills of Recifenses have colletively deteriorated over the past day. I must have honked my horn more times today than in my whole time driving in Brazil combined. Knowing Recife, that's saying something!

As I was writing the date on a letter at work today, I realised I will be leaving Brazil in exactly one month.

A journalist that we hired to do some communications work for us was recently robbed at gunpoint on her way to meet with us at the office. She was stopped at a red light and surrounded by plently of other drivers. It was eleven in the morning at a major city intersection. Needless to say, my respect for amber and red lights has dropped exponentially since then.

I am going on a fun trip! I cashed in my remaining Brazilian airmiles and purchased first, a ticket to Curitiba in southern Brazil where I will spend three days; second, a connection to Campinas, a hoping off point to visiting a friend who lives on a coffee farm in Serra Negra, high in the mountains of the state of São Paulo near the border with Minas Gerais; and third, a bus ticket back to São Paulo, where I will meet with friends and drink an espresso under the giant fig tree at Figueira Rubaiyat. After my days in the big city, I will head to Brasilia for final meetings and goodbyes with colleagues and friends.

I sold my car (sniff, sniff) and am waiting for the paperwork to go through. For those who remember the fun I had trying to buy my car, it is just as much fun trying to get rid of it. I suspect that next Wednesday will be the last day that I will be able to drive before having to return the license plates.

The movers will come to my house in less than two weeks to pack up my stuff.

It'll be a busy four weeks!

Monday, July 23, 2007

Finalmente! A Cacaophone

Two years ago, when we headed on our literary pilgrimage to Ilhéus, I was surprised to not find a version of Brazil's famous orelhões in the shape of a cacao pod. I am happy to report though, that during my most recent escapade to Salvador, we did find a cacaophone! It's like I managed to fill in a lost-lost puzzle piece!

Sunday, July 22, 2007

I Swam with the Dolphins!

First: I finally made it to Praia da Pipa, one of the items on my elusive To Do Before I Leave list.

Second: After six years of travelling and living in Brazil, a beach still managed to totally stun me with its beauty. I would definitely classify Pipa as one of Brazil's top five to ten beaches.

Third: I swam with dolphins!

Really! It's true. One of the bays in Pipa - Praia dos Golfinhos (photo above) - is home to a school of dolphins, or golphins, as we started to call them. The dolphins play and swim really close to shore and seem to have no problem with us people floating about in their near vicinity. It was spectacular! While the dolphins obviously don't come right up and touch your nose, they do manage to get pretty close - maybe 5-8 metres away. A definite highlight!

Aside from the dolphins, Pipa is terrific. Totally relaxed beaches with little to no infrastructure; stunning cliffs as a backdrop; soft, fluffy sand; a light surf; and great food in the little town. In many ways it reminded me of Fernando de Noronha (minus the snorkling) x Porto de Galinhas x Tulum, Mexico.

Time and driving well spent!

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Blubbernecking

Two big pieces of news here in Recife yesterday. First, the horrific plane crash in São Paulo - which is too horrific to comment on [although as opposed to last September's crash in the Amazon, I do not think that we knew anyone on board] - and second, the enormous whale that beached itself, died and was hauled away by tractor trailors after causing hours and hours [something like 18 of them] of logistic complications and major blubbernecking¹ [of both vehicular and foot kind]. I have to admit, the blubber did get the best of me as well and I couldn't resist a peek at our own Moby. Now the beach is really being cautioned against swimming as the whale blood will attrack the sharks even more than usual.

¹ Coined by friend Sarah

Monday, July 16, 2007

Air Canada versus The Cat: Round Three

It turns out that there may be hope for Felix after all, as the ban on pets on international flights is being temporarily halted thanks to an intervention by the Canadian Transportation Agency. Now I only have two hopes. Hope # 1: That my Toronto - Ottawa flight is considered international as it is part of a broader international ticket; and Hope #2: That Felix manages to get on the TAM connector flight that I have booked from Recife to São Paulo. TAM can only provide an answer to this the day before I travel. YES, THE DAY BEFORE. How wonderful.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Saudade

Yesterday, I launched myself into the crowds of people milling around at the eighth edition of Recife’s annual Fennearte – Feira Nacional de Negócios do Artesanato. While walking through the corridors admiring carved paintings from Olinda, clay dolls and domestic scenes from Caruaru, woodcuts from Bezerros, elaborate saints sculpted from clay from Tracunhaém and from wood from Piauí, and lace and embroidery from Ceará among the hundreds of stalls and products, it hit me: I had saudade. I haven’t even left Brazil yet, but yet I already missed it. I missed the creativity and imagination of the artists and artisans. I missed the inventiveness of a people who had been given little in life. I missed the simple - yet deeply symbolic - ideas behind a nation’s arts and crafts. I missed the whimsical. I missed the joy of celebration that one finds at every turn. I wanted to grasp it all in my hands and bring it home with me. I wanted to dance through the aisles to the clanging of a cowbell. I wanted to capture the moment and bottle it up, to be able to open it and breathe it in when needed.

As the hours wore on, the Fair filled up and became crowded and increasingly difficult to navigate; the feeling was lost. But as I left, my three – yes, in the end I did manage restraint – purchases tucked safely under my arm, I knew that the feeling had existed and that I had managed to bottle its essence, ready to release it whenever necessary.

Friday, July 13, 2007

Back. Tired. Satisfied.

Finally back from my most recent escapade in Salvador. Although I must have clocked close to a hundred hours of OT during the space of twelve days, it was truly a fun & memorable experience. You can read the official version of it here. Pics 1 through 32 in the Photo Gallery are from Salvador.

Now if you will permit, I am off to sleep for the next forty-eight hours!