What I do? (MTFSO Sent to you from Bahia, Brasil)

this is paramount to asking “who am I”.  What an awful question to ask a retired person; who lives in a country where language is difficult; who lives far from the lives of children and grandchildren; who, when moving to said foreign country, inherited a housekeeper and a gardener; and who is not the most adventuresome person.   Forcing me to face ‘what do I do?’  (God forbid I ask the question – Who am I?)

Life moves along, time passes quite rapidly, so there must be something of substance in those days, months, years.  I don’t watch daytime TV, nor languish on the sofa eating chocolates – so there must be something.  Just this last year I gave up my quasi job of quasi bookkeeping for a small Norwegian company – basically converting Portuguese expenses into English and into US$ reports for Corporate in Oslo.  The job was not at all a challenge and not particularly interesting but kept me in my own spending change for the past 7 years – I will miss the money.  Nothing is worse than having to routinely asking your husband for money so you can buy a jar of hand cream. 

I do spend too many hours on Facebook, and other computer oriented activities.  I drive into town to go to the gym and to run errands…grocery shopping and such (four or 5 hours per week).   I do cook, usually the midday meal which means that daily about two hours are taken care of.  Lets see, I sleep about 7 hours … so that is nine out of 24 …. Add in 3 hours on the computer and two or so on the veranda having coffee or a drink with Camillo listening in while he talks of his day and his contacts in the outside world. and, the average, 1 hour at the gym…  We are now up to 15 of 24 hours accounted for in a day – what happens to the other 9 hours per day? …. are you bored silly yet?

Trying to account for a day in the time of a retired person is a futile exercise.   If I pull back a bit, look at my time from a distance, I can add baking cookies, which I normally take to the gym so the young, slender girls are tempted with the calories  …Lol…and I will not.  I make jams and jellies as the fruits are in season – one of my favorite activities,  and I travel.  Some retired people play golf, or lunch at the country club and play cards, we travel. 

Usually, I have one or two trips a year to Houston / Adrian to visit family.  We take one major trip a year and that has pretty constantly been to Europe where we end up in Rome to visit Camillo only sister.  Along the way, we visit friends in different cities of Brasil and S. America.  Enjoying ourselves immensely, eating and tasting and being entertained.  Yes, if looked at from a distance life is pretty good.  

This week we have been in Salvador Bahia.  Camillo consulting, facilitating and entertaining, and I walking and taking photos and trying to keep myself busy.  (Hum!)  I do enjoy the taking photos part, finding treasures and enjoying new spaces, color and reflections.  And next week will be busy with editing and storing the photos.  Yes, If viewed from a distance Life IS Good.

Salvador, Bahia Revisited

Camillo has been bringing me to Bahia (as the natives call Salvador) for visits for the past 20 years.  I guess this trip represents my 6th or 7th time here.  It is one of my favorite Brazilian cities.  The people that you meet here, from restaurant service to the vendors on the street, seem to have an inherent good nature, a warm smile and a helpful attitude freely given. 

Most visits we make at least on walk through the old city, mainly because (of course) Camillo like to eat in favorite local restaurants.  Today we had the additional enjoyment of showing a first-timer to Salvador around our favorite sights; the Mercado Modelo, then up the (pretty rickety) elevator at the cost of R$0.15 each, taking him on a walk around the old city.   This visit I requested more time to actual visit the inside space of a couple of the churches and the Palácio Rio Branco, which sits right at the top of the elevator.   

I could have stopped with my walk through the ‘Palace’ and been perfectly happy.  Built in 1889 and refurbished in 1919, half of the ground floor, devoid of furniture, is a truly beautiful space.  We didn’t see upstairs – you can only go up with a tour, but the two large rooms and the rounded veranda overlooking the sea are spectacular.

   

My plan was to give you more photos from todays walk but  I will complete this in the morning…. too long a day, too much food.  Tomorrow Camillo goes to the field – he will be in ‘hog heaven’.  I will get into the feel of the tropic, start slow, have breakfast late, then a walk and a sit by the pool.  No complaints.  Tomorrow the ‘Ordem Terceira Secular de Sao Francisco.  Night.

Weekend plans

Camillo and I are off to Bahia again today. We will spend the weekend on an island off the coast of Salvador. I am hoping for some photos to share at the first of the week. As this is at a private beach house, we are not anticipating Internet connection until we go into the city late Monday afternoon. 'Ya'all have a great weekend, ya hear.'

 

Marina - Salvador, Bahia, Brasil

(I have 20 minutes for comments on 'landscapes' then I am out of here - catch everyone else on Monday and Tuesday. )

My Town Friday Shoot-out / Incongruous

incongruous definition in·con·gru·ous (in käŋ′groo əs, -kän′-) adjective not congruous; specif., lacking harmony or agreement; incompatible having inconsistent or inharmonious parts, elements, etc. not corresponding to what is right, proper, or reasonable; unsuitable; inappropriate.

This complete past week I have been in Salvador in the State of Bahia, Brasil. Today I travel home, returning to Rio and to Nova Friburgo on Saturday morning. I did not bring my computer but am using Camillo's. I find myself handicapped by this, I count on my external drive and my photo archives to bring you some photos that represent our topics when not at home or the world is not right.

Yes I cheat, all the photos I use in the shoot-out are mine but often not taken the week of the topic. After all we can't always count on sunny skies when we shoot 'outdoor food' or a family gathering when it is time to 'relax' at the local park.

To tell the real truth, I have been uncomfortable with this topic. My purpose, as I have explained at other times; my purpose in taking photos and showing them on this blog has been to convince myself of what beauty exists in Brasil. To show this topic would be to show the discordance, the inharmonious parts of Brasil that I find so uncomfortable. To walk on the street in one of the riches barrios in Rio, Ipanema, to step around the beggar sleeping wrapped in an old cardboard box, to stop and take a photo of this unpleasant site is just not within my comfort zone.

This week I have talked of the blight in the cities and the garbage on the street - these incongruous sites - so at odds with the beauty of the oceans, the clear blue of the sky and the beauty of the shoreline and the mountains - but I've not taken any photos of garbage on the beach, I just don't want to save this on disc.

Yesterday I walked north from the hotel with my little camera and the idea of taking photos of a couple of things I had seen from the bus the day before. I'd seen a house facing the sea - let me show you -

I only took this one photo. While taking the photo a woman stopped on the other side of the street and started to jester and yell at me. What was she saying? I think she was frightened and concerned that I was using my camera out on the street. I was less than a block from a walled army base. My back was to the ocean and it was empty of people, the sidewalk two hundred yards each direction was empty. I had felt safe, now I was filled with fear - what signs of danger was I missing?

I walked back to the hotel, looking over my shoulder every time I heard footsteps behind me. I got back to the hotel and ate a complete bag of chips....Damn, regression. I hate this feeling of fear of my surroundings. I had felt this way back 6 years ago when I first arrived and thought myself past it. I hate this feeling of the world being out of balance, of not being as I thought it, the feeling that I am incongruous - out of place in this country. I was proud that I had been out walking each day, not hiding in the hotel and now I will need to talk myself out of these feeling of fear again.

Brasil a country of contrasts; of religion and of deities; of the super rich and of grinding poverty; of the top private education and of those unable to read or to count; the mountains of granite and the mounds of garbage - incongruous in the sum of its parts -

("Jesus Christ is the Lord" - unknown art work intent)

Just for those who live inland or in the far north...

OHHHH! I don't know how Camillo does it. Every morning he bounds out of bed, checks his email, does business ... eats a large breakfast, catches a taxi and goes until 1pm or so, has lunch with overly enthusiastic young people.... comes back to the hotel around 5 ..... takes a deep snoring nap, then bounds out of bed to get ready for dinner.... at 1:30 AM we were back here to sleep.... at 7:30 he bounds out of bed.... I drag myself upright and now at 10:00 am ready to go for a walk with my cameras.... how does he do it?

I am sorry I cannot capture on film the smell of the air or the softness of the breeze, but here is a short video for those of you that live in the interior, whether it be Brazil, or the USA or Europe.... or live in the desert or the side of a glacier, enjoy this moment standing on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean as the tide rolls in.

 

Getting your feet wet!

 

Visiting the true tropics

 

Yesterday I walked for two hours along the beach here in Salvador, I managed to get a good burn all across my forehead and around the edge of my shirt at the neck and the shoulders - it was my own fault, and yes I still love this city.

It seems more moderate in temperature than both Houston and Rio de Janeiro. The city is on the tip of a promontory so it is surrounded (on three sides) by the sea and a breeze blows constantly.  Because of the prevailing winds and because it sets very close to the equator - the temperatures do not vary during the year.  The sky is a bright clear blue, and combined with the slow friendly smiles of the Bahians, Salvador definitely feels tropical.

 

In a way that is surprising to me - because I have fought the process - I have come to love Brasil. And because of this feeling of affection, I really despair at the look of rot that permeates the cities here. Camillo and I argue constantly about this.  He thinks I am just criticizing the country, but I really don't understand. If I say anything to anyone here their response is that there just isn't money..... ho hum..... the government is corrupt.... ho hum.... it is a poor country.... ho hum...

 

It does not take money to be clean. (now Camillo reading this will say.... "yes, we know but its not the same") My upbringing in the 50s and 60s was poor. Seven children, one parent working as a policeman in a small town, one pair of shoes a year in September, hand-me-down dresses and donation boxes for Christmas from our church, yes we were poor.             

 

But never would we have dumped our garbage on the street, on

the side of the road, on the beach for the non existent government trash-pick-up to  clean up for us. Our mother would have taken a broom stick to our backside if she caught us dropping trash anywhere inside or outside of our home.

 

I just really don't understand the expensive hotel with the high fence, that doesn't keep the street in front clean, and its sidewalk in good repair.... this is not about being poor this is some other self image that is just wrong ......... A national low self esteem?

 

Anyone here will say 'it is our government' but is it the government that lets the outside of private property begin to crumble and die..... I just can't understand. 

Hello from Salvador, Bahia!

Camillo with his first (this visit) caiprinha in Salvador

 

I promise - if I can make it through this week following my old (er than me) husband around as he 'works' the Brazilian Geophysical Society Convention in Salvador, Bahia - then I PROMISE I will take it easy for a month, take eating easy for a month, and stay home in Friburgo for a month - unless we have to go to Rio, of course.

 

I hope to have a few photos for you as I walk the city while Camillo works. I will have to take my small Sony because taking the Nikon out while alone is like wearing a sign that says 'take me I am a stupid tourist'.  Today we drove with friends to Cachoeira e São Félix about 120 km from Salvador. These little towns are supposed to be in the process of being preserved, but I could only imagine the millions that would be needed to put them into 'bring tourists flocking' condition.

 

 

 

 

 

A few photos to show the work that needs to be done and the potential these towns have.