The vagabond is still daily routineless, wandering, constantly hunting with the hounds (who by now have blood on all paws), researching, reading, and eating way too much meat and drinking pools full of the irresistible Guarana.
News:
-Have reached my 30th Portuguese class. Gettin' there. Would say I can understand about 40% of what's in the newspaper. Speaking it and making the correct pronunciations is at about 20%, which encouragingly gives me enough to ask for and describe things in kinder garden argot. What's "super legal", or really cool, as they'd say down here is that Portuguese is a real back door into Spanish. I had a sneak preview of my Spanish material and talked to a few of the locals about it. To read and write, Spanish is about 75% identical, to speak about 50%. The Portuguese can understand Spanish but not visa versa. It's like killing one bird and injuring the other with the one stone. Will make it easier to converse with the Chileans and Argentians when we arrive.
-Looking at a lot of apartments. Will have moved out of Marcel's apartment by the start of June. 2 bedroom, close to the city and metro in a shared hotel, with front door security is the norm over here. I can stretch the budget to 1,200 real ( 350 euros), which should be enough. If lucky I may get access to a pool and gym, and, some cleaning services inclusive.
-Bought tickets with my friends: Lincoln and Carlos & Laura to go this Saturday morning to a "rugged, mountainous paradise", to the north of Brasil, Chamapa. We're going for a week. Will bring the camera and camcorder. The ticket to and from Salvador which is about 2,000km away cost 65 euros and the last 400km of the journey is either an 8 hour bus ride to and back, on a pot hole ridden, bumpy road that would justice to a mine field exhibition in Vietnam, for 65 euros, or, a flight for 225 euros (monopoly). We've gone for the flight. Should be great, pictures look a little like the interior of Crete (Samari Gorge) juxtaposed with something similar to the Andes. Should be plenty of cascading waterfalls, deep echoing caves, and chilly, windy, undulating mountain hikes. It should be a cerebral churning, intoxication, roller coaster, hypnotising, one-to-see, one-for-the-books, backs to your seat, hair pulled, skin pinching, eye pressing ride. Well that's what Eusebius reckons. Hope he's right. I've tried to tell him that there will be few if any other dogs there, no dicsos, no pubs to roar and bark in, ecetra, ecetra. He just turned his torso and wagged his tail nonchantly twice at me and bobbled off to bed under the table. Eusebius had a diametrical position, he'll settle for the "rugged, mountainous paradise" thing. He's looking forward to it more than Brutos. Told me he'll work on his writing there. Will give a detailed report when I get back.
-Going out with the Brazilians to see Brazil Vs France tonight. Should be a great game. It will be fun surrounded by the locals watching the World Champions.
-Gotta go get some pacanha, starving, tchau.
Thursday, May 20, 2004
Wednesday, May 12, 2004
The Ace of Spades
Day: 50
Location: Sao Paulo
Weather: 21
Books: 'Nausea' by Jean-Paul Satre; 'Lonesome Traveler' by Jack Kerouac and nearly at the end of Ron, Hermonine and Harry's adventures in 'The Goblet of Fire'.
The last few days have seen some wonderful game. Many different kills, in many different places, in many differnet ways. We've all had a productive few days.
Brutos reported that he went to a bar last night with a pack of friends of his to get an ace of spades signed by Lemmy the lead singer of Motorhead (he's goin' to their concert this Friday). At it he bumped into an up and coming Brazilian "'dark' metal band" called "The Passangers of Darkness". Supposedly, the base player, a Paulista, called Louisa took a liking too him. He spent most of the night sitting around a table with her and 3 other semi-naked chics clad in leather and metal, and three blokes, that would all look quiet comfortable on the set of "Once were Warriors 3" or "The Crow 2". All, as you can now probably imagine were decked out in your quintessential, silver, leather and arse touching wavy mullets. He spent the night drinking whiskey, cold beers, making finger signs and studying tatoos of dark masses and Conan the Barrion. Subjects breached in torn English and crumpled Portugese, with tons of head shaking, hand flapping, and a variety of ingenious clicking and whistling nosies were: the preferred height at which a base guitar should be played? if a tequila and whiskey compound could be a new world beating product? and, if Megadeath have ever played in Ireland? Sounded like a good night. He said it was one of his best experiences yet. In only the way he knows how to offend, he claimed he was 'as happy as a paedophile, in a Barney suit, on a bouncy castle.' How his mind has become infected by a lifetime of warped observations and developed into the strange lump of grey matter, he still calls a brain, i'll probably never know. Sometimes i have to sympathise with Eusebius! How he has put up with Brutos for so long? It makes me kind of understand why he accepted the challenge!
Brutos is off hunting again, just went out the door, i hope the next time I see him he's not wearing a powder white Marlin Mason face on his wrinkled mug, or a tatoo of a blood ridden celtic cross or dead scarecrow on one of his hind legs or his tail!
Eusebius on the other hand continues to hunt and kill in a different way: more calculated, more premeditated and as has become his trademark, with tons more precision.
He pounced and killed at a chic and sophisticated Pizzeria. He was invited there by one of his friends. It was a belated happy mother's day celebration. All the family were there: sisters, fathers, grandmothers, the lot. On the course were a wide variety of pizzas, with some of the most sumptuous, throat and stomach tingling cheeses known to man. All expertly cooked by white mask wearing chefs in a massive open baked furnance. Also, on show, to add to the already mouth wateringly pleasing food, and may i add fine Chilean white wine, was a four piece jazz band with a flute player that would give James Galway a run for his golden rod any day of the week. The rest of his time he told me has been spent researching pens! Not sure what he was talking about but he said he has been doing a little research on the Net at the local library he has taken a liking to. He said i'll know more when I read his entry in the competiton. He went out the door shortlly after Brutos. He borrowed the only pen I had before he left. That's the third one this week and he hasn't returned any!
He and Eusebius seem to be talking to each other again. Not as openingly and as off-the-cuff as they use to be, but, vagabonds can't be choosers- i'm thankful their at least sitting at the same table for food. The silence was deafening when they weren't talking. Well, deafening to my ears anyway, maybe in dog ear, they were still arguing? I don't think so. Anyway, it's a start. I'll take it.
As for my hunting. Spent the last few days studying my Portugese. I'm not sure if it is getting harder or easier. Yesterday, I would have said harder, today, easier. I'm presently working in a combination of ways to improve: [1]by still using my trusty 'Teach yourself Brazilian Portugese' book which i bought in the motherland, yesterdays chapter was entitled: 'como foi a viagem?' 'how was the journey' [2] Still receiving one and a half hour private lessons. Currently working on translating very basic paragraphs that I write in English to Portugese, 3 year old, pre kinder garden stuff [3] Practicing with anyone that will listen and [4] reading advertisement signs everywhere i go.
Now it's my time to go out the door!
Location: Sao Paulo
Weather: 21
Books: 'Nausea' by Jean-Paul Satre; 'Lonesome Traveler' by Jack Kerouac and nearly at the end of Ron, Hermonine and Harry's adventures in 'The Goblet of Fire'.
The last few days have seen some wonderful game. Many different kills, in many different places, in many differnet ways. We've all had a productive few days.
Brutos reported that he went to a bar last night with a pack of friends of his to get an ace of spades signed by Lemmy the lead singer of Motorhead (he's goin' to their concert this Friday). At it he bumped into an up and coming Brazilian "'dark' metal band" called "The Passangers of Darkness". Supposedly, the base player, a Paulista, called Louisa took a liking too him. He spent most of the night sitting around a table with her and 3 other semi-naked chics clad in leather and metal, and three blokes, that would all look quiet comfortable on the set of "Once were Warriors 3" or "The Crow 2". All, as you can now probably imagine were decked out in your quintessential, silver, leather and arse touching wavy mullets. He spent the night drinking whiskey, cold beers, making finger signs and studying tatoos of dark masses and Conan the Barrion. Subjects breached in torn English and crumpled Portugese, with tons of head shaking, hand flapping, and a variety of ingenious clicking and whistling nosies were: the preferred height at which a base guitar should be played? if a tequila and whiskey compound could be a new world beating product? and, if Megadeath have ever played in Ireland? Sounded like a good night. He said it was one of his best experiences yet. In only the way he knows how to offend, he claimed he was 'as happy as a paedophile, in a Barney suit, on a bouncy castle.' How his mind has become infected by a lifetime of warped observations and developed into the strange lump of grey matter, he still calls a brain, i'll probably never know. Sometimes i have to sympathise with Eusebius! How he has put up with Brutos for so long? It makes me kind of understand why he accepted the challenge!
Brutos is off hunting again, just went out the door, i hope the next time I see him he's not wearing a powder white Marlin Mason face on his wrinkled mug, or a tatoo of a blood ridden celtic cross or dead scarecrow on one of his hind legs or his tail!
Eusebius on the other hand continues to hunt and kill in a different way: more calculated, more premeditated and as has become his trademark, with tons more precision.
He pounced and killed at a chic and sophisticated Pizzeria. He was invited there by one of his friends. It was a belated happy mother's day celebration. All the family were there: sisters, fathers, grandmothers, the lot. On the course were a wide variety of pizzas, with some of the most sumptuous, throat and stomach tingling cheeses known to man. All expertly cooked by white mask wearing chefs in a massive open baked furnance. Also, on show, to add to the already mouth wateringly pleasing food, and may i add fine Chilean white wine, was a four piece jazz band with a flute player that would give James Galway a run for his golden rod any day of the week. The rest of his time he told me has been spent researching pens! Not sure what he was talking about but he said he has been doing a little research on the Net at the local library he has taken a liking to. He said i'll know more when I read his entry in the competiton. He went out the door shortlly after Brutos. He borrowed the only pen I had before he left. That's the third one this week and he hasn't returned any!
He and Eusebius seem to be talking to each other again. Not as openingly and as off-the-cuff as they use to be, but, vagabonds can't be choosers- i'm thankful their at least sitting at the same table for food. The silence was deafening when they weren't talking. Well, deafening to my ears anyway, maybe in dog ear, they were still arguing? I don't think so. Anyway, it's a start. I'll take it.
As for my hunting. Spent the last few days studying my Portugese. I'm not sure if it is getting harder or easier. Yesterday, I would have said harder, today, easier. I'm presently working in a combination of ways to improve: [1]by still using my trusty 'Teach yourself Brazilian Portugese' book which i bought in the motherland, yesterdays chapter was entitled: 'como foi a viagem?' 'how was the journey' [2] Still receiving one and a half hour private lessons. Currently working on translating very basic paragraphs that I write in English to Portugese, 3 year old, pre kinder garden stuff [3] Practicing with anyone that will listen and [4] reading advertisement signs everywhere i go.
Now it's my time to go out the door!
Tuesday, May 04, 2004
Some differences
Day: 42
Weather: 27c
Book: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Location: Sao Paulo (will be in neighbouring Bebedor tomorrow for 3 days)
Here's a few things that are different in Brasil:
[1] Just in case you didn't know already they drive on the other side of the road. The main brands of car are: Cheverlot, Voltzwagen and Fiat. Most of the cars are small. I've only seen a handful of BMWs, Jags or Mercedes. Bikes are prominent and the drive like something out of Mad Max. Complete lunatics. They also have an excellent Metro. Why Ireland hasn't got one, here and now in the '00s still defies all logic!
[2] They don't eat vinger with their chips. They actually find it offensive when you ask for it at a restaurant. Likewise, while they have milk, which kind of tastes like ours, they don't consume it often, in fact hardly at all, and usually only at breakfast. You get a similar look of perplexion if asking for it when dining. Butter comes in two categories, with or without salt. They've never heard of hot port. They don't serve hot drinks full stop. They rarely if ever use pint glasses with their beer instead opting for a water downed glass half the size of a half point glass. With a bishops collar three times the size of one you'd get on a Guinness. Let's call it a quarter glass!
[3] When going into bars they take your name and number on entry. Each table is given a menu and a waiter. Everytime you order they tick your card and then at the end of the night, you queue up at a till and pay your bill. Much better system. Everyone usually looks after themselves, and you don't have to fight your way through a frustrated mob to get the notice of the barman.
[4] They call text messages torpedos. They rarely send them though. The big operators down here are: Tim (my one), Claro and Vivo.
[5] Poverty is rife, and kids are constantly juggling balls in front of cars when there is a red light to try scrape a few coins together. Some of the acts vary from spinning fire sticks, doing handstands and all types of dancing. There is also a fair share of crippled begging.
[6] The police carry guns.
[7] School starts at 7am.
[8] Most of the films in the cinema are in English with Portugese subtiles. Saw Kill Bill 1 this week, understood half the Japanese dialogues.....Cost about 2 euros to go.
[9] Nearly everyhouse I know has a dog.
[10] Extremely hard to borrow money in the banks. About 15% interest. Can you imagine that rate with the amount of mortgages being spitted out each day in Ireland. It would very quickly topple the property market. Inversely, and unbelieveably you can get about 15% interest on your savings. Bascially, if you have money just chuck it in the bank and live off the intereset.
[11] Most of the houses have a maid that cleans and washes everything at least once a week.
[12] Nightclubs open at about 12 and finish at 7am. Monday night can be a big night.
[13] They have excellent non-crust, sliced white bread. Good ideas. I'm sure mother's feeding their young all over Ireland would appreciate it. Makes those toasted fingers a little easier to prepare.
[14] They have big problems with their energy generation. As such, as I guess we should all do, they often just have one or two lights on in an apartment at any given time.
[15] Fridges are twice the size of ours. So are ovens and grills.
[16] In Sao Paulo women nearly all have long hair. Mostly black or brunette. Brown eyes and brown skin is the staple look in the city. To the north dark black skin is more prominent. In the far south east, Porte Alegre, etc the European influence is more pronounced with blond hair and blue eyes widespread.
[17] Most people pay with check books when paying their bill.
[18] The cans of coke come in 350ml not 330.
[19] All the taxis are white.
[20] Unemployment in SP is running at 20.7 compared to 4.4 in our entire country. Not sure what the rate of "desemprego" across the country is.
Weather: 27c
Book: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Location: Sao Paulo (will be in neighbouring Bebedor tomorrow for 3 days)
Here's a few things that are different in Brasil:
[1] Just in case you didn't know already they drive on the other side of the road. The main brands of car are: Cheverlot, Voltzwagen and Fiat. Most of the cars are small. I've only seen a handful of BMWs, Jags or Mercedes. Bikes are prominent and the drive like something out of Mad Max. Complete lunatics. They also have an excellent Metro. Why Ireland hasn't got one, here and now in the '00s still defies all logic!
[2] They don't eat vinger with their chips. They actually find it offensive when you ask for it at a restaurant. Likewise, while they have milk, which kind of tastes like ours, they don't consume it often, in fact hardly at all, and usually only at breakfast. You get a similar look of perplexion if asking for it when dining. Butter comes in two categories, with or without salt. They've never heard of hot port. They don't serve hot drinks full stop. They rarely if ever use pint glasses with their beer instead opting for a water downed glass half the size of a half point glass. With a bishops collar three times the size of one you'd get on a Guinness. Let's call it a quarter glass!
[3] When going into bars they take your name and number on entry. Each table is given a menu and a waiter. Everytime you order they tick your card and then at the end of the night, you queue up at a till and pay your bill. Much better system. Everyone usually looks after themselves, and you don't have to fight your way through a frustrated mob to get the notice of the barman.
[4] They call text messages torpedos. They rarely send them though. The big operators down here are: Tim (my one), Claro and Vivo.
[5] Poverty is rife, and kids are constantly juggling balls in front of cars when there is a red light to try scrape a few coins together. Some of the acts vary from spinning fire sticks, doing handstands and all types of dancing. There is also a fair share of crippled begging.
[6] The police carry guns.
[7] School starts at 7am.
[8] Most of the films in the cinema are in English with Portugese subtiles. Saw Kill Bill 1 this week, understood half the Japanese dialogues.....Cost about 2 euros to go.
[9] Nearly everyhouse I know has a dog.
[10] Extremely hard to borrow money in the banks. About 15% interest. Can you imagine that rate with the amount of mortgages being spitted out each day in Ireland. It would very quickly topple the property market. Inversely, and unbelieveably you can get about 15% interest on your savings. Bascially, if you have money just chuck it in the bank and live off the intereset.
[11] Most of the houses have a maid that cleans and washes everything at least once a week.
[12] Nightclubs open at about 12 and finish at 7am. Monday night can be a big night.
[13] They have excellent non-crust, sliced white bread. Good ideas. I'm sure mother's feeding their young all over Ireland would appreciate it. Makes those toasted fingers a little easier to prepare.
[14] They have big problems with their energy generation. As such, as I guess we should all do, they often just have one or two lights on in an apartment at any given time.
[15] Fridges are twice the size of ours. So are ovens and grills.
[16] In Sao Paulo women nearly all have long hair. Mostly black or brunette. Brown eyes and brown skin is the staple look in the city. To the north dark black skin is more prominent. In the far south east, Porte Alegre, etc the European influence is more pronounced with blond hair and blue eyes widespread.
[17] Most people pay with check books when paying their bill.
[18] The cans of coke come in 350ml not 330.
[19] All the taxis are white.
[20] Unemployment in SP is running at 20.7 compared to 4.4 in our entire country. Not sure what the rate of "desemprego" across the country is.
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