Preguiça!!!

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I know... I KNOW. I am disappointed in me too. I can't remember the last time I wrote a blog, but at least I am here now.

A lot has been going on... so let's get started.

Classes have finally gotten going for real now... After a few weeks of 'well I'll go check out this one today, that one tomorrow.. oh wait, it is at what campus now? what room? what professor? it's canceled? I see.' Still can't find my soccer class, but evidently it is taking place at a public school close to my house..yeah, we shall see about that. It appears as though as I am complaining, I know.. but really I like school here, when I can find the classes. People WANT to be there, and I typically find in-class discussions to be very interesting. My final schedule is as follows:

(Still just tuesday-thursday, thank goodness)

Portuguese Literature
Contemporary Brasilian Lit.
Futebol II (soccer 2)
Portuguese Language
Race and Class in Bahia

Portuguese lit is a bit dry, but Contemp. Brasilian Literature seems promising. Language is going swimmingly, and Race and Class seems like it will be enjoyable as well.

Outside of class, life is for the most part the same as always, with exception of the fact that the rainy season is starting to come on strong, beach visits have become much less frequent. In place of the beach I have been spending my days doing homework, enjoying CIEE Cultural Activities (more to follow on these,) and helping my stressed out girlfriend prepare for her upcoming college graduation ceremony/festa, which is taking place this Saturday (can't wait)!

CIEE Cultural Activies: These have been great! Aside from the prolonged exposure to male genitalia at the theater last weekend, I have very much enjoyed our recent outings. Last Friday we went to the Vila Velha theater to see The Racial Cabaret, a semi-interactive play about being a black person in Brazil. This was terribly funny and enjoyable for all. Last night the council took us all to see a Folkloric Ballet performance in the Pelourinho, complete with a man eating fire and insanely talented Capoeiristas. I was 'wowed' and would recommend this spectacle to ANYONE coming within 500 miles of here.

Every new day brings a new experience, and one of these days I will start to take the time to write about the little things as they happen so I can remember to tell you all about them later, but until then you can have more poetry.

I have been really getting into writing poetry, as an alternative to writing songs, which takes more rhyming and more musical creativity. There is a little bit of everything; Spanish, Portuguese and English, but I'll post what I've got and those that can read it, go for it! (just spare the poetry the pain of going through google translate, thank you.)

Lembrança

A fala de ali na cozinha,
cai no ouvido direito e surdo.
De repente o vento entra ao outro
Trazendo o fuxico do povo.

Mas acima de tudo é essa música,
essa que se lembra num momento.
Do instante que você foi embora,
que já ninguém quer lembrar.

Esta música toca as cordas
do coração corrente e pesado.
Sem aviso prévio e sem graça,
Ela traz a tristeza que se escondeu.

Todos nos dissemos adeus,
mas isso não basta não.
Queria lhe dizer quanto é
que sentimos a sua falta.

Então é agora que lhe digo,
que seguiremos vivendo sem você,
mas o amor e felicidade que nos deu,
Não será esquecido, nunca.


Sobre a minha terra - a poetic response to Gonçalves Dias' Canção do Exílio

Minha terra não tem palmeiras,
mas sim tem o Sabiá;
As aves, que lá gorjeiam,
Tem outros versos que as de cá.

Nosso céu outra perspectiva,
Nossos campos, bonitos alvores;
Nossos bosques outra folhagem,
Mas nossa vida, tantos amores.

Em estar neste lugar sozinho
Vejo as belezas que existem cá;
Minha terra não tem palmeiras,
Mas é também bonito lá.

Esta terra tem primores,
Os quais Deus não nos deu;
Mas aqui também tem problemas
Que não existem no caminho meu.
Minha terra não tem palmeiras,
Mas partilhamos o mesmo Céu.

Não permita Deus que eu morra,
Sem que eu leve você lá;
Que eu adoro a minha terra,
Tão forte como gozo cá.
E queria que você escutasse,
A canção da minha Sabiá

Dismal

Gray clouds,
travelling south to Barra.
No sun today.

MTV

MTV, playing real music
this pleases me greatly.
Kesha sucks.


Genius

Genius, I am not,
and what a shame.

I want to be driven
by the need to learn.
Driven by my own
otherworldly thoughts.

I want to be stricken
with sudden, brilliant,
earth-shaking,
theory-changing,
attention-grabbing,
original ideas.

Quite unfortunately,
this does not occur
on any sort of regular
or measureable basis.

Genius, I am not,
but that is O.K.

No sabemos

Un día el mundo va a acabar.
Yo que sé cuando eso pasará?
Pero por algunos, ya acabó.

Yo siento una tristeza profunda,
por las personas abajo del agua.
Por los pescadores y sus familias
Ellos que no fueron avisados.

Dolor! mi Dios y Rey;
Pido que los dé un espacio,
En Tu cielo tan maravilloso.
Sus hijos, llorando por Ti,
Con sus últimos respiros.


Querer

Querer.

Quero ela, ela me quer.
Queria isso; queria tanto.
Todos queremos.

Querer não é uma novidade,
mas com uma nova querida,
vem nova emoção.

Eu te quero na manhã,
E eu te adoro na tarde.
Na noite nem acho palavras
Para ilustrar o meu querer.

Interestingly enough, my favorites aren't in my native tongue, so my apologies to the majority English-speaking public of my blog.

Until next time, galera!

Brentchi

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