Back to Africa

The third phase of my travels has begun. A month spent in Brazil for Carnaval was great. Backpacking through Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East was unforgettable. But that was just the beginning.

The latest leg of the journey brings me to Southern Africa where I will be spending over a month in Malawi working for Coaches Across Continents, a non-profit organization that uses the beautiful game of soccer/football as a vehicle for education and health awareness for children. But before I get down to that real work, I'm spending a few days in South Africa to enjoy the Confederations Cup in South Africa, an international football/soccer tournament that is basically a precursor to next summer's World Cup.

Right now I'm in Pretoria, South Africa, about to head out to watch a match between the US and Egypt. We Yanks need to redeem ourselves after a very poor showing against Brazil.

More updates soon! And if you have a chance, definitely check out more information about the work I will be doing at coachesacrosscontinents.com

Random Observations and Anecdotes (2)

If you ever find yourself in Egypt, climb Mt. Sinai at midnight to reach the summit before sunrise. If you are feeling like a true champion, try and make it to the top in under one hour and thirty minutes.

Also, there's a reason why the pyramids are world famous. Believe the hype. And don't forget your camera.

Finding references to the small island nation of Jamaica is extremely easy in any and all countries - even in the most remote of places.

If you find yourself in Jerusalem and in need of a good line up, head to the Arab quarter in the old city. Quality barbershops full of history abound.

If you're hostel hopping and know that you snore, be aware. Some people get irrationally angry when they can't get a good night's rest. Also, if you're a light sleeper - invest in earplugs.

The main square in Marrakech, Morocco (the Djemaa El Fna) looks like a scene straight out of Arabian Nights - monkeys on chains, snake charmers, cross-dressing story tellers, music and smoke emanating from the evening food stands. But if you take a picture, someone's probably going to ask you for some dirhams (money.) If you are looking for good value for money in the city, check out the three dirham orange juice stands (delicious) and the scarves sold by market vendors (quality.)

I saw an incredible amount of University of Michigan paraphernalia while traveling throughout Israel.

While traveling, always make an effort to be aware of local customs, especially religious observances and holidays. For example - arriving to a small town in Israel at the beginning of Shabat (Friday evening) on an empty stomach and without pre-arranged accommodations is not a great idea.

Random Observations and Anecdotes (1)

I was not overly impressed by women in Spain. I was particularly unimpressed by Spanish fashion. Mullets and flood pants? Really?

If you arrive in the port town of Tangier, Morocco after taking a ferry from Spain and find yourself in an "art school," being offered the "best" panoramic view of the city, a glass of mint tea, and being pressured into buying a rug for 600 euro and various other souvenirs and trinkets within your first 15 minutes in the country...don't worry. You are not alone.

Quote from a hustler in Tangier after I declined his services as a guide: "F*ck you. You are a Jew" Welcome to Norther Africa.

Radio stations in Portugal are obsessed with hilarious American 80s music.

Casablanca to Cairo

Dodging hustlers and rug merchants in Tangiers; befriending Australians in Fez; avoiding snake charmers and monkeys on leashes at the DJemaa El Fna in Marrakech.

Riding camels to the Pyramids in Giza; Relaxing by the Red Sea; climbing in the footsteps of Moses to the summit of Mt. Sinai - and getting it all done because of the hospitality of friends in Cairo...actually, getting everything so far on this trip done because of the kindness of friends, both old and new.

Much thanks to Tommy Digital and Alex in London, Becky and the auxiliares in Jaen, and Josslyn and the AUC crew in Egypt. Hopefully Israeli hospitality will exceed my expectations as well.

Lisbon Nights

So I find myself in a cab with my two female friends and one extremely helpful driver. We had just pulled away from Lux, the most exclusive club in the city because the line was around the block and I had no intentions of paying big money to get in. It is about 3am and our driver offers to drive us to another happening spot in town where all the other late night clubs are located. We all agree and soon we are on our way.

We are all talking on the way over, having a good time, and our driver jovially announces that he might just join us at the club. I was obviously a bit skeptical at first - being the only male in the group you always have to be aware of the potential intentions of any random guys that show up. But when traveling I like to remain optimistic and give people the benefit of the doubt. And he seemed like a good guy. On the initial drive to Lux he told us about his previous work showing British tourists around Portugal and how he really hated when some locals would prey on young female visitors. That and a few other anecdotes gave me the sense that he was a standup guy.

We get to our destination and our driver parks. At this point we just start to follow him, really having no idea what to expect. We pass a few places that all seem pretty lively but all the lines seem very substantial. We follow our driver to one of these clubs and he proceeds to walk towards the front of the line. He nonchalantly walks past everyone standing in line, shakes the bouncers hand, and walks straight in. My two friends looked back at me with slightly confused expressions. I had no idea what was going on but at this point did not need to ask any questions. We all followed closely behind our driver. No line, no questions, no hassle, no cover.

The club was first rate. A very good crowd, neon-green lazer lights, bumping techno (or house, or trance...whatever is big in Europe right now) An overall great atmosphere. But before we can get our bearings we find ourselves being led by the driver to the back of the club. Again he shakes the hand of a bouncer and we are suddenly getting escorted into the VIP section. Unbelievable.

To show a bit of gratitude I offer to buy the driver drinks. He told us that he was still on the clock so he would just take a Coke. The rest of the night we just danced and hung out in the VIP section. At around 4 or 5 the driver annonced that he was leaving to work a bit more but that we should stay and enjoy ourselves. He never hit on any of the girls or wanted anything in return. We stayed at the club until dawn and finally made our way back to the hostel as the morning bustle of Lisbon was starting to come to life. The rising sun made everything even more surreal - did that really just happen.

My travels so far have taught me that for every hustler and crook there are dozens of honest, open hearted people who are after nothing more than a good conversation and a good time. If you keep yourself open to new people and experiences good things will happen. And I suppose a little bit of luck doesnt hurt as well


(Sorry this post was a bit rushed. The keyboards in Morocco are adjusted for French and Arabic and make writing anything substantial an extremely frustrating effort.)

Portugal

My final night in Europe has arrived. And I´m leaving the continent in style. En route to Tarifa and a short ferry ride to Morocco, I´ve made a quick stop in Malaga. And due to my laid back, last minute style, I´m going to truly experience a night under the stars in Spain. I showed up my hostel here and it was booked solid. So I have the pleasure in sleeping in a hammock on the terrace. It´s actually quite nice, my cheapest stop in Europe so far, and provides quite a bit of privacy. I just sincerely hope that it doesn´t rain tonight.

Anyways, I spent the past weekend in Portugal with an old friend from high school and her lovely roomates. They are all finishing up a year spent working as English teachers in Spain and decided to take a long weekend to go on a road trip to Portugal. They were gracious enough to let me tag along and we had a great four days in the far side of Iberia - Lagos and Lisbon, and a few other stops along the way.

Lagos was hilarious. The entire Algarve seems to be overrun by English and American tourists and renters, but the beaches are beautiful and nightlife is decent as well. Our hostel was a tad unorganized but I was in a room with my lovely travelmates, and about a dozen other female guests - so I wasn´t complaining.

We made a stop by Sagres, the Westernmost point of Europe, once thought to literally be the end of the world. The sunset and views in general there were breathtaking.

Once we got to Lisbon I actually had the opportunity to practice my Portuguese. The city has a very quiet, calm atmosphere, but there is plenty to do. The streets of Bairro Alto are great and filled with throngs of friendly Lisboans. Beers are cheap and can be bought at one establishment and drank at another. At 230am the bars close and everyone moves on to the city´s clubs. We took a cab to Lisbon´s premier late-night hot spot, Lux, but arrived to a line that wrapped around the block. Our cabby was a very interesting guy that spoke English (even though I was trying to practice my Portuguese) and informed my friends and me that even if we waited in line the bouncers would probably try and charge me (the one male in the group) well over a hundred dollars to get in. That wasn´t going to happen. Our cabby told us of another district filled with clubs where he could take us. He seemed like a pretty good guy, so we took his advice and moved on. We all got along so well on the ride that he announced that he was going to take a quick break and actually come out and party with us...

To be continued (I have to get off the internet at my hostel)

Salutations from Spain

The past week has been a whirlwind. I stole off into the dead of night after being hosted by another good friend currently living in London. I caught a late night / early morning flight to the beautiful city of Barcelona and thus began the next phase of my journey. Spain was unknown territory. I was finally out from under the safety net of family and friends and ready to try out "hostel living." I was a bit tentative at first but my wanderer spirit soon took hold.

To kick things off I caught Football Club Barcelona utterly destroy Sevilla in a Spanish La Liga match my first day in the city. It was incredible watching such high quality soccer, especially in a stadium like the Camp Nou. 80,000 Spaniards chanted and cheered on their home club for the full 90 minutes, taking extreme joy and delight in not just every goal scored, but in every well conceived combination of passes, displays of defense grit and determination, and any moments of creative brilliance or ingenuity. The fans in Barcelona truly appreciate beautiful football and I feel blessed to have been able to watch a match in their stadium.

In my hostel I was very lucky to be roomed with several other independent travelers from throughout the English speaking Diaspora. We all go on extremely well immediately - there was the Irishman looking to find work in Spain, the university student from Leeds, an American girl working as an au pair in France, a guy on vacation from work in Kansas City, and the New Zealander studying marine biology. We found great restaurants and tapas bars on quiet city side streets and sampled the Barcelona night life. It was sad to bode them all farewell...but the whole point of backpacking is to keep on the move.

After a very relaxing two days in the beautiful city of Valencia, I now find myself in Granada, a small town steeped in the history of the Christian and Moorish battles of the Medieval Period. I actually just got back from touring the Alhambra, an incredible palace/fortress built almost 1000 years ago by Muslim sultans. Both here and in Valencia I have crossed paths with very interesting people from all over the world.

But tomorrow is a new day, new people, and hopefully new adventure. Next stop: Portugal

Touching Down in England (part 1)

I flew from Flint, Michigan to Atlanta and then connected with my flight to London. Suddenly I found myself surrounded by funny accents and British wit, ruddy English faces freshly burnt by Easter holidays spent at Disney World. The gentleman next to me seemed friendly enough, but promptly tried to hijack my armrest space as we settled into our seats. I readied my elbow to launch a counter assault but noticed his daughter peering in our direction, still clad in her Minnie Mouse ears. I let his digression in etiquette go without rebuke, reassuring myself that I simply wanted to spare this lad the disgrace of being embarrassed in front of his family, secure in the knowledge that I could easily win back my rightful space on the armrest with a minimum of effort.

I readied myself for landing in England by picking the most appropriate movie selection provide by Delta (which, by the way, was extensive.) As we took off from Atlanta and began to cruise high above the east coast of the United States, I turned my attention to RockNRolla, Guy Ritchie's most recent British crime drama, full of gritty scenes of London's criminal underworld, fast talking, cool mob types, Russian billionaire investors, Ludacris and Jeremy Piven playing Americans in over their heads and Idris Elba getting to try on his natural British criminal swagger in lieu of his previous role as the very American criminal Stringer Bell on The Wire. People got shot, the plot twisted and turned, cool music and accents rang through the film, and I knew I was ready. All that cinematic action got me in the perfect mindstate England to take the island by storm the following morning. However, I couldn't fall asleep and proceeded to watch Don Cheadle in Traitor, Jim Carrey in Yes Man, and Leonardo di Caprio and Russell Crowe in Body of Lies. I sincerely enjoyed all of the movies (even though the plane landed before I finished Body of Lies) and arrived at 7am at London Gatwick Airport impressed by the quality of Delta Airlines' in-flight entertainment offerings...but also severely jetlagged.

to be continued...

Londontown

Arrived in London. Cloudy skies, funny accents and fried English breakfasts. More to come soon.

Carnaval 2k9 Megamix

Three years ago when I first traveled through Bahia a friend and I dreamed of one day remaking our own Salvador version of Snoop Dogg and Pharrell's "Beautiful" video. Those cinematic ambitions never truly came to fruition, but this year I tried to make a multimedia homage to the sights, sounds and people that made Carnaval 2009 an unforgettable experience. Obrigado Salvador.



And make sure to click HQ to watch the video in high quality!

Developments Down South

I came across some interesting Latin American references in the news over the past week. The New York Times travel section had a very interesting article on tourism in Costa Rica. The city Turrialba, mentioned for its white water rafting and growing reputation as a destination for adventure tourists, is a short bus ride from the small town of Pacayitas de la Suiza, where my host family from Costa Rica resides.



Also, the Washington Post had a very interesting story about very interesting political happenings in Columbia. Apparently the potential for a free trade agreement between our government and that of Columbia has given particular elements within our governement the ability to pressure Columbian authorities to promote human rights for Afro-Colombians. Plantation owners that previously helped support the intimidation and murder of many black farmers in Colombia are now being investigated and many of the farmers who were ran off their farms are getting the opportunity to return to their land. Members of the congressional black caucus have spearheaded the effort to leverage the trade partnership to support the rights of African descendants in Columbia. "Free trade" and free trade agreements are complex and controversial political topics, but at the very least this article demonstrates the potential benefits that can be derived when open markets are accompanied by social responsibility and a dedication to human rights

And just to keep Brazil in the mix, according to the Financial Times, President Lula has officially blamed white people for the global financial crisis. I'm not sure if that's the most politically tactful way to approach the situation...but it's good for a few headlines.

Pura Vida (Rediscovered)!

I'm still figuring out the next leg of my travels. And while looking through old files on my computer I came across a short piece I wrote almost 5 years ago about my first international experience (sans parents) when I spent a summer in Costa Rica teaching English. The article was my first stab at travel writing and was published in the illustrious Ron Brown Scholars Newsletter. If you want to read the story in all of its pdf greatness, click here (There are some pretty cute pictures of the kids I was teaching.) But I have also included the article below:

***

I am not a morning person. At home and at school I typically press the snooze button on my alarm a dozen times. I need to take a fifteen-minute shower before I can create cogent sentences, and am still not very friendly until I have completely digested a full breakfast.

Unfortunately, Costa Ricans love the morning. Before the sun reaches the horizon, the call of the family rooster breaks the night’s silence. Feeling left out, all the neighborhood dogs chime in and contribute to the daily morning symphony that, without fail, broke my peaceful slumber every day I spent in Central America. My host mother was always scurrying around the house at what I considered the wee hours of the morning, preparing for the next day. My host father was usually working in the fields of coffee and sugar cane before I even groggily realized the day had begun. During the daily ritual in which I struggled to stay awake while eating my breakfast, my host sister was typically already leaving for school with her classmates. This, however, was especially problematic because I was usually the person teaching her first hour English class.

Despite my loathing of early mornings, my teaching schedule in Costa was the easiest adjustment I needed to make. Simply getting to my home in Pacayitas de La Suiza, a tiny town in the central highlands of Costa Rica, was an adventure in and of itself. I remember myself struggling in the dust and heat of a blazing Central American afternoon, trying to find my bearings while dragging around an unnecessarily large suitcase. I darted in and out of speeding cars through streets and alleys seemingly unregulated by traffic lights and signs. I asked for directions in halting Spanish and then feigned understanding when their responses came either too quickly or in an incomprehensible accent. I worried that I may never find my bus stop, and might become an American casualty forever lost in the confusion of the Costa Rican streets.

Finally, like all my travels in Costa Rica, I made it to my destination. I became more confident with my Spanish and eventually learned to move to the rhythm that embodies life in the small nation. This typified my experience this summer. As my American sensibilities began to wear off and I let myself become immersed in my environment, things began to make sense. I no longer worried if all my students fully comprehended object pronouns and verb conjugation. Late buses or forgotten appointments did not get under my skin. My daily thirty minute walk through mountainous terrain became customary, and the morning crow of the rooster actually grew to become comforting in its regularity.

Costa Rica made me adaptable. I learned how to traverse new cultural guidelines and societal standards while still being myself. I became flexible, understanding, and appreciative of all the little pleasures of life in a tiny rural village. Soon I forgot about the long lines at the lone public phone in the town. The constant buzzing of insects began to fade into the background. To the slight chagrin of my supervisor at school, I even began to personify the extremely laid back sensibility that defines life for most in Costa Rica.

Slowly but surely, I became more than just the American in town. I became a fixture at town bailes (parties) and was a regular in the daily mejingas (soccer matches) in the plaza. Students began to solicit my conversation for more than just naughty English words or help with their assignments. As I grew in tune with the daily flow and gossip of the town, I was treated as a confidant and as an equal. I was involved in everyday life in the community, and at brief instances, I feel many people almost began to forget I was a foreigner. And inevitably, as I was readying myself to leave, I realized that I had built genuine relationships in my community. Now as I reminisce on my time spent in Costa Rica, it almost seems as if I am remembering an alternate lifetime. Off in a distant land I picture my other family back home in Pacayitas, living without me and adjusting to the lack of my presence. I feel connected to another world. This process of growth and complete international immersion has given me a depth of perception unavailable in the relative isolation I experienced in America. Costa Rica has given me a taste of the international experience. Now that I feel at home in both the United States and my small community of Pacayitas, where am I going to explore next?

Options

I've been spending a lot of time in the past few days trying to figure out the next step in the journey. There are some other places in the Americas that I would love to explore but I'm also tempted to head directly across the pond and try my look in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Thoughts? Suggestions?

O Fenômeno

Apparently greatness never dies. Ronaldo, O Fenômeno ("The Phenomenon"), is back. After scoring the most goals in World Cup history and amassing one of the greatness resumes in all of football, Ronaldo blew out his knee about a dozen times, has been intermittently overweight for the past few years, and most recently was blackmailed by transvestite prostitutes in Rio de Janeiro. However, the man who was once on top of the world in Barcelona, Milan and Madrid is back plying his trade in Brazil. He's on my favorite team from Sao Paulo, Corinthians, and apparently had a pretty good week. Check out his first goal in a loooooooongg time. And check out the ridiculous/awesome/scary celebration and crowd reaction.

And to make this story even better, Corinthians, one of the biggest clubs in Brazil, is actually back in the country's first division this year after being embarrassingly relegated to division two in 2007. Looks like 2009 is the year of the comeback.

The Special Ones

Today there are some pretty exciting football (soccer) matches on television. I am most looking forward to the Champions League match-up between Manchester United and Inter Milan. Both teams are leading their respective domestic leagues (England and Italy) and their rosters are full of incredible talent and very interesting personalities.

Today the New York Times featured Inter's manager/coach, Jose Mourinho, the "Special One." He's brash and flamboyant, and brings a unique style to the science of winning. The article is actually titled: "A Coach Cloaked in Armani and Confidence" He has definitely mastered the art of attracting and molding media attention. NYtimes.com also featured him earlier this month in this Q&A session.

There are also some exciting things going on in the American world of soccer. The MLS season is about to start in a few days and the league is going to announce the two new cities that will have teams in 2011. According to most reports, it sounds like Portland and Vancouver will be on the receiving end of the new franchises. They will join Seattle Sounders FC who will be entering the league this season and the yet unnamed Philadelphia team which will play their first game in 2010. I typically try and keep up with all the new gossip and hearsay at MLS Rumors.

Also - in another story of international intrigue David Beckham will be staying with the Italian team AC Milan for the rest of the season but will rejoin the LA Galaxy in the summer - in the middle of the MLS season. I'm sure a lot of Galaxy fans are pretty upset about this. But I'll admit that David Beckham is still awesome. He's been able to succeed in all of the world's greatest leagues and turn himself into an international icon who transcends his own sport at the same time. Check out this promo he put together with Kevin Garnett for Adidas.

I am Calabar

I still have some Carnaval recap material to post, but I also wanted to remind people that Brazil is more than just music and parties. Two new friends of mine, Rodrigo and Igor, have been doing some amazing work in their community, the neighborhood of Calabar. They both work and study full time, but also lead the local residents association and youth group, and helped build and now run a public library for the residents of their community. They coordinate activities for children in the neighborhood and are true catalysts of social change. They are also very generous hosts and my friend Davidinho and I took a tour of their community as well as a look at the work they are doing at the independently organized community school and library. And on this day everyone was celebrating Igor's birthday and having a despedida, a going away party, for a Canadian English teacher that had been volunteering in the community. Also, to learn more about Calabar, its history, and the work being done in the community, definitely check out Rodrigo's blog, "Calabar Sou Eu" (I am Calabar).

The video is in Portuguese, but I'm planning on embedding some English subtitles ASAP. I also plan on expanding this post.

Recession? What Recession?

Recession. Job loss. Economic insecurity. The news hasn't been very positive lately. But I have noticed that no one in Brazil is talking about recession. Brazil obviously has its own serious problems, but there's an undeniable optimism (and not just post-Carnaval glow) in Salvador and in the Brazilian national media, an optimism that seems to be all but extinct in the States.

Even during my time in Salvador, explicit forms of poverty seem to be subsiding. There are less children performing and begging in the streets. And people in general seem to be very excited and energetic about the future. Obviously my observations are very unscientific, and I would be very curious to see if any other people that have visited Brazil multiple times in the past couple years have noticed any trends.

A recent story in Time commented on the strength of Brazil's economy during the global recession and takes an interesting look at the fiscal and social policies of the country's current president. Brazil seems to be a very interesting model to study in a world working through struggle and looking for new ideas and innovation.

Frog Farms and Helicopters

What do frog farms, plastic surgery, and helipads have in common? I just watched the documentary Manda Bala (Send a Bullet) that explores the links between political corruption and violent crime in Brazil and all the unbelievably odd industries that flourish in this absurd environment. Sao Paulo is home to huge private helicopter fleets and has more helipads than any city on Earth. The armored car industry is huge in Brazil and plastic surgeons in the country have pioneered new techniques for reconstructive plastic surgery: particularly that of the ear. This is all because Brazil's industrial capital, Sao Paulo, a city of 20 million people, has also become a hot zone for violent crime and kidnapping.

This documentary is pretty interesting. And crime in Sao Paulo is certainly staggering. But I have to admit that I never felt unsafe whenever I spent time in the city. However, just a few days ago, Globo was showing live footage of police climbing roof to roof looking for some criminals responsible for killing a fellow officer a few days earlier. My Brazilian brother remarked, "That stuff only happens in Sao Paulo." But whatever the case may be, the documentary is definitely worth a look. It features some very beautiful airborne shots of the city and weaves together a lot of interesting, and seemingly unrelated social and cultural peculiarities of modern Brazilian life, creating a single narrative exploring governmental corruption. Much of the film is from the perspective of federal Brazilian prosecutors who have spent much of their careers trying to bring one particularly notorious politician to justice.

I have embedded the trailer below. Definitely check it out. I watched the movie online using my Netflix subscription. Hooray technology!

Goals, Blogs and Cups

My most popular video so far has undoubtedly been my tribute to Esporte Club Bahia. Thanks for all the Bahia fans that have visited the site. Your dedication to Bahia is incredible and you are the reason why the team will undoubtedly be back in the Brazilian 1st division sooner rather than later. Check out the blog: http://www.baheaminhaporra.com, a site dedicated to the club that was nice enough to feature this gringos homage to his beloved Tricolor. Fan dedication like this is what helps sell-out game after game at the Fonte Nova, and now Pituacu, and is why Salvador deserves to be one of the host cities when the World Cup returns to Brazil in 2014.

Speaking of the World Cup, the lottery for tickets to the 2010 tournament in South Africa is officially open. You can register to enter the lottery until the end of the month - I know I will. There is no way that I am missing South Africa 2010 (or Brazil 2014!)

In non-Brazilian soccer news, a buddy of mine, Mike Fucito is in the land of tango, steak, and mid-1990 economic meltdown, Brazil's archenemy on the soccer pitch, Argentina. He is traveling with Seattle Sounders Football Club, a new expansion team in Major League Soccer, America's professoinal league. He is currently training with the team on their South American pre-season tour trying to win a spot for himself on the team. He was a teammate of mine in college but was recently picked up by Seattle in the MLS draft. And it looks as though he is doing very well for himself. He scored the game winning goal in the Sounder's most recent scrimmage in Argentina. And here is a pretty funny post-game interview with Mike that was on the Sounders website. Enjoy!



More Carnaval recaps are coming soon, along with new video. And guest bloggers!!!

Jorge Amado

Whenever I read travel literature about Salvador, I realize how different my perception of the city is than most people that visit. My understanding of the capital of Bahia is intensely wrapped around my Brazilian family - and this is something that has become more clear to me this time around.

Today I saw an older post in the New York Times about Salvador's most famous literary figure - Jorge Amado. A new travel buddy of mine was reading one of his novels and it made me realize how little of his work I had looked into. He is famous for his colorful depictions of life in Salvador, of its people - from all walks of life. His novels would certainly make for incredible travelmates while spending time in the city. But to date, I think I have only read parts, and seen the movie adaptation, of his most famous work, Dona Flor and her Two Husbands. Because I spend most of my time with my Brazilian family here, I think I often forget/neglect to experience the famous "staples" that come to mind for everyone else when they come to the city.

But everyone should definitely check out this Times article on Amado. Also, the article has a pretty solid accompanying photo slideshow.

To get some other perspectives on Salvador, I have invited some guest bloggers to share their perspectives on the city. Be on the lookout for it!

A Sign of the "Times"

So I'm just sitting around in my living room right now watching day time television on Globo. The city's Carnaval glow has certainly worn off, and about half of everyone I know here is a under the weather from last week's festivities.

I'm going over a few ideas for my next video and browsing the internet...and guess what I come across. In the New York Times today, the featured travel story is "36 Hours in Salvador, Brazil." Well, Mr. Seth Kugel, your 1.5 days better have been well spent, because tomorrow I will be writing a scathing critique or offering a glowing review of your article. Boa sorte, sir. But really, I'm just curious to see where he ended up going in Salvador.

Hosing Down the Streets

Carnaval officially ended for me the way it began. After returning home a few hours before daybreak, I was up again at ten in the morning to celebrate the last event of the weeklong festival. The sun was scorching, but two American friends and I made our way to the Barra Carnaval circuit, Avenida Oceanica, where much of the past week’s party had taken place. The entire city was calm, mellowed by a mass hangover - fatigue induced by six straight days of pre-lenten celebration. Finally we began to hear the booming bass of the final performance and positioned ourselves behind the trio-electrico of Timbalada, the same band we saw perform on Carnaval’s opening day.

This performance was open. There were no cords and entrance fees. The frenetic dancing that typically followed the trio was replaced by what could be characterized as a festive procession. Hundreds of people making the most of the last bit of the week’s revelry, but also saying farewell to a week’s worth of memories and welcoming the slow end of summer in the southern hemisphere.

As the procession continued, we slowly started to lag farther behind the trio carrying the band. My half-hearted samba shuffle slowed to a slight skip in my step. Then I assented to just nodding my head with the music as I walked along with the hundreds of other Bahians, Brazilians, and foreigners in the streets.

The sun continued to sear down on the pavement and I wrapped my shirt around my head and neck to protect the slight sunburns I had from previous days on the beach. Instead of the typical light Brazilian beer, I opted to buy a pop and bottled water from the vendor on the street. On the side of the road, the camarotes, the temporary structures lining the streets that had housed private parties with prime views of the Carnaval circuits, were literally being dismantled. A few of the camarotes were still partly filled with small groups of onlookers, but most were now only inhabited by construction workers, unscrewing nuts and bolts, jump-starting the city’s transformation back to normality.

The sun was starting to become unbearable when a slight mist began to rain down. It rained almost everyday over the past week, sometimes drenching everyone and everything, but today the drizzle remained light and refreshing. Some members of the procession raised their arms to the sky, thanking God or the spirits of Carnaval, for the rain or Carnaval – perhaps both. The trio continued to outpace my continually slowing steps, and the music, like Carnaval, faded away. After the trio finally finished, an army of city employees with rakes and brooms flooded the streets and began to sweep away the garbage in the streets. Municipal cars and trucks followed with tanks of soap and high-powered water hoses. The streets were cleansed and in a matter of minutes the remnants of Carnaval had been washed away. The music was over. The crowds dispersed.

At the End of the Rainbow

Today is the last day of Carnaval. One more evening of festivities. And once things die down I expect to have more time to continue blogging and video making.

First Night Festivities

Carnaval has officially begun. First night festivities are fairly low key compared to the following days. But "low key" in Carnaval terms is still quite a scene to behold. My brother’s band was able to play on a trio in the Campo Grande circuit while my sister and her friends all dressed up like Minnie Mouse and paraded in the Os Mascarados. Os Mascarados was a group that anyone could join if they were wearing a costume. I went out with a group of about eight Americans for what was planned to be a relaxed night, everyone content to observe the first hours of Carnaval from the sidelines . But once we were out and saw all the costumes we knew we had to partake in the first night festivities. We all made make-shift Mascarados outfits by buying multi-colored Indian feathers, synthetic fluorescent afros and pink and/or rainbow ties from vendors on the street.

Unfortunately there will not be much filming of actual Carnaval in the street. A camcorder would make for a pretty tempting target for a thief in crowds. Last week my brother played a show in the city’s historic center, the Pelourinho. It was a lot of fun and the crowd’s energy was much like that during Carnaval – but on a much smaller scale.



Today our group is going out with the Timbalada bloco, a very popular group that mixes axe rhythms and African style percussion. It promises to be a lot of fun. I’m hoping to focus more on writing more about Carnaval to make up for the inability to take quality video. But if you would like a quick introduction to better understand what the size and scope of the trio and blocos and the craziness of the pipoca read here to get a brief explanation of what Carnaval is really all about.

Gringos on the Beach

Carnaval starts tomorrow!!! But everyone is on pins and needles - it looks as though there may be a little less sun then usual. But the party will continue - rain or shine. A few days ago I spent a couple of hours with a good friend of mine on the beach at Porto da Barra. He has been here in Salvador for a few months now, and I wanted to get his perspective on the terra de magia e alegria.

My life, my love, my pride...Bahia

Traveling to Brazil without experiencing the beautiful game is unforgivable. Here in Bahia, like the rest of the country, everyone has their favorite team. In the Northeast of Brazil, the most popular team is Esporte Clube Bahia. Almost everyone in Salvador is either a die hard Bahia fan, or they support the crosstown rival, Vitoria.

Bahia fans are proud of their club’s history. Founded in 1931, the team won their first national championship in 1959 by beating Pele’s Santos and were also crowned Brazilian champions in 1988.

Unfortunately the team has come under some hard times and a few years ago was relegated down to Brazil’s third division for the first time in the club's history. But even in the third division, the team still averaged attendance of over 40,000 people per match.

In 2007 during the third division championship match, a section of Bahia’s stadium, the Fonte Nova collapsed. Bahia won the title and were promoted to the 2nd division but 40 people were injured and seven fans died in the accident. The state government announced that the stadium would be partly demolished and a new multiuse arena will be constructed in its place. Bahia now plays it’s games at the Estadio Pituacu.

Yesterday Davidinho and I went with my brother, father and uncle to Bahia's state tournament match against Feirense, a small town team from the interior.

I tried my best to do my best monotone PBS narration impression in the video. Make sure to watch it in high quality - without that it is super blurry.



Bahia started off slowly, and Feirense scored the first goal. However, Bahia began to control the game and equalized. After that, things only got worse for Feirense. After all was said and done, Bahia were victorious, winning handily, 4 to 1. After a few cervezas, everyone felt compelled to let the world know their true love for their club, the famous Bahia!

Drugs Are Bad!

My favorite commenter sent me an interesting article from the New York Times. It is about how the drug trade is starting to affect the upper-class of Brazil more and more. Fortunately, the company that I keep here in Brazil stays completely drug free. But I was especially interested in this story after watching Tropa de Elite.

In other news, filming is going well, and I should have some interesting videos up by tomorrow.

Video #3

I really should've taken some VES (Visual and Environmental Studies) back during my undergrad years. Planning, filming, editing and publishing videos online, all while trying to make sure my camcorder doesn't get snatched up by an opportunistic thief, is not all that easy. iMovie on my Mac is pretty intuitive, but actually planning the subjects I shoot, creating some form of story arc, and making videos that might be vaguely interesting to other people is a daunting task.

Today I was talking with the new study abroad student that's staying at my Brazilian family's house. Her perspective is much like mine, and my fellow American colleagues, when we were studying in Bahia. She noticed right away the racial issues that exist here and how they mirror, but also differ significantly, from issues of race and racism in the States. She also mentioned the different forms of privilege, racial and socio-economic, that one has to come to terms with when traveling to a place like the Northeast of Brazil. Poverty, under- and unemployment, and the very obvious levels of social stratification here are much more stark than in the United States.

In my home, for example, people are constantly coming in and out of our house - mostly family and friends, but also hired help. And even though my family would probably only be classified as middle class, two maids work full time at the house. They are in many ways treated like family (when I first stayed here, it actually took me a couple weeks to figure out who was a maid versus who was just family helping out around the house) but they are still paid employees. And our household definitely seems like the foundation of a rather large extended family. Cousins periodically stay in the home for weeks at a time and are always over for lunch, or before and after work and/or classes. Much of my original reason for bringing my camera in the first place was to try and make a mini-documentary about my Brazilian family, chronicling the weeks surrounding Carnaval. And admittedly, part of this project was really just a way to help me actually get my head around my crazy network of Brazilian family and friends.

But to start, I'll be looking at my brother, Junior, who is the singer in an axe band. Axe is the local form of popular music that is huge during Carnaval in Bahia. As my buddy Davidinho described, it is a "fast, drumbeat heavy, synth laden, Brazilian pop music." He'll be traveling away from Salvador during Carnaval to perform in other Carnaval festivals in Bahia, but he has been doing shows in Salvador for the past few weeks. I took a few quick shots of an informal rehearsal last night.


Banda Nu Groove - Rehearsal from David Williams on Vimeo.

I tried directly uploading this video to blogger because the quality on youtube.com has not been great. I might try vimeo.com as well. If you know of any other good video sites please let me know. And if you have any suggestions for how I should go about making the family documentary, or any other ideas for videos, please let me know.

And to all the wonderful people that have commented: I will try and keep garbage bins out of most of my videos. I will also avoid will.i.am and/or the Black Eyed Peas as much as possible. If I ever get back to a cold weather climate, I will most definitely invest in a smoking jacket. And, although the subjects of most of my films will not be me, I promise to make at least a few cameos - but even if you don't see me, I promise I'm having a great time.

They Don't Really Care About Us

All is right in the world. My luggage was delivered to my house yesterday. And I took a bus with my fellow gringo Davidinho out to Patamares (a neighborhood that's a decent distance down the coast) where we played a pick-up game with some of his area friends. My touch was a little rusty, and I had to get used to their slippery field turf, but we both held our own. Afterwards we hung out Brazilian style - plastic tables and chairs, bottles of Skol and Brahma, and me trying to follow along with a flurry of slang-laden Portuguese. We were hanging out with mostly older guys and the conversation jumped from Obama and politics to the newest big money Brazilian players going abroad and eventually (and inevitably) to inappropriate yet hilarious banter about women.

This afternoon I spent the late morning and early afternoon sitting out on the beach with Davidinho and my brother, Junior. Again - plastic chairs and Skol along with a nice umbrella to shade us from the ridiculous Bahian sun, and a great view of the ocean.

My first night in Salvador I went out to the Pelourinho, the historic center of the city. There are performances there almost every night and it is a goldmine for anyone interested in amateur urban anthropology or just people watching in general. Tourists mix with Brazilians, rich and poor intermingle, vendors sell "authentically" African goods to Japanese visitors with dreadlocks and young American and European women entertain their newly obtained Olodum (a popular drum corp in Salvador) boyfriends. Hopefully I'll have a chance to go into more depth regarding the Pelourinho. However, here is a music video from Michael Jackson that he shot in the neighborhood about a decade ago. It's pretty good, provides a nice visual image of the Pelourinho and the band playing throughout the video is Olodum. I was thinking about recreating the video to test out my movie making skills, but I think that after spending a couple hours on the beach today my previously sun-starved east coast skin is now a tad too dark to do a MJ impression justice.

Robinho

Starting to get settled in - hopefully the airport will get my luggage back to me sometime today. Thank goodness my Brazilian family here is so accommodating, because I literally have no clothes other than those I wore on the plane.

But despite the minor baggage setback, Brazil is already starting to feel like home. The house is always abuzz - at least 20 people were in and out during the course of the day. I spent most of the time with my brother Junior (he's the driver in The Arrival video) and catching up with old friends and family.

I also watched Brazil's national soccer team play a friendly match against Italy yesterday on TV. Brazil came out on top and really displayed some flashes of brilliance. One play reminded me of some of the aspects of Brazilian culture that I am quickly becoming reacquainted with. It's a stunning display of sly awareness and anticipation, cunning and lighthearted deception - all underscored by a fierce joy and love for life.

Watch the clip and I think you might get a brief tutorial in Brazilian culture. Or maybe I'm just trying to find an excuse to post Robinho's awesome goal from yesterday's match and get non soccer aficionados to watch.



Also, for all of you fans of the beautiful game and/or patriotic Americans, the United States is playing their first match in the last round of World Cup Qualifying. And the game is against Mexico! This is huge! Viva la red, white, and blue. Anyone know of bars in Salvador that might be showing the game???

Video #2

I'm still getting the hang of using this camera. I made a pretty silly little intro and took a few shots during the trip from Washington, DC to Salvador da Bahia, Brasil. I added some catchy music and voilà - Broken Compass Productions video #2. I hope you enjoy. And constructive criticism is definitely wanted and appreciated, I know I could use it.

Salvador!

I am finally in Salvador! Unfortunately my luggage might be in Recife. But a lost bag cannot get me down. The sun is shining and the weather is warm, and now that I'm back in a cidade de alegria, it feels like I never left. A new video is uploading as I write this, so expect a follow-up post shortly!

Last Glimpses of DC

I stayed securely under the speed limit the entire ride. My driver side window remained slightly open, letting the cool pre-Spring air into the car as I cautiously navigated the narrow twists and turns of Rock Creek Parkway. My mind was fixated on making sure I got to the airport without incident. But the glint of the Potomac River still caught my eye as my car passed over the Arlington Memorial bridge and I could not help but admire the white crosses of Arlington Cemetery that line Jefferson Davis Highway. I passed the colossal confines of the Pentagon and its sprawling parking lots as a republican Senator critiqued the recently proposed national stimulus plan and economic rescue package on CSPAN-Radio. I turned the dial from CSPAN and past NPR to a local music station and while listening to Jamie Foxx, Kanye West and T.I. my mind slowly drifted away from DC and politics.

Earlier in the day I finished packing my bags. I checked and rechecked, making sure my phone charger made its way into my luggage and that I hadn’t overlooked any of my laptop or camcorder accessories. I packed gifts for my Brazilian family and friends along with clothing sufficient for a few weeks in the tropics. All of it fit into a medium sized duffle bag. I spent the morning talking to customer service representatives and city treasury employees on the phone, making sure all my bills and taxes were in order. I habitually checked the side pocket of my jeans, reassuring myself that I would under no circumstances forget my passport.

I parked my car in the garage at my office, a building in Arlington less than a mile from Reagan National Airport. I briefly met up with two of my work colleagues for lunch. They were keeping busy and productive with our client’s issues – issues that were slowly starting to fade into a distant place in my memory. One of them gave me a lift to the airport and shortly I had my boarding pass, made my way through security and was comfortably seated, waiting to take my seat on the plane. The TV screen by my departure gate shows Barack Obama urging the passage of the economic plan he supports. According to pundits, his popularity is still high, but it is clear that he has a tough job ahead of him. I am reminded of the general pessimism associated by our current economy, but those worries seem abstract and far away as I watch airplanes take off every few minutes from the runway visible from my terminal’s floor to ceiling window. I have not yet boarded my plane or taken off, but sitting in the airport I feel few miles away from the passed year and a half of my life. I find myself tapping my toes to subtle samba beats and bossa nova refrains as I subconsciously hum songs like the Girl from Ipanema and tunes from past Carnavals under my breath. A voice over the airport intercom calls for passengers on Flight 1219. The journey has begun.

It's About That Time

Today is the big day. Clear, blue skies in DC - a very good travel omen.

Getting Warmer

The District warmed today. The final remnants of last week's snow have finally melted, exposing drab yellow grass and a landscape still recovering from winter. I tooled all around the Metro DC area running last minute errands this morning and afternoon with a friend gracious enough to act as my chauffeur for the day. I stopped by my old apartment in Virginia and visited my former roommate to pick-up the random assortment of mail that still gets sent to that address. My passport and VISA seem to be in order. I worked my way through my 2008 tax returns. Most importantly, I got that crisp line-up at my barbershop (and I was reminded again how much I love barbershops - but that's a whole 'nother post.) Later in the evening I was able to purchase gifts for my Brazilian family. I bought my Brazilian mother, sister, and cousin Barack Obama t-shirts from Urban Outfitters (Obamania has no borders.) For my host brother - an Extreme Couture shirt (he's really into jiu jitsu and mixed martial arts) and for my father a workout shirt (he likes to work out.) I'm also bringing down assorted electronics as a sign of my appreciation and thanks (in advance) for their hospitality.


The excitement is building. I might try and pick up some more little gifts for the rest of the galera (gang.) Any suggestions? And if there are any requests for gifts from Brazil, let me know!

Please Don't Stop the Music

Music in Brazil is incredible. I really feel as though people in Brazil could not survive without music. It is something that completely infuses daily life in the country. Live performances are everywhere. And each region seems to have its own distinct musical traditions and styles. Samba clubs are now synonymous with the with the eccentric Carnaval parades of Rio. While Carnaval in the Northeastern regions of Bahia are more known for axe, a distinct, upbeat form that is not as internationally known as samba from Rio (even though Bahians will argue that Samba originated in the afro-Brazilian communities in the Northeast.) My Brazilian brother is even the lead singer in an axe band. When I hit the ground, I'll definitely make sure to get a live recording of one of his shows. Many other Carnaval groups in Bahia are dedicated to heavily drum-laden rhythms, explicitly tied to the African roots in the region, and the traditional sounds that accompanied the early, African religious traditions that black Brazilian slaves practiced when they first arrived in Brazil and have kept alive to this day. Once I'm in Brazil and Carnaval has begun, I will explore the myriad sonic forms and rhythms that define Salvador. But today I wanted to share two of my favorite contemporary Brazilian artists. Seu Jorge is a singer from Rio de Janeiro who combines traditional samba and pop sounds. You may recognize him from the movie "The Life Aquatic." He, not suprisingly, was the random Brazilian dude playing the guitar. And he also has a lot of great songs on that soundtrack - many of which are Portuguese covers of classic David Bowie tracks. He's obviously a talented a versatile artist. O Rappa is another group heavily influenced by samba along with hip hop, rock and reggae. Both their sounds are amazing, and their lyrics and music videos touch on many of the interesting, and complex social issues that make Brazil the conflicted and colorful country that I have basically become obsessed with (as most of you know, this is my fourth time visiting the land of felicidade y amor.)

Please enjoy the videos and let me know what you think. And if you know of other Brazilian artists please comment and pass the information along. I'm always trying to expand my iTunes collection with quality!

And seriously, the O Rappa videos are two of the most powerful works of art I have ever seen in my life.

O Rappa - O Que Sobrou do Ceu


Seu Jorge - Carolina


O Rappa - Minha Alma

Tropa de Elite

My flight to Brazil creeps ever closer and I'm trying to surround myself with any and everything Brazilian to facilitate my complete immersion into Bahian Portuguese once I touch down in Salvador. I finally got around to watching Tropa de Elite (Elite Squad), an extremely gritty movie revolving around an officer in Rio de Janeiro's BOPE (Special Police Operations Battalion), a specialized, brutal, and almost para-military anti-drug police squad. Like one of my favorite movies of all-time, Cidade de Deus (City of God), this film explores the dual-realities of Brazil - rich and poor, black and white. Brazil is a world of extremes. The beauty and warmth of the landscape and culture cannot be fully understood and appreciated without having some idea of the economic hardship and crushing poverty that define life for so many. Cidade de Deus explores life from the perspective of young kids growing up in the favelas (slums) of Rio in the 1960s and documents how the informal, almost benign early drug trade began to grow into the violent crisis that it has become today. However, it portrays the life of the poor through fairly stylized imagery, juxtaposing the violence and death caused by the drug trade with the story of one young kid able to survive based on his wits and love of photography. The film is almost reminiscent of a fairly tale, a story of hope, friendship, and triumph amidst poverty and struggle. The style of filming and soundtrack is actually very reminiscent of another recent "fairy-tale in the slums" story, Slumdog Millionaire. Urban squalor and poverty is presented as a reality that can be overcome through friendship, love, and a little bit of luck.

However, Tropa de Elite presents a much more grim portayal of Rio's favelas. The story revolves around the violence of the drug trade and explores the relationship between police corruption, the drug dealers in the favelas, and the BOPE officers who despise them both and work to restore some semblance of order by any means necessary. The film also explores the roles of young, rich Brazilian who help fuel the drug trade through their casual drug use, and do-gooders who befriend dealers as a means to establish and work through NGOs to provide much needed educational and health related services to the majority of residents in the favelas who have no relationship with the elicit drug trade. The film is based on a book written by a sociologist and two former BOPE captains. It became a controversial nationwide phenomenon in Brazil in 2007 as described in this New York Times article. Tropa raised questions about police brutality and violence, but the main character became a sort of cult hero. I think my Brazilian host sister and her friends actually dressed as BOPE officers during Carnaval last year (still not sure what to make of that.)

I would love to hear the opinions of anyone that has seen the movie. And I have included the film's trailer below. I also know a lot of people who have worked with different NGOs and organization's in Rio's favelas, and would love to hear perspectives on how the presence of drug dealers and effected your work, and how that compared to, or was misrepresented in this film. And if you haven't already seen this film, definitely do! It may not become your favorite movie ever, and it's probably not as fun to watch as Cidade de Deus or Slumdog Millionaire, but it will definitely make you think. And isn't that what good art is meant to do?

Portuguese Trailer


English Trailer

She Loves Everybody

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, the past few weeks in DC have been absolutely amazing. I ran into old friends from high school and college and attended some pretty amazing, sometimes star studded events. Luckily, two good friends from undergrad, DA and Max, who are now better known as the artistic duo Chester French, stopped by on the Friday before inauguration to perform songs from their upcoming album at an event hosted by the Center for American Progress. Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to record their acoustic set, but their premier music video is now officially out on MTV. Check it out, and don't to forget to vote for them!

Chester French - New Music - More Music Videos

And for all those who I am leaving behind in the DC area, Chester French is going on tour with Lady Gaga and will be back in the district on Thursday, April 2nd at the 930 Club. I'm sad that I will probably have to miss the show, but you should definitely check it out! Maybe they'll do some touring abroad?

First Stop - BRAZIL!

After over a year of experiencing the ups and downs of life in corporate America, I have decided that it is time for a change. We cannot take any time in this life for granted, and for that reason I have decided to go on a little adventure. I have named this blog Project Broken Compass because I really have no idea where I am going. But I have a video camera, a little bit of money, a lot of time, and an extreme sense of restlessness. The global economy may be in an irreversible death spiral, but when again will I have the freedom and opportunity to travel the world. I am sending in my letter of resignation, packing up my things, and heading south: first stop – Carnaval in Salvador da Bahia, BRAZIL! What better way to start my trip than take part in the biggest party on the planet – and visit old friends and family from years prior. And along the way I am planning on documenting everything I see and here - really exploring the issues facing the world right now from a global angle, getting in touch with new cultures and perspectives, and hopefully sharing these experiences with you through video and prose. And, as corny as it may sound, I would love to create some lively dialogue through this blog. Hopefully I can use this outlet to keep in touch with good friends and make new ones along the way. And I would love to hear your opinions on anything I write (good or bad) and get your perspectives on any issues I might raise. And also, if you have any travel suggestions, please let me know! After Brazil I have no idea where I will end up next.

It's A New Day?

The inauguration of our 44th President of the United States was an incredible sight to behold. Millions of inspired Americans convened on the National Mall for several days of events. Braving bitter cold and massive crowds, America celebrated the dawn of a new era of American leadership - mixing, mingling and celebrating under the awe inspiring shadows of the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and Capitol Building. I was lucky enough to share this moment with friends from across the country, both old and new. And my new camcorder came in just in time to be able to document this very special occasion. President Barack H. Obama: Congratulations on your election and keep the country safe while I'm gone!



Do you have a message to send to President Obama? Comment!