Arrival in the Northeast Brazil

Wednesday November 10th.
Hi Everyone!!

I know it has been a while!! But i have finally taken the time to write!
Its been three months now that i have left my last job, and its been an amazing adventure.It all started with a weird ride i got in August from Buffalo to Monticello NY, the awesome week at the Balkan music camp, the amazing two weeks and a half in Guatemala, the few great 10 days spent in New York City that changed my mind about the awful big place, the almost three weeks spent in Sao Paulo Brazil at my father's place recording music on his mini studio, to finally being here in the northeast of Brazil in a place called Pau Amarelo, Pernambuco.
Do you see Recife up there on the farthest East coastal area? That is where I am right now.
In later posts i will recite some of those adventures, but in the mean time i need to focus on starting this blog, and it is easier to do so with writing of the present.
My journey won't end here, for next week from today my momma will arrive in Recife( yes Finally!!!) . We shall stay here for a few days until heading north 5 hours north of here to the coastal dunes of Natal to finally be reunited with Mom's lover the great Sueli. After a few days after that i shall depart to the town of Caruaru, Pernambuco, the capital of Forro style Pe' de Serra.

The dirt street I am currently living off of.

Pau Amarelo is a relatively poor area. Most side roads in this urban neighborhood are made of dirt with lots of holes.
There are very few white people, most are coffee with milk, i definitely stand out here. When i first arrived, people would cover their eyes when crossing one another on the road. I thought maybe i needed to cut my hair, but i soon realized the sun was glaring off of my white chest....From there on i was determined to make sure i get more color on my skin...



As of now, I am well, except for the annoying cough i have had for almost a week now. After leaving Sao Paulo last week i arrived in  northeast with a whole apartment available to myself. Former Catholic Sister Lucia left me her keys to her apt while she was away. It was wonderful except for the mosquito bites i endured during the nights of the living room hammack. So naturally over the last few days i have been wondering of the possibility of having contracted Dengue. But rest assured, the paranoia of my conscious was just briefly stronger than my rational brain. I have no fever nor cold sweats, it probably is just Tubercolosis.
I now moved upstairs to Sueli's apartment which she has graciously left me use, where thank goodness there are nets dangling from above the beds.
The mosquito issue is not really one to the extent of quantity but of the quality. You see, this region is dry in the summer (remember i am in the southern hemisphere, therefore summers and winters are reversed from you all up north), the present quantity of mosquitoes isn't overwhelming. The problem is that these Brazilian northern blood sucking unloved demons are very quick and enigmatically smart in avoiding your gaze and in perceiving that they have been discovered. I have logically come to a possible explanation vis-a-vis their swift nature. As the northeast of Brazil is much closer to the equator, the lenght of days are relatively equal all year long. As a matter of fact they don't even use day light savings time as they do in southern Brazil (rio and Sao Paulo). Being closer to the equator also means that the sun rises and goes down very quickly compared to Cancer and Capricorn tropics areas... It is really amazing... the sun rises at 5 am and sets around 530 pm..but it does so at great velocity. The window for a little white dude swimming in the ocean only opens early morning until 9am, by then the sun is already high and strong. As for the evening window from 230pm to 5 sundown. By the way I ain't whitty no more, i got lots of color by now :-). Regardless i still try to adhere to being out around those windows.
Anyway to those demons we all dislike with passion,,, Since the daylight and sunlight is very quick to appeare, it is my belief that mosquitoes must have had the necessity of developing quick reflexes and speed as a means to quickly hiding from sunlight. Quite plausible no? those damned beasts....

The Building in which i am staying.

My schedule is quite simple and comfortably regular. I wake up around 630am, (past 7am, it simply is too warm to sleep, and there is no air conditioning here). Houses are extremely well built here. The small two story apartment building i am currently in as all other construction here are all made of brick, cement and beton arme' ( i forgot the English translation).
Lots of windows and openings are strategically built as to allow the maximum air flow and circulation. Sueli's apartment has a constant breeze entering and leaving all the rooms. It is a wonderful breeze being that everyday is a normal 30 degrees celsius (90's F , is that correct? sorry i have no internet at the apartment, i head out to an internet LAN gamers cafe where i pay US$ 65 cents and hour.)

The beach i usually go to.

Anyway coming back to my schedule, after waking up I head out to the beach (5 minute walk from the apt) where i swim a little and get some sun walking up or down the beach, peacefully soothed by the waves rythmic music.

I return to the building. I have breakfast with former catholic nun Lucia. I usually have some delicious french bread (yes the Brazilian's bakeries at the supermarkets have better tasting frenchbread that wegmans, allthough wegmans is a little more substantial and filling). I also always have a banana vitamina, blendered banana and any other fruit such as papaya with milk and oatmeal powder.... yuuuuuuuuujmmmmmmmmmmm.....
I promise I will make sure to post some pictures of some the amazing fruit here... fresh and so sweet in sugars.... hmmm

Another beach I go to, The Mareia is high at this moment

After breakfast, i pick up the accordion and practice and learn a Forro tune until lunch. Eat lunch that Irma Lucia has graciously been cooking, read for a bit on the sofa for digestion sakes, head to the computer to edit or record some music tracks. At about 3, I head back out for a swim or bike ride, until the sun starts setting behind you out west... The ocean is super warm by the afternoon, that once the sun is starting to go down, its feels warmer staying in the water....

I then go to the little market for the evening dinner needs. Eat dinner watching the Jornal Nacional with Irma Lucia, head back to Sueli's apartment to read until bedtime around 9 or 10pm depending on how good the book is...
So most of my days here are spent alone, and I am quite happy with it for now. It is purely paradise-like living....you really feel no need of anything more than what you alreay have.

Nest of the bird in baby birthing canal!

Did I tell you that there is a bird living in Sueli's apartment?

When i first entered the apartment, i found a little bird that nested on one of the wall decorations. The funny thing is that, this bird nested in my mother's baby delivey demonstration piece. It consists of the bone structure of a mother's hips with a baby doll's head stuck in the opening, simulating a birth.... Funny huh!!

Sueli's amazing world of stones

Sueli's apartment is filled with magic... check ou the pics. Can you see the table filled with her living rocks she has found throughout her lifetime... gazillions...

Sueli's apartement

ok i need to get going!!  I hope you enjoy the pictures... i will keep you posted on future events... i hope to to have this blog updated once a week, and hope to put the music i have been recording on it soon once the slow editing is complete.

Quick Sunset

Lots of love to all!
I miss yall!!
Let me know if you want to come down, we can make it happen!!
remember anything is possible in this life... you just have to put your head to it...

Feel free to ask questions!!!