Vitoria--minha vida, meu orgulho, meu amor

So this past week was midterms, papers, headaches, tired eyes, and the realization that time has flown by. I have been having such a great time here in Brazil, I am already dreading leaving! There is so much I feel that I have left to do. I am trying to dig my heels into the ground, or turn my watch back a few hours, or some how put on the brakes of this high speed train called life. I am not nearly tan enough, my Portuguese is getting better but I haven't forgotten English yet, I haven't won a Capoeira battle, I have not danced pagode all night...the list goes on. I did, however, manage to do some memorable things this weekend:

1. Bale Folcorico--We went to this performance on Thursday night that exhibited traditional Bahian performance. We saw makulele (a high energy dance/staged fight with swords and sticks), a long dance of Orishas, and some acrobatic Capoeira that was absolutely breath taking. My favorite act was the fire-dancer. This man with a cauldron of fire balanced on his head and two small bowls of fire in his hand danced and twirled across the floor. Once he put the bowls down he held the flames with his hands and stood on the fire with his bare feet. Needless to say it was very impressive.

2. Ile Aiye--This is the most renown Afro-Brazilian drum group in Brazil that was founded here in Salvador. They were an important element of the Black Movement in the 1970s and continue today to be leaders in the maintaining black pride and culture. They are the oldest and most famous black group to perform in Carnival. Anyway, every month they play music all night in this big empty gym-esque building over in Liberdade (a neighborhood about 30 minutes away). Their drumming just fills your soul and your heart beats one with the drums and your feet begin to dance to the rhythm. We danced all night and I could not wipe the smile off my face even though my checks began to hurt.

You can't really capture the feeling or music in a picture but here are the drummers:


3. Futebol! I finally went to a Brazilian soccer game! Vitoria (thats my team, from Salvador) vs. Flumenese (a Rio team that traditionally is strong but having a weak year). I had bought a jersey a few days ago in preparation for the game. The bus ride there was AMAZING. We were sardined into a bus crowded with Vitoria fans. Everyone was drumming on the windows and the ceiling and singing Vitoria chants and songs, after a few refrains to catch the words we were singing too. I couldn't partake in the drumming because the bus sped through the city so fast that I had to cling on for dear life (picture how fast the Knight bus from HP3 would take the turns...it was basically like that). It was on the bus I decided that Brazilians need to teach Americans a lesson or two about delectation. The energy was just great. It felt like the Quidditch world cup outside the stadium with different vendors selling their paraphernalia and everyone excited and cheering. At the start of the game the mascot even came on the field (I was so juiced!). Vitoria is red and has a lion mascot (which is KINDA like Gryffindor, which of course got me excited as well) The game was good, but we ended in a tie 2-2. I definitely miss going to UCLA football games (and dancing to Ow!).

Here I am with my friend Alex decked out in our gear (unfortunately I don't have face paint)


I really like this picture I took of all the jerseys for sale
and no, its not upside down, they are all just hanging that way.
Oh and if you are wondering, Fiat is the sponsor not a player