1st month...

...is coming to an end. I've spent november here in Maceió, studying portuguese and slowly getting into vacation mode. I will truly miss this city, my new extended family and all the amazing people I've gotten to know. But before I leave for the south next week I'll make a last trip tomorrow saturday to Dunas do Marapé, an amazing beach about 60 km from Maceió.

Today.

At Praia do Francês. A different take on the typical super-saturated-paradise-beach pics.

p.s. Click for a bigger size.

A tiny collection of pics....

...from the weekend at Porto de Galinhas.

Sugar cane fields.


Fromt the pousada to the beach.


The Beach 1.


The Beach 2.


Origami at the pousada.


Pousada by night.

Back from...

Porto de galinhas, where I spent the weekend. Amazing beaches, warm water och cheap food and drinks. I just can't get tired of it. Pics are coming up, but tonite we shall toast cachaca with friends and be happy.

Full moon

There's a full moon tonite. It illuminates the sea and the beach as if there's a gigant spotlight pointed towards the sea. It's amazing. A cool sea breeze is blowing, making the temperature rest on a perfect 25 degrees. The beach walk is full of people enjoying the night.

Two ladies in their 60s are dressed from top 'til toe in smart Nike sportsware, out for a powerwalk as they gossip. A Fabio look-a-like is taking his muscles for a walk, trying to look as relaxed as possible. A young super-tanned street vendor is smiling back at me with a perfect Colgate-smile, trying to sell me some freshly made acaraje as I hear my stomach growling. From a bar, a few hundred meters away, I can hear some cool samba blasting from the speakers.

My feet are aching from the capoeira practice I just had. It took place at a park just two blocks from the beach, although we weren't standing on grass but on a concrete platform. We were just two students and our instructor Ulysses. With a name like that, you must be meant for greatness. The lesson ends with us singing a few songs that he taught us. He leads the song and we join in on the chorus. He occasionally throws in a few improvisational compliments in the songs as some beautiful ladies walked by, with it not going unnoticed by them. Always mackin'.

My friend Christine walks by, on her way to a samba lesson just on the other side of the park. As practice finish I walk with her to check it out. We meet up with some other familiar faces. Feeling too hungry, I leave them as the class begins. I can hear the sweet female vocals leading in the traditional samba drum beat behind me as I walk towards the beach and my way home.

I keep thinking how fortunate I am to experience this. Nothing is for granted.

Assorted pics

F***ing internet bullshit

We're experiencing technical problems with the image. The regular schedule will resume shortly. We apologize for the inconvenience.

lazy-e...

Ok, I've been lazy with posts and photos. I'm actually almost getting into a daily routine here, doing stuff, so sitting by the computer for more than 5 min is a rare event. New pictures are coming up in following posts though.

And this weekend I'm going to a "nearby" village, Porto de Galinhas, which is supposed to be amazing. A link

And christmas trees...

...when it's 35 degrees hot.
It's strange.

Chocolate pizza...

Will tell you about it tomorrow.

Long way around!

I've now decided to skip the flight from Salvador to Rio and instead make my way from Maceio, where I'm currently, all the way down to Rio de Janeiro by bus and making a lot of stops on the way. And it's gonna be mad nice! The distance Maceio - Rio de Janeiro is about 2000 km, going through 5 states (Alagoas - Sergipe - Bahia - Espirito Santo - Rio De Janeiro)

That adventure begins november 30.

Color

One thing that amazes me about this country is the diversity in people of color. All shades and possible combinations is to be found here. Nougat skin with sparkling blue eyes. And still this beautiful diversity isn't really celebrated or shown in mass media. 95 % of all commercial depicts white brazilians and in the popular soaps you can catch a glimpse of a token black character. It saddens me. And the old, tired explanation = excuse that the strongest consumer groups, which to a majority are white brazilians, must identify with the ads i.e. be depicted in them, should be a thing of the past. While I think this exotic mix of people is what most people love about Brazil, and what the brazilians at least here in the norther parts love, it's not reflected in mass media.

Currently top 5 things here in Brazil

• Grass + milk + cookies
• All-you-can-eat-meat-buffés
• Sun + Beach
• Beautiful people of ALL colors
• Brazilian butts. C'mon, you all know it.

A quickie

Ok, for all you jazz-fanatics out there. Just gotta tell ya'all about a fantastic afro-brazilian band from Salvador called Terrero de Jesus.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=224681069

Check the song "Exu"!

The routine...

Yesterday.
Sun shining.
Woke up.
Breakfast. LOADS fresh fruit
School.
Cook a brazilian dish with friends for lunch.
Beach + sun + swim.
Home.
Tv.
Skype with my beautiful lady.
Sleep.

Today.
Sun shining.
Woke up.
Breakfast. LOADS fresh fruit + tasty cake.
School.
Lunch.
Chill at home.
Music + caipirinhas + friends.
Sleep.

Tomorrow.
Sun.
Wake up.
Beach.
The new Bond flic.
Probably music + caipirinhas + friends.
Sleep.

You get the point.
My life is easy.
All that's needed is WiFi :)

Pictures, folkes!

Okey, Gurki, Liliana, Henke + alla andra. Nu kommer bilder :) A little sneak preview anyways...







And let me sneak in a little Go Obama!

Homie is back online!!

I finally got my laptop connected to the internet, with some portuguese help from my brazilian bro' Eduardo and the good folks at TIM internet providers. So, soon I'm gonna upload a few pictures from this paradise on earth..Yes, I'm sparing no adjectives in describing this place. But now, time for studies. Até logo!

Brasil baby!

After what has been a flight from hell, I´m finally in sunny Maceio. Well, the flights has been good, but when the lay-overs (yes! more than one) are longer than the flights you almost get to the point where you start questioning why you didn´t pay those extra 5000 kr to get an almost direct flight. So my flight was as follows: Stockholm - London (4 hours wait) - Frankfurt (10 hours wait) - Salvador (6 hours wait) - Maceio. phu! I've had enough airport to last me for a lifetime. Nuff complain', I'm heading out to check out the city and start using the little portuguese I know. A post with all the misunderstanding is to follow I'm sure...