Sidewalks:
Sidewalks are owned by the building or house that they are in front of, thus every section has a different surface, at a different level, on a different slope, maintained to a different standard..

 

this one is the main drag, 2 lanes each direction, crazy people driving the buses , they park on the sidewalk,  double park or triple, the only way around for a pedestrian, is to step out into the lane with the on coming bus..always walk facing traffic!!




The sidewalks are used for many things..

Parking cars:
this drives me nutz, no room to pass in front  or behind, you have to walk on to the street.







Construction:
They Mix cement, mortar, cut wood, tiles..all the work is done on the sidewalk.

Storing Construction Material:








Sleeping:

The guy behind the walker is napping, these guys are flanelinhas, these guys  stake out a piece of road and "Help"  you park  or un-park and then ask for money..basically they do dick, and if you don't pay they will NOT  watch your car, and something will most likely happen to it...!!




Business:

Garbage:
They pile garbage ( which is picked up every night) on the side walks, the recycler's ( Just a bunch of people with hand carts  or horse drawn carts) pick through the bags looking for things of value, hey  it is a system that seems to work, they spread garbage all over the place.. Usually this is cleaned up by morning, the official garbage men seem to handle this. It always happens at night, I never see how it works,  I just see the results in the morning

and lastly..and least likely..walking..

The area may be flat, but you get a workout every walk. because of holes and levels, you have to look down, you miss a lot.. I have learned to look down, scan for 10-20 meters.. look up look around  then look down again to scan the next 10 -20 meters,  almost doing it unconsciously. Opps I forgot to mention,   pedestrians are invisible to traffic, cross walks are a waste of paint ( And I think a signal to drivers to close their eyes and floor it), traffic lights.. if seen are ignored..
I have translated the traffic signals for you
Canada  = Brasil
Green = Green
Yellow = Green
Red = light shade of green, if something bigger then you is crossing, slow or stop, if smaller or more cowardly then you..floor it.. (this is the Macho rule.. will get into that in another entry.. that will be a long discussion...

So   be careful crossing the road...


OOPS  I forgot..Always be ready to dodge a motorcycle.. when the roads are crowded or blocked..the Moto's take to the sidewalk...

Culture:
Today Recife turns 475, and Olinda 477.. We Went to a celebration last night in Recife, and will go to one tonight in Olinda..
What does this have to do with culture... AGE. In Western Canada, we have no culture of our own, we use the culture of our heritage, We are a nation of immigrants and have not had a chance for those  cultures to blend in to one that we can call our own.

Here in Brasil, the Portuguese, dominated the north east, they imported African slaves.. And have very little immigration since, there is  a large Japanese community in Sao Paulo, Italians in the South and small pockets of other immigrants.. The Culture here ( In the North East) has had time to ferment..blend..become their own.  It is a mixture of Portuguese, African and Indigenous peoples, blended in to the Music and Dance of this area.. I am not sure what part you could follow back to which area.. it has become Brazilian..

During celebrations like the one last night in Recife, Or Carnival, the cool thing to see is how everyone, no matter their age, 5 or 95, celebrate, they all know the words, and the dance steps, they all smile, dance and enjoy. They do not hold back they dance and sing like no one is watching ( The Beer my be helping!)..

In all my pictures, and videos, https://picasaweb.google.com/104024114949691259972?authkey=Gv1sRgCJH7ipnE2Oi7Yg , just look at how happy these people are.. how "in to it" they are. Even in small family gatherings, there is no fighting over music, it is always LOUD  and everyone enjoys it, no complaining that they don't like that style or it is for old folks...

As an outsider, this place can make you feel like an intruder. People here have set out a wall, on one side it is family and friends, if your on that side of the wall, there is nothing these people won't do for you. On the other side of the wall... they are reserved, defensive and cold.. This wall is physical,  the wall around their homes, and it is psychological , you are in the group, family or friends, or outside of that group.. I am very lucky, Cris ,her family and friends let me into the inside of the wall.. ( Enough social philosophy).

Here's the nuts of it.. This place is fantastic, music, dance, and costume.. tons of things to see do and experience. I am so blessed to have a tour guide ( Cris) who loves, appreciates and shares all these cultural wonders with me... some days I don't feel like trekking up that hill, or down the narrow street, but she always gives me a little push, when I get there, I am always amazed and in awe , and I always have FUN..

I had been to Carnival before, in 2002,  I only took a small bite..a morning in Olinda and an evening in Recife, I enjoyed both.. but I was a tourist,  guarding my camera ( mentally guarding).. not open.. not participating.. This year, being "in to it" having costumes, following Cris's  groups as they paraded in the old cities..WOW.. you have to come here once in your life..
Carnival in Recife... it is becoming more modern, more commercial but is not completely owned by coca-cola yet ( un-like the Stampede), they have Buses to take you to and from shopping centers, so it is easy to get to, stages set up with famous entertainers, but they still have smaller musical groups who parade through the streets, lots of families, kids and space, it is crowded, but not a crush like Olinda. really well done.
Olinda.. is much more rustic, the Peoples party, they have some stages, some organized entertainment, but most is just impromptu, a Group will just decide to parade, they chose their own route, and pace, if you like the music, just fall in behind, dance and have fun, the crowd is younger,  and a little drunker, and very crowded ( streets are narrow and just no space to move, your stuck moving with the crowd), you have to see it..it is better during the day ( But hot) if I were 25, and still a party animal this is were I would want to be... You had better get here before the commercial world takes over, I would hate to see the place with Coke stickers all over..

( Side note, the last few times I was at the Stampede, I was so pissed, water was only Dasani , Soft drinks were all coke products, all priced fixed, all expensive, no choice, no service clubs, no immigrant groups or community groups, all one big friggin coke commercial, It should be called the Coca-Cola show,  thus the snide comments above about coke spoiling Carnival) 

Next Year  Carnival is  February 8th until the 12th , Get working on your Visa...and Travel plans..

Stuff I miss...
My daughters, 4 grand daughters, and one grandson and my family..but  with internet, skype, VOIP phone, and face book.. I have a local Calgary phone number, so family phone daily and the electronic tools help a lot, but miss giving the babies  big hugs.

NOT in any particular order..

Books:
Real ones... I have an EReader, and can download books from the Calgary Library, so I have lots to read, and free.. but sometimes... on occasion.. I Miss the feel of a paperback...then I look out the window, see the ocean, and don't miss them so much..

Hot water:

Yup,  not common here in the North East of Brasil to have hot water, the stuff out of the tap is luke warm (27 C), no real need for hot water, especially as it is hotter then hell. They do have  ( Not Us) what is called electric showers, some times referred to as suicide showers.  Just some days,  sore muscles, stiff back...ahhhhh a hot shower would be nice..




Shopping:
I'm a man, I don't like shopping, it is in our Genes, I want to go in, grab stuff, go home, the following items  DRIVE ME NUTZ..
The stores, all have line ups at the cash registers, they seem to have lots of cash registers, they are just slow.. the cashiers seem to look at all you stuff and roll it around before scanning it, every item, if you have 24 cans of coke,every one of them gets scanned.... never in a hurry,  maybe they are to relaxed, they all have chairs the the checkout?
In the isles, when you see someone stocking the selves, they don't  get out of your way! they don't say excuse me  or sorry, they just keep working ( also very slow) if you want to go to the other side of them, you need to go back and around through the other isle. This i just don't get, this is in a Bom Preco ( Wal Mart  Brasil) , you would think they know something about marketing!!
Oh I have stories, I could go  on and on..  but won't..

Some stores,  like my Hardware store ( you used to see more of this, shoe stores, books stores) , use a weird system, you shop ( or a person follows you with a basket), when your done  you go to a counter,  they add up all you stuff, and give you a slip of paper, and they take your stuff,  you then go to another counter (usually at the back) and hand in the paper, they tell you how much, ( if you use a credit card they ask how many payments,  they will usually do up to 10 equal  payments on your card with no interest),  when you have paid  you have to find a 3rd counter,  usually  far from the one you paid at, closer to the one that took your stuff ,  show them another piece of paper and your receipt,  they then pass you a bag with your stuff.. Fast   NOT, Efficient  NOT. Fun NOT..

Quality:
Anything here imported has the poo taxed out of it, this is to allow Brazilian manufacturers to compete. But the majority of the stuff they make is crap,  all the stuff is like the crap from a dollar store, knives, plates, plastic containers..everything...just JUNK.. if you want good stuff, you would have to buy imported,  if you could even find it..and then the Price would be double  what we pay in Canada.. eg..   Henkle Kitchen knives IN Canada I paid 60  bucks,  here it would have been hard to find and $200 Canadian, electronics, same thing.. It is everything. Some things,  cotton, sheets, clothes, shoes are good quality.. and good price..but most things..not so much...Now I know why all my Brazilian visitors bought so much stuff when they visited.. So If you come to visit, I will give you a list of stuff to bring!! You will need a couple of suit cases..

Work:
Ha ha,  of course not,  just put that in to see if you were paying attention, will never miss work.

Retirement:
We all wonder if we can afford to retire, we calculate and worry and wonder how we will survive on less..We  wonder if we will go crazy with nothing to do, we hold off.. My advice...just do it.. for your sole. not your wallet. I'm poor  but happy.

The stars aligned for me, one day I was working in Calgary, The next I was retired and moving to Brasil.. This change of scenery, different climate, different language, forced me to new routines, nothing is the "same old". Maybe this is advice for those looking to retire.  Move!

I am a house husband, I clean, shop, cook, no time for boredom. I don't drive, I walk everywhere. Because I walk I need to shop every second  day or so.. Brasil has super markets, and they are becoming more popular, but they still have  butchers, Bakeries, green grocers, this is where I like to do my shopping, better stuff,  better service. A trip to the barber or cheese shop is more then a trip to buy something, I have to study the words I might need to use,  everything I do is an adventure, nothing I do is mindless. I am not bored, and never will be. This does surprise me and Cris, going from a workaholic to a Bum...we both thought after  3 months I would go nuts. The trick is to stay busy...


Here is a link to some photos of my neighborhood..  https://picasaweb.google.com/104024114949691259972/TheWalk?authkey=Gv1sRgCOfV0p3g1_ScfA
On the right is a Map of where I Took the pic, you can change it to satellite  view..

You want to retire to the Sun... you can do it.. I have some advice for you ...just ask...

Hi All:
I moved to Olinda, Brasil in June 2011, It has been an adventure, I have SO  many things to tell you about..
Facebook is just not the place to write about this adventure..
I am not much of a writer,  but will try my best..

To my Brasilian friends..
I am living in your country, I hear you complain and discuss the countries issues, but your proud of Brasil, and even though you see her problems, you don't like foreigners making comments.  We Canadians are the same, we can complain about Canada, but if a foreigner were to do the same,  we would tell them if they don't like it GO Home.  I get that, and I will try to say only good things.Try to remember I am trying to not only pass on the facts of  living here, but my impressions and feelings as well, ( and they are my feelings and my impressions) don't be to hard on me if ( when) I slip and complain. In advance.. I'm sorry..
To my Canadian friends..
I love it here, Brasil has so many wonderful places to see, amazing people, cultural things to see, do and listen to...but its not home, and even though Brasil has all these amazing things,  some times a guy just has to bitch. Take it with a grain of salt and remember, the good far out ways the Bad.


Watch for more in the near Future