Electricity
I had the best Monday I have ever had this week.
It really started late Sunday night into early Monday morning, the soap opera that is the NBA delivered an entertaining crossover event with all of the best characters involved in the All- star game. Although never a great game, all the little storylines make it an interesting watch, particularly the battle between the splash brothers, Steph and Klay. I love a bromance.
So I went to bed in a good mood and awoke to 3 fantastic lessons at work and a contract extension, with hopefully more stable opportunities.
Then the guy that I buy lunch off every day had my favourite dish, chicken Stroganoff and I was so happy, I bought 2. It's always a good day when he has Stroganoff. I just didn't know how good it would become.
I returned to work on one of my websites which turned a corner last week and led to an increase of output and learning before heading to my Portuguese group class for even more learning.
But the real reason came late in the evening. A German guy, Silvio, who had appeared in one of my classes last week, had invited me to join him at an 'Ensaio' or training for carnaval. There are many of these around and you can go and watch them prepare themselves for blocos or the parade in the famous Sambadrome. Through his Brazilian girlfriend's family he had caught wind of a deal for residents to join the parade for cheap and I was absolutely down to join.
I headed across town via metro to the center, where I met him. Now Silvio is about 12ft 9. For the first time in my life I found myself having to walk quicker just to keep with his ridiculously large strides. He looked more like my bodyguard than anything else. We asked a few people around for the samba school and again everyone was very willing to help and going out of their way to help us.
Following their directions and hearing the music close by, we found the drink carts outside and decided to have a Caipirinha whilst waiting for our contact to read the message that we are here. I think that first Caipi really added to the tone. After moving onto a beer and no reply from our guy, we entered the large hall where a samba band was playing and saw that a few people had started to line up at the front. About 5 abreast and in small blocks, which I am informed are called alas, people began to assemble. Some groups a collection of different people in different attires and other groups all coordinated in both outfits and dance moves. Highlights were a group of gentlemen tipping their hats many a time, a group of older ladies in long skirts swinging around and a group of younger ladies who will invade my dreams for years to come. They were stunning.
As the band began, the song they played was an absolute banger. This song played on repeat relentlessly for 2 hours and it did not get boring. In fact it stayed in my head as I walked back from the metro station. Two moments in particular really gave me a great feeling, similar to a drop in songs, or like a nice note. Two kinda contrasting songs that I can relate the feeling to is in 'Electricity' by Dua Lipa atm, I cannot deny, I love it when she "cannot deNYYY" the feeling she has and 'Over the Rainbow' when Eva Cassidy really nails the "finndddd meeeEEEEeeeEEEEE"
These moments came about twice every 5 minutes as the groups began dancing round the room in a oval shape, and following each other singing at the top of their lungs. I had acquired a song sheet that I shared with a lovely Amazonian bloke who loves carnaval in Rio. I stood there, a Caipi and a few beers deep with the infectious atmosphere really dragging me in. And this was only a training.
I took a quick break outside to replenish beer and energy and film a lil' clip for my nanny when I saw three lovely older ladies having a good old chinwag. They had matching outfits and stood by the samba schools symbol, the lion, so I asked them for a picture. Again they were more than happy to take one and invited me in. It was great, when I told the one without the hat that my friend and I were keen to join she dragged me along to find someone who could help. That guy took our number and said we should come on Friday to register in time to get a costume, attend a training and be ready for carnaval.
You don't need to dance well, you don't need to know the words, just need to amble along with some energy and rhythm and you're good to go. There seemed to be about 4 moves that were 'fairly' synchronised throughout the whole squad, the rest depended on the ala, of which most had a high energy guy at the front leading the group. And after about an hour of walking around the room singing and dancing, people began to have the words and the moves down.
The atmosphere was honestly ridiculous and I was so filled with excitement, we chatted the whole way back and I sang and danced into my house before then sitting down, writing and taking inspiration from the events that had occurred, I listened to one song on repeat that had a good flow that could have a similar effect and keep the energy going. I didn't want to go to bed and didn't for another two hours. I contemplated cracking open the red wine but decided against it, thankfully.
The morning of writing this is the Tuesday and I am still on an absolute buzz, although I must say my vision seems to have zoomed in a bit. I know it sounds mental, and it is, but its a thing I know others have experienced and I used to as a child. Everything seems a lot closer than it is. A lot. Peoples faces, this computer, that empty beer can. Internet diagnosis says it's either too much electrical activity in the brain or that I'm dying. In truth I think I need a clean and a nap to calm myself down but what a feeling. what an atmosphere. What a night.
It's now Friday and this week I also acquired my visa to stay with the potential to be here until August. However unfortunately the deal is too late to join up and it is now too expensive to get the costume, so I will spend the money on another costume less extravagant but more ridiculous and dance in street parties instead. I'm honestly gutted about it but that's the way it goes. Monday was still incredible and gave me a great experience and I can't wait to see the actual parade in action.
I was gunna drop in the song I was singing but as I wont be singing it, I'll drop this in instead.
