On Friday afternoon Andre took me to visit a community centre called Beijaflor (kiss flower; what they call Hummingbirds). It is a centre for poor children that teaches art, music, dance, sport, capoiera, hairdressing and more. I will let you know when I add some more photos to facebook because this place was really beautiful! Everywall inside and out was painted with bright colours and murals, and had lush tropical gardens inbetween the buildings.
When we arrived we drove down a steep entrance road and at the end was a dried up river. Later the people there explained that the river used to be flowing some time ago and was really picturesque with boats and people fishing. There was an art classroom that had a view of the river so the children could paint the boats. The area also used to have a lot of rich people and expensive houses because of the view but they left when the water did. Now part of the channel is a bit swampy and has left are large patch of dry red soil which some kids where playing soccer on(or futebol as they call it) when we arrived.
We parked the car and headed inside to find somebody Andre knew. Andre used to teach break dancing at this place and soon found some familiar faces. We walked around checking out some of the rooms, some had computers for studying and there were some halls for capoiera, dance and drums. Inside one hall some kids were dancing and playing samba music on drums in preparation for an upcoming parade. It sounded amazing and we took some video of them practising so we can show you all when we get home! Next we went to one of the art classes where we met a lady named Ordalia (i think) who showed us around further. She is an artist as well as a hairdresser who teaches art there and did many or the murals throughout the buildings.
She showed us first the eating hall and kitchen where they prepare meals for the kids. Lots of her paintings lined the walls, she had an interest in painting the favelas of the area. The paintings are quite dark but express feeling of the favelas quite realistically. She next took us to a classroom where they were teaching hairdressing. One girl there who was learning was also a singer and she sang part of an original song (that Ordalia wrote) beautifully. And we got it all on video :)
Next we had a look at a soundproof booth for recording music and the capoiera hall which had tiered seating and murals of the jungle on all the walls. Next we went into some art classrooms where there were paintings everywhere! More of her paintings of favelas were there as well as paintings of parrots and people done by the children and some interesting stencil art. An artist from France was there teaching the children his technique where he would get an enlarged photocopy of a photo portrait and carefully cut out the shadows or outlines with a stanley knife. Next he would spray paint the stencil onto a canvas and add pop-art-like graphics to the back and foreground. On some of the exterior walls were stencils of childrens faces that he had spraypainted onto the walls. I think I managed to photograph all of them, they were uniquely positioned throughout the centre.
One of the children shown was a boy that used to visit the centre and had been murdured recently. We met the man who owned the centre, he spoke english well (had one side of his parents greek australians) and explained to us that the child had tried to break into a bakery and the owner found out and ordered him to be killed. So a 'hit man' and sought after him and strangled him. I was really shocked and saddened to hear this! He next explained the obvious purpose of the centre, to try and stop the poor children turning to dangerous street crime. Andre and me both thought it was a great idea and could possible be used in Australia.
We spoke with Ordalia again before we left and she was so happy that I liked her paintings that she wanted to give me one! She found a small one she had done, signed it and gave it to me as a present, I was really touched! The whole time she was speaking to me in very fast mumbling portuguese and by the end she showed me the books she was using to learn english. One of the other guys from the centre walked through at that time and said in really good english, 'Is she speaking english with you? She speaks really good english!'. I was like errrrrrr no! She said she taught english but I think she was really shy to try and speak english with me as english was my first language, I have found this the case with many brasilians who can speak a bit of english! I think that she thought I spoke portuguese well but I had to pretend I knew what she was saying a lot of the time!
We left soon after our goodbyes to follow some guys who were going into the favelas to do some comedy shows. But we got lost along the way and decided to visit some of Andres Aunts (from his dad's side this time) who lived near the area. The area they lived in was a mixture of favela and 'C' class housing. Andre explained there was something like A, B, C and favela status amongst the housing. His parents house would be A within Diadema but B out of the whole of Sao Paulo (as there are a lot of fancy houses in the city district). His Aunts we so gorgeous and sweet and were shocked that Andre had brought me to visit. They said they didn't think he would show me poor housing! But I think their houses were very neat and well maintained, just a little on the small side by Perth standards! There we two Aunts there living just one house apart.
We first went to Aunt Ilma's house. She got out lots of cakes, biscuits, cheese and soft drink for us but we were still kinda full from lunch so we just had a bit! We talked for a while before Dario turned up (one of Ilma's sons) We spoke for a while longer before we decided to say our goodbyes. We went up to Aunt Renilde's house but she wasn't there! So we decided to head off, but as we drove down the street we saw her walking along the street waving at us. She had had a shower and put on nice clothes and makeup and gone down to the bakery to get some fresh bread for us! So we turned around to have some coffee and bread with her!
She laid out the table with all sorts of snacks and put on the coffee. So we sat down and she insisted we eat. She had bought Lingua Sogra bread (mother-in-law's tongue - wierd I know) which was a thick plait of sweet bread with warm custard throughout and heaped with sweeted shaved coconut on top. Andre has said that a common insult to people in Brasil was to say they had hair on the tongue (really gross thought hey!) So I think this is why it is called Lingua Sogra! The coconut makes it look a bit hairy I guess! Aunt Renilde insisted I try it so I went to cut off a bit of the end, but she say no, no no, I have to take some from the middle - where the best bit of hte bread was! The ends were only slightly browned, I thought it was so sweet of her to make me try the best part! It was really delicious :)
Both of Andre's Aunts we so sweet, giving me lots of hugs and kisses and said they wanted Andre to leave me with them so I could live with them forever! They really wanted us to come back so we said we would come back on sunday night. I have grown to really love Pao do Quiejo and Andre said his Aunt's could make it really well, so I asked them if they could teach me that night! Of course they agreed so we said some very lengthy goodbyes and went home to sleep :)
