Feisty Adventures!

What I Will Miss

bjjgirl — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 15:45:00 GMT

I have about 2 days left and I´m trying not to think about leaving. So, instead I will write 2 lists about what I will miss most about Brazil, and what I am homesick for in Canada.

What I Will Miss About Brazil

the tropical winter
riding with Michelle on her motorcycle
Mira´s wonderful cooking
Loro talking to himself outside
Bruno´s hair
sharing white chocolate with Tiguá
sparring with Michelle
Adriana and Ricardo
conversations about politics with Robert
Sorocaba´s sushi
Lineu
shopping for clothes with Michelle
Edson making fun of me in Portuguese
Isabella´s smile
my little room
Michelle´s infantile sense of humour
Brazil´s love of beauty
Brazil´s love of sweets
the breeze
Michelle

What I Miss About Canada

Susanne, Kristen, Mark, Wendell, Kate
Abhaya
my family
hot baths
my little guys, Shasta and Soleil
my co-workers (I know -- weird!)
strawberry season in the Valley
country roads
my bed

Gallery: Miscellaneous Photos

bjjgirl — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 15:15:00 GMT

First Black Eye!

bjjgirl — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 09:46:00 GMT

In one week I will be returning to Canada, and so I think it is fitting that yesterday I was baptized here in Brazil with my first, pretty black eye as a goodbye gift.

The training has been difficult, to say the least, and yesterday was my hardest day yet. After practicing Robert´s technique for the day -- a half-guard manoevre to take the back, with defense and complicated take-down included, we began roughly 2 hours of sparring. The mats were packed; this weekend there is a competition in neighbouring Jundiai, and many students from that city have been out to train with us.

My first match was with Zoio. He is an excellent opponent for me -- very technical and pushes me decently hard. His legs are huge, like Rowan´s, so I feel right at home! Next up, the young, agile black belt, Juninho. I have never been choked out so many times, or so hard, in one match before. After much rest, I sparred with a purple belt who was pushing me pretty hard, then accidentally kicked me in the head. He apologized profusely in Portuguese, and I tried my best to assure him I was fine. Then, he let me take his back, which infuriated me. The dynamics between men and women on the mats have yet to be ironed out, though I find I receive more equal treatment in Canada. I love my good-old Dave Keddy who will kick me in the head and then treat me like any other guy and promptly tie me in an omoplata!

Last week, a student from England arrived. His name is Kai and is a very good bjj athlete. He has only been training 2 years, but he is fast and natural at the sport. He has shown me some details already, and I will hopefully get to spar with him soon.

Tonight, I am training with Michelle and Robert´s trainer, Lineu. For the past 2 months, he has been showing me weight exercises specifically for bjj. I am thankful to him for helping me strengthen my back and improve my cardio. Between sets of weight lifts, he has me skipping, which is completely gruelling. I love it. Furthermore, I´ve got a serious crush on the man, which always helps me get through the routine.

Today, I am resting. I don´t know how Michelle and Robert train the way they do -- most days with Lineu´s workouts included. Genetics and age play a huge role, I am supposing. I am definitely feeling my 30 years and mild asthma. I keep thinking of my heroes, Randy Couture and Rebecca Sweeney. They push me to continue in this crazy sport.

Some Thoughts

bjjgirl — Wed, 6 Jun 2007 13:32:00 GMT

I have about 3 weeks left in Brazil. To me, this does not seem very long and I am already preparing myself for the goodbyes I will have to say. There are many beautiful things I will miss here. However, in quiet reflection and in my daily activities, I am reminded of what I love about Canada too.

This past weekend I had a little heartbreak, which has put me in this reflective mood. As I was starting out for a run down a quiet street near Michelle´s family farm, I heard the loud mewing of a kitten -- a recognizable sound to anyone who has raised cats of all ages, like myself. Though small, kittens cry louder than adult cats. I turned around on the street and saw the kitten caught in a grate at the end of a huge field of wheat. The drop down from the grate fell into the sewer below it. So, I coaxed the kitten to wriggle through the grate into my hands, and saw the poor shape he was in -- skinny and dirty. I probably should have left him there on the street, but I know what healthy kittens should look like. I took him home to the farm to feed him.

When I tried to release him back into the surrounding farms, he wouldn´t go. He looked up at me and came right back to my side. I cried so hard. When I wandered sheepishly back to the farm, kitten in my arms, Michelle´s family and friends laughed along with me. Still, they couldn´t understand why I was crying. They asked if there are many animals on the street in Canada, and I said not really. In Brazil, homeless dogs and cats are very common, and walk the streets everywhere. I recently saw a fully-grown golden Lab in a small, glass cage in a pet store. In some restaurants, cat meat is served because it is less expensive than beef and chicken. The treatment of animals is much different between countries.

Despite the difference in cultures, Michelle´s family sat down to think about who would like a kitten. This is a major favour to me; housecats are not at all common in Brazil. Eliza came to me and said that one of Geovana and Isabella´s friends, at the farm that day, would like the kitten. I watched as the little girl very gently wrapped him, and I said my goodbyes.

Rio de Janeiro (Part Two)

bjjgirl — Wed, 30 May 2007 21:30:00 GMT

We arrived at the gymnasium just in time for Mauricio `Zoio´ and Christian to warm up and weigh in. Unfortunately, just before his first fight, Christian was told there was a problem with his registration and that he would be unable to fight in the competition. Obviously disappointed, he changed back into his street clothes and watched from the sidelines. I felt extremely down for him, especially after watching him spar in class and the long, desperate drive through the night.

Zoio began his first fight with an impressive attempt at a choke from the back. Robert coached him throughout the fight, and he went on to win second place in the Masters division at his weight. We were all very happy and proud of him.

Between fights I scanned the huge gym for familiar faces. Mike Fowler and Fabio Gurgel were at the sidelines, as were Comprido and Tarsis Humphreys. Then, not ten feet away from me, I noticed Leo Vieira making his way through the crowd. He has been a hero of mine since before I started training Jiu Jitsu myself, when Patrick and I would watch him on grainy footage spinning, cartwheeling and rolling his way out of opponents´ grips. Since I put on the gi, he has been a role model and shown me how to use agility and speed as a small fighter. Later in the day, Michelle introduced us -- Leo is one of Robert`s instructors and training partners. He was shy and very kind. It made my day to speak with him again on Sunday, when I got to give him a kiss on the cheek.

The Black Belt divisions began on Sunday. After a long night´s sleep and a hearty oatmeal breakfast, Christian sped us off to the gym once more for Michelle and Juninho to weigh in. I was excited to watch Michelle compete for the first time. She submitted her first opponent quickly with an armbar and looked focused for her second match. Her opponent gave her a very tough fight. Michelle attempted a guillotine, then swept and defended a very tight cross-choke which I didn´t think she would escape. Then, Michelle sunk a fast knee-bar -- her classic move which I have yet to avoid or escape in class. I believed her opponent was finished, but she managed to free her leg somehow. I swear her knee must still be aching. Exhausted, Michelle landed in guard and we all knew something was wrong. Her opponent passed the guard easily to knee-on-belly, at which point Michelle stopped the fight. The referee lifted her legs for the blood to return to her head. She is not sure what happened, but says all of a sudden she couldn´t breathe. Whether it was the long drive shortly before the competition, moving up a weight category or even the 10 minute-long match required of Black Belts, Michelle told me with a smile that she will listen to her trainer and start running more.

Our second Black Belt teammate, Juninho, began his fights at roughly the same time Michelle began hers. I was moving my camera from mat to mat, hoping to catch both fighters in action. Juninho is a very young, very agile black belt, who swept through his division quickly and decisively. He was stopped in the final match by a methodic opponent who didn´t give him any space to move. He won second place overall. Not bad, especially after having to cut weight to compete. I had watched him train the week before dressed in garbage bags under his gi. Before his first fight, he was still warming up in a parka.

We stayed until the evening to watch the finals of many divisions, including the favourite Absolute division, in which Henrique Cavaça, a Brasa fighter, competed with the huge, Big Mac. I have never been in a crowd of spectators like the one for their match before. Everyone was chanting and shouting, exhuberant. I shouted with the crowd, who could also be completely silent at times when the fighters were vying for grips. It was a chess game, with the only points being scored off a guard pass by Mac.

One of my fondest memories was meeting Ricardo Vieira late on Sunday. Michelle was eager to introduce him to me, and wasn´t sure if he had gone home already. Then, she noticed him in the stands and grabbed my hand. I was nervous because I am not sure how much these fighters enjoy speaking to strange people every time they attend an event. However, he was relaxed and friendly and sat down with me to talk about training.

On the way back to Itu that night, we were happy and singing to Bob Marley. I can`t think of a better weekend. Even the McDonalds tasted good in my belly.

Gallery: Rio de Janeiro

bjjgirl — Mon, 28 May 2007 15:16:00 GMT

Travel and Competition

Rio de Janeiro (Part One)

bjjgirl — Mon, 28 May 2007 11:50:00 GMT

This past weekend, I traveled with Michelle, Robert and some of their students, to experience the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Championships in Rio. It was an exciting adventure, and one which I will remember forever, because it was the first time I have been a spectator for world-class BJJ. I took over a hundred photos between two days of competition, and met some wonderful people, including my long-time hero, Leo Vieira. Nothing has taken my breath away quite like this weekend, with the beauty of Rio, the excitement of the fights, and all the adventures along the way.

We left late Friday night and drove into the early morning; it took nearly 6 hours to get to Rio and our little rented apartment in Copacabana. Mauricio and Christian were set to weigh-in by 10:00am on Saturday in their respective Brown Belt categories. Michelle and Juninho would compete on Sunday in their Black Belt divisions. Just the previous weekend, another car-full of students competed in the Blue and Purple Belt divisions.

Christian was put behind the wheel for most of the drive to Rio, and with good (or desperate) reason, as I soon learned. We only had a short time to drive, sleep and drive again to the gymnasium for the competition in the morning. Along a long stretch of road down a mountain range from São Paulo, Christian hugged the tight turns and wove between plodding trucks, ignoring the lane markings and pitching Michelle and I in the back seat from window to window. Robert was silent in the passenger seat, his long legs pressed against the dashboard and his hands resting on his knees. We were all pretty silent, except for Christian with the occasional `Filho de Puta!´ as he rode the bumpers of the trucks. When we were finally down, I said to Robert that it had felt like we were in a video game. He laughed and said that I hadn´t seen anything yet. Later on, when we reached Rio and got lost, Christian sped through the empty, open streets and crossed medians to change directions. Robert looked back at me and said, `Have you ever played Grand Theft Auto?´ I nodded, grinning. I think the only thing that saved our little car from damage was that it belonged to Michelle´s mother. I think I have yet to see Christian really drive.

We crashed in the apartment Michelle had reserved for competitions like this. It was furnished with beds, blankets, cutlery and pots -- everything we needed for the weekend. In the morning we were on the highway again with Christian behind the wheel, speeding toward the gym. From the window, I got my first real look at Rio. It is a big city, but is not congested as many big cities are. The streets are wide and open, and the long, wide beach stretches for miles alongside them. The downtown is busy and healthy, with many shops and restaurants. We ate at little side-diners with homestyle food, including rice, beans, and chicken like Mira makes, and plate-fulls of fresh fruit like strawberries, mangoes, kiwis and papaya. Walls are covered in beautiful graffitti, depicting people in cartoon or portraits. The famous statue of Jesus holds his arms apart over the city on one of the many tall moutain peaks. I am amazed by the blending of city life with breath-taking nature as these peaks sit nestled between apartment buildings and banks. The beach glistens as runners and sunbathers enjoy the heat of the early morning.

That is Rio so far. I need to take a break, and then will write about the competition and post pictures later on.

Some Misadventures

bjjgirl — Wed, 23 May 2007 21:44:00 GMT

Not everything can go smoothly, right? :)

The weather has been beautiful, the people have been so kind to me and the food is amazing. Everything has been great, including the `little problems` (as Michelle and I have come to call them) that crop up every now and again. There is a huge language barrier to overcome, so I have gotten myself into a few tight spots. And then there are just the usual misadventures that life throws your way.

I have been getting used to riding with Michelle on her motorcycle -- a brand new experience for me. Aparantly though, I get initiation by fire. I`ve been doing okay just managing to hang on as we weave through rushing traffic and trying to avoid the `motoboys` as they are called here -- guys on motorcycles who are basically kamikazee. I´ve never seen such reckless driving in my life.

Well, the other night, Michelle and I had to drive home in the pouring rain. She offered for us to take the bus, but I was worried about her leaving her bike overnight at the gym. With a shrug, she handed me an umbrella and suggested I hold it over the two of us while she drove us home. I asked if she had ever tried it before. She said no, but it should work okay. I`m learning to think twice about taking Michelle´s suggestions.

So, we started out okay, down the side roads and little cobble-stone streets. I was managing to hold onto her and also keep the umbrella carefully over the both of us without dripping any water on her lap. But then we hit the highway, and I´m sure you can imagine what we must have looked like, with the rain splashing our helmets and me desperately trying to hold onto the umbrella which had flown backwards over my shoulder and flipped inside-out. Michelle looked back when the rain started to soak her, and burst out laughing. To make matters worse, every time we hit a puddle, the water sprayed up onto our legs and butts. We were soaked when we got home and still laughing hysterically.

So, that was just one of my misadventures lately. Needless to say that when I took a hot shower that night to warm up, I locked myself in the bathroom and had to knock from the inside for Michelle to help me out. And then, Michelle had to wake up her mom so she could pick the lock with a screwdriver.

Gallery: Equilibrium Academy

bjjgirl — Tue, 15 May 2007 11:10:00 GMT

Gallery: Mother`s Day Barbeque at the Farm

bjjgirl — Tue, 15 May 2007 11:10:00 GMT

Gallery: Family Farm in Itu

bjjgirl — Wed, 9 May 2007 03:06:00 GMT

Gallery: Michelle`s Home in Itu

bjjgirl — Tue, 8 May 2007 13:40:00 GMT

Day 5

bjjgirl — Tue, 8 May 2007 13:15:00 GMT

It is day 5 of my trip and I have finally figured out how to post photos, so I will try to upload some shortly.

I am staying in Itu with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu blackbelt, Michelle Nicolini, and her family. Michelle teaches and trains BJJ at Robert Drysdale`s club, Equilibrium, in Itu, and also at the larger club in Sao Paulo city. She has a commanding presence in both clubs; it is obvious how much her students and training partners respect her. She is also incredibly friendly and enjoys just hanging out with friends in BJJ.

Itu is a town, similar in size to New Minas and Kentville combined from what I have seen so far. Houses and buildings in general here have an open structure. Parts of buildings have open ceilings to let the breeze float through. Many buildings have 3 walls with one wall that can open and close, like a garage.

Sao Paulo is huge. It is similar to large cities like Toronto, but different in many ways. There are many favelas, or slums, here. Michelle and I have been discussing the huge gap between the rich and the poor which is evident in both Canada and Brazil.

Michelle´s father, Edson, is a Carpenter in Itu. He is a friendly, happy-looking man, who works very hard. Mira is Michelle`s mother, and she works very hard at home to keep her house in order and her children and grandchildren well fed. She is a wonderful cook.

Michelle has 2 sisters. Eliza is the eldest sister and is married with 2 girls, Isabella and Gyovana. Michelle is the second daughter and Jacqueline is the youngest; they live at home with Edson and Mira.

The family has a beautiful home in the busier part of Itu. Every morning I am woken by the sounds of birds and their 2 daschounds, Tibor and Dara. Loro is Michelle`s parrot; he is very strong-willed and intelligent. He also loves to play and sleeps close to people. Michelle`s family also has an incredible farm in the quiet part of Itu. Edson is hoping to build a house there one day. It has a swimming pool and many trees, including bananas, mangoes and a Brazilian type of green fruit which tastes like an orange. I will post pictures soon.

Wow. Wow. Wow.

bjjgirl — Sun, 6 May 2007 20:50:00 GMT

Tonight, I have the best seat in the house as far as I´m concerned, for the ADCC 2007 finals. Michelle Nicolini sits beside me at the computer with her hands clasped tightly as I help translate the play-by-play for Robert Drysdale´s last match of the evening. Robert is her boyfriend and long-time training partner. So far, he has won 3rd place in his division, and is now facing world favourite, Marcelo Garcia, in the Absolute finals. The match is over before we are sure it has begun. Robert has defeated Marcelo in under a minute with an Anaconda choke off a takedown attempt. The world of Jiu Jitsu goes crazy, and I´ve never seen a girl so happy before in my life.

This is day 3 of my adventure in Brazil and I am overwhelmed by beauty, kindness and adventure. I will post pictures soon of Michelle´s home and family. They have treated me so well since I´ve been here. Soon, I will also tell you about my very first motorcycle rides, training Jiu Jitsu in Sao Paulo, Ricardo (Baleia) #2, a funny little parrot named Loro and beautiful sunshine and trees. Right now, I am still a little overwhelmed.

New Friend

bjjgirl — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 16:40:00 GMT

I met Fernanda this afteroon; up until now we have only spoken over the phone, through email and on msn. She is a very sweet person. After a warm hug, we had a good visit.

Fernanda is from Rio de Janeiro. She married a Nova Scotian named Terry and they live in Kingston now. Her children are still in Brazil, and I can tell she misses them quite a bit. If I stay in Rio for a while, Fernanda said she will give me their contact info so I can say hello.

We talked about Portuguese and she explained the uses of accents in the language. I'm happy to know French -- I can see the similarities between the two. I know a couple more words now, like "carro" (car), pronounced caho, and "caro" (expensive), pronounced caro. Certain letters are pronounced differently depending on if they fall at the beginning of a word or not. The letter R is a rolled English R only if it falls in the middle of a word. At the beginning, or when doubled, it has an English H sound. As I've said before, I've got a lot to learn.

It will be nice to have someone from home to coach me a bit if I run into any problems in Brazil. I will keep in contact with her throughout my trip and meet up with her again when I get home.

Thanks so much, Fernanda, for your help and advice this far!

It all hits me

bjjgirl — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 13:07:00 GMT

On Friday afternoon I opened my mailbox to find a beautiful, new visa to Brazil waiting for me. Wow! It has all hit me this weekend, as I realize I have been holding my breath. This visa is the last piece of the puzzle -- my ticket out of Canada.

Now I can actually begin to celebrate and plan this trip for real. Tomorrow, I'll be in Halifax to receive my Yellow Fever vaccination. This afternoon, a Brazilian woman named Fernanda will come over to visit and coach me in Portuguese and Brazilian culture. She has been wonderful to talk to -- she's very sweet and is helping me to mentally prepare. Plus, she sells Brazilian lingerie, so it will be a bonus to fit in with the locals right down to my undies. I met her through the Valley Community Learning Association -- a local non-profit that works with literacy issues. Fernanda was in touch with them for ESL training, and they put me in touch with her for some PSL coaching.

Well, I should go wash up and tidy a bit before she gets here. I haven't entertained in a long time. I hope she likes herbal tea.

Boa Tarde (Good Afternoon)

bjjgirl — Mon, 9 Apr 2007 17:00:00 GMT

This was a very relaxing Easter week-end. I was able to catch up on my sleep and recover from the post-competition blues. Last week-end I fought in Toronto and have never felt so sore or down after a competition before. I trained very hard for this one, and my body has shut itself down for a bit to compensate. However, I'm starting to feel much better now that I've slept.

This weekend I have begun to learn Portuguese from a home-study course consisting of a book and two cassettes. It has some pretty funky music to go along with each unit. So far, I have a strong grasp of greetings and goodbyes. I have such a long road ahead.

Lately I have been very worried about my cats while I'm away, but this afternoon I actually found someone to take care of them. It was a huge weight off my shoulders. The couple that lives above me has agreed to look after them, which is wonderful because they are cat owners themselves and very kind people. I'm happy that Soleil and Shasta will be able to stay at home.

Well, my visa application was returned today. Bummer. But I just have to send the proper form of money back. I didn't realize a certified cheque was something special. I should have enough time to get it looked at and returned again (hopefully approved this time).

Exactly 4 weeks from now . . .

bjjgirl — Thu, 5 Apr 2007 15:10:00 GMT

I will be on my way to Brazil. Sometimes I get nervous, but most of all I am just excited about visiting this new, mythical place. The mecca of BJJ. This experience seems to have fallen into my hands -- I woke up at 4:00 one night in February and decided I had to go.

I have been in contact with Robert Drysdale, a BJJ black belt under Leo Vieira. He invited me to train at his club, Equilibrium, in Itu Sao Paulo, and to stay with his girlfriend, Michelle Nicolini, for 2 months. Michelle is also a black belt and weighs about the same as me. I can't wait to learn from both of them.

Only 4 weeks to go. Most things are taken care of. Next week I'll get my last few vaccinations and hopefully have my visa approved. Strangely, I'm not nervous to stay with Michelle and her family in a new environment -- they have already shown me extreme kindness and generosity. I'm mostly nervous about training intensely with new people. What helps me is knowing how much I trust my own body -- it will let me know how it's doing as I go.

Gallery: Before Leaving

bjjgirl — Thu, 5 Apr 2007 14:44:00 GMT