Roving Report

Sorry for being away for so long, but I've really been on fire. Here's the latest news with me:

1) We're having an international storytelling event here in Sampa, 'Boca do Céu'. I'm not having the opportunity to actually participate in workshops or lectures, but the performances are a real sensation. On Tuesday night, I watched three ladies performing, the Peruvian Cucha del Áquila, the Italian-Brazilian Gilka Girardello and the brilliant Marcela Romero from Mexico. It was great to practice my Spanish, and Marcela was probably the greatest surprise I had in a few months. On Wednesday night I saw Dan Yashinsky and Jamie Olivero from Canada and Inno Sorsy from Ghana. It was a beautiful, magical night, where I had my story CD and the beautiful poem about storytelling on a poster autographed by Dan Yashinsky stolen :( But Dan gave me the title 'Storm Fool' that night, which made it all worth it. 'Storm Fool' is how Canadian Indians called their storytellers long ago, when the tellers had to face harsh snowstorms and freezing winds to travel and share their tales with other people in the Dead of Winter. And I definetely have to face storms to share my tales...

2) I wasn't able to get my fiddle this month yet. Brazil is just paranoid with the Asian Chicken disease, and everything that comes from China (which currently includes the best non-handmade fiddles in the world), are blocked in Customs for indefinite time. Oh, how I hate this country!

3) I'm planning to have a shamanic drumming workshop next weekend. And with the workshop, we'll get an actual shamanic drum with a Guiding Spirit for it. Pretty exciting, huh? We arranged a group with four people, but usually people give up these things, so I'm calling Marcos Reis (the workshop leader) and confirm it with him later on today.

4) My life's totally upside-down, trying to catch up with so many interesting things going on. Next weekend (not tomorrow), we're having 'Virada Cultural', when Sampa will stay awake for 24 hours, with concerts, recitals, films, plays, exhibitions, events, gatherings, workshops and all sort of artistic activities everywhere. This city's driving me crazy, but I don't want to give up not even a drop of it. Then, in the first week of June, we're having a witchcraft conference, put together by my lovely friend and pagan leader Claudiney Prietto. We're talking about a whole weekend with rituals, workshops and panels. I can't wait!!

5) And then, there's the dish-washing, laundry, cooking, grocery, sweeping, and (oh Gods, deliver me!!) day job. And the saturday morning course I'm taking for this day job. And trying to squeeze my beloved singing lessons somewhere in the mess!

Plans for the next semester include: Studying a foreign language (either improving my Italian or taking on German), become professional as storyteller, return to the piano, and visit Buenos Aires with my sweetheart José. And keeping at least 50% of my current ventures.

Piece of cake.

The Unlikely Lad

Here I am, working in a beautiful day-time job that gives me enough money to afford living in one the best districts in São Paulo, exercising creativity everyday, getting compliments from the boss and the manager at least twice a day, and coming to the office in sandals, unshaved and wearing my tell-off, torn t-shirt, with the face of a cartoon character printed on it (Namely, Pinky, the Brain's partner). Best of all, listening in my discman the current most scorching band, the London-based Libertines. Most precisely track 14 of their CD, 'What Became of the Likely Lads', a question I keep asking myself everytime I remember the out-of-tune queerboy singled out in the schoolchoir, who was the only composition left out of the contest, the stutterer who was only good for laughing at and a big headache for the sunday school teacher, precisely the same who ended up presenting a radioshow, writing ads, stories and websites for a living, a brilliant blogger (when he has time, of course), a shining star; and remember too all the sassies, bullies and teacher-favourites who are still there, hidden in some world's end, going nowhere as slowly as possible.

Right now, I am on the top of my Universe and I want to dedicate this moment to all of us, unlikely lads who made it, who got there. Cheers!!

Here are the lyrics to the Libertines' song. Now imagine them sung in authentic British accent with a slight cockney touch, fat bass, wicked drums and irreverent guitars:

Please don't get me wrong
See I forgive you in a song
We'll call the Likely Lads
But if it's left to you
I know exactly what you'd do
With all the dreams we had

'Coz blood runs thicker, oh
We're thick as thieves, you know
If that's important to you
It's important to me
I tried to make you see
But you don't wanna know
You don't want to know!

If you pipe all summer long
Then get forgiven in a song
Well that's a touch, my lad

They sold the rights to all the wrongs
And when they knew you'd give me songs
Welcome back, I sang

The blood runs thicker, oh
We're thick as thieves, you know
If that's important to you
It's important to me
I tried to make you see
But you don't wanna know
You don't want to know!

Oh what became of the Likely Lads?
What became of the dreams we had?
Oh what became of forever?
Oh what became of forever?
Though, we'll never know

Please don't get me wrong
See I forgive you in a song
We'll call the Likely Lads

We all bought the ones
We taught 'em all we wrote the songs
That's filled with dreams we have

But blood runs thicker, oh
We're thick as thieves, you know
If that's important to you
It's important to me
I tried to make you see
But you don't wanna know
You don't want to know!

Oh what became of the Likely Lads?
What became of the dreams we had?
Oh what became of forever?
Oh what became of forever?
We'll never know!

But blood run thicker oh
we're as thick as theives you know
and that important to you
yes it important to me
I tried to make you see
but you dont want to know.

Oh what became of the Likely Lads?
What became of the dreams we had?
Oh what became of forever?
Oh what became of forever?
We'll never know!