O Brasil não tem igual

Or, Brazil has no equals

Hello dear readers! Thank you for staying with me. I rather fear that this will turn out to be another less interesting post, but who knows? Maybe you'll find something entertaining...

Looking towards the Pelourinho

Since I last wrote a diary post, I have mainly been concentrating on getting my research done. Progress has been good, and I'm now three quarters of the way through the first stage (interviewing people). Transcribing and analysing all the material will take a very long time, probably stretching into the summer, but the main thing while I'm here is to gather it in the first place. And it has been great fun. I've met a lot of very friendly people - a special mention must go to the wonderful Lucas who frequently knocks on my door, bringing me participants - and I have been pleasantly surprised by how willing people are to give up their time to help me.

So, that's what I've been doing during most of the weekdays. Apart from that, last week I covered a couple of Malika's English conversation classes, while she was travelling with her father, and blagged my way into a Masters' level class on inter-cultural linguistic perspectives at the university, where I was promptly asked to come back next week and present a paper, joint with a genuine student... the things that happen to me...

The Mercado Modelo is the large yellowish building just behind the Elevator (foreground)

Last weekend, after writing my last diary post, I went out to the Mercado Modelo, which reminded me of Oxford's covered market, except only selling various types of touristy souvenirs... It was worth seeing it, but not worth spending long there. It's easy to reach from the Cidade Alta (high part of the city) using the Lacerda elevator, which I think is quite fun, even though it's a normal lift - possibly because it feels like you're going on a mini-adventure... paying 15 cents (about 4p), going through the turnstile, queueing up... maybe it's just me.

Anyway, I had a very quiet Sunday. I was feeling very tired, probably because of my brush with a tropical disease (I'm now thankfully fully recovered). Around lunchtime I walked through to the Praça da Sé area and looked at some of the statues, drank a coconut, watched the world go by, and in sum, relaxed. I also got a bit of transcription done in the evening.

Inside the Mercado Modelo

A statue of Brazilian hero Zumbi dos Palmares

Moving swiftly on to this weekend, since you already know about the intervening days, I had a much busier Saturday. It started off with an event organised by Malika's language school which was about foreign exchanges. First the school's director talked at some length about Paraguay, then a company advertised their organised exchanges, then Malika (with some extra input from me) gave a short presentation about education in England, which she'd been asked to do by the director. It was slightly unclear how the event as a whole was meant to fit together... but it was an interesting way to pass a couple of hours.

Roda gigante/Ferris wheel at Barra

Barra beach

Afterwards, Malika and I had lunch from a favoured kilo restaurant, then got the bus to Barra, where she was teaching a class. I took the tough option of spending the afternoon on the beach - after a trip on a ferris wheel! It was warm, sunny (but not too sunny) and very pleasant to spend a while swimming and chatting to friendly Brazilians, one of whom gave me this week's title quotation, and another of whom tried unsuccessfully to convince me that I needed a boyfriend in Brazil, and that it should be him... Ahem. After meeting Malika again, we had a quick snack - I tried açai, a sorbet made of the famous superfood berries - then went to meet Malika's father at Jam no MAM. Again, the concert did not disappoint! It's great to be able to go to such amazing musical events so easily.

At Jam no MAM

Sunday was been another quiet day. Nothing much seems to happen on Sundays here - the shops don't open and there is generally less going on in the streets. However, in the morning there was a special religious procession, which I saw very near to the pousada - good stuff! I made pancakes for lunch (yay) then had another relaxing afternoon, got some admin done, and made enough vegetable soup for several days. In the evening I chatted to Malika and to a couple from Rio who are staying here at the moment. They are capoeiristas - meaning they perform as part of a Brazilian tradition which is probably best explained by saying it's a cross between a martial art and a dance. With luck I'll be able to go and watch on Friday.

Part of the procession

And another part of the procession

In case any of you are getting bored of the multicoloured streets of Salvador appearing in my photos, I can reveal that soon there will be a change of scene - I will be visiting Rio de Janeiro in early June. How very exciting! But in the meantime, I have another week of research, and a syntax conference to attend - there's never a dull moment.

Bonus appearance by the lighthouse at Barra

As ever, thank you for reading.