Monday, March 2, 2009

Carnaval 2009, our group



We started to get ready early....
we were the 4th group in the line up,
Portela.

I didn't get to see much of the floats of our group, or even the other costumes!  Really, once we started getting ready until the time that we were shuffled out of the Coke box and to the craziness of, well, I guess I would liken it to a backstage...

but really, it is the closed off streets where the schools line up their thousands of marchers, floats and bands....
we were trying to figure out how the heck all the contraptions went onto our bodies!

There were leg pieces, bottoms that looked like huge balloon shorts, two arm pieces, head gear, shoulder gear...
and of course figuring out how the heck we would stay like this for hours!

Remember, we started to get ready about the middle of the group of the second group, left the booth during the third group and then had to wait for our section to go on~ the schools had 82 minutes this year...so we were standing/walking/samba dancing the whole time!

boy, it was fun!  I am used to being in the spotlight and on stage...
but this was something completely different.  The energy of the group's members when the school's music started was unbelievable!  They all instantly started screaming, singing and of course.....doing the SAMBA!!!

Then our section finally started moving and it was non-stop constant motion down the street.  We were supposed to sing, but of course, none of us really knew all the words!  Granted, the school can get points taken off for members not showing enthusiasm and singing, so we mouthed certain words that we knew!  This was quite funny....we knew that certain verses ended in words like amo(love), Portela(the school), etc...so we just all kept mouthing those words!  TOO FUNNY!
So, these fotos are of Portela either from the street (I took my camera of course!  and then hid it amongst the straw covering my arms/legs when we went past the judges booth) and by my Tia.
Enjoy the fun!


This year, the theme was love...in many different ways!  There was love of the internet, movie romances, the love of the sun and moon...and according to the school:
"when love is in the air, nothing is impossible!"

What a better group could there be for me to walk with?  This is how I feel about my life, and my loves....they are varied just as Portela's are...
and actually, I am trying not to use the word love so haphazardly...as in "I love that movie...or I love this color"...


I am trying to be more selective.  I do have my passions...my family first and foremost, the only true loves of my life!

 Then there are the other things that I truly enjoy...
diving, flowers, the beach, the sun, the beauty of the sky....

well, these are my thoughts...I have strayed from the Carnaval theme, but 
 theme got me on a roll!

Here we are in action!  and this is the float that we came before!  I am not quite sure how our African
 theme fits into the overall love theme, but hey, who I am to question :)



This is the last image that I have of walking the Sambodromo street called the Apoteose (where they also hold concerts, like the one I saw with James Blunt and Elton John!)  It was an amazing event and one that I will never forget.

Remember,
Love conquers all 




11 comments:

Pam from alertandorientedx4 said...

How fun that looks!

Anonymous said...

How delightful BG. And what fun! Thank you for sharing that and I (loved) it. :) xo Lynn

BLOGitse said...

Wau! you look really pro!
I can imagine your great feeling out there...what memories you have...

mythopolis said...

Thanks for sharing all the excitement! I think people should dress like this every day!!! : )

Unknown said...

Awesome!
I can't even slightly imagine what it must feel like to be there and DO IT :D
Great that you could take the camera and show us the shots :)!
Way cool!
And the statement about "love" is true.
I never used it so lightly like I do in the English language. In German it just sounds cheesy when you say you love this and you love that.
I think I need to rethink my habits again :)

Laural Out Loud said...

That is just too cool! What an experience to have, especially with costumes as cool as those!

Anonymous said...

I agree with the others; What a wonderful experience! I'm no big fan of carnival but I guess it is different being there and "living" it than just seeing it on TV :)

I'll be adding you to my list of expats in Brazil :)

PJ said...

What a hoot!! Looks like tons of fun. I have not been around in awhile -- thanks for stopping by anyway!!! Too much going on, including (unfortunately) several funerals...and my state of mind facing them doesn't leave me with much energy for blogging! Hope I'm back!

Scriber's Web said...

That is simply amazing! You look so very happy! I love the parade. Thank you so much for sharing!


Samba!!!

:)

Jodi said...

Great photos BG!! It looked like so much fun. BTW, you are so right about family being the first loves of our lives. :)
Hope you are doing great!

Gabriela said...

You guys looked great. And your costumes were way better than the oil rigs we had to wear!