Capoeira

This weekend we saw a couple capoeira performances. Tarik, the Programme Manager for CUSO in Jamaica, was performing and was receiving his first belt on Saturday. For those that dont know what it is (from wikipedia);

Capoeira (pronounced /ˌkæpɵˈɛrə/) is an Afro-Brazilian art form that combines elements of martial arts, music, and dance. It was created inBrazil by slaves brought from Africa, especially from present dayAngola some time after the 16th century.

After work on Friday we went to Emancipation park, a large park in Kingston not far from where most of us live,  to watch the show. There was a good sized crowd and the performance went really well. Its really nice in the evenings these days, it has cooled down since I first arrived and will stay this way until March/April when it warms up again. I didnt make it to the belt ceremony on Saturday, a couple of us were at work (implementing a new filing system…living the dream), but there was a good Brazilian party Saturday night where we caught some more capoeira.

This is a video from Friday night, Tarik is on the right

 

And a picture of a couple of the volunteers after the show…

 

Anna, Jo, Tarik, Claire, Salman and Laura

 

On my way back from work on Saturday the security guard on duty asked me if I had any beer upstairs (picture a stocky, middle aged Jamaican man with a gold tooth and bluetooth headset). I brought two Red Stripe down and we had a chat. He started by telling me he would like to visit Canada and asked if I could write a letter saying he was going to visit me. I said that since I don’t have a permanent address in Canada I wouldn’t be able to. He then asked if anyone I know would be able to write him a letter so he could get a visa. I said id see, so if anyone wants help my security guard get into Canada, I would be happy to put you in touch with him. He is a very friendly guy and really likes to chat.

Last week I also had a bit of a wake-up call, I left my cellphone unattended and when I got back to it found that someone had transfered 100 JD of credit off my phone to another one. I’ve been pretty careful with things up to this point, but I now have a password on my phone and laptop, and ill stop using my iPod outside the house. Our neighbourhood is safe, but I still have to be aware of where I take out my cellphone and using my iPod probably draws unwanted attention.  My diamond studs and grill will have to be saved for special occasions only.

This week at work we are going to visit a couple of the other offices to see how they run and get a better idea of how the organization functions. Were headed to Spanish Town on Wednesday and Montego Bay (and surrounding areas) on Friday. We will probably stay in Montego Bay for the weekend since we have a free ride up there. I finished my work plan on Friday, so I should get feedback this week on if it aligns with what the Director of DRF and CUSO want me to accomplish during my time here. There is no shortage of work and there is a lot that can be done to help improve day to day operations. Its going to be fun getting into things, Jo and Salman were at DRF today (they are both working for CUSO, assisting a couple of the organizations) going through presentations on assessing the needs of DRF from an organizational (Jo) and IT (Salman) perspective. There is lots to do on both fronts and I will be working a lot with Salman on making sure there is training and processes for the systems that are brought in place.

Ill post Portland pictures from our trip later this week if I get a chance

 

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