Actually, it was just that the weather was good - slightly overcast, but still clear, with a promise of rain. Then finding myself a patch of actual real live GRASS to sit on! Most places here don't allow you near the grass, but I saw someone sitting on the grass and rushed over to grab my share.
I got a call from an old student this morning. "Teacher, I'd like to have class again." I got the feeling he had spent some time practising the request. When I last taught him, I was ill-equipped to teach someone that basic. It'll go better this time.
The wind is picking up now. The two old duckies have gotten up, not stopping their deep discussion. The girl sitting on her towel at the other end of my green patch is still reciting. At first, I thought she was talking to herself, but it seems she's reciting lines of some sort. Maybe she's a famous actress I don't know about? Or maybe she is just talking to herself. There are less baby walkers now. The last lot was when they wheeled grandpa and junior side by side - two very different chairs. There's a pretty little black bird hovering. He won't tell me his name. And yes, I did ask.
Speaking of birds, they have a tree here with 'birds' hanging in it. Stands to wonder that this was the only tree without any real birds. What were they thinking?
Ok, clouds are pulling over in earnest now. I'll leave the grass to the birds and ants and head into the overpriced shopping centre. Dang little hooligan... we have close to 100% humidity today and he felt the need to activate the humidifier - a gadget that pumps out mist for when São Paulo goes into dry mode.
Later... (the above was copied from my notebook I carry around)
Before leaving, I walked around the park a little. Some people's idea of art truly makes me scratch my head. I found this furniture 'graveyard' - at least, that's what I assume it was meant to be. There were no helpful signs.
A somewhat more 'artistic' display (though still head-scratch worthy), was the one with the books in the water. Odd indeed!
A close-up of the books... an art book, a music book and a hand-written book.
Some friendly dinosaur came along and left some art too....
At the shopping centre, a woman collects her beribboned pom-pom. As they leave, little froufrou is 'watering' the pavement. 'Mom' froufrou blew me away when she bent down each time to wipe little froufrou's bum. Now I love dogs and babies and baby dogs, but...
Photo shamelessly pilfered from the net
Pampered has new meaning here. I mean, in the pet shop and pooch parlour inside, they sold things like Chownel No. 5 - a fluffy toy for pampered pooch in question - Cost? R$154!! That's about US$90. They had some other big names there too, like Yves St Laurent. A canopied bed? Diamond-studded collars (praying those were just glass... didn't have the courage to check the price tag).
Further along into my day found me at another end of the same neighbourhood with a different type of 'art'. This bus never moves from there and the girl making and selling jewellery is also a fixture.
I went home in heavy rain just a couple of hours after this last photo. The water in our street was up over my ankles and it smelled really bad. I think the sewer, that the people here call a river, had overflowed. It was a case of 'strip off at the door and walk straight into the shower'. All clothes and shoes went straight off to be washed.
The next night's class had me walking along a stretch that had some new artwork, graffiti of a more pleasing sort...
It was a good excuse to see what the cell phone could do after dark : )
hey.. art.. what can i say.. need to be declared as such because my eye only saw a bunch of junk.. WINK! it got a special character if you look at it with an art eye though..
ReplyDeleteOh I love the first pic and the last pic!! Grass doesn't look like that here. It's a different type.That looks like home grass. Love that last bird! Love walking around the sights with you. :D Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteThose are some fantastic looking trees!! what are they??
ReplyDeleteSo that is "Park Art"? Here, you'd be arrested for littering. hehe.
Hey, you win, WE win ... I kinda like this. :)
ReplyDeleteWeeeird paper birds. Even weirder dog boutique. LOVE the "dinosaur art" :) How cool that an old client came back! Excellent. :)
I hope you find yourself amongst the grass again soon.
ooh I love that last pic Tint...awesome bit of street art that!
ReplyDeleteTori, art is something so subjective. I only called this art because it was part of a larger display.
ReplyDeleteKatey, kikuyu... ah... : ) This was different. It was softer and not as hardy, but has the same broader-leafed characteristic. Either way, a very rare thing to find here.
Kat, those are rubber trees, not indigenous to Brazil. You hit the nail on my thoughts there... it does look like littering. Not my cup of tea, though the floating books had me intrigued.
Kippy, I hope I find myself amongst grass too. At least now I know where I can find it periodically. I did find myself at the dog boutique wondering if you'd cave and buy some Chownel No. 5 for your pampered pooches ;)
Heather, I liked it too. I wonder if I shouldn't head out with the big camera and see if it's still untouched or if the other graffiti guys have ruined it already.
*laughing* I hope you're kidding. For dogs who jump into stagnant pools of water? I think not. :)
ReplyDeleteWell, Brit has a duck, so why not a Chownel No. 5? It's a fluffy toy made to look exactly like a bottle of Chanel Nº 5
ReplyDeleteI seriously wonder about people who pamper their pets to that extent. I have the worlds worst spoiled hounds---but within reason. My kids were spoiled somewhat too, but again, within reason. Maybe it's all relative. A super rich person may not look at it the same way poor ole me would. But with so many kids who need things...my money would be better spent there I think.
ReplyDeleteTint that was such a nice 'walk-about' to go on with you and your camera. I thoroughly enjoyed being invited along in a cyber-space way. Think if I had actually been there at the fountain-side I would have proved it was an inter-active art and plunged into the water to rescue the books!!!
ReplyDeleteWe have rubber trees here too - they are often sold has house plants and when they get too large people plant them in their gardens - become like a Jack and the Beanstalk sort of story - *grin* - the tree is also known as Morten Bay Fig and the native pigeons here just love their fruit.
Kat, I spoil my animals as much as I can, but here it's almost an obsession.
ReplyDeleteLois, I've seen them growing as indoor plants and strangely never made the connection to the tree. Those trees are huge! You'd need a fair sized garden to support it. Jack and the beanstalk becomes totally believable. Those books... I kept going back to them. I wanted to rescue them too. I also wanted to see what was under them, as the water was moving and they weren't. We've had some intense weather since I last saw them, so I'll be interested to see their condition this week.
ReplyDeleteGrass.... reminds me... I need to mow the lawn for the 19th time this summer (19 * two hours = 38 hours is nearly = to one full weeks vacation (spent mowing).
I hope that you get many lovely hours lolling in grass someday soon, Tint! Reading and writing and dozing in the sunshine :-)
ReplyDeleteAh Marty.... that sounds so close to total bliss!
ReplyDeleteBert, I'd happily mow your lawn for you. Seriously! Though you may just find me lying in the mowed lawn inhaling the smell of the freshly cut grass. Who needs drugs?
I love tagging along with you as you go through your day! Thanks for the trip...
ReplyDeleteAhhh Tint! You found GRASS!!!! Wonderful!!!!
ReplyDeleteMy animals are spoiled to the point they think they're human. Which is fine by me. I want them happy and interactive. I swear Bela talks. He is the most verbal cat. If I talk to him he answers me right back. People laugh. Johnna too. So just like with kids, there is 'spoiling' and stupid over indulgence. Ah well...everyone is different, right?
ReplyDeleteinteresting art indeed! haha. so love the last pic. now that is wonderful art! you can come mow my lawn too! ;)
ReplyDeleteBooks in the fountain has me intrigued too....if it's art, I wonder what the artist might have been trying to relate....can't think of a thing that makes sense. Then again...one mans junk....
ReplyDeleteQuite the boutique...people actually pay that price for?! My dogs always got toys from second hand shops and rummage sales....made them quite happy too.
A patch of grass...so glad you found it.Wow, amazing how guilty I feel about all the grumbling come mowing time.
Thanks for the browse through you eyes.
Your enthusiasm for finding a patch of grass can help us not to take ours for granted :)
ReplyDeleteI wonder at times about the "art" I come across in urban settings. Much of it does not turn my crank at all. The graffiti bird at the end of your post is quite beautiful!
The books are intriguing, as is the "dinosaur" footprint. There is so much actual need in this world, that I cannot fathom the money spent to pamper pets in those extreme ways.
Congrats on the old student coming back! Sorry about the flooding "river" and the need to bathe when you got home.
OK, art is indeed subjective and personal. On the other hand, to take it positively, we get so much of furniture art here, especially when someone redecorates their homes, but does not bother themselves to get rid of the old furniture pieces properly and just throws them out. And those floating books... That is definitely beyond my perception. I'd need all this huge posters or something for a reminder that this is art and not some random act of vandalism :)
ReplyDeleteAm pleased to learn though that you've found some nice spot of grass to enjoy. Such small joys are always so welcome. And they make me even more appreciative of the fact that at least during so short warm season I can enjoy lots of grass one can sit on all around the city.
Lovely outing! thank you for making us part of it as well!
ReplyDeleteWeird furniture display there eh! Not to mention the books.. Once again, I'm shocked at the striking difference between Brazil and us, I mean being that close, that different.. F.e., I've never heard about a humidifier, such a thing! Interesting.