Praças é parques de Curitiba...on a sunny weekend (1)

Saterday - Some guys from the office have invited me to join them at the lecture of one of their teachers from the university of architecture. I know...it will be in Portuguese, but what the hell, nothing is like total immersion when you want to learn a language, right? Plus, the house where it takes place is one of the Curitibanese contribution to modernism and has been renovated and rehabilitated into an architecture office, library and café.

Casa Vilanova Artigas, rua da Paz 479 - Indeed the house is remakably beautiful. Modern architecture seems to fit much better this Southern townscape. When I enter the space, I land right in the architectural atmosphere: the settings, the people there, the whole quiet wisper of people looking at the architecture books on the display and discussing. It seems that architects radiate this same both slightly original and slightly controlled attitude all over the world, being at once serious and extravagant. Anyway I quickly find some familiar faces from the office - Erica, and soon Pedro, Moacir, Luis and Isabella show up as well. They introduce me to their friends.

The lecture about the books written by this teacher in philosophy and architecture (if I got it right) is out of reach. Nonetheless I enjoy the flow of the language and rejoice at the idea of soon, one day, being able to speak it as well. I guess some were a bit surprised that I actually went, not understanding a word. But there are many ways of enjoying a speech :-)

And... after the lecture, the students had made ready for the celebration of the professor's birthday, which means small salted pastries, good espresso coffee and cake - huge one with a lot of cream, true to the Brasilian standards of sweet, cream and heavyness. We end up hanging out at the terrasse of the house, in the backyard, enjoying some rays of sun.

Lunch is then on the program. Here my new friends take me to the Mercado Municipal. The colours, the smells, the multiple sorts of fruits and vegetables! Delightful! Fruita de conje (or how ever you write it), 5 sorts at least of mangos, even more of bananas...!Brasilian beer tasting. Pastel de queijo. Sushi for a reasonable price... Whatever your heart (or stomach should I say) desires!

Next step: praça da España. Some of the students have worked on a parametrical toy for kids, exposed for the weekend there. When we arrive after a long and warm drive in the Curitibanese crazy traffic, people are all over the place, on the launm on the square, in the streets, on the terrasse of cafés. Eating ice cream, drinking coffee, beer, sodas, playing yukulele and guitar, just chatting and enjoying the sun. The kids are in and out this huge urban toy/furniture. A stage is waiting for some musicians. We sit down, some of us get ice-cream, some beer, some both (guess which group I am in, haha...) and then just enjoy the end of the day. Que legal! ...as they would say here.

Praça da España and the parametric toy

Playing...drinking beer...

I leave around 6 and rush home to get ready for next thing: CouchSurfing party downtown. I join my good friends Pedro and Louise, and his friend Tiago ('the Mountain' they say). We eat a bit. Beer in Brazil not being the best (well cheap beer is really crapy), Pedro gets the Cachaças. And here we go for a Cachaça tasting session - Muito bom...! Me gusto muito de cachaça...

On to CS party - it is a place where you have to be dressed up. That is a first time for me - well, we didn't look too bad since they let us in. The party is up stairs, but it is only half on since the big screens show a fighting match direct from Rio. Yeah, you would think Brazil is all about Samba, carnaval, caipirinha and soccer... Well, it might not be wrong, but fighting is a huge sport here as well! The supporters compete largely with soccer fans in terms of intensity of feelings and cheers!!!! I mean the boys were an inch from crying when the 'invincible of all' fighter won. I watch, got explanations. When something moves masses in such a way you have to understand it and look in to it. I would like to say I understand Pedro when he says it isn't about violence in the same way as boxing would be, and it is art and perfection, the challenge of being the best fighter in the world - but I really still don't get this sport. Anyway, when that was over party could really start - drinks and chat with people. Nice. And then finally back to Pedro's place with Louise, discussing the world until late in the night...How I love those people!