esthete of mind

Vendredi 1 septembre 2006

Mr Statistiiiik's trip 3

Hi Dadarno 4000,

Executive Summary

Following Carnaval in Salvador (Oooiii Carnaval !) I have had a series of great Brazilian experiences since including :

going to the countryside and a brazilian ranch
going to Brasilia (the capital)
renting an appartment in Rio (Oooiii Rio)
visiting Sao Paulo (the third biggest city in the world)
visiting the jungle and a 3 day riverboat trip on the Amazon

and met amazing people (brazilian and travellers) along the way.

Gritty Details

Following Carnaval, Eduardo and I travelled to his mothers home town in the country, where one of

his uncles is the mayor kinda thing. Seemed to know everybody - and as the ´Gringo´ friend I was a novelty (which ensured lots of hospitality !). After that off we went to a cousin´s beef ranch - over some of the roughest roads I have ever driven. Superb meat (better not go into that one too much because of the vegetarians) - and when you want a lime for your food / drink you walk to the lime tree. The next morning...green coconut ?..yes....green coconut tree...machete and 3 hacks later... voila. Special appreciation goes to the cowboys for not playing any jokes on the ´city gringo´ like getting him to milk the bull.

Left Eduardo on the farm and travelled onto Brasilia - the capital (a planned capital city from the

1960s that is laid out like an aeroplane - kinda like Canberra / Washington DC - but even the residential / commercial is all planned). Despite my initial hestation ( i.e. the Canberra reference) I had a ball

catching up with the cousins who had visited Salvador for Carnaval - learn a few more brazilian dance steps (actually went to 3 dances), beers.. etc. The brazilians switch effortly between these steps,

but I need major reprogramming when the music style changes.

So much fun that I had to go to Rio for a rest. Well.. an initial quiet few days.. and then Rio

weaved its magic on me. Rented an apartment in Ipanema (great beach ! think the girl from Ipanema song - and Oooiii the bikinis) and really felt part of the scene (saying hello to the neighbours,

shopping for groceries, coffees and beers in the local corner shop, etc.) Made some great friends

at the hostel next door and found a good pub...the Lord Jim (need I say more). Learnt to Samba (kinda). Finally left Rio about a week later than intended. Rio reminded me a lot of Sydney with its beach culture, built around the harbour and beaches, etc..

On to Sao Paulo - which is a huge sky scrapper kinda city (the 3rd largest city in the world! - approx 17m in greater SP). Kinda felt somewhere between New York and Melbourne (dont ask me to

explain that). Had great pizza and great nights out with a very good friend of a very good friend

from Oz (Steve).

From there on to Manaus in the middle of the Amazon where reunited with Eduardo for further adventures. Went out into the jungle, saw some great waterfalls (with the brown Rio Negro (amazon) before it meets the other tributary it looked like a river of iced tea cascading down) and then took a

3 day river boat trip down the Amazon (it is so big it feels like you are at sea).

It has been great travelling with a local (Eduardo). Besides he gets the best deals (and I avoid probably getting the wrong / expensive deal with my basic portuguese) - he also knows what to do / not do..all the history, gossip, etc.. And besides .. the man likes and knows how to party (as do the locals).

The highlight of it all has been the people. They are so lovely. My favourite word in Portuguese

(well after Oooiii and cerveja) is Saudade. It literally means longing. Brazilians can have saudade for

family or friends when they are away, or for Brazil when they are overseas. I love the mournful way they say the word.

Currently spending approx 2 weeks on beaches in the north of Brazil before heading to Argentina (Buenos Aires, etc..) and then Chile.

Thanks to all of you who wrote to say they enjoyed the updates and / or telling me some news / gossip. My friends, I have saudade (longing) in my heart for you.

Mr.Statistik

par dadarno 4000 publié dans : Mr Lunatik & Miss Cynik entre
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Vendredi 1 septembre 2006

Mr.Lunatiiiiiiiik's stori 3

Dear Dadarno 4000,

To give you some idea of the kind of life I live now... I'm going to introduce you to some of the people who have passed through my life in the last 24 hours....

A "stick man" namely an American porno actor who does debt collection as a sideline, a British Lord obsessed with the Lord, an Israeli bodyguard for a Russian mobster, the Columbian ambassador, the best blues drummer I've ever seen perform, an 84 year old Japanese bar mama, a Bangladeshi about to ride his bicycle home from Tokyo... "So tell me good sir, what is the country next to China?", Frederick Schodt, who introduced "manga" to the Western world, an intelligence guy from the U.S. military, a diplomat in the Spanish embassy, the daughter of a Shinto priest, two Japanese ballerinas, an Australian theology student, an Australian harpist from Blind Joe Public, a high ranking yakuza, the Czech ambassador, a Philipina porno actress, a Japanese sports trainer just back from the Winter Olympics, a wacko American woman who wanted to pay for books with a receipt, Tokyo's chronicler of the Underworld, the 17 year old student I told you about... oh, the beat goes on, but are you getting the picture...

Cheers, Mr.Lunatik.

par Mr Lunatik publié dans : Mr Lunatik & Miss Cynik entre
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Vendredi 1 septembre 2006

Mr. lunatiiik's stori 2

Dear Dadarno 4000,

Let's talk about one of my favorite lines of a rock song. A couple of nights ago I was drinking African fire water.... Don`t you be lighting no fire near yo drink my mon, or you be blowing yoself into tomorrow... Advice from Sonny the Nigerian.

I was eating fried crocodile (Imagine extremely tough chicken) and talking with three Hysteric Glamour Girls. Please note, when we go into bold we are leaving my world, and entering the Japlish zone, the local language which looks like English but somehow fries the neurons and makes you do a double take... Give peace a dance say wot!

One of the Japanese groupies was dressed in her finest clothes, Bitch Now On Sale but to me she looked more like a Marinate Retard. I was ready to Open Up Your Mind And Let It Go, but I have nine heads but they`re not thinking very fast.

One of the Hysteric Glamour Girls was telling me how she had clenching ability of her vagina, so that when her husband enters her, she wraps him like a python and constricts. "It`s my duty as his wife."

How to respond except Cute size and rich flavor will bring happiness to your pockets,

or Human Being Who Attained Something Is Big or quite simply Fuck On.

The woman with the python in her pants suggested Dance to me and Shake my ass but as it was two a.m. and I was planning to climb a mountain (Oyama, 1252 meters) later that same moring, I decided to Open The Next Life. For What Kind of World Is This? It`s Kind of Crap. I left the restaurant which is in a tower, but not Titty Boo Tower and collapsed, waking up six hours later to tackle the mountain. I did, but I guess hard drinking is not the best training. Thoughts meet a heroic end.

Sorry I couldn`t see the virgin, can`t download stuff because I use Internet cafe computers.

Cheers, Mr. lunatik.

par Mr Lunatik publié dans : Mr Lunatik & Miss Cynik entre
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Vendredi 1 septembre 2006

Mr. lunatiiik's stori 1

Dear Dadarno 4000,

My asumption is that no thinking, even the fake thinking of copying, is going on. My reasons?

1. I recently spent 21/2 years in a university without hearing a single intellectual conversation.

2. I work in a bookstore in one of the world's capitals. A bookstore is a seismograph of mental activity. Just as TV shows what the vast majority of people are going to be concerned about or talk about tomorrow, bookstores reflect the mental activity of the population they serve. Mental activity, at least among the foreign community, is basically not occurring. Absurdity, rudeness, mind numbing stupidity, trite banality, and shallowness is occurring.

3. Athens with a population of roughly 35,000 managed to produce a Plato and an Aristotle. The plain I live on with roughly 35,000,000 people has not managed to produce either. So much for the positive news! Chin up old boy, or should I say chin-chin up, which is Japanese slang for the penis.

Mr.Lunatik

par Mr Lunatik publié dans : Mr Lunatik & Miss Cynik entre
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Vendredi 1 septembre 2006

Mr.Statistiiik's trip 2

Hi Dadarno 4000,

Executive Summary

After 2.5 wonderful months with the parents - decided to round out my year off with 6 months in South America. Timed trip to get Carnaval in Brazil which was HUGE. Plan is 2 more months in Brazil, then Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia and hopefully Cuba. Back to Australia via Europe / Asia.

I promise to stop writing these updates (and start working) in the second half of the year.

Brazil and Carnaval

Brazil is AMAZING. It is difficult to describe the mind blowing experence of the last 4 weeks. The experience has been a combination of :

the country (big, colourful, musical, friendly, dangerous)
staying with Eduardo (a brazilian friend) and his family (unbelievable hospitality and fun) at a wonderful house on the beach
Carnaval in Salvador (Bahia) - the biggest street party in the world
trying to communicate in Portuguese (why do they have masculine and feminine words ?)
really good cold beer, rum and caipiroskas
kissing beautiful girls

which all interacted to create a truly great experience.

Brazil is huge (8.4m sq km - about the size of Australia) and diverse (190m people). Since I have

only been here approx 1 month (and mostly partying) I will skip the National Geographic style write up now (but you know its coming).

Staying with Eduardo and his family at a house he rented on the beach was a great experience. There was Eduardo, Mom, Pop and cousin Quito (visiting from Brasilia), Jerome Nyssen (also visiting

from Oz) and two friends who stayed for a few days, and Kristina the maid. Frequent visit from other cousins, friends, and endless great traditional brazilian food. The hospitality was overwhelming. Sometimes they would wake us for breakfast (after a big night partying at Carnaval and arriving home

at sunrise) so they could clear the table to serve a huge lunch.

Brazilians are crazy (mostly in the niciest possible way). They love food, beer, music, dancing and kissing. I expect they are at their craziest during Carnaval. Basically - the whole country (and South America ?) seems to party for either 3,4,5 or 6 days - depending on where you are. If you want to make a Brazilian happy - just ask Bom Carnaval ? (Good Canival ?). It will always bring a smile.

I (of course) choose the longest (6 day) Carnaval in Salvador - which is the best. Now I know Rio has the reputation - but if you ask a Brazilain (besides somebody from Rio) - I expect they would say Salvador.

Basically - the streets are packed with people partying - following these mobile concerts (imagine the sound equipment for a big concert all on a 18 wheeler truck - and the singer / band, lights etc.. all on top). You can buy a ticket (well actually a t-shirt) for a particular band for a particular day (they are approx 60 bands a day) which allows you inside the rope for that band (there can be up to a few thousand people inside these huge ropes - held by approx 200-500 bouncers). The whole thing is

then followed by a facilities (beer and toilets) truck.

Alternatively - you can just run around dancing amongst the different bands - which is what we did mostly (called pipoca or popcorn for the way you bounce around). Every 10m there is somebody selling cold beer. It can be pretty dangerous - especially as for many of the thieves tourists are an

easy target. However - the event is very well policed - and Eduardo (who is The Master of Carnaval) had us well trained. Boardshorts with difficult to open zip pockets, runners, no watch and approx $30

in your shoe in case of emergencies. It was a bit disconcerting though when he said to make sure we take a photocopy of our id (so they can identify the body).

It is the largest street party in the world, 1.5m people a day over 3 street circuits (total 25km) - Guinness Book of Records 2005. It is HUGE and an amazing experience. They also like the Irish here (probably because they love U2 and Bono made 2 surprise guest appearances at Salvador´s Carnaval

this year).

Communicating in Portuguese has been a challenge. I am learning quickly (4 years of latin in school have been very useful - and I never expected to be able to say that). However, it´s still pretty much

a 24 hour game of charades.

I have never seen people so obsessed with cold beer. They love it. They serve it ice cold (and if it isn´t cold they will throw it away). It is never too early (or inappropriate) to drink beer - it seems.

And the girls are beautiful. And they love to kiss. And...... whoops - I can see the end of the email..better finish here.

Hope you all had a wonderful St Statistiiik' s Day

Mr.Statistiiik

par dadarno 4000 publié dans : Mr Lunatik & Miss Cynik entre
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Vendredi 1 septembre 2006

Mr. Statistiiiiiiiik's trip 1

Hi Dadarno 4000,

Executive Summary

Visited Phi Phi, Hanoi and Hong Kong before returning to Sydney to collect the parents and 'do New Zealand !' before Christmas / NY in Sydney.

Statistics

Day : 114

Current Location : Auckland

Number of Flights : 18 (31,059 km)

Number of Train Trips . 14 (Total 64 hours. Longest = Nice -> Venice Sleeper : 10 hours)

Number of Ferries : 5 (23 hours)

Number of Countries Visited : 17 (US, Ireland, UK, Czech Republic, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, The Vatican, Greece, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand)

Number of visits to McDonalds : 1 (breakfast)

Number of visits to Burger King : 3

Number of visits to Burger King sober / before midnight : 0

Where Have I been

Last talked when in Koh Samui (East Coast Thailand) enjoying a 5 star time with my favourite Asia Spa Magazine journalist. Kate departed which necessitated a return to the backpacker life (a bit of a let down). Met some mad Danes (met many mad people during trip ?) watching some rugby (less said the better) where I think the Viking blood was re-emeging in the heat ! Travel trip - watch the danish and the vodka shots (infused with peppers ?? Smagrau ! Nicknamed 'a little gray' for how you feel the next morning).

After a few big nights I escaped to Phi Phi (island off West Coast Thailand). Total change. Beautiful tropical island (no cars). Very Chilled for a week. Phi Phi was voted No. 3 most beautiful island in some international competition. Stunning views (especially from the Viewpoint resort where I stayed). Phi Phi was badly hit by the tsunami but is coming back well, especially with the assistance of Hi Phi Phi (Help International Phi Phi) which was a charity basically established by expats using backpacker volunteers to re-establish tourism businesses. Good model for other natural catastrophes! I am a Nat Cat (Natural Catastrophe) guy at heart!

With limited time left decided to visit Hanoi in Vietnam. Quite an experience. It was bizarre being in a country where :

the Vietnam War is referred to as the American War (with accompanying perspective / propaganda)
the exchange rate to the local currency (dong) is so huge (A$=11,000 dong, US$=17,000 dong). Getting 2,000,000 in any currency from a cash machine is good fun.
there are so many motorbikes... and no road rules (or so it seems). Have a great video looking down on a 5 way intersection at rush hour (chaos theory in action)

Spend 10 wonderful days with Mike and Kate Duncan, Liam (godson) and Maya (3 y.o. apprentice princess) in their house in Repulse Bay in Hong Kong.

Returned to Sydney (fun stopping moment - pick up parents for 4 months !!!) Ok - end Part 1. Stay tuned though - currently touring New Zealand with MADs (Mum and Dad a.k.a. Pat and Phyl). Back to Sydney on 21 Dec and staying until approx 10 Feb. Perhaps a few drinks over the silly season ? After 10 Feb ? Who knows ? Job ?? South America (sans parents !) ?

Hope you are all well. Wishing you a Happy Christmas, a Merry New Year and a healthy, prosperous and fun 2006.

Mr. Statistiiiiiiiik