umbrella november14
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Newsletter for the English-speaking community of Rio de JaneiroTRANSCRIPT
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Vol XX - Nov 2014
Photo: Eduardo Alonso
Produced by the British & Commonwealth Society ofRio de Janeiro for the English-speaking Community
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This month’s calendar will show the early part of November has a number of occasions for us to remember, and the issue itself has at least three articles dealing with remembrance. The calendar also shows there are three Brazilian holidays this month: November 2nd, 15th and 20th. Two out of 3 fall on weekends, so there are no days off; the last is Thursday, thus an invitation to take Friday off as well.
November 2nd is All Souls’ Day (“Finados”) which, for reasons best known to hagiographers, falls immediately after All Saints’ Day—this in turn is preceded by All Hallows’ Eve, best known in America as the day we all get to wear silly costumes and eat candy without guilt pangs. But it is the day when, it seems, everyone in Brazil heads off to the cemetery where loved ones are interred, buys flowers, and stops for a minute to reflect and remember.
November 20th is colloquially called the “Dia do Zumbi” to remember the leader of a black slave rebellion, more than three centuries ago, which created a “quilombo” or village run by slaves who declared themselves free. The official name is “Dia da Consciência Negra” or “Black Awareness Day”. It is worth remembering that Brazil was the last country in the Americas to abolish slavery.
It is also worth remembering that “negro” is the official Portuguese word for those who are either “preto” or “pardo”—black or brown. In the 2010 census, more than 50% of the Brazilian population declared themselves to be “negro”—notwithstanding the official UN position that Brazilians are a “white” people. Affirmative
action for “negros” is growing apace in Brazil, where, sadly, it is almost always true that the darker your skin, the lower your class standing.
Additionally, we should remember November 15th, 1889, exactly 125 years ago, when the Empire of Brazil became the Republic of Brazil. The republican form of government has remained constant to this day, notwithstanding several uprisings and dictatorships. We should also remember that, in April 1993, in a plebiscite, Brazilians were asked to choose between two types of republican government (presidential or parliamentary) or to return to being a monarchy—the monarchy lost overwhelmingly.
In the aftermath of the most bitterly fought Presidential election in 25 years, we should remember that the republican heritage is deeply ingrained into Brazilians. It is traditional in Brazil for winners and losers of elections, after a bit of crowing over their victory and licking their wounds, to put their heads together and figure out a way to get things moving again in a civilized fashion. The Quondam predicts that 2015 will be no different.
To close, the Quondam reminds readers that Thursday, November 27th, is Thanksgiving Day, hugely celebrated in the USA; here in Rio, the American Society has its biggest event of the year. Don’t miss it.
The British & Commonwealth Society of Rio de Janeiro - Rua Real Grandeza 99, Botafogo, 22281-030. Secretary: Gaynor Smith. Office hours: Mon to Fri from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm - Tel: 2537-6695 - Fax: 2538-0564 - [email protected] - www.bcsrio.org.br The American Society of Rio de Janeiro - Tel: 21 2125-9132 Contact: www.americansocietyrio.org email [email protected] Club of Rio de Janeiro - General Inquiries: [email protected] - President: [email protected] www.incrio.org.br The British School - Botafogo: Rua Real Grandeza 87, 22281-030. Tel: 2539-2717, Fax: 2266-5040 URCA: Av. Pasteur 429, 22290-240, Tel: 2543-5519, Fax: 2543-4719. BARRA: Rua Mario Autuori 100, 22793-270, Tel: 3329-2854 - http://www.britishschool.g12.brEmails: [email protected] and [email protected] The American School - Estrada da Gavea 132, Gavea, Tel: 2512-9830 - www.earj.com.br - [email protected] Our Lady of Mercy School - Catholic American School in Botafogo - Rua Visconde de Caravelas 48, Botafogo - Tel: 2266-8282 / 2266-8250 / 2266-8258 - www.olmrio.orgThe St Andrew Society - Rua Real Grandeza 99, Botafogo, 22281-030 - President: Jimmy Frew - Tel: 2205-0430 / [email protected] - www.standrewrio.com.br Christ Church - Rua Real Grandeza 99, Botafogo, 22281-030 - Tel: 2226-7332 [email protected] - www.christchurchrio.org.br The Royal British Legion - www.britishlegion.org.ukwww.bcsrio.org.br/activities/rbl.asp
Disclaimer: The editors of The Umbrella accept no responsibility for claims made either in the ads or the classifieds, and the opinions expressed in the ar-ticles published are those of the writers, and not of The Umbrella.
The Umbrella is published monthly by the British and Commonwealth Society of Rio de Janeiro. Print run: 600 copies. Deadline: second to last Monday of the month
Editor: Michael Royster - [email protected] Design & Desktop Publishing: Marcia Fialho - [email protected] Films & Printing: Grafica Falcao. Cover: Photo by Eduardo Alonso.Society articles are the responsibility of each society. The Umbrella is distributed free to all members of the Rio de Janeiro BCS, American Society, St. Andrew Society, Royal British Legion & British School staff. Classified ads: Gaynor Smith at the BCS office: Tel: (21) 2537-6695, Fax: (21) 2538-0564. E-mail: [email protected] Commercial non-classified ads: please inquire about technical procedures with Marcia Fialho. [email protected]
THE QUONDAM EDITOR
MICHAEL ROYSTER
The Quondam on Remembrance
Societies INFO
This month of November, The Umbrella cares about Remembrance, see page 3. We remember all those who gave their lives, for us. Please dig deep when you donate to the Royal British
Legion, so they can continue their essential welfare work for Service men and women, veterans and their families. Contact [email protected] if you’d like to raise
awareness of a cause you care about, through a sponsored message in The Umbrella.
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Remembrance Sunday is a day of commemoration for the international community, but it is also a symbol of a defining element of our identity. Over the years I have been living in Rio I have spent some time considering what it is to be foreign and, as a foreigner, what my own identity as a Brit abroad really is. I have frequently been surprised by finding a connection with people from many different countries, which seems at least partially to be based on being mutually foreign in Brazil. I have learnt of very many things to love in Brazil and I have considered, as several British governments recently have, what it means to be British.
When I first arrived in Rio I was quite surprised that one of the few events which genuinely seems to pull the community together is Remembrance Sunday. Remembrance Sunday in Rio pulls together the British and Commonwealth community and it pulls together people of many different nationalities. The two World Wars had a deep effect on many countries and made deep impacts on how those countries understand their identity.
Even for my generation (the generation that did not live through the war) the effects of the war still percolated through. Votes for all, the welfare state and the National Health Service all came about as a direct result of war. Britain’s current relationship with the European Union came about as a result of a desire to avoid more European conflicts. On a more trivial level, my generation grew up watching war films and enjoying foods which became popular in Britain because of rationing and, more especially, the end of rationing.
Brits abroad do not have Thanksgiving to celebrate together, but we do come together to remember those who died. Many of us remember people who were killed, most of us are related to people who died. All of us consider the sacrifice and we pledge not to forget. The not forgetting is personal and corporate. We remember the sacrifice of individuals but we also consider the horror of war and we take a moment in the year to hope that we can avoid such conflict in the future.
It is worth remembering. As time goes by we forget how easy it is for nations to slip into war. It is worth remembering how similar the nations which entered such conflict were to each other and how similar they are to us today. Each of the key protagonists in both World Wars had Christian heritage, each had been through the Enlightenment, each in different forms had experimented with democracy and valued scientific discovery, yet still millions of people were killed in violent conflict.
On Remembrance Sunday the congregation joins in saying “We will remember them.” We remember them lest we forget. When I say, lest we forget, I am saying lest we forget those who sacrificed, but I am also saying lest we forget how easy it is to be dragged into disastrous and tragic conflict. I am saying, lest we forget the value of peace; lest we forget the horror of war.
We will gather on November 9th at 10.30am in Christ Church Rio to remember those who sacrificed so much and to pray for peace.
Ben Phillips
FROM THE CHAPLAIN
Rev. Ben Phillips
Lest we forget
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.At the going down of the sun and in the morning,We will remember them.
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THE BRITISH & COMMONWEALTH SOCIETY (BCS)Team GB at Rio OlympicsTeam GB wishes to engage with the British Community in Rio, which is, of course, led by the BCS. Hettie Allison, a resident of Rio, is working with Leah Davis, head of marketing for Team GB. Colin Reed guided Hettie around the RG99 premises to get an idea of the facilities. Two suggestions were offered, one being to offer a page in The Umbrella, so that Team GB can broadcast the latest news and updates. The second one concerns the Jubilee Hall. Leah Davis wishes to meet with the British Community; the easiest way to do this is to have an evening reception and Jubilee Hall is an ideal location. Team GB is setting up shop in The British School’s Barra site and the BCS is more than willing to be a part of that effort to bring British success to the Rio Olympics. We wish Team GB all the best.
Welfare & Niteroi Rest Home FundWe are still waiting for the judge to grant a curatela for one member, but she now has an English roommate to keep her company. Some new requests for welfare support are being considered.
CommunicationsE-News: this continues to be a colourful reminder of upcoming events. Website, Facebook & Twitter: BCS members, please look at the website and tell us what you think about it as it is now. Did you know you that if you scroll the home page down you can see a lot more? Website: <www.bcsrio.org.br>. We made this plea in the last Umbrella, but have not received a single comment. The BCS Facebook page is very efficiently run by Mônica in the office: <https://www.facebook.com/bcsrio>. Helen Cruz
is running the BCS Twitter account very efficiently, for which we again thank her. <twitter.com/bcsrio>. We don’t think the American inventors of Twitter quite understood the meaning of “twit” in Britain…
EventsThe talk on World War 1 was not cancelled, but postponed until March 2015. Please consult the website and The Umbrella Calendar for the latest information.
Jack Woodall
WOMEN’S DIOCESAN ASSOCIATION (WDA)Christmas BazaarSaturday 6th December, commencing 2 pm. Jubilee Hall, Christ Church, Rua Real Grandeza 99, Botafogo Parking space will be available in the grounds.
White Elephant Stall: This will be our last opportunity to appeal for donations for the White Elephant Stall. By the time you receive this edition in November, there will only be a few weeks left before the event takes place. We would be very grateful if you could please take another quick look around the house for any items you no longer need. On the White Elephant Stall we like to offer items that are almost new and in good condition that can be sold as Christmas gifts or for personal use. Household items including ornaments, children’s toys, games, jigsaw puzzles etc. will all be welcome. It would be appreciated if you could check that any electrical appliances you send are in working order.
Deliveries can be made any day during the week to Karen, secretary, Christ Church, telephone 2226-7332, from 11am to 2 pm or to the BCS secretary, Gaynor, telephone 2537-6695 between 8.30am and 4.30pm. Please remember that between 2pm and 3.30pm, when the school finishes, cars are not allowed into the grounds.
There will be other attractions at the Bazaar, such as:
Handicraft Stall:
The talented ladies of the WDA produce the majority of the items displayed on this stall. They are currently very busy embroidering a varied selection of articles such as hand towels, tea towels, etc. that make very nice Christmas gifts. Swiss Lottery: This is a lot of fun for the family. Every number wins a prize and depending on your luck, it could be a very good one!
Christmas Crackers:Colourful boxes of Christmas Crackers will be decorating our shelves again this year. Anyone wishing to buy them should arrive early as they soon disappear from the shelves. Attached is a photo of the crackers in their boxes.
Christmas Cakes and Puddings: The WDA ladies make these very popular products from traditional recipes. Homemade mince pies will also be on sale and for those of you who like to make your own, jars of mincemeat will be available. The attached photo shows a very busy Leila Grivet preparing the cake mixture.
Leila in the kitchen
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Marmalades, Jams, Pickles and Chutneys: The following products will be available: Sweet and Bitter Marmalade, Galego Lemon Marmalade, Grapefruit Marmalade, Apricot Jam and Lemon Curd, Mango Chutney, Indian Chutney and Pineapple Relish, Mustard Pickle, Branston Pickle and Bread & Butter Pickle. All the ingredients are natural and all products are made to English recipes.
Snack Bar: Homemade refreshments, beer and soft drinks will be available at the snack bar.
The WDA ladies work voluntarily all the year round to make this annual event as successful as possible. At the end of the year, all the profit goes to charity; in 2013, donations were made to a medical clinic for those in need (Ambulatório Praia do Pinto), to an orphanage (Santa Rita de Cássia in Jacarepaguá), to the Instituto Pro Criança Cardiaca, as well as to Christ Church.
We do hope that we can count on your support and look forward to seeing you all on the 6th of December.
FROM THE BRITISH CONSULATE The British rowing squad in Rio de Janeiro
The athletes came to visit the host city of the next Olympic and Paralympic Games, where they hope to enjoy more success. On the evening of 1st October, the British Mission in Brazil hosted a welcome reception for the British Olympic Rowing team at the Rio de Janeiro Yacht Club. The rowing squad consisted of 36 male and female athletes including several medalists from London 2012, such as Pete Reed, Alex Gregory and Helen Glover. The Consul-General of Rio de Janeiro, Jonathan Dunn, welcomed the
rowers and spoke about his hopes for the 2016 Games: “The London Games were a triumph for organisation and for the British people. I am convinced that Rio will have its own fantastic Games in 2016, of unparalleled natural beauty. After all, where else in the world can you row and have the sort of spectacular views that the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas offers?”
Guests also heard from the Performance Director for the rowing team, Sir David Tanner, who spoke about his excitement for the upcoming Games, the beauty of Rio and in particular of the rowing venue. According to Sir David, “the Lagoa has the potential to be the most beautiful and iconic rowing venue in the history of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
The Team GB rowing squad delivered nine medals at London 2012 and are hoping to again come out on top at Rio 2016. The reason for the visit was to familiarise themselves with the city, the competition venue, and the climate. In addition to training, the team visited the British School, the Maracanã stadium, Sugarloaf and Christ the Redeemer. They also managed to spend some time playing volleyball with the locals on Ipanema beach and are keen to generate as much local support as possible.
Do you want to take part in the Rio Olympics and Paralympics?Here’s your chance. Rio 2016 are inviting applications from people willing to volunteer during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. 70,000 will be selected to assist in a wide variety of roles. You will need to commit to ten days of volunteering during either the Olympics or the Paralympics, as well as some mandatory training in advance. Having good English and Portuguese is a definite advantage but not essential. For further information visit: www.rio2016.com/volunteers
Tristan Gilchrist, British Consulate-General, Rio de Janeiro
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF RIO DE JANEIRO (AmSoc)American Society Rio Does Not Pardon a Turkey!
So be thankful!Since 1989, George H.W. Bush’s first Thanksgiving as the 41st Chief Executive of the United States, it
Christmas Crackers
British rower, and London 2012 Gold medallist, Alex Gregory
The rowing Team GB squad with the Consul-General, Jonathan Dunn
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has been an American tradition for a Thanksgiving turkey to be presented to the President in a ceremony held on the White House lawn. What is notable about these events is that it is also traditional for the President to issue a pardon, thus sparing these birds from becoming holiday meals. On Thursday, November 27th, President Obama will issue a presidential pardon for this year’s White House turkey, but the American Society Rio is pleased to say, we’ll not be pardoning our Carioca turkeys.
Which is a roundabout way of saying that, repeating a tradition started many years ago, we’ve returned to celebrating our annual Thanksgiving Dinner on Thanksgiving Day itself. We are offering a complete, traditional Thanksgiving Day dinner, in the mezzanine of the J W Marriott Hotel, starting at 7:30 pm.
Yes, we mean turkey, ham, stuffing and all the trimmings you’d have if you were in the USA, including pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce! The price for all you can eat is a paltry R$90; moreover, current American Society members are entitled to free soft drinks (water, juice and soda). Kids are half that, or R$45! So, bring all the family and pretend you’re in the USA.
Raffle tickets are being sold at American Society events, including the upcoming Happy Hour, and the grand prize is a round trip to the USA offered by our long time sponsor American Airlines. There are lots of other terrific prizes, so stock up! Prices are 1 for R$10, 6 for R$50 and 13 (a baker’s dozen) for R$100.
Reservations (space is limited): email: <[email protected]>. You will recei-ve payment instructions in your reply.
Happy HourWhen: Thursday, November 13th from 7 to 9 pm
Where: La Calaca Mexican Restaurant and Bar in Leblon
Yet another round of happiness awaits you in Leblon, as AmSoc gathers together at La Calaca Mexican restaurant, located at Av. Ataulfo de Paiva 1240 in Leblon. Hostess Kristen Caverly has promised us space to ourselves, and the following discounts: Buy one get one free for La Calaca cocktails, our specialty shots (excluding premium tequila) and chopp; in addition to R$10 select appetizers (“totopos”, cheese and meat empanadas and papas bravas). Moreover, other food and drink items not included in the above deal carry a discount of 20%!
Besides enjoying pleasant company and those marvelous discounts, those who attend can book places at the American Society’s Thanksgiving Day Dinner at the J.W. Marriott Hotel on Copacabana Beach. And, you can buy tickets for our raffle.
No need to RSVP, just show up on the night!
Hostel Takeover!When: Tuesday, November 4th and Tuesday November 18th, starting 8:30 pm
Where: Lime Time Hostel, Rua 19 de Fevereiro 52, Botafogo
What: Stand-up Comedy in English!
Improbable Comedy, organized by American expat Kim Levone, having started in São Paulo, has now come to Rio de Janeiro. Twice a month, Improbable Comedy takes over the stage at the conveniently located Lime Time Hostel—hence the above title. There will be professional stand-up comedians performing, all in English. Moreover, there will also be some “open mike” time, which
will give a chance to those of you (us?) who’ve always always known that under your (our?) dour exterior lurks a heart of hilarity. Both shows are grass roots, relaxed, fun, and… IN ENGLISH!
If you’d like to come watch in November, you’ll have two opportunities—the 4th (US election day, which is not a comedy) and the 18th, a week or so before Thanksgiving. If you’d also like to channel your inner George Carlin, send an email to: [email protected]. Or visit the site: http://www.improbablecomedy.com/. The price for this is a mere R$15 and it includes a complementary caipirinha—we’re not joking, it’s the best deal this side of the East Village.
We note that last October 21st, a large number of expats were present at the show, and the live mike went to AmSoc member Phillip Lee, who managed to make us chortle about children in his debut. (He’s hiding his light in the background of the attached picture with wife Sherry at his side, before performing.) Other members (including The Quondam) have threatened to make appearances as well, so come along and APPLAUD!
THE BRITISH SCHOOL (TBS)“COLD”This year’s Barra Senior School Production is finally here!
This original musical is loosely based on a short tale by A. S. Byatt and tells the story of a young girl in search of her own identity within an environment of over- protection and long-standing family tradition.
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Hostel Takeover gathering, Phillip Lee in background
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As she struggles to find her place in the world she risks all, as she begins to stand up for herself and who she really is.
‘Cold’ will be held at the Teatro de Câmara - Cidade das Artes in Barra on Tuesday, 4th November. This year we are only having one day of performance, but there will be two sessions.
Team GB Olympic Rowing Squad at The British School’s Barra Unit
The Barra Unit will be used as a recovery and data analysis facility during the 2016 Olympic Games, and on Wednesday 1st October we had the honour of hosting the Team GB Olympic Rowing squad as part of their familiarisation visit to Rio de Janeiro. One doesn’t need to be an aficionado of this sport to recognise that the achievements of Great Britain in Olympic rowing have in recent games been exceptional: London 2012 saw the team winning 4 Gold, 2 Silver and 3 Bronze medals.
Despite being on a tight schedule, the athletes found time for a
Question and Answer session with our Class 8s, through which the students gained an appreciation of the commitment, tenacity and discipline (as well as calorie intake!) required to excel at such a competitive level.
To further explore the physical qualities required at this level and not wanting to waste such a valuable learning opportunity, Deborah Dale and her team of enthusiastic IGCSE Biologists carried out some metabolic tests on two of the Olympians, comparing their resting heart rates and lung volume against those of some teacher volunteers. The results vividly illustrate something of what it takes to have ´the right stuff´ with our Head of Science noting:
“The biology students in C8 tested the resting heart rate and lung volume of a male and female rower against that of teachers. The rowers had a resting heart rate of 45 and 50 bpm respectively and the teacher was 80bpm. The difference in lung volume was also quite astonishing – the rowers having 5 litres and the teachers only 2 litres.”
As The British School is committed to educating the whole person, it is important that our students are exposed to excellence in the diverse realms of human endeavour; these experiences serve to highlight the importance of the values and dispositions that are articulated in our Learner Profile.
THE ST ANDREW SOCIETY (SAS)Report on SAS Scottish Week 27 September to 4 October.
The third annual Caledonian Ceilidh to be hosted by the SAS and BCS is already guaranteed for October 2015 in the Jubilee Hall, thanks to this year´s great response, even although there were several other events on the same night. Once again, as in days of yore, the hall is reverberating to the skirl of bagpipes and swirl of kilts, as guests aged from eight to eighty and beyond dance their way through a programme of quickly learned traditional ceilidh and country dances arranged by Audrey Hieatt and Robin Brown.
This year they danced for hours to the accordion of Scotland´s world famous Iain MacPhail, accompanied by the fiddle of Stuart Forbes, while Jimmy Frew threw a few of his own humorous compositions into the mix. Whenever the guests stopped to catch their breath and watch Lorraine doing the Sword Dance or Muniz giving a bagpipe solo, they filled their plates over and over with a selection of
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Team GB Olympic Rowing Athletes
Team GB Olympic Rowing Athletes
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pastries, sandwiches and puddings of a quality which only the Copacabana Palace Hotel can provide, before proceeding to the well-stocked bar, ably manned by Paddy Fla and Keith Rowland.
Many thanks to all who contributed to the success of the evening, including preparation by Philip Carruthers, Bill Ballantyne and the ladies in the BCS office; Susan Reid and Nicky McAra on the door.
The last weekly Scottish Country Dance practice of the 2014 season
was well attended as usual. Live music for dancing was provided by Iain MacPhail and Stuart Forbes. Audrey Hieatt was thanked by all for yet another year patiently teaching us the rudiments of country dances, the positive results of which could be seen on the smiling faces at the Caledonian Ceilidh in the Jubilee Hall, Rio and the Macaé Ceilidh in the Sheraton Hotel, Macaé.
This was the ninth annual Macaé Ceilidh and the first one since the tragic loss of its co-founder, Pete Campsie. He is no longer with us, but his memory
lives on – ever present at the annual SAS x MOGA golf match and the Macaé Ceilidh, which continue to grow in popularity year after year, ensuring the foreseeable future of the Rio St Andrew Society.
The Festive Season, holiday and Carnival will soon be upon us and the St. Andrew Society is already looking forward to 2015. Many thanks to the BCS, the Copacabana Palace Hotel, PWC, Macaé Oilmen´s Golf Association, IRM Marine Services, Rig Project Solutions and York Research for another successful year.
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Wanted: an identity for this lady. This photo was found in The British School archives and no-body knows who the lovely old lady is. Could it be Mrs. Cashman? Or perhaps Mrs. Le Mesurier, Headmaster Gordon’s mother? Or maybe even Miss Rohde (unlikely, as she seems to wearing a wedding ring)? Until she has a name, the lady is merely a photo. Once we know who she is we can keep her alive by remembering her. If YOU know who the Mystery Granny is, please contact Adriana at <[email protected]> or 2539-2717
The Jubilee HallCaledonian Ceilidh
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EWA PROCTER
SAMBA FUTEBOL CLUBE
This is a musical where everyone can find something to enjoy. Its twin themes are samba and football. You may like one or the other (who doesn’t?) but if you are keen on both, then this musical should certainly be your choice!
“SAMBA FUTEBOL CLUBE” has been running for quite a while. Its first run started 21st May at the Teatro II of the Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil. Afterwards, it moved to the Teatro João Caetano downtown, and now is playing at the Teatro Leblon.
The original idea was to have a musical dealing with football, as the 2014 World Cup was about to start. By the way, it does seem strange that, even though football is Brazil’s national sport, there are very few straight plays that deal with the subject. And, I believe that there are even fewer musicals in this line—I, at least, do not remember ever having seen or even heard of one!
The inspiration for linking football with samba was the fact that both of these cultural manifestations, ever so popular and ever so Brazilian, acquired their iconic national identity at the same time: the beginning of the 20th Century. Gustavo Gasparani based his creation on research carried out by João Pimentel and Alfredo del Penho.
Even if the result in the World Cup was a sad thing for Brazilians, the musical is so good that, notwithstanding obstacles, it continued its successful run. As William Shakespeare (1564-1616) said in “King Henry IV”: “That’s the humour of it.”
“SAMBA FUTEBOL CLUBE” has a cast of eight men – no ladies on stage at this musical! All these actors play a variety of instruments, dance and sing a total of forty-two songs. These are from different eras (the oldest is from 1941, the most recent was written in 1970). These songs are permeated by twelve texts, all dealing with football, that have been published in different compilations down through the years by famous Brazilian writers, principally Nelson Rodrigues and Carlos Drummond de Andrade.
Gustavo Gasparani, author and director of the musical, says that the songs were distributed in a way to create a libretto where the music would conduct the show. In the first act, the cast tells the story through the eyes of the cheering crowds at the stadium; however in the second act, the football players are the ones who take over the plot!
I watched the show on the night when it re-opened at the Teatro Leblon. One had the impression that the theatre had become a football stadium! The audience was singing along with the actors all of the specific songs (dare one call them anthems?) adopted by each of the football teams that are part of the musical. I believe that on other evenings the same phenomenon has been repeated.
I cannot tell you who the best performer is in the cast of eight—it would be unfair! They are a team, a happy team; their energy is contagious. Moreover, they were all involved in writing the musical, as they brought their own memories and experiences to the show.
The contributions of Marcelo Lipiani, Marcelo Olinto and Paulo César Medeiros, responsible, respectively, for the set, costumes and lighting, add to the charm of this musical.
“Samba Futebol Clube” plays at the Teatro Leblon (Sala Fernanda Montenegro), at Rua Conde Bernadotte 26, Leblon. There is paid parking in the building where the theatre is located, as well as on the nearby streets. Performances take place on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 9 pm and Sundays at 8 pm. Tickets cost R$ 70 (seventy Reais) on Thursdays and Fridays, and R$ 80 (eighty Reais) on Saturdays and Sundays. There is a 50% (fifty percent) discount for students and senior citizens. Censorship is for children under the age of ten. However, this is a very popular musical, so it would be advisable to telephone the theatre beforehand (2529-7700), to see if good tickets are available.
Finally, a word of warning: if you consult the advertisement in the “O Globo” newspaper, you will see that the run is supposed to finish on the 26th of October. However, I can tell you THIS IS NOT TRUE! The play will run until the 30th November, so you will still have time to go and see this musical – and enjoy samba and football!
(*) Ewa Procter is a writer and a theatre translator, and
Vice-President of the Instituto Cultural Chiquinha Gonzaga.
THEATRE
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What’s in a name?
I have always been curious about Inhotim. First about the name, which I thought was AmerIndian, But, in fact, it relates to a previous, 19th century owner of the property, an English mining engineer called Timothy, known by the locals as Senhor Tim, which became Nhô Tim and eventually: Inhotim.
Bernardo Paz, owner of what is now considered the biggest open-air contemporary art museum in the world, started out with a garden designed by his friend Roberto Burle Marx. He had been collecting art for some time and, influenced by contemporary artist Tunga, in the 1990s he inaugurated the exhibitions in Inhotim with Tunga’s work, True Rouge. Paz is the biggest collector of contemporary art in the country and more galleries were built to house the collection. There are now over 20 galleries, exhibiting works by Brazilian and international artists.
Use the carts!
We decided to take out two days to visit Inhotim, which is situated about 60 km from Belo Horizonte, near the town of Brumadinho. There is so much to see! After all, where else can you find in one place works of art by well-known contemporary Brazilian and international artists, but also walk through a botanical park with native and exotic plants, gardens with big lakes, enormous palm trees? You can hop on and off electric carts because the distances are enormous between one exhibit and another. You can sit and rest on works of art, too: large benches sculpted by furniture designer Ugo França out of tree trunks which had no commercial use and were rejected by the industry.
Two days is not really enough to see everything and we returned for another half day and saw most of the works that we had missed, but we want to go back to visit Inhotim again. There is something for everybody. Spectacular outdoor exhibitions, sculptures and installations and indoor exhibitions of every possible sort including two auditoriums with musical performances. We ended our visit on a high note: Lygia Pape’s gallery T-teia, one of the major works of this Brazilian artist, who is fetching impressive prices on the international art market. It is like walking inside a multi-facetted guitar.
Geodesic domes and the sounds of the earth
The Sonic Pavilion by Doug Aitken was a singular experience. We sat in a circular gallery with a glassed over circular hole in the floor about 200 meters deep and we listened to the amplified sounds of the earth recorded at the bottom of the hole. It reminded us of Jules Verne’s book Voyage to the Centre of the Earth. The Magic Square by much loved trailblazing artist Hélio Oiticica is an imposing outdoor exhibit. Inside two geodesic domes is the work of Matthew
Barney: De Lama Lamina, a huge tree-lifting machine, which clutches the tree, painted white, showing its roots and bare branches. A work by Olafur Eliasson named By Means of a Sudden Intuitive Realisation is housed in a plastic igloo and consists of a water fountain lit by strobe lights. Not to be missed! And last but certainly not least Beam Drop by Chris Burden.
Music for the Queen’s birthday
The indoor exhibitions included two auditoriums with musical happenings by Canadian artist Janet Cardiff, which were totally overwhelming. Cardiff makes recordings which are then played back over an incredible sound system. What we heard knocked off our socks! We sat in this huge room,
Art
A visit to the centre of the contemporary art world: INHOTIM
Beam Drop, by Chris Burden. This sculpture consists of old steel beams that were dropped into a pool of fresh concrete in June 2008. You Tube
has a video about “the making of.” The whole process started early in the morning and ended late at night.
True Rouge, by Tunga. At the inauguration of this incredible piece of art nude actors threw red liquid at each other. This was The True Rouge! It’s
made of glass, glass beads, red gel, liquid polyamide bristle brushes, dyed natural sponge, billiard balls, crystal balls, and a huge dose of powerful
imagination.
11
surrounded by five groups of eight loudspeakers, to listen to Thomas Tallis’ Spem in alium nunquam habui praetor in te (I have never put my hope in any other but in you) recorded in the crypt of Salisbury Cathedral. Spem in alium is a forty voice motet for eight five-part choirs and is considered the most fluent of all the multi-choral works of the renaissance and baroque periods. It has been suggested that Tallis wrote this piece to celebrate the 40th birthday of a reigning monarch, either Mary’s in 1556 or the first Elizabeth‘s in 1573. He could never have guessed his work would receive such treatment in 21st century Brazil.
Do your homework at home
Some facts. You drive on reasonably good roads to Inhotim in about 6 hours from Rio, depending, as always, on traffic, and you stay in one of the many pousadas that have sprung up because of Inhotim. Or, if you are lucky, stay in the pousada within the grounds, which is to be inaugurated soon. Inhotim is closed on Mondays, so factor that in if you’re planning a weekend visit. Admission is free on Tuesdays; you pay R$20 to get in on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and R$30 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. You can buy, with your entrance fee, the right to use the electric carts which we highly recommend since the distances are huge. These carts are free of charge for visitors with special needs (plus one companion). For those with locomotion difficulties you can rent a cart for the day, which will take up to 5 passengers. As one could expect from an institution which seems to have got everything right, their website is excellent. Use it to plan your visit. inhotim.org.br
Enjoy this singular destination. It’s not your usual “walk in the park.”
—Nelleke Beith
Art
Troca-Troca, by Jarbas Lopes. These three fuscas were driven from São Paulo and were originally in three solid colours, red, yellow and blue. The
artist interchanged the parts to make the mix displayed. He’s good with bicycles, too!
Magic Square no. 5, by Hélio Oiticica. This is one of a series of works designed to mix painting with architecture, allowing the observer to
participate in its conception. Located in the lush gardens of Inhotim, it is a landmark in the surrounding green. It represents colour as structure, and
it’s doubtful if it would have worked well in a desert.
Magic Square no. 5, by Hélio Oiticica. This is one of a series of works designed to mix painting with architecture, allowing the observer to
participate in its conception. Located in the lush gardens of Inhotim, it is a landmark in the surrounding green. It represents colour as structure, and
it’s doubtful if it would have worked well in a desert.
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12
In Memoriam
Bil McDavid1942-2014
I am very sad to have to report that my good friend, walking companion and colleague, Bil McDavid, died in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday, 30th September.
Bil first came to Brazil as a Fulbright scholar in the mid-1960s to carry out research in Salvador for his M.A. thesis from the University of New Mexico, in Albuquerque, his home town and state, of whose cultures Bil was very proud. He told me it was far from easy for a young, innocent, blond, blue-eyed American to study at the Federal University of Bahia so soon after the 1964 coup. But Bil no doubt made the most of it, as always, learning capoeira with the old masters, and beginning his lifelong love, fascination and study of things Brazilian. Bil worked in the States during the turbulent late 1960s as the coordinator of intensive immersion courses in Portuguese for future Peace Corps workers destined for Brazil; his future wife, Dinora, was one of the all-Brazilian teaching staff.
That was Bil’s first taste of language teaching/learning. Back in Brazil, Bil was a Field Director for Peace Corps volunteers, doing what he loved, travelling around Brazil. In this he was stationed first in Vitoria, ES, where his daughter Erika was born, later in Rio de Janeiro and his son Patrick is a Carioca. Bil took over as the TESOL teacher development officer and editor for Ao Livro Técnico. This again enabled Bil to do what he most enjoyed and did best: to travel throughout Brazil, setting up TESOL development courses, working together with fellow teachers, and launching new teaching materials.
I first met Bil in 1980 at one of several APIB Conferences, the pre-cursor of BrazTesol, held annually in Rio de Janeiro. We subsequently ran courses for teachers in Curitiba and other cities in Parana. Bil was a joy to work with: always flexible, never uptight, open to new ideas and approaches and always demonstrated his fascination for books. In Curitiba, Bil teamed up with Phil Young (they had known each other in Vitoria), for whom he taught in Paraná, Santa Catarina and Florida.
In the last decade of his working life, Bil was the International Testing Manager for CCAA, and in this role often ran stalls at Braztesol, at TESOL conferences in the USA, Canada and even South Korea. Over the past 20 years I’ve had the privilege of being able to share together with him one of his other great joys: walking the trails of the Mata Atlântica in the Tijuca Forest and other Brazilian national parks—ai, que saudades! He will be sorely missed.
David Shepherd
[Editor’s Personal Note: John Barth’s novel “The Floating Opera” features a kind of showboat that drifts up and down a waterway, moved by the currents and the tide. The boat carries actors who put on a show for the people along the shore. The boat is moving, so people see and hear only pieces of the show. In the author’s view, life is like that, too. Certainly it was for me and Bil.
I first met Bil in 1967 when learning Portuguese in one of the intensive immersion courses mentioned above. In 1977, upon arrival in Rio with our family, Bil and Dinora and their two kids would visit us at the Sheraton Hotel, just downhill from their home in Vidigal. In 1978, Bil asked me to help edit a pocket size Portuguese English dictionary (Hygino Aliandro) that Ao Livro Técnico was publishing. We cut and pasted (real scissors, real glue) definitions from an English pocket dictionary into the proof copy.
We didn’t see each other often, but when Bil got to CCAA, I would occasionally run into him when recording lessons. We would (far too infrequently) see each other socially and catch up with each other’s lives on the non-floating opera stage that is Rio de Janeiro. Bil was an expatriate, but not an ex-patriot: he remained steadfastly American in his attitude towards life, notwithstanding his parallel life as a “quase brasileiro”. He loved teaching people and helping people. I really miss him.
13
It has been a while since we have seen horse riders around the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas. They used to stroll there very early in the morning, when the sun reflected on the water so brightly you could rarely see details except for their silhouettes—horse tails calmly swaying.
Nowadays it is probably prohibited or prohibitive to do so, because of the heavy traffic of joggers, bikers, skaters, pushchairs and others. But if you ever feel the urge to turn into a cowboy, to explore nature on horseback, you don’t have to leave the city: just head out west!
Imagine, for instance, taking a trail leaving the city noises behind to experience the sound of silence. It is indeed possible to do so, specifically in Vargem Grande, where you will find several options of riding clubs.
One of them, Haras Pégasus, has belonged to the Cavalcanti family for 24 years. Not only are they famous for serving as scenery for several soap operas, but also for organizing outings with experienced horses and guides through the vibrant life of the neighbouring Atlantic Forest. A favoured one is the romantic Trail of the Full Moon, which happens, of course, on nights when
the moon is full.
The region where the riding takes place is known as the Maciço da Pedra Branca (white rock formation), one of the three big green areas of Rio de Janeiro, together with Gericinó and Tijuca. The highest point in the city is there, Pedra Branca peak rising 1,025 metres above sea level. Its 12.5 hectares host cedars, tabebuias, jequitibás, jacarandas and other trees. It is a great place to enjoy the shapes and scents of different flowers which include orchids and bromeliads, as well as to appreciate the
NAN CARIOCA
Urban CentaursNAN HIRSCH
singing of the many different birds and the flight of the colourful butterflies. Squirrels, armadillos, pacas and cotias (both are “agoutis” in English) live there, and it is said that there still are anteaters and wildcats around.
Someone famous once said that humankind would not had evolved as it did were it not for the use of the horse, which took men further in several unimaginable ways, including well-being and the development of relationships.
If you feel a need to take riding lessons, there are several schools available, such as Haras Samurai, Equitaclub and Centauro Equitação. There is always time for a new experience which contains so many attractions, so we say:
Tally ho!
14
Peter Janos Kurz
Visitors to Alcatraz, the former island prison in San Francisco Bay, are now being greeted by a large, brilliantly colored Grand Dragon Kite. It is the latest creation of dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei and part of @Large, the extensive installation open to visitors until April. With Wind is a hanging dragon—both friendly and menacing—that snakes gracefully through a large indoor space and is surrounded by smaller, also suspended, bird-like kites.
«Suspended above the viewer, it will be flying, it will be free,” explained Cheryl Haines in a recent CBS feature filmed before the opening, “but it’s also restricted within the building” providing the visitor with “a really interesting conversation between control and freedom.” From China, the sculptor whose passport has been revoked added that under the rules governing the historic site “we basically cannot touch the walls, we cannot touch anything... we cannot add anything.” In Ai’s words, “it’s a hanging installation — like the prisoners themselves, it is only there for a period of time.”
The contrast between this monster kite (and its message) and the Brazilian kites depicted by the great painter Cândido Portinari (1903-1962) in his Meninos soltando pipas (1941) and Meninos soltando papagaios (1947) is enormous and revealing. Portinari’s pipas and papagaios soar above jubilant, playing children in a joyous dance that seems to unite sky and earth. His rural landscape reflects the happiness of boys with their kites, including urban corners of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil, and elsewhere, around the world, where a tradition many thousands of years old continues.
The names and types of kites range from the whistling kites of China to the musical wau kites of Malaysia and, of course, the caça or combate fighting kites of Sierra Leone and Brazil.
The names in Portuguese are at least as varied as the types. Papagaio de papel is more common in Portugal, while pipa is understood throughout
Brazil but is most common around Rio and São Paulo. If you cross Guanabara Bay, in Niteroi you might hear cafifa. The name in Florianópolis is pandorga (also commonly used by Gaúchos); in Amazonas and Acre, kites are known as pepetas.
An American medical doctor born in Freetown, Sierra Leone, explained to me that at age 12 he was “Kite-King of the Street” because he had mastered the art (yes, as in Rio, it’s an art) of kite combat. The “technical” preparation revolved around the kite itself, the string used and the tail. The “art” part required dexterity and agility in maneuvering the kite, the ability to make good decisions quickly and lots of practice with and among the more skilled groups...(Just like on the carioca streets).
And, yes, in Brazil as in Sierra Leone and much of the world, it was very much a «boys› game.» Yeney, a young mother and recent Cuban emmigrant, explained to me that there is a long Cuban tradition of making and flying papalotes or cometas. At a young age, boys learn from their fathers how to make and how to fly kites that are almost duplicates of the ones we know so well in Rio. But Yeney was surprised to learn of the carioca combates and the
practice of using cerol (glue) and razor blades to prepare the combat kites for battle.
Kite battles are not new. Around 1700 France began enforcing a law that prohibited flying kites in public parks, apparently because of the frequent clashes among large groups of rival “fighting” kite flyers and their supporters. The many lost or defeated kites hanging from electric cables or trees everywhere in Rio are a good indication of the continuing popularity of Carioca Combates. Many internet sites describe in detail how to “prepare” your pipa but the classic method remains the same: grind glass (preferably from fluorescent bulbs) until it becomes a fine powder, add carpenter’s glue (cerol), and spread over the first one hundred or more meters of your string or line (preferably Linha Marca Corrente número 10). At the end of the tail section, many add a razor blade. The more skillful kite flyers will cut their opponents’ lines and, as the downed kite floats down, catch them mid-flight, to bring back the captured spoil.
Of course, most likely the downed kite was also “well-prepared” for battle, with cerol and a razor blade. That’s why an increasing number of municipalities have passed laws agains the preparation and use of cerol: to prevent the terrible injuries to motorcyclists and pedestrians who run into these glass-encrusted lines.
At the same time, kite-flying festivals seem to flourish everywhere in the world with imaginative and colorful pipas and papagaios, all soaring with or without music—and most certainly without cerol. Among the most popular and best-known are Japan’s Hamamatsu Festival held every May for the past 450 years or so; the Seal Beach Kite Festival north of San Diego (www.kiteclub.org); the Cleethorpes International Festival of the Air, a two-day international gathering of the world’s best kite flyers on Cleethorpes Beach; and the Sunderland International Kite Festival. A detailed calendar listing some of the best kite-flying events around the globe is available through <www.kitecalendar.co.uk>.
Pipas and Papagaios
Cultures
15
In Memoriam
Elizabeth Jane MacGregor, FGA 1941-2014
Liz was a well-known member of the community for nearly four decades, since arriving in Brazil from South Africa with her husband, Ian, and their two children Rod and Fiona. Many of us, over all these years, enjoyed their hospitality, whether at their first home in Itanhangá or later in Teresópolis.
Liz was born in Harare, Zimbabwe. After marrying Ian, a geologist, she moved to Mozambique where they owned a tourmaline mine. Drawn into the world of precious stones, she studied gemology whilst living in a camper van with two tiny children and became a Fellow of the Gemological Association. During a truce in the Mozambican Civil War in 1974, they fled the country. This escapade almost proved fatal when Ian was discovered with a gun. It had belonged to his father and he refused to leave it behind. Liz had hidden a stack of tourmalines under the floorboards of the camper van, and this kept them going for the next couple of years.
In 1975, Ian accepted a job as CEO with Goldfields in Rio. Elizabeth soon adapted to a country so replete with precious stones. She became a well-respected gemologist within the local expat community and on the international circuit.
Upon moving to Teresópolis in 1983, they aptly lived in Rua Uganda. Liz had developed a strong love for Brazil, but the call of the African wild was always dominant in her heart. They set up a business creating, selling and exporting jeweled trees. In 1987, Elizabeth organised the International Gemological Conference in Rio, attended by the world’s top gemologists, and she regularly visited the renowned Gem Fair in Tucson, Arizona.
She made frequent intrepid excursions by bus to towns like Teófilo Otoni and Governador Valadares in Minas to visit mines and buy stones. She was well known to the pedristas who would bring her parcels of glittering gems. She and Ian patiently coached a new generation of gemologists, tantalizing the students with stones to identify before setting the challenge of testing them to make sure they were not synthetics or imitations. These sessions, accompanied by pots of rooibois tea, ended with Ian’s famous caipirinhas.
Liz was passionate about animals; in Teresópolis, all manner of dogs, cats and horses found a home with her. However, her constant yearnings were to be out in the African bush. In 1996, she joined an amazing trip canoeing 200 km down the Zambezi. The only creatures encountered up close on that journey were hippos, crocs and elephants (the roar of lions and squeals of hyena punctured the night air beyond the mosquito nets draped over mattresses on the sand), but there was no human contact beyond the 10-soul 5-canoe party. Liz, the essence of elegance, would religiously put on lipstick each morning and evening.
Elizabeth passed away on 30th September, aged 73, after a brave battle against cancer, three years after Ian. She will be much missed by many of us, especially by her two children, Rod and Fiona, and her four grandchildren Thalita, twins Ian and Gabriel, and Sophie.
Rhona Brantly and Margi Moss
16
The Emirates Air Line (also known as the Thames cable car) is a ten-minute gondola link across the River Thames in London, built by Doppelmayr with sponsorship from the eponymous airline. The service is operated by Transport for London. In addition to transport across the river, the service advertises “spectacular views of the city from heights of 90 meters as you travel between Greenwich Peninsula and the Royal Docks”.
The project has been criticized as a costly white elephant (estimated cost: £60 million). In the second week of October 2012 about 42,500 journeys were made, dropping to 23,000 for the same week in 2013, with a discount for Oyster card users making more than five journeys a week.
In Rio de Janeiro, the Morro da Providência cable car or teleférico project, which was completed back in May 2013, runs from Rua da Gamboa, almost next door to the English Cemetery, over the favela, with a stop at the top, to the Central railway station, and was inaugurated on July 2, 2014, over a year after completion. It is free, apparently still testing. It’s nice and clean, and quite efficient.
The Providência cable car is the second such system of its kind in Rio. It consists of sixteen operating gondolas and can transport a thousand people per hour along the 721-meter line, operating Monday to Friday 6am to 9pm, Saturdays
7am to 7pm, and Sundays and holidays 9am to 6pm, at no cost to residents on the morro..
Each gondola takes eight passengers seated and two standing, ten per ride. The trip will take a total of three minutes with the height of the center stop being 83 meters above sea level. The stations have attendants for guidance and four services provided by the city of Rio including a family clinic, a pharmacy, an electronics store and a gym.
The other cable car system in Rio – over the famous favela Complexo do Alemão, is popularly called Bondinho do Alemão, in reference to the more famous Sugarloaf cableway and Santa Teresa Tramway, both also called bondinho. The system consists of 152 gondolas, each of which can carry ten passengers, eight seated and two standing, and is 3.5 km in length. The cable car is integrated into the urban rail transport system and has six stations: Bonsucesso, Adeus, Baiana, Alemão, Itararé/Alvorada and Palmeiras. The line connects to the Saracuruna Line at Bonsucesso Station. The 16-minute run costs R$1,00 each way, and residents are entitled to two free tickets per day.
For more on Rio’s cable cars see <www.cariocaforever.wordpress.com>. Some of the above info courtesy Wiki or The Rio Times.
Chris Hieatt
London > Rio
Gondola Cable Car Systems
London - all aboard!
Rio de Janeiro - Providência Station
PSYCHOTHERAPYVIVIANE RICHARDSON
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November01 Remembrance Service at Gamboa cemetery
02 Daylight Saving Time ends (US and Canada)
04 US Election Day
04 “COLD” (British School Barra Play)
04 “Hostel Takeover” (LimeTime Hostel Botafogo)
09 Remembrance Day Service (Christ Church)
13 Oxford & Cambridge Dinner (Casa da Suiça)
17 SCWC 3 Peaks Challenge
18 “Hostel Takeover” (LimeTime Hostel Botafogo)
19 Canadian Happy Hour (Amir Restaurant)
20 Brazilian Holiday (“Dia do Zumbi”)
26 Coral para Todos (Jubilee Hall)
27 AmSoc Thanksgiving Dinner (JW Marriott)
CalendarDecember03 Coral para Todos (Jubilee Hall)
04 TBS Carol Service (Christ Church & Jubilee Hall)
06 WDA Christmas Bazaar
08 SCM Christmas Concert (Christ Church)
13 BCS Christmas Party (Jubilee Hall)
14 Christ Church Carol Service
15 Sing-along Messiah (Christ Church)
16 EARJ last day of 2nd Quarter
17 Canadian Happy Hour (Amir Restaurant)
18 TBS C11 Graduation (Christ Church & Jubilee Hall)
19 TBS Last Day Term 2
21 All Saints Niteroi Carols and Communion
25 Christmas Family Communion Christ Church