From the moment I got on the second boat ride to come to Morro de Sao Paulo, I could feel the recognizable air. Morro de Sao Paulo is the Carnaval after-party island of Salvador. It took us about 5 hours on a boat-bus-boat ride from Salvador to this relaxing island on the beautiful Atlantic Ocean. My first step on the island’s simple concrete pier, evoked a sense of that homely greeting in Koh Pha Ngan, in my very own Thailand.
Apart from the colonial style architecture that still remains as the important landmark, the rest of the atmosphere was what I am accustomed to. Sunny beaches, bikini shops, Italian restaurants, beach bars and the friendly laid-back attitude reminded me of home. It was time to reminisce about good old days and enjoy fresh seafood.
Life on the island was very calm, peaceful, friendly and productive for me. Personally, I love big cities as they give an insight of what is evolving around my insignificant lonely social being. Beach life gives me a deeper understanding inside myself. I found the island time a perfect break to reflect on my thoughts and emotions. It embraced me with a welcoming familiarity. I took my first plunge into the sea in more than two years!!!!
I let my mind loose and enthusiastically started writing. The environment was very helpful to my work. I really enjoyed blogging in dusk and dawn. The gentle breeze gave me comfort; the sea made me thoughtful, the sun ignited me with energy and the colour-changing sky filled me up with self-recognition. It was an idealistic pleasure for me to produce content.
I capture this moment as a prelude to Full moon party in Thailand. As the day goes by, I have been thinking relentlessly about it. The nature of Brazilians is very much similar to Thais. This island trip gives a soft preview and I just cannot wait to show my team Thailand…
Tuesday, 26 February 2008
Monday, 18 February 2008
Salvador Carnaval
An English friend once said to me that if I want to find a party that beats full moon party I have go to the Carnaval in Brazil. From internet research, I was thrilled by the fact that Salvador Carnaval is the biggest street party in the world with 1.5 million people. I was overflowing with curiosity.
We were given a Carnaval kit on the second day after arrival. The kit included 5 ticket-Ts (coloured tops that also were our passes to the events), a Smirnoff T, a book, a notepad, two pens, a manual fan, a tube of facial wash gel, a pack of razor blades and the ladies favourite, cellulite removal cr̬me. We were told to take good care of the ticket-Ts. A ticket-T that let us get into 2222 Рwhich was one of the most exclusive lounges (known as a camarote) could cost over 500 Rais and they could not easily be replaced. There was a room provided to customize our tops, so a boring tank top was altered to endless fashion possibilities.
Salvador Carnival can be separated into two parts, the Trio parade on the street and the Camarote that spread out over the length of the street. 2222 Camarote, the most exclusive lounge was once a residence of the heroic Brazilian music figure, Gilberto Gil who is now a minister of the government. It amazed me to know the impact of music on Brazilian lives.
Camarotes are private lounges that provide an elevated view into the street where the Trio parades stream by you. They had a dance floor inside with DJs pumping electronic music. I was very fortunate to spin my beloved music at 2222 Camarote on one night. It was an unimaginable and unforgettable experience for me. We had a chance to party in two Camarotes. There were sushi bars in both of them, proving the sushi craze of Brazilians. I enjoyed eating fresh sushi and sashimi every night. Um… Japanese food in Brazil….
The Camarote life was so glamourous, pretentious but indulging. The experience in the actual parade was totally different. Thousands of people shoving, bumping, yelling, singing, shouting, smiling, laughing, moon walking and the most distinctive one, kissing. The tradition is that a guy can kiss any girl in the parade. There was an even better reason in order to rightfully kiss a girl….. becoming a part of the tribute to Ghandi troop. They are the people who paid money to get a special white outfit which came with loads of bead necklaces. This team (around 3,000 manpower) stormed through the street exchanging their necklaces for every kiss they sealed. I am not sure how this practice relates to Ghandi’s devotion but it sure was an attractive tribute. It was a common sight to see these guys in action while walking through the party-bustling street at night.
The walk in the parade was intense. My emotions and actions were directed by the engulfing amount of positive energy that surrounded me. It was not necessary to know the lyrics or songs in order to follow the dynamic of the parade. When they clapped I clapped, when they jumped I jumped, when they shouted I shouted, everything was simple and instinctive.
My 5 nights in Camarote, 6 hours of parade experience, numerous plates of sushi, and a session of DJing were totally a treasured experience. My life will never be the same after the Carnaval….
We were given a Carnaval kit on the second day after arrival. The kit included 5 ticket-Ts (coloured tops that also were our passes to the events), a Smirnoff T, a book, a notepad, two pens, a manual fan, a tube of facial wash gel, a pack of razor blades and the ladies favourite, cellulite removal cr̬me. We were told to take good care of the ticket-Ts. A ticket-T that let us get into 2222 Рwhich was one of the most exclusive lounges (known as a camarote) could cost over 500 Rais and they could not easily be replaced. There was a room provided to customize our tops, so a boring tank top was altered to endless fashion possibilities.
Salvador Carnival can be separated into two parts, the Trio parade on the street and the Camarote that spread out over the length of the street. 2222 Camarote, the most exclusive lounge was once a residence of the heroic Brazilian music figure, Gilberto Gil who is now a minister of the government. It amazed me to know the impact of music on Brazilian lives.
Camarotes are private lounges that provide an elevated view into the street where the Trio parades stream by you. They had a dance floor inside with DJs pumping electronic music. I was very fortunate to spin my beloved music at 2222 Camarote on one night. It was an unimaginable and unforgettable experience for me. We had a chance to party in two Camarotes. There were sushi bars in both of them, proving the sushi craze of Brazilians. I enjoyed eating fresh sushi and sashimi every night. Um… Japanese food in Brazil….
The Camarote life was so glamourous, pretentious but indulging. The experience in the actual parade was totally different. Thousands of people shoving, bumping, yelling, singing, shouting, smiling, laughing, moon walking and the most distinctive one, kissing. The tradition is that a guy can kiss any girl in the parade. There was an even better reason in order to rightfully kiss a girl….. becoming a part of the tribute to Ghandi troop. They are the people who paid money to get a special white outfit which came with loads of bead necklaces. This team (around 3,000 manpower) stormed through the street exchanging their necklaces for every kiss they sealed. I am not sure how this practice relates to Ghandi’s devotion but it sure was an attractive tribute. It was a common sight to see these guys in action while walking through the party-bustling street at night.
The walk in the parade was intense. My emotions and actions were directed by the engulfing amount of positive energy that surrounded me. It was not necessary to know the lyrics or songs in order to follow the dynamic of the parade. When they clapped I clapped, when they jumped I jumped, when they shouted I shouted, everything was simple and instinctive.
My 5 nights in Camarote, 6 hours of parade experience, numerous plates of sushi, and a session of DJing were totally a treasured experience. My life will never be the same after the Carnaval….
China
I was prepared for China with excitement. It may be the longing for familiarity that that drives me for this Shanghai visit. Even though it is not Thailand, being on Asian soil makes me close enough to home.
The first thing that hit me was the cold winter of China. It was around 0 degrees and that was certainly not what I am used to. All the clothes in my possession will not last me three days in this freezing weather. But the living expenses in China welcome me gracefully.
Meal times in China are also rewarding moments for me. As Shanghai is one of the biggest cities in China, I have enjoyed choosing food from different provinces. And each of the different backgrounds and preparations has its own reason. Beijing in the north, which suffers more extreme weather results in salty taste that helps you keep the heat in your body. Sichuan province in a humid valley prefers its food full of chilli and spiciness in order to adjust the body temperature through perspiration. Or Shanghai food that uses lots of sugar to create the savory taste when balancing it well with soy sauce. The sophistication is hidden in every dish you eat.
I walked on many back streets of Shanghai downtown and found smoke coming out from the corner of a building. With curiosity, I searched the origin just to find one of my favourite delicacies, street food!! I love tasting street food not just because it is simple and convenient but it also reflects the lifestyle of people in the city. My favourite street food in Shanghai is the grilled lamb on a stick seasoned with herbs and chilli. The irresistible smell draws a group of people together to share great tastes and the warmth from the red-lit charcoal on a cold day.
During the course of this trip, I have enjoyed my eating experience of various food resulting in gaining 7 kilograms of weight. But even I sometime ate too much in China; I lost my weight by 2 Kilograms. The evolution of Chinese diet amazed me and I was surprised with the sensitiveness of the human body. Next stop, Salvador Brazil, I will probably lose myself to the beautiful fresh seafood from the ocean…
The first thing that hit me was the cold winter of China. It was around 0 degrees and that was certainly not what I am used to. All the clothes in my possession will not last me three days in this freezing weather. But the living expenses in China welcome me gracefully.
Meal times in China are also rewarding moments for me. As Shanghai is one of the biggest cities in China, I have enjoyed choosing food from different provinces. And each of the different backgrounds and preparations has its own reason. Beijing in the north, which suffers more extreme weather results in salty taste that helps you keep the heat in your body. Sichuan province in a humid valley prefers its food full of chilli and spiciness in order to adjust the body temperature through perspiration. Or Shanghai food that uses lots of sugar to create the savory taste when balancing it well with soy sauce. The sophistication is hidden in every dish you eat.
I walked on many back streets of Shanghai downtown and found smoke coming out from the corner of a building. With curiosity, I searched the origin just to find one of my favourite delicacies, street food!! I love tasting street food not just because it is simple and convenient but it also reflects the lifestyle of people in the city. My favourite street food in Shanghai is the grilled lamb on a stick seasoned with herbs and chilli. The irresistible smell draws a group of people together to share great tastes and the warmth from the red-lit charcoal on a cold day.
During the course of this trip, I have enjoyed my eating experience of various food resulting in gaining 7 kilograms of weight. But even I sometime ate too much in China; I lost my weight by 2 Kilograms. The evolution of Chinese diet amazed me and I was surprised with the sensitiveness of the human body. Next stop, Salvador Brazil, I will probably lose myself to the beautiful fresh seafood from the ocean…
Smirnoff Experience Shanghai
The Smirnoff event in Shanghai was the second event of our Global Smirnoff Experience. I still remembered the unbelievable collaboration of Faithless and the Musica Viva Orchestra in Moscow like it was yesterday. With the line up of Tom Middleton in collaboration with “The Lab” local turntablists collective, Hard-Fi with the Chinese Shanxi Drummer and DJ Sasha, I was ready to experience the musical magic.
The event greeted guests with the stunning world’s longest cocktail list, which had 1,320 variations of welcome drinks. Then, I was attracted by the Tangram wall which challenged my architectural sense. Before I moved on to other features, the electrifying collaboration between Tom and The Lab started its prelude.
The four DJs of the crew stood side by side with their best friends: mixers. Various impressive turntable skills from the talented locals combined with Tom’s selection and resulted in rhythmic gratification. I was in a magical moment when the song made the transition to Drum n’ Bass. We all were having a photo shoot - myself and Ania dancing inside the Smirnoff Ice booth with fake snow falling off from the above.
Then came Hard-Fi. Even though I am not a big fan of indie band music, the joint performance with the Shanxi Drummers was truly satisfying for a beat addict like me.
Finally, DJ Sasha with his special selection of an exclusive rock remix set finished off the already hyped crowd. Admittedly, after his performance I felt that laptop DJs lose a bit of that mystic energy that tickles the admiration of another DJ. When the movement on the stage was reduced to finger clicking the mouse and eyes staring into the tiny laptop screen, I just could not feel “it”. But his selection and mixing skills replaced the missing energy.
By the end of the night, I was thinking of the Faithless performance in the Moscow event. I cannot really tell which act overwhelmed another. Original collaborations provided original music experiences that can not be compared. It is not a 1+1=2 but rather 1+1=11.
The event greeted guests with the stunning world’s longest cocktail list, which had 1,320 variations of welcome drinks. Then, I was attracted by the Tangram wall which challenged my architectural sense. Before I moved on to other features, the electrifying collaboration between Tom and The Lab started its prelude.
The four DJs of the crew stood side by side with their best friends: mixers. Various impressive turntable skills from the talented locals combined with Tom’s selection and resulted in rhythmic gratification. I was in a magical moment when the song made the transition to Drum n’ Bass. We all were having a photo shoot - myself and Ania dancing inside the Smirnoff Ice booth with fake snow falling off from the above.
Then came Hard-Fi. Even though I am not a big fan of indie band music, the joint performance with the Shanxi Drummers was truly satisfying for a beat addict like me.
Finally, DJ Sasha with his special selection of an exclusive rock remix set finished off the already hyped crowd. Admittedly, after his performance I felt that laptop DJs lose a bit of that mystic energy that tickles the admiration of another DJ. When the movement on the stage was reduced to finger clicking the mouse and eyes staring into the tiny laptop screen, I just could not feel “it”. But his selection and mixing skills replaced the missing energy.
By the end of the night, I was thinking of the Faithless performance in the Moscow event. I cannot really tell which act overwhelmed another. Original collaborations provided original music experiences that can not be compared. It is not a 1+1=2 but rather 1+1=11.
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