Brasssssil, here I come*

In less than two weeks I leave for a month and a half in Brazil!

I will be spending my time in Florianopolis. (If you know your Brazilian geography, skip to the next paragraph.) It's in the state of Santa Catarina, in the far south of the country. Only one state, Rio Grande do Sul, is south of it. To the north is Parana. The Atlantic Ocean is to the east, and the tiny west border is shared with a thin finger of Argentina, with Paraguay on the other side of it. The city of Florianopolis is on an island, and it is the capital.

It's not necessarily the logical place to go (although it's not some obscure backwater I'm ultra-cool for discovering). Obviously, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo are the biggest tourist destinations in Brazil. Most capoeristas travel to Salvador, the stronghold of capoeira. And more adventurous types head off into the Amazon rain forest. Floripa is actually fairly popular among South American travelers. It's known for its nightlife and surfing. If you know me, well … maybe I'll try surfing!

So, why there? I wanted to go to Brazil, and I wanted to do capoeira. But as I was traveling alone, I wanted to go somewhere I'd at least know someone. I don't have any besties in Floripa, but I have met a couple of Capoeira Angola Palmares teachers from there, and they have beautiful games. So, why not? I'm sure I will have other opportunities to see the rest of the country.

I don't have much of a plan yet. I'll spend the first week on the far south of the island near Pantano do Sul, a sleepy village. No capoeira, I don't think, but some nice hiking. After that I'll head up to the city. At some point, I want to get on a bus and head to Iguacu Falls. And that's it! Everything else is up in the air.

*Harry Potter reference.

Hiking Sugarloaf

My foray to Virgin Falls was my first hike in some time, thanks to a rotator cuff injury that makes carrying a backpack painful. I finally purchased a lumbar pack, so now I can hike pain-free (if dorkily). I was excited to get back to the trails, so my next hike was with the Ramblers. It went through Goose Pond State Park, up Lazy Hill, and up Sugarloaf Mountain. The hike wasn't far from New York City, in Orange County. Sugarloaf is fairly steep and requires moderate scrambling at the end, but the view is worth it. This photo was taken very close to the top; you can get an idea of both the steepness and the view from it.

Virgin Falls hike

Virgin Falls, a photo by TheTurducken on Flickr.

While in Tennessee for spring break, I hiked with a few friends to Virgin Falls, one of the area's classic hikes. The water was very high, and each of the four waterfalls was impressive.

When I first did the hike years ago, there was a detour that led up a ladder to an overlook, and back to the main trail via another ladder. However, not long after, a major storm destroyed both ladders, and the overlook trail was closed. I was excited to see on this trip that it was reopened. Now, only one ladder is open, so you return to the trail the way you came. But it's nice to have this option back.

Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge

Crossing the Golden Gate, a photo by TheTurducken on Flickr.

I owe you all a few posts, but right now I write to you from San Francisco, where I am for the American Educational Research Association Conference. For discussion of the conference itself, I'll refer you to my other blog. But while I was here, a friend and I went down the the Golden Gate bridge and walked across it. There are some spectacular views from the bridge; the Oakland view is mostly park, whereas the SF view is of the city.

New and improved

A few nights ago in capoeira, we videotaped a short roda. Afterwards, we watched it while one of our instructors provided feedback.

Of course, I hate watching myself on video (who doesn't?), whether it's footage of me playing capoeira or teaching a graduate class. Every mistake seems magnified, and (as someone at Vanderbilt's Center for Teaching said to me), everyone thinks their butt looks too big. Sure enough, there was plenty to critique in my play.

However, I was pleasantly shocked by the video. Since I had last been captured on either still or moving film, my form had improved remarkably. My entire posture and carriage looked different. Frankly, I was possibly too relieved to fully absorb the critique I received.