from Sandy Needham

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Brazil Dispatch 31

Our recent intermittent life in Brazil has been characterized by the circus across the road, which is the changing scene of a new development project. The building and moving of sand and soil and planting and hammering have been going on for some time.

The low point was the week our friends were planning to stay with us a couple of nights before moving to Rio. As the bull dozer sent clouds of dirt wafting through our open lattice transoms, the cleaning lady fought to wipe everything down and leave the house presentable. It turns out that just after she left around 3:00pm on her first of two days for the week, the unmistakable groaning of the bull dozer began. It made a bee-line for the pile of dirt situated at the perfect diagonal for the breeze to deliver the goods. The second appearance of the maid that week coincided with a perfect storm of wafting dirt, an eye-stinging fog of wafting smoke from a strategically placed field burn-off, and the combat zone ambiance created by actual international war games in Natal…roaring a couple of feet over our roof. After she left and the freshly washed stone floor was drying, here came the groaning again. Newton and I ran upstairs to hammer little nails above the bedroom transoms and hang old sheets.

But then our fortunes changed, and changed, and changed. Our caretaker picked up the scuttlebutt that an elaborate party was coming soon across the road; a grand opening perhaps? Free champagne? We wondered if it would be open to us. Work continued on a second version of the elaborate planter, lights were installed at the base of every coconut tree remaining in the field, producing a nightly fairyland, planterand fancy white tents started springing up. Our anticipation grew.

Fairyland 1

Then a truck arrived delivering pre-fab parts for perhaps little sales offices? This was constructed just opposite our front porch. But those panels with photographs were ugly, even if they hadn’t been installed upside-down. Oh, and a port-o-let in front of it all? Not good. Then a black wall went up the length of our road.

portolet

After listening to an entire night of hammering, we awoke to a covered stage and stands built on top of the now-empty planter. Newton went to inquire after cars started arriving. It was a party exclusively for realtors. At around 8:00pm the most wonderful live music interrupted my yoga. Newton joined me on the balcony and we realized that a famous band, Cheiro de Amor, was performing in fantastic colored lights right in front of us! We grabbed four little stools – two for tables- and brought them up, along with our smoked salmon and cheeses and a bottle of wine. It was such fun, perching on our stools or jumping up to dance during our private concert! It was more fun than crashing.

show

We awoke the next morning to find the planter reappearing, the port-o-let and pre-fabs, which had been dressing rooms for the band, gone; and the black wall coming down. Someone over there couldn’t decide about the planter, which to date has had three different plants, a concrete circular surrounding surface painted with a design  - hacked to pieces to be replaced with a circular wooden surface. We eventually went over to take a look at the elegant new sales building and study the scale model inside. What is planned is basically a monstrosity that fills every inch of the coconut field with a 5-story resort-like condominium and elaborate water park, to be completed in 2014. Because the law allows only three stories by the shore, they plan to dig out and build two stories below ground level – ugg. I guess the biggest offense is simply that I don’t perceive our little plot, this haven, as a setting for a glitzy, expensive juggernaut of a development. But that’s just me against untold millions of developer dollars (or rather, reais).

In the meantime, I had a talk about the garbage the laborers were throwing down that was blowing all over the road, and that situation improved just in time for the arrival of Elise, Jake and Jake’s girlfriend Larissa for the holidays. Newton had installed green tube lights coiling up our three coconut trees in front. I believe the moment each holiday dusk that I went out to turn on our tube lights, and the lights on the coconut trees came up across the street, and the work had come to a stop, that the festive peacefulness that befell the scene was as calm as a new deep snowfall. It really worked out for the holidays!

jake posterThe kids were content to hang around and go to our beach nearly every day, so the holidays were filled with loads of low-key fun, games (nobody could beat Jake at the word games), sunburns, a gift-filled Christmas morning, and lovely dinners in or out. We added a day in the sand dunes with a cool lake lunch and a day at the more animated Pirangi beach to the south.

anagrams

elise2

Botequim

xmas eve 1

cool lunch 3

gals

two guys

Xmas morning 3

falesias

last dinner

 

 

elise

 

sparrow'sQuite a special New Year’s Eve was spent at a burgeoning beach town to the north of Natal, Sao Miguel do Gostoso. We bought the New Year’s Eve package at Captain Jack Sparrow’s, a simple bar right out on the sand of a wide, dark beach with stars upon stars above and fireworks from several sources bursting overhead at midnight. We entered the sea to jump over seven waves for good luck, all wearing the traditional white. Then our favorite band from Natal, Mad Dogs, performed. We tried out various fruit drinks, deciding that watermelon prevailed that night. We relaxed in hammocks and watched dawn arrive with the moon and amazing Saturn overhead. (Saturn actually appears as an oval with its rings, though the insufficient lighting in the photo below makes it appear to show rings.)

beach toast

hammock fun

new years eve 1

saturn

5am

o tempoThe kids’ two weeks with us were cloud-and-rain-free.

Concurrent with the holidays was the arrival of our caretaker Marcos’ new wife, Eliselma. If under-five-feet-tall Marcos seems miniature, Eliselma is Thumbelina! The strangest detail is the humongous furniture her parents bought them for their tiny house next to our garage: a red overstuffed sofa and love seat, which can only fit in the room if the love seat blocks the door to the kitchen and the sofa blocks the shutter that opens the window; and a table with six chairs that would preclude reaching the refrigerator and stove in the kitchen. We love the Potiguars!

At this point, a new wall of ugly, worn, uneven boards went up in front of the coconut field…oh no; but next time we looked, it was torn down and a neat, nearly transparent fence had been rolled out. Whew. A redesign of the planter itself took place, a trampoline was installed, and clowns have been flipping and unicycling in front of us at breakfast. Preparations are underway for the field to be used for a concert. This time we’ll be away on our trip to the US/Japan(for Newton). Who knows what we’ll see across our road when we get back!

Love,

Sandy

 

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Germany Dispatch

AnkeIt was time to return to Germany and see Anke Borsdorf Vorndamme, our American Field Service exchange student from 1964 at Tulsa Central High School. My sister Donna was a high school senior that year, along with Anke. I had visited her in Bielefeld in 1967, and she and husband Klaus had visited the US a couple of times since then; we had last seen them in the early ‘90’s in New York.

After spending a full year with the Needham family, Anke was a family member for life. Our parents were her parents. We also loved referring to her real parents as Mutti and Vati!

Anke met me in Hannover and we drove to her current town, Herford. We were able over the next few days to enjoy the orderly, nature-rich sights of Herford, the near-by spa town, Bad Salzuflen, and Anke’s original Bielefeld. The common denominators in these towns are orderliness, quality everything…the stores offer such fine materials and craftsmanship, and a deep appreciation of nature’s beauty permeating all.

 

 

 

Here is a street in Bielefeld:                                        Here is the serene cemetery where Mutti and Vati are buried:cemetary

Bielefeld 

Here is a certain plant that ‘catches’ the salt from water as it flows past, and the entire wall where this transpires in the spa town of Bad Salzuflen:

salt water close-upsalt water wall

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are Anke and Klaus leading the way on a country walk near their house, pictured with the red roof on the right:

Dapper couple

Vorndamme house

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Living room with berriesThis fine level of quality typified every inch of Anke and Klaus’ house, where a state-of the art kitchen complete with amazing German utensils and gadgets amazed me daily, and where all furnishings and structural workmanship surpassed anything I remember seeing. The doors were perfectly soundproof and the fixtures everywhere were extraordinary examples of contemporary, functional design.

 

 

 

 

gehry museumAnke and I visited the controversial Frank Gehry museum, Marta Herford, and while enjoying many pieces in a contemporary exhibit, also had plenty of giggles - like the high school girls we used to be - at the pretentiousness of certain installations. What fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let me start with the most impressive things about Anke and Klaus: Anke is a principle in an organization (Kinderschutzbund)that provides family support and tutoring for children of immigrants and poor Germans. Anke was specifically assigned to a Romani (Gypsy) family a couple of years back and had many interesting stories to tell. I cannot think of more timely and forward-looking work, as the assimilation of these children is the best hope for Europe. She is also president of another organization, so is busy in her retirement, for sure. She was a professor of history and German at a gymnasium (high school for the college-bound in Germany) for many years. Her recent advent into painting just blew me away:

Anke's paintings

In addition, she is beautiful – just gorgeous coloring, features and figure, on which her clothes always look so great. She prepared several meals that could have qualified for the finest restaurants: asparagus wrapped in a thin prosciutto-like ham; pumpkin soup with shrimp, pine nuts and pine nut oil – exquisite; and with chef Klaus’ help: bratwurst from the grill with red cabbage. Klaus is active in the kitchen, too.

Klaus is the head of the region for a German bank. This hadn’t been announced yet, but his region had just won “One of the 100 Best places to Work” because his organization is so employee-friendly and has great policies and benefits. Wow. Something for all bankers to aspire to! He was very proud about this (as was I!). Klaus seems to take his hard work in stride, including many weekend events he or they are obligated to attend on behalf of the bank. He is looking forward to retirement, though they recently asked him to stay 3 more years, to which he has committed to two. What I like best about him is his easy, graceful manner, infused with humor and impeccable kindness.

We were able to see one of their two daughters, Britte, along with her new baby, and their son Jan, a college student.

 

Here are Klaus and Britte; Uncle Jan on the right:

Klaus & Britta

Uncle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still crazy

Newton had joined us from Poland for the weekend, but flew back one day ahead of me, as I could not get the same flight on my award ticket.

I had one great shopping day in Hannover before flying back to Natal by way of Frankfurt and Lisbon. I cannot quite describe the shock of landing at the Natal airport after having been immersed in the order and efficiency of Germany. Brazil just seemed starkly outrageous when it took one hour and twenty minutes to leave the airport after landing, due to the lack of logic and organization (worse than usual!). It started with luggage from our crowded flight appearing on two different carousels, neither designated for the flight. Then after a few bags, there was a 20-minute lull where about half of the passengers passed between the two locations with their luggage carts, trying to anticipate which one would receive the balance of the baggage. Then that mess was herded into a single file backed-up customs line, where one man questioned each passenger before exiting. THEN everyone had to get past the hugging families that invariably BLOCK the exit from customs, causing more back-log. It was jolting!

 

Love,

Sandy

Athens 2010 Dispatch

From Rome we flew to Athens. flightMy brief stay in Athens, entertaining myself while Newton met with business partners, was highlighted by the new Parthenon museum. I took a bus and the metro from our hotel on the Adriatic Sea. The museum is down the hill from the actual Parthenon. It is wonderfully conceived and executed, presenting basically a walk around a simulated temple with the original surviving marbles in their original ‘places,’ complete with explanations. I love a museum where one feels like it is possible to see the entirety of the exhibit.

Athens

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

museum

I then traveled by metro to Technopolis, an old industrial part of the city – the former gas works – to see its transformation into a cultural center. There are galleries and restaurants adapted to the structures that existed for the gas works, many with the massive equipment still there!

eggs-Technopolis

Add to this a couple of unforgettable (as always) dinners out with the Athens business partners, and the brief stay was just perfect.

Instead of joining Newton in Poland for business, I headed for Germany.

Love,

Sandy

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Happy 2011

MOON

You smile like the Cheshire Cat at mid-globe mortals,

Fooling, teasing, mimicking our lunacy.

You disappear for nights at a time,

In the shadows, behind the clouds, under the horizon;

Then you mock us moonfaced romantics

With just a thumb smudge on a clear day.

 

Ah, but when you peer over the ocean in full bright gold,

Casting your shimmering net across the water,

We watch you rise in yellow and preside in silver

Over the seascape you have painted with luminescent ink.

 

Moonglow.

 

If nights were always bathed in radiant indigo

We could dance in the courtyard under your spell

And pick our way to the beach at midnight.

On black nights caution reigns, lest we stumble or get lost,

Your elusive face as baffling as your dark side.

 

Perhaps you’ll give us a sliver of silver on the inland side?

Wynken, Blynken and Nod’s boat sailing across the ocean of sky?

Fleeting glances between clouds and buildings,

Phasing in and out?

 

We used to catch such glimpses of Mount Fuji in Japan,

Driving nearby or riding the bullet train past.

Before it vanished - just as suddenly - behind structures and passing landscape,

We were awed by its stunning, breathing solidity

Reaching out to us so palpably.

 

Constant.

 

You astound us, too, and take our breath away,

But your silent revolution counters our longing with caprice;

As you pull and push and play your Blind Man’s Bluff,

We notice that sometimes the beach is wide

And sometimes there’s no beach at all.

                                                 -SN

Greeting 2010Wishing you a golden year,

Sandy, Newton, Elise and Jake

Natal, RN, Brazil

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