February 17, 2007

Carnaval Time

The past weeks have been so hectic--meeting new students, matching them with prospective churches, planning and executing puppet practices, etc--that Carnaval time literally took me by surprise. The retreat I was scheduled to speak at in São Luís was canceled, and I just have not been thinking about it.

Suddenly, it is Saturday. The noise-makers can be heard outside. The whole country is preparing to cair na folia--roughly translated: temporarily remove all moral restraints and give themselves completely over to the flesh.

As happens every year, Carnaval will be accompanied by a brutal crime wave, a fresh outbreak of venereal diseases (the government's answer to this is to make condoms freely available to all), and an obscene number of fatal, alcohol-related accidents.

Some party.

Posted by Andrew on February 17, 2007 7:45 AM.