More Waterfalls

I am on a blogging role. Mostly because I have A LOT of free time. Today I actually started my research, but I still have lots of time that I find myself needed to fill. This is going to be a very reflective experience.

Today I started my research. My advisor, Gledson, got back last night. Today he took me on a walk around the town telling me the history of the surrounding quilombos and this gold town. The town was founded when the Portuguese wanted to find more gold after most of the gold in Minas Gerais (a neighboring state) was gone. When the Portuguese arrived, there were already some quilombos set up. I'm not going to go into the whole history of the city, but interestingly, apparently it was the 1st planned town in Brazil, and because it also had a lot of money because of the gold, they were able to plan it well, which is why it has such wide streets and lots of plazas and gardens.

After seeing a lot of different parts of the town, including the two social clubs (until the 1970s, one was exclusively white, and the other was black) we went on a walk to a damn that was constructed around the 1980s, that has almost completely displaced one of the quilombo communities, Riacho dos Pedros. The government built this dam bring water to a different city, told the people in the quilombo that it wouldn't displace their land, but then eventually they had to abandon their houses, animals, and fertile land, and now it is almost completely under water. Another student, in 2005, did her ISP on the impact of this dam on the life of the community.

After a nice walk, then another visit to the cachoeira (waterfall), we had lunch then really started my research. We went around the town to find the senhoras, older women, who are most active in samba. Many of them are originally from the quilombos, and many lived in Riacha dos Pedros and were displaced. A lot of them weren't home, but I was able to schedule an interview with one for tomorrow, which I'm really excited about.

I feel like maybe I should be more nervous that I haven't really started my research, but I'm having such a nice time. And I feel like once I talk to one person, things will get rolling. At least that's what I'm hoping.

In addition to my research, I told Gledson I had 3 other goals.
1) Ride horses
2) train in Capoeira
3) go to a forro- a northeastern dance that is at the center of the June festivals which are coming up.

He said all these things could happen, so I just have to make sure that my research also happens!!

Beijos!