June 29, 2013: Arria do Cerrado, 80 Years of Goiania

Happy Birthday Socorro!!!

After finishing the gardening today, which included encountering an enormous, practically-tarantula spider, the nuns and I went to one final Festa Junina at the nuns' friends' house to celebrate another birthday, that of Socorro, a dear friend of theirs. It was great and we all had a wonderful time talking and reminiscing. I learned a lot about the nuns and about Socorro! After the party, Socorro, Sister Jeane and I went to the 80th birthday party of the city of Goiania that has been occurring this week. The party is called Arria do Cerrado. We watched some traditional dancing of Brazil that happens at Festa Juninas and then we watched a concert of an African-Brazilian singer from the Northeast of Brazil. He sang a lot of songs about race and racial equality along with many songs about Africa. One song was a tribute to Nelson Mandela. This is a prevalent theme for this singer because the history of his birthplace in the Northeast is embedded with the African slave trade to Brazil. Again, we did not return until nearly 1:00 AM! I think these nuns are younger than I am sometimes!

Socorro and I at the concert

Sister Jeane and I at the concert

We really had a great view of the stage! I look a little pink after working in the gardens today...

The lighting was pretty cool for this concert.