Portuguese lessons from the Ala dos Devotos

Even though I can't be in Rio, I'm apparently still on some of my old Rio email lists! I've been peppered recently with emails from various of my blocos and escolas, especially from my beloved Ala dos Devotos of Império Serrano, an ala (parade section) of especially die-hard devoted Império fans that I was lucky to parade with a few years ago.

My sambista friends are accustomed to looking down on people who "just" parade in an ala rather than parading with the bateria. Well, the Devotos changed my mind about that. The Ala dos Devotos is a "closed" ala, meaning tourists can't get in. (You have to be a friend of someone in the ala - thanks Olivia!).

It really feels different in a closed ala - you really feel the passion. What it really came down was: NO SLACKING, and you had BETTER have the entire song memorized, or god save you from the wrath of the ala director.

The Devotos take special pride in being the ala that singest the loudest, jumps the highest, knows the most words, has the most people show up for the earliest rehearsals, and generally is the most insane. I used to think that was all a bit of an exaggeration - surely every ala thinks it's the best ala? But then I heard through other, unbiased grapevines that the Devotos really do always sing loudest, and almost always have the most people at Império's Sambodromo rehearsals. (Everybody shows up for the Carnaval parade itself. But the mark of a dedicated ala is if they show up for the earlier rehearsals too.) Parading with the Devotos unprepared is like finding yourself at a Super Bowl game and suddenly realizing that the bunch of friends you're sitting with are not just any old fans, but COMPLETE FANATICS who are completely covered in body paint in the team's colors and are screaming at the top of their lungs nonstop for four hours. And they've brought extra body paint for you!

Maybe it's not quite like being in the bateria, but it's definitely a rush.

Anyway - I really love Vitor's emails, partly because they make me feel connected, and partly because they're such great Portuguese lessons! I pick up a new Portuguese colloquialism from him with practically every email. For anyone who wants a little practice at Portuguese, here are 3 recent emails that I think of as the Costume Size Lessons. Translations at the end. Later I'll post Vitor's long email of instructions for Friday's Sambodromo rehearsal, which has some interesting insights into the way the parades are judged. (all emails reposted with Vitor's permission)


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LESSON 1 - SIZES

[Email from Vitor: ]

Encerrando a etapa de incrições, agora vamos pegar as medidas de todo
mundo.

Todos precisam me escrever passando as suas medidas.

Todos mesmo, incluindo os mais antigos porque eu perdi tudo com o roubo do meu micro no inicio desse ano.

O único que não precisa me mandar é o Marcos D. Ele foi o último a entrar na ala!!! Pois é, os últimos serão os primeiros porque ele foi o primeiro a me mandar as medidas.....rs

Nesse ano vamos precisar de :

1- Número de calçado (é uma sandália aberta, por isso sugiro pedir o
número certo)
2- Altura
3- Cintura
4- Tamanho (P, M, G ou GG)


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LESSON 2. PRECISO DAS MEDIDAS!!!

[2 weeks later]

Olá gente amiga,

Tenho um monte de fotos pra compartilhar com vocês, mas antes tenho alguns lembretes.

1- Ainda estou aguardando os pagamentos de dezembro de algumas pessoas, ok?

2- Preciso das medidas gente!!! Muita gente ainda está faltando!!! Altura,
calçado, tamanho (P, M, G ou GG) e cintura. Tem muita gente confusa com lance de cintura. É simples gente: é uma medida aproximada para o ajuste do cinto. O cinto vem com elástico e cordão, ou seja, tem uma margem de manobra de uns 30 centímetros. Eu só tô pedindo as medidas de vocês para o cinto não ficar grande demais ou pequeno demais, é uma ajuste bem grosseiro. O ajuste fino quem vai dar são vocês com os cadaços e elásticos.


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LESSON 3: ME MANDEM LOGO AS MEDIDAS!!!!!!!!!

[one week later]

Queridéééézimosssss!!!

Por favor, me mandem logo as medidas de vocês!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lembrando que a medida da cintura não precisa ser exata. É só uma idéia pro cinto não ficar grande ou pequeno demais.

Segue a segunda e última remessa de fotos do ensaiso técnico de dezembro. Ainda não consigo identificar todos nas fotos, principalmente os novatos. Fiquem à vontade para me escrever e mostrá-los na fotos!!! Assim eu posso aprender melhor!! Quem quiser cópias em tamanho grande, me peça em pvt.

abraços a todos

vitor

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TRANSLATION: LESSON 1
We're ending the inscription time [time for signing up] and now we need to get everybody's sizes.

Everybody needs to write me, giving me their sizes.

Really everybody, even the oldest [members of the ala], because I lost everything with the theft of my computer at the beginning of this year.

The only person who doesn't need to send me [the sizes] is Marcos D. He was the last to enter the ala! So, the last shall be first because he was first to send me sizes.... lol ("rs" = short for "risada", laugh)

This year we will need:
1 - Shoe size (it's an open sandal, so I suggest that you ask for the correct size) [in some situations ala directors advise you order a size larger or smaller than your usual size - KH]
2 - Height
3 - Waist
4 - Size (S, M, L or XL)


LESSON 2

Hi friends,
I have a pile of photos to share with you all, but first I have some reminders.

1 - I'm still waiting for December's payments from some people, ok?

2- I need those sizes people!!! Many people still haven't sent them in! [still are "lacking"] Height, shoe, size (S, M, L or XL) and waist. There are a lot of people who are confused about the waist thing. ["lance" = informally the deal, the situation, the thing]. It's simple, folks: it's a rough measurement for adjusting the belt. The belt comes with elastic and lace(?), that is, there's maneuvering room of about 30 centimeters. I'm only asking your sizes so that the belt won't be too big or too small, and it's a very rough measurement. The fine adjustment will be made by yourselves with the elastic.



LESSON 3
Very dear people!!!!!!!!!!

Please, send me your sizes soon!!!!!!!!!!!

Remember that the measurement of the waist doesn't have to be exact. It's just (to give me) an idea so that the belt won't be too large or too small.

What follows is the second batch of photos from the technical rehearsal in December. I still haven't managed to identify everybody in the photos, especially the new people. Feel free to write me to point out (the new people) in the photo!!! That way I'll learn them better!! Anybody who wants larger copies, ask me privately.

hugs to everyone

vitor