Weekends spend in Recreio with The Fabres, my brazilian bonus family.

One of my favorite views from the rooftop of Nair and Ezio's house. This house is the home of Nair, Ezio, Isis, Jade and Radhe.

Endnu et efternavn, og noget om frygtelige busture

Det der med når føler sig som en del af en familie langt væk hjemme fra, langt fra biologisk beslægtet blod. Når ”ude” endelig kan føles som "hjemme”.  Jeg tror jeg er nået til dét sted, til dén følelse..

Jeg har stille og roligt fået tillagt mig et bonusefternavn, Fabres. Dette navn tilhører en stor familie (jeg har ikke styr på det totale antal af medlemmer, men vi bevæger os op over 20), som bor i samme gade i det yderste af Recreio, 8W.

Fra min lejlighed i Copacabana/Arpoador er der 35 km, og små 2 timer i bus, for at komme frem. Hvilket godt kan være en dræber i 40 graders varme og ingen air-con. Eller det lige så pinefulde scenarie, hvor der er for meget air-con. Brasilianerne går ikke ind for den gyldne mellem ting, det er enten så man frygter for ens svedende korpus smelter væk eller den totale nedfrysning med blå læber og klaprende tænder. 
Anyway, når helveds busturen er overstået (ej men jeg kan ikke vende mig til det, savner min cykel!) er jeg til gengæld henlagt til fred og rolige omgivelser og dét er hele turen værd! I Recreio er der mango-, lime- og avokadotræer, man er iført havaianas dagen lang, og bør altid have en bikini ved hånden.  

Mødet med familien Fabres, mere specifikt: Isis Fabres 

Mit kendskab til familien Fabres stammer tilbage til 2008, hvor jeg for første gang mødte dele af troppen. I år 2008 tilbragte jeg en måneds tid i Rio med to yndlings veninder, Katharina og Lisa. Vi fyldte dagene med capoeira, sucos og strand, og nætterne med tæt forró (pardans), caipirinhas og søde brasilianske flirts. Kulturudveksling mellem tre lyshårede danske piger og den brasilianske charme. En uforglemmelig tid. Lige så uforglemmeligt var det første gang, Katharina tog Lisa og jeg med til Recreio for at møde hendes veninde Isis Fabres, som er den ældste datter af parret Nair og Ezio Fabres. Jeg husker hende klart; Isis var pisse hamrende sej, med det her store, mørke, krøllede hår, hvide tandsmil og så var hun så ustyrlig smuk uden at behøve at gøre sig umage. Ikke nok med det, så har Isis to yngre søstre, Jade og Radhe, som fortjener akkurat samme blomstrende beskrivelse. I ved, tre piger der lever op til ærkeforestillingen om en brasiliansk skønhed.
Isis gav os surfing undervisning, den første af sin slags for mit vedkommende. Vi blev inviteret indenfor hos Isis' familie, hvor vi udelukkende blev mødt af varme, hjemmelavet mad og gode intentioner. 

This  house will very soon be home to one more Fabres! Radhe and Nair having a moment I'm happy I witnessed. 

Adskillelse, men uforandret gæstfrihed

Isis besøgte mig siden i Danmark, (måske var det året efter?), hun var med en dag på Næstved Gymnasium og lærte min skøre, skønne familie at kende. Vi blev rigtig gode venner. Hvad der piner mig, i denne ellers søde fortælling, er at jeg ikke har set hende siden... Hvilket må tælle små 5 år? Dette er den triste side ved at tage udenlands og give sig hen til relationer. På et tidspunkt må man undvære en fysisk tilstedeværelse længe før der igen sker en genforenelse, og én dag  ses man måske for sidste gang (kunne være et emne jeg skulle vende tilbage og skrive mere om...).
Isis var udenlands da jeg igen vendte snuden mod Brasilien i 2012, og ej heller i dette øjeblik er Isis i Rio, da hun nu har bosat sig i Californien med sin kærlighed. Det er næsten tragikomisk at dette er tilfældet, men det er, hvad det er, og en dag mødes vi igen. Det er jeg sikker på.
I mellemtiden er jeg blevet taget imod med kærlighed og åbne arme af Isis' smukke, levende, gæstfrie, kloge, varme familie i Recreio. Dette gælder hvert eneste familiemedlem. Af og til bliver jeg forvirret og uden ord, eller opfører mig klodset, fordi jeg er så velkommen at jeg nærmest smider omkring mig med sko og tasker (alle former for rod), som jeg ville gøre det hjemme i Myrup. Hver eneste dag grubler jeg over, hvordan jeg mon kan gøre en gestus, der kan demonstrer hvor taknemmelig og hvor stor en rolle familien spiller for mig, i sær i denne tid hvor jeg er langt hjemme fra noget der minder om min egen biologiske familie og venner. 

Dette er blot det første indlæg der viser et udsnit af nogle stunder fra Recreio, mange flere vil følge og ligeså vil beskrivelserne. Jeg må jo forsøge at starte et sted. Det har været svært at vide hvor jeg skulle starte, i en fortælling der i virkeligheden kan gøres meget lang. Disse billeder er forsinket 2 måneder, da de er skudt i starten af september til churrasco(grill) i anledningen af Fars dag (mærkedage er noget man går op i hernede, og så griber man iøvrigt hver eneste mulighed for at lave churrasco).

This is also where I sleep when I stay overnight. It's the bests nights of sleep I have.

The most loving Giovani, Isis' cousin and Isis' daddy-o, Ezio. Whom I actually rarely understand because he is making jokes with me, in every other sentence that comes out of his mouth. It's ridiculous..

Giovani's dad, here being the churrasco master. It's indescribable how good the meat is at churrasco's, and all they do is to cover the meat with loads of coarse salt when grilling. 

It sounds stupid, but the salad here is something else. Something so much better than what you can buy for bags of gold in Zona sul (Copacabana, ipanema, leblon etc.). It's fresh and makes my tummy happy. 

Especially when adding, sun riped juicy mango pieces.

 I made a promise to myself: I will eat mango everyday from now on. It's almost better than kisses.

Nair and Ezio. Incredible humanbeings I wish to get to know even better. 

Please don't mind my sad pale danish skin and my tired, sickness face. I was really happy in between those two's embrace.

Radhe and the always lovely Isla, Isis' cousin. This girl is nothing less but amazing!

An upgraded version of a churrasco plate. 

The typical churrasco is all about meat, feijao (black beans), and then beer and coca cola to help the digestion.. errhem.. 

Giovani's mama, Jocilene, Fabio who's is an awesome english teacher and musician, me and my beloved lil'sis Radhe. 

English recap//

One more lastname and awful busrides

That moment when you become part of a family far away from home, far from consanguineous blood relatives. When "out" finally feels like "home". I think I got there, to that special feeling... Slowly I got a bonus surname, Fabres.  This name belongs to a great family (I'm not sure about the total number, but it's above 20), who lives in the same street in Recreio, 8w. It takes 35 km and around 2 hours with bus to get from my flat to Recreio... Which can be a killer.
Seriosly, the Brazilians are horrible at regulating their aircons. I mean it when I say it's either with fear for yourself and your corpos not melting away or blue lips and your blods getting frozen over because of the degrees they put on in the busses. Brazilians tend to exaggerate in most aspects in life (let's get back on that another time).

Anyway, if you survive the ride, what's ahead of you, is all worth the bus suffering! Because in Recreio there are mango-, lime- and avocado trees (no at ones), you are allowed to wear havaianas all day long, and you should always be prepare for beach hanging.

The first meeting with The Fabres, more specific: Isis Fabres

My first meeting with the family Fabres, happend back in 2008. 
This year I spend a month in Rio, together with two fave girls, Katharina and Lisa. Our days were filled with capoeira, sucos and beach and the nights with forró (couple dance), caipirinhas and cute brazilian flirts. A culture exchange between three blond danish girls and the Brazilian charm. An unforgettable time. Just as unforgettable were the first time, Katharina brought us to Recreio to meet her friend Isis Fabres, who is the oldest daughter of Nair and Ezio Fabres.

I remember her clearly: Isis was freakin cool, with this big, dark, curly hair, white smile and then she was så beautiful, without even having to work for it. It doesn't have to stop here, because this girl of course have two younger sister, who deserves the exact same description. You know, tre girls that are the perfect stereotypic picture of a brazilian beauty. Isis gave us surfing classes, my first. Isis family invited us inside, where we were treated with warmth, homecooked food and only good intentions.   

Isis visited me in Denmark the following year, went with me to high school and got to know my lovely and crazy family. We became close friends.
what hurts my heart, in this story, is that I haven't seen her since back then.... Must be 5 years? This is the sad sideeffect of going abroad and give into heartfel relations. At some point you have to be without the psysical presence for a long time until a reunion, and one day it will be the last time it may be the last time seeing each other... (maybe a subject I will get back to at some point..).

Absence, but they haven't become less welcoming

Isis where again abroad when I in 2012 again was on brazilian ground, which also counts for this very moment Isis, because she now lives i California with her love. It's almost tragic comic, but it is what it is and I believe that we'll meet one day again. Meanwhile I have been received with open arms and such love by Isis's beautiful, alive, hospitable, wise, heartwarm family in Recreio. Each and every family member.

Some times I getting confused, without words or clumpsy,  because I'm treated with such welcoming gestures, I catch myself throwing around with shoes and bags (all kind of mess I could possibly make), like I would do it at home in Myrup. Every day I'm buggling with my mind over the possibilities of showing a gesture, who would ever reflect my gratitute and the big importance this family has to me. Especially in a time where I'm far from my danish home and consanguineous blood relatives. 

This was one out of many intries that shows moments from Recreio. I got to try and start somewhere. It's hard to know where to start in a story which actually could be very extended. So it's gonna be in etapes.
These picture are delayed around 2 months, thus they're shot in the beginning of Recreio at a churrasco (barbecue/grill) because of farthers day (whenever a possibility of making churrasco appears, you take it). 

  ;) 

xx Alona