Time elastic

Attended my first capoeira class at Marrom’s academy last night. Actually making it was an achievement in itself. The day before yesterday I’d been told that classes took place at 5pm. So I duly turned up there yesterday at the foot of Ladeira Ary Barroso in Leme with a friend from the Institute in London, Luke (he’s doing some interesting work here for his dissertation, but that’s for another post).

But would you believe it, there was no class. At least not until 5.30pm. Slowly, as various students came into the sports centre it became apprent they weren’t from Marrom’s class, but from another mestre, Peixinho, who also uses the space. Only then did someone explain to us that there were two groups and they each had different starting times. Marrom, I was now informed, wouldstart his class at 7. So Luke and I went off to find something to eat before returning.

This time Marrom was there, wearing his Greek football shirt that he was given by one of the students in London last month. You could be forgiven for thinkng he hadn’t taken it off in that time. But besides Marrom and a student of his, there was nobody else around. Ah, he said, that’s because we start at 8.

Sothere you have it: ask four or five Brazilians for information and you get seven or eight conflicting answers. That said, the class was a good one and I know for certain when Marrom’s class on Thursday is directly from the man himself. No, not at 8pm, but this time at 7pm!

I’m sure there’s a logic somewhere here but I can’t quite see it yet.