The house was surrounded by firefighters and police officers. The neighborhood watched it all from their windows homes. The most curious ones were wearing pajamas and even blankets – with coffee cups in hand, trying to figure out what the problem was in house number 38 on the Chancellor Street. One of the officers was a friend of Mr. Binker, who was one of those curious neighbours.
“To be honest with you, I have no idea of this imbroglio. I just got here, as soon as I can find out some details I will let you know,” said the police officer to snooping Binker, who almost ate his own hands of curiosity, because the house they were speaking about was owned by his neighbour, the chauvinist Battista.
With yellow ribbons tied to trees and cars, isolating the house number 38 for almost a block. In front of the house were the commander of special operations department of the mounted police, the battalion commander of the city fire department, a representative of the Brazilian embassy and a pizza delivery man – they ordered a four-cheese pizza and one Canadian style – with bacon, pineapple and cheese.
The Mounted police had received a phone call from local police about a possible hostage in that house. Battista had his wife, Margarida, as a hostage. Rumors suggested that she had betrayed him and that the ‘Don Juan’ was the husband’s best friend.
There were shouts through the house and the police knew that Battista had a firearm, they just did not know what kind of gun he was holding, police feared he had weapons of high caliber, as he had been trained by the Navy.
A negotiator had arrived to talk to Battista, who was a jackhammer operator. He greeted everyone and went towards the front door of number 38. He knocked on the door, called out Battista … Nothing … He called again for Batttista “Mr. Battista please open the door. Let’s talk, I’m unarmed and I want to know why you are holding your wife hostage …” Battista did not open the door and yelled out to the negotiator, “She have destroyed my life, she stole everything from me, I said if she did that I would end her life!” A hush fell over the place … The negotiator asks one more time to personally talk to Battista, “Please know that you are very nervous, these things happen, you can chat with me, allow your wife to leave, otherwise your situation will get worse Mr . Battista… ” Nothing. The rough Battista cried and screamed at the same time.
While the public outside were watching the negotiator, someone arrived unnoticed, it was Queen, the alleged wife’s lover. One of the neighbors recognized him right away and told the police, who immediately went to ask questions to the ‘sweet’ boy, who explained the situation and swore that the two had not consummated the sexual act, they were just talking about Battista when he came into the room shouting “Traitor! traitor!” and opened his closet where he always kept his Navy relics and pulled a pistol. Queen, terrified at the scene, had ran half-naked through the house.
The same police who interrogated Queen informed the negotiator by radio, but when he passed the information Queen requested him ‘not to hurt’ the tough Battista … The cop looked at the supposed wife’s lover and understood nothing, but sent a message to the negotiator.
Pitbull, as he was known, was informed and asked for Margarida. She replied in a calm voice. According to neighbors, he treated her like a dog. She was almost a nun. Always well dressed, serious she loved her husband, because he respected her, but he always yelled at Margarida, which now seemed too quiet.
Battista began kicking and breaking furniture. The commander of the mounted police kept his eight men around the house on alert. Suddenly there was silence in the house, the door opened and Margarida leaves the house slowly, then well dressed she tells Battista: “Do not be ashamed of what he did, be a man and face who you are. Queen told me everything, if he did it is because he cares about you, do not be childish. Hand your gun and ask forgiveness for this circus in front of my house. ”
Pitbull was in awe, Queen ran by police, embraced Margarida and ran toward his best friend, who said that the beloved had informed his wife that the two were lovers long ago and could not bear to hide from Margarida, who did not care about the sexual choice of husband, since she already knew the sexual needs of Battista, who told Queen ‘I love you’ before putting a bullet in his own head and falling dead in the living room …
Queen fainted, Margarida shook her head and said “I always loved him, but he always fought against his desires.”
Commanders look at each other, the neighbours went back to their homes, Pitbull eat the last piece of four-cheese pizza, Margarida asked for a piece.
One day in the spring of 2010, Michael was patrolling the beaches on the east side of Toronto, his routine was always the same, going through the parking lot near the Boardwalk Cafe, returning from it, walking by the beach to see if there was something wrong there, he also would passed by the close by canoeing school, Michael scanned the public pool keeping his ears plugged to the radio, he knew everything about the area 55.
After checking everything, Michael would always spend time at Tim Hortons to pick up some donuts and a “Coffee tea” as would say his great friend, Joe, a Brazilian from Viçosa city.
Michael was in force for five years, and liked that area, the beach, especially on nights of full moon, because the beach was ‘pretty, pretty,’ said the policeman, who was born in Hamilton, had two children and a loving wife.
He was quiet guy and he loved Toronto Maple Leafs, but unfortunately, like the majority of Leafs fans, he had never seen his team champion -.
Michael was on duty that night and heard something on the radio and confirmed with the central he would check the area.
Down on Queen St. East, near the park that links trade to the beach.
“A huge raccoon came here with a bag hanging on his back!” screamed a 10-ear-old girl of who came running scared off the park in his direction. Michael stopped her and asked if she was attacked, she said no. The little girl said the raccoon was very polite …
“A polite raccoon? What is she talking about? He thought and ran towards the way the girl had appeared, he followed the sidewalk and warned the central. “Raccoon escapes to the beach carrying giant bag with stolen material of coffee place, send sniffer” said the policeman, who was extremely methodical about the information collected.
“A giant Raccoon, how do I say that. I wonder what John will say about this, he will joke about it saying that TV ads on that airline were created based in this masked runaway…”
Suddenly Michael is called on the radio: “Michael respond, this is John, Roger.” Michael thinks the worst. He won’t answer. John called four more times. Michael won’t answer answer, he keeps running.
Michael sees the raccoon getting in a boat, where some other boats rest, it was a party going on there. The raccoon was taken to the island and The perplexed Michael warns by radio that he will follow the suspect. He then jumps into one of the boats leaning on the beach. People at the beach scream at Michael, but he does not listen, he still chasing the animal and his cohort. Michael tells the radio that the suspect’s accomplice saw him but did not stop the boat. The distance between the two boat is short, because Michael is alone.
The outlaws arrive at one of the islands, a party with lots of lighting, John calls Michael again though radio … Michael does not answer its radio and baffles, he was obsessed with this escape. “This thing is running away from me, I will be ridiculed for the rest of my days! ” thinks the cop, he jumps off the boat and chase the raccoon thief.
Michael is the next to the tailed animal and notes other officers at the party, then he screams at them and everyone looks at him. But the raccoon and his cohort do not stop …
Michael was a few steps from the thief, he decides to jump to grab the bad guy. He jumps like a cricket, he grabbed like an octopus, He fell like a keeper and pulled the gun like an hero and was spotted by the ad director as if that take was fantastic.
John was there just watching along with his commander and friends.
Everyone applauded, Michael knew nothing. John hugged him and whispered into his ear: “I tried to warn you about the ad, but the stubborn you would not answer the radio. Fake a smile because everyone thinks you know what is going on here.”
The confused Michael pulls a pair of handcuffs, put them on the two fugitives, bring them to the table where coffee and donuts were served , then he opened the racoon bag . There, the police and the raccoon drank their coffee with donut under the moon light.
You have attended church masses, I suppose. Even though if it was for a baptism or amarriage event. All the Brazilians I met for one reason or another have been inside one, or even a temple, right?
Yeah, but how many have participated in a Afro-Braziliam Mass? Well, I remember something about Masses in Salvador, Bahia.
A friend invited me to attend a church choir at the Glenn Gould Studiowhere The Nathaniel Dett Chorale would be performing. She told me it would be a special presentation and that the choral would be singing Cuban and Brazilian compositions. So I decided to go.
When I got in that room, incredible acoustics, part of the CBC, I realized that half the seats were empty, perhaps because of the rain that threatened to fall. I took the program and I was surprised with the image of Christ the Redeemer in Rio on the cover, exactly. On the cover of the program was an image of Christ, right away I open to know what kind of music would be presented by the choral. Missa Afro-Brazilian was the answer. To me It was a completely unknown composition, the composition of Carlos Alberto Pinto Fonseca, which was never recorded, according to founder and artistic director of The Nathaniel Dett Chorale, Brainerd Blyden-Taylor, the Mass was never recorded by its creator.
The first part of the program charmed me with the 24 members of the choir singing works with Latin rhythm leaded by his conductor. The second part is almost completely the Afro-Brazilian Mass, which reminded me of years of Salesian High School, when I attended their choir for a short period of time. I also remembered some of my childhood music because the composer of the Mass used elements of Brazilian popular music to spice up his work.
Inset: the Mass is sung in Portuguese by foreigners, which makes the event even more exciting.
The 12th and final season in 2011 the choir presents a program featuring Latin theme of renewal, hope and light, singing songs of American Adolphus Hailstorks, Cuban Silvio Rodriguez and Brazilian Carlos Alberto Pinto Fonseca.
And Still We Sing The … Esperanza y lug will have its last presentation in 2011 Saturday, November 28, at Glenn Gould Studio.
Maria was a lovely and sweet person. Brunette, tall and charming, I would say coyly. She had recently arrived in Toronto and was already thinking of getting married. Her friends were already saying “Maria, don’t be a fool, marry anyone. This will make your life easier” said Amarilda, her recent roommate. Her idea was to stay here a while and then return to Porto Alegre, but also as wine becomes vinegar, things change.
Almost a year after she arrived in Toronto and refusing partners and peers, she also faced something she never imagined: another woman flirting with her, and in a foreign land. She got used to it as time went by. She refused to date anyone, she believed in love at first sight.
The ‘porto alegrense’ girl did not like ‘the bullshit’ about arranged marriage or even the idea of it. Some colleagues commented they had already received proposals for marriage, but did not say whether they accepted or not. Others commented that they could even pay for that, for them the immigration process was laborious, time consuming, and because they had arrived in the country long ago and had their visa expired, her marriage to a Canadian citizen could be more feasible, in their view this would be their salvation, but her tourist visa was in good stand that day, she would have months to enjoy before she had to worry about ‘these legal issues,’ she said.
Maria did not want to be saved, she was happy. She was flabbergasted with so polite people, which even apologizes for being alive, something unusual for Brazilians.
Seasons passed, her visa expired…
Amarilda had already given up on persuading her to get married, she had married a Portuguese-Canadian from Azores, and she was in peace with herself. The Luso-Canadian treated her like a queen, a goddess. But she, by contrast, treated him as any one, and he loved it. He was a bricklayer, he received a good salary every two weeks and she was his administrator, she was well, but had gained a few pounds, but did not care. Time and again traveled to Europe to enjoy themselves. The two watched the soap operas together, a true family portrait.
Meanwhile time passed to Maria, who felt increasingly cornered, scared. She heard that the immigration department could send her back to Brazil if she was caught without documentation, or the Canadian driver’s license. She begun to fear public places. At home she was afraid of even the postman, because she lived in a house with more immigrants, some of them also with their expired visa.
Years passed. Maria distraught, she worked like crazy keeping some of her earnings for the future but also to ‘buy’ their marriage because she was feeling older, for her stubbornness and feel left out. Her eyes no longer sparkled, her charm was covered by a crust of immense resentment. Her sweetness soured as she could not understand how people could love, or how they could believe in love at first sight.
She was not loved, 10 years had passed since she arrived to Canada. Maria decided to return to Brazil, she left scarce friends, her room, and took a few things. At the arrival she hugged her mother and father, who have not recognized her. She became bitter.
It was a ‘kick and stab’, which she heard her mother’s comment, she said it was the place to tramp, rogues and unloved women. It was the ‘Bar Paraíso’. She went there, trying to find a loathsome, drunk man, one of them saw her and said “Wow, my princess, beauty, how you came to this Hellraiser? I want to save you and take you to my palace.” She accepted, and they went to his palace, where she loved at first sight.
Music, poetry, and a similar colonial past brought the Brazilian Leopoldo Varadela and Indian Jasmine D’Costa to the Supermarket Art Bar to present Indian Voices, and Hearts & Souls.
Indian voices was written by several Indian writers from Toronto and abroad, Hearts & Souls was written by Leopoldo Paradela. Both books were crafted by Jasmine’s Trade Architets company.
The event was held at The Supermarket Art Bar in Toronto, on April 7th.
In Canada, Liberals were always a powerhouse. No doubt about it. Liberals were supreme was from 1993 to 2006. Balanced budget, no political scandals until Jean Chretien, former Prime Minister, was involved with what became known as the Sponsorship program was established and operated by the Liberals to help develop business in Quebec. But the plan didn’t work well. Suddenly the Liberal government was very involved with the scheme, which was millions were given to Ad companies in Quebec, favouring groups that supported that party in French Canada.
The government spent abut $14 million to investigate the case, and the Liberals downhill started. Right after the mess done by the Liberals, The Conservatives got out of the box and won the seat for election. Stephen Harper got control of the house, he was always with his RP’s, communication specialists and so. After 5 years in power, two elections done, Conservatives got stronger, but new scandals arose from.
But the Conservatives learned with them. The Cons hired the communications group that used to work for the Liberals, which have been working hard to keep journalists noses out of Ottawa, which now will have a majority Conservative government and a new opposition party, the NDP, or the third way.
Will it improve the situation of corporations, financial business, traditional family values? Probably.
What about everybody else? We will know soon, because NDP has to prove its value as opposition leader.
The federal elections presented a geographical political map that took everybody by surprise, old casted politicians lost their seat and the new generation is in, together with more than 50 elected woman representing NDP.
It will be blue, but the third and orange wave is there changing Ottawa’s water taste
Hello internet surfers, We, Felipe Scarpelli and I, Sandro Miranda, will be talking about one year of PanTV’s existence. Does it sound interesting? Guess what, lots of talking about how we did, why and when it was started. We’ll have some fun doing it and sharing a little knowledge about what is around us. Check the more detailed info and address below.
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Brazilian Studies Seminar Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLAC) York University Presents Sandro Miranda and Felipe Scarpelli on February 04th 2009 Title of proposed talk: “Celebrating and reflecting on the first anniversary of Pan TV” Created in 2008 by a group of professionals from various areas, including journalism, photography, music, radio and television, the PanTV team approaches daily issues in a different and innovative way of education and entertainment. PanTV’s mission is to promote the integration between the English and Portuguese-speaking population in Canada through an online video/TV channel. For the Portuguese speakers, it presents Canada in a way many viewers have never seen, while bringing information about Brazil and other Portuguese-speaking countries to our English-speaking public. Director and host of PanTv’s Panzine, Sandro Miranda and director and host of PanTv’s Panorama, Felipe Scarpelli will be sharing their thoughts and insights about the challenges they faced throughout its first year of production. Furthermore, they will elaborate on the content and the style of PanTV’s webcast programs that deal with relevant topics involving Canada and Brazil. We encourage participants to visit PanTV’s website prior to Sandro’s and Felipe’s talk, to stimulate discussion and feedback: www.pantv.ca . About Sandro Miranda: In Toronto, Brazilian born Sandro Miranda has been deeply involved with the Brazilian community and has been working as a journalist, musician, photographer and interpreter. Back in Brazil, he worked as a journalist and photographer reporter. He graduated in Social Communication and Journalism at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Campinas (PUC) and started his carrier in Sumare, Sao Paulo, in 1995. He worked as freelancer in many different publishers in Campinas region and contributed for many local journalistic articles for magazines and tabloids. Singer and author of lyrics for the Torontonian bands Samba Porrada and Monstro, Sandro has been showing his talent in many cultural events in the city, including the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) and Brazil Fest. Member of the Canadian Association of Journalists, he currently works as a freelance photojournalist for many newspapers and magazines and as an event photographer for the Torontonian private companies and the midia: www.tupiphoto.com and for the last year he has also been the director of the video webcast program Panzine –Pantv: www.pantv.ca/panzine_en.html About Felipe Scarpelli: Brazilian Italian Canadian music producer, graduated with honours from Metalworks Institute of Sound and Music Production, member of the Audio Engineering Society and The National Academy of Arts & Sciences. Felipe graduated with great recording, mixing, audio engineering, production, and musical theory experience. In addition, he is knowledgeable in post-production and audio design for film, games, mobile devices, radio and television. Felipe is also a multimedia producer graduated with honours from Digital Media Technical Production at Seneca College, has studied and worked with radio and television broadcasting in Brazil, and has experience with web/graphic design, image and video editing, multimedia authoring, software and web development, and technical support. For the last year he has also been the director and host of the video webcast program Panorama – Pantv: http://www.pantv.ca/panorama_en.html
