I sat down last night after experiencing this show at the Recoleta Cultural Center, just blocks away from my house. As I thought about the event I just saw, millions of thoughts raced through my head, but I truly could not spit them out on paper. This show is the epitome of indescribable.
A couple of weeks ago, a few of my co-workers recommended this show called "Fuerza Bruta," all claiming that they have gone multiple times and it is unreal. I thought their lack of description was due to the language barrier, but now I know that there are truly no words for this amazing event.
After doing some research about the show, I found that little is said. It was all started by Argentine Diqui James (who also founded a similar show, De La Guarda), with Pichon Baldinu and it has now been carried out for more than 7 years.
James was born and raised in Argentina as an actor, director and creator of three successful companies, but he was constantly searching for the return of theatre in its most primitive origin: "that it is universal for all."
Each show is staged around the standing audience and put into action using the large and diverse scenic and mechanical devices.
Here are a few bloggers' reviews I found, for lack of better words on my own:
"You really can't describe Fuerzabruta, you have to experience it for yourself. And oh man, what an experience it is."
"This isn't experiencing theatre.
It's a theatrical experience."
"The long and the short: A mass of people, standing in a dark room, while incredible combination of acrobatics, aerialists, swimming, dancing, music, group interaction, lights and sound SURROUND you."
"A truly communal and tribal evening. Leave your expectations at the door and go in ready to embrace FEELING and SEEING things you never could have imagined. It's dreamlike. It's transportive."
Still not convinced? Check out the video of MY experience below:
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Feels Like Home
After the Mendoza trip, you would think I would be ready to wind down a bit. However, I excitedly waited the arrival of my friend, Brittany. Her Dad is a pilot, which makes traveling internationally a bit easier and we have been talking for months about her visit. Finally, it was time for her arrival!
Since she flies stand-by, her arrival was post-poned until Wednesday, which worked out for me, as I was stressing about the test I had on Tuesday and still working all week at the internship. I greeted her Wednesday morning, although I was off to my internship for the afternoon. That night, I made an effort to be a better hostess and took her to one of our favorite places in town, only to find out that they serve wings. HOT wings. Spice and fire is something we have missed being down here in South America, and this was the closest thing we found to tasting like home. Obviously, we indulged.
The next day we had a similar routine, but later that night we ended up at Crobar, which happened to have live music that night. It was packed and we got to see an awesome show, despite the wall-to-wall people.
That Friday marked Argentina’s Independence Day, so luckily I was off work for the afternoon. I took advantage of this and showed Brittany some sites around town. Our first stop? The Japanese Gardens; a place I had not seen yet. We met up with some fellow group members and headed over for the afternoon. We looked around at all the pretty landscaping surrounding a cute pond and Japanese-inspired bridges and other sites, but one thing did not seem right. Why was the entire park filled with Argentines dressed in crazy costumes? Hats, jackets, fangs, blue hair, chains, wings, you name it-they were wearing it. After following through the park and hitting up the restaurant in back, we were shown to a convention. An anime convention—I should have known.
After escaping the cartoon characters, we wandered over to Plaza Fancia to look around the market and grab a cheap bite to eat. Brittany was able to find a cute new bracelet and fake TOMS shoes (the same ones we all have purchased!). We were right next to the famous cemetery where Eva Perón is buried, so of course, we headed in for a free look around. After snapping pictures there, we decided to head over to see La Flor in the nighttime. However, when we went to leave the fair, Brittany realized her camera was missing. After living here for about two months, my fears of pick-pocketers has dropped, but I was quickly reminded that you can never be too careful. This was a huge eye-opener and an even bigger bummer for Brittany’s trip.
However, she didn’t let it ruin her time here and after looking long and hard and asking around in Spanish like fools, we proceeded to La Flor. It was beautifully lit up, however still not functioning properly. It is supposed to open at sunrise and close its petals at sunset, but all summer, it has remained open. Still an unbelievable site to see.
The next day we woke up a bit late and decided to head over to the other side of town to show Brittany around. Our first stop was the Casa Rosada, the equivalent to the White House at home. They offer free tours everyday, so after a check through our bags, we were in within a few minutes—not quite the security we are used to at home.
We had free reign of the bottom floor and even got a picture with a guard. After waiting in a short line, we were taken on the tour of the entire House. It was incredible to see where the Argentine President works everyday and it was even more unbelievable knowing that we got to see so much of it. How does she ever sneak in and out of there with all these people around?
After the tour, we grabbed some grub and walked around the centro a bit, near where I work. It was dead due to the Uruguay vs. Germany that was currently playing on every TV, so we made our way over to Puerto Madero. I showed Brittany where the Mizzou office is located and she really enjoyed the port of the Río de la Plata. It was perfect timing to see the sun setting right over the water as we were crossing the “Woman’s Bridge.”
Sunday was the World Cup championship, so we all headed over to the boys’ apartment for a watch party. After going into overtime, I was a bit nervous (I wanted Netherlands to win in order to help my bracket scores). However, in the end I watched Spain take the title. After the game, it was getting dark, so we headed back home (and took a detour through Plaza Francia, where Brittany found an amazing leather purse!). That night a few of us went out for an incredible steak dinner. Where else can you find endless amounts of bread, a small empanada, water, champagne, a steak the size of your head, French fries, and a huge scoop of ice cream for 20 American dollars? I love this country!
The next day, we headed to the US Embassy for a class visit and then I had to work for the afternoon. Once I got home, we researched some places to go and we were off to a place called La Puerta Roja for some dinner and drinks. A hostel group came through and we followed them through town meeting many characters along the way and ensuring a memorable night.
The week was a blast and it was nice having a little taste from home by getting to see Brittany. The countdown begins as I am approaching my final month here. Where does the time go?
Since she flies stand-by, her arrival was post-poned until Wednesday, which worked out for me, as I was stressing about the test I had on Tuesday and still working all week at the internship. I greeted her Wednesday morning, although I was off to my internship for the afternoon. That night, I made an effort to be a better hostess and took her to one of our favorite places in town, only to find out that they serve wings. HOT wings. Spice and fire is something we have missed being down here in South America, and this was the closest thing we found to tasting like home. Obviously, we indulged.
The next day we had a similar routine, but later that night we ended up at Crobar, which happened to have live music that night. It was packed and we got to see an awesome show, despite the wall-to-wall people.
That Friday marked Argentina’s Independence Day, so luckily I was off work for the afternoon. I took advantage of this and showed Brittany some sites around town. Our first stop? The Japanese Gardens; a place I had not seen yet. We met up with some fellow group members and headed over for the afternoon. We looked around at all the pretty landscaping surrounding a cute pond and Japanese-inspired bridges and other sites, but one thing did not seem right. Why was the entire park filled with Argentines dressed in crazy costumes? Hats, jackets, fangs, blue hair, chains, wings, you name it-they were wearing it. After following through the park and hitting up the restaurant in back, we were shown to a convention. An anime convention—I should have known.
After escaping the cartoon characters, we wandered over to Plaza Fancia to look around the market and grab a cheap bite to eat. Brittany was able to find a cute new bracelet and fake TOMS shoes (the same ones we all have purchased!). We were right next to the famous cemetery where Eva Perón is buried, so of course, we headed in for a free look around. After snapping pictures there, we decided to head over to see La Flor in the nighttime. However, when we went to leave the fair, Brittany realized her camera was missing. After living here for about two months, my fears of pick-pocketers has dropped, but I was quickly reminded that you can never be too careful. This was a huge eye-opener and an even bigger bummer for Brittany’s trip.
However, she didn’t let it ruin her time here and after looking long and hard and asking around in Spanish like fools, we proceeded to La Flor. It was beautifully lit up, however still not functioning properly. It is supposed to open at sunrise and close its petals at sunset, but all summer, it has remained open. Still an unbelievable site to see.
The next day we woke up a bit late and decided to head over to the other side of town to show Brittany around. Our first stop was the Casa Rosada, the equivalent to the White House at home. They offer free tours everyday, so after a check through our bags, we were in within a few minutes—not quite the security we are used to at home.
We had free reign of the bottom floor and even got a picture with a guard. After waiting in a short line, we were taken on the tour of the entire House. It was incredible to see where the Argentine President works everyday and it was even more unbelievable knowing that we got to see so much of it. How does she ever sneak in and out of there with all these people around?
After the tour, we grabbed some grub and walked around the centro a bit, near where I work. It was dead due to the Uruguay vs. Germany that was currently playing on every TV, so we made our way over to Puerto Madero. I showed Brittany where the Mizzou office is located and she really enjoyed the port of the Río de la Plata. It was perfect timing to see the sun setting right over the water as we were crossing the “Woman’s Bridge.”
Sunday was the World Cup championship, so we all headed over to the boys’ apartment for a watch party. After going into overtime, I was a bit nervous (I wanted Netherlands to win in order to help my bracket scores). However, in the end I watched Spain take the title. After the game, it was getting dark, so we headed back home (and took a detour through Plaza Francia, where Brittany found an amazing leather purse!). That night a few of us went out for an incredible steak dinner. Where else can you find endless amounts of bread, a small empanada, water, champagne, a steak the size of your head, French fries, and a huge scoop of ice cream for 20 American dollars? I love this country!
The next day, we headed to the US Embassy for a class visit and then I had to work for the afternoon. Once I got home, we researched some places to go and we were off to a place called La Puerta Roja for some dinner and drinks. A hostel group came through and we followed them through town meeting many characters along the way and ensuring a memorable night.
The week was a blast and it was nice having a little taste from home by getting to see Brittany. The countdown begins as I am approaching my final month here. Where does the time go?
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
The 4th of July Doesn't Always Mean Fireworks
Hello hello, my fellow blog followers…it’s been a while since we have talked….
As of now, I have traveled near and far in the country of Argentina and in many different forms. If ever asked my recommendation on which way to travel? I would have to strongly encourage traveling in a Cama Suite bus. Just a few weeks ago, we decided to upgrade our bus to Mendoza to this “Cama Suite” and I don’t think we have made a better decision thus far.
The trip to Mendoza was well anticipated and hopping in the fully reclining bed-like chairs and getting served endless amounts of drinks and a 3 course-meal confirmed that this would be a trip to remember.
We arrived at the hostel just a few (and by few, I mean close to 14) hours later, dropped off our stuff, met the most hospitable staff thus far and we were well on our way to explore the city. We watched Brazil get defeated against Netherlands (the first start to en epic South American downfall in the World Cup), walked around for a few hours, and before we knew it, it was time for our bike wine tour through the vineyards of Mendoza.
Our trip started off at a winery (or Bodega, as they call them here), where we were able to view the miles of vines (and sparse orange trees!), before tasting the different kinds of wine they had to offer. Our trip through the wineries started off well, but of course got a little rocky. And by rocky, I mean we first had to mount our bikes in the rockiest part of the winery, which left a few group members with broken bikes and some others opted out altogether. Did I mention that we only had enough helmets for half of the group? That’s South America for you.
After getting through that rough patch, we had a short bike ride to our next destination. We toured a more modern winery just down the way before heading off to our final winery of the day. This was by far my favorite of the three. We were able to give ourselves a walking tour of the vineyards, before heading up to the deck for the tasting under the beautiful setting sun. Marcelo, our bike tour guide, made sure we made the most of our time in the beautiful view.
After making some memories there, it was time for one final stop. As a self-proclaimed chocoholic, I was anticipating this final visit. We were taken around a private chocolate liquor family-owned business and heard endless stories from the character of a woman that led us through the tour. After tasting some delicious chocolate-flavored treats, cheese, and countless spreads, I left with a handful of purchases. (Mom and Dad…can’t wait for you to try this stuff!)
The next day we wandered around town and finally made it to a tiny café to watch the Argentina vs. Germany game. What. A. Downer. After wallowing in the loss and grabbing lunch, we tried to make the best of the day and headed toward the main plaza, Plaza Independencia, and saw the sites, made some purchases at the little market and settled down on a bench to enjoy the view. After just a few minutes of sitting, we made friends with a few 13-year-olds (who, unfortunately, had better Spanish skills than we did) and found a clown show to watch to pass the time. Little did we know Erik would be pulled on stage with the clown as the main event. That made for a few laughs.
That night, the hostel hosted an all-you-can eat parilla, where we stuffed ourselves with the famous types of meat they have here and ended the night with a party with fellow hostel-ers, all from different parts of the world including New Zealand, London, Australia, and even another guy from Mizzou. Small world.
On our final day in Mendoza, the hostel so graciously booked a High Andes Tour that took up most of the day. We woke up at the crack of dawn and hopped in a bus that toured most of the Andes. Although we were talked into renting hard-core snow gear, such as boots, snow pants, and heavy winter coats, which were all highly unnecessary, we still had a good time viewing the mountains, drinking the sweet cold water from the Andes and basking in the breeze. Did I say breeze? I meant strong, harsh, and powerful but unbelievably fun winds. We made friends with a few Aussies and a girl from London on our trip, which made the trip more exciting and gave us some more friends that accompanied us in laughing at our strange attire. It was a day I’ll never forget. I got to see THE ANDES on the 4th of July? What did YOU do…grill hot dogs? ☺
As of now, I have traveled near and far in the country of Argentina and in many different forms. If ever asked my recommendation on which way to travel? I would have to strongly encourage traveling in a Cama Suite bus. Just a few weeks ago, we decided to upgrade our bus to Mendoza to this “Cama Suite” and I don’t think we have made a better decision thus far.
The trip to Mendoza was well anticipated and hopping in the fully reclining bed-like chairs and getting served endless amounts of drinks and a 3 course-meal confirmed that this would be a trip to remember.
We arrived at the hostel just a few (and by few, I mean close to 14) hours later, dropped off our stuff, met the most hospitable staff thus far and we were well on our way to explore the city. We watched Brazil get defeated against Netherlands (the first start to en epic South American downfall in the World Cup), walked around for a few hours, and before we knew it, it was time for our bike wine tour through the vineyards of Mendoza.
Our trip started off at a winery (or Bodega, as they call them here), where we were able to view the miles of vines (and sparse orange trees!), before tasting the different kinds of wine they had to offer. Our trip through the wineries started off well, but of course got a little rocky. And by rocky, I mean we first had to mount our bikes in the rockiest part of the winery, which left a few group members with broken bikes and some others opted out altogether. Did I mention that we only had enough helmets for half of the group? That’s South America for you.
After getting through that rough patch, we had a short bike ride to our next destination. We toured a more modern winery just down the way before heading off to our final winery of the day. This was by far my favorite of the three. We were able to give ourselves a walking tour of the vineyards, before heading up to the deck for the tasting under the beautiful setting sun. Marcelo, our bike tour guide, made sure we made the most of our time in the beautiful view.
After making some memories there, it was time for one final stop. As a self-proclaimed chocoholic, I was anticipating this final visit. We were taken around a private chocolate liquor family-owned business and heard endless stories from the character of a woman that led us through the tour. After tasting some delicious chocolate-flavored treats, cheese, and countless spreads, I left with a handful of purchases. (Mom and Dad…can’t wait for you to try this stuff!)
The next day we wandered around town and finally made it to a tiny café to watch the Argentina vs. Germany game. What. A. Downer. After wallowing in the loss and grabbing lunch, we tried to make the best of the day and headed toward the main plaza, Plaza Independencia, and saw the sites, made some purchases at the little market and settled down on a bench to enjoy the view. After just a few minutes of sitting, we made friends with a few 13-year-olds (who, unfortunately, had better Spanish skills than we did) and found a clown show to watch to pass the time. Little did we know Erik would be pulled on stage with the clown as the main event. That made for a few laughs.
That night, the hostel hosted an all-you-can eat parilla, where we stuffed ourselves with the famous types of meat they have here and ended the night with a party with fellow hostel-ers, all from different parts of the world including New Zealand, London, Australia, and even another guy from Mizzou. Small world.
On our final day in Mendoza, the hostel so graciously booked a High Andes Tour that took up most of the day. We woke up at the crack of dawn and hopped in a bus that toured most of the Andes. Although we were talked into renting hard-core snow gear, such as boots, snow pants, and heavy winter coats, which were all highly unnecessary, we still had a good time viewing the mountains, drinking the sweet cold water from the Andes and basking in the breeze. Did I say breeze? I meant strong, harsh, and powerful but unbelievably fun winds. We made friends with a few Aussies and a girl from London on our trip, which made the trip more exciting and gave us some more friends that accompanied us in laughing at our strange attire. It was a day I’ll never forget. I got to see THE ANDES on the 4th of July? What did YOU do…grill hot dogs? ☺
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