tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87934808709484654232012-01-23T06:10:33.211-02:00In the mind of Baciagalou. Random thoughts about life in the New World.Baciagalounoreply@blogger.comBlogger411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-49751486763644688012011-09-11T16:02:00.001-03:002011-10-04T15:21:21.409-03:00

The Space Needle and I, well, we have some history. From grade school visits as a child to recent visits with Brazilian dignitaries (i.e. my wife, Sonia, and her colleague and best friend Telma). I can't remember the first time I went up to the top. Perhaps it was during the 1962 World's Fair with my family. Being only one year old, though, I have no recollection. But I do have memories of

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-16504180086687089662011-08-13T08:20:00.000-03:002011-08-13T08:20:37.089-03:00

In the portuguese language, breakfast is referred to as "morning coffee", which I think a most pleasant term to describe the breaking of our evening fast to have the first meal of the day. Café da Manhã in Brazil is usually light fare consisting of a small sandwich, some fruit and if time permits, a freshly-made juice and of course, coffee. For some of you, this kind of breakfast is also de

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-76184252593709109242011-07-11T21:00:00.000-03:002011-07-11T21:00:18.312-03:00

When I was a child attending elementary school every so often my mother would pick me up in the middle of the day. These occasional pick-ups were bittersweet. While I was overjoyed to be leaving school in the middle of the day - so long, suckers! – the joy was tempered by the reality that my mother wasn't picking me up to take me to McDonald's for lunch then afterwards to a double feature at

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-25950277336503821422011-06-30T14:51:00.003-03:002011-07-02T09:58:13.656-03:00

Being one who often takes the ball and runs with it without exactly knowing to where he is running, I only just realized, after 5 years of posting here, that the title of my blog, which is in Italian, could be a bit confusing not only to non-Italian speakers, but to Italian-speakers as well. Allow me to explain. Lasciami spiegare... Nella mente di Baciagalou-In the mind of Baciagalou. 

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-89309559969260777422011-06-28T19:08:00.005-03:002011-07-02T09:59:42.620-03:00

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the two local soccer teams here in Salvador - Esporte Clube Bahia and Esporte Clube Vitória. (If you'd like to read the post, click here) In writing, I described E.C. Bahia as the people's team. Just to further illustrate my point about Bahia, I would like to share a couple of images I came across the other day, that I found not only touching, but I think

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-71946757080635790932011-06-23T12:08:00.000-03:002011-06-23T12:08:30.188-03:00

LAURO DE FREITAS, BAHIA, BRAZIL, 2:30AM - Woken up by the sound of a cat fight. Bella, who is sleeping on our bed, and Squeaky, who is sleeping on the floor, are accounted for. I get out of bed and make my way outside. I open the door and Rocco quickly comes inside. I look down the street to see a cat in a tree and another at the bottom trying to get at him. The caterwauling is coming from the

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-30115580235524875292011-06-19T11:25:00.003-03:002011-07-02T10:01:47.693-03:00

It was a frigid Monday morning in January as I made my way up East Harrison Street to Broadway. I was running late and needed to catch the number 7 to the University District in order not to be late for work. I had had a few friends over Sunday night and we were having such a good time listening to the Revillos, X-Ray Spex and watching the fledgling MTV, that we did not want the evening to end.

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-60879961613469654562011-06-09T18:25:00.002-03:002011-07-02T10:02:52.100-03:00

I was reminded of a blog entry I had posted about a year ago, while watching international soccer friendlies this past weekend. The games I took in saw the United States trounced by world champion Spain 4-0 and Brazil held to a 0-0 draw with Holland. In that blog entry I had written about the world cup and what it means to Brazil. I had promised to write about soccer in this part of the

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-59574479744267381962011-06-03T10:31:00.001-03:002011-07-02T10:05:27.770-03:00

Seattle, 1934. A Saturday evening of bridge at the Greenlake home of Horace and Hattie Mendelson (Horace is facing us. Hattie with her back to us). Vernon and Glenda Carlson from Ballard are their guests. The foursome started the evening with a scrumptious supper at the Roma Cafe downtown. They were planning on going dancing afterwards but decided to forgo it, play bridge and just enjoy each

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-27065724592188077842011-01-01T15:51:00.003-03:002011-01-01T15:53:59.614-03:00

John Hanna, 1969-70 Seattle TotemsOriginally uploaded by azzurrolou1971: A charity pancake breakfast attended by the Seattle Totems at Bellevue Junior High School. I struck up a conversation with a great defenseman and all-around nice guy, John Hanna. I asked him if the Totems were a professional or semi-professional team as I had been having a debate about it with a friend of mine that went

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-36816199898164728272010-12-27T12:37:00.008-03:002010-12-27T13:02:36.889-03:00

Long time no blog. Yesterday was the day after Christmas, so unlike those of us from North America or Europe, where Boxing Day is observed, Bahians like to spend the day at the beach with family. I ventured out to the Praia de Ipitanga to shoot a little HD video of folks enjoying the 26th of December. Happy Holidays wherever you may be.(If you wish to view the video on a larger screen, click on

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-76286004175593793722010-10-11T08:12:00.007-03:002010-10-11T16:22:49.930-03:00

Click on the image to see it in full size Wallace (getting out of the car): Where´s Tim?Red: He should be here by now..Wallace: Yeah, by now..come on, let´s go in I´m starving...Red: Nah, let´s just wait a little longer...pauseWallace : Did he get his Ford running again?Red: Yeah, I think so. Maybe..Wallace: Maybe? You don´t know?Red: No. I don´t know.PauseWallace: Well, maybe ít broke down on

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-26041533053435786252010-07-16T14:56:00.024-03:002010-07-29T15:33:06.450-03:00

Dusting off my blog...Another World Cup has come and gone. I am just starting to come out of my post-cup funk. I felt a little down a couple of days after the final game, which saw Spain defeat Holland 1-0 to take the trophy. The World Cup comes around every four years, and now I have to wait another four years. I enjoy just about everything concerning the World Cup: the games, the countries, the

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-54476925207879655752010-04-18T00:46:00.004-03:002010-04-18T00:52:58.629-03:00

City Light employee John DeLong, 1949Originally uploaded by Seattle Municipal Archives"Say, John, whattya say? Whattya know?""I know a lotta things...a lotta things a city light guy like myself should know...sure, I know a lotta about lights, but I know a lot more than that, a heckuva lot more...

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-81089956250499090982010-04-15T16:17:00.004-03:002010-04-15T16:20:13.316-03:00

The Trade Winds - Seattle, WAOriginally uploaded by azzurrolouThe Trade Winds restaurant on 1st and Wall featuring the Palm Room Lounge, where the gin and tonics would glow from the black light. Entertaining us at the keyboard was local legend Lou Bianchi who among other things composed a song for the 1962 World's Fair entitled, "The Summer of '62". Lou was a great guy, full of fun and energy.

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-17434138016696239542010-04-13T21:10:00.003-03:002010-04-14T20:54:48.228-03:00

Boeing 747 Protoype - Museum of Flight, Seattle, WAOriginally uploaded by azzurrolouFebruary 1969. Recess at Sacred Heart Elementary School in Bellevue, Washington. We were out on the asphalt playground playing football...In the distance we saw a plane with a big bump on it flying over downtown Bellevue. This big plane grew bigger and bigger as it flew in our direction. Mouths agape, all of us in

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-39837137135840780642010-04-04T09:39:00.002-03:002010-04-04T13:01:26.028-03:00

1959Originally uploaded by EspressoBuzzFrank didn't like the idea of a world's fair in Seattle. He tried to fight it. He attended all the town hall meetings. He even wrote Senator Scoop Jackson to try and stop it, but to no avail. The world's fair was coming. And Frank didn't like it one bit.

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-20151362029456011692010-03-20T16:41:00.012-03:002010-03-21T14:41:49.531-03:00

Today is my birthday. My 49th to be exact. And while I'm long past the age of eager anticipation of the day ahead – parties, gifts, cards from relatives, cake, well-wishers – I still look forward to celebrating my anniversary in any way that may present itself. In fact, I may even decide to celebrate throughout the week. I most definitely will be celebrating with my godson, Eric, who's very first

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-77838887812365251172010-03-13T14:33:00.007-03:002010-03-13T16:30:53.345-03:00

Inspired by this imageAnnouncer: Say Johnny, what does it take for a big National Hockey League star like yourself to get to the rink every morning?Johnny: Well, every morning I wake up and have a complete breakfast of juice, toast, eggs, bacon, sausage, a heapa hashbrown potatoes and plenty of good hot coffee...Announcer: And then...?Johnny: ...and then on my way to work...if you can call it

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-50895086077328884022010-02-27T21:28:00.014-03:002011-07-02T10:12:40.903-03:00

I like the Olympics, but I´ve always preferred the winter games to the summer games. Everything from ski jumping to downhill skiing to figure skating to speed skating. But ice hockey is without a doubt my favorite event. I love hockey, and Olympic hockey with its' short round robin and no-frills playoff format agrees with not only my love of the game, but also with my impatient sense of DROP THE

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-57833999936983139102010-02-06T09:29:00.053-03:002011-07-02T10:28:51.257-03:00

I am a person easily marveled. I marvel at the release of every new technology that comes our way – both low and high tech. Everything from that little mp3 speaker system I lauded on my blog a few months ago to the current release of the iPad. While I am not a techno-geek, I am a geek who enjoys these technologies as they become available. I may not buy them – I have no plans on owning an iPad

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-65544605076110425942009-12-08T17:21:00.013-03:002009-12-09T07:58:45.292-03:00

Our neighborhood of Praia do Sol in Ipitanga, Bahia. Away from the hustle and bustle of the shopping malls at Christmastime. If you liked to view this on a larger screen, please visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2z4O4cUeVI

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-26811527603720127122009-10-19T10:40:00.008-03:002009-10-19T11:08:09.583-03:00

Sonia and I recently sold our condominium in Salvador and moved into her house in Ipitanga, about a half hour drive outside the city. Ipitanga is a beach resort located in the town of Lauro de Freitas. The beach is just a Dave Parker throw from the house, which is currently undergoing some renovations while we are sifting through our boxes.For our three cats – Nina, Bella and Rocco Caramello –

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-70676714623265413702009-09-24T07:35:00.019-03:002009-09-24T17:36:02.787-03:00

Salvador, Bahia is the third largest city in Brazil. Yet unlike the country´s two largest cities - São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro - Salvador and the state of Bahia move to a different rhythm. People on the east coast of North America often refer to cities of the west coast as being laid back. Salvador, Bahia brings laid back down to a whole other level. With a population of three million, Salvador

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-7397711485416007022009-09-01T11:02:00.001-03:002009-09-08T06:47:10.859-03:00

I'm a big sports fan. I have been ever since I was a child, playing with my brother any number of sports from american football to hockey to basketball to baseball to soccer. Not only did I play alot, but I also enjoyed and still enjoy watching these sports. Hockey, baseball and soccer being my favorites. In Salvador, Bahia there are two soccer teams: Vitória and Esporte Clube Bahia. I choose to

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-16718181882576886712009-08-19T18:11:00.000-03:002009-08-19T21:50:44.220-03:00

I can just hear the voice of Charles Foster Kane's guardian, Mr. Thatcher:"I thought it would be fun to post a video blog..."

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-34137336835281948392009-08-15T11:54:00.002-03:002011-01-02T18:50:58.622-03:00

Sonia and I are currently in Foz do Iguaçu, in the southwestern most part of the state of Paraná. Iguaçu in the Guarani language means "big water". Located in this town are the Iguaçu Falls, the mighty cataracts that border Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay.Yesterday, Sonia, our friend Nadja and I took a trip to the Parque Nacional do Iguaçu to see the cataracts. The day before, another friend,

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-64060101428365322652009-08-12T09:34:00.001-03:002011-07-02T10:07:05.669-03:00

Dad: ..smile...aaand...got it! Perfect! Freddy: Dad, can we go back to the World of Tomorrow? Dad: What's the matter, son? Tired already of hydro electric power of today?... Freddy: (chuckling at his dad's corny joke) Heh heh...yeah, I guess. I wanna go sit in the Firebird III... Dad: (looks at his watch) Well, it's 2:00pm now...we want to squeeze in the World of Science and the Canada

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-15681621273316306442009-08-02T22:04:00.000-03:002009-08-02T22:33:27.798-03:00

Saudades is a word often used in Brazilian literature, poetry and lyrics. It means longing, nostalgia or homesickness. As I’m watching Fat Albert and the Blue Angels flying over Lake Washington on KIRO.com, I am having a heavy case of saudades. The annual Seafair hydroplane races in Seattle were for me the highlight of summer as a kid. It was the last big blowout before going back to school.

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-89414846884882825272009-08-02T07:50:00.000-03:002009-08-02T21:54:47.029-03:00

I recently returned from a trip to the city of Recife in Pernambuco, which is about an hour north by plane from Salvador. Founded in 1537 by the Portuguese Crown and incorporated as a city in 1823, Recife is the fourth largest metropolis in Brazil. It's a beautiful city, similar to Salvador with its colonial history, its many sandy beaches, promenades, unique modern architecture and laid-back

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-70242301196949108562009-07-24T09:25:00.008-03:002011-07-02T11:25:08.070-03:00

I've always had a passion for lounge music, be it older 20th century artists like Martin Denny, Esquivel and Walter Wanderley, or the current 21st century sounds of Montefiori Cocktail, Nicola Conte and Bossacucanova. Whatever the millennium, this flame for the sound called lounge burns brightly. My passion for lounge comes from my youth. When I was too young to go to school, and my brothers

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-21806995992292018562009-07-22T12:17:00.000-03:002009-07-28T18:44:43.344-03:00

In light of the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moonwalk, I was thinking about Richard Nixon's historic telephone call to Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin on the surface of the moon. What if cellphone technology had been available then? Would Nixon have still made the phone call? Or would he have sent them a text message? I like to think he'd do the latter.With his big, husky voice, I believe

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-21359441777471075142009-07-19T07:30:00.000-03:002009-07-19T14:46:04.675-03:00

Sonia and I went to the mall last night looking to do a little shopping and perhaps have dinner. Shopping Salvador is one of the largest shopping centers in Salvador, and as malls go, this one is quite beautiful and spacious with arching skylights, three floors of shops with assorted escalators, elevators and little bridges to get you where you're going and a central, piazza-like area which hosts

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-80008764133020785482009-07-16T15:57:00.000-03:002009-07-20T09:07:55.837-03:00

Here in Brazil, where soccer (futebol) is not only sport but art, the term ginga is often used to describe Brazil's style of play.The word Ginga comes from the afro-brazilian art form of capoeira, a martial art brought to Brazil by African slaves in the 16th century. Ginga is a basic starting position in capoeira, and it describes the certain swing, sway and rhythm a capoeirista creates to

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-6470162741873155662009-07-09T13:02:00.001-03:002009-07-12T08:24:20.735-03:00

August 24, 2008 was the date of my last blog entry. I was living in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada then, and now almost a year later, I find myself living in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.huh? wuzzah?Blame it on love. Blame it on the internet. Blame it on love and the internet.(Sounds like an episode of Love American Style!) But, as I was once living in the third largest city in Canada, I am now

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-37266430380148942732008-08-24T12:41:00.000-03:002009-07-23T06:56:53.305-03:00

I have been enjoying the Olympics. I've been watching it almost every night. Every so often, though, I will change to one of the local sports channels and find a Major League Baseball game in progress. Oooh yeeaaah, Major League Baseball...What is strange is the switch from the energy, color and noise of the Olympics to the lazy, dull, laid-back sounds of Major League Baseball...it's almost as if

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-47366565002740741202008-08-04T11:56:00.000-03:002008-08-04T12:02:33.744-03:00

Woke up this morning around 6am. The dull, dehydrated pain of last night's gin is giving me the business. I have coffee, a banana and a bowl of flakes. At 8am I take the car out for a walk. First to the gas station ($50 won't fill it anymore), then to the carwash. I return home, park the car and take myself out for a walk. I walk up Nanaimo to Kingsway, up Kingsway to Slocan, then down Slocan to

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-79233738949383310982008-04-07T20:09:00.000-03:002009-07-16T18:00:50.047-03:00

In June I'm moving to Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Salvador is a beautiful city, located on the Northeast coast of the country. It is the third largest city in Brazil (next to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro). Salvador was established in 1549 and served as the capital of Brazil until 1763 (Rio de Janeiro then became the capital). I'll write more about Salvador in the next blog.

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-1375579288066081002007-09-25T12:08:00.000-03:002007-09-25T13:15:34.343-03:00

Our theatre company, BellaLuna, is performing at the University of British Columbia October 11, 12 and 13th. We are going to be performing a number of pieces (or, referred to in Italian, "sintesi" - synthesis) from the Italian Futurists.Futurism was an early 20th century art movement that sought to burn the bridges of history, explode the passive artistic conventions of the 19th century and join

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-30335990206686694462007-09-17T00:58:00.000-03:002009-07-11T16:36:19.632-03:00

Luciano givin' it up for the globe. Last week, when I read he had passed away, It made me think about when he performed here in Vancouver a number of years ago, and the Italian community invited him to the Italian Cultural Centre to be honored. He accepted albeit grudgingly. There he was, slouched on one of those cheap plastic chairs that can only be found at a community centre, a cap on his head

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8793480870948465423.post-72656529103324570972007-09-16T23:39:00.000-03:002007-09-17T00:07:31.078-03:00

Hi. Welcome to my blog where I will be laying down my thoughts - sometimes random, sometimes deep, sometimes random and deep and sometimes "where ya goin' with this, Lou?"Please join me in the language of your choice.

Baciagalounoreply@blogger.com0