Produced by the British & Commonwealth Society ofRio de Janeiro for the English-speaking Community

Vol XVI - OCT 2010

the.umbrella@terra.com.br

BCSHMS Ocean reception p.3BCS at 70Golden Jubilee p.9AMERICAN SOCIETYImperial Museum visit p.3RBL Statutes changed p.3InCHappy Hour with BCS p.4

Canada at the Games p.11The Mighty O p.12Beatles p.14Escape from Abkhasia p.15

JACK WOODALL

Sex, politics and religion – three sub-jects one should avoid in polite dis-course. Well, I’m not going to talk aboutsex here, but the other two subjectshave been raised by Stephen Hawking,the quadriplegic British physicist andcosmologist, in his new book “TheGrand Design”, which came out in theUK on 9th September.It is risky to comment on a new bookwithout having read it, but according tonews reports. Hawking has changed hismind from what he said twenty yearsago, that the existence of God is notincompatible with science. Now he saysthat because of the law of gravity, theUniverse could have been created fromnothing. I would reply “Where did thatlaw come from?” and he would probablysay “Well, if God did it, don’t you won-der where He came from?” In otherwords, if God can come from nothing,why couldn’t the Universe? It’s the chick-en and the egg question going back afew zillion years.The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr RowanWilliams, has dismissed Hawking’sassertion that modern physics leaves noroom for a Creator and science couldexplain the origins of the universe. In hisnew book, Hawking states:“Spontaneous creation is the reason

there is something rather than nothing,why the universe exists, why we exist. Itis not necessary to invoke God to lightthe blue touchpaper and set the uni-verse going.”

But the Archbishop says: “Belief in Godis not about a gap in explaining howone thing relates to another within theuniverse. It is the belief that there is anintelligent, living agent on whose activi-ty everything ultimately depends for itsexistence. Physics on its own will notsettle the question of why there issomething rather than nothing.” Buthere’s a thought: if everyone could beconvinced that there is no God, wouldn’tit bring an end to sectarian violencebetween Catholics and Protestants, Jewand Arab, Sunnis and Shias, jihadis andcrusades by so-called Christian coali-tions? Hawking had already caused a stir in aprogramme on the Discovery Channel inwhich he said that we should give up

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A GODLESS UNIVERSE WITHINTELLIGENT ALIENS?

FROM THE EDITOR

trying to contact intelligent beings else-where in the universe – he obviouslybelieves they exist – in case they aremore technologically advanced than usand could destroy or enslave us. Headded: “We only have to look at our-selves to see how intelligent life mightdevelop into something we wouldn’twant to meet. If aliens ever visit us, Ithink the outcome would be much aswhen Christopher Columbus first landedin America, which didn’t turn out verywell for the Native Americans.” It’s hardto argue with that. But we have madesome progress, since no true democra-cy has ever gone to war with anotherdemocracy. On the other hand, ourefforts at imposing democracy by forceon nations that prefer a feudal systemdon’t seem to be having much successlately. However, the Rio police are mak-ing commendable progress in imposingpeace on some favelas by force. In viewof recent events at the HotelIntercontinental, we wish them everysuccess in Rocinha and Vidigal.

The Umbrella is published monthly by the British andCommonwealth Society of Rio de Janeiro. Print run: 900copies. Deadline: second to last Monday of the month

Editor: Jack Woodall jackwoodall13@gmail.comGraphic Design & Desktop Publishing:Marcia Fialho marcia@marciafialho.com.brFilms & Printing: Gráfica Falcão. Cover: FlickR.com Society articles are the responsibility of each society.The Umbrella is distributed free to all members of the Riode Janeiro BCS, American Society, St. Andrew Society,Royal British Legion & British School staff. Classified ads: Gaynor Smith at the BCS office: Tel: (21)2537-6695, Fax: (21) 2538-0564. E-mail: bcsrio@bcsrio.org.br Commercial non-classified ads:please inquire about technical procedures with Marcia Fialho. marcia@marciafialho.com.br

Societies INFOThe British & Commonwealth Society of Rio de Janeiro - Rua RealGrandeza 99, Botafogo, 22281-030. Secretary: Gaynor Smith. Office hours:Mon to Fri from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm - Tel: 2537-6695 - Fax: 2538-0564 -bcsrio@bcsrio.org.br - www.bcsrio.org.brThe American Society of Rio de Janeiro - Tel: 21 2125-9132 Contact: www.americansocietyrio.org email contact@americansocietyrio.orgInternational Club of Rio de Janeiro - General Inquiries:inquiries@incrio.org.br - President: president@incrio.org.brwww.incrio.org.brThe British School - BOTAFOGO: Rua Real Grandeza 87, 22281-030. Tel: 2539-2717, Fax: 2266-5040 URCA: Av. Pasteur 429, 22290-240, Tel: 2543-5519, Fax: 2543-4719. BARRA: Rua Mário Autuori 100, 22793-270,Tel: 3329-2854 - http://www.britishschool.g12.brEmails: edu@britishschool.g12.br and admissions@britishschool.g12.brThe American School - Estrada da Gávea 132, Gávea, Tel: 2512-9830 - www.earj.com.br - admission@earj.com.br Our Lady of Mercy School - Catholic American School in Botafogo - Rua Visconde de Caravelas 48, Botafogo - Tel: 2266-8282 / 2266-8250 /2266-8258 - www.olmrio.orgThe St Andrew Society - Rua Real Grandeza 99, Botafogo, 22281-030 -President: Jimmy Frew - Tel: 2586-3413 jhf@scotbras.com.br - www.standrewrio.com.brChrist Church - Rua Real Grandeza 99, Botafogo, 22281-030 - Tel: 2226-7332 chchurch@terra.com.br - http://christchurch.no-ip.orgThe Royal British Legion - www.britishlegion.org.ukwww.bcsrio.org.br/activities/rbl.asp

Disclaimer: The editors of The Umbrella accept no responsibility forclaims made either in the ads or the classifieds, and the opinions expressedin the articles published are those of the writers, and not of The Umbrella.

Phoenix Nebula

It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touchpaper and set the universe going.

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BRITISH & COMMONWEALTHSOCIETY

Beatles 50th/BCS 70thAnniversary Party, This took place after the deadline forthis issue – look for report and photosin the next edition of The Umbrella.

HMS Ocean on-boardreceptionThe biggest warship in the Royal Navy,the helicopter and Royal Marinecarrier HMS Ocean, paid a one-weekvisit to Brazil from 9-16 September.She can carry 18 helicopters, a ship'scomplement of some 400, and up to800 Marines. This is part of a three-month cruise from Plymouth, whichhas already taken her to the UnitedStates for a huge joint exercise withthe US Marines involving 8000troops, and to the Caribbean tocontribute towards counter-narcoticsoperations, and to be on stand-by toassist with hurricane damage. Thenext stop is West Africa.

In Brazil, she undertook a successfuljoint exercise with Brazilian Marines,120 of whom embarked and took partin an amphibious training exerciseon Ilha da Marambaia in Manga-ratiba. They also usefully exchanged ex-periences about Haiti and Afghanistan.In Rio, she hosted a security seminarwhich culminated in the signing of anew defence cooperation agreementbetween the UK and Brazil. This wasattended by the British Minister forInternational Security, Gerald Howarth,and by Ambassador Alan Charlton,and concluded with a dinner inhonour of Admiral Lord Cochrane,the founder of both the Brazilianand Chilean navies.

On Monday 13th September CaptainBlount and officers kindly invitedlocal dignitaries and all BCS

members to a reception on board,with a backdrop of Lynx helicopters.This was a very pleasant occasion: theservice was most attentive, the drinksexcellent, and our hosts charming.Wednesday 15th was to be a day ofshore leave and sight-seeing, andseveral of the ship's officers told ushow thrilled they were to be here. Weare most grateful for their hospitality.[See also “The Mighty O” on p.12].

October Happy HourAll members are warmly invited to aHappy Hour arranged by InC at a bar/restaurant in Ipanema on Thursday,14 October, from 7 to 9 pm. This willbe an opportunity to meet InCmembers. Details below underInternational Club.

New members who have joined us in 2010:Oliver P Bazely, Georgia Duckworth,Ann Kofoed Hansen, Morgan Jack-son, Stone Korshak, Annette Mason,Keith Richard Pirelli, AnthonyRichardson, Marylinn Schwanitz,Douglas Richard Shore, PaulLawrence Smith, Niamh Whiriskey,Kevin M Wick. A big Welcome to all!

AMERICAN SOCIETYBem- vindoAmerican Society Rio welcomes its newfamily members: Helen & Luiz JavierBacarreza; Lexie & John Benson;Liliana & José Antônio Osuna; Jaime& Rhonda Gutierrez; Ryder Kai &Cristiana Flemming Jurgensen; Maggie& John Laskoskie; Nicole LeBlanc &

James Gorczynski; and Julia Michaels,as well as individual member NatalieExtract.

The Society reminds everyone who hasyet to join or renew that this is a goodtime to do so. Until year’s end, new mem-berships are half-off, R$75 for familiesand R$50 for individuals. With a bevy ofevents still to come on the 2010schedule, this savings coupled withmember discounts for upcoming acti-vities makes now a great time to join!You or a friend can do so right at <www.riosocieties.com.br/amsoc/ismember.asp?>

Cerrado Cuisine CookingClass Sold out! Lotado! Standing room onlyit was on Wednesday, 15thSeptember, when American SocietyRio members gathered to learn howto prepare a full, multi-course,regional Brazilian meal, featuringsuch delights as torresmo, pernil, tutu amineira, arroz com pequi, and farofinhade abobrinha e jiló. Thanks to VanicaRoyster for organizing the class,buying the food and translating themenu. Now, we’re looking for a few,good volunteers to assist in theorganization and execution of aCerrado Cuisine Dinner that theSociety will host in the very nearfuture! Interested? If so, just drop aline to events.amsoc@gmail.com anddetails will follow along.

Museum Visit Series This continues on Tuesday, 19thOctober with a trip to the MuseuImperial de Petrópolis. Built in 1845, the

4 cornersand more...

HMS Ocean officer with Vilani & Bill Rathge and Chris Hieatt

D. Pedro II

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palace sits in the historic city center andwas the summer residence for Pedro deAlcântara João Carlos LeopoldoSalvador Bibiano Francisco Xavier dePaula Leocádio Miguel Gabriel RafaelGonzaga, better known to his pals (andjust about everyone else) as EmperorDom Pedro II, who reigned for 58 yearsas the second and final ruler of theEmpire of Brazil. DPII was a fascinatinghistorical figure, whose Wikipedia entryis worth a look, as is his home in themountains, now a national museum.Curious fact: On display in theEmperor’s office is the world’s secondworking telephone (the first, of course,belonging to its inventor, AlexanderGraham Bell). Want to know why thiscame to be? Ah, well, you’ll have to takethe tour! Details available by sending anote to: events.amsoc@gmail.com.

Ilha Grande Trip: OctoberHoliday Weekend American Society Rio Governor LouServizio has lived on Rio de Janeiro’sIlha Grande and will be putting hisknowledge, experience and sense ofplace to work when he leads a groupon a trip there during the longholiday weekend, October 9ththrough 12th, which ends on thefeast day of Brazil’s patron saint, OurLady of Aparecida. It’s bound to be amemorable time, with 4 days ofsunbathing, nature trails, snorkeling,boat trips, scuba diving and just plainrelaxation. As of this writing, the tripis almost fully booked up, but whoknows? You might get lucky and slipyourself in for an adventure thatcan’t be beat. Find out by sendingLou a note indicating your interest at<servizio@alum.mit.edu>. Good luck!

Child Car Seats NowMandatory As of 1st September, car seats forchildren are mandatory in privatepassenger cars in Brazil (but not inrental cars, taxis, vans, buses orschool buses). The regulations are

complex and vary according with theage of the child passenger(s).Fundamentally, there are two, verybasic rules: 1. All children under age 10 MUSTsit in the back seat of the car, and 2. They MUST use the appropriaterestraint. They CANNOT just beheld in someone’s lap.

The appropriate carrier for childrenup to 1-year-old is something called a“bebê conforto”; ages 1 to 4, will use a“cadeirinha”; ages 4 to 7½, an “assentode elevação” or “booster” chair; whileages 7½ to 10 can also ride in theback seat and use a standard, carseatbelt (although there are excep-tions if the car is equipped with anair bag for the front passenger seat).

Penalties for violation of this law areheavy. First, it will be considered a“gravíssima” or “very serious” infrac-tion and a driver will be docked 7points on their driver’s license.Second, there is a R$191,54 fine(well over US$100). Third, the lawpermits impoundment of a vehicleuntil a proper seat is installed.

Enforcement will definitely spoilyour holiday, as travellers are mostlikely to be stopped at federalhighway patrol check points, most ofwhich are located in the middle ofnowhere. Trying to buy a car seat on

a Sunday or holiday in Brazil wouldbe a most frustrating experience, sodon’t put yourself at risk! If youhaven’t found the proper seat yet(they’ve been in short supplybecause of demand) don’t drive yourfamily car – either rent a car or takea taxi or bus.

For full information, in Portuguese,the text of the new law is available at:<www.denatran.gov.br/download/Resolucoes/RESOLUCAO_CONTRAN_277.pdf>. Its final pages include illus-trations of each type of seat anddetails about the airbag exception.

ROYAL BRITISH LEGIONForging ahead, led by ChairwomanMargo Black and with Members help,your Committee completed threeimportant milestones on 15thSeptember; a successful ExtraordinaryGeneral Meeting (EGM) to adopt newStatues; a full review of membership,subscription and welfare issues, anddetailed planning for the 12thNovember Poppy Gala Ball. Dealingwith each in turn:

EGM:The Committee, and especiallyBridget Novaes and MarcosMontenegro Duarte, not to mentionformer officers such as Philip Coateand others who all had workedtirelessly to achieve this day, wasdelighted with an over 20%membership response, all of itapproving the change. They wereparticularly appreciative of those whoresponded by Proxy Vote and thosewho attended the meeting, includingBranch stalwarts John and AudreyMason. If needed, sage advice was tohand. The reasons for the newStatutes were explained in theSeptember 2010 edition of TheUmbrella (p.5) and, more profoundly,in the Calling Notice for the EGM. Itseems they were well understood withno need for further debate, resultingin a quick and full acceptance underthe rules within which the Branchoperates. The next stage is their legalimplementation with the variousauthorities involved. Members will seelittle immediate change and the effectof the change is really limited toBranch administration, but we willkeep you informed as to progress.

Committee Meeting:During a separate meeting the sameevening your Committee heard a

Imperial Museum, Petrópolis

periodic review of those we assist hadbeen conducted and that a fullfinancial review and a subscription andmembership correlation check hadbeen undertaken. These areimportant as the Financial Year for theRBL ends 30th September andconsequently we believe the Branch isin a very sound position to face thechallenges of 2011 and beyond.However there is one area of concernand that is whether we are reaching allthose we could be helping. Therefore,if any reader is aware of any ex-UKforces serviceman/woman (of anynationality), or their dependants(again, of any nationality) who mayneed assistance please have a wordwith any Committee member. Thematter will be treated confidentially.

Annual Poppy Gala Ball(Dinner Dance):This prestigious event will take place atthe world renowned CopacabanaPalace Hotel on Friday 12th November2010. The final details of this complexundertaking have been worked outand the advertising machine will swinginto action shortly. However, it seemsour few words to date and the EventsCalendar entry have already stirredsome into enquiring about ticketavailability for this not-to-be-missedoccasion. Clearly the message is “buyas soon as you can” when the tickets goon sale. Insider information tells me itwill be an outstanding night.

Remembrance Service:Don’t forget either that ourRemembrance Service will be held atChrist Church on Sunday 14thNovember 2010 at 10:30am, evenmore poignant this year as it will be thelast conducted by our WelfareCommittee Chairman, ReverendDavid Weller.

Final Note: One Member spoke to us recentlysaying that not all members havecomputers and e-mail addresses butbusiness seems to be conducted this

way. Of course, as a charity that dealswith a number of people that it expectsmay not be computer literate orwithout Internet access, we under-stand this. Naturally, we use e-mailwherever possible, it being quick, easyand cheap. But we also send outdocuments in paper form to those thathave not registered an e-mail addresswith us, as we did for the EGM CallingNotice. Always, we invite a response bye-mail, fax or letter to cover alleventualities. To ensure Members feelthey can contact the Branch by anymeans, the options are; to e-mail theSecretary at supcoord@openlink.com.br;leave a message on (21) 2552 2512 orfax that number, or write to RBL, Riode Janeiro Branch, Rua RealGrandeza, 99, Botafogo, 22281-030 Riode Janeiro – RJ. Of course you may alsocontact any Committee Member. Welook forward to hearing from you.

THE INTERNATIONAL CLUB

Paissandu Club generosityFirst and foremost, many thanks onbehalf of the entire InternationalClub of Rio to the Paissandu Club,which has generously agreed toallow us to hold our monthlyGeneral Meetings there, without acharge, until June of 2011! This is,indeed, terrific news and we thankthe current Board of Directors ofthe Paissandu Club for giving us anew home. As I announced duringour first General Meeting at thePaissandu’s “Green Club” on August27th, only coffee will be availablefree of charge to our membersduring these General Meetings.However, all of you are welcome toorder something from thePaissandu’s extensive menu duringthe meetings, or join those whodecide to stay and have lunch at theclub after the GM -- again for yourown account. In June, 2011 a newBoard of Directors takes office at thePaissandu Club, so they will have tore-evaluate our request to continueto hold the meetings there at thattime. But the fact that we have founda home for at least the next yearrelieves a lot of the previousfinancial pressure on the club and

the entire Executive Board is verypleased about this development.

We hope that many of you enjoyedsome or all of the varied events andactivities that the InC had inSeptember and we have somesurprises coming up during themonth of October (including apotential “full moon” event), soplease consult our website atwww.incrio.org.br for the latestinformation on upcoming InCevents. Similarly, we have beengetting some very positive feedbackabout our new section with tipsabout what is going on in Rio in ourweekly email bulletin theInConnection! Remember, allmembers who feel they have someinteresting leads to news about Rio,or who want to try their hands atwriting an article for the Echo,please send any submissions to ourcommunication team atcommunication@incrio.org.

Vote for Executive BoardThis month, at the October GeneralMeeting on 29th October, electionswill take place for the InC’sExecutive Board for 2011. We stillhave some positions open so please“throw your hat into the ring” andhelp run the club which has helpedyou during your stay in Rio!Remember, any member in goodstanding can run for any position onthe Board (only the Presidencyrequires previous Board experience)and even if someone has alreadyannounced that they will run for agiven position, it does not mean thatyou cannot run as well. The more,the merrier, as they say...

Happy Hour InC is organising a Happy Hour formembers in Copacabana, Ipanemaand Leblon and have arranged forBCS members to be included in theinvitation. The event will be held atRota 66, a Tex-Mex bar and restau-rant at Rua Farme de Amoedo 47, atthe beginning of Ipanema (close toArpoador/ Posto 6), on Thursday,14 October, from 7 to 9 pm.Members will, of course, be welcometo stay beyond this time, but will nolonger be guaranteed exclusive useof the room. They'll be happy tooffer InC and BCS membersexclusive access to their first floorlounge, which will be cordoned offfor a "private function", with a firstdrink (chope, caipirinha or soft drink)

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on the house. Individual bills. A pleasantroom overlooking the street, suit-able for up to 50 guests. No need tosubmit names beforehand -- justturn up and say that you're amember of the InC or BCS. We lookforward to seeing many of you there.Saude!

WOMEN’S DIOCESANASSOCIATIONChristmas Bazaar We are now only two months away fromthe Christmas Bazaar. The ladies of theWDA are working very hard on a variedselection of embroidered items such ashand towels/tea towels etc., for thehandicraft stall. These articles make verynice Christmas gifts. If you have notalready done so, please make a note inyour agenda -- this year the Bazaar willtake place on Saturday 4th December,from2 pm. As usual, it will be held in theJubilee Hall, Christ Church, Rua RealGrandeza 99, Botafogo.

Swiss Lottery & Giant Raffle Some of our readers will have receivedour annual letter appealing for itemsfor the Swiss Lottery and the GiantRaffle. Anything you can send alongto us, from small items of propagandasuch as pens bearing your logo,agendas etc. to items that can beincluded in the Raffle, will bewelcome. It is a good way to gain a

little free publicity and will help theWDA so much to raise funds for thedifferent charities at the end of theyear. If you did not receive a copy ofthe letter but would like to make someform of contribution, your help will bemuch appreciated.

White Elephant Stall We wish to make a special appeal forthis stall which is always a popularfeature at the Bazaar. Throughout theyear, any items we receive that arealmost new and in good condition thatcan be sold as Christmas gifts as well asfor personal use, we set aside for theWhite Elephant Stall. This yearhowever, the flow of donations sloweddown considerably after the heavyrains and landslides experiencedearlier in the year, because many of ussent donations to Niteroi and

surrounding areas where so manywere left homeless and in need ofalmost everything. As a consequence,this year we are lacking articles suitablefor this stall. If you have any householditems, ornaments etc, children’s toys,games, jigsaw puzzles, that you couldlet us have, they would be very helpful.

Deliveries can be made any day duringthe week to Karen, secretary, ChristChurch, telephone 2226-7332, from11am. to 2 pm. or to the BCS secretary,Gaynor, telephone 2537-6695 between8.30am and 4.30 pm. Please rememberthat between 2 pm. and 3.30 pm. whenthe school finishes, cars are notallowed into the grounds.

Christmas CrackersThese will be decorating the shelvesagain this year. Although we receivedno response to our appeals forfeedback on the “new version” withoutthe snaps, we decided to go ahead withproduction and we trust they will beappreciated.

ReminderOur marmalades, pickles and chutneyswill only be on sale up to 15th October,when we temporarily stop selling theseproducts in order to stock up for theChristmas Bazaar. We are counting onyour support to ensure the event willbe successful. Thank you.

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NatureAMELIA KRAU

We were lucky this month with theroad going up, as it was not rainingand the rock-and-earth surface hadbeen worked on. The rivers wererunning clear and low, two metresbelow the peak flood level that hadleft a small tree balanced at themidpoint of its trunk, high on ahuge boulder in the stream.

Birds were more vocal than visiblethis month. Seen: only one darkgreen humming-bird on the orangeblossom, the ubiquitous grounddoves in the garden and a pair ofwhite-throated swifts roosting in theeaves. One of the swifts somehowgot into the house at night andfluttered around disoriented, untilwe turned the verandah light onand the house light off, when itfound its way out of the door.Heard: bell-bird (araponga), para-keets squeaking like rusty hinges,the musical notes of the thrush(sabiá) and the “good-to-see-you”call of the bem-te-vi, the yellow-bellied, burglar-masked flycatcherthat comes in several sizes.

In the garden the white azalea busheswere in full, glorious flower; in the

forest we found buds on 3species of wild orchids, butno flowers. In the orchard,Welsh lemon (limão galego)was bearing abundantly andother citrus trees fruiting, yellowloquats (nesperas) were ripening andtiny fruit starting on the persimmon(caqui) and jabuticaba trees -- thelatter presaging a fine lot of jam. Inthe pond it was tadpole time.

Butterflies: only the odd one seen, butmoths and micros were abundantcoming to the light in the windows,after two nights of rain. There was ablack clearwing with red patches onits body; large moths with eye-spots,some on the fore-wings, others on theunderwings and a striking, dead-leafspecies with ragged edges and remark-ably fine, simulated veining. Whengently poked, it exposed startlingeyespots on its underwings. Somemicros, less than 1cm long, had atubular shape, with the wings foldedto clasp the body closely. Myriads oftiny flies, that had entered throughcracks in the window frames, fell deadon the floor under the indoor lights.

A new lamb had been born and wasthriving. Roan-coloured Rosemary’s calf

is due thismonth; Daisy– younger,smaller, blackwith a whiteblaze, doesn’tlook in calf.Both cows arefull of bot flylarvae, but can’t be treated whilepossibly in calf. The importedAfrican grass is very dry in the steep,hillside paddock, but the cows arewatered daily. The horse has beenboarded out as a companion toanother. The yellow lab enthu-siastically chased sticks thrown intothe river, but brought them backeach time with the end, not themiddle, in her mouth – a new ideaof hers. She enjoys wrestling withthe caseiro’s little black shortleggedmongrel less than half her size,incongruously named Bulldog. Ourbeloved 12-year-old marmalade catdied quietly last month, on a bed ofdead leaves under some trees in thegarden, curled up as if asleep

Friday 13th & the BibleI was interested to read the article about Friday 13th in theSeptember Umbrella (p.17). When I first read the article in theAmerican Society Community Notebook I wrote to them, butsadly they were not able to publish my response as they have a"no sex, no religion, no politics" policy. I am fairly confidentthat at the BCS we don't share the same scruples as ourtransatlantic cousins, so I am taking the liberty of sending youmy response to that article.

While I do note that the word "supposedly" was used, I feelprompted to correct the references made about Biblical eventsunder the heading "Friday 13th". Accord-ing to Genesis chapter3, no day of the week, let alone a Friday, is given for when Evegave Adam the apple; the same is true in Genesis 7 regarding theGreat Flood and in 2 Kings 25 describing the destruction ofSolomon's Temple. We are simply not told on which day any ofthese events took place.

While Jesus' crucifixion did indeed happen on a Friday, I wouldlike also to correct the impression it was a "worst event".According to the Christian faith it was in fact the opposite; thedefeat of sin and its consequences and the opening of the waybetween God and mankind. That's why it’s called Good and notBad Friday.

Rev. David Weller, Christ Church

Centenarian NRH residentMention of the Rev. Harold Cook in the 2010 Yearbook (p.6column 1) reminded us of an amusing occurence at the NRH. Afew days before the Rev Cook's100th Birthday, on a Sundaymorning, Meridan had to go to the Niteroi Rest Home. Parkingthe car there, she saw the Rev Cook coming out in full suit andtie and carrying a book. He told her he was off to church and sheasked him if he would like a lift. "No thank you", he replied. "Itis not far, and I like to walk there and run over my words when Iam going to preach."Bob Towersey

LETTERS

RIO BONITO DIARY: SEPTEMBER

Please send your letters to jackwoodall13@gmail.com

AroundRio

• The 2010 Oxbridge dinner was heldon 26th August at the Country Club inIpanema, with 89 guests from as farafield as Buenos Aires and Brasilia.Our American Ivy League cousinswere present, adding an extra dimen-sion to the event. The dinner finishedat about 3am the following morning,with the last partygoers trying to steera steady path towards the exit and awaiting taxi. In the meantime we hadtalked (a lot), eaten (well) and drunkcopiously (10 bottles of sherry, 10 bot-tles of port, 50 bottles of wine, not tomention the beer and whiskey). Thetoasts were the usual combination ofseriousness, wit, and erudition, withscandalous attacks and counter-attacksenjoyed by all Varsity membersinvolved. Most of us can remembermost of the evening and like what weremember, so all in all a great success!

• Oxford and Cambridge 60thAnniversary Annual Dinner, BuenosAires: On its 60th Anniversary, the tra-ditional Oxford and CambridgeAnnual Dinner will be held at theCírculo de Armas, Avenida Corrientes671, Thursday, November 4th, 2010.Cocktails at 8:00 p.m. - Dinner at 9:00 p.m.Attendees: The dinner is for all thosewho have attended either University.Spouses or companions are most wel-come only if also matriculated at either

Cambridge or Oxford. However, thosetravelling from abroad may bringalong a spouse or companion who isnot Oxbridge (note that places arelimited for such spouses). Dress code:Formal. Black tie and ladies equiva-lent/Dark suit and ladies equivalent(with or without gown and hood)/Formal Highland dress. Interested inattending? Please confirm with AlanArntsen by e-mail aa@pagbam.com.ar.

• Christ Church held a buffet lunch inthe Vicarage Garden on Sunday 12thSeptember. A big marquee roof pro-vided shade, the weather turned outto be glorious and the buffet spreadcontributed by many of those presentwas sumptuous, including a birthdaycake provided by Dee Heygate, since it

was a party for the Vicar, Rev. DavidWeller. There was a display of intrigu-ing photos of him taken during hisfirst five decades -- the consensus ofviewers was that he has improved withage!

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Oxford & Cambridge Dinner, Rio 2010

Lunch in Vicarage garden

CORRECTIONS

On p.15, top of column 2, of the September edition of The Umbrella, I wrote that British offshoreoil production was 4m. barrels/day in 2007. Robert Barclay writes: "According to BP, UK oil pro-duction in millions of tonnes was (2007) 76.8 = 1.636m barrels per day." I regret the error. - Ed.

WEDDINGS, christenings, birthdays, anniversaries, visitors, happenings: send them with photos for publicationin this column at <the.umbrella@terra.com.br>

David Weller

The BCS at 70

9

BCS vs. American SocietyChallenge

Around 5 o’clock on Saturday, 18thNovember 1989, if you happened to be atthe British School sítio in Jacarepaguá, youwould have witnessed an extraordinarysight: strung out across the football pitchcould be seen a cross-section of the British &Commonwealth and American Societies,from young lads to “Senior Members” whoought to have known better, pulling at arope for all they were worth. An impromptuTug-o’-War was taking place which wasdestined to leave victims of blisters, ropeburns, strains and just plain exhaustionlittered all over the grass. It was the final actof a thoroughly enjoyable day, finishing theBCS vs AS Annual Sports Challenge – well,not quite the final act, perhaps – read on!

Thursday night saw the first meeting ofthese two giants of the internationalcommunity across a smoke-shrouded tablein the Porão of the Community Hall [nowthe Jubilee Hall. – Ed.], when once again theBritish educational system showed itselfsuperior to its American counterpart whenthe BCS ran out 2-0 winners at TrivialPursuit. It reminded me of the 1989 RioCricket Quiz Night: once again the Yanksmade the most noise, and the next dayeveryone wished it had been held at theweekend!

Tables turnedFriday night at the American School saw thetables turned as the AS proved themselvesnot only taller, but also more skilful and, inspite of lending the BCS one of their bestplayers, ran out comfortable winners atbasketball. A quick shower and then we allraced down to the Porão again. Now thePlayers thought it was the night to watch thevideo of “Iolanthe” and our group thoughtit was the night to play darts. In the ensuingnoise, confusion and fug, with theoccasional dash to the surface for fresh air,the AS were hustled to defeat. Now it stoodat 2-1 in favour of the BCS.

Saturday, 1pm, Pedra Negra and afterstruggling through the dib-dib-dibs anddob-dob-dobs of the Cub Camp, we took thefield for the soccer match. The BCS teamshowed more than a passing resemblance toRio Soccer and confronted an AS team inwhich at least one player was heard to speakEnglish. The BCS were comfortable 5-0winners and after a brief pause forrefreshments, courtesy of Pepsi and theInterContinental Hotel, we were back oncourt for a tense game of volleyball, whichsaw the AS pull back a result winning 2 setsto 1.

On leaving the volley and as fresh suppliesof beer were being smuggled past Akela, welearned that the AS had evened the score bywinning the golf that morning by a marginwhich the BCS Captain was reluctant todiscuss. The left the scores tied 3 all, withjust the tennis to play – whatever didhappen to the tennis?

Rio Health CollectiveThe Rio Health Collective, established in1980, is [was – Ed.] a non-profit organizationwhich serves the English speakingcommunity. The Collective, manned byvolunteers, provides many services andkeeps our English-speaking communityhealthy and well-informed. The office isopen Mondays-Fridays 9:00am – 2pm.There is a 24hr emergency numberprovided for you when you call and theoffice is closed.

The Rio Health Collective Services are:

Medical Referrals:The RHC maintains a listof almost 200 health professionals coveringa wide spectrum of specialties. All calls aretreated with strict confidentiality.

Health Seminars and Talks: The RHCorganizes full- or half-day seminarsconducted by medical experts on a widerange of health topics pertinent to the Riocommunity.

Blood Donors: RHC maintains a list ofexpatriate blood donors for all types ofblood. We are here to serve the communityfor emergency situations.

Nurse Companion Service: RHC provides acompanion for hospital stays.

Equipment Rental: RHC has a supply ofcrutches, nebulizers, walkers, car seats,

disposable needles etc. The equipment willbe loaned to you in exchange for adonation.

Pre-natal Classes: Preparation for childbirthclasses led by a registered nurse.

Library: The RHC library is open fromMondays to Fridays 9:00am to 2:00pm.

Newsletter: The RHC provides a monthlynewsletter to keep you informed of all ouractivities and of the latest health topics.[Unfortunately, the RHC was wound up afew years ago. – Ed.]

The Royal Society of St George

What the Society is all aboutSt George is the patron saint of England,and members of the Royal Society of StGeorge can be people of any nationalitywho have a love of things English. TheSociety offers a social programme of sixhighly enjoyable events during the yearwhich enable these like-minded folk to gettogether and have fun. It provides anopportunity for socializing in an Englishenvironment and for making new friendsand acquaintances. All nationalities arewelcome, be they Brazilian, American oreven Scottish, Irish and Welsh.

1990 EventsFebruary 17 Carnival PartyApril 1 Treasure Hunt/Car RallyApril 27 St George’s CelebrationJune 9 Dragon Cup FinalSeptember 15 Mystery EventOctober 19 Trafalgar DinnerNovember 19 Annual General Meeting--The St George’s Carnival Party is by now a“must”in the calendar of discriminatingCarnival-goers; there is a live samba bandand eye-catching mulatas to help you getinto the right rhythm, as well as copiousfood and drink and prizes for the bestcostumes.[The Royal Society of St George is now,sadly, defunct. – Ed.]

FROM THE GOLDEN JUBILEE YEARBOOK 1940-1990

Not one of the teams

Dear All,

A while ago a good friend from the NewPlayers told me how she had taken an act-ing course in Portuguese. She described itas stepping outside her comfort zone, act-ing and being directed for the first time,in a language other than English.

A couple of Sunday evenings ago, Istepped out of my comfort zone too. Theoccasion was the invitation to preach at achurch in a place called Colubandê – no,I hadn’t heard of it either! I was collectedfrom outside Christ Church by two sharp-suited young men in a beat up Fiat andthen driven at breakneck speed for almostan hour through the city, across theBridge and then for what seemed like for-ever way beyond Niteroi. It was well pastthe back of beyond, being down busy high-ways and darkened streets until eventuallywe reached the bright lights of theAssembléia de Deus church.

The church building was poorly fur-

nished, posters adorned with Biblical textshung on the walls and a variety of musicalinstruments promised some impressiveworship. The place was packed – with per-haps around 150 people of all ages. I wasushered to my place on the front plat-form, and sat there surrounded by pottedplants, a huge lectern, some more sharp-suited Elders and the Pastor who kept hug-ging me.

The worship lasted for nearly an hour andrather than congregational singing, it con-sisted of a variety of groups; younger peo-ple, men, women, mixed, a soloist or twosinging with such passion and commit-ment it was stunning. Then to rapturousapplause I was welcomed as the guestpreacher for the evening. I felt joyful andintimidated, challenged yet conscious ofthe warmth of the welcome and myfriend’s words about stepping out of yourcomfort zone rang in my ears. I deliveredthe whole of the talk in Portuguese, inter-spersed by shouts of amen and alleluiafrom the congregation, every time I men-

DAVID WELLER

tioned Jesus, the cross or heaven. Therewas no mistaking the faith, the love andthe joy that filled the church building.

As I finished the Pastor asked me to prayfor all those who might wish to respond tomy sermon. Once again I felt the hugeprivilege that is ministry, in praying one byone for a large group of people, all ofwhom were stepping out of their comfortzones too by being prayed for by thisstrange Englishman. By this stage it waswell after 10 pm, so after dozens ofabraços I was driven at a more sedatespeed back to Niteroi, the 715 bus had meacross the Bridge in no time, and I waswalking through the gates of the site bymidnight.

Regular readers of the Chaplain’s com-ment will know I always end with a finalthought. This month is no different.Stepping out of your comfort zone, everyso often, isn’t such a bad thing. Do youever find yourself looking in on theChristian faith and wondering what webelieve and why? Step out of that comfortzone, ask your questions, receive someanswers and come to find out some more.

Yours ever,Rev. David

10

STEPPING OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE

CHRIST CHURCH

In Memoriam

Joan Causer

Joan Causer died a few days ago and was buried in the cemetery at Charitas. She was the widow of Malcolm Causer,who volunteered for duty with the Human Torpedoes. In 1944 he successfully attacked an Italian navy vessel in theport of La Spezia. For this attack he was awarded the DSO (Distinguished Service Order). Joan was a licensed cargoinspector and was still working on ships in the Rio Docks right up to when she was taken ill a few days before shedied, at age 88; she was well-known around the Rio Docks.

Advertise in The Umbrella! Call the BCS office for information: 21 2537-6695

Commonw

ealthTERRY BELL

How’s this for a family snapshot ...Eleven-month-old Talia Phangura istaking her first awkward steps, uprightand moving on her own in the garageof her family's Surrey [Canada] home.She reaches down and picks up a stick.She lifts the stick to her shoulders andthen brings it over her head, a perfectimitation of a weight-lifter's clean andjerk. She grunts a couple of times, justlike a weight-lifter would and throwsthe stick to the floor. Then she startsclapping for herself. In another cornerof the garage her dad, ParmPhangura, who's busy training for aspot on Canada's weightlifting teamfor the 2010 Commonwealth Gamesteam, beams in that special way thatonly a proud parent can.

"It was overwhelming," says Parm,recalling the year-old memory. "Youknow that as a parent you have somuch influence on a child but whenyou see it, it's overwhelming. Thefeeling is unbelievable." Training inthe family garage under Talia's keeneye worked for Parm Phangura. Hemet his goal and earned one of eightspots on the Canadian men'sweightlifting team that heads to Delhion Sept. 30 for the 2010Commonwealth Games. "It's reallyexciting," he says of making the team."It was my dream, my goal."

Phangura, whose wife Sophia retiredfrom the sport after winning a bronzemedal at the 2009 Canadianchampionships, is of Indian descent.He and his wife were born here buttheir families are both from thePunjab. Parm failed to make the 2008Canadian Olympic team, partlybecause of an elbow injury thatrequired surgery. Talia was born in July2008 and he was thinking about

leaving the sport for good. Then heheard that India was hosting theCommonwealth Games and he set hismind on making the team. "Should Iretire? Being a full-time father, it's a lotof time and responsibilities," he saysnow. "But then I learned that the 2010Commonwealth Games were going tobe in India, which is my culturalhomeland and my parents' homeland,so I thought it was meant to be. That'swhen we decided to go full speed andmake this Commonwealth Games.[The decision] wasn't really so toughbecause I had a lot of support from mywife. With her being an athlete, shewas saying you have to go for it. Thatmade it easy."

Not exactly easyWell, not exactly easy. Weightlifting'shardly a winning lottery ticket inCanada. It’s a struggle for guys likePhangura, who works full time as anoccupational health and safetymanager in Vancouver. He'd train inthe garage in the morning then headto work for a job that started at 8 a.m.He'd come home, have a quick snoozeand train again. He has no sponsorsand pays all his own bills. He pays forthe services of his coach, Dan Gad,who came to Vancouver from Nigeriafor the 2003 world championships andnever left. He paid his own expenses togo to the Canadian championshipsthis year in Montreal. "It was reallystressful," says Phangura, who now haspermission to work a three-day weeknow, says of the old schedule. "Train,work, come home and train again."

At times he thought of giving it up."Oh, all the time," he says. "Especially

in the winter when it was raining and 5o'clock and it's already dark. I think,why am I doing this? But that's whenyou think of your goals. In my garagemy goals were written everywhere.One look at the logo for theCommonwealth Games and I'dremember what I was doing it for." Sotraining at home helped. "It's abouttime management," he says. "You saveclose to an hour a day if you're goingto the gym. "I could bring Talia intothe garage when I was training. Wewere limited with babysitting. I'd trainwhen she was napping. She'd play inthe garage while I was training."

Phangura's goal now is to win a medalin Delhi. He's ranked fifth in the eventin the heavyweight (105-kilogram)division with personal bests of 165.5 kgin the snatch and 205 kg in the cleanand jerk. He also hopes to compete inthe 2012 Olympics in London. Alongthe way, he hopes some sponsorshipwill come his way. "It's all on my owndime," he says. "I love doing this. It's apassion. It would be nice to havesponsors to help but the fact that Idon't have sponsors doesn't hold meback. I love the training. The feelingthat you're doing somethingsignificant, you're going to representCanada at the CommonwealthGames." [Vancouver Sun, 21stSeptember 2010]

DO-IT-YOURSELFER WILL REPRESENT CANADA AT GAMES"It's all on my own dime.

I love doing this.It's a passion.”

Canadian weightlifter Parm Phangura

11

12

First Person

HMS Ocean visits RioCHRIS HIEATT

Few people knew that this extraordi-nary ship was arriving in Rio, so theinvitation to a reception on board wasa very pleasant surprise. When theBCS advised of the invitation, Ithought there must be some mistake.The whole of the BCS membership?Must be a first.

I then googled HMS Ocean, and dis-covered that it is the largest ship in theBritish Navy. No wonder they caninvite everyone, they need to fill a lotof space. There were photos of thevehicle deck and the hangar deck(filled with a few hundred marines),and I imagined the community beingentertained in this huge space. In reallife it was just as impressive. Thosewho could not make it missed aninteresting and entertaining evening.

It was a pleasure to pass once againthrough the renovated PassengerTerminal at Pier Mauá, having lastbeen there decades ago for the arrivalof transatlantic liners such as theRoyal Mail Line. The ship was fastalongside and it was like looking upthe side of a skyscraper, though thelack of windows and the landing crafthanging over the side rather spoilt theillusion. After a long climb up thegangplank, we were welcomed aboardand taken to the hangar deck by oneof the officers. We passed all sorts ofequipment on the way, includingLandrovers, personnel carriers andother wheeled equipment. Thehangar deck only contained four heli-copters, though the ship can carry 15or more. We were well entertained bythe officers and crew, and learned alot about Amphibious Assault Ships –unfortunately, a helicopter flightaround the Corcovado was not on theprogramme.

Carries 830 Royal MarinesConversation focused on the fascinat-ing ship we were visiting and the offi-cers were happy and proud to answeras many questions as possible. Apartfrom that, the internet – press releasesand good old Wikipedia -- provided moreinformation as follows: First of all theship is called an amphibious helicop-ter carrier or amphibious assault ship

– hence the landing craft and other craftand vehicles on board. HMS Oceanarrived in Rio on 9th September totake part in amphibious exercises withthe Brazilian Navy and Marines and toconduct high profile diplomatic engage-ments. For this, apart from the navalpersonnel on board, there are membersof the Fleet Air Arm and RoyalMarines of 539 Assault Squadron. Thesejoined up with Brazilian Marines fromthe 3rd Infantry Battalion, AmphibiousDivision, for a three-day training exer-cise south of Rio in Marambaia. Theship’s normal complement is 285 offi-cers and crew plus 180 Fleet Air Arm.It can also carry 830 Royal Marinesplus equipment and 40 vehicles. InRio I think they said there were justover 100 marines on board.

After the exercises, HMS Oceanreturned to Rio to host a UK Tradeand Industry exhibition, a receptionfor local dignitaries and a bi-lateralsecurity seminar culminating in thesigning of a UK/Brazil DefenseCooperation Agreement and a formaldinner for 150 guests onboard.During the week in Rio sailors andRoyal Marines from the ship helpedcertain community projects, includingpainting and maintenance of CasaJimmy, a Task Brazil Project.

Par-4 deckHMS Ocean is the only ship of herclass in the British Navy and very fewpeople know much about her, so hereare a few pointers: At the moment sheis the largest ship in the Royal Navy –by six metres – but will soon be over-taken by two new aircraft carriersbeing built in the UK. The Ocean(nickname “The Mighty O”) has a dis-placement weight of 22,500 tons -- thenew carriers, to be named HMSQueen Elizabeth and HMS Prince ofWales, will weigh 65,000 tons, and

carry more than 8,600 tons of fuel(not nuclear power, but giant electri-cal motors powered by two Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbines, backed byfour diesel generators, to drive themassive 30ft wide five-bladed pro-pellers and reach speeds of 25 knots),1200+ personnel, 36 F-35B Joint StrikeFighters and four EH-101 Merlin heli-copters, with a 16,000sqm flight deckthat, as one of the design team recent-ly put it "would be a par four" if youcovered it in grass. This, however, willmake them only the second largest air-craft carriers afloat, after the USNimitz class at 100,000 tons.

Commissioned on 30 September1998, the ship's primary role is tocarry an Embarked Military Force(EMF) supported by 12 medium supporthelicopters, 6 attack helicopters and 4Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel(LCVP) Mk 5 Landing Craft. HMSOcean is the sixth ship to bear thename, the most recent being a LightFleet Carrier also built on the Clydeand commissioned on 30 June 1945,renowned for the first true jet aircraftlanding onboard a ship at sea, by aVampire Jet on December 3, 1945.

HMS Ocean was built by KvaernerGovan on the Clyde for Vickers Ship-building Engineering Limited,launched on 11 October 1995 andnamed by Her Majesty The Queen on20 February 1998.

THE MIGHTY O

HMS Ocean entering Guanabara Bay

Robin & Ana Evans with HMS Ocean Capt. Blount

13

14

We know of course that The Beatles camefrom Liverpool, and that by the early 60sthis four-man rock group was on the riseto fame. Now their songs are a part ofworld culture, and anything connectedwith them has enormous appeal. But why50th Anniversary this year? To researchthis, I delved into Barry Miles’s book:“Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now”,and here is some of the story from theearly years…...

How did they meet?Paul’s father was a salesman on theLiverpool cotton exchange, his mother amidwife. After moving several times afterthe War, in 1955 Paul’s family moved to aCouncil House at 20 Forthlin Road (whichis now a tourist attraction). His father hadan amateur jazz band, played piano byear, and taught both his sons manytunes, as well as how to sing in harmony.His mother Mary died from cancer in1956, when Paul was 14, and heimmersed himself in music to help him-self deal with the grief. George Harrisonwas at the same school as Paul, andgoing there they would often meet ontop of the bus.

Paul met John Lennon in July 1957, at avillage fête where John’s skiffle group TheQuarry Men were playing. Paul impressedhim by knowing the words and beingable to play the guitar for rock‘n’roll num-bers, and it was evident they both werevery interested in it – and also both hadalready written some songs of their own.Paul knew how to play the guitar (left-handed) and he and John (right-handed)would sit and practise, working out thechords together. Once they took a busacross town because they heard of some-one who knew how to play a B7! John Lennon, eighteen months older thanPaul, was brought up by his Aunt Mimi, ina middle-class home called Mendips, at251 Menlove Avenue, about a mile awayfrom Paul’s home (now also on the touristroute). John’s parents were separated – hisfather was a seaman, and his mother livedwith another man who didn’t want Johnaround. John lost his mother Julia in a caraccident in 1958, when he was seventeen.

Since both wanted to write songs, theywould work composing together in

Forthlin Road or Mendips in the after-noons, writing the words (and sometimesthe chords) down in a little notebook.They had a rule that, if they couldn’tremember the song next day, it wasn’tmemorable anyway, and would make noeffort to play it. But some went into therepertoire, like One after 909, and LoveMe Do. This last was the Beatles’ first hit,and also today one of the two songs thewriters still control – the other is PS I loveyou.

The Quarry Men’s repertoire expanded fast– and in 1958 George Harrison wasallowed to join – he could play solos! Theyplayed gigs and gradually music becamemore important than school work – andthe end of National Service meant theycould stay together as a group, even aftersome members turned eighteen.

Getting things together inGermany In August 1960, the Quarry Men – nowrenamed The Beatles – were contracted toplay at a club in Hamburg for £2.50 perman per night, playing from 8:30pm to2am with 3 half-hour breaks, seven nightsa week (the group then was made up ofJohn, Paul, George, Stuart Sutcliffe on bassand Pete Best on drums).They had toattact an audience and keep them happy,and sometimes would improvise onWhat’d I say (a Ray Charles number) for anhour at a stretch. In Hamburg, they devel-oped the Beatles look, and learnt to playtogether whatever, even with fights erupt-ing among the rough clientele! In all, theymade five visits to Hamburg up to late1962, on progressively better financialterms (but having to play from 7pm to2am!), spending nearly a year there alltold.

When the Beatles first returned to Englandfrom Hamburg, they played gigs aroundLiverpool, including one at the LitherlandTown Hall on 27th December 1960. This iswidely regarded as being a turning pointin their careers, because the audiencewent into a frenzy of excitement, and theybecame the leaders of the Merseysidebeat scene (which at that time had over300 working groups). They began also tobuild a faithful group of fans who followedthem everywhere.

MARTIN HESTER

So there’s one good reason why 2010 isconsidered the 50th Anniversary year ofthe Beatles!

The other pieces fit in In February 1961 the Beatles began play-ing at the Cavern Club, in short lunchtimeand evening sessions, among other acts.Because of the competition from othergroups, they looked to perform little-known numbers (which were quicklycopied by others) but then began to intro-duce their own songs – which was ratherlooked down on at that time. It was afterhearing them at the Cavern Club thatBrian Epstein, who owned record shops inLiverpool, heard them and offered tobecome their manager. They signed withhim in January 1961, and he worked hardto make them more widely known, andget them a recording contract.

This finally came in June 1962, when theywere signed by George Martin atParlophone (EMI) – but it took two moresessions to get to something acceptablecommercially; before then Pete Best ondrums was changed for Ringo Starr.(Stuart Sutcliffe had stayed behind inGermany). So the group was John, Paul,George and Ringo, as we know them now.Love me Do was released as a single inOctober 1962. They were working hard,sometimes playing at the Cavern in alunchtime session, then having twoevening engagements in different venues– plus radio and TV sessions. In March1963 their first album was released –Please Please Me. Of the 14 songs, morethan half were Lennon/McCartney origi-nals. By the time they finished playing theCavern Club in August 1963, they were ahighly professional outfit, with good stagepresence, a special “look”, fascinatingpersonalities, their own songs, a No.1Single, and a No.1 Album.

And then...

THE BEATLES: 50 YEARS?

GOOD LISTENINGWWW.GOODLISTENING.COM.BR

Beatles’ first long play, 1963

ADVERTISE IN THE UMBRELLA! BCSRIO@BCSRIO.ORG.BR

15

OLIVER BAZELY

On the 6th October 2007, I wokebefore dawn in a bare room in war-tornAbkhazia. I had managed to snatch fourhours sleep, before it was time to headback to Russia. A sudden break-down ofdiplomatic relations between Russia andGeorgia two days previously had invali-dated all of my hard-won export paper-work and closed the border. Foremost inmy mind was the fate of a woodenpacking crate, crammed with thegeologicalsamples critical to the success of my Ph.D.

Three hours later, on the verge ofexhaustion, I was about to try to crossthe closed Russian border near Sochi.A phone call had been placed to theAbkhazian president on my behalf,supposedly opening the border justenough to let me slip across. To mydisadvantage, I had just seen the driverof my vehicle stuff thick wads of crispdollar bills into a poorly concealed moneybelt around his well-fed waist. As I sat inthe cab of the truck, desperately finger-ing my passport, entertaining wildvisions of life in a Russian prison cell,there was a little chirp from my pocket.It was a text message from my mother,wishing me a happy 26th birthday.

Six months previously, in April 2007, I hadarrived in St. Petersburg. I had arrangeda secondment to the Komarov Bota-nical Institute. I was 2 ½ years into a 3½ year Ph.D, and my project was failingdue to a sampling trip by others thathad not materialised. As a solution, Ihad decided to organise my own trip,with the intention of travelling toAbkhazia to collect samples myself. Ihad been told that it would be difficult,but not impossible, which meshedperfectly with both my sense ofadventure and my youthful naivety.

The aim of my project was to recons-truct the climate of the western BlackSea region, on the basis of minutefossilised pollen grains buried in soilsamples. Ideally, this kind of studyshould be based on a sediment core

recovered from a sitethat benefits fromstable sedimentaryconditions (such asthe bottom of a lake).I had been told by aRussian colleague ofan ancient peat bog,hidden in a valley inthe Caucasus, thatsounded like a perfectcandidate.

After months of meticulous planning,the first real blow was a phone call frommy translator Kiril, who informed me,two days before departure, that he hadbeen taken into hospital and wasunable to come on the trip. The secondblow was the loss of my luggage duringthe flight, which took a further 24hours to catch me up. Nevertheless, Ieventually arrived in Sokhumi, thecapital of Abkhazia. There I wasamazed to see the extent of thedestruction that had occurred duringthe war 10 years previously. Theparliament building was still in ruins.

After initial false starts, I made goodprogress. I spent long days roaming theidyllic foothills of the Caucasus, lookingfor a suitable site to start coring. Thelocal labourers that I had hired werecheerful and hard working, their moodperhaps enhanced by the copiousamounts of home-made wine theydrank during the course of the day.

The next sign of trouble was moreominous. The cash machines stoppedworking, so nobody was able to with-draw money. This was quickly followedby the news that some ethnic Russianshad been excluded from Georgianschools and that retaliatory measureswere expected. I was hastily packing myequipment and samples into woodenpacking crates when my field assistantNatalya came to see me with a grimlook on her face. It seemed that ourpaperwork would no longer get me, myequipment or my samples out of thecountry and that the border was closed.

There was one option, which was to callthe President of Abkhazia, based inMoscow, and request permission toleave. Fortunately, he had studiedgeology at Moscow State Universitywith Natalya, so was a close friend ofhers. Also, Natalya’s late husband hadbeen the Abkhazian Chief of Staff andhad given his life fighting for Abkhazia.As the widow of a war hero and as afriend of the president, Natalya wasable to make things happen.

So, I found myself, on my birthday, tryingto cross a closed international border,with rumors of war making the guardsnervous. I sat, powerless, in the cab ofthe truck as the driver disappeared into thecustoms office. He reappeared sometime later with a border guard. The guardtook an extended look at my equipmentand eventually waved us through. Mysamples were still in Abkhazia, as repla-cement paperwork could not be arrangedat such short notice, but at that momentI was just happy to be back in Russia.

Back home, I waited patiently for thesamples to arrive, but as the prospect ofwar in Georgia became a reality, my hopesof being reunited with my wooden boxfaded. Eventually, my contacts dried upand I was forced to secure a differentset of samples to work on. I learned thehard way that, sometimes, it takes morethan willpower alone succeed.

[Oliver is a new arrival in Rio & a BCSmember. He is a Cambridge graduate doingpost-doctoral research in Geography at UFFin Niterói. - Ed.]

O negócio é o seguinte = Here’s the thing...Ilegal, e daí? = It’s illegal, but so what?

Vai acabar em pizza = It’ll come to nothing in the endAbacaxi = (1) pineapple (2) muddle

Bagunça = MessValeu = Beleza = That was great! = Thanks!

Geringonça = contraptionAraponga = (1) spymaster (2) bellbird with loud call

Empurre (on a door) = PushPuxe (pronounced “Pushy”) = Pull! (Don’t get them mixed up)

Saída = ExitFilho da puta! = Sonofa*****

ESSENTIAL BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE

True TalesESCAPE FROM ABKHASIA

16

MUSIC IN CHRIST CHURCH On August 15th, Christ Church washonoured to be one of the many venuesfor the series of concerts known as “RICE”– Rio International Cello Encounter –organised by David Chew and performedby well known Brazilian and visitingmusicians. The next day, Monday 16th, thechurch was once again packed for the SCMchoral concert, celebrating 400 years ofEnglish Sacred Music.

On most days of the week, if you visit thechurch in the evening, you will find choirsrehearsing in the church itself, in one ofthe cloisters rooms, or in the hall. It is notall sacred music, and it is not all Englishmusic. On Mondays the main SCM choirrehearses in the church or hall (70 voicestake up quite a bit of room). OnWednesdays the “Coral Paratodos”rehearses in the hall, and at the moment agroup made up of SCM choir members andothers is rehearsing Beatles music in thechurch on Wednesdays, for the BCS BeatlesNight on September 24th. On Thursdaysthe SCM chamber choir is in the church,and the “Seresta Choir” rehearses in theWDA Room along the cloisters. Every sooften the Julio Moretshon choir also rentsout the Hall or church for a series of

rehearsals for a specific presentation. Youmay wonder how the Christ Church choirfits in with all this? Well, choirmaster RuyWanderley rehearses the church’s ownchoir on Sundays, before the 10.30 churchservice. We mustn’t forget the BritishSchool, which also uses the church forteaching music, rehearsing and certainspecific events such as the Christmas CarolConcert.

Many of those who use the church formusical events feel that the visualpresentation would be much enhanced ifthe wonderful stained glass windows behindthe altar could be illuminated at night, asthey are during the day. This meansilluminating from the outside, and thelighting for this sort of illumination is quitespecial, and has to be designed andinstalled by professionals. As readers wellknow, Christ Church started a campaign toraise money this year for this project, andmany donations have already beenreceived.

Last year the church received a verygenerous donation – a new JohannusOrgan, imported from Holland. It wasdonated in memory of Lucy Jackson

Williams, a faithful member of thecongregation during her lifetime, andwhose family still supports the church inmany ways. The organ has never beenofficially inaugurated, so it was decided tohold an organ concert, both to dedicatethe organ and to raise money for theillumination of the stained glass windows.This will take place on 22nd October,starting at 8pm. There will be a shortceremony of dedication of the organ, andthen the SCM choir will open the concertwith Benjamin Britten’s Te Deum in C,accompanied by Inês Rufino on the organ.This will be followed by recitals by four wellknown and talented organists, namelyBenedito Rosa, organist at Rio’sMetropolitan Cathedral; Eugene Gall,organist at the Martin Luther church indowntown Rio; Lys Gazanego, organist inChrist Church for St Lukes, and KlausBraun, organist and teacher at theCorcovado School.

The concert is free, sponsored by membersof the church and community to raisemoney for the illumination project. All arewelcome, and there will be a shortreception in the Jubilee Hall after theconcert.

SportJAYLAN BOYLE

It is hard to miss the fact that football in Brazil is far morethan just a sport. In recent years however, other sports havegained traction in the land of Pelé and Adriano. One suchis rugby union, and those involved with the Rio Rugby Clubcan attest to a growing enthusiasm among locals andexpatriates alike.

One of those heavily involved with spreading the rugbygospel in Rio is New Zealander Dale Smith. By all accountsa talented first five eighth and linchpin of the club’spremier team, his input goes well past the final whistle onSaturday. Smith also manages the club’s website, serves as amember of the controlling committee and is about to stepinto the role of vice secretary. This latest role comes aboutfor Dale as the club goes through big changes.

Though Rio Rugby has been around in one form oranother for 50 years, formalizing what was basically a socialgathering has been hampered by the fact that manymembers were in Rio for only a short time. Two attempts tocreate a legal entity have fallen over in the past, but that’sabout to change. Rio Rugby is weeks away from becoming aregistered club, and this will open all kinds of doors.

“Longevity is the goal this time” says Smith. “We want to puta solid structure in place that will outlive any one of thoseof us who are involved in the club.”

The next step is to hunt down sponsorship dollars, andSmith says that the club’s work in fostering relationshipswith the underprivileged communities in Rio should helpdraw support. There are now plenty of kids representingvarious favelas, running circles around the older membersof the club at Posto 8 (Ipanema beach) on Wednesdaynights, where the non-contact “touch” version of the gamehappens. Some of these youngsters have become stars ofthe team, and may yet go on to higher honours, says Dale.

“The best example of a success story we have is probably‘Caraca’, aka Marcos Paixão. He was twelve when I met him;he’s now seventeen and the same size as me. Last year hejust missed out on the Brazilian Under-Nineteen team, butI think that’s because he really wasn’t prepared for theintensity at that level. That’s something he won’t be caughtout by again, and I think this year we will send down abusload of support for him.”

Young people from challenging backgrounds, like Caraca,are not just getting fit playing for Rio Rugby. Several yearsback a member realized that the ex-pats of the club are in agreat position to help out in a broader sense, and the pre-game English lesson was born, now a Wednesday night staple.

Head coach Alex Vartan knows there are challenges andrewards in teaching a sport that is not ingrained in thenational psyche. “The most rewarding part in coaching isseeing a few of the young guys make it through to theBrazilian squad selections. Others have taken their sportabroad when they go to study and, like myself, found it tobe a fantastic way of meeting a bunch of like-minded guysin any city in the world.” Vartan goes on to echo a

sentiment shared by Rugby clubs globally; “For mepersonally, it will always be more than just a sport.”

To find out more about Rio Rugby, visit the website<www.riorugby.com.br>.

[Jaylan Boyle is Senior Contributing Reporter for the RioTimes<http://riotimesonline.com/news/rio-sports/rugby-in-rio>]

RUGBY IN RIO

17

Rugby on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro

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