Running (Away From Carnival)

Carnival. A Roman Catholic festive season, which happens right before Lent (which begins on Ash Wednesday, and only ends either on Holy Thursday or on Holy Friday). Traditionally, people celebrate Carnival with circus-like parades and masquerades. You know, I enjoy the idea of  masquerades - so medieval! And one of the things I'd love to see is the Carnival of Venice. Those masks and costumes are simply wonderful!

Instead, I'm stuck here with Brazilian Carnival. I know, I know, I sound awfully like a cranky old lady... I'm just not a big fan of the whole thing. I bet it's a hell of a spectacle for foreigners, but when you get to see that year after year... I do like watching the samba schools parade on tv, it's gorgeous. And, on top of that, the entire country stops dead right where they are. Forget work, college, deadlines... those words disappear from our vocabulary when Carnival is on! So thanks to that, I didn't teach yesterday nor today (yup, I teach on Saturdays as well...); next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will be simply devoted to drinking on every corner in every goddamn town! Rio de Janeiro becomes this huge bacchanalia - a figure of speech, of course. 

But you know what? People always expect me to go out there, drink my ass off, hook up with strangers and be a part of block-parades - their excuse? I'm young, I should live it up! Wtf?... I like drinking, fine; but the idea of hooking up with pple I've never met before in block-parades (which means drunk mobs)... hmmm... not so much, no. Not to mention the horrible traffic jams, you can't go anywhere without stumbling  across a street parade. Hence, I ran off to the mountains, to the city I grew up in, and will be in hiding till it all comes back to normal.

Does that make me too much of an elderly?...