Avalon

Desfile nos Highland Games / Parade

Os brasileiros me disseram que, no dia seguinte, haveria um evento imperdível em Forres: os Highland Games, que celebram a tradição e cultura céltica. Acabei indo sozinha mais cedo pois as pessoas tinham aulas até as cinco horas. Embarquei na van que fazia transporte gratuito entre Cluny Hill e a Fundação, e não foi preciso andar muito para localizar o evento no parque próximo à Pedra das Bruxas.

My Brazilian friends were talking about the Highland Games which were taking place the next day in Forres, unmissable, for It’s an event celebrating Scottish and Celtic culture and heritage. Eventually I went alone, earlier, because people had classes until 5pm. I took the free shuttle to Cluny Hill and dropped off in the park in Forres, near the Witches Stone, where the Games were going on.

Arremesso de martelo (que devia pesar duas toneladas) / Hammer throw

A área estava cercada para os jogos com uma lona em toda sua extensão e a entrada custava cinco libras, mas um pouco adiante havia um pedaço rasgado e algumas crianças brincavam de passar de um lado para o outro. Quando me aproximei, uma delas olhou bem para mim, fez um gesto me chamando e disse: Vem! Obedeci rapidamente, com satisfação.

The area was isolated by a tarpaulin all around it and the entrance fee costed 5 pounds. So I took a walk around it and found a place where the tarpaulin was torn and some kids were playing, running inside/ outside. When I approached them, a boy took a good look at me and said “Come!”, making a gesture for me to follow him, what I did at once, gladly.

Arremesso de peso em altura / Weight over the bar, also known as weight for height

Lá dentro havia pula-pula, tobogã e outros brinquedos infláveis, barraquinhas vendendo comida, bebida e objetos usados na tenda da Caridade. As provas da competição eram dignas de Asterix e Obelix, e os competidores pareciam mesmo os invencíveis gauleses. Infelizmente já tinha terminado a que eu mais queria ver, o “Caber Toss”, na qual os competidores tinham de sair correndo segurando um tronco gigantesco e arremessá-lo para o alto de tal forma que ao tocar o chão tivesse dado uma volta completa no ar. Achei uma foto na Wikipedia.

There was playground with inflatable toys, carts selling food, drink and a Charity Thrift Tent. The games were worthy of Asterix and Obelix, and the players definitely looked like the invincible Gauls. Unfortunately what I wished to watch the most was over: the Caber Toss. A long tapered pine pole or log is stood upright and hoisted by the competitor who balances it vertically holding the smaller end in his hands (see Wikipedia photo below). Then the competitor runs forward attempting to toss it in such a way that it turns end over end with the upper (larger) end striking the ground first.

Caber Toss

Concurso de bandas de gaita de foles / Pipe Bands competition

Ri bastante desses caras, verdadeiros armários, de Kilt.
These big guys looked funny indeed in kilts. Ooooops!

Adorei a Escócia. Na volta, havia um grupo de velhinhas no ponto de ônibus. Perguntei qual deveria tomar para chegar à Fundação, mas nenhuma delas sabia. Porém me disseram para esperar. O ônibus delas parou, uma foi falar com o motorista, voltou com a informação, que me fez repetir para certificar-se que eu entendera e por fim embarcou. Agradeci muito, e quando o ônibus arrancou, todas as velhinhas estavam acenando pela janela, me dando tchau, todas  sorridentes. Muito fofas! Quase chorei.

I was in love with Scotland. Later in the afternoon, in a bus stop, I asked a group of fluffy old ladies which number was the bus to the Foundation and none was quite sure, but they told me to wait a while, for their bus was approaching and when it came to a halt one of them talked to the driver and came back with the information. She bade me repeat it to be sure I had understood before boarding, what I did and thanked her gratefully. When the bus took off, all the ladies were at the windows waving me goodbye, smiling so sweet that tears came to my eyes.

Concurso de danças típicas / Traditional Dance Competition

Corrida / Running

Entrega de prêmios / Awards delivery

Concentração / Concentration

Juiz adormecido / The sleeping referee

À noite haveria um baile na Fundação, pelo qual todos esperavam ansiosamente. Um grupo grego chamado Xenos iria tocar. Fiquei pensando como entrar sem pagar as cinco libras do ingresso. Mas não havia ninguém por perto com autoridade para me liberar a entrada em troca de algum trabalho, então fui sondar o Universal Hall, onde iria ser a festa. Tinha uma entrada principal, uma nos fundos que dava para os camarins, e um corredor entre o palco e o salão. E lá, num canto, estava…  uma vassoura! Peguei e comecei a varrer. Primeiro, toda a entrada e área em volta. Depois, a entrada dos fundos, por fim o corredor. Quando não restava uma folhinha sequer no chão, surgiu na minha frente um dos diretores, que olhou bem em volta e perguntou-me se eu tinha combinado com não sei quem de fazer a limpeza em troca do ingresso. Abri a boca meio sem saber o que dizer, mas ele não esperou pela resposta. Falou que a tal pessoa precisara se ausentar, mas que eu tinha feito um “excelente trabalho” e deveria entrar naquele momento, porque o espetáculo estava para começar. Guardei a vassoura e obedeci.

There was a ball in the Foundation that night, with live music played by a Greek band, Xenos, and people were so excited about it. I was wondering if there was some work I could do in exchange for the ticket. It costed 5 pounds and there was no one around who could help me, so I headed to Universal Hall, where the party was to take place. There was a main entrance, a back door to the dressing rooms and a corridor opening to the stage and to the ballroom. There, in a corner, leaning against the wall, was… a broom! I grabbed it and started sweeping the floor, first all around the main entrance, then all around the back door and when I was about to finish with the corridor, not a single leaf left on the floor, a door opened right in front of me and through it came one of the directors. He saw what I had done and asked if I had made an arrangement with a certain woman about it. I’d never actually seen her, and opened my mouth not sure about what to say, but he didn’t wait for my answer. He told me the lady had left earlier, but I had done an “excellent job” and should now go to the ballroom because the show was about to start. So I kept the broom and obeyed him.

Danças Sagradas Circulares, algo além da minha capacidade de coordenação motora.
Circular Sacred Dances, something I had never enough motor coordination skills to perform.

No início, me animei. O grupo tocava música folclórica, meio cigana; saí dançando e as pessoas entraram no clima. Em minutos, todos estavam em transe rodopiando pelo salão, sorrindo e suando em bicas. Contudo, pouco depois comecei a achar a música repetitiva e, por fim, chata mesmo. Tinha uma moça tocando uma cornetinha que já estava me irritando. Em determinado momento, saí discretamente e fui dormir.

At first I was pretty high spirited. Xenos played folk music, kind of gipsy tunes, and when I started dancing people joined in the mood. In a little while they all looked like crazy whirling dervishes, smiling, sweat running down their hair, faces and bodies. Later, however, I realized the music was repetitive and a few minutes more, I was definitely fed up of that girl playing an irritating bugle, so I left the place unnoticed and went to bed.

Eileen Caddy

Fiquei sabendo que haveria uma excursão à ilha de Iona, que confundi com Mona, esta no País de Gales, onde ficava a mais importante escola dos druidas, último a ser arrasado pelos romanos. Porém o ônibus estava cheio, não consegui lugar. Assim sendo, deixei um recado para Melissa no quadro de avisos da recepção agradecendo a força e voltei para Inverness. Antes, porém, consegui visitar e fotografar Eileen Caddy, uma das fundadoras de Findhorn, uma senhora fofa que aos 88 anos continuava escrevendo mensagens espirituais diárias ditadas pelas divindades. Pedi sua bênção antes de me despedir, e fiz isso em boa hora: ela veio a falecer no ano seguinte, dia 13 de dezembro de 2006.

I was told there would be a tour to Iona, which I mistook for Mona, this one in Wales, where the most important druid school had been, the last to stand against the Roman ravage. But the coach was full, there was not one single seat left for me. So I left Melissa a note in the wall at the reception, thanking her for having helped me and took the road back to Inverness. Before that, however, I had the chance to pay a visit and take a picture of Eileen Caddy, one of Findhorn’s founders, a sweet old lady that, at the age of 88, was still engaged in writing down daily spiritual messages under divine guidance. I was given a blessing before saying goodbye, and that came in good time, for she passed away the following year, in December 13, 2006.

Adeus, Findhorn. Aprendi muita coisa aqui.
Farewell, Findhorn. I learned so much in here.

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