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Grupo Interagir was highly mobilized. I’m living in Rio de Janeiro, 1700 km away from Interagir and the rest of its members. I thought the world social forum would be, at least, a good opportunity to meet the new members, much younger than I, baring 24 full years of existence.
Arriving at Porto Alegre brought a whole lot of memories back. I was really amazed to see how I could remembers the streets, the accent, and the thrill of being at that city, for the world social forum, for about a week.
I arrived early, before anyone else of my organization, with no place to stay the only and desired choice was the Intercontinental Youth Encampment. I got there late on the afternoon, it looked much like the fist camp I saw, only bigger and with outdoors showers. Got my badge and went to find a spot to set up my tent. Paying the full fee to stay there wasn’t a problem, even if I was staying there for just one night. It didn’t took me much time to find a good spot, soon my tent was up and I was ready to make new friends. Accidentally, but very fortunately, one of my neighbors was a good old friend from Brasilia, really nice to meet him again, even if just briefly. My other neighbors were a very diverse group. Its fun to see how you can bond to entirely strangers and share feelings and ideas, all in just a few minutes. I wasn’t alone anymore.
The first night started smooth, went to a party with my new best friends. Music, dance, beer, laugh, looks and thoughts. Hidden and open dialogs, things may not always be what it looks to be. The first night is confusing. Again decisions must be made, really, its never easy. The first night brought it all up again, I was at world social forum. Being my self is easy, hard is to stay the same.
Good Morning, sunny, windy and warm. Exited, my old best friends are arriving. Today I leave the camp and move to an apartment, a bit of comfort is always good.
While in bed I’m still confused, last night’s decision weren’t made yet. I better get up, have to pick up one of my old best friends at the central station, we would be together again, for about a week.
Every one is arriving and I’m packing my tent, leaving the camp with all the decisions made and ready to meet the new members of Interagir. This year we come in 12, I haven’t meet many of them yet, but I’m sure we will be best friends in about a week. Somehow we’re all together now, don’t remember exactly how it happened, don’t even remember heaving breakfast, I’m sure I ate something. Its evening and we’re all at the apartment. Feels good to be home, that’s how I’d call that place for the next days, for about a week.
On the fist day its all different, we don’t have that urban academic atmosphere anymore, its spread all around the city, at the park, the docks, somewhere near a mall. My guts say I will be walking a lot during the forum. It doesn’t matter, I’m not in the real world anymore, I’m living the another possible world. First morning, first afternoon first evening, can’t describe it all, thousands of people walking down Porto Alegre avenues, music, flags, laughs, it was easy to feel happy there. The atmosphere was contagious, I have no idea of how many kilometers we walked, the important is that I wasn’t walking alone. We walked all the way to the city’s outdoors amphitheatre, Pôr-do-Sol or sunset as you’d say. There a big music concert was waiting for us, in completely disregard to the exhaustion we felt after the walk, it doesn’t matter, we can try a bit harder, but maybe not for long, for about a week.
The following days are just the same, same feelings everyday. The sun is up until 9pm every day, how did that happen? Guess its customary at this another world. Workshops after workshops, my organization alone is presenting three. The sun burns our skin on the long walks from K to A, those rooms are really hot. I saw my old camp neighbors a few times, things changed, but not much. Meeting people is always a trill, an anthropological experience, a friend would say. If you don’t have friends you can’t say we, just I, and I’m tired of saying that. We must go on. Again the next few days aren’t full of surprises, not that they were boring, no. The forum is a learning journey, and I apologize for borrowing the term a friends project, the opportunity to learn are endless, for about a week.
Ok, its time to go. I’m really lucky to be part of Grupo Interagir, we are such a diverse group, such a creative group, such a fun and caring group. That’s why its hard to say goodbye, even if its more like a ‘see you soon’. Its never easy, after all, we’re leaving the small world created to last for about a week. We begin to leave, one by one, or in pairs, we leave, and soon I’m alone again. Another night is required for me, can’t leave right now. No, I really want to leave, just can’t find transportation. 150.000 people got in, 150.000 must get out, you can imagine the chaos.
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Diogo Andre
I usually write stuff when I'm high on caffeine.
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