Dia Das Criancas

Yesterday was Dia das Criancas which is basically like mother's and father's day...except not. Kids get presents and they basically play all day. So my friend and I went and sat in Campo Grande (this big plaza-oid park) and watched kids play. As you would say mom, it was a HOOT. The vendors had switched their wares for the day and instead of the typical bracelets were hauling around huge fishing nets completely filled with blown up rubber balls. Every color imaginable - including blends of different colors as well. And they were going for pretty cheap too, so EVERY kid had one. They were all bouncing them all around the square so it was basically a bouncy wonderland. And the huge statue of the Indian in the middle of the square became a climbing structure for a day. Usually people stay off the statue and all the little lions and figures decorating it but on Sunday it was the playground of choice.

It was hilarious to watch all the kids playing with the toys they got but to me the coolest thing was watching all the kids who were obviously from very different economic situations play together. There were little kids running around in brand new outfits holding onto new dolls and kicking balls with little boys in worn clothes with a hole in one knee. One little boy in particular (obviously from a poorer home) was kicking his ball as far up into the air as he could and then yelling and running to catch it. A bunch of other little boys got interested and soon there was a pack of little five year olds chasing a big green ball. One would kick it and they all would start screaming and run to get it, dodging popcorn stands and other kids on their new trikes.

Some enterpreneurs had set up trampolines in the playground area of the plaza and were charging um real for a turn at jumping. Since safety rules are decidedly lax here, all three trampolines had at least twenty kids tumbling all over each other. Quite a sight to see.

Also at one point a homeless man came jogging through the square with bags of cans for recycling. He stopped near a little girl (maybe three years ols and dressed entirely in pink) who was bouncing her pink ball, set his bags down and motioned for her to throw the ball to him. She did immediately and he bounced it back, getting her to jump higher and higher every time. Her parents watched from a nearby bench, maybe a little wary, but smiling and laughing as well. After a few minutes he grabbed his bags and trotted off across the plaza, heading out to pick up more trash. But that was a Kodak moment if I ever saw one.