chronicle I

C’EST JOLIE, LA SOCIOLOGUE*

by ronaldo duran**

IF I’m yawning is for heat. It may seem ill-humor of European, but is not. The phrase the heat is stiff I have listened many times in these three days in Sao Paulo. The FIRST SEMINAR ON HOMELESS CHILDREN provides an overview of the Brazilian reality. I received the invitation from one of my former graduate student and wanted to repay the kindness to have had several Brazilian students in my more than ten years as a professor at the Sorbonne. I thought about the emotion that is visiting the land of myths Florestan Fernandes and Milton Santos, too.

DEFINITELY, the heat softens me.

SUDDENLY, she stood up and walked to the audience. It was her turn to. She draws my attention from an unusual way. I have my sexual instinct but I have seldom observed the body of a female lecturer. I take my work very seriously, and I never missed the respect with women into my job. But she hugged me the soul. Perhaps it is her brown skin? Or her sensual body? Who knows the unpretentious sensuality in her speak?

MAYBE it is guilt of Jorge Amado. Six months ago, I got in reading of the ingenious Baiano, creditable spokesman for Brazilian culture, which is a lovely mixture among black, Indian, white and Asian. Would it be the personification of Gabriela Cravo Canela the girl who I see?

I try to get away of my traditional bad-humor Foucault, giving a pause for the gramscinism that dominates my thinking on normal days. The red blouse combines with the delicate shoes, a simple hairdo. It seems that the pants falls as gloves in their beautiful curves. I’d rather be positivist than negativist in front of her.

IN Brazil I was delighted. I've never considered it as a sexual tourism. On the contrary, I love those nice, warm people.

I’M feeling unfair. She is doing her best to present the scientific work, which probably took a lot of nights. And, with the little encouragement given in Brazil, it is easy to imagine how she has suffered. And I here looking at her curves. I feel dishonest. I try to divert the eyes. I try to focus on the statistical tables, on explanation accurate. I can't. My vision is dragged to her body. The situation is annoying.

SHE is the Iracema so well written by José de Alencar. C’est jolie, la sociologue. Thank you Brazil by giving this toast to the humanity: the beauty hand in hand with sociological harshness. La jeune femme, c’est une lune éclatante. Je m’écorche mon coeur. The presentation ended. I did not dare to look at in her buttocks. I would rather save the lively picture of her exposure, sitting or standing, whenever she yelled on social injustice, without smothering her being female.

* translated by American teacher from Portuguese C'est Jolie, La Sociologue.

* Novelist, he contributes with chronicles in newspapers every week. Contact: ronaldo@ronaldoduran.com