Friday 11 May 2012

Equal Opportunities

In yesterday's post about recolha seletiva, I described Flores as an island without newspapers. That's not entirely true. There are, in fact, two monthly newspapers, As Flores and O Monchique. I have to confess I don't buy them with any regularity because you can catch up with news more easily online via Forúm ilha das Flores. And, as regards the non-news articles, I don't find Portuguese an easy read due to their habit of writing in such long sentences that you've forgotten how it began by the time you get to the end. (You think I'm bad?)


However, I came by a free copy of April's O Monchique because José Antônio at the shop used it to wrap a wine glass I'd bought to replace one that got broken (and which, of course, I am precluded by current regulations from recycling). I was intrigued to note from this that, as well as recycling, equal opportunities have arrived on Flores in the form of the annual Miss Flores competition having become, for the first time (I think), Miss & Mister Flores.

According to the report, nine raparigas (girls) and five rapazes (guys) took part and there are 107 photos of them to be seen on Facebook. Below are twelve of the competitors pictured against the backdrop of Flores landmark, the basaltic columns of the Rocha dos Bordões:

Picture credit - Associação Jovens
The winner of the coveted title of Miss Flores was Tamara Sousa:-

Picture credit Associação Jovens
Picture credit Associação Jovens
While the inaugural crown of Mister Flores was carried off by Gustavo Alves:-
Picture credit Associacao Jovens

The grand final of M&M Azores is on Terceira on 27 June. I'll need to break another glass in late July to find out how the Flores team gets on. Let's hope there's a Flores story from the event to report - muito boa sorte pessoal.

Picture credit  Associacao Jovens



1 comment:

Kathie said...

Off-topic re this post, but Flores-related. The below genuine American hero saved the lives of 26 children (as well as his own) back in 1976. My 4th cousin John Vasconcelos (distantly related to Mr. Ray's family) informs me that the Rays' surname was originally "Reis," and that they hailed from Lomba das Flores.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/postgazette/obituary.aspx?n=frank-edward-ray-ed&pid=157682790

FRESNO, Calif. (Associated Press) - Frank Edward "Ed" Ray, a school bus driver who became a hero for helping 26 California students escape after three kidnappers buried them in a storage van in 1976, has died. He was 91.

Ray was the only adult on board when his school bus packed with summer school kids was hijacked near Fresno. They were later buried in the van in a quarry, where Ray led them to safety after he and two older boys dug their way out as the kidnappers slept. No one was hurt.

The dramatic incident made national headlines and was turned into a TV movie, "They've Taken Our Children: The Chowchilla Kidnapping" [...]