Category: Uncategorized

A beleza nas coisas mais imperfeitas // The beauty in the Imperfections

Quando contamos nossa história e falamos sobre nosso estilo de vida ouvimos 2 tipos de comentários:

When we told our story to family and friends about our proposed lifestyle change here on the farm, we were met with 2 types of responses:

  1. Os românticos- que coisa mais maravilhosa largar tudo e morar no campo. Um dia vou ter coragem de fazer isso também.
  2. Os realistas- vocês são loucos e irresponsáveis. Como vão viver assim? Jamais faria isso.
  1. The romantics, what a wonderful thing, leave all the nonsense behind to live on a farm. One day I’d love to so the same.
  2. The realists – You’re mad and irresponsible, how will you survive like this? Mostly, we’ve heard from the realists more.

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A verdade é que nenhuma das duas visões se aplicam no nosso cotidiano.

The truth is, neither of these opinions apply to our daily life here.

Passamos perrengues, temos um zilhão de dúvidas e questionamentos.

We pass through difficult times in life, it’s normal, and we’re left with a zillion doubts and questions.

Tem semana que o telefone não toca. Não vendemos um pão. Chove muito a estrada fica enterditada, a varanda cheia de lama, o bolo não cresce, e nossas reservas se esgotando.

There are weeks when the phone doesn’t ring, we don’t sell one bread. It rains, and rains and rains and the road ruts and becomes impassable, the veranda is full of mud, the cakes don’t rise and our savings are dwindling.

Ás vezes é um caos que só. Dan fica super irritado e eu choro.

Sometimes, it’s pure chaos. Dan gets stressed, I cry, it’s horrible.

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Então nos lembramos que viver essa experiência foi escolha nossa.  E toda escolha tem renúncia. Quão fortunado somos nós que temos direito de escolha? Muiiiito.

Then we remember that this life experience was our choice and every choice has sacrifices. But we can’t forget that we were lucky enough to be able to have this choice in the first place. Very lucky.

Como faz pra se recompor, centrar e fazer com que as coisas fiquem bem?

How do we do to make sure we stay composed, centered and make sure we focus on keeping things going?

O Dan pedala, faz jardinagem, faz pão… Eu faço um bolo, medito (tento), ajudo no jardim e costuro. E juntos cozinhamos.

Dan rides, he works in the garden, he makes bread… I make a cake, meditate, help in the garden and work on my machine, making home wares and dresses, and we cook together.

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Aos poucos vamos achando o nosso jeitinho de conectar-se com nós mesmos e com o mundo. O alimento tem um poder incrível de conexão. Talvez porque cozinhar faz com que você esteja presente. Vivendo o momento.

Slowly, we’ll find a way to connect better with ourselves and our public. Food is an incredible tool to bring people together, and when you cook, or prepare food, you’re present and in the moment.

E tudo passa. O dia nasce ensolarado, o telefone toca, desbloqueiam a estrada, os amigos nos visitam, tem flor, fruta e comida. É uma alegria que só.

The bad moments pass, they always do. The next day the sun rises, it’s sunny, the phone rings and the road becomes passable, friends visit, the garden is full of flowers, there are fruits on the trees, we have a roof over our head and there is food on the table. 

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img_0677Morando na roça temos aprendido muito sobre horta, orgânicos, alimentação, café, fermentação e tantos outros assuntos que nem imaginávamos um dia saber, mas temos mesmo é aprendido muito sobre nós mesmos.

Living on the farm we have learned so much about the garden, the land, organics, food, coffee, fermentation and so many day to day things its hard to list, but what we have learned more is about ourselves, learning from our mistakes and coming out the other side. 

Aprendendo a ver beleza nos dias cinzas e nas nossas próprias imperfeições.

We are learning to see the beauty on our grey days and in our imperfections.

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Zen AF

To voltando meditar. Recomendações médicas (de 2 anos atrás) e de uma galera que indica pra ajudar na criatividade, foco e outras coisas.

I’m returning to meditation. An alternative Doc gave me some advice 2 years back that I ought to meditate, to help me with my focus, calm and creativity, amongst other things. 

Gente como é difícil.

Sheesh, but it’s difficult, eh?!

Meu amor por yoga é velho, mas é um daqueles amigos que amo, mas não vejo muito. Entende?

My love for yoga goes back some time, it’s like an old friend who you love, but you don’t see that much. 

Eu sei que eu pareço calminha, mas minha mente é muito agitada. É um turbilhão de ideias e pensamentos, sono agitado e por aí vai. Por isso a recomendação médica para ajudar a me centrar e me equilibrar (sim sim… medicina alternativa e muuderninha)

I know I seem like a cool, calm, collected individual, but my mind is very agitated. It is a whirlwind of ideas and thoughts, restless sleep and so on. So it was the Doctor’s recommendation to help balance me. (Yes yes … a modern Doctor, specialising in alternative medicines)..

Taj e eu uma história de amor

Taj e eu uma história de amor

Acordei cedinho, tomei água com umas gotinhas de limão e estendi a canga na grama. Ainda não comprei o colchonetizinho. Já tem uns 5 anos que disse que ia adquirir um, mas fico sempre pensando se vale o investimento. Sigo usando as cangas.

I wake up early, drink some water with lime, recently picked from the orchard, and lay the canga out on the grass. I haven’t bought a mat yet. I’ve been saying for 5 years that I’ll buy one, but I always think, am I ready for this level of investment? 

Tudo certinho pra começar me lembrei que precisava ligar a máquina de lavar porque tinha umas roupas de molho desde ontem. Pronto. Na volta pro meu posto já trouxe o cel pra colocar uma musiquinha.  Pensei na Paula, minha amiga, que me indicou um app que dizem ser muito bom pra auxiliar nas práticas. Chama-se Insight  Timer. Como ainda tinha que fazer download do app resolvi deixar pra próxima e usar umas musiquinhas do Youtube mesmo para guiar.

Everything was ready to start, when suddenly I remembered I had some clothes in the machine that I had forgotten to turn on.. Okay, pop that on. On my return I brought my phone to put on some music to help me focus, I thought about my friend Paula, who indicated an app that was very good for these sorts of things. It was called Insight Timer. As I had to enter the realms of the App Store to get it, I decided to just put some music on from Youtube. 

Agora vai. Sentei. Tentei fazer aquela cruzada borboleta com as pernas, mas não rolou. Fiz uma meia borboleta quase mariposa e fechei os olhos. Ohmmmmm Ohmmmmm De repente um barulhão de motor ligado vindo da casa do vizinho. Ele resolveu cortar a grama. São 07h30 da manhã de sábado, meu amigo. Sério mesmo? Tem gente aqui tentando meditar. Inspira, respira, repete tudo. Não dá. Só consigo me concentrar no cortador de grama do vizinho.

Now we’re good. I’m sitting. I tried to make a butterfly cross with my legs, but I was too stiff. I made a half arsed attempt, like a moth cross, and closed my eyes. Ohmmmm Ohmmmmm.. Suddenly, my recent zen-like-state is interrupted, our neighbor had fired up his lawn mower. He decided to cut his grass, at 7:30 in the morning on a Saturday, my friend.. Seriously?! There are people here trying to meditate!! Breath in, breathe out, repeat over and over. Not gonna work. I can only concentrate on the sound of my lovely neighbour, cutting his grass. 

Bem meditativa

Bem meditativa

ARGHHHHHHH Só tô querendo meditar um pouquinho. Encontrar a paz interior. Com esse barulho não vai rolar não minha gente. Melhor esperar.. Ohms Shanti me dai paciência. Levanto e vou tomar um suquinnnn enquanto espero ele acabar os trabalhos.

ARGHHHHHHH! I just wanted to meditate a little bit! Find my inner peace. With this noise, it’s not going to happen. Better to wait, Ohms Shanti, send me patience.. I got up to grab a juice and wait for him to finish his work. 

Ok. Passou. Volto pra minha posição de mariposa esquisita. Fecho os meus olhinhos e vamos lá. Ohmmmmm… Ohmmmmm. Trinta segundos e senti uma lambida quente no rosto. Ralphhhhhh… Então a Frida e o Ronaldo chegam também. Borá gente, boráááááá tenho que meditar. Me DEIXEMMMMMM, eu grito para os meus amados.

He finished a while later, and I got back into position of the weird moth. Closed my eyes and focused. Ohmmmmm. 30 seconds into my second attempt, in steps Ralph, licking my face and battering my head with his tail, Ralphhhhh! Then arrived Frida and Ronaldo. Leave me! I want to meditate, LEAVE ME I shouted to my loves!

Tudo errado.

All wrong.

Frida<3

Frida<3

Ralphhhh

Ralphhhh

Ronaldoo

Ronaldoo

Lembrei de uma vez que Dan e eu fomos passar um Carnaval da paz em uma pousada zen lá para os lados de Minas Gerais. O dono da pousada todo do amor, falando baixinho, usando roupas brancas e só alimentação vegan. Tudo lindo até que apareceu no jardim um cara acompanhado de seu cachorro pra pedir uma informação. Não podia ter cachorro na pousada. Quando o dono viu o pobre dogzito no jardim o grito ecoou na sala. NÃOOOOOOOOOOO. CACHOOOOORROOOOOO AQUIIIIIII NÃOOOOOOOOOOOO PORRAAAA.

I remembered back to a trip Dan and I took during Carnaval, we stayed in a Pousada that was truly zen like, in Minas Gerais. The owner was this guy, so chill, like he floated on air, wearing his white robes and speaking in a soft, lucid voice so quiet, almost a whisper, all the while serving vegan cuisine and reminding us to breathe. Suddenly, appearing in the garden a lost man with his trusty hound by his side. The owner, broke his role, ran to the door and aggressively swung it open, screaming, No! You can’t be in here with you’re dog you fucking idiot!! I do not lie. 

Zen as f*ck
O cara era esquentadinho, mas o lugar inesquecível

O cara era esquentadinho, mas o lugar inesquecível

Assim fui eu hoje. Tentando encontrar a paz interior e querendo matar todos em volta.

Anyway, that was me today. Trying to find inner peace and wanting to kill my loved ones in the same breath.

Lição apreendida, amigos (espero).

Lesson learned, friends. (I hope)..

Essa história de equilíbrio e paz interior não é moleza não. Vamos continuar praticando.

This story of equilibrium and discovering inner peace, is not easy. So let’s carry on practicing. 

Que sejamos zen e cheios de amor no nosso dia a dia e não só nas salas de yoga<3

Let us be zen and full of love in our daily lives, and not just in the yoga studio <3

Amores

Amores

Agora deixa eu ir dar uma agarro nos meus dogzinhos e gatinhos que estão sempre na paz.

Now I’ll go and hug my furballs, who are, regardless of everything else, always at peace.

Na paz

Na paz

Everyday Should be the International Day of Coffee..

We love coffee, just as much as we love our life here on the farm. So International Day of Coffee started just like any other, a fresh brew pour-over served with sourdough toast, along with the sounds of the birds chirping in the distance. There really is no better way to start the day, surrounded by those you love, drinking what you love and listening to what you love. The natural sounds of life.

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We took a wander down to the oficina, and the darling buds of spring have began to appear. Avocados, limes, mangos and of course, coffee. The trees go brittle and bare during the winter, but Spring has sprung, and leaves, pods, flowers and eventually, beautiful fruits will be graced on those branches. IMG_0387

Here, at Oficina74, we like to think every day as International Coffee Day!

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Building the Dream

The farm has become a construction site. It breaks my heart a little bit to see it like this, but deep down, I know this is what needs to happen now to create the space we have dreamed of in the future.

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We are in Phase 1 of the developments, destroying and rebuilding the old poolside house, an old building comprising of concrete blocks and an old asbestos roof with no windows, into a fully functioning kitchen with a wood oven, bread oven, pizza oven, BBQ and blenders and stand mixer. They’ll be a coffee bar offering chemex, aeropress, french press and hario drip style drinks, espresso drinks, cakes, breads and juices, a large unisex toilet with disabled access, a wood beam and tile roof, large windows for natural light and creating a space that flows and will invite people to come, stay and enjoy our farm.

Destroy, rebuild

It’ll not come easy, though!

Phase 1 also incudes creating paths through the property, so people can walk amongst the orchards, the vegetables, see the food they’re eating being cultivated and prepared. It also includes the rebuilding of an old stable building into the bicycle workshop and creative space. The building of a deck, a reworking of the pool, irrigation systems, shade spots, a fire pit, additional planting of plants to increase the amount of wildlife we receive, improve cross pollination and also create an environment that sustains itself, healthily without the use of agro-toxins.

There is so much to do, it’s overwhelming and terrifying. My Mum is here with us and she has been a huge help in getting things moving, advising us on plants, crops, rotation, what to plant where and what next to. She also paid for the new artesian well and roof structure, something profoundly generous. Thanks, Mum.

Water is one of the biggest issues here, we have a groundwater well, that has, in the past ran dry. During the last 18 months of drought, this has become a daily worry and concern. We are harvesting rainwater and soon, all grey water, too. But still, when we have people here, we cannot have this issue. We also want to increase how much we’re planting, and for this, we need water. The artesian well will go to around 50m and tap the arteries of many of the surrounding aquifers. This will relinquish us from worry and provide natural, clean and abundant water.

Archaic Bruv

Archaic Bruv

All of this work will hopefully be completed in the next 2 months. Tati and I are aiming to start receiving people here in the beginning of the summer, around December, drop in for some sourdough and a cup o’ joe!

Estamos chegando <3

Pour Over

Welcome to Oficina74. Here, among the beautiful surroundings of like minded individuals, we will endeavor to share with you our story, transitioning from the corporate world, towards our dream of opening a micro cafe, bakery and bicycle workshop.

We are Daniel, a 33 year old Brit, and Tatiane, a 30 something Brazilian, both with a passion for life, exploring new ideas, organic farming, baking, and playing on and tinkering with bicycles. Not to mention, music, photographs, reading, learning, creating, hosting, spending time with our wonderful dogs Ralph and Ronaldo, and our dog-like cat, Frida.

The idea stemmed from many long talks in the night between Tati and I, talking about where we really saw ourselves and where we both wanted to be in the years ahead. I have worked for the same company for almost 15 years, and my work here in Brazil has begun to feel disjointed from what I believed it was supposed to be. Projects that benefit communities, work that can be seen and felt, and unknowingly making peoples lives better is what I always saw my work as being. Not serving the upper echelons of society, and where that appreciation will only be met by people whom I have never seen, nor would I ever. It is time, absolutely, for me to change course.

Tati works for a large worldwide corporation and has done so for almost a decade, she has began to feel the same way about her work. We live in a World where mono-culture, capitalism, consumerism and chasing money were at the forefront of almost everybody’s agendas, and she wanted to deviate from that environment, into something natural, close to home, and something we could create and watch grow.

So the idea was born, for Oficina74.

We want to create a community space, one that will invite people in, allow people a space to relax, chat, get to know one another, a starting point for a day out, a bike ride, a walk in to the Serra do Japi in Jundiaí. A place people can walk or cycle to, grab a bite to eat and the best espresso in the City. A space that offers those a place to drink a beer, or take a glass of wine after a hard day at work, a space that invites local artists in to display their work, and offer people a platform to exhibit, talk or have a party.

We want to risk everything to create this place and we want to share it with you, through this blog, and hopefully, ultimately, in person.

Abraços

Dan & Tati