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Surprising Sushi design Championship in Gaia

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 I had a fun serendipitous occasion yesterday -- I chanced to buy a different newspaper on Monday, and in that paper a small article caught my eye: "European Championship of Sushi tomorrow at Quinta do Jordão" ... I had never heard of either, but I looked up the Quinta, and just see a simple webpage advertising a wedding venue.  hmm. I was free yesterday afternoon and not far from the Quinta, so I took a couple of bus rides and a 10-minute google-maps-directed walk to find a small dirt road with a small sign to the Quinta (it's in the middle of the city!).  No human being in sight.  I walk several minutes down this narrow dirt road which then opens up to a rough garden area, then a large dirt parking lot filled with cars.  Still no people in sight.  I walk through the parking lot, up into a manicured garden, down an allée, finally see a large tent with some guys hanging out at the entrance.  Nobody pays attention to me.  I walk in to find a stock business-conference setup, with a few vendors on one side, and a table with wine, glasses, and fancy snacks on the other side.  Still nobody pays any attention to me.  I walk in further to find the sushi competition:  10 tables with sushi chefs furiously designing their "freestyle" sushi display, several videographers roaming around, along with an announcer blabbing, mostly in English.  I picked a seat, then chatted with some neighbors--in English with a couple of Nepali restaurant-workers there to cheer on their chef, and in French with a French woman there for mysterious reasons.  The sushi chefs came from 10 different countries, apparently each the winner of their competition.  Apparently this competition started a few years ago in France, and it's connected to a particular master chef in northern Japan who demonstrated his skill after the freestyle event, while the judges were determining the winner (it was the Spanish woman!).  Unfortunately we did not get to eat any of the fancy sushi; it was only for decoration.  The sponsoring rice company made some quick simple sushi wraps, of which I ate a couple.  I also had some of the snacks and a glass of white wine.  After the award ceremony I was the first to leave, and received a gift box of several rice varieties and a chopping board, for all the attendees!  I walked the long way out, evidently before any of the attendees' cars...I walked another ten minutes to the Arrabida Shopping Mall, surprisingly close by.  There I took some time to renegotiate our internet/phone contract, then went home with my heavy box of rice(s).   

Check out the shared photo album.

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