Caldas Late Night

Since 1997 the students of ESAD (art and design school), have started an alternative project to the regular students parties – Caldas Late Night – with lots of artistic activities, and experimental and free subjects, based on the quality of the students work and a deep critical sense implied.

Caldas Late Night is about sharing, it’s spread all over the city, and by the own students houses. And each one shows their own perspective about this event. The students can use all kind of artistic ways to show their work, like: acoustics, silent, instrumental, theatre, graphic, exhibition, performance, and others.

At the beginning it was just one night in May, but since 2004 its all week, but the big night it’s always on Friday. In this big night people start to check things out all over the city at 7pm, at 1 am they all gather in a square with some pubs, at 3am everyone is at school to start a big big party, with 3 different kind of music, lots of drinks and some food also. And at 7am the party is over and everyone goes to bakeries to eat something before sleep.

This was my last year as a student…at least, I hope so! I also did something in this event, as soon as possible I will put it here, so you can see it. But here it is some things that happened in those nights.

Someone’s flat with drawings in the wall and a mail box (correio) with a green light.

A coffee balcony all covered with flowers.

Some electronic spiders with their nets… a dangerous room :)

A strange strange guy cover himself all over with chocolate and there was fruit, cream and coco, so you could make your chocolate fondue… but that was too disgusting for me!

This is permanent, it’s painted in one of our streets and I love it, a friend took a picture, so now here it is. It says: with this, John became a better man… and this opened the doors to his happiness. (he says) Thank you, Lídia, without you I had poisoned myself with rage. (she answers) Oh, John! I always had faith in you, honey!

Three chicks dancing on the top of three high chairs.

People watching something not so interesting in a small place.

This is the statue of one of our queens, and next to it is a paper king and you could climb and put your face in the hole. It was called “king for one day”.

There were several bands playing in the street or in specific points in the city. There was also this opera concert inside a small chapel, the girls didn’t sing, but the guy was amazing

Some friends made silhouette of stripers, dogs, little child’s, bicycles… and they put them in traffic signs as you can see. They put the stripper in the best place… where the old men spend their days… they were crazy about it, and in the end of the night the stripper was gone.

"Rasganço"

Here in Coimbra we have one of the oldest universities in the world, it was established in 1290. There are old traditions and some stupid ones as well. But this one that I’m going to talk about is funny, at least I think so. There is a typical suit for students, but it’s really a suit, it’s completely different from Finland (the Finnish one looks like a metal worker suit, but with different colours).

Finnish suit for students

This suit was created so the poor and the rich students could be evaluated in the same conditions, only about their knowledge. And students used to use the suit every day. But now most people just use it for the big party in the end of the academic year. This party it’s called “Queima das Fitas”, in English it’s “Burn the Ribbons” and it’s a symbolic act to finish studies, something like graduation day. It starts in the first Thursday night of May, at midnight, so it’s more like Friday, with a big “Serenata” (it’s typical “Fado” songs, made about love, to sing for girls, while they are on the window, and the boys down in the street with a guitar) and this guys are singing it in the front door of the oldest church in Coimbra, and all the 35 000 students around watching in silence. After this night there are eight nights of concerts in a proper place, lots of sport competitions and a big big parade with more then 100 trucks all covered in flowers with students on the top and giving free beer and food for everyone. This is the party where more beer is drunk in the whole world, even more than in beer party.

So after you finish your studies, you don’t need your suit anymore… soooo… they tear it apart. Girls only can be tear by girls, and boys by boys, but everyone could watch it. They make this in the main street of the university and they throw the pieces of fabric to the trees near. Usually boys end up naked, running after the guy who was the only piece that is not torn. Girls can keep some of their cloths, and it depends on the girl if she wants to be more or less dressed in the end. This “ritual” is called “Rasganço” in English something like “Torn”.

So I will put here, some photos and also a video. If you have some doubts just ask.

Carla and Carolina before... this is the typical suit

Carla and Marta before

Marta after

Marta after

all the girls after

Happy Birthday Jasmin!

Happy Birthday honey! where it is, the video i made for you!

I wish you a great day, and also a great next year of life. I love you, ma petite Jasmin!