As I have mentioned, I live directly on the side of a favela (my window provides a panoramic view). A favela is another word for slum, project, illegal housing. My window opens to a giant view of the favela. Most places in the world, slums and favelas are considered 'dangerous' places to be live, but in Brasil it is considered a 'dangerous' thing to live NEAR a favela. This is because, on occasion, the Military Police send troops into the favela to fight druglord factions that reside within, and the favela can become similar to a war zone.
Until today, I dismissed this 'danger', as I live a good 50 feet from the bottom of the favela, and on the 10th floor of my building, and 99% of people living in the favela are just hardworking poor people. Today things changed.
At about 9am this morning, I was slowly coming out of a deep sleep, thinking with annoyance "why are there helicopters in my room". Oh... go away helicopters, I'm sleeping. BANG. BANG BANG. BANG.
I have many times feared I was hearing gunfire in the favela, when in reality it was a car backfiring, fireworks, or another harmless noise.
BANG BANG BANG. BANG. BANG.
This was no mistake. This sound shook my windows and echoed around my apartment. I got up and ran to my window, thinking this can't be happening. There were two helicopters circling right outside my window, using oversized automatic rifles to shoot at unidentified targets. I hit the ground, half-pulled on some shorts, and duck/covered my way onto the other side of the apartment, the repeated bangs echoing around the house.
BANG. BANG BANG BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG.
I sat in the living room with two roomates as we listened to the gunfire. I ran back into the room to grab my camera. I shot video out of a window away from the favela, and saw the helicopters circling and firing. All in all there were about 30 - 40 shots from various sounding guns.
Eventually, the firing subsided, and I went back into my room, grabbed my video camera, and filmed the next 30 minutes out my window, as the helicopters continued to circle, twice dropping off and picking up two police on the roof of a home in the favela; as military police walked into the favela, and as eventually everyone left, with teenaged-looking police walking the streets with assault rifles and stopping to have a drink. See the video below.
The whole time, I felt very sad, because not only do I know every time I hear a bang, that a human is being shot at with the intention of killing, but that this whole production is a result of poverty. I am still shaken from hearing those shots, and I can't imagine what life is like for the people who live in the favela with their families and children, hearing those shots and knowing the bullets are heading in their direction. As much as I fear and loath the police, I respect that they are only doing their job (a job for which they are very poorly paid), and I feel sorry for the danger that they are also in.
Hopefully someday I will be in a position to do something to right these social injustices. For now, this is just one more experience that tells me I need to get serious about my life.
After exactly 4 months in Brasil, I will be returning to San Diego on August 20th.
I recently made the discovery that I had gone over the limit on one credit card by about $1000 (which I have to pay back immediately), and simultaneously had neglected to pay a different credit card bill last month, putting me in a situation where I am having to pay nearly $2000 in debt this month, wiping out my savings.
To compound the situation, Delta explained that changing the date on my return ticket to San Diego would entail more then $1000, and the cost of the whole ticket was only $800.Not a good deal when I am struggling for money.My only option would be to cancel the return ticket and hope to save up enough money to purchase a new one in the future.
SO after a few days of crying and stressing and feeling worse then I have felt in several years, I made the realization that skipping my return flight and staying here in Brasil would be extremely risky, the risk being that if I do not find substantial work IMMEDIATELY, I will be unable to pay my rent / bills / eat. As rough and tumble as I have let my life become the last 2 years, not being able to pay the bills is something that is terribly frightening to me.
In the past two years, I have slept on couches (and stranger places) for countless nights, gone without food, without water, without being clean... I have had an AK-47 muzzle in my gut, nearly crashed while riding many a car/bus/van/motorcycle, heard "Good morning passengers, we will be leaving the gate about 30 minutes late this morning due to a maintenance issue with one of the engines, we appreciate your patience" over the loudspeaker of an intercontinental jet... I have been broke, been divorced, been pulled over at least 4 times (didn't get a ticket on any of them!)... Despite all this, I have never feared for my future until the moment that I realized how much money I owed this month and how hard it would be for me to get more work here.
Sooooo.... it is with heavy heart I that I will return to San Diego. But, maybe this was meant to be. Directly prior to my debt discovery, I watched two films relating to Africa, and had a sudden moment of clarity: the contrast between my plans and future outlook when I graduated from college (before Kenya 06, Kenya 07, and Brasil 07), and my future outlook now. When I graduated in 2006, I planned to save the world, create my own non-profit, change hearts and minds across the West, be someone BIG. Now, here I am, in a place I absolutely LOVE, but without the ability to take care of myself, much less help the people around me. My life here is focused on making enough money to survive and having enough time to enjoy it. This is not the selfless life of worldly change-making I had envisioned just two short years ago.
So I dwelled on this idea for some time, asked my self my usual "If I died today would I be happy/satisfied/proud of where I am at". The happy part stood true, but not much else. So, I thought about the past two years, about the tormenting final months of co-habitating in a dead relationship, about my first eye-opening and life changing trip to Kenya, about working with homeless youth and getting my first taste of a full-time job, about supporting myself with independent work for a year, going to Kenya a second time and getting a WHOLE lot more eye-opening, coming to Brasil for the first time and experiencing a wild and carefree life, and finally spending the last 4 months in Brasil. I think all of these things have pushed me quite far into a 'live-for-the-moment' mindset, and quite possibly driven me a bitcrazy. I have definitely become addicted to change and adventure, and I fear that that has overtaken my sensibilities.
I would not change a moment of the last 2 years, but I think that the era of adventure must come to an end.
Or, does it have to end? I think I will begin a different kind of adventure. This new adventure will involve the same goals I had when I graduated college and after I returned from Kenya the first time (to save the world). But with a less dreamy attitude and a more serious approach. I finally realized I can't accomplish my goals without the proper tools. So, I will apply to GRAD SCHOOL for a degree in International Developement. I figure I have the motivation and passion to make a difference, but not the experience or education to effectively accomplish anything (including get a good job in a real development NGO!). Moreover, I will apply for Grad School outside of California, specifically in Washington, DC, the world headquarters of International Development, government, all that good stuff. My goal will be to aquire a masters degree that will provide me with the credentials to apply for big-boy international developement jobs, and get internships during the length of the masters program that will give me experience and contacts for being successful.
When I return to San Diego, I thankfully have an opportunity to go nearly full-time with one of my website jobs, which should provide sufficient income for me to get started again. Obviously, I also have the opportunity to see family and friends that I have missed the past 4 months. I also have an opportunity to live my life in San Diego differently then I was before I left for Brasil. Needless to say, my heart is broken. I LOVE Brasil. I love the people of Brasil, most of all. I love the people I meet here who aren't Brasillian. I LOVE my quasi-family in Sao Paulo. I love Rio especially. I love the lifestyle. Leaving here will be especially hard because I do not know when I will be able to return for any substantial amount of time. But I will. This is where my heart is.
(Another update about the final 3 weeks of Brasil to come soon)
So I haven’t touched this thing in more then 8 weeks...
WHY? Did I have a debilitating accident that left me unable to type (or remember)? Did I fall in love and forget the rest of the world? Did I stop working and start living on the beach? Did I have a month and a half without any stories????
The last is the closest to the truth (I definitely have not fallen in love…) and although I have been plenty busy the last 8 weeks I can’t really express a specific story that illustrates what I have been doing. The first two week of June I stayed at the Funky Flat, worked, went out at night, met new people, and just lived a pretty normal life. The third week of June I spent in SP working during the day and meeting up with friends at night! The final week of June and first week of July I spent in Salvador, Bahia, which I will recall below, and the 3rd week of July I spent back in Sao Paulo. I am now back in Rio in a new apartment.
In this 'blog' entry, I talk about being quasi-homeless, being accosted by crack-addicted street youth, love and sex in Brasil, my encounter with the Federal Police of Brasil, my Português skills, AND what the hell I am going to do now!
Enjoy!
On Shaky Ground: Instability
So my time here in Brasil might sound like heaven, and it is pretty close, but I have had one problem, and that is a complete lack of stability. When I first arrived in Rio, I was unable to find a place for myself, so I got a temporary vacation apartment with Thomas from France, but we both knew it probably wouldn’t work out for more then a month. In the first week of June, Thomas found a room in another apartment, and I began looking for an available room in Rio. I found a lot of rooms but none of them worked out. The middle of the second week of June, I got a call from the woman renting out the room to Thomas, saying that she had another room available for me on June 20th. I met with her, and we agreed that I would come back the next day and pay deposit. The next day, I slept through our meeting to do the deposit, but I talked to her and she said I could just come the next day and pay. So I sat pretty for 2 days thinking I had a place to stay, knowing that in 3 days my time in the Funky Flat would be over. The night I was supposed to move from the Funky Flat to the new place, I called over to the new place to confirm that I was coming over, and found out that the woman had rented the room to another person who paid the deposit just a few hours earlier. Long story short, I was out of luck. So, I packed up my bags, dropped them off at a friend’s house, and got on a bus back to Sao Paulo to stay with the fam in relative security and comfort (see picture)! Anyhow, I have been between Rio and SP so much I haven’t been able to settle down.
Secondly, one of my two jobs, the better paying one, is pretty much disappearing. The new owners are simultaneously transforming many parts of the business and passing all of my normal responsibilities to a friend of theirs. Within the next month or two I don’t believe I will have much income from them. Therefore, I will be left with my other company, which pays half what I normally make, but has a pretty steady stream of work. I also plan to search around through contacts and the internet for more similar work, and figure out if there is a way for me to make money here in Brasil. I think I will be able to work it out, but it has been stressful not knowing if my income will sufficient in the coming months. I am forging ahead with the spirit that things will work out!
UPDATE: The person who placed the deposit on the room before me has apparently contracted cancer (quite tragic of course, seriously) and will be leaving the apartment, and the owner of the apartment contacted me and offered me the room. I accepted and paid the deposit. I will be staying at the apartment with Thomas and some other random people. This should work out for a while. Unfortunately, the room will not be available until July 22, so I stayed on the floor of the living room for the few days since I returned from Salvador. I returned to Sao Paulo for 1 week, and am now back in Rio in my new room. Very cool. The first picture in this blog is my view out the window: the favela of Morro do Cantagalo...!
Salvador of Bahia + Pelorinho
So, Salvador was, for most of my time there, not what I expected. I stayed in Pelorinho, the ‘Old Town’ of the city, with lots of cute old buildings, historic churches and museums, a million tourist crap stores, and an army of crack-addicted street youth begging, harassing, and trying to sell stuff. When I arrived, I planned to stay in a hostel but spend a lot of time with CouchSurfers, but as things went I got comfortable hanging out with some very cool people I met in the hostel and we spent most of our time in the neighborhood. I really enjoyed my time with these hostel buddies, but I didn’t see much of the culture of Salvador. One of my major concerns about this area were the massive amount of first-hand stories I heard from people about being robbed on the street, and the obvious aggressiveness of the street youth. My first week there, as we exited the hostel, a particular youth who always hung out around and harassed hostellers approached my friend and began yelling him about something, then punched my friend in the face. My friend reacted by slapping him and pushing him back. The youth began yelling that he was going to wait for us and kill us when we came back. We ignored him, and he continued to walk behind us threatening, and we ended up approaching police to explain the situation, for which of course they did nothing. Another occasion, I witnessed a police officer confiscating a knife from a 7 year old. One of my final nights, I ended up yelling at a kid who was foaming at the mouth and crying and would not stop following us and pulling on my arm. These incidents were constant and quite draining, and I would not recommend for anyone who is not well traveled and used to dealing with these kinds of things to stay there.
Thankfully, my second week I stayed at another ‘hostel’, one that was really just a big building with many rooms and many beds. It was very bohemian, and most of the people staying there were long-term travelers who cooked together and hung out at night. I also met some very nice people there.
My final night in Salvador, a bunch of us went to a street concert (one of the things Pelorinho is known for). The concert was very cool, and afterward we started walking in the street. At some point, we came across a band of African drummers who were walking down the street, and we began following behind them, dancing in the street with 100s of other people. After they finally stopped, we went into a big bar with free live music, to which we danced to for a few hours. When that was finished, we went back into the street to another open bar where we spent sometime drinking and talking until 4am. A fun, Salvadorian night indeed. Finally, what I expected! I do plan to return to the North of Brasil and travel to more authentic places when I have the chance.
Girls Girls Girls.... Of Love and Lust In Brasil
You know it is a good night when you and some friends are at a bar in Salvador and you are talking to a Brasillian girl, but you get distracted and begin talking to a Columbian girl who is trying to copy your fake Samba dancing, and then have to tell your friend you are busy when he repeatedly tells you to come over and talk to the Italian girls. Let’s get down to the point that so many people ask me about. Brasil is stereotypically know for a lot of things, and I think one of them is social relations between men and women. Brasillian people, and especially Brasillian women, are very passionate, but I feel that the open, friendly, live-for-the-moment Brasillian culture facilitates a romantic environment in which it is often much easier for men and women, Brasilians and foreigners alike, to connect. I would liken it to the pleasure-seeking, don’t ask don’t tell stereotype of Las Vegas mixed with the romantic atmosphere of a wedding, where everyone thinks they could fall in love. I think this is also applicable in many other Latin American people, as although culturally they might not be as live-for-the-moment and sexually-liberal as Brasil, they are still very passionate. Anyhow, needless to say that not a night-out (and often a day-out) goes by without meeting someone new, and this has provided with plenty of time to research the subject. Actually, I am considering writing an account of my experiences and thoughts and trying to publish it. My theories, analysis, generalizations, and conclusions are summarized henceforth.
(Obviously my observations are from my point of view as a young-male, as I have very little direct experience as a young-woman in Brasil):
Young Brasillian men are reputed to be aggressive in their pursuit of a female mate, which is evidenced in the many many many many men you will see in a bar trying to grab a girls hand as she walks by, approaching a woman from behind and whispering in her ear, approaching a women from the front and telling her how beautiful she is and immediately trying to kiss her, approaching a women who is quite obviously with another guy, staring and starting and staring at a women (as opposed to coyly glancing), and a multitude of other activities that would not fly in the US. With this in mind, the young Brasillian women, by the age of 18, has generally built up quite a shell to deflect these maneuvers, and has no problem ignoring or even defending herself against the Brasillian boys. This would seemingly cause a problem for such a polite and respectful individual as myself, since you would think the weapons of word and flattery would not work against the hardened steel attitude of the girls. This is half-correct. Although the Brasillian girls are seemingly immune to the aggressiveness of the boys, in reality they are often somewhat insecure and actually enjoy the boost in self-esteem from the boy’s attempts, and will get sad if no guys have tried to molest them during a night out. Also, the ice-cold attitude from the girls is sometimes just a ploy, with the girl keeping the guy at a distance only to entice him more and create a challenge for him, complicating things further. Sometimes, you find out that in a group of girls, the one who is the most indifferent and cold to you is really the one that likes you the most. Many times I am told afterwards by a girl’s friend that a girl really liked me, when at the moment the girl acted like I was the hunchback of Notre Dame. Confusing as hell. This point leads to even more aggressiveness from the Brasillian boys, as you can never tell if the girl is just playing hard to get or if she is really as disgusted by you as it appears. Also, sometimes Brasillian girls, even if they look like a model and have an Albert Einstein brain, are shy, and their expression of this is coldness.
So, does all this messiness stop the gringo dead in his tracks? As mentioned, many here girls are, at the core, mildly low on self-esteem, and since they are so used to guys drooling over them, they are quite perplexed when some is simply nice. Not being aggressive creates mystery and tension that makes the situation quite, well, tense. It can work.
It is also important to remember that I AM a gringo, and I never know how much of my experience is different from the norm because of that. Most white-gringos in Rio find that meeting girls is very easy simply because they are a gringo. BUT, since I have cut my hair and improved my Português, I have NEVER been pointed out as an American. Most people ask me if I am Argentine, so I don’t put much stock in the “white-gringo = lucky with Brasillian girls” theory. The blue eyes DO help a lot though, I have noticed. :-)
Also, there is a very interesting word that we use in Português to describe your relationship status with someone who is not a boyfriend/girlfriend, but someone that you are ‘seeing’ without commitment, often times only at night if you get my meaning. Ficar, in Português, is similar to Ser and Estar, meaning To Be, but Ficar also means To Stay. So, we say you are ‘ficando’ (staying) with someone, or that someone is your ‘ficante’ (the noun form of Ficar, To Stay). I think this could roughly be translated to the English slang of ‘booty-call’, but without the negative connotation, and without indicating that sex is the ONLY purpose of the relationship. Ficante really means someone you are with for the time being, without commitment or intention to get very close, and usually involving sex. You don’t say ficando or ficante to the other person, but you say it to other people to describe the situation. The negative connotation of ‘ficante’ only comes into play when one party wants more from the relationship then the other is ready to give, which is usually how things go down if the ‘ficando’ lasts very long. For most of the foreigners I know, ficando, having a series of ficantes (without any serious relationships) is the norm, as I think it is hard to develop a stable relationship with a local when our lives are lived so day-to-day and we only meet people in bars and on the street. It might sound like a great wild life, and sometimes it is, but I know personally it would be nice to meet someone I can really relate to and get close to.
Policia Federal!
I have successfully extended my tourist visa another 90 days (on the day of expiration no less). My foray into the supposedly suppressive beauracracy of dealing with the Brasillian government went amazingly smooth. Although I have a tourist visa that is valid for 5 Years, a person with a tourist visa is only allowed to stay in the country for 90 days at one time, after which time they must exit the country or apply for a visa-extension of up to another 90 days. My 90 days was up today, so I thought it would be a good time to apply for an extension in the Sao Paulo branch of the Federal Police. I have heard many horror stories of the Federal Police, waiting in lines for hours, people receiving grilling interviews from agents, only to gain a refusal of their request and a headache. Imagine the DMV, in a foreign language and with much more serious consequences if you are unsuccessful in your quest.
My experience was a bit different. I walked directly up to an agent, was greeted with smiles, help, clear instructions (in Português), and in the end received my 90 day extension. The agent that helped me even wrote my birthdate on the form for me because I didn’t do it correctly. I entered and exited the Federal building 3 times in the course of my quest to obtain the proper papers and payment, at one point convincing a gas-station employee to run a debit on my card so I could get cash to pay the visa fee, because none of the ATMs around were working (again one of the things I love about Brasil, if you are nice to people you can get hooked up in crazy ways). After turning in my paperwork, I sat less then one hour before they called my name and returned my passport, plus fresh 90 days extension. No lines, no interviews in window-less rooms, no terrible misunderstandings in Português with arrest and deportation. Whewwwww…
So what happens in the next 90 days? I am required to leave the country within the next 90 days, as a person with a tourist visa is only allowed to stay in Brasil for up to 180 days per 365, and when this amount of days has been reached (even if they are broken into multiple entries and exits) the ‘tourist’ must stay out of Brasil for the remaining days out of 365. Therefore, the only way I can legally stay in Brasil after October 20th (my 180th day) is if I am able to procure a non-tourist visa beforehand.
The ways I can stay in the country are
1. Enter a course of education such as a faculdade (Bachelors) or post-graduation/Masters program. This would provide me with a student visa that allowed me to stay for a year. The downside is that I would have to pay for the schooling, and the only schools that I could probably get into are private (the public schools are cheaper but much harder to get into, since they are so much more competitive). An alternative to this, since students usually pay months for schools, is to register for a program, procure my student visa, and drop out of the course. I met several Brasilians in San Diego who did this with SDSU. Not sure how easy this is to do, and what the consequences are. I need to do some research to find a school that meets my requirements; if I can find a course that is cheap enough I might just go back to school.
2. Find a job/company that is willing to sponsor me for a work visa. I am looking into getting work with English schools, but generally the only types of companies that would sponsor for a work visa are big multi-nationals, and I don’t think I have the desire or the résumé to find a 9-6 office job, if there were even an opportunity for a foreigner. But, I would do what was necessary to stay in Brasil.
3. Get married. Um… yea right. Even if I DID think this option was a good idea, my new ‘wife’ would probably want to get residence in the US, and that probably would not fly with INS. If I ever had a bunch of money I could pay someone to do marry me, but that is not in the cards at the moment.
4. I do have another, last-ditch option. When I went to Argentina in my first weeks of this trip, I discovered how easy it is to exit or enter Brasil over-land without passing thru immigration (the border is not well controlled due to MERCOSUR, people from the bordering countries don’t have advantage or incentive to enter illegally as they are allowed to enter anyways). I could theoretically go down to the border, exit thru immigration, and re-enter by skipping immigration (illegally), and stay my 185 days until I could leave the country again, without passing thru immigration, and return again, passing thru immigration, therefore appearing to have stayed outside of Brasil for my required 185 days. I have heard of people doing this without issue. The risk would be minimal, they don’t deport people here, but I would face a fine and possible loss of my tourist visa (and prevention of re-entry). In the 120 days I have spent in Brasil I have never once been asked to show a passport except when exiting the country. This is a last resort to be explored in case of emergency.
I have omitted the seemingly obvious option of returning to the US. In my mind that is almost not an option. I am in too deep here to come back. I haven’t had one moment of panic in which I wanted to return home, and I feel more normal here in Brasil then I do in San Diego now that my Português is sufficient to survive. I will run this thing until the wheels come off before I come home. I have been flying by the seat of my pants here, and I will continue until there is no other option.
Português
So, I was in a restaurant in Sao Paulo the other night, ordering some pizza in Português, and the waitress actually asked me if my accent was from Portugal. The accent from Rio is in some ways similar to the Portugal accent, so I can see where she was tricked, but that also means she thought my Português was good enough that I could have been from the country that spawned the language. YAY! Sadly, my restaurant, shopping, transportation, and initial greeting Português far surpasses my conversational Português, but I am continually complimented on my progress after only 3 months of simply listening.
Unfortunately, after my initial month and a half in Brasil, my Português became sufficient to survive (and read signs like the one at right, a restaurant named The Cat That Laughs, since 1951 believe it or not), and my process of learning has almost come to a stop. Out of necessity is the best way to learn. To remedy this, I am creating study materials for me to improve my grammar and learn new vocabulary. I have stopped using the audio course I have because I have surpassed its usefulness.
Anyhow, every day is a confidence booster as I accomplish new things in Português, for example the Policia Federal. Although I only caught every other word of the instructions given to my to complete my visa extension, it was enough for me to be successful. When I meet new people and they give me the customary questions about California, Rio, the US, etc, and I am able to understand and respond, it is very exhilarating. I have noticed that I am much better at speaking with some people then others. Older people are usually easier to speak to because they speak slowly and clearly. I am useless with people under 21. Also, many things, although I may not directly understand what someone is saying, I can respond and act based on the situation, for example, in the Policia Federal, I asked where I needed to go. I got a flurry of Português, out of which I got Terciera, which means Third. So I went to the Third floor. Also, things that you hear on a daily basis become very easy, such as when people ask if you want your water with or without carbonation, no matter what words they use to ask the question.
My goal now is to be able to get to know people better using Português, as I have a few friends (and many girls from bars) who only speak Português, and as much as I love learning about people, it is hard for me to get close to people without being able to express myself emotionally or understand their verbal personality.
The Grand Theme:
As I re-read this entry, I notice a prevailing theme, that every section has it’s negatives and positives, ups and downs. My time here in Brasil has continued to be very up-and-down, there have been many many moments of euphoria when I have stopped to think that I could not ask for more, and there have been a few moments of panic when I thought life was over, but mostly I am just content. Also, Brasil is a country of great contrast in so many aspects, and I think this is reflected in my experiences here. I am ready for whatever is coming, but the next 90 days need to be much different then the last 90. I need to focus, gain some stability, gain new employment, and gain a plan for staying here legally going forward. I also need to write here more.
Ate mais!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
The Funky Flat
380 Rua Nossa Senora Copacabana.That’s my new address, for now.Myself and Thomas (see below photo), a friend who was CouchSurfing with me at my friend’s house, have moved into a furnished temporary apartment here in Copacabana, one block from the beach, one block from the metro, and about 40 years from being modern.This flat is very Funky.The carpet is radioactive yellow-brown.Every wall has a different pattern of paper.There are old leather suitcases and Coke bottles postdating WWII.You have to light the shower-water-heater by hand before you take a shower (and remember to turn it off).The hallway wall is papered with a 15 foot long floor-to-ceiling picture of a forest.This flat has more personality then David Letterman.There is a kitchen, a living room, a bedroom, and a bathroom inside the bedroom.The bedroom has a master bed, and a bunk bed.Thomas has been dragging one of the mattresses out into the living room at night, as we made a plan that if one of us has a girl over, one of us would have to sleep in the living room (for everyone’s privacy).Things have been going well so far.On Tuesday we had a Festa de Funky Flat, had a few people over for drinks and popcorn, very fun.Amusingly enough, I met a girl from Irvine over the weekend that was on vacation in Rio, how strange to come all the way here and meet a girl from home…Anyhow, me and Thomas are having fun and enjoying life!
Forró
So, I love to dance.I’ve always loved dancing.Unfortunately, I’ve always felt that I did not have the aptitude do learn any forms of step-related dances, IE swing, salsa, anything where I have to lead someone else and there is a correct or incorrect way to dance.I was wrong.This week I learned the beginning steps of Forró, a relatively simple dance style that is very popular here in Rio.The steps are similar to Salsa, but the music is very different.I first learned on a dance floor at a birthday party in a bar, and later I danced at my friend Bruno’s going away party.See the video to get a better idea. (Notice Bruno in the background dancing with a chair!)
Not All Peaches and Creme
Although it may sound like life in Rio is all beaches, parties, gorgeous women, and, um, gorgeous women, it’s not.Copacabana, aside from the beach, is just a normal Rio neighborhood, about on par with the better parts of Tijuana.The streets are dirty, there are prostitutes hanging out across the street from our flat (the real estate agent did call it ‘conveniently located’) and the traffic noise is pretty heavy (due to the constant stream of busses).Unfortunately, Rio is know nationally and internationally as a dangerous city.Most people that have lived here for a while will tell you one story or another of being robbed on the street.I have pretty much accepted that at some point during my time here I will be mugged.Thankfully, these instances are generally non-violent, and often involve street children aged 10-15 who just want your cell-phone or whatever $20 you’ve got.The problem with the kids is that they often carry knifes and have a small group, so it’s not in you best interest to argue, since children in Brasil are not prosecuted for crimes (they are apparently sentenced to stay in children’s homes).
FYI: Everything said above is the kind of thing that people say all the time here. Rio is not neccessarily a dangerous or crime-filled city, but the above appropriately explains the cliamate that is created out of rumor and story for an outsider (and most of the residents) in Rio. Essentially this is what people talk about.
I had a slightly unsettling incident the other day while I was withdrawing money from the ATM.I am using CitiBank, because they don’t charge me a fee.The problem is, CitiBank is pretty much the bank for the rich and foreign.Not how I want to be associated on the street.So, one afternoon I walk into the CitiBank ATM room thing to withdraw some money, and as I am waiting I notice a young man walk up outside the glass door leading to the ATM room, bend over to pick up a coin, then look at me.As he looked at me, he shook the coin as if to ask me where my contribution.Now, every day 10 young people approach me (and most people) asking for money.Doesn’t bother me at all, I just say Sorry.It’s a slightly different story when I am standing at an ATM to withdraw money.This particular young man continued to stand outside the ATM staring at me as I waited.I waved my finger and said “Não”.He relplied by mimicing my finger and saying a mocking repeat of my “Não” and remained standing next to the door of the ATM.I looked away, waited, looked back, and he was still standing there staring at me.Now, it was broad daylight in a busy area, and there was an armed guard in the ATM room, but I still had to consider what to do here, 1. Just leave without withdrawing, 2. Withdraw and ask the guard to assist me in avoiding this kid, 3. Withdraw and walk out like a tough guy.I chose option 3 because I needed the cash and I was really only concerned that the kid would follow me forever until I gave him money (a common tactic used against Gringos).I withdrew my money, and as I walked out I gave him the coldest bad-ass look I had, and he turned and walked away.I looked behind me a few times, but I don’t think he gave chase.No big deal right, but that is why you don’t go to the ATM at night…
After 10pm on a weeknight I move around looking over my shoulder, avoid speaking English, and walk in the street instead of the sidewalk because it is better lit.Copacabana is considered a nice area, but this also means that anyone who is looking to rob will go here to get the tourists and rich people.The ‘bad areas’ of Rio might be dangerous, but desperate people don’t mug poor people.
Oh yea, and the cops drive around with their big rifles sticking out the car window because they don’t fit inside the car.I hate guns.
Bruno’s Farewell
So my friend Bruno has left for the US.I went to his family’s going away party, and had a blast.Bruno said his family usually doesn’t accept outsiders, but after about an hour, Bruno’s uncle said he wanted to adopt me and his dad was calling me filo (son).It might have been because in the first 5 minutes I made a joke of poor taste in Portugues that the guys thought was hilarious.I had a lot of fun with his family, had a few drinks (I figured out, if you say ‘no-thanks’ to a drink, they will just push harder; if you are overly enthusiastic they don’t try to get you drunk), and ate way way way too much linguisa.Linguisa is Brasillian sausage, and it is great.The first one is delicious.The second one is very satisfying.The 7th one is suicide.Just don’t tell the guys you ‘gostoso’ (like really strongly) Linguisa, because they’ll make all sorts of gay jokes for the rest of the night.Bruno lives in Petropolis, a old town about an hour outside of Rio, which requires 2 buses, a Coach bus, and a subway ride (total 2 hours) time to get back to Rio.I told his family I had to leave at about 9pm to meet a girl in the city, and they argued and argued, and finally offered to give me a ride to the bus station.Little did I know this was just a ploy to keep me at the house.Over an hour later, they gave me a ride to the bus station.I arrived in Rio at 1am to meet my date.I will be going back for the next family party.
Moment of Truth
So on Sunday, as I was finishing my skateboarding up and down Ipanema beach, listening to a great song by the Police, shirtless, giving a smile to a nice young lady, I had my first moment where I think I really realized that I was here, and I was happy as a clam.Things could not be better then this.My only concerns here are keeping on track with work and my money, and getting going with my volunteering goals.
Rocinha
So I have made my first two trips to the Rocinha favelas on the edge of Rio.Rocinha is the largest single favela in South America, with as many as 400,000 people.The favelas here in Rio are facing some very different problems then Kibera.The favelas here have electricity, running water, underground sewage, and children who receive education in public schools.The problems existing in these favelas are on a higher level of the hierarchy of needs.The favelas are essentially controlled by drug-lords, who in turn allow drug-dealing in the streets and arm young children with pistols.It is quite strange to walk by a group of young men with a giant bag of cocaine on the sidewalk, with no-one else noticing.There is an ever-present risk of violence, either from police or a rival favela-group entering the favela and waging guerilla warfare against the ‘drug-lords’, which often equates to many bystanders being killed.Most of the children growing up in the favela are lacking positive role models, and the boys grow up wanting to be drug dealers, the girls grow up wanting to be the drug-dealers boyfriends.
My first two trips to the 2 Brothers Institute (http://www.2bros.org/) consisted of helping to teach an English class to about 6 children, and discussing my working on the website with the coordinator.The institutes has partnerships with universities in the US, and their goal for teaching English is to give the children a chance to go to college exchange student programs in the US after they have finished high school, giving them an excellent start on a future outside the favela.I will write more once I have gotten a foot-hold here.
I Hear Horses in Formiga
So I have spent this Corpus Christi holiday weekend in the small town of Formiga with Joslene's Mom, Dad, and the rest of their family (see picture at left). I took a Coach bus (see picture, about $30 for a 6 hour ride, MUCH more comfortable then a plane!) to São Paulo, met up with Mae and Pae (Joslene and her sister didn't go!), and drove out here to Formiga, Mineas Gerais at 6am.This is a town of 60,000 people, with cobblestone streets, many unpainted concrete houses, trash burning on front lawns, and horses (not really sure why there are horses).As I wrote this, I heard a horse trot by outside, alá Victorian London. This town reminds me of Kenya! When I arrived my 'uncle' was plucking a chicken.Mineas Gerais is know for it’s gastronomy: cheese, sweets, and Cachaça (Brazillian whisky made from sugar cane, the staple drink).I am staying with Mae and Pae at Mae’s sisters house, although apparently both of their entire families live on this street, because we are always either at their house or they are at our house.Our days are spent eating and visiting family.Mae’s family looks just like her, very dark, and she has a side of the family that is completely ‘black’.Pae’s brothers and mother look like him as well.Very fun to see them all together!I have been speaking and listening to Portugues exclusively for 4 days now; it is tiring but good practice!Last night I ‘went out’ with my ‘cousin’ to the big event of the weekend, the Festival of Linguisa.Apparently this is such a big deal that people came from out of town to join it.Everyone was tired by 11pm, so we went home!Very different from SP and RJ. When we left, Mae's sister was crying. It is really great being part of a family here!
Something interesting about Brasillians: young Brasillian girls often look much older then they are, and older Brasillian women look younger then they are (IE a 16 year old could look 24, and a 34 year old could also look 24).Anyhow, I was hanging out with my two new cousins (who looked like they were in their mid 20s, see picture at right), and I said, hey, we should go out dancing.They reacted kind of strangely, and only later did I find out that they were 17 and 18 years old…Oops…
Another interesting fact about Brasil: They love their meats and sweets. When I am with a family, for example here in Formiga, I am contstantly assaulted with a variety of delicious but massively fattening and difficult to digest foods. I have been in intestinal distress the whole weekend. Aside from the constant presence of Pão de Quejo (cheesy bread) and Bola de Milo (corn cake?), there is the regular meal of beans, rice, and meat, then beer, other kinds of breads, doce de bolboa (candied pumpkin) and fried Pork (I told grandma I liked pork, and guess what, the next night we had fried pork for dinner. Amazing flavor, but worth the heart attack?). I am gonna have to go on a vegetarian diet when I get back to Rio. I am meated out big time. I spent the weekend being shuffled between relatives houses, with each aunt insisting that I eat, even though I would explain that I was expected to eat at the other house shortly. As a result, I ended up eating 5 meals a day. :-)
Today I got to practice my Motorcycle skills, as one of our uncles let me ride his motorcycle around the street for a while. I began my motorcycle skill building in Kenya when I piloted a motorcycle taxi for about 5 minutes in 3rd gear. This time, I learned how to change gears properly, and was able to get up some speed. I also went on a ride around town on Uncle's back. As we reached a top speed of 30MPH I was kind of concerned that I was only wearing shorts, sandals, and a tank-top, but Uncle proved to be an excellent rider and we did not crash. Very entertaining! After riding with Uncle I gained some confidence and tried riding on the big street myself. I went out for a long ride with my cousin Lara on my back, and got that Honda up to 50KPH!!! See below video to find out if I fell off and nearly killed myself or if I rode around like a pro!
I am staying out in the town here for 3 days, then returning to SP.I will stay in SP for a day or two to work and visit some friends, then return to RJ.That’s where I’m at.I am essentially living day to day without much planned out. I AM skipping going to Ouro Preto and Belo Horizonte because I want to save money and spend a lot of time working this week.
Direct from Copacabana Beach, Zona Sul, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil:
Rio Rio Rio
Sweet Jesus I love this city. I was somewhat concerned that once I returned a second time I would find the city to be a bit more banal without the excitement of being a tourist.Absolutely not.This is still the most beautiful, tranquil, entertaining, exciting, cheap city I have ever seen.I am staying in my friend Cristiana’s house for the next week and a half, or until I find an apartment.I have obtained a Sunday paper, which contains classified ads for rental apartments.It looks like I will be able to find a temporary studio apartment in Copacabana for as little as R700/month ($420).A temporary studio apartment would be fully furnished and available to rent for as little as a month.I think this is a good idea to start out with so I can get settled without having to make a year-long commitment to an apartment or an area.Although, when I am ready to make a longer rental commitment, I can easily find a studio or one-bedroom for as little as R400/month ($240)!!
I arrived in Rio on Quinta (Thursday), after a very comfortable 6 hour bus ride.I have been spending my days resting and my nights partying.Sunday is Healthy Day: Today I went for a long skateboard ride on Av. Atlantica (see first picture), a large 6 lane street on the beach which runs from Copacabana to Ipanema to the mountain of Leblon (the end of the beaches in metropolitan Rio).On Sundays half of the street is closed so that people can walk, run, bike, and hang out in the street.It was about a 3 hour ride round trip with lots of breaks.Fantastic.
This weekend we just went out a lot, had a farewell party at Bukowski for my friend Bruno (see below pictures) who is moving to Virginia for work, and went to a Funk party in Lapa that cost R3 ($1.75).Also, I made friends with a man who sells beer on the street but speaks excellent English.I plan to visit him often!
On Monday, I will be going to Rochina, the largest favela Rio, to meet a friend who volunteers at a NGO there.It will be my first real experience in the favelas here, and I am excited to have the opportunity to check out the favela and possibly find some volunteer work!
Que é isso?
So, on my first night in Rio I went out with Cristiana, my friend and current housing provider, and her Swiss CouchSurfer Jasmine (see above picture).We went down to Lapa, my favorite party area, and had a few drinks.We walked around for a few hours, and eventually Cristiana went home, leaving me and Jasmine by ourselves.We pulled into a bar for a final drink before going home, and after finishing our beer, we asked for the bill.The bill magically included something that we had not ordered, and we complained to the gaussant (waiter).The gaussant got the manager, and when the manager arrived, and held up the bill and said (rather loudly) “Que é Isso!?”
A brief introduction to Portugues:Que = What, É = Is, Isso = This.Que é isso directly means “What is this”.As I am learning this language, I sometime make up phrases or copy phrases I have heard without understanding their complete meaning, but only with an idea of what they accomplish.For example, I have learned to say “ta bom” which is short for “esta bom”.I have taken this to mean “it’s OK”, which is correct.I have heard the phrase “Que é isso”, and took it to literally mean “What is this?”, and have heard it used by friends jokingly when someone does or says something silly or incorrect.
With this in mind, I say to this manager “Que é Isso”, meaning what is this extra thing you put on my bill.As I have had a few drinks I am speaking more loudly then normal, and of course I am naturally very confident in my speech.After I make this statement, the manager reaches across the counter and tries to grab my throat, gets a hold of my necklace from Kenya, and rips it off, throwing it on the ground.Needless to say, I am quite shocked.I attempt to retrieve the necklace, and he tries to swipe it away from me.We immediately pay the incorrect bill and leave the bar.How strange I think, he tried to rip us off, then assaulted me.What did I do wrong?
As I recount this story to my Brasillian friend Bruno the next day, I am informed that “Que é Isso” is what is said as a challenge to fight or a taunt, similar to a slap in the face with a glove.Essentially, I challenged the manager to a fight when asked “What is this”, completely without intention.Moral of the story, be very careful what and how you speak when you are not a native speaker.Bruno told me a story of the time in the US he called a male co-worker a prostitute, because in Português, guys will call a good friend a prostitute as a term of endearment.Obviously, this does not work in English.
You’re Not a REAL Man Until:
You’re not a real man until you have been repeatedly splashed in the face with sweat which is flying off the hair of a wildly dancing transgendered woman.Apparently, Funk music is very popular with the transgendered crowd in Lapa, because the longer we stayed at that Funk party, the more women with big hands replaced the ones with small hands.Thus, at one point it was quite crowded, and I happened to be dancing directly next to a nice big-handed young woman who was really enjoying the music;IE she was sweating a lot and dancing in a manner that caused her hair to repeatedly splash me in the face.It was rather distracting.Thankfully, there were also some very nice young small-handed women as well.
Lapa has a certain spot where all the transgendered men (large handed women) hang out, and it is quite a spectacle to sit and watch the drama that occurs as the night unfolds.It is important to note that these are not transvestites, these are not gay men, these are not drag-queens.These are people who were born as a man, but at some later point were able to procure large breasts, pouty lips, long natural hair, and a mindset that they ARE women.AND, they hang out in the same bars as everyone else.I can’t blame the guy that drunkenly mistakes them for the genuine article in a dark bar.But I can laugh at him: as I was dancing with my Swiss female friend at the Funk party, guys were continuously approaching her, generally from the side or from behind (Brasillian guys seem to not get the clue that women prefer to see who is rubbing all over them), and at one point there was a guy that kept going even after she had repeatedly moved away from him.At this time, I simply told him “não”, which he didn’t seem to like, but he got the idea and moved away.Fast forward to the end of the night, me and the Swiss girl are sitting outside, and we notice the same guy leaving the bar, intimately tangled with a decently attractive large handed woman.It was obvious that he was quite drunk.I wonder how long it took him to figure it out.We had a good laugh about that one.I will make sure not to get to drunk in that bar in the future.
Getting Around Brasil:
Mineas Gerais (Estado/State):So, I fell completely in love with my friend Joslene’s family, and her parents have invited me to go with them to the state of Minas Gerias, about 6 hours to the west of Rio De Janeiro for a holiday weekend here on Thursday, May 22nd.I will take a bus back to São Paulo, meet up with the fam, travel with them by car to Formiga, Minas Gerais for the weekend, then afterwards I will take a bus to the historical city of Ouro Preto (Black Gold) and Belo Horizonte (Horizontal Belo… J ) to meet up with a friend from Sao Paulo.I am very excited about this because Ouro Preto is one of those historical cities that a lot of Brasillian tourists recommend, and it is supposed to be very old and magnificent!
Salvador (Cidade/City):The place that people keep telling me I will like even more then Rio (based on my personality).Apparently it is the 2nd most visited tourist site in Brasil, after Rio.Salvador is the original capital of Brasil, located in the Northeast of the country, and home to over 3 million people, the majority of whom are African-Brasillians.The best of both worlds for me, right?!Salvador is a much older, more historical city then Rio, and is somewhat slower and more calm.It has ‘better weather’ then Rio, meaning it stays warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.Culturally, it is more traditional and “Old Brasil” then Rio, and is especially different due to the influence of African culture and the generally lower income of its residents.Quote from Wikipedia: “Salvador is also known as Brazil's capital of happiness due to its easygoing population and countless popular outdoor parties”Seriously, can I ask for more?Anyhow, I am flying to Salvador on June 25th and staying for about 2 weeks.Flight price: $120 roundtrip for a 6 hour flight.I love this country.I will CouchSurf in Salvador, possibly meet up with a friend to stay at his family’s house, and also visit my friend Liziane, a Brasillera I met in San Diego who lives and works at a beach resort about 45 minutes from Salvador.I think I have reached Nirvana.
Opa! Duas semanas no Brasil! (2 weeks in Brazil!) E Foz do Iguazu!
Sooooo.... I find that I both love and hate Sao Paulo. The funny thing is the things I love are often also the things I hate!
Massive numbers of people, cars, everything: everywhere you go there are throngs of people. Always something to look at, always people brushing by you, always interesting things going on. On one particular morning, I had stayed out all night, and when my friend dropped me off at the Metro (subway) station to ride home, it was rush hour. I waited in line as a train of 10 cars (each holding probably 200 people) came every 30 seconds, and STILL only 3 or 5 people could crush themselves (or be pushed) into the car filled with people like sardines. I am not much of a pusher, so I waited for about 10 minutes (20 trains of metro cars) until finally an empty train came. I comfortably stood on the far side of the metro for the next 5 stations as people squeezed into the train until it was so full you could´t even turn around. Little did I know, my station (Pedro II) only has a platform on one side, which happened to NOT be the side I was on. I had overheard a conversation earlier in which a man told a older woman to stand on the opposite side of the car because she was going to Pedro II, but I didn´t join her. The train´s doors only stay open for about 10 seconds, therefore, when we arrived at the station, I had to elbow my way thru 10 ft of bodies, to a chourus of grunts, laughter, and Portugues curse words, finally jumping thru the doors as they closed. Exciting, but not on a daily basis. Love and hate!
My first big night out (balada) in Sao Paulo, I went with some of Josy´s friends to a bar far away from the house. In line were lots of women in fancy dresses and pit-boy guys (meatheads, beefcakes) with their rediculously over-sized arms and tight pastel colored shirts. The enterance to the bar was R30 ($20) and once we got inside, the drinks were as much as R20 ($15). Quite similar to a nice place downtown SD. Totally not my scene, especially since they had rock music. No-one was dancing, and the girls (other then the ones we knew) were not very friendly.Expensive and not a good time. On the other hand, my second balada was on a Quarta (Wednesday), and I went with a CouchSurfer and some random guys to a Drum & Bass party (Drum and Bass is really really fast electronic music, kinda like racing music in a video game, usually very banal). WHOA. When I got inside, I knew this was the place for me. Just like Rio, a gigantic room full of people, everyone dancing and smiling, and the music was very energizing. We bought some drinks, pushed thru the crowd, and got into it! The Djing was awesome, the everyone loved the music, very exciting. After a while, I noticed some nice girls near us, gave them some looks, but I didn´t think they saw me. A few minutes later, they were asking me to take a picture for them on their camera phone. I offered to take a photo with my camera for them, and I ended up spending the rest of the night with them (Patricia, see above photo).Turns out Patricia noticed... The great thing in Sao Paulo is that people don´t assume I am American, they assume I am Argentine (because my portugues is horrible and Sao Paulo is not really a tourist spot). The women I am meeting in Sao Paulo are a different breed then in Rio (mostly because I am going to more upscale places): bankers, chemists, web designers, young women going to GradSchool. Very nice.
Second haircut in South America: Last time I came to SA, I had long hair from being in Kenya for 3 months until I got a tragic $1.75 haircut in Buenos Aires from a semi-transgendered man which left me looking like a punky butch lesbian with a mullet (mullets are very popular in Argentina). As you may know, my hair was quite long again by the time I arrived here to Brasil. This week, I decided to get it trimmed as I am trying to grow it out.EGHHH WRONG! I went to a well reccommended barber school with 3 Portugues speaking friends, and for R13 ($8) I left with a short on the sides, long on the top, 10 year year old´s haircut (think Jim Carrey in Dumb & Dumber). At least the gorgeous hair stylist girl gave me a massage (included in the price). I cried for a few hours, cut off some more hair, and tried to listen to the girls saying I look a lot better with the new hair cut. I still think I look retarded, but I have come to accept that to fit in better in Brasil, I will probably have to get Brasilian haircuts. Love and Hate.
Foz do Iguazu (Iguazu Falls): So, Joslene´s family canceled the weekend holiday trip to Minas Gerias becauese they had to operate their restaurant, so I hauled off on a flight down to the border of Brasil and Argentina to hang out with some other CouchSurfers in Puerto Iguazu, a little town in Argentina next to the worlds biggest and best collection of waterfalls, including the Throat of The Devil. I flew down to the border, crossed into Argentina on a bus, stepped onto a bus to the little Iguazu town, and on the bus between the Brazil and Argentine border control I ran into a German girl I lived with in Buenos Aires 6 months ago! I was totally shocked to see her, as she was just roomates with the guy I was CouchSurfing with. Apparently, she decided to try CouchSurfing herself, and was now part of the group in Buenos Aires. Amazing. Coincidence???? So I have been staying at a hostel here in Puerto Iguazu, Argentina for the past 3 nights, and I am flying back to Sao Paulo tonight. Unfortunately, there is nothing to do in this town except see the falls (not worth trying to describe, just see the pictures, unfathomable scale and beauty), eat, and drink. 2 nights in a row we went out to this massive 3 room dance club filled with gringos, brasillians, and argentines. Quite fun, my first time hanging out with gringos since I got here. Partied from 6pm to 6am, slept a bit, came back to town for lunch, slept a bit more, partied again for 12 hours, came back, slept a bit, went to the falls, slept a bit, went out for dinner, slept a good 6 hours, then came into town to go back to Brasil.
Typical cultural-less gringo hostel vacation, but quite fun nonetheless. I totally love the two CouchSurfers I was with, we spent 24hrs a day together for 3 days and it just got better and better! We are definately a special breed of people. One girl is 35, looks 25, is a Fulbright Scholar, and has been travelling for 2.5 years as a freelance journalist. The other girl is 20, acts 30, and has been travelling on and off since she was 16 years old. Amazing people! Love em. Also, our second night in the bar, I was grabbed by a drunk Argentine girl who was trying to teach me to dance whatever she was dancing. As I usually do, I stick to teling locals I am Brasillian from Rio until the person says they don´t believe me, and this one never got it. I´ve been doing that all over here and no-one knows any better unless I slip up and speak English. Fantasic. The language is all in the accent.
SO, tonight, back to Sao Paulo to say my goodbyes and maybe have one more night out, then Thursday on my way back to Rio to start reality (working, being thrifty, looking for an apartment, not being able to tell women I am leaving the city in a few days...) At least I will have the beach, the mountains, old friends, and my Lapa. I can´t wait. Friday night, my friend Bruno is having a going away party as he is moving to the US to work, and on Saturday I will have a welcome-back party at my favorite dance bar, Manifesta in Lapa. Next week I will have some more good stories.
Sidenote - Health: Although for my first few days here I was losing my voice, I am fully healthy, alert, sinus-infection free, probably gaining weight, and feeling great except from an occasional coughing fit from long nights in smoky bars. Paulistas (people from Sao Paulo) smoke a lot. Again it is truly amazing what a beating the human body can take and continue to function. It is nice to be fully fed, well slept, and hangover free today, though. You never appreciate those things until you´ve been on a 4 night bender :-)
OK! Next update from Rio YAYYYY!! Check out the new pictures and video, theres some really good stuff in there (my favorite is Patricia dancing, the girl I met at the Drum and Bass party). Enjoy!!!
I am ready to write this first entry IN Brasil. I've spent the last 5 days in near shock, returning to the people, the culture, and the lifestyle that I love so much. I have been very busy.
I am staying with my friend Joslene's family in a neighborhood on the outskirts of this massive city, and I spent my first day hanging out in the restaurant they own. Yes, I have been eating well due to their generous donation of buffet meals!!!! They live about 15 minutes walking from Centro (downtown), which isn't saying much because the downtown area stretches as far as the eye can see! I have been meeting up with a few people from CouchSurfing for seeing the city and partying at night, and I also met a very nice girl my first night in SP that I spent Virada Cultural with (explanation later). I've seen some of the downtown area, been to the largest cathedral in Brasil (Sé, at right) I've been to a huge park on the edge of the city, been hanging out with Joslene's family (and talking economics with Pai (dad) in Portugués), and of course staying out late as much as possible!
Joslene's family is awesome! Mom and Dad don't speak English (they are learning!), so I talk to them exclusively in Portugues. I understand a lot more then I speak, but it is a real rush when I explain something in Portugues and they understand. Also, I am only using Portugues in public situations as people don't speak English. Mae (mom, at left) is spoiling me with lots of food and drink, we had a great lunch today of Feijoada, the famous Brasillian dish that is reserved for Weds and Sundays, consisting of black beans, rice, beef, sausage, kale, and 'farofa', a breading topping. Pai is a funny guy, he told me that when they come to visit me in Rio, we will wait until the girls are sleeping so me and him can go out... haha! Also, Joslene's beautiful sister Josy is a lot of fun, and although she speaks English she rarely uses it with me!
São Paulo is not very similar to Rio except that it is Brasillian. Cars cars cars everywhere, blocks and blocks and blocks of gigantic buildings, helicopters flying around, complete chaos at most times. I am intrigued by the city as it seems to have so many sides and so much to see, and because it is a city not often frequented by gringos (people get very surprised when they hear me speak English, I look Brasillian enough, and if I speak bad Portugues people say I am from Argentina). I would love to stay here longer then planned (one more week) to discover how I feel about this city, but I have to get back to Rio because my friend Bruno is leaving soon. Maybe I will be returning!
Partying: so, the people I have met here don't seem to be concerned with dancing as we are in Rio. I've been out every night since I got here, and it's all been botecos (small sit down bars) and one club that played rock music. With that said, I have not gone to sleep before 3am, and for Virada Cultural I got home at 8:30am. VIRADA CULTURAL: São Paulo's answer to Woodstock, Mardi Gras, New Years Eve in New York, and lots of other things I've never done. From 6pm Saturday to 6pm Sunday, the downtown area is filled with stages of music, theatre, dancing, exhibitions, movies, strange cultural experiments, and millions of people. I got there at 8pm and left at 8:30am. We spent a lot of time just walking around, since the streets are blocked off and filled with people. It took us 45 minutes to walk one block. We drank lots of beer, ate some salgados in botecos, met random people, inhaled massive amounts of second hand smoke (cigarettes and otherwise) and watched the chaos that it all was. Then I came home and slept for a few hours, got up, ate lunch, went back out, came back home, then went out again for a 10pm nightcap at the botecos. A great weekend all in all, and now I am ready for a good 7 hr sleep. Joslene's friend Carolina from Peru is coming tomorrow, so I'll need some energy to take her out! Summary of nightlife in SP so far: I miss dancing a lot, but I also love sitting at the boteco and talking for hours instead. I will have to find a balance in Rio. Also, it seems that Paulistanos don't mind staying out at a boteco until 1 or 2 am on a work night, I don't remember that in Rio... Work hard party hard is what they say here. I think in Rio we just say the second part :-)
OK, this is pretty much it for now. I am extremely happy to be here. I just walk around with a smile on my face all day long. It's great!
This blog is a collection of the stories that make up my attempt to live in Brasil! It is written mostly for my own memory and gratification, but hopefully a few other people will read it and enjoy! Bem Vindo!
Eventually, the firing subsided, and I went back into my room, grabbed my video camera, and filmed the next 30 minutes out my window, as the helicopters continued to circle, twice dropping off and picking up two police on the roof of a home in the favela; as military police walked into the favela, and as eventually everyone left, with teenaged-looking police walking the streets with assault rifles and stopping to have a drink. See the video below.
