Observations about some things

I love love love love Brazil.

But I have to admit, some things here get on my nerves. There is no one in the world who thinks everything they say is wonderful unless they are constantly on laughing gas and or are plain dumb. Here a little bit of what I feel like I need to express, and what's bothering me.

Environment. 
I know you all probably think I'm some crazy tree hugger. Maybe I am. But honestly, I'm fed up with seeing such destruction of beauty here. I don't know if I should have hope for the future or write it off, because it seems like very few people actually give two shits about the environment. I think it MAY be getting better, but I think it's still an uphill battle.

The Povão. 
Ok, I try not to have preconceito. But sometimes I feel like the lower class of Brazil just is completely holding this place back from being the marvelous place that it's meant to be. I feel like this povão class is on the verge of being retarded (I'm not trying to offend, I seriously think a large swath of the povão don't like/know how to think things through.) Dealing with povão is exhausting. I try to avoid the metro in povão neighborhoods because I know it's going to be a tiring situation. This can be said about anywhere, but I just think that it needs to be fixed here....I don't like seeing my beloved country being strangled by this group of people.

The complacency with violence. 
A kid from my school was shot this week, one block away from where I was when it happened. In a nice neighborhood too. Thank god he survived, but it was close. He was being robbed, didn't react and still received a bullet to the throat on a Tuesday night at 8:30 PM. I have to admit, after this happened I do feel a little less safe in Perdizes. It's just tragic really.

And for the people who are going to blast me for sharing my feelings and being ''Anti-Brazil'', lets get one thing straight. I defend Brazil like no other and if you want to question my loyalty to this country you are setting yourself up for failing an argument.

Beijinhos
Alex

Algumas coisinhas

Olá

Anyway, I was just thinking about some things, and decided I should write them down. They are bast ante random, so I'm just going to write little subparagraphs about them.

People in the interior are beautiful.
So, in Mato Grosso do Sul I realized that many people don't give the interior the credit it deserves when it comes to the beauty of their people. The mix of the people there is very different than the mix of people here in SP. Paulistas in general are a meditteranean people, mainly descendants of Portuguese, Italian and Spanish immigrants, and of course there is huge population of mixed race people (everything from White mixed with Black, to White mixed with Native, and all variations inbetween. There are some good looking people in SP, but in my opinion, the people in MS are much better looking.

There, the mixing is different. There is much more of a native indian presence due to the fact that there are still native tribes in the interior, there is a large Japanese community in Mato Grosso do Sul (easy to see, honestly) and also, the whites of that region are generally of Northern European origin (Germans, Poles, Ukrainians.) I noticed that the mixing there happened to less of an extent than places like SÃO Paulo, which I find interesting, so there are larger populations that are not biracial. But the biracial people there are really good looking. I'm not sure who wins in the ''good looking people'' competition yet, cause all the places I've been in Brazil have good looking people....Florianópolis, Rio, Mato Grosso do Sul....I can tell you one thing however, the people in SP are in general the most out of shape and least ''beautiful'' in my opinion. Sorry SP!

I'm never going to be the same person again. 
Brazil has changed me. I've become so Brazilian it hurts. When I go back to the US I'm pretty sure I'm going to feel like an alien in a foreign planet. I don't know how I'm going to deal with it, as well as the saudades that I'm going to feel. I've fallen in love with Brazil more than I could possibly imagine, and I can't bear to think I'm not going to be living here again for another year and a half to two years. It hurts my heart! :(

The weather in São Paulo is spectacular, finally. 
Demorou like 23 meses but I'm finally able to enjoy spectacularly sunny days. It's getting a little bit chilly though, and I'm constantly bundled up in two to three layers (with a huge giant winter coat.) Another reason I've become super Brazilian is because I find anything below 60 degrees to be unbearable and I get sick. I'm actually sick right now because it dropped below the 50 degree mark last night. Wtf.

Well, é isso aí. That's all for now!

Abraço
Alex

Bonito and Mato Grosso do Sul and Nature

Just got back yesterday from a wonderful 6 days in beautiful Mato Grosso do Sul. We went to Bonito, a little town in the middle of nowhere that has recently been made into one of the top ''eco tourism'' locations in Brasil and probably in the world.

The region is blessed with natural beauty, including caverns, crystal clear rivers teaming with fish and wildlife, macaws and parrots of all types as well as other amazing animals.

Some pictures I took:

Araras (Macaws) are veryyyy common in the whole state

Lagoa Azul, a lake inside a cave...they still haven't reached the bottom and don't know the depth.

Typical dirt road of the region 

Anyway, as you can tell in the pictures there is some spectacular things in this region. In general, the whole idea of the region is that it's ecologically friendly which is a wonderful thing. But, I do have some criticism. 

You see, Mato Grosso do Sul was named Mato Grosso do Sul because it was a giant forest. Unfortunately, this is extremely. extremely far from the truth nowadays. We drove there from São Paulo by bus (IT TOOK 23 HOURS OMG SOOO LONG) and even though the region still is beautiful, it kind of sent a billion daggers through my heart to see almost the entire state of Mato Grosso do Sul functionally deforested and dominated by humans. There is still a wild streak in the state, unlike São Paulo which I have basically given up hope on, due to its extreme state of degradation. Mato Grosso do Sul is in better shape than SP ecologically, but it's still pretty badly damaged. I am grateful that the arara populations are stable and the species that was previously in danger of extinction (Arara Azul Grande) is now making a comeback due to a project to increase their populations. But I am very worried for our friend, the onça-pintada. 

The people who destroyed the ecology of the state are mainly white farmers that immigrated out of southern states like Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul in order to get bigger pieces of land. And they did. Some of the fazendas they own are the size of Connecticut and New Jersey. It's ridiculous. And they spared very little natural, thick forest for the onças and other animals of the region. These people in general are pretty badly educated, are greedy, and only think about the good of their cattle and their money. They shoot and kill the jaguars when they get the chance. This has lead the species to be considered ''endangered'' in Brasil nowadays. 

It makes me want to cry honestly. Brazil is a spectacular country, with so many beautiful things and the most beautiful nature in the world. But, for some reason, it seems to know how to fuck it all up and destroy it all. Look at the Mata Atlantica, completely destroyed with less than 7% of the natural biome still intact. The Amazon is shrinking. The pantanal is being turned into pastureland. Brazil, I love you with all my heart but sometimes I wonder why you are such a god damn fucking idiot.

You're destroying what makes you, you. I'm afraid the Brazil that I've fallen in love with, a place of beauty, of nature and of biological importance is about to be wiped out forever. If that's the case, fudeu. I have absolutely no words. I wish the Brazilian people would show more interest in this, but it doesn't surprise me honestly. And I know some people are going to say ''Well, your country cut down all it's forests, and we should have the right to develop too!!!''. Yes, and the US is environmentally fucked. I don't understand WHY you would ever want to follow in the footsteps of the US. If you do , I kind of just wish the jaguars would kill you and eat you and all your DNA so it never passes down to any other human being ever again.

Beijão 

Alex 

My reality and my future (short term and long term)

I have now been living in Brasil for about five months. Holy SHIT, I can't believe how fast this time has gone by, it's scary honestly. I still have about 3 months (a little less) here in Brazil, which makes me a little sad and a little anxious about how I'm going to spend this time here in my new home.

I went through a little phase about a week ago that started to mourn my upcoming departure, not wanting to think about it at all. When I did, it sent me into a mini-couple minute depression. I mean, I LOVE Brasil, and I truly do want to live here in the future, probably for the rest of my life.

But I realized something. When I go back to the US, it's not the end....quite the contrary actually. It's just the beginning!

I have a really good semester waiting for me back home, an awesome apartment, my own car and all that....plus, my awesome friends back in the states that are patiently waiting for me. I've got a whole crock load of dramatic shit waiting back for me at school. But you know what, that's exciting to me. I confess, I like living my life like I'm in a novela. And trust me, with my Colombian problem I've got more than enough drama for 300 novelas. But I'm actually kind of looking forward to it, it helps me live life  little more intensely.

Lately, I've been wondering how I could have made my first leg in Brazil a little bit more productive and enjoyable. I know what it is, a super easy sounding fix that in reality is much more difficult than you may imagine.

I'm part of a study abroad program with about 25 other kids from all over the United States. At first I thought, ''OK, this is cool, I'll have this group to fall back on when I'm bored-but I'm hanging out with Brazilians first.'' Wrong. I totally WANT to be with Brazilians, way more than the American group (mainly because a lot of these people in the group are quite ''chato'' and because I really wanted to root myself into Brazil through Brazilian friends.) This is just starting to occur, thankfully. It just makes me a little sad that it took this long for it to happen though. I guess all people who are moving to another country have this problem to a certain extent and Im probably lucky and ''fast'' comparing to some other people, but I'm not exactly happy I only have around 3 months to make this relationships last the year and a half that I'll be away from Brazil (graduating.)

So, basically, I'm embracing my reality here in Brasil, trying to live my life here to the fullest it can be, and soak up this wonderful country that I now call my own in the time I have left here for this ''beginning chapter'' in my Brazilian life.

I'm embracing the future, which will have a lot of stress, a lot of drama, a lot of drunk fights and a lot of make up ''relations'', as well as lots of school work and yadda yadda yadda. Life in the US isn't great outside of college for me, but in College it pretty much rocks. So, yes, I'm excited to spend my next 1.5 years there in the manner explained above.

And my future. It's here, in Brazil. I'm strongly entertaining the idea of doing Pós-Graduação here either at USP or UFRJ. I want to be in Brasil, it's my true home now, and it's always going to be a huge part of who I am. It sounds weird, I know....but I'm a psycho so don't judge.

Beijão
Alê

Really important post

Hey fans, I just wanted to take some time out of my extremely busy schedule to inform you all that...

I'm sitting in starbucks, on my macbook, writing a blog post while drinking espresso duplo. Can't get any more ironic than that.

Alright, bye!
Alex

A little bit of a rant

Jesus christ.

I just got back from Ilha Grande, which is LINDA. Really, a beautiful place! Well preserved Atlantic Rainforest on 99% of the island plus a great little village (Vila Abrãao) with awesome restaurants and wonderful pousadas and hostels. I'll have to post some pictures later. Nice colored water too! 

Here's where the rant starts. 

I'm f*cking sick of taking busses nowadays between cities. I don't know if this is a specifically Brazilian thing, but NO MATTER WHAT, NO MATTER WHERE I GO, the voyage is never less than 12 hours. Yes, 12 god damn, horrible, hot hours. 

1) The bus companies think we are cows. They close the doors and don't turn any kind of air ventilation on. People fart, bus is hot with the body heat of 60-some people, and it's pretty horrible being stuck in that for the whole freakin' day. 

2) The bus companies pick the slowest, most ineffective route possible. We took the Rodovia Tamoiós from São José dos Campos to Caraguatatuba, which apparently is under construction because in all honesty it's a very small road. The wonderful part about this is, that after 1AM until 4:30 AM the road is closed because they were blasting sides of hills to make more room. We got to the road closure at 1:20 AM. So guess what we did? The bus driver stopped the bus, turned it off, and we waited there for 3 and a half hours (with no ventilation, obviously.) We just sat in the middle 

3) Even in normal conditions, the slowest route possible seems like the best route possible for the bus drivers!! I've lived in Brazil for 4 months and I can tell you three other alternate routes that would take half the time it took us. Ugh. 

4) The weather is making me want to commit suicide, its was rainy in Ilha Grande 2 days out of 3 and, to be quite honest, it makes even the most beautiful places look ugly when it's shrouded in a gray cloud all the time. I don't understand this and it's something I can't accept although I've learned to live with it. I thought Brasil was supposed to be sunnier than New Jersey.....it sure as hell is a bout 10 times more cloudy than New Jersey and this fact makes me want to cry. Big, big, biiiigggggggg disappointment, definitely the biggest disappointment I have in Brazil (of very few) is weather. 

5) Angra dos Reis is a naturally beautiful area that has been completely invaded by favelas, and now it's simply and ugly place. 

6) It still amazes me how different people can be in such a small area of Brazil. It was apparent to me in Angra that there are some huge struggles to still be battled with education and respect when it comes to respecting where you live in some places here. I wonder when it will get to the level where I find it acceptable....

I love you Brasil, but you do need to work some of your issues out, not ignore them and act like everything is perfect when it's not. It doesn't help you, your people, or anything for that matter. I know it's getting better but better yourself faster, tá? 

Beijão 

Alex 

The Death of Oscar Freire?

Today I was being my newly found bohemian self, which includes wandering huge areas of São Paulo without any real destination and/or reason as to be doing so. I left my leafy Zona Oeste neighborhood at around 11AM, after I rolled out of bed (feeling like I either drank 20 gallons of cachaça or was beaten thoroughly with a shovel as I was sleeping) and made my way to Avenida Paulista.

(TIP: If you're trying to snap a paparazzi shot of me, you'll find me in Itaim or Paulista mainly. Also Vila Madalena but I'm usually in disguise there, so you'd never know it's me. Just a tip)

Anyway, I then took a bus to Vila Mariana, pretended to get lost to make things more interesting, and wound up at Ibirapuera where I continued to pretend I was lost just to keep at least ONE thing stable in my life. You see, I didn't know Ibirapuera that well until today. Sure, I'd been there, but it was sort of like playing ''just the tip'' with the place, today I got down and dirty with it. I conhecered the shit out of Ibirapuera, acredita.

So after watching all the people in Ibirapuera run around and be healthy, I decided to leave and take refuge in the cesspool of luxury that is Jardins. Yes, I walked there. It's part of the new bohemian me, remember? It's not even that far, I've walked all the way from Vila Madalena to Morumbi before (of course, pretending to be lost even though I knew damn well where I was.)

So after getting to Jardins, where I haven't been in a good three weeks, I walked up to Oscar Freire. You know, that street that reminds you of Vila Apia in Rocinha.

Something disturbed me when I got there. Like 394802 storefronts had emptied since the last time I was there. What the hell? I mean Oscar Freire is supposed to be the epicentre of São Paulo's rich a$$hole population! It doesn't make any sense.

Só pra vocês saberem, the whole quadra from Rua Vittorio Fasano all the way to Sarandi is completely closed (although I'm in the know and have inside sources telling my why: new luxury mall on the way! (www.cidadejardimshops.com.br) ) But past there, all the stores all the way to Oscar Freire on the left side of the street were closed. Not to mention a VERY large amount of other stores ON Oscar Freire being closed.

What gives? I like Oscar Freire! It's one of the few places in São Paulo that is an ACTUAL ''main'' street kind of area without fences, barbed wire and blank walls. Of course, I think there are other things that can be improved about it (like, why does it have 3 restaurants?)

Speaking of restaurants as a side note: The restaurant scene is a little confusing to me here. There are a lot of nice restaurants throughout the city, but they always seem closed and/or extremely infrequently visited. Can someone explain this to me?

Anyway, it got me thinking. Maybe all these malls are finally starting to canabalize Oscar Freire. Its exactly what happened in the US and why the US has extremely shitty city centres. I pray this is not the case, and if it is, I'm going to cry because Brasil is loosing out big time with it's constant journey to try and mimic the US. There are very, VERY few good things to come out of the US when it comes to controlled planning and foresight in the future of it's urban centres (Suburban Sprawl will be the death of America), so please Brazil....don't copy the US. Entendeu? 

Tell me what you think! I hope it's just a transitionary phase and Oscar Freire comes back stronger than ever!!!

Abração!
Alex