Perpetual Construction- Ting, ting, ting...

Sure, I use my blog a lot as my outlet to vent, but this has to be the most annoying thing about Brazil to me that I will never, ever, ever, ever....(get the point) miss: the incessant perpetual construction everyday. The apartments are all made of steel enforced cement, so when construction takes place, it is a loud banging that echoes throughout the building and imagine if you are right next to it, and there is always someone fixing or reforming something.

 For the past two months there has been a rhythmic bang, bang, ting, ting, bing, bing constantly everyday starting at 9:30 am from my neighbors apartment. Not only can I not sleep in, I can't concentrate on my studies, and the sounds is so maddening that it automatically raises my blood pressure. Every other day I complain downstairs to the doormen, but there is nothing they can do, since it is within the owner's right to make reforms and undergo projects outside of the "hour of silence", that doesn't really exist here also.

So the moral of the story is, I pay rent to be able to study, read, enjoy myself around the house, live and I can't even cook or do laundry sometimes because of all the banging. Livid at this point. Watch out construction workers!!! Just kinding, but seriously annoyed!

Here's To Another Year!

I raise my plastic champagne glass to the sky and thank God for another year wishing for the best.

I think to myself and ponder what will 2011bring? Hopeful, I comprise a list of goals for the new year:

1. Laugh More

2. Make My Health Number One Priority

3. Eat More Healthfully

4. Exercise Daily

5. Practice Guitar & Piano More

6. Finish MBA

7. Learn More Interesting Information Just For The Fun Of It

8. Dance More

9. Realize Personal Projects

10. Love And Have More Grace

11. Don't Judge Others As Much

12. Spend More Time With Loved Ones

13. Stress Less

14. Get One Step Closer To Where I Want To Be

15. Move Closer To Figuring Out What I Want Out Of Life

THE NEW YEAR IS PROMISSING & DIVINE: HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

One Afternoon in Arproador

View from the top of the rock in Arproador

Some kids catching some waves

"ARTE DE VIVER" sponsored a group meditation session

Umm...

Bliss

Turf War Rio de Janeiro

In Rio de Janeiro there is a huge gap in wealth and social stratification. Beautiful high-rise buildings overlook spiraling slums creeping up hills. A city where the poor deal with the corruption of drug lords in your neighborhoods as their governing body, and the rich deal with the same corruption of drug lords on a less blatant platform, but that deals with a greater sum of money.

Over the past few years the police of Rio de Janeiro have been slowly taking over the "drug lord's" turf in the slum (favelas) and permanently reclaiming the land and power as Brazil's. The series of operations have not been peaceful or been done without some type of retaliation from the escaping drug traffickers.

Last week, due the up and coming Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the police invaded  the favelas of Pena in the north zone which sparked a wave of crime and retaliation throughout the city: buses and cars burned, people robbed, stray bullets near the slums of the invasion, drive by shooting aimed for police posts, stores closing early, classes cancelled, and terror in general spread. Now as I type the police have secured Complexo do Alemao. Now waves the flags of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil at the top of the conquered hill.

Let's all hope that there are no more innocent people killed or wounded by this all out war between authority and anarchy. Which leads me to the question: why did the government let it get to this point? Also, knowing that drugs kill people, innocent people and ruin the lives of loved ones, why do people (rich & poor)  continue to use and create a demand for these illicit crimes. Stepping onto my soapbox--people, love your neighbor and do good to each other. Treat those how you would want to be treated.

I'll leave you with a quote by Ganhdi, "You have to be the change that you want to see in the world." Please don't create a market for blood shed.



The Gayest Day of the Year in Rio de Janeiro

So, every Sunday I take my weekly walk on the beach in Copacabana, nothing usual. I stroll down Ave. Atlantica dodging little poodles and kids motoring around in miniature cars and bicycles; however, two Sundays ago I was met at the beach with "Ra ra u-la la, Ra ra u-la la, Ga ga..." blaring over (what's typically used during Caraval blocos) these monsterous sound trailers with people dancing atop in tight white jeans shirtless and men in drag. Normally, I see old men walking along with their saggy sungas (Brazilian version of a Speedo), but today that was replaced by young guys walking around with angle wings on their backs. This meant only one thing, the excessive dance music, topless men with sparkles, drag queens, butch women, and a rainbow of colors, it was only the GAYEST day of the year in Rio de Janeiro-Gay Pride, my friends!

Last year my friend (super cute gay guy) dragged me to the parade where I was shoulder to shoulder with a bunch of sweaty topless guys. Surprisingly enough, only men hit on me there. I was a little taken back by this, as it was a "gay pride" parade. Fortunately, my friend posed as my boyfriend the entire way repelling off the hordes of hormonal conquistadores. The girls that saw me gave me one look and ran the other direction. One even looked at me and turned to her friend and said "She's straight!" right in my face.

That leads me to a digression- how does one look straight? From all I could tell at the parade in Rio (I know some people aren't gonna like this, but oh well, here it goes anyway) a straight girl looks normal, by normal I mean isn't butched out, while a gay guy is harder to tell. All of the women I saw were wearing sports braws, cut off jean shorts, and many with ball caps demostrating their muffin top bellies. Call me traditional, but that's not sexy at all! If a woman were to like another woman, why would she go for one that looks like a guy? Why not just have a boyfriend? It's socially acceptable and easier. The men there were gorgeous for the most part, some outrageously flamboyant, but at least with nice bodies.

This year instead of being in the middle of the action I opted to be a passive observer from a kiosk a safe distance from the crowd (I'm American- I like my personal space). I would say that the parade this year was very tame in comparison to last year's giantic parade. The most excitement was when a drunk guy and one of the kiosk security guards got into a fist fight 6 feet from my table. All in all it was a very gay day in deed!

Halloween In Rio de Janeiro

It's Halloween in Rio de Janeiro, but not really Halloween, no little kids running around with undersized costumes and make up ringing your doorbell in hopes of getting the good candy, not the cheap hard candy or carmel covered apples--the Snickers or the Baby Ruth's. There are no horror films in the background, nor the smell of pumkin spiced tea.

With this being said, I am still bound to have a good day. I am sitting in my apartment in Rio de Janeiro drinking English breakfast tea out of a mug that reads "I'd Rather Be Drinking Champagne" and watching Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang, at least a little murder to darken my afternoon. I've been in Rio for the past two months trying to finish up my MBA in Management, still have about 4 months to go. Lots of things have happened: 1.) the movie I helped translate English subtitles O Gigante do Papelao has won two best picture awards abroad, 2.) I've started taking classes in Barra, which is about one hour from where I live, 3.) I'm starting to help as a photo assistant periodically, mainly with lighting and keeping an eye on the photographer's equipment, 4.) my Portuguese is getting better, 5.) I'm learning how to dance ballroom forro and samba finally, 5.) I've been practing guitar and piano, learning how to read music--still not very good, 6.) just hanging out and trying to enjoy life.

Coincidentally, Brazil's election for President and State Governors is today on Halloween, so everyone is out compulsorily voting. It's not like in the US where you have the choice to vote, they can vote null, but have to show up at the ballots or have a convincing discuse why they could not vote in the election, like in the hospital or traveling abroad. My opinion, the Lula backed Dilma Rousseffi will become the first woman president of Brazil, not sure if that's a good or bad thing...

Leather Boots Kickin' Around Nebraska

It's interesting how when most people travel they look for the familiar and stick to it--I am the same--currently I am in a small town in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, population about 179,000ish, small. I feel like such a lame hypocrite as I complain about how Wal-Mart is the devil of America, while I ask my front desk attendant where the Starbucks is in town. The familiarity of the soft guitar melodies being strummed with someone quietly accompanying vocally is something that I don't like to lack in my life. She responded that there was no Starbucks--my GPS had lied to me. There had been one and it went out of business. Apparently sitting and sipping on a hot cafe Americano isn't the thing to do in Scottsbluff, NE, I thought.

This land of fast food franchises in America has spread like a malignant disease--as I drive down the main food drive, 27th St.; I am thinking to myself, how do they eat this shit every day? Apparently they don't love food here, but their waists don't reflect that much. For lunch I made my way to Taco del Oro--a little locally owned taco shop--and ordered a soft taco that my very Anglo-Saxon mom could've made with much ease, but what made me happy was that it was a local joint doing such a great business. So many times in these little towns the major franchises take precedence over the locally owned businesses--where typically the ingredients are fresher and much better for you. This forunately got my spirits up a little higher than they were previously. I'm not sure about anyone else out there, but I judge a place always by the food, music, and its people--the same goes for restaurants. You can tell a lot about a person by what they eat, the type of things they put into their bodies and where they frequent. I digress.

Getting back to the point, the familiarity of a cafe provides the comfort and type of atsmosphere that makes me feel pleased in any location throughout the world. It's interesting how I am sitting in Scottsbluff writing this post and by the looks of this place I could be anywhere in the world. I should be trying out the steak houses, but I am drawn to familiarity, what I like. 

By the way, I did find an incredible restaurant called "Paradise" that reads from the road "Paradise Tanning, Carwash, German, Cocktail, Diner"--amazing right! Marketing completely confusing when you drive by, but I was bound and determined to find good food here and did. So basically, I could go tanning, wash my car, eat a good meal and then have a cocktail all in one place, astonishing!