Snapshot of Brazil
Fast Facts
Population: 184 million
Number of people living below the poverty line: 40 million
Infant mortality per 1000 live births: 32
Unemployment: 12%
Adult literacy: 86%
Number of people living with AIDS: 610,000
Sq km of rain forest destroyed annually: 15,000
Fast Facts
Population: 184 million
Number of people living below the poverty line: 40 million
Infant mortality per 1000 live births: 32
Unemployment: 12%
Adult literacy: 86%
Number of people living with AIDS: 610,000
Sq km of rain forest destroyed annually: 15,000
The economic gap between rich and poor is one of the worlds largest, a third of the population struggles just to feed itself. Many Brazilians leave their homes to search for a better life in Rio de Janeiro. That leads to an expanding city, and people who can’t afford a living in the centre install themselves in the suburbs. All across the country favelas (slums, shantytowns) are a visible presence. [Rio de Janeiro is counting about 600 favelas]
They first appeared during the mass urban migration in ht e mid-19th century, and today they surround every major city. Infrastructure, danger and drug traffic problems vary, and they are often ‘governed’ by drug lords and their gangs, who are frequently the communities’ only benefactors. Sometimes they might even see themselves as the ‘Robin Hood’ and complete with slogans about peace and justice. Danger to residents comes when rival gangs move in or when the police make a razzia.As I am going to live in a favela because of my work there, I am very curious about how every day life will be there. But as I have been told, this favela is way more secure and free from drugs (due to the miliz there as well)….I will move there next week and start my work. I am really looking forward to it because I have now already experienced the wealth side of Rio de Janeiro, and it is going to give me a more complete picture of this country. The organization I am working with is offering (among other things) dancing classes to children of the favela (www.salamaleque.de).
I am amazed by their work because it is the most important step to start with children if you want to change something. By small things like activities you can succeed in opening their minds, making them aware of themselves and showing them how to entertain themselves without television, computer games, violence, drugs etc. ….
(I will be able to write more about that when I start my work with the kids)
(I will be able to write more about that when I start my work with the kids)
Contradictions are most severe in the social-class system, where you can find poor and rich living in close proximity, often separated by nothing more than a highway or a hill. Therefore it is not surprising, that especially Rio de Janeiro is facing a lot of problems with violence.
(siehe z.B:
Drogenkrieg in Rio de Janeiro:
http://www.nzz.ch/2007/01/06/vm/articleESRN7.html
http://www.netzeitung.de/ausland/487176.html
http://www.netzeitung.de/vermischtes/483703.html
http://www.netzeitung.de/reise/446304.html
http://derstandard.at/?url=/?id=2716114
http://www.baz.ch/news/index.cfm?ObjectID=2BFEBC86-1422-0CEF-70D062F8551813B6
http://www.orf.at/?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.orf.at%2Fticker%2F241481.html
http://www.n24.de/print.php?articleId=93553
http://www.netzeitung.de/ausland/487176.html
http://www.netzeitung.de/vermischtes/483703.html
http://www.netzeitung.de/reise/446304.html
http://derstandard.at/?url=/?id=2716114
http://www.baz.ch/news/index.cfm?ObjectID=2BFEBC86-1422-0CEF-70D062F8551813B6
http://www.orf.at/?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.orf.at%2Fticker%2F241481.html
http://www.n24.de/print.php?articleId=93553
Erster gemiensamer Einsatz von Bundestruppen und Polizei:
Lula dreht den Geldhahn auf:
Der Zukunftsrat:
MERCOSUR:
Wird Naomi Botschafterin von Rio?
Just recently there were a lot of fights on the streets between police and people held for drug dealers; tourist busses get robbed on the way from the airport to their hotel etc.
Nearly every Carioca ([kah-rree-‘aw-kah] mf/adj native of, pertaining to, Rio de Janeiro. Nickname given by the Indians to the first white men who came to live in Rio de Janeiro) has a horror story of getting mugged on the bus, in the street or somewhere else, but the response is often one of resignation in various moments (Lets just take the tremendous rising of politician’s salary as an example [about 91% more], see for exemple: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/f363b01e-8c6b-11db-9684-0000779e2340.html )
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6195013.stm
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=1886882006
At the moment I am staying at a Youth Hostel in Ipanema, a more secure place, even though it is very touristic. Very close, you will find favelas and very poor areas, too. What I mean with secure is very hard to define. I never walk on the streets with more than a certain amount of real [hay’ yahl] or with my credit card if not necessary. Just to be on the secure side. All over the places you can find police men, an incredible amount of vigilance due to the rumours in the past weeks.
When I arrived at the airport I couldn’t believe the great number of policemen placed on every corner at the streets to keep the place calm and secure, but now I got used to see them, armed and concentrated, watching out on the streets or even on the beaches. I also learned that it is not frightening to see them everywhere…all the contrary: it is alarming if I am somewhere and there are NO policemen. Then you should definitely leave this area as fast as you can.
The first days here I must admit I was VERY careful wherever I went. Trying not to show my purse filled with money, having my bag very close to my body, always looking behind and next to me, ready for some attack. I won’t say there is no possibility to get robbed wherever you are, but here in the centre the only thing that happened to me by now was that I lost my sunglasses at the bus.
You can also go to the beaches (as all the Cariocas do), with a Kanga [kun guh] rectangular piece of material used by Carioca women as a bikini cover-cup).
Actually I had my first big cultural shock when I faced the problem to be a European woman who wants to buy a Bikini in Brazil before going to the marvellous beaches. Shop by shop, bikini by bikini…it was impossible for me to find an “entire” Bikini. With “entire” I am referring to a peace of material which covers at least 2/3 of the parts of my body I want to be covered. So I thought I will give it a try, the very helpful ladies at the store gave me a couple of Bikinis and I tried them on……..
…well, lets say, I felt kind of naked in them, which might have come from the fact that they weren’t covering more than 1/3 ….so I asked for a bigger size……and a bigger size…and a bigger size…..but the nice lady there (and all the women who worked at the same shop etc) found it would fit me PERFECTLY….;-)
So I had no other possibility then giving up after half a day looking for something that European women would call a bikini….and I had my lesson. Dressing in Rio de Janeiro is an attitude, and a Carioca dresses for comfort, which is not to say that at any moment the importance of making a fashion statement is ignored. Whether it be walking through the shopping centre or down the streets of Ipanema, going to work or simply going to the beach, a true Carioca is very aware of how he or she looks.
And the beach is THE social area where women reveal a tiny, skimpy little tanga- thus leaving very little to the imagination, and what made me relieved is the fact that there are no prerequisites as to shape, weight, or age when wearing a tanga. All figures are entitled to bare all.
But NOTE: They would NEVER be topless on the beach. There is even a law prohibiting it.
Well to end the Bikini episode: I found one I felt kind of comfortable with; and I am getting more used to it every day ;-)
There are so many more things to write, and I will let you be informed as often as possible, but only to mention one more thing which was very new to me:
Brazilians and Argentineans are great rivals. (Everybody told me it’s just because of football ;-)..
Nearly every Carioca ([kah-rree-‘aw-kah] mf/adj native of, pertaining to, Rio de Janeiro. Nickname given by the Indians to the first white men who came to live in Rio de Janeiro) has a horror story of getting mugged on the bus, in the street or somewhere else, but the response is often one of resignation in various moments (Lets just take the tremendous rising of politician’s salary as an example [about 91% more], see for exemple: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/f363b01e-8c6b-11db-9684-0000779e2340.html )
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6195013.stm
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=1886882006
At the moment I am staying at a Youth Hostel in Ipanema, a more secure place, even though it is very touristic. Very close, you will find favelas and very poor areas, too. What I mean with secure is very hard to define. I never walk on the streets with more than a certain amount of real [hay’ yahl] or with my credit card if not necessary. Just to be on the secure side. All over the places you can find police men, an incredible amount of vigilance due to the rumours in the past weeks.
When I arrived at the airport I couldn’t believe the great number of policemen placed on every corner at the streets to keep the place calm and secure, but now I got used to see them, armed and concentrated, watching out on the streets or even on the beaches. I also learned that it is not frightening to see them everywhere…all the contrary: it is alarming if I am somewhere and there are NO policemen. Then you should definitely leave this area as fast as you can.
The first days here I must admit I was VERY careful wherever I went. Trying not to show my purse filled with money, having my bag very close to my body, always looking behind and next to me, ready for some attack. I won’t say there is no possibility to get robbed wherever you are, but here in the centre the only thing that happened to me by now was that I lost my sunglasses at the bus.
You can also go to the beaches (as all the Cariocas do), with a Kanga [kun guh] rectangular piece of material used by Carioca women as a bikini cover-cup).
Actually I had my first big cultural shock when I faced the problem to be a European woman who wants to buy a Bikini in Brazil before going to the marvellous beaches. Shop by shop, bikini by bikini…it was impossible for me to find an “entire” Bikini. With “entire” I am referring to a peace of material which covers at least 2/3 of the parts of my body I want to be covered. So I thought I will give it a try, the very helpful ladies at the store gave me a couple of Bikinis and I tried them on……..
…well, lets say, I felt kind of naked in them, which might have come from the fact that they weren’t covering more than 1/3 ….so I asked for a bigger size……and a bigger size…and a bigger size…..but the nice lady there (and all the women who worked at the same shop etc) found it would fit me PERFECTLY….;-)
So I had no other possibility then giving up after half a day looking for something that European women would call a bikini….and I had my lesson. Dressing in Rio de Janeiro is an attitude, and a Carioca dresses for comfort, which is not to say that at any moment the importance of making a fashion statement is ignored. Whether it be walking through the shopping centre or down the streets of Ipanema, going to work or simply going to the beach, a true Carioca is very aware of how he or she looks.
And the beach is THE social area where women reveal a tiny, skimpy little tanga- thus leaving very little to the imagination, and what made me relieved is the fact that there are no prerequisites as to shape, weight, or age when wearing a tanga. All figures are entitled to bare all.
But NOTE: They would NEVER be topless on the beach. There is even a law prohibiting it.
Well to end the Bikini episode: I found one I felt kind of comfortable with; and I am getting more used to it every day ;-)
There are so many more things to write, and I will let you be informed as often as possible, but only to mention one more thing which was very new to me:
Brazilians and Argentineans are great rivals. (Everybody told me it’s just because of football ;-)..
Well, I had no idea… ;-)Beijos, Amelie
