April

I guess noone is actually expecting any more news on this blog, it has been a very long period without some news from Rio. Unbelieveable, if you copare the amout of bad news of the last couple of weeks here in this city...and the amount I wrote. 100.000:0. Maybe thats the reason why?
A lot going on here, especially reffered to violence. Newspapers and announcer on television are even comparing Rio de Janeiro with Bagdad, the number of people dying is astonishingly incresing. Last week I actually wanted to visit the SOS children village in one of the Favela areas. But one day before that, a man has been killed just in this neighbourhood. By a gunshot in the chest, at 10.30 h in the morning. So I decided not to go. A shame because i would have loved to see how the SOS children village worked there. I might make another appointment, but I am not quite sure because Jacarepagua with its different areas can be dangerous, as well as the way there. Its not uncommon that people die in the bus because of a strayed bullet.

I have been working a lot which I defenitely enjoyed, but I always got home, wasting the last energy to kill some cockroachs and falling asleep immediately. Strange feeling for me to face such a huge wave of tiredness, but I put it down to the heat, the noises and the continuous danger I am confronted with. In addition: I am always talking, working, thinking and arguing in portuguese, a language i am lerning for 3 months now...

BUT I have also finally found a place to dance Salsa AND Samba -the stepsisters together in ONE place, which I am really enjoying a lot.

At work we are developing various projects and I really enjoy being able to be actively involved in the developement. (Wow, well at the moment I am a little distracted while writing because there is a big fight next to the internet cafe. It seems like 3 street children robbed a lady, and one of them has been caught)
Thats a big problem here, and i have to admit i feel quite unsafe in my neighbourhood. I know I am being observer wherever i go, even during the day. I am being followed to the beach and to the supermarket. I always put my money into my bra, but actually I would hand out all I have when being threatend by a waepon or a knife. The frightning and sad fact is that the robbers very often have nothing to loose. They are druged and they dont care about anything. Not about your life. Not even about their life. If they shoot you or not is only a qustion of mood, or luck.
"Refreshing", however, is one exhibitionist who is following me from time to time. Our first meeting was when I happened to be right at the same time at the same corner of the same street with someone i thougt he just wanted to pee. So i kindly looked away and avoided embarrasing looks. But after 1 minute the same men jumped from behind a tree directly into my direction. Three minutes agian. And 5 minutes again. I really tried hard not to show my abhorrence at him. Today the same. So I talked to a policemen, but he was hardly interested in someone who didnt even threaten me with a gun. So much to this.

The last week of my stay in rio I will have holidays , but even though I would have loved to travel somewhere, I have not the least bit of money. So I will stay here (which is not the worst thing either:-)

Well I think I will leave now, it s getting quite unpleasent right now ouside. But I will write again soon.