retriever & bearer of indigenous Afrikan lifeways
It is easy to miss Horta do Ciclista (the Cyclist’s Garden) in Praça Ciclista at the corner of Avenida Paulista and Rua Consolação in São Paulo. Especially if you did not know where it was located as I did (not) when I first went walking on Paulista on an assignment to find urban interventions. I was back on the weekend, after first confirming the location, and spent some time walking…
Practical advice for taking the bus to the metro in São Paulo: take the second one. …yes I know,you’re worried about being late to work-2 hour transit is no joke- but DON’T!Take the 2nd one: your knees and back will thank you,As the driver takes that sharp corner,and descends one more of those hills,They will thank you, I tell you. And sometimes I wish I took my own adviceand waited…
I think I’m a little bit jealousEverytime I see these cyclistsRide carefree down Avenida Paulista. It’s not because I envy their,Carbon dioxide reducing acts,No,It’s not even because,Even if I could, Paulista would not be,My first pick for riding a bicycle…Or driving a car. You see,they’re balancing on less than 5 cmof width.And there’s something so daringabout that.
During the fall of 2012, I participated in the study abroad programme IHP- International Honors Programme- Cities in the 21st Century. The programme was multi-destinational and we travelled in a group of about 35 students, 3 faculty and one travelling fellow to New Orleans, USA; São Paulo & Curitiba, Brazil; Cape Town, South Africa; and Hà Nội, Vietnam. I was introduced to social movements (such as Movimento do Sem Teto…