Another site we passed on the way to Galeão airport is Olympic City, Rio de Janeiro- or what is to become the location for the 2016 Olympics (growing up in Kenya I only realised that there existed winter Olympics after studying in the US-forgive the non-specification that these are summer Olympics). I probably should have taken a picture with my camera, but I took one with my eyes. A picture…
on the way to the rio airport
In the past 6 hours, I have travelled from Rio de Janeiro to Salvador da Bahia, from one former capital of Brazil to another. The ride from my hostel to the airport served as a reminder of the other faces of Rio de Janeiro, faces that are not the postcard image for most people for what Brazil is – beaches, beautiful men and women (a friend once summarised it as…
working with transition brasilândia- a reflection
‘A periferia se cansou de esperar a oportunidade que nunca chegava, e que viria de fora, do centro’ (Hermano Vianna) Periferia em Movimento (The periphery got tired of waiting for opportunites that were never coming, and which were to come from outside, from the central city.) I first learnt of Transition Brasilândia as I looked for organisations or social movements that embodied the vision of the environment that…
in honour of my…
In honour of my last day in Brasilândia I am going to keep sitting at this bus-stop until the chips lady finishes setting up and makes her first batch. There shall be more buses later.
3 reasons why I love pixação
I had a conversation with someone who is also interning in Brasilândia today and she made the comment that she hates “these writings that are not graffiti”- they make the city dirty according to her and are ugly. These sentiments are similar to some that my classmates on my study abroad programme had concerning pixação, sentiments which also included just simply not understanding it. Pixação is a form of Brazilian…
how to brainstorm a crowdfunding campaign
The group? A community bakery and café, Doces Talentos, run by a group of women who live in Vila Brasilândia. The place? A rectangular room that had been the home of Doces Talentos for the past 1 year and 4 months. The space does not seem suited to the identity of the place- a restaurant, bakery and café. First comes the café when you enter, then the seating area, then…