Two Weeks Down, Two To Go

Alrighty alrighty alrighty, it has been two weeks now and I feel like it has only been a few days in the good ol' Sao Paulo. I feel a bit more comfortable whenever I take the subway, walk to class, or attempt to order something in Portuguese. Spoiler... I still can't speak a lick of Portuguese. "Thank you", "Sorry, "How much", and "Where is the bathroom" can pretty much get you wherever you need to go. My birthday was this past Monday and considering how god awful my past three birthdays have been I honestly was not expecting much. Allegra and I arrived late to class (per usual) and I was greeted by 34 people singing a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday" and a brigadeiro, which is a traditional Brazilian bonbon. Real talk, not a huge fan. It's a little chewy and condensed-milky in my opinion. I got a pang of homesickness later in the night and started skyping Daniela in my kitchen when BAM, my host parents come bursting in the kitchen with a delicious chocolate mousse cake, singing "Happy Birthday" in Portuguese and English. Plus they gave me some Havaianas which is pretty nifty! Then I got to Skype some of my best friends and my father which is always nice.

Tuesday I took a trip to the Alana Institute which works on curbing the exploitation of children in the media. I didn't really understand how they went about doing that, and the explanation was probably quite literally lost in translation, but they also provide afterschool care, musical lessons, tutoring, painting lessons to seniors, and a whole host of other things in a favela town. What really impressed me was A) the fact that they received all the funding from private entrepreneurs which is almost unheard of in a periphery city and B) their operation is being threatened by the state because they technically live in an environmentally protected flood zone and could be displaced at any moment. In their place a Linear Park would be built. Oswaldo and Amanda of Alana were extremely kind and forthcoming when we visited Alana, cramming us into their tiny little office and answering all of our questions while we dined on apples and a "nutritional cake" that their nutritionist had made (so so great that they have a nutritionist who feeds the 364 kids who come through Alana everyday).

This visit contrasted quite nicely with our visit to Cidade Jardim, which is a planned community located  near the business district of the city and the Pinheiros River. This river is probably the most polluted river I have ever experienced in my life. The smell of the sewage that comes from all over the city comes to rest in the stagnant water of the river making even the nicest part of town spell god awful. I digress. Jardim is a planned community for the elite of Sao Paulo that contains a mall at the base of the complex and interchanging residential and corporate towers on top. I do enjoy the idea of a concentrated community such as this because in a city this crowded any way to avoid driving (and emitting dem gasses) is a good plan. Walking into the mall though we couldn't shake the feeling of disgust as well saw the favelas we had seen the day before replaced with Fendi, Gucci, Cartier, etc. There was a yacht LITERALLY in a store in the mall, and the playground on the roof of the mall offered some of the most amazing views of the city. As we observed this never ending landscape we were all shocked to see a tiny favela covered in the shadows of this massive and exclusive community.

On Thursday we had the pleasure of meeting with Graffiteros (graffiti artists) and Pixadores (artists who tag inconceivable spaces) to learn about the art movement that is sweeping Sao Paulo. While Sao Paulo is the definition of a concrete jungle many inhabitants attempt to beautify the area with amazing works of graffiti art. These beautiful pieces are contrasted by crude tags by Pixadores, who tag almost any blank space they can find to make their mark on the very city that does not accept them. We were shown around by Amanda Dorian, who is arguably one of the most revered female Graffiteros in Brazil. As we walked through the Vila Madalena (a super hip part of town) and Beco De Batman (an alley COVERED in street art) I was astounded by the way these artists managed to transgress the social norms of the city and beautify it in their own unique way.

A common theme that rang true to me through this week was the conflict that Sao Paulo is experiencing with first nature (untouched, natural areas that are typically considered "beautiful") and second nature (man-made structures that exhibit a different kind of beauty). My scope of study has caused me to really only consider the value of first nature, but the struggle between the Alana Institute and the government and the Graffiteros and blank space have caused me to redefine "beauty" in terms of human rights. Had i considered the idea of those living near Alana being displaced by a park a few months ago, I would have automatically vied for the creation of public space. Now that I have seen the faces of those who's lives could be uprooted because of human intervention, I am starting to reconsider what I consider to be beautiful and sound.

Anyways, enough of that. I'm going to Guaruja tomorrow with my host family and Allegra, which is a beach an hour and a half from Sao Paulo. Wahooo!

 Recycling units inside of the Alana Institute

 View from the top of the Cidade Jardim. Favelas are directly below. 

Me and Allegra, my IHP homestay sister!

The beauty of Beco de Batman

Graffiti in Beco de Batman