I know...you want the nekkidness...but u have to wait for it....lol. It's coming...below the jump.
Sendas:: Apparently, it takes no time whatsoever to get used to the "big pimpin'" lifestyle. 'Cause honestly, when our professors told us we were visiting a grocery chain called Sendas - I was expecting a trip to the corporate headquarters, to meet with the Marketing VP, and then some samples of the flagship Senas products. Methinks the trip went to my head just a lil bit.
We ended up going to the 'hood (?) - a local Sendas in Leblon. According to the regional manager of this area, who also served as our guest host for this visit, Leblon is a neighborhood in "transition", with lower income favelas nearby, but also many middle income households in the area as well. This was apparent even as we approached the store, as street vendors outside offered us 2 for $1(real) empadas, with a free Guarana drink thrown in.
This visit was pretty colorful, as you can see even from their website (at right). According to our host, Brazilian love "everything exaggerated" - from the way advertising is presented in their mailings, to the way that food is presented in the store. He showed us a fresh seafood counter that rivaled that flying fish market in Seattle. We also saw that they sell liquor (LIQUOR!) in the store, as well as fresh, local favorites, like the corn-based Bolo de milho Carioca (corn cake).
theInformalEconomy::He also expanded on our knowledge of the "Rio way of life". It's not all sandy beaches and thong-clad big bootied chicks, by a long shot. 50% of the grocery industry revenue is generated by the "informal" (bootleg) economy. So, between farmers that sell directly to consumers (literally the empada-selling dude) to those who buy/sell fake merchandise - they cut deeply into the formal economies market share, and therefore - the bottom line.
"everyone has a maid..." But it's funny - they take care of their own. He also talked about how common it is for middle income households to have "help", like nannies and housekeepers. Live in help, even on a (compared to the US) low salary. Why, you ask? Well, they take care of their own. Everyone needs to work, and this ensures that the 'help", has some form of income, and that the family has someone to look out for the kids, while they're not at home.
aside:: I'm beginning to understand that people have "help", not because they're lazy or well-off. They do it because they're busy, and may have other things to do...but i digress.
Ação Comunitária do Brasil:: Full of carioca, and other products purchased at sendas, we head over to Ação Comunitária do Brasil. ACB is "a Non-Governmental Organization, founded 40 years ago by individuals and companies concerned with improving the quality of life for people who live in the favelas".
It also happens to be right in the heart of the favelas in Cidade Alta-Cordovil, featured in the movie "City of God". Mind you, I'm ignorant of ALL of this. I knew we were headed to an impoverishd area, but I didn't realize how impoverished until we were pretty much already there. I'd seen shantytowns in both Argentina and Brazil from afar, but hadn't gotten a close up look yet. I knew we were getting close, when the buildings became more open - missing walls, windows, doors, etc, and with clothes hanging outside, and the streets turning to cobblestones. When the road narrowed so much that our minivans could barely get through, and a beer truck completely blocked the street, I figured we'd arrived. Maybe because it was mid-day, because we went straight from the vans to the community center, or because I'd seen Perry Homes and Techwood here in Atlanta, and lived in the "pj's" back in Buffalo, but the favela, while poor, wasn't all that intimidating.
But in the midst of this "ghetto", we had Ação Comunitária. It stood out from the area, brightly painted and inviting - a safe haven perhaps? We were escorted in, and provided a tour. From the beauty salon where young women learned cosmetology skills, to the sewing studio where the unique designs are featured in Brazil's annual fashion week, and prominent designers come to look for talent and interns, to the artwork on the walls, to the woodworking shop, the center boasts many programs to assist the neighbors in the surrounding flavelas. I can't front - I really wanted this dress something fierce, or the silk screen t-shirts that celebrate Brazilian beauty.
But the crown jewels are the children. They seemed less hardened by their situation, than excited about performing, and gossiping about their US visitors.
We were then graced with several performances, from capoeira to samba, by children ranging from 4-5 yrs old, all the way up to the late teens/early twenties. They had a scheduled performance the following day, so our guide allowed us to see their dress rehearsal. The performances were all beautiful, and the kids seemed excited to perform, and happy to have an audience for their dress rehearsal. I honestly was in awe, and happy that I'd had a chance to watch them perform.
Plataforma:: But that wasn't the end of our day. Later that night, our professors treated us to a real Brazilian "folklore" show at Plataforma. Covering dances from folklore dances, to capoeira, and or course, Carnivale and samba, the show had briliiant costumes, dancers..and scantily clad dancers, both male and female. Now brothas - I know you like the Brazilian booties, but honestly...some of them were a little manly. Ladies - the men were THOROUGH, m'kay? The dancing was, er - decent, but it didn't match the energy of the dancers at ACB. 'Cept the capoeira - these brothers were bananas.
Plenty more pic - click the pics for more pics.
I think I ended up walking the beach alone at the end of this day - it was a lot to take in, we'd been in close quarters the last few days, and honestly - I needed to process it all. Yeah, it was probably risky - with me not speaking Portuguese, being a tourist, and my classmates not really knowing where I was. But...it was peace, yanno? In the moonlight, sea air, mist over Pao de Acucar, and with Christ the Redeemer looking over my shoulder, I was good. Content. Absorbent like Bounty, even....lol.
Sipping a coconut water, I made up my mind that I needed sand in my toes, wind in my hair, and...sea water in the.....oh, neva mind that. For my last day, I just wanted the beach.
Next up: Ipanema and it's Boys, Copacabana, the Departure...and my Brazilian boy-toy Gaulo. ;-)
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