Notes on Brazil

Here is a list I have compiled for someone wanting a (gringa's) insider look at some Brazilian culture. A lot of the music I haven't listened to yet, and I tried to link as much as I could. Enjoy!

ART/DESIGN
Roberto de Vicq - designer who made Bembo Zoo
Gui Borchert - works for R/GA in NYC, Nike's Design by Nature, eyepunch.com
Gianguido Bonfanti - artist and illustrator
Ivan Cardoso - photographer, filmographer we saw an exhibit on him at the MAM
Favela Paintings Project - bringing art and culture to the favelas
Bananaplac - new eco-material made from banana fibers that kids @ESDI developed

SAYINGS
segura esse abacaxi - to solve a problem (lit. peel the pineapple)
deus é brasiliero - lit. god is brazilian, which is why brazil is so beautiful
depende da chuva - depends on the rain
está viajando na maionesa - someone who is not quite with it (lit. traveling in mayonnaise)
café com leite - someone who has everything easy

LITERATURE
João Guimarães Rosa Grande Sertão Veredas (The Devil to Pay in the Backlands in English)

MOVIES
Tropa de Elite(not yet released in English), Cidade de Deus (City of God in English),
Mutum, Quase Dois Irmãos, Ônibus 174 (Bus 174 in English)


MUSIC
brazilian electronic - Fernanda Porto
axé (music from the north of brazil) - Ivete Sangalo, Jamil, Banda Eva
ritmo bahía (african influence) - Babadonovo
pop rock - Skank, Charlie Brown Junior, Jotaquest
sertanejo (similar to country music in the states) - Bruno e Marrone
mpb (música popular brasileira) - Marisa Monte, Dejavam, Ana Carolina, Caetano Veloso, Tribalistas, Gilberto Gil, Elis Regina, Céu
bossa nova - Jorge Ben, Tom Jobim

BEAUTIFUL PLACES AROUND RIO
Ipanema, Ilha Grande, Búzios, Cabo Frio (Praia de Forte), Prainha (just south of Rio), Parque do Flamengo : ), Lapa, Jardim Botánico, Santa Teresa

Final week of school @ESDI

Last Friday was our last day of school at ESDI. It feels good to be done, but of course there were a few disappointments/frustrations with how things ended. Our final screenprinting project that Krista and I were really excited for and took extra time to complete, was never finished because our professor kept not showing up. So I have the proposed design and the fabric, but nothing else. Magazine class was frustrating too because the other students in my group did not have their part of the work done for our presentation. I had to present my own work to the professor separately. And my presentation for interactive design went smoothly except that no one clapped at the end of it except our professor. Okayyyyy?

South America. I guess that's all you can say. Caraca.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Aqui o Natal é diferente. Christmas is different here, or so says the slogan of the local grocery store, Zona Sul. I would say that about sums it up. Ooh, here, squirrels are a Christmas animal, and mushrooms are a key to your nativity scene. What I don't understand is why Santa is wearing a full red fur suit and mittens in the sweltering heat. It's all backwards. One thing, people don't really have chimneys here; don't worry, Santa will get into your living room somehow. I have seen these little Santa-on-a-ladder ornaments hanging out of apartment windows. As far as Christmas decorations go, I was expecting some kind of native-looking Santa wearing a speedo and hauling around a bag full of pineapples and coconuts, but the Brazilian Santa is still the same fat white guy. What a shame. So much for cultural diversity.

The best thing I did this week was go to the birthday party/churrasco/cookout of my doorman, Jarbas. We went to the area where he lived, which isn't so safe, but it was worth it to meet his family and friends. We drank Itaipeva beer, ate lots of meat with farofa and just had a great time practicing our Portuguese. It was also nice to be around a family again. One of the many things I miss! Lindsey, here's your shoutout: you have the best updates on life in Ohio out of everyone. Okay, time to finish some homework and then it's samba night in Santa Teresa! Ate logo.