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Ok, So I'm writing this blog in English since i think that everyone who's interested in what I'm doing here understands English. If not, then it's definitely time to learn=)
So the beginning here in Rio hasn't really been easy, maybe because I'd never really though about anything at all before coming here. I kind of just believed everything would organize itself once I'd turn up. Well it doesn't. So I arrived here, nearly three weeks ago with nothing but a place to stay. I arrived in my really nice house, in Santa Teresa, a really nice part of Rio de Janeiro, with a lvoely, but really small area where they have nice bars and restaurants. it's about 15 minutes away from the next bus line or metro station and my house is another 15 minute walking distance from Santa Teresa Center. So it's far away from anything really, at least it has two buses that pass randomly. The view is absolutely amazing and I have a terrace where I can put up a hammock. I've got a whole house to myself, which is cool when I have friends over to stay, but a bit lonely if I don't. I really like the house and the family that owns it, they are a really big family and two children, about 5 years old, love to come up to my house and talk to me, not caring that I don't even understand half of what they are saying=D (which, I realized, is not only because of my bad portuguese, but also because of theirs...) They are really cute though=) the whole family is really nice, I already went out with them, including their friends, to a square where they had a samba block playing, was great. A bit odd that they took their 5 months old baby qith them too though, considering we stayed until two in the morning, but I guess if you don't have a babysitter... They are really lovely, but since the house really is a bit far away and in a Favela, on the edge of the Favela though, I don't feel 100% safe there. And also I don't really like coming home to an empty house, no matter how nice the view is. So I'd decided that I want to move out after carnival, so I've been looking for another place for tha last two weeks. Or better: telling everyone I was looking for something=D Spending a lot of time on the Ipanema beach, loving how the people went surfing, running, excercising, playing volleyball and heaps of awesome stuff I dreamt about living in Ipanema. I even thought about just asking random surfers if they had a spare room. Didn't have the guts to do so though=D
Anyway that problem solved itself as I got to know Pilar, who's an architect from Portugal, a good friend of a friend of mine in Zurich. He gave me her number as I went to Rio and I called her. We met up yesterday at the beach, as she turned up (only three hours late, well her way was really long two, 3 blocks down the road... I'd met some international students in the meantime=D) the was really awesome!!!=) And invited me to come life with her after knowing me for about 5 minutes. So I'll be living in a really nice apartment in Ipanema, 3 blocks from the beach with a portuguese architect who's awesome!!!=) I'm moving in after Carnival=) Spending the whole weekend with her and her portuguese friends that live here in Rio I learned that the Portuguese from Portugal really is quite different. But I'll learn to understand them too=)
About the projects: Since no porject happened to appear in front of my eyes without me doing anything about it I started looking. I got one through Greenpeace, as i met Vania, a brazilian woman, working for Greenpeace. It's a project in a Quilombo, about an hour away from Rio, to install solar pannels. A quilombo is a community where the slaves fled to, they are usually in the forests. I already went there once, its really nice and the people are very friendly and cook a great Feijoada. (rice, beans, some meat, not idea what exactly, fried pig skin, oranges and cabbage) So I'll be working there on Saturdays, starting in March. http://www.kickante.com.br/campanhas/projeto-quilombo-solar/atualizacoes
Then, also through Vania I got to know Rafael, who's doing an internship in the botanical gardens of Rio. So I got to working there as well, since the people are really nice and it's fun to plant some plants and be in the great gardens, where even little monkeys keep you company=) I'm usually working there Mondays. http://www.jbrj.gov.br/arboreto/
Then, asking Rotary in Switzerland if they had a contact here in Rio, which they did, I got to know Christa, a rotarian, responsible for the funding of projects. We went to have a look at a project in Rocinha, the biggest Favela in Rio (250'000 habitants) and I really liked it so I asked if I could work there too. It's a Kindergargen, they have 90 Children, half in the mornings, hald in the afternoon and the have special classes, such as music, dance and capoeira. I'm working there Thursdays, playing with the kids, (2-5 years old) and doing anything that's needed. Ever since they discovered I could draw and paint I've become their artist=D http://www.ilsorrisodeimieibimbi.org/index.php?id=128&lang_id=en
I'm working as a translator in a project organized by brazilians, which expains why nobody there speaks english. Not quite sure yet what else I'll be doing there, but I guess I'll see=) http://www.museudefavela.org/
Then next week I'm going to another project to have a look, not quite sure yet what I'll be doing.
There is also another project where I'll probably be giving dance lessons to kids from a Favela, starting after Carnival.
It's really great to be able to work in all those different projects, because I get to see a lot of different organisations and can make heaps of different experiences.
I'm still not exactly organized but I've got heaps to do everyday, which is great=)
Of course going to the beach also keeps me busy, getting to know more of Rio, getting to know people, enjoying life, eating awesome food, loving the samba concerts everywhere in the streets, the pre carnival events... It's great!!!
It was a bit difficult at the start, not knowing anyone, but it changed quickly and now I feel like I'm settling in well, portuguese is going great and I'm enjoying my time here.
There are also things that aren't very great, but I'll write about them another time.
Até mais, beijos, Bettina, Tina, Tschina, Bettschina, Tschia Tschina, Bettinha...=)
- comments
aminha Aso glich ned heidi?;) tönt coool;) und finds super hesch gschribe;) um beijo
Bettina naja, s hett leider scho zvill luet gha wo min name irgedwie scho gwuesst hend... s naechschmal denn villicht=D susch nenni denn mini tochter heidi;D