The Wheels on the Bus

When I was a little girl and my parents had trouble getting me to go to sleep, they would put me in my car seat and drive me around the neighborhood. The way they tell it, it worked like a charm. So well, in fact, that I was nervous to start driving when I turned 16-- for fear I would fall asleep behind the wheel.

This anecdote about my childhood must be the explanation for what I'm about to tell you: I love riding the bus in Rio. I mean love. When I'm having a bad day or want to relax, I hop on a circular and just ride around the city. I try to memorize the routes and guess what street we're going to pass next. I like being able to tell what neighborhood I'm in without looking at signs. I love the steady, rumbling vibration when there's no traffic. And I ADORE the way the bus drivers turn into absolute speed demon maniacs when traffic gets really heavy. It's as close to a roller-coaster as a person can get here in Brazil. I've seen bus drivers pull up to a curb so fast and so tight that the hubcaps actually produced sparks as they hit the sidewalk. It was fantastic!

You just can't beat public transportation in Rio. The metro, while faster, is more expensive and completely sem graça (lacking charm). There's nothing to see, nothing to do and no one talks. On a bus, you get a free tour of the whole city, it's cheap and people are often very chatty. Plus, at any given bus stop, you will get bombarded by buses arriving every minute and going to all kinds of exotic places like: Jardim de Allah, Rio Comprido, Avenida das Americas, etc.

Plenty of naysayers like to mention how “dangerous” the buses are. Personally, I’ve never seen anything even remotely sketchy on a bus. Metro stops, however, are a special kind of creepy at night when they’re empty. There are always taxis, of course, but what grad student on fellowship can take a cab everywhere? Not this one!

In the U.S., public transportation—particularly city buses—have a bad reputation. And rightly so. They are full of weirdoes who smell and talk to themselves. Plus, they only run every 30-60 minutes! How crazy is that? The U.S. should take a lesson from Brazil and we Americans need to start taking the bus. Only heavy patronage will change the sad state of American buses. Until then, I’m going to take full advantage while I’m way down below the Equator. Roll on!

Until next time…

Hitting the Streets

Now that the weather in Rio has finally hit perfect, I've been trying to get out as much as possible. Luckily, the fall/winter here is packed with holidays and events. My current favorite for June is Musica no Museu (Music in the Musem). Here's a shot from inside the Museu da Justica. This trio played a fun assortment of samba, pagode and bossa nova favorites. The series features classical as well as main stream music and takes places in museums all over the city. It's been a great experience to get acquainted with unfamiliar corners of Rio.

I've also been shopping! Normally, this isn't a "getting out" activity but, in Downtown Rio, it's all outside. The Saara street market is a must see for all tourists, Brazil enthusiasts, students, Brazilians from other states, etc. An amazing array of goods (at bargain prices) are contained within just the few blocks between the Central, Presidente Vargas and Uruguiana metro stops. As a historian, I totally "nerded" out when I realized that this area is also the historic commercial district. I walked along streets where abolitionist newspapers were founded, Portuguese merchants used to hawk their wares and where slaves used to go to purchase kilos of rice and beans for their masters. Crazy! This is the market today....

Speaking of "history" and getting "out, I recently participated in a very historic day for Rio and for Brazil as a nation. The very first mass same-sex wedding in the country AND the largest on record in the world. The world! Let me tell you, it felt momentous. The bullpen of journalists was unruly and overflowing; several reporters broke out to capture a few surreal moments. Let me set the stage for you: the place is practically dripping with rainbows-- walls, guests, participants, etc.-- and the ceremony opens with a Richard Marx song sung by Jane di Castro, a 7 foot drag queen. Oh yes!

It calms down a bit after then. A few politicians and activists who made same-sex marriage legal in Brazil say their piece. Then, finally, the couples come down the aisle! An assortment of gay men, lesbians and transgender individuals marched happily by us and took their seats at the front of a long, conference-style room. Each couple was given an abbreviated version of vows in which they each had to simply respond sim (yes). However, most couples took this moment (literally only a moment) amidst a day of being lumped together to express their uniqueness. Some made jokes and had funny responses to the judge's somber recitation of the vows. Others were very emotional and succinctly relayed love stories-- sometimes decades long-- as proof of their profound commitment. A few were downright dirty-- French kissing passionately long before being pronounced. The rest were simply giddy, as any bride/groom should be on their big day. The excitement and support of the families was amazing and I was teary-eyed several times during the ceremony.

I'm sure some people may read this and disagree with the whole thing-- from either a political and/or religious angle. To those people, I just want to say: it was a room FULL of love. Not just love but Love. The kind you feel at any straight wedding. The kind that's holy and blessed by deities. The kind that makes you feel happy to be alive and hopeful for the future. I'm not an expert on God but I seriously doubt he rejects any kind of love. Just sayin'.

Until next time....

The Season of Euphoria

If anyone out there is still following my blog, you'll have noticed that I've REALLY fallen off the wagon lately. This is my attempt to get back into the swing of things. At the end of May, I took my first trip back to the US since January. I spent 2.5 glorious weeks with my loving husband and awesome family. Being home was a lot like being on a sugar high. I just wanted more and more and more. I was gluttonous for "Americana". I ate everything in sight, listened to country music, cooked every recipe for comfort food I know, met with every friend in town and watched a ton of daytime TV. When I got back in Brazil, I "crashed". I felt lazy, sad and unmotivated. It took me about a week to really get going again. The change in weather between my two residences has reached extreme, opposite levels again. It was sunny, humid and intensely hot (mid-90s every day) in the South while, here in Rio, it's cool and overcast most days (dipping down into the 60s at night). I had to sleep fully clothed for a few nights before I bought some extra blankets.

I'm at a bit of a crossroads in my Brazil experience. I'm rapidly approaching the halfway mark in my time here, which is causing me to evaluate how it's gone so far. I've realized something about my relationship with this place. I LOVE Rio in the winter (now) and I HATE it in the summer. I have the opposite of "season depression". The colder it gets here, the more euphoric I feel. It seems appropriate that my emotional attachment reflects the huge contradictions that make Brazil...well, Brazil.

Now that I'm officially in the "season of love", I'm living it up. Tonight, I went to a free samba concert downtown at the Centro Cultural da Justica (part of the fall/winter series "Musica no Museu" or Music in the Museum) on the historic Avenida Rio Branco. At night, it's a part of the city that truly awes me. It's so beautiful! In the early twentieth century, city architects and intellectuals decided to make the city more "modern" and mo

deled it's sprawling avenues and classical buildings after those in Paris. The effect, even today, is thrilling. Here are a few shots I took with wide-eyed wonder....

This is the Theatro Municipal (Municipal Theatre); the crowning jewel of downtown Rio in it's newly-renovated glory.

Adjacent, we have the Camara Municipal (City Hall) building...

And, finally, the Biblioteca Nacional (National Library).

People were dressed up and rushing to the theatre, I was comfortably wrapped in a sweater and a cool wind was wafting the smell of caramel popcorn through the plaza. In sum, it was a perfect evening. Now, I'm at home with a nice cup of jasmine green tea and, for the first time in a long time, I'm happy to be in Brazil.