Mangabeiras

Our last week in Brazil we took a trip to Parque Municipal das Mangabeiras, which is a park that the government of Minas Gerais created from an old, abandoned mine.  Before we went, we stopped at the Praça do Papa, which is named so because the Pope visited and gave a speech while looking over this view:

As our trip comes to a close and we begin to say our goodbyes and start packing our bags, I can't help but be so proud of myself for being a part of this and I will be forever grateful for the privilege I have in my life that allows me to experience the world this way.  It was a beautiful day and the view was amazing.  The homes in this part of BH were breathtaking and absolutely stunning.

The view from Mangabeiras was even more wild.  The walk up the mountain was long and it was a hot day, but the sun was shining and the sky was blue.  You know those days when the weather is just so appropriately matching how you feel?  While walking, we stopped and saw monkeys, quati, and plenty of beautiful birds.  It was such an amazing experience and I was so happy to enjoy the last of the time I knew I would be spending with my new friends.

I am so grateful for this whole experience and I am humbled to have been a part of it.  But how can someone not be humbled when they get to experience the breathtaking beauty of the world around them?

Inhotim

The other day we took a trip to Inhotim, which serves as one of the largest botanical gardens in Brazil as well as a museum of contemporary art.  Between treks through beautiful landscapes of plants and trees that were completely foreign to me, we would stop to enter exhibits.  One exhibit we visited evoked the strongest reaction I have ever had to a piece of art in my life.

In reality, Cildo Meireles does not simply cate pieces of art, he manipulates entire spaces to evoke understanding and emotions from those who participate in his work.  Unlike most of my posts, this one will not contain photos because we were not allowed to take photos inside of the exhibits.

Before entering the world of Desvio para o Vermelho, one must remove their footwear and leave it at the door.  While the obvious reason for this is to avoid the bright red carpet from becoming worn down by the constant foot traffic of dirty shoes, it also has a very grounding effect, forcing the participant to interact with the space in just one more aspect.

As soon as I walked into the room, I could hear the sounds of the small red TV playing and my vision was overwhelmed by the red walls, furniture, and trinkets.  As I continued moving through the space I noticed the back left wall opened up to a hallway that slowly faded to complete darkness.  Following the trail of red paint that was spilled across the floor, I turned the corner and saw a small porcelain, white sink against the back wall.  As I moved closer to it I became aware that I had no idea how wide or narrow the room around me was in the complete darkness.  The hair on the back of my neck stood up as I looked into the sink, a constant stream of red water was leaving the faucet.  I turned around and quickly walked back into the well-lit room.

Curiosity got the best of me, so I turned back around and went into the darkness again.  I tried turning the faucet of the sink but the constant stream of "blood" continued to drain down the sink.

Mineirão

In our second week in Belo Horizonte, we took a visit to Mineirão, the famous soccer stadium in Pampulha, that will host games during the 2014 World Cup.  The stadium, newly renovated, was very beautiful and grand.

In the very same room where press conferences will be occurring after the World Cup games, we heard a lecture about the planning involved with and the politics behind preparing for this grand event.  Our presenter told us that Mineirão was on time with renovations and that planning and infrastructure changes on such a large scale will be a great learning experience for Brazil to grow from.

While these experiences may help Brazil in organization and planning, there are some doubts about how the World Cup will impact the economy in the long term.  Our presenter assured all of us that Brazil was going to benefit financially due to these games because rather than building excessive, unnecessary stadiums, hotels, and transit systems in order to receive those who are coming for the games, Brazil is already in desperate need of these infrastructure changes.  The idea is that, rather than creating a huge bubble to fill with the influx of tourists and having it collapse once the tourists all leave, this growth is already necessary for Brazil.

For example, once the games are over, many of the hotels will be converted into office spaces, and many of the new taxis are already necessary for the city.  In this sense, the funding from the games can be seen as a way to receive the funding necessary to expand the infrastructure of a nation that is already experiencing growing pains.

While past experiences shows us that in most cases, the World Cup leaves a country with less financial gain than initially anticipated, Brazilians remain quite optimistic that this is not the case for their country. I am very curious to see what happens within the next few years after the World Cup and the 2016 Olympics have been completed and the dust has settled.

Rio de Janeiro

Last week we arrived in Rio de Janeiro, which literally means "River of January" because when the Portuguese first came into the bay, they believed it to be the mouth of a large river.  While this was not true, it stuck and the city still goes by this name.  While on top of the Corcovado Mountain to see the Cristo Redentor, I suddenly realized how appropriate this name truly is for such a magnificent city.    Half awake from the long hours of traveling and the over exhaustion, I suddenly felt wide-awake and completely awe struck by the view before me.  There truly are no words to explain how amazing it was and my photos can only capture a small display of the magnitude of this city.  

To look at this photo and see the contrasts between the natural beauties of this Earth and all that we as humans have created on this land is eye-opening when seen from such a large scale.  While there is no river of water in Rio, the city itself can be seen as a large, unified body, moving through the valleys, weaving its way around the mountains that have long inhabited this land.  The people here have not sought to overcome or dominate the mountains that tower over their skyscrapers, but instead have found ways to work around and through them, giving the appearance of a river flowing.  This body of concrete and glass, while fiercely powerful and carrying great momentum, is still humbled by the realities of gravity.  

These feelings of wonder and amazement were combatted in my mind by another thought that continued to stir in the back of my mind, only to grow louder the next day, atop of the Pão de Açúcar.  

While this view was equally breathtaking, I could not help but think of what this land must have looked like when the Portuguese first arrived in what they thought was the mouth of a river.  Were the shoreline without developments, the bay clear of boats, and the forests endless?  What were these men thinking when they first came upon this land?  What they saw as a blank slate that has now been so deeply carved into.  Is this the discovery of the Americas?

Today, racism is illegal in Brazil, but almost every day I see and hear it around me.  Whether it is in the eyes of the dark-skinned, frail child, no older than eight years old, who asks for the scraps of my friend's food or the cries of the starved woman as she begs for money.  Who should be charged for these crimes?  Should someone be held accountable for the systems of oppression that have forced human beings into these situations?

As the people of Rio have shown, it is impossible to combat nature, but systems of oppression are not like the water cycle or the steep slopes of mountains, they are man-made institutions.  While many efforts have already begun, we cannot continue to be resigned to allowing oppressive systems continue to flow freely.  Rather, we must proactively search for ways to channel these systems back to their origin and allow nature to heal the scars we've left on the Earth.  

Introduçâo

My name is Troy Neves, I am beginning my second year as a student at Northeastern University in Boston.  I am studying Sociology and Political Science and have great interest in Urban Studies and Environmental Studies.  I am a student activist and am involved in the United Students Against Sweatshops affiliate group on my campus.  Moving to Boston last September brought its own level of culture shock, self-reflection, and growth.  Ten days ago, I left my hometown of Newtown, Connecticut once again to return to Boston, but this time only to get on a plane and take part in a summer abroad program my university refers to as a Dialogue of Civilizations.  I am spending five weeks in Brazil, studying portuguese and public policy in Belo Horizonte.  Looking back, it truly feels like a lifetime ago that I was in the United States.

After what was the longest time spent traveling in my life, we had made it to Rio de Janeiro, where we would be spending two days before heading to BH.  Before leaving for this trip, I really did not know very much about Brazil and I am in no way an expert now that I'm here.  If anything, I have more questions than before but now these questions are much more complex and the answers are multi-faceted and often just cause my curiosity to grow.  Brazil as a whole cannot be easily defined or pinned down, just as anyone who tries to do so with any other nation cannot do so.

In no way do I claim to be an expert on Brazil in any way, this blog is serving the purpose of expressing my own journey of misconceptions, cultural understanding, and personal growth.  The overwhelming physical size of Brazil is enough reason to say that Brazil is a place full of differences, just as the United States is.  I have spent my whole life in the United States, yet outside of New England, all I know are misconceptions that are vague and in no way show understanding of many parts of the place I claim as my home.  I am not writing this blog as a voice for all people from the United States, but as one voice from the perspective of an individual.  The same is true for Brazil, my journey is only covering a small piece of this grand country, including Belo Horizonte, parts of the greater state of Minas Gerais, and some of the city of Rio de Janeiro.

Now that I'm settled in here in BH, I am excited to reflect and share my thoughts and findings on this amazing experience and about myself.