May 5, 2010

Oi! Anne Bizub here. Those of you who know me will know that oi is a favorite word of mine. However, in Brazil, it means hello, and not jeez. Works for me, though.

We have enjoyed gorgeous weather and magnificent views. Ascending Corcovado was like stepping into another world. But today, we had a truly exceptional tour of two favelas, or shanty towns. They truly are cities within cities, buzzing with all sorts of commerce and people. Curiously, there are middle class individuals living in favelas. They occupy the residences at the base of the shanty town; those who are the most poor live in places built precariously on hillsides. Sadly, for a significant portion of the Brazilian population, being born poor means remaining poor. Education is the way out, but getting a decent education is a challenge, given the poor quality of the public school system and the exorbitant costs of private schools. It makes one appreciate the educational system in the States in a new way.

For me, being in these two favelas was humbling. It was also overwhelming at times, being in tight corridors and seeing such dire poverty. However, there is hope. The government is making strides in narrowing the chasm between rich and poor through a variety of programs. They are taking over the favelas and imposing an order not previously known. It was truly heartening to see children learning and programs being developed for them. I wish more people saw this side of the favelas. It helped to dispel the myth of doom and gloom surrounding them.

As if to highlight the divide between rich and poor, we later took a tour of the headquarters of the famed H.Stern jewelry store. For me, this was an important event because I have a background in jewelry and metalsmithing, and H.Stern is a company I have known about and with which my friends have done business with for decades. Therefore, going to the headquarters was thoroughly exciting for me. However, I was there feeling guilty, knowing full well how many in Rio can barely afford a meal, let alone the jewelry within their guarded facility.

Now, I will admit that being in a place where jewelry was being made was fantastic for me. I wanted to break into the studio and start playing with the blowtorch. It made me crave working in studios again. Ah, those were the days! It was actually fun, though, because I could explain the process of creating the pieces we saw, so I did relive some of my jewelry days. It felt so good!
It was also nice to see the students enjoying the eye candy. Some found treasures for themselves and for their family members. Some mothers will be having really lovely gifts this Mother´s Day.

Of course, after this very manicured experience, it was time to find a coconut. Coconut, the new beverage of choice, is now a favorite of mine and Martha´s, so much so that I worry that we´re developing a habit. I wonder if the Betty Ford clinic addresses coconut water dependence? In all seriousness, there is nothing quite like sipping the refreshing water from this big green nut overlooking Ipanema beach as the sun is setting. Jealous?