Who Is Brazil?

When I first came to Sao Paulo I thought it seemed very similar to Boston and I was slightly disappointed. However, the longer I stayed I noticed the subtle differences in the culture that made it stand out as something entirely different than what I am used to. I think it is very hard to put in to words just how Sao Paulo has been so different to me but in comparing it to what I know a picture can be formed.

Surroundings:

The first thing I noticed that really stood out to me was how tall all of the buildings were. Now this isn’t necessarily a big deal, but it’s something that I really spent a lot of time staring at. I have been to Boston, New York, and Hartford all of which have skylines that can be seen from a distance. However, I have to strain my neck to see the top of buildings here. Not only that but this was the case everywhere we visited, not just in the city of Sao Paulo.  

When we went to Paca da Se I noticed that this stood out as a much more historical location than Sao Paulo. When I think of the business or financial district of a city I think of the fanciest, cleanest, and wealthiest part of the city. However, this downtown area for Sao Paulo contains old architecture and history. While this is where all of the banks are and during the work week it is crowded, it also has a higher volume of homeless people. One thing I noticed about the homeless people in here was that there was a sense of community between them. Maybe this is just how I was perceiving them but I saw rows of blankets and tents set up so that they were all together which is something I would never see in Boston. Of course this is also incredibly sad that there are just so many people in poverty that there are communities in tents but it also spoke to me that they didn’t seem as alone.

On top of the large population of homeless people, there are also Favelas throughout the cities full of low income families and individuals. Favelas are something I never knew existed before this trip and I think their concept is so hard to wrap my head around. While favelas provide an enormous sense of security it also appalling all of the drugs and corruption that surround the favelas. The community aspect comes from the self-sustaining environment of the favelas in that you can get everything you need without leaving. The drugs on the other hand bring violence to the area from police as well as competing drug businesses. I have a hard time believing the things we saw in the movie “The City of God” actually happen but I know that such violence can be real in the favelas. Favelas are such a big part of Brazil yet at the same time, they are very separated from the cities they are near. They are very poverty stricken and but all efforts surrounding them seem to be towards containment and not support. I hear a lot of people say that the favelas are what represents Brazil the most and I am conflicted by what that means. I don’t consider Brazil to be a high-violence and poverty stricken place but at the same time I am always told while I am here to be aware and hide my belongings.

Alternatively, the locals here have the best representation of who Brazil is. Everyone we meet whether it be part of CIEE, hostel workers, waiters, or strangers are all so welcoming to us and also want to do everything they can to ensure we get to experience Brazil properly. We are always getting suggestions for places to eat and go out and everyone we meet wants to friend us on Facebook. For example, while this may just be the way CIEE operates, I thought it was interesting that our bus driver always did the activities with us and ate meals with us while in the US, I don’t think that would happen. On top of that every tour guide we have had has wanted to be in pictures with us and find us on Facebook. Thinking back to people in Boston, this concept seems crazy to me since so many people just stick to themselves. I feel like my experiences back home view people as being there to get a job done and return back to their lives. Here in Brazil, it’s the opposite. Everyone wants to share their lives and stories and make as many connections as possible no matter how short of a time they may know you for. Overall, everyone here is so inclusive and welcoming which is the opposite I would expect from a big city.

Food:

On a different note, before I came here I was told that Brazil’s cuisine is highly rated but I had no idea what to expect. We have continued to go to many buffet styled restaurants and barbeques. The common foods I have noticed are rice, beans, meat, pao de quejo, some sort of potato salad/salad, and fried bananas. The barbeques are something totally different in that entire slabs of meats are brought and cut in front of you. While I know this is high quality meat, I had a very hard time with the fat and salt content of almost every meat that was brought to me. I did find it interesting the concept of bringing all of the food to the table because it reinforced the idea that they just want to share all they have to offer with you. The hardest part of adapting to the food here would definitely be getting used to the amount of salt and cheese that each meal has. I had no idea what Pao de quejo was before Brazil but now it is part of almost every meal. I personally don’t enjoy the cheese here but have grown to love the rice and beans here as many Brazilians do.

Entertainment:

One thing I really connected with on this trip was the dancing here. I went to samba and salsa clubs and had an amazing time at both. Everyone was so happy and dancing with each other but not in a way that I am used to. I have said this in previous blogs before but it really stands out to me so I want to reiterate it. The dancing I am used to is all of a competitive nature and to songs that are there more for a beat than anything else. The samba here represents so much more as it is part of the history of Brazil. The music tells stories while the moves are used to celebrate life through dance. Furthermore, everyone is included in the event as it can be a solo dance as well which I think is very important.

In addition, the futebol here is like a religion for the locals. Their teams are part of their livelihoods and if someone is on an opposing team it could end in an argument. We were able to go to a game while in Curitiba and it was nothing like what I have experienced before. The “fan” section is the entire stadium with just a small section set aside for people rooting for the away team. From start to finish the fans are chanting with full hand motions and jumping up and down while wearing nothing but their teams’ colors. Everyone has enormous pride for their team as well as commitment. For example, the game we were at were stronger fans than I have ever seen and the team was only ranked 16/20.

Conclusion:

So what does all of this mean for who Brazil is? I remember at a lot of the museums we visited we saw what the first impressions of Brazil were in forms of different paintings as well as the history that represented Brazil. All of the interpretations seemed so different to me and also incorrect and now I know why. It is a hard thing to summarize who Brazil is but I think one thing that shines though is the pride everyone has for their country. Their food, sports, music, dancing, and even their personalities are all part of who Brazil is and everyone is eager to share that with the rest of the world. The inclusive nature everyone has speaks to how much they love Brazil because they just want everyone to experience it for themselves.  I think the sense of community I get from everyone as well as the inclusive nature of the locals can be found everywhere I go and everything I see. When I remember Brazil, these are the main factor that will stand out with all of the memories I have. 

Brazilian Music

One topic I found the most interesting on this trip is music. One of my favorite things I have done on this trip is learned and practiced samba both in a class and at a club.  I like the way that samba can be a solo or partner routine because it allows everyone to participate. I think that reinforces the concept from our first class about the cordial man because Samba is an example of a public space being used as a celebration. One of our first nights a few of us went out with Tiago and Vanessa to a samba club with live music. It was a very tiny venue but everyone was having such an amazing time that it didn’t matter. Half of the floor was taken up by a live band and a singer with instruments that I had never seen before. I couldn’t tell what any of the songs meant, but from the way the women sang you could tell she was telling a story and it was more than just a song to dance to. Everyone in the club was a mix of partners and solo dancers all having a great time. When I think of a club I think of single people looking for someone to meet and dancing to impress with music that is no more than a catchy tune. Samba was so far from and more about having a good time together and connecting with the music. The experience was so refreshing and I am so thankful to have had a chance to be a part of it.           

We also learned about the funk styled songs that are now a huge part of Brazilian culture. The songs were all about the men having money and girls and partying a lot. We saw parts of the music videos which all had girls dressed in skimpy clothes and dancing provocatively. In my opinion, all of the songs we heard more or less sounded the same to me and all had the same theme of music video. All of the songs had become very popular on YouTube as well as through pirating. Unlike in the US, pirating music is considered a compliment since the music is for the people and the people can’t afford to buy anything. I thought that while the songs all seemed shallow, I could see the appeal in the artists since they came from a low income life and were able to make something for themselves. Last weekend I was able to go to a club with life Brazilian funk and it was so interesting to see. There were two men that went on and were rapping together completely in sync with songs that had the whole club hyped. I also noticed that there were people with video cameras in the club filming not only not performers but the audience dancing as well. My guess is their performance will be uploaded to YouTube or some other website for sharing so everyone can enjoy it. The music here has been amazing and made me feel like I was able to experience Brazil more because of it. 

Secretaria de Energia de Sao Paulo

Today we were lucky enough to get to meet the secretary of energy and the undersecretaries of renewable energy for the state of Sao Paulo. I found it so interesting and refreshing to hear their perspective on all of the progress in renewable energy. I am also thankful that this trip happened towards the end of our stay since I was able to have all of the background on the energy sources they were discussing. Truthfully, after leaving all of the different renewable energy plants on this trip I felt pessimistic about the future of renewable energy. Solar, hydro, and biomass all seem so expensive and hard to implement due to the scales of the production and the energy output. Also, while hydro power provides a lot of energy, unfortunately Sao Paulo has already hit the max amount of hydro power available to them. Overall, the idea of switching a significant amount of power over to being sourced by renewable energy seemed almost impossible to me.

 However, today we got to hear all about how successful Sao Paulo has been in increasing the renewable energy used. While the world only gets 14.3% of their energy from renewables, Sao Paulo gets an impressive 58% of their energy from renewables. Out of that 58%, 27.6% is from biomass, 15.8% is from hydroelectricity, and 8.9% is biofuel. I was impressed that the leading source of energy was biomass since I personally thought that biomass had the least amount of potential currently out of all of the different types of renewables. We asked the undersecretaries what they thought the next step was in renewable energy since all of the hydro potential has been exhausted and is also unreliable due to droughts. I was surprised to hear that they thought that solar and biomass would be the next big step for them.

I always thought one hurtle for biomass was that not all cars can use it. However, I learned that Brazil created flex cars (cars that can use both ethanol and oil) in 2003 and all cars since have been flex cars. One benefit to biomass fuel is it is cheaper than oil for consumers especially when sugarcane is in season. However, there is still the problem that consumers aren’t as environmentally conscious so they still don’t make the switch. Regardless, sugarcane is such a large industry in Sao Paulo and Brazil as a whole that it makes sense to focus on as an energy source. However, they did specify that they need to focus on improving the technology used to convert sugarcane to ethanol and not growing more since they already have so much. Sugarcane does have the downside that it is also effected by the droughts but is still a good alternative. For solar power, they explained that Sao Paulo is a better candidate for it than other locations due to the proximity to the solar plants. With closer proximity to the plants, it is more efficient to transfer the energy to consumers so it is a good option for them. Also, the focus would be using solar to heat liquids and not convert it to electricity.

Hearing all of them be so optimistic with a goal of increasing their renewables by 4% each year brought hope back to me that renewable energy has a future. Sao Paulo is definitely a leader in renewables compared to the rest of the world based off of the statistics we learned today. I am so grateful that the secretary of energy took time to talk to us along with the undersecretaries. I understand now just how important renewables are for Sao Paulo and have a new appreciation for this trip and why we came here to learn about sustainable energy. 

The City of God and the Favela Lifestyle

I had never heard about favelas before the day I arrived in Brazil. Now I know that they are not only a huge part of Brazilian culture, but they also represent corruption and violence and so much more. We saw a video in class that depicted favelas as a place for the poor to go that gave them a roof and a strong sense of community. A further look into the favela life revealed more. Favelas are their own section of Brazil, they are tucked away on mountains and are not considered parts of the cities that surround them. In the article "Performances of Policy Legitimacy in Rio’s Hyper Favela" by Erika Robb Larkins, favelas are described as having "no legal status, no rights, and as a result occupy a space [called] bare life.” So if they have no legal status, who has authority for them? The authorities would have you believe it is them but many would say that in reality, whoever runs the drug trafficking has the authority in favelas.

                This article relates to the movie we watched called “The City of God.” The movie is based off a true story and focuses on a particular favela in Rio de Janiero where traffickers have all of the authority. The operation starts with young kids who keep an eye out for cops and have signals for when they come so traffickers know when to hide their operations and ends with corrupt cops that are paid to keep quiet should they catch anything. What I saw in the movie was terrifying. The main drug lord Lil’ Ze was a psychopath who controlled all operations in the Favela and also killed as a sport. There were some benefits to having him in charge. Since everyone knew better then to get in Lil’ Ze’s way, crime in the favelas stopped (aside from the trafficking). Everyone kept to their own day to day operations and life in the favela’s stayed quiet. What was upsetting to me was how young kids were included in the operations and corrupted to believe that the trafficking life was the way to live that provided security. On top of that, the police for the most part looked the other way or were paid off and when they did step in they just killed whoever they pleased since they don’t view the favelas as having any rights.

           The article also mentions how there is also an appearance of police action in the favelas so that everyone living outside in the wealthy parts of the state believe everything to be under control. This also relates to the City of God and how the police handled the drug war that began. In the movie, Knockout Ned wanted revenge on Lil’ Ze and partnered with the last standing drug operation that stood outside of Lil’ Ze’s operation. What began was a full blown war. All anyone (kids included) had to do was pick a side and they were provided a gun and told to kill. While the cops were rarely present, they eventually able to arrest Knockout Ned and put him behind bars. While this gave the appearance of the police having a handle on things, in reality everyone was still shooting everyone back in the City of God.

          At the end of the film, Lil’ Ze was finally arrested and you think the war is over. Unfortunately, you soon find out that the cops just take Lil’ Ze’s money and let him walk. It is completely appalling to me how the authorities cannot care that hundreds and hundreds of people were killed and how a drug operation of such large scale is still happening. In the end, both Lil’ Ze and Knockout Ned are killed but everyone is still running around with guns and a mindset that anyone can be killed if there is a disagreement. The favelas are a different part of the world. They are hidden behind walls and provided with enough to sustain themselves without the need for anyone to enter the real world. Corrupt cops and drug traffickers have an understanding so that drugs remain in place but authorities have the appearance of being in charge. I have a new appreciation for my lifestyle after learning about the favelas but also cannot believe that what I am learning is actually true.

Homework #7: Reflection

When I first came to Brazil I had no idea the scale of what “going green” meant. Growing up I was always taught to practice green behavior by recycling, turning of water and lights when not in use, and by using green products when available. Throughout my lifetime I would hear more and more about renewable energy and how more places were starting to us it. The main concept with renewable energy is that current practices like oil 1) give off negative emissions into the environment and 2) use resources the eventually will run out. New energies like wind, solar, and hydro started a new market that provided energy without harming the environment and harnessed that energy without depleting the resource.

      It all seemed so simple to me, but why wasn’t everyone using renewables then? In my mind the answer was it is just too expensive. While I am not wrong and setting up wind turbines, solar panels, and water turbines is very costly, there is also more to it. For example, we visited a solar power plant during our stay here. The entire operation was very impressive and took up a large area of space with the panels and buildings where they monitor everything.  We learned that the plant has a capacity of about 15-20 MW. At first, that didn’t really mean anything to me since it was just a measurement that before this trip I hadn’t heard about. Later in our trip however, we also visited a hydro plant with a capacity of 900 MW. In comparison, solar then seemed like a really bad idea to me since it takes so much to set up and produces so little. For even more perspective, I researched what the capacity for a coal power plant was and found that even the smallest of all the plants in the world had a capacity of 2,000 MW.

      With all of this in mind it is very clear to me why renewable energy hasn’t become more widely used. Yes, it is better for the environment and yes, it provides energy that will create electricity that will work the same as what you get from oil. However, setting up these renewable energy plants is costly and the energy created is much smaller then what we already get from coal power plants that are already in place.  

      On top of the smaller scale of energy that renewables create, there are also hesitations for setting up these energies. As stated in “Sustainable energy without hot air” the main conception of renewables have downsides as well. Wind turbines kill birds and just about every form of renewable is too expensive. Of course, the burning of coal is also expensive and creates CO2 emissions that has negative impacts on our environment so that seems like a bad idea as well. However, coal does have one huge advantage and that is the processes for converting coal to oil are already in place. Not only does setting up renewable energy sources cost a significant amount of money but it also requires a lot of space which means large equipment that alters our environment. Furthermore, the finite amount of time we have to use oil is hundreds and hundreds of years so there is no motivation to make the switch.

      I know that sustainable energy is the future and is a much better option environmentally for the world.  I also know that wind, solar, and hydro, (along with other forms such as biomass, nuclear, and waves) are all viable options that can replace non-renewable options successfully. However, now I have a much better understanding of what that all means. Renewable energy is a very large operation that is expensive and currently creates energy in a less efficient was than oil operations. The switch to renewable energy also requires energy from both the suppliers and consumers which is a whole other obstacle. Overall, after spending time learning about sustainable energy I have a much greater appreciation for oil as well as the efforts made for renewable energy after.

Brazilian Culture: The Cordial Man

At first, Brazilian culture didn’t seem too different than what I am used to in the states. Sao Paulo looked very developed and had roughly the same city feel as Boston. However, the more we saw and interacted with locals the more I started to notice the differences in character. So what is it that “defines” what a Brazilian is like? Sérgio Buarque de Holanda wrote a book in 1936 that discusses this “Brazilian character” that can still be used today for an accurate depiction. He describes the “cordial man” in reference to what a local Brazilian is like. The cordial man is described as someone who is led by the heart, puts family before civilization, and who believes that the public is a place for celebration. The cordial man does not have a strong work ethic in the sense that work is not his priority, but fun and games are. What this means to me is that the cordial man is both happy and friendly in public interactions. I believe this accurately describes many of the people I have met here during my trip.

So far, everyone has been very inclusive in all activities even though we hardly know each other. I think this goes along with the idea that the public is a place for celebration. Everyone wants to share their culture with us as well as ensure everyone is having a good time. I think my best example of this is a girl named Milena who we met at the Bee W one of our first nights here. Milena did not know us, but coincidentally was moving to Boston the following week and was excited that we were from there. After we all talked for a while she proceeded to invite us to her plans for the night. Since it wasn’t too far from our hostel, we agreed and a group of us went with her to a club. We ended up having a fantastic time and she stayed with us for all of it. At the end of the night, she went as far as to walk us all the way home to ensure we made it home safe. We all friended her on Facebook and told her that when we were back in Boston we would return the favor and show her around the city.

                This scenario just wouldn’t have happened if the roles were reversed and we were in Boston. Maybe it’s just me, but I tend not to socialize with strangers too much when I am out. I also don’t know many people that would add a group of 8 to their party for the night due to the extra hassle. Furthermore, most people would not leave early from a party and walk strangers home. The friendliness she showed us as well as selflessness is something that isn’t often seen in Boston. Not only was she definitely using the public as a place to celebrate with everyone, but she acted off of her heart the whole night. Practically, adding 8 strangers to your night plans can be a pain as well as dangerous because you have no idea what you are getting yourself into. However, she didn’t hesitate at all or stop smiling the whole time. I am very grateful to Milena for the amazing time she showed us and for being so welcoming to us.

All of the locals we have encountered here so far are all so welcoming compared to anything I am used to back home. It is surprising that 70 years later the description of the cordial man is still apparent in the culture here. I look forward to experiencing even more of the culture during the second half of our stay.

Homework #5 Ethanol Plant

Today we went to an ethanol plant to learn about how sugarcane is used to create ethanol which is a renewable energy replacement for oil. There are many steps that go into converting sugarcane to ethanol. It starts with using solar energy to grow the sugarcane plant. The location we visited grew their own sugarcane, leased land where others could grow sugarcane, as well as imported even more of the plant. Once the sugarcane is harvested, it is put through a long process. 

                I thought overall that the plant was very well organized. Over the years a lot of their process was automated so there weren’t many workers around that I saw. The sugarcane was brought in by trucks and poured into a machine that crushed the juice 5 times using the same proccess. Interestingly, After the first round of crushing, 70% of the juice is extracted and the next 4 are used to get the remaining 30%. The liquid is then fermented with the use of yeast and distilled. The final product is an ethanol solution that is 93.8 % pure. Throughout the whole process, samples are taken to ensure everything is working properly and all levels are remaining constant.

Once again, I find myself conflicted with this process. Not only does it take an enormous amount of effort to create ethanol, but there are still CO2 emissions produced during the process which is bad for the environment. Furthermore, some engines cannot run off of ethanol so in order for this form of energy to really take off, new machines will have to be produced and purchased. While new renewable energies creates new jobs and markets, it also does not lend to an easy transfer from non-renewable options. If the end goal is a complete replacement of the current fuels and machines, ethanol with the current process seems costly and extremely difficult to implement.  

I am not trying to argue I don’t think we should use ethanol; I just believe it will be a very long time before it replaces a large percent of coal plants. Not only is ethanol less efficient than gasoline, but it is not compatible with 100% of  machines so responsibility falls on consumers as well to help make the switch. Consumers will have to fill up their tanks more often which is extra effort on them and in some cases buy cars that are compatible. With consumer behaviors in mind, it could very well happen that the supply of ethanol greatly surpasses the demand for it. 

I grew up being told promote "green" behavior and renewable energy and I do believe that everyone should. However just based off where our economy and resources are currently, I am left with a negative outlook on ethanol and renewable energy. The market does not usually adapt to things that require extra effort and switching over from coal would be more effort for consumers.