Robbery is reality... very juicy.

Rio is a place of opposites and contradictions and for this reason it's easy for people to be disillusioned about reality. I live in Leblon, one of the richest neighborhoods in all of Brazil, and it's a pretty safe place. No crime, during the day at least, and beautiful apartment buildings and shops and banyon trees, and dogs with bows and shoes. Everything you would expect from a rich first world city. However, in the same city, about 10 miles away, is Santa Teresa. Santa Teresa used to be really slummy and crappy, but over the past few years, it began to be revitalized, and now is home to artists, students, and musicians-- very bohemian. After finding out about this awesome sounding place, I knew I had to go. So on Sunday, I dragged a bunch of people with me up the mountain to Santa Teresa. Since I was coming from the beach, I had my sunga, or speedo bathing suit that everyone in Brasil wears, under my jeans, a cool shirt on, and a bag with my camera, phone, and keys in it. I also had bought this really cool hippie bag for R$4 that was with me.

On the way into Santa Teresa, we had to ride this cart that drove above the city that let us see breathtaking views of the city, and since it was just about dusk, the sky had a beautiful blue color with the sparkling lights of the city all around us. On this bodinho ride, we met 3 brasilieras and 1 American girl, who was visiting her friends that she was with. After talking for a little bit, we all decided to go eat feijoada at this place in Santa Teresa called Bar do Mineiro, which was on a pretty well-lit block right near a police station. After eating we were ready to hit the bars, so we left the restaurant and decided to walk. Before we even got to the end of the block a black car stopped next to us 3 men with guns got out and started waving their weapons at us. At this point I gladly handed over my bag, but one of my friends, Mary from Miami, tried to run, but one of the guys put a gun to her and said something like "I will shoot you." Needless to say, she gave up her bag, as did the others, and we all ran to the police station one block away. Some of us were crying about their material possessions, but I could only think about how happy I was to be alive. People in Latin America get shot all the time for LESS. For no reason. I wasn't ready to lose my life for a stupid camera and cell phone.

After the incident the cop did nothing except for send a squad car to drive us home, but it never came. So one of our other friends paid for our cab.

I tried to understand this mugging from a sociological perspective, and doing that makes it easier to accept and understand. These people who robbed my things are victims also. Obviously I'm not happy about what happened and I don't think that I deserved to have my shit stolen and held at gun point, but these people are victims of a different type of violence-- structural violence. These gangsters from the favelas have no access to resources, or education. They're stuck in a system that completely excludes them. They're poor, their parents were poor, and their children will be poor. These strong forces of racism and classism in Latin America (and pretty much everywhere else in the world for that matter) are what drives these people to do what they do. They can't get caught by the police, because if the police follow them into the favela they will all get shot with the loads of armory and weapons that are kept there. Also, these robberies happen to rich North Americans all the time, so what vested interest do the police have in what happens to my fucking camera? They don't care and to be honest, they have no reason to. These criminals aren't thinking about how bad they feel that some rich* boy from the states doesn't have a camera, maybe they're thinking that this is the only way they can support their families due to a faulty public education system and the fact that people in this country and even the states find hiring darker people less desirable.

I don't know if I would have been killed if I fought over the bag, but it wasn't worth it to me and I know I made the right decision.

But don't worry, I'm fine!!! I'm fine!!! I promise. I went today to get a new phone but I have to go back tomorrow to pick it up. I dont't have the camera, and I don't think I'm gonna get one because they're soooo expensive and I've already had 3. But hey, c'est la vie. If you'd like to make a donation to the Anthony's Stolen Camera fun, feel free!!

Anthony

generalities

Classes have begun. Whoooo hoooooo! There are five levels that international students can be placed in, and I was placed in the third level, after having only taken a single portuguese class. I am excted about being placed higher than normal, but the other people in my class are pretty good at portuguese and I feel kind of like the weakest one. Everyone else has taken at least a year of Portuguese or is a fluent Spanish speaker, which are really similar languages However, I feel my self improving more and more every day. I wouldn't go as far to say that I'm 100% fluent, but I can definitely get by and accomplish daily tasks.

Life has been pretty ridiculous. Everyone drives really small cars here, which is good for the environment, but can be pretty dangerous sometimes. The other day I was walking to school, which is 15 minutes away from my house in Leblon, and a car was coming down the street and made a quick left turn without stopping at all. I suppose he didn't see the other car that happened to be coming through the intersection but the two cars crashed, and one of the cars actually flipped completely upside down BEFORE MY EYES. All this before 8 AM. Not normal. Not normal at all. The guy in the flipped car said something in Portuguese about his back but luckily both drivers were alive. I was so stunned I could not stop walking nor my hands from shaking on the way to class.

Aside from that crazy experience, I've just been hanging out with some amazing people, to name a few names, a PhD student from Miami named Mary, a Portuguese-American girl from Boston area named Monica, some New Yorkers Laura and Stacey, some other cool gay guy Martin from England, two cool dudes from Massachusetts Bryce and Felippe, Ramon from Mexico, and Heidi from Germany and this crazy girl from Cali that I adore named Sarah. I spend my weekends on the beautiful Ipanema beach at posto nove, or Post 9, which is the coolest place on Ipanema beach.

Another thing that is amazing about Rio are these salgados, which are basically pieces of heaven in food form. Since being in Rio I've renounced my vegetarianism and picked up an addiction to this amazing snacks. Imagine this: cheap sandwiches with every possible combination of meat and cheese packed together and fried. Put a little bit of ketchup or pimienta and call it a day because these babies are what's up!

The living situation is still chill, the guy that lived there when I moved in has moved out since I last updated, so it's been just me and Dora. She helps me with Portuguese and included in my rent is café da manhã, or breakfast, so every morning she basically just rattles away in Portuguese whatever may be on her mind. Haha, she's cute though. I'm in the process of the looking for another place, but unless I find something cheaper, Rua Bartolomeu Mitre, 380/404 may be my address for the next 5 months.

I'm happy here. The views are breathtaking and the people are amazing. I miss home, but not enough to want to go back just yet.

Tchauzinhos,

Antônio

Eu sou cariocaaaaa

carioca- a person native to Rio de Janeiro; characteristics include supreme friendliness, outgoing personality, hospitality, and fun.

I can only describe my first two days in Rio as really intense. When I arrived on Tuesday at 5 PM to the international airport here, GIG, there was no person there to pick me up wearing a "International Programs" t-shirt. So, my only option was to take a R$ 80 cab ride (the currency here is the real and it´s about .65 USD for 1 real). I arrived at my new home in Leblon, a ritzy neighborhood that's not touristy at all and is pretty residential. Luckily, it's also like a 10-minute walk to school, so I'm pretty content there. Dora, my host mom, is an elderly woman who is actually really friendly and nice. She's so cute... she even walked me to school on my first day, haha. It was like kindergarten all over again. Going to the campus was kind of tough on the first day, not knowing a single person and never being in the city before. Luckily I quickly made friends with a whole bunch of really cool people, so I'm happy about that. At night we went to A Garota de Ipanema (The Girl from Ipanema) for caipirinhias, the most famous Brazilian drink, which consists of Brazilian rum, limes, and sugar. The restaurant was actually really touristy, but we decided to go there because it was an easy meeting spot for everyone to go to. No one really has cell phones yet, so communication here is kind of difficult. Once we all get settled and have cell phones, things will be definitely easier.

I haven't had a chance to meet many Brazilians yet, but once I can speak Portuguese better I definitely intend on putting myself out there and getting into some of these PUC-Rio social circles. Ãlthough I really love the company of the Americans and Europeans I've met so far, I'm really interested in cultural immersion. Learning what it's actually like to be a Brazilian.

Classes don't start until Monday, but I already feel like I'm learning Portuguese. Dora, my host mom, only speaks to me in Portuguese, and that's definitely helping to boost my comprehension.

OK, I have to go register with the local police now... strange, I know.

Anthony