On Thursday, I received an email that I need to move immediately out of my Copacabana location. On Friday, my bags were packed and I was ready to leave. On Saturday, I was supposed to move, but it didn’t quite come together. On Sunday, it was the last moment before I-don’t-know-what but I-didn’t-want-to-stay-to-find-out.
Since my new hostess was not ready for my arrival, I was instructed to go to Flamengo Beach to stay with a temporary host. Once I arrived (as I previously mentioned in an earlier entry), I was told that another teammate wanted me to come to her home for the 3-day holiday.
Why not go? For the entire week, a lot of my teammates had been asking if I would go out with them to Castelo. I didn’t know what Castelo was but I was waiting for the right opportunity to see as much of the local scene that was convenient to my training schedule. I told my “housing coordinator” that it was fine so he gave me directions. He ended our conversation by saying, “I was just over there the other night Qiana, and I felt safe…” This phrase did not register with me until I was about to arrive at my destination. Am I going to be staying in a favella?
The bus stopped and I hopped out in front of the nightclub Castelo Das Pedras. I called Teka (my teammate) and she walked from her house with our other teammate, Larissa, to come meet me.
Welcome to Castelo. I cannot tell you how many people live there or how much area is contained in the neighborhood. I think this place met all of the criteria for being classified as a favella. I immediately saw this “vacation” as an opportunity to understand how a majority of my teammates live, and observe if some of the things that I had seen (in movies and in the Brazilian soap operas) were true.
The trek to Teka’s home led us through the middle of an open market that was being deconstructed. There were lots of people, trash and confusion. However, everyone was going about their business at a fairly calm pace.
As Teka and Larissa maneuvered me through the crowds, we picked up Teka’s mama somewhere along the way. I spoke to three ladies (who I believed to be her friends). We turned into an alley, hung a left, went up about 15 tall concrete steps, stepped over a small wire partition and then up another 10 steps to the top landing. This area was partially covered (the clothes lines were in one area, a bathroom and then the doorway to Teka’s bedroom. To this day, I still don’t understand if their family lives in the entire concrete building or if they have certain rooms because everything is divided by the open stairway.
I will say that my understanding of life in Castelo (because I can’t speak for any other neighborhoods like this) seems to be a lot like that show, Good Times. Families are working hard trying to send kids to school and keep them out of trouble. You can get everything that you need and want in the favella. You never have to leave, and many times this is the case for a majority of the residents. Are girls walking around looking cute in their best outfits? Yes. Are guys walking around without shirts on looking like they just stepped out of a gym? Yes. Are people walking around having a great time? Yes. Now don’t get me wrong. There are some seriously down and out people walking around, but for the most part it reminds me of a larger, more developed U.S. housing project development.
My stay in Castelo was all Good Times and has made my list of top Rio highlights because of the following:
1. Teka has the softest bed in Rio.
2. Teka’s air conditioning unit knows how to keep a room cold.
3. Teka’s family is so nice, and Teka’s dad gave me a tour of his videography shop.
4. Teka’s mama knows how to cook. Her chicken, rice and beans are serious business.
5. Teka’s neighbor, Alex, came over every day to entertain me with conversations about American music, life in Castelo, etc.
6. Teka introduced me to Pao doce. It is some of the best bread I have ever tasted.
7 Teka took me to Castelo das Pedras. A club that rains fire sparks and mist on hundreds of dancing people at about 4:00 a.m.
8 At 5:30 a.m. the party continues outside of the club, and the police do not stop it.
9. At 5:42 a.m., there are still guys on the corner doing their best body rolling to Baile Funk music. It was good, but it gave me a lot of laughs.
10. After going to bed at 6:00 a.m., 5 or 6 teammates run into Teka’s room at noon to turn the Baile Funk music on high to restart the party. (It seems that they not have noise/music restrictions in Castelo).
A visit this sweet deserves a picture. Look at a piece of Pao Doce that I had a chance to eat!
Since my new hostess was not ready for my arrival, I was instructed to go to Flamengo Beach to stay with a temporary host. Once I arrived (as I previously mentioned in an earlier entry), I was told that another teammate wanted me to come to her home for the 3-day holiday.
Why not go? For the entire week, a lot of my teammates had been asking if I would go out with them to Castelo. I didn’t know what Castelo was but I was waiting for the right opportunity to see as much of the local scene that was convenient to my training schedule. I told my “housing coordinator” that it was fine so he gave me directions. He ended our conversation by saying, “I was just over there the other night Qiana, and I felt safe…” This phrase did not register with me until I was about to arrive at my destination. Am I going to be staying in a favella?
The bus stopped and I hopped out in front of the nightclub Castelo Das Pedras. I called Teka (my teammate) and she walked from her house with our other teammate, Larissa, to come meet me.
Welcome to Castelo. I cannot tell you how many people live there or how much area is contained in the neighborhood. I think this place met all of the criteria for being classified as a favella. I immediately saw this “vacation” as an opportunity to understand how a majority of my teammates live, and observe if some of the things that I had seen (in movies and in the Brazilian soap operas) were true.
The trek to Teka’s home led us through the middle of an open market that was being deconstructed. There were lots of people, trash and confusion. However, everyone was going about their business at a fairly calm pace.
As Teka and Larissa maneuvered me through the crowds, we picked up Teka’s mama somewhere along the way. I spoke to three ladies (who I believed to be her friends). We turned into an alley, hung a left, went up about 15 tall concrete steps, stepped over a small wire partition and then up another 10 steps to the top landing. This area was partially covered (the clothes lines were in one area, a bathroom and then the doorway to Teka’s bedroom. To this day, I still don’t understand if their family lives in the entire concrete building or if they have certain rooms because everything is divided by the open stairway.
I will say that my understanding of life in Castelo (because I can’t speak for any other neighborhoods like this) seems to be a lot like that show, Good Times. Families are working hard trying to send kids to school and keep them out of trouble. You can get everything that you need and want in the favella. You never have to leave, and many times this is the case for a majority of the residents. Are girls walking around looking cute in their best outfits? Yes. Are guys walking around without shirts on looking like they just stepped out of a gym? Yes. Are people walking around having a great time? Yes. Now don’t get me wrong. There are some seriously down and out people walking around, but for the most part it reminds me of a larger, more developed U.S. housing project development.
My stay in Castelo was all Good Times and has made my list of top Rio highlights because of the following:
1. Teka has the softest bed in Rio.
2. Teka’s air conditioning unit knows how to keep a room cold.
3. Teka’s family is so nice, and Teka’s dad gave me a tour of his videography shop.
4. Teka’s mama knows how to cook. Her chicken, rice and beans are serious business.
5. Teka’s neighbor, Alex, came over every day to entertain me with conversations about American music, life in Castelo, etc.
6. Teka introduced me to Pao doce. It is some of the best bread I have ever tasted.
7 Teka took me to Castelo das Pedras. A club that rains fire sparks and mist on hundreds of dancing people at about 4:00 a.m.
8 At 5:30 a.m. the party continues outside of the club, and the police do not stop it.
9. At 5:42 a.m., there are still guys on the corner doing their best body rolling to Baile Funk music. It was good, but it gave me a lot of laughs.
10. After going to bed at 6:00 a.m., 5 or 6 teammates run into Teka’s room at noon to turn the Baile Funk music on high to restart the party. (It seems that they not have noise/music restrictions in Castelo).
A visit this sweet deserves a picture. Look at a piece of Pao Doce that I had a chance to eat!
No comments:
Post a Comment