ch-ch-ch-changes

On Saturday it'll be a month since I arrived in Rio. It's kind of amazing because in some ways I feel like I have been reconstructing my life in New York, just on the other side of the world. One of the things that made me feel this way was when I was supposed to interview an MC for a radio piece on funk music. He was a totally disorganized guy, so instead of doing the interview right away, I ended up tagging along with him to the offices of a couple of elected officials. While I haven't spent LOTS of time in the city council members' offices in New York, or in the State representatives offices, I've certainly been there, and I do know some of those folks. So it felt like in a very short time here I was in Rio making the same kinds of connections. 

So why am I leaving, you may be asking. That is a worthwhile question. The short answer is that I'm going to run off in pursuit of a story. But maybe I'll come back to Rio. Most likely. It may not be the ideal city in some ways, but I'm feeling good here. It is good, after all, to have friends, as all of you know.

I feel alright about running off on journalistic pursuits, but I realize that having this kind of social connection is really important to me, and I know that I don't want to be a gypsy my whole time here in Brazil.

So, that's one part of things. In other news, the police came last week to remove a guest from the hostel where I've been staying. I think that she had some kind of mental illness. In any case, she would talk to herself, and hovered around, staring me and other people in a menacing way. For me it's a big relief that she is no longer here. I was starting to think that I should take self-defense classes. Really.

Friday I'm wrapping up my work with Catalytic Communities. It has been a lot of fun, and I'll have to think about what I would do if I came back to Rio because, really, I have really enjoyed visiting different communities here in the city and taking photographs. Above, in fact, is a picture of me getting my hair done in little braids. The women in the photo are participating in a capacity building workshop for hair braiders. Over a 3-month period, they will learn about health issues, labor law, self-esteem, and planning, among other things. They will also discuss racism and the politics of natural Black hair, straightening, etc. After the course is over, the participants will share their knowledge with people in the community. Basically, as they work, they'll disseminate information and share their strength. Pretty awesome.

What other stuff can I tell you? Life is good.