Don’t know how, but I just came across an interview with artist Vik Muniz and the movie “Waste Land”.  See the abstract below. “Waste Land” should now be playing within the U.S. and I definitely want to check it out!

“Waste Land” is an award winning documentary by director Lucy Walker - An uplifting feature documentary highlighting the transformative power of art and the beauty of the human spirit. Top-selling contemporary artist Vik Muniz takes us on an emotional journey from Jardim Gramacho, the world’s largest landfill on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, to the heights of international art stardom. Vik collaborates with the brilliant catadores, pickers of recyclable materials, true Shakespearean characters who live and work in the garbage quoting Machiavelli and showing us how to recycle ourselves.

Released on 2010 and premiered in Berlin Film Festival 2010 (Berlinale)

brazil movie Environment Vik Muniz
Wednesday’s Global Nomad: Carolina Montenegro

Carolina Montenegro is a Brazilian journalist currently living in Nairobi, Kenya undertaking an internship at IRIN (UN’s brave humanitarian news agency).

Why are you a global nomad?

I’m more planning to be more of one than I am… I moved around a lot within Brazil during my childhood, maybe that’s where the nomad blood is from. After becoming an adult, I started traveling abroad most for studies and tourism and never stopped. I decided that getting to know other cultures would be part of my main goals for my life time.

What made you start this venture? Why are you doing this?

After I graduate from Journalism in Brazil, I plan to make traveling a full time part of my life. My goal is to become an international correspondent. Africa and Middle East are my main regions of interest. Getting to know people and places and share this experience is the most fantastic thing about my work.

What do you hope to achieve?

I hope to learn, I hope to see History while its happening. I hope to share, I hope to contribute, change minds, build bridges… I really hope a lot.

How long have you been working on this?

For at least 5 years I’ve been working in Brazil as a journalist for the international desk of news companies like Reuters, Ansa and Folha de Sao Paulo.

What is the most interesting discovery you have made since starting this project?

People are more alike than different. And generosity is the most beautiful human gift that is independent of nationality. The world is generous and round, it keeps spinning for all of us.

Where do you see this project in 10 years?

I see myself traveling, learning and writing in 100 years!

When did you start traveling? How and why did you travel for the first time?

When I was a child my parents moved a lot around Brazil and I lived in almost all the 5 regions of the country. By myself, I moved to another city for University studies and then went to the US for tourism and did exchanges in the Middle East. I travelled to Europe with a boyfriend and now in Africa for this currently internship.

In what places have you lived and what languages do you speak?

I lived most of my life in Brazil, a month in Lebanon and now 3 months in Kenya. I speak Portuguese, English and Spanish. I can understand a bit of French and am learning Arabic.

What’s your favorite city so far?

Hard question, can’t pick one. Most beautiful ones: Rio de Janeiro, Paris and Rome. Cities to live: Sao Paulo, Beirut, Vienna. Places that I can’t forget: Juba and Salvador.

If you could only take one item with you to travel the world (other than your passport), what would it be?

I would follow Anton Chekhov advice for good stories: a pair of good shoes and a notebook.

Give us your global nomad profile:

window or aisle? window always.

boat or plane? plane.

train or bus? bus.

walk or bike? hummm…. love biking, but walking even more.

metro or trolley? metro.

tropical, temperate, polar? tropical and temperate only in the summer.

hotel, hostel or local’s apartment? hostel, great to know people.

must have fashion piece when traveling? sunglasses.

explore/map or tour guide? explore with or without a map.

Global Nomad Kenya Brazil
Salvador, Bahia (Brazil) at night.

Salvador, Bahia (Brazil) at night.

Brazil Salvador Bahia

Culture is…

Sao Paulo Brazil Culture uber retro
Monday’s Country Codes

When we are out enjoying our favorite spots there is one thing that makes the moment even better: ice cream. Yes, ice cream! And as ice cream connoisseurs, we have discovered that ice cream really varies depending on where in the world you are. 

Turkey

In Turkey, ice cream is known as donduram and has a very unique texture. At first glance, it appears really creamy and perfectly firm. Then you take a lick to discover a long trail of ice cream following you and realize its better tackled with a spoon. This is because Turkish ice cream is made with salep and mastic. Salep gives the ice cream the thick texture and the mastic makes the cream chewy, almost like gum or taffy.

Italy

The famous gelato Italian ice cream is super creamy and has very rich flavors. It contains less sugar and a lot less butterfat than most other ice creams and because of the complicated way its made, it creates a more dense and flavorful cream.
We especially like the way gelato is displayed in most gelaterias which makes it hard to resist.

Second image from Allison Oden

Brazil

Brazil is an ice cream nation. The everyday soft ice cream can be found anywhere and its not uncommon to see bus and taxicab drivers end their route with a sorvete break. Ice cream cones, galeto, soft ice cream and major brands are all found here but what distinguished Brazilian ice cream from the rest are their flavors, especially inside sorveterias. Some flavors include açai, pineapple with mint, pumpkin with coconut, sweet potato, cashew, tapioca, corn and various cheese flavors like Parmesan.

Japan

Another ice cream nation, Japan is known for their wide ranging ice cream flavors as well as their mochi ice cream, pounded sticky rice filled with ice cream. Japanese ice cream contains many flavors with some of the most popular being green tea, black sesame and red beans among others.

What are some of your favorite flavors or types of ice cream?

ice cream Turkey Italy Brazil Japan country codes
Os Gêmeos: Worldwide Street Art

Os Gêmeos (the Twins) are a twin brother graffiti duo originally from São Paulo, Brazil. They have been around since the 80s creating murals and images giving São Paulo its own unique street art style. Now, they are known worldwide and paint their iconic yellow figures on vacant buildings, schools, skyscrapers, you name it. Although some images are just for fun, most have a political, socio-economical or folklore references.

Lisbon, Portugal

New York, USA (We love the world flag inspired pants)

São Paulo, Brazil

Brazil graffiti Os gemeos

It’s finally here: the Brazilian elections. While we wait for the results, let’s take a look at some of the candidate’s running. Everyday, several times a day, the national channels have a “Political Hour” where for one hour, the programming is purely political commercials. Here are a few of the strange ones.

Brazilian elections Brazil
Você terá a oportunidade de adquirir os nossos produtos pela primeira vez no Brasil!

Você terá a oportunidade de adquirir os nossos produtos pela primeira vez no Brasil!

Brazil Brasil Fashion
5 Things To Do in São Paulo, Brazil… When Its Cold/Rainy

No matter how well you plan your vacation, you cannot control the weather. So what to do when you travel to a tropical country and you are stuck with rainy weather and cold winds? Here are five things to do in São Paulo, Brazil during rainy weather so you do not waste any of your vacation!

  1. Museums  
    São Paulo is filled with many interesting and well put together museums that are very interactive. Be sure to check out the Museu do Futebol to learn everything you need to know about Brazil’s favorite sport or head to the Museu da Lingua Portuguesa to discover the roots behind the language of Brazil.

  2. Churrascaria - Hungry? Head to a churrascaria with a group of friends. This in-door grill is more than a quick bite to eat and will or at least can last for hours. The non-stop service of meat, sides and all-you-can-eat salad buffet is a cozy solution to a gray day.

  3. SESC Cultural Centers 
    Just about ever neighborhood has a nearby SESC and just about every SESC has many events happening everyday. These social centers provide the community with interesting cultural activities from film festivals to plays, concerts and educational forums. The best part: no membership is required and everything is usually under $10 US.

  4. SESC Sports Center - Some SESCs are equipped with sports centers open to the public. For a very minimal fee, you have access to indoor pools, gyms, basketball and tennis courts. 

  5. Mercado Municipal
    One of the largest markets in São Paulo, the Mercado Municipal offers everything from some of the most rare and exotic fruits that Latin America has to offer to specialty items that are hard to find elsewhere.
Sao Paulo Brazil Things to Do
Countdown to Dance Day - July 31, 2010 

BRASIL

Out of Brasil, one of our global nomad contributors, Renata Daumas Vanni, was kind enough to share some of the biggest dance trends in her country. Interestingly enough, the styles are quite varied and completely intriguing in their own respect.

AXE

Last summer the biggest hit was “Rebolation”. The singer Claudia Leite is huge too…

Rebolation :  

FORRÓ

It´s always there…

 

QUADRILHA - FESTA JUNINA

It´s a folkloric dance, from the northeast… but we all dance it… at some point every june… during this folkloric parties… it´s cool… but it´s not something that would play in a regular party…

 

CAPOEIRA SAMBA

 

dance brazil music
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