Alex L - Six Weeks in Rio - First Impressions

 Hi, everyone! How are you doing? I am ok! Today we have a new interviewee, his name is Alex. He is an American Diplomat, who is living in Rio De Janeiro for only 6 weeks, but in spite of the short time living in the “wonderful city”, I am sure that you, like me, would love to know his first impressions about the city that will hold two of the world’s biggest sporting events, the World Cup in 2014, and two years later the Olympic Games.

Luso - Alex, how are you? I saw on your Facebook that you have been taking amazing pictures of places and people. Do you already have a favorite place or favorite places in Rio? Could you tell us how your experience in Rio has been?

Alex: That’s a hard question because there are so many great places in Rio! I’ve stayed mostly in Zona Sul (the South Zone) so far. One of my favorite places already, though, is sitting on the rocks near Arpoador to watch the sun set. During the summer, it’s the only time you can watch it set over the water, next to Dois Irmaos behind Leblon. Another great place is my ride to work, as the bus curves around Praia do Botafogo. You can see the boats in the water, Urca, Sugarloaf and Morro da Urca, and as the bus turns, on the right you can see Corcovado and Christo Redentor rising up in the distance. It’s a great way to start the work day!

Luso – How would you define “Cariocas”, people who live in Rio? Are they like Californians, I mean, compared to the majority of the Americans, are they more laidback, more relaxed and beach lovers?

Alex: Cariocas definitely love the beach! It makes up such a large part of the culture here, whether it’s relaxing on the beach, running or exercising there, and even in the signs of stores, restaurants and lanchonetes – it’s not unusual to see places with the word ‘beach’ or ‘da praia’ in the title! Cariocas also definitely to stay out late! I’m still trying to figure out where they get the energy to stay out at the bars, restaurants and cafés on a Wednesday until one in the morning and then go to work on time. It’s exhausting but fun!

Luso - What about the Brazilian food? Do you have any special suggestion for your colleagues who are going to live in Brazil?

Alex: There are two things I really love here in Rio: the pizza and the Sunday lunch. There are great pizza places here in Rio. Vezpa (try the Portuguesa!), Pizzeria Guanabara, and Diagonal Pizza (in Leblon) are just a few. But even better than that is the Sunday lunch that everyone here enjoys. They go out to a restaurant with their friends or family, sit outside near the street, and order plates of sliced file, feijao, arroz com broccoli (my favorite!), farofa, and plenty of chop’s. I particularly like the restaurant Braseiro Gavea. Of course, I can never go long without salgados – in particular, the ones filled with chicken and cheese at Big Nectar (a chain of quick-bite restaurants). Sorry, that’s three things!

Luso – We all have read in American and Brazilian newspapers about the drug dealer “Nem” being caught. Has it affected the life of people in Rio? Is the city safer? As a new Rio resident, how do you analyze what seems to be the biggest Brazilian challenge, i.e., reduce the violence found in big cities like Rio de Janeiro?   

Alex: When they captured Nem and pacified the favelas Vidigal and Rocinha, it was an interesting experience because this all happened close to Leblon and I got to watch the helicopters flying overhead. The cariocas I’ve talked to say the city is much safer than before – but they also say you still have to be very careful. While I can see that crime in Rio is still a problem, I think it is exaggerated in the United States. The perception there is that crime and violence are inescapable in Rio. That’s simply not the case. It’s not unusual to see women walking and running alone, or to see people out until three or four in the morning. I think as with any big city, there are good and bad parts, and there are certain precautions visitors (and natives!) should always take.

Luso:  As you know, Rio will hold two important sporting events – The World Cup and The Olympic Games. Often international press divulges the challenges that the Brazilian government has been confronting in the preparation for both events.  In spite of your short time living there, what’s your opinion about that? Do you think that Brazil will be prepared for these mega events? 

Alex: I haven’t been able to see a lot of change in the short time I’ve been here, but I’ve discussed this with natives (they call themselves “carioca da gema” as I recently found out!) and everyone here says it’s changing, with construction, increased police presence, the UPPs, etc. I think Brazil can be ready for these events but it will take a lot of time and effort (and money!) It’s interesting because Rio is the focus for many events – while the World Cup will occur throughout Brazil, the Olympics will only be in Rio. Thankfully, the city has a lot of time to prepare, with Rio+20 coming up next year. I think the biggest problem from my own point of view will be traffic. It can be very bad in the city during rush hour and the metro does not yet run beyond Ipanema (many Olympic events will be farther west in Barra da Tijuca). I’m very disappointed that I’ll leave before these events but I’m hoping to come back for a visit!

Querido Alex, thank you so much for your participation! By the way, all of us, your instructors, wish you the best in Rio. J