Who is Brasil? Can the question actually be answered? It is like asking a person who he is, because just like a person, Brasil has a unique personality which has been shaped by the different experiences it has been through and which keeps changing. But, who is even the ideal person to define Brasil? A country is formed by all its people and they all have different feelings about it based on their experiences. Also, many people have external images of Brasil. Regardless, probably the most appropriate person to define who Brasil is, would be a Brasilian. However, since I have been assigned with the non-accomplishable task, I will be the unfortunate soul to attempt defining who Brasil is.
To understand who Brasil is today, it is necessary to go back to its roots and how it was created. The land that makes Brasil has existed for a very long time and nearly 500 years ago, it was already inhabited by indigenous tribes. One of the main ones was Tupi. Then, the Portuguese came to colonize. They brought many slaves with them, and the amount was greatest of any country in America. The Portuguese brought the language, religion and culture, but they weren’t precisely nice. They imposed their religion on the natives and destroyed many of their religious constructions. They would punish the natives for having different religious practices. They raped many of the women and slaved some amount of indigenes. Then proceeded to explode all the resources and richness of the land and take it all the way back to Portugal. Brasil had to serve the Kingdom for a very long time. It wasn’t until 1822 and officially until 1825, that Brasil acquired its independence. However, the main reason why it was able to become independent is truly sad and unfortunate. Brasil’s independence happened because slavery had been decreed illegal in Portugal, but the Portuguese wanted to continue slave-trading and that way they could continue it in Brasil, which was its own country, and slavery continued until 1888.
So, does this mean that Brasil is a united country with lots of diversity where everybody accepts each other because they fought together for their freedom? And since Brasilians are often perceived as warm nice people, does this mean that they are forgiving and that all the tragedy has been left behind? Well, not really. Brasil does have a huge diversity of people. All kinds of people can be seen in the country, from black all the way to blond and blue eyed. However, there is still racism in the country. I personally found that very surprising, since there are some countries very diverse in South America which are not racist, and I expected Brasil to be the same way. In Brasil, black people have a harder time succeeding. When they do become successful, then they aren’t considered black anymore. Being black, is more than the color of your skin. It is a socioeconomic status. One of our leaders during our time in Brasil is black, and he mentioned that when he is standing near the door of a store, people think that he works there. We went to a store once, and our TA is black and a woman asked her if she worked in the store, and the woman kept insisting that she did even though our TA denied it a million times. The racism is worst in some regions of Brasil. For example, the population in the south is whiter because there was a large European migration. When we were in Curitiba, black people were quite scarce and people kept staring at our black friend. But then does this mean that Brasil is a racist and hateful country? Not exactly, there are many accepting and all loving people in the country. It just means that the country is still recovering from the awful discrimination that it was forced to suffer through very long ago.
Racism is a complicated issue in Brasil, but at least people social classes respect each other, right? Wrong. People from lower classes are treated very badly. For example, wealthy families hire maids to clean their houses and take care of their children. Even though these women raise their children, cook, clean, and do anything else the family might need, they are not treated as part of the family, and many are even mistreated. Some maids are required to wear a uniform and have to follow a protocol of conduct. During class, we watched a movie about a maid. In the movie, the daughter of the main got into the family pool and the mother ordered it to be drained and completely cleaned up. It is a very complicated situation because these maids feel a deep love for the children they raise, yet they will never be their real mothers and are mistreated by the family they serve while their own kids are being raised by someone else.
Many aspects are very complicated in Brasil, even the feelings towards their independence are complicated. Some Brasilians know the details of why the independence really happened and feel guilty celebrating it, or don’t have pride and respect for it. Some are ignorant to the slavery fact, and celebrate the independence with great pride because it represents the strength of their country. Others know, but prefer to forget and often have mixed feelings within them. The feelings of Brasilians towards Portugal are also very mixed. Some Brasilians forgive or forget all the bad that Portugal did to them and actually wish to be European or move to Portugal looking for a better life. In fact, one of our group leaders in Brasil is moving to Portugal in a year. Others, are still bitter and refuse to forgive Portugal. For example, we were talking to our translator once, and she said that she said that she would never go to Portugal because she won’t set foot in a place that stole and took all their resources, killed and enslaved their people and brought slavery and war into the country. Although her decision is admirable and understandable, it is also very drastic. It is very immature to condemn people today who have did nothing wrong and have done nothing wrong to you because of something that their ancestors did to your ancestors.
So after a historic analysis, who is Brasil? Well, perhaps looking at the country’s culture might help answer the question, but considering how diverse Brasilian culture is, it might make it even more confusing. Brasil has many regions and all of them have something unique and special about them. For example, in the south, the culture is very similar to Argentina’s. There are gauchos, they drink mate, the accent is more similar to Spanish, and the food is very similar to Argentina’s. There are also many different European communities and cities that look and feel just like Europe. The North has a culture more influenced by the African culture because the larger population is black. Even big cities have different cultures. For example, Sao Paulo is a fast paced city, whereas Rio is more relaxed. Brasilian culture also has influences from Japan because there was a big migration of Asians into the country. In reality, Brasilian culture is a huge mesh of cultures from many different countries, which have evolved and been modified to become Brasilian and mixed with the authentic native culture. But, Brasil also tries to be someone it isn’t. There is a big influence from the US. Many clothing styles, music and food in the country are American. Brasil is even often trying to copy the US. Some Brasilians feel offended when Americans refer to themselves as such because for Brasilians, America is one continent and technically they are Americans as well and want to be like them. They don’t want to feel like they are being segregated.
Going back to the question, Brasil is the 5th largest country in the world. It has beautiful landscapes and biodiversity. It is the home of Samba. It cares about the environment. It is one of the leader producers of ethanol and the state of Sao Paulo has set a goal to be carbon free in 25 years. It is a country where corruption is high. Its cities are filled with art and culture. The city of Curitiba has been used as a model for urban planning and inspiration to other cities. It is a country with one of the best football teams in the world. It is the home to many nice warm affectionate people that light up your life. None of characteristics can fully answer the question. However, this is getting way too long and I am not any closer to answer the question now than I was at the beginning. Besides, I am a terrible writer, so I’ll just put you out of your misery and finish this quick.
Who is Brasil? Who knows? I certainly don’t. No one can truly answer that question, especially not me. I cannot say who I am, let alone an entire country. But, despite of any imperfections it might have, Brasil is a beautiful, diverse and complex country. Brasilians are lucky to have such a wonderful country and should be proud of it. Brasil should focus on being itself and improving instead of trying to copy something it isn’t. The short time I spent in Brasil was wonderful. I wish I could have stayed longer, but won’t definitely be my last time in the country. Learning from the country and its people, and trying to understand it and define has been a wonderful experience. Brasil has been through a lot and will continue to grow. There is no doubt that it will become one of the lead countries in the world, if it isn’t already.
sexta-feira, 5 de agosto de 2016
Futebol
Sports are a big part of any country’s culture and Brasil is not the exception. Although Brasil is great in many sports, the main practiced and followed one is Football or Futebol. In Brasil, futebol is more than a sport, it is part of the identity of the country. Many people even think of futebol when they think of Brasil. For some people, the sport is even almost a religion or a way of identifying themselves. We learned about different clubs in Brasil. People aren’t fans of clubs just because they are from their city, but because they represent something. For example, Sao Paulo FC is the club for the upper class in Sao Paulo. Fans from other clubs see them as weak and delicate and call them Bambie to suggest that they are gay. Whereas SC Corinthians Paulista is a club from the same city, but they are called the club of the people. The club wasn’t formed by people from the upper class and their first followers were people from the lower class. Their fans are people that come from the lower classes or that believe in equality and disagree with the mistreatment of the higher classes. Just like these 2, there are many more clubs in Brasil with their own identity.
Futebol is a sport that requires talent, passion and creativity more than anything else. This could explain why Brasilians are particularly good at the sport. Brasilians, just like all latinos are very passionate people. They are very sentimental and they love very intensely. Therefore, when they set their emotions in Futebol they are very passionate about it and give it everything they have. Because of the history of the country; being slaved and having to obey Portugal, and then fighting for freedom and creating its own path, Brasil has a hard time following orders, and it is reflected in the way they play futebol. They aren’t as structured and methodical as european countries. Brasilians rely more on talent and feelings. When they play, they look comfortable, more fluid and more invested emotionally in the game. They often use very creative plays, and in Futebol, that is necessary since you have to surprise your opponent and find your own style, which is another reason why Brasilians excel in futebol. Also, Brasil has a very large poor population and for many kids in favelas, becoming a professional futebol player is their biggest dream and way of getting out their situation, so they give futebol everything they have.
It is very common for fights to happen between different futebol fans. But it is because of how serious and how dedicated Brasilians are to futebol. Some people have tattoos of their teams and wear clothes of their teams. Some fights can be friendly, for example, we were in the museum of futebol in Sao Paulo and my friend was buying keychains for her family. She was buying two Santos keychains since Pele and Neymar played in it and it is one of the most recognized Brasilians clubs outside of the country. However, one of the employees of the store was a SPFC fan and was trying to convince her to get a SPFC keychain. The other employee was a Santos fan and they started arguing and giving her reasons why their team was the best. At the end, the SPFC guy changed one of her santos keychain for an SPFC one and was like there one of each. We thought it was funny and friend agreed. Unfortunately, not all fights can be that friendly. There are many occasions when people are killed.
During our trip to Curitiba, we went to a futebol game of Coritiba vs Flamenco. As soon as we went into the stadium, the sound of the drums played by the torcida filled our ears. It filled me with warm memories and took me back to the games that I went to when I was growing up. In reality, futebol is part of almost every country's culture except for the US. For this reason, for my American classmates, this was a completely new and different experience. The level of commitment of different fans was obvious. The torcida never stopped playing music and singing throughout the whole game. I found that to be normal since that is the way it is for many teams, but the rest of the group was surprised at their energy and wondered how they never got tired. There were some fans that got really sad and upset when Coritiba made a missed or Flamenco was close to scoring. People transform during a game. Women, elders and kids were insulting and cursing at the other team. Flamenco is a better team, so it was very possible that Coritiba was going to lose. However, at the end of the game, when Coritiba 2-0, grown men were crying.
However, even though clubs divide some Brasilians, it is a great experience to see the whole country united when the national team is playing. Futebol is a sport that represents a lot in all the world and especially in Brasil and understanding it is important to understand Brasil and its people.
Futebol is a sport that requires talent, passion and creativity more than anything else. This could explain why Brasilians are particularly good at the sport. Brasilians, just like all latinos are very passionate people. They are very sentimental and they love very intensely. Therefore, when they set their emotions in Futebol they are very passionate about it and give it everything they have. Because of the history of the country; being slaved and having to obey Portugal, and then fighting for freedom and creating its own path, Brasil has a hard time following orders, and it is reflected in the way they play futebol. They aren’t as structured and methodical as european countries. Brasilians rely more on talent and feelings. When they play, they look comfortable, more fluid and more invested emotionally in the game. They often use very creative plays, and in Futebol, that is necessary since you have to surprise your opponent and find your own style, which is another reason why Brasilians excel in futebol. Also, Brasil has a very large poor population and for many kids in favelas, becoming a professional futebol player is their biggest dream and way of getting out their situation, so they give futebol everything they have.
It is very common for fights to happen between different futebol fans. But it is because of how serious and how dedicated Brasilians are to futebol. Some people have tattoos of their teams and wear clothes of their teams. Some fights can be friendly, for example, we were in the museum of futebol in Sao Paulo and my friend was buying keychains for her family. She was buying two Santos keychains since Pele and Neymar played in it and it is one of the most recognized Brasilians clubs outside of the country. However, one of the employees of the store was a SPFC fan and was trying to convince her to get a SPFC keychain. The other employee was a Santos fan and they started arguing and giving her reasons why their team was the best. At the end, the SPFC guy changed one of her santos keychain for an SPFC one and was like there one of each. We thought it was funny and friend agreed. Unfortunately, not all fights can be that friendly. There are many occasions when people are killed.
During our trip to Curitiba, we went to a futebol game of Coritiba vs Flamenco. As soon as we went into the stadium, the sound of the drums played by the torcida filled our ears. It filled me with warm memories and took me back to the games that I went to when I was growing up. In reality, futebol is part of almost every country's culture except for the US. For this reason, for my American classmates, this was a completely new and different experience. The level of commitment of different fans was obvious. The torcida never stopped playing music and singing throughout the whole game. I found that to be normal since that is the way it is for many teams, but the rest of the group was surprised at their energy and wondered how they never got tired. There were some fans that got really sad and upset when Coritiba made a missed or Flamenco was close to scoring. People transform during a game. Women, elders and kids were insulting and cursing at the other team. Flamenco is a better team, so it was very possible that Coritiba was going to lose. However, at the end of the game, when Coritiba 2-0, grown men were crying.
However, even though clubs divide some Brasilians, it is a great experience to see the whole country united when the national team is playing. Futebol is a sport that represents a lot in all the world and especially in Brasil and understanding it is important to understand Brasil and its people.
terça-feira, 26 de julho de 2016
Secretary of Energy and Mining of the State of Sao Paulo
Today we had the great honor of meeting João Carlos Meirelles, the Secretary of Energy and Mining of the state of São Paulo. We also met Antonio Celso de Abreu Junior, the Subsecretary of Renewable Energies, and technicians of the department, Marília Fanucchi and Plínio Pires. They gladly welcomed us and gave a presentation about renewable energy in Sao Paulo and everything related to it. Meirelles opened up the presentation and told us the main strategy and objectives for the state of Sao Paulo in terms of renewable energy. The state of Sao Paulo has set a goal to operate with 100% energy from renewable sources in 25 years; a very impressive and inspiring goal. It certainly won’t be easy to accomplish, especially considering the fact that the department is overseen by the federal government and has to follow federal laws and regulations, which limits their actions.
After he finished, the sub secretary proceeded with the presentation. We learned about the current state of Sao Paulo in terms of renewable energy and how its sources for energy had changed in the last year. It was very interesting to see that solar energy grew the most, with a 12% increase. This makes sense since solar is the energy with most potential. Surprisingly, ethanol energy decreased, especially since Sao Paulo is the state with the most production of ethanol. This could be because they are starting to focus and invest on other energy sources such as solar, hydro and wind. They said that although currently there aren’t any wind turbines installed in the state, they are planning on starting it and that it has a lot of potential. In 2010, the matrix of energy for Sao Paulo 36.1% fossil oils, 33.5% biomass, 17.9% hydro, 6.6% natural gas, 2.2% coal and byproducts, 1.4% wood and charcoal and 2.3% other renewables. By 2020, they expect the matrix to be 46% biomass, 19.8% oil, 18.1% hydro, 8.1% natural gas, 3.2% coal and byproducts, 1.5% wood and charcoal and 3.3% other renewables. They are focusing on increasing their renewable energy and expect it to grow from 55.1% to 69%.
Moving into renewable energy is not an easy task. Therefore, the state of Sao Paulo needs to create incentives to motivate their people and that will ensure the participation and contribution of the whole state. For example, the state gives incentives for ethanol plants. They are also working on decreasing the costs, including taxes, for the production of ethanol. They take similar actions for other sources and they implement strategies like Microgeneration and Minigeneration. They also mentioned all the potential for renewable energy that the state still has. For example, there is a potential of 13 million MWh per year for wind and 12 million MWh per year for solar.
They continued to answer some of our questions and we thanked them for everything. The presentation made me realize how advanced and strong Sao Paulo is as a state in comparison with the rest of the states and even compared to other countries. Renewable energies are not the most efficient, practical or profitable sources for energy but they are clearly the most favorable for the future. Changing into them won’t be easy, but everyone is committed and have strategies to meet that goal. Their mentality is clearly reflected in their population. Sao Paulo is a very beautiful city filled with art and people who care about the environment.
After he finished, the sub secretary proceeded with the presentation. We learned about the current state of Sao Paulo in terms of renewable energy and how its sources for energy had changed in the last year. It was very interesting to see that solar energy grew the most, with a 12% increase. This makes sense since solar is the energy with most potential. Surprisingly, ethanol energy decreased, especially since Sao Paulo is the state with the most production of ethanol. This could be because they are starting to focus and invest on other energy sources such as solar, hydro and wind. They said that although currently there aren’t any wind turbines installed in the state, they are planning on starting it and that it has a lot of potential. In 2010, the matrix of energy for Sao Paulo 36.1% fossil oils, 33.5% biomass, 17.9% hydro, 6.6% natural gas, 2.2% coal and byproducts, 1.4% wood and charcoal and 2.3% other renewables. By 2020, they expect the matrix to be 46% biomass, 19.8% oil, 18.1% hydro, 8.1% natural gas, 3.2% coal and byproducts, 1.5% wood and charcoal and 3.3% other renewables. They are focusing on increasing their renewable energy and expect it to grow from 55.1% to 69%.
Moving into renewable energy is not an easy task. Therefore, the state of Sao Paulo needs to create incentives to motivate their people and that will ensure the participation and contribution of the whole state. For example, the state gives incentives for ethanol plants. They are also working on decreasing the costs, including taxes, for the production of ethanol. They take similar actions for other sources and they implement strategies like Microgeneration and Minigeneration. They also mentioned all the potential for renewable energy that the state still has. For example, there is a potential of 13 million MWh per year for wind and 12 million MWh per year for solar.
They continued to answer some of our questions and we thanked them for everything. The presentation made me realize how advanced and strong Sao Paulo is as a state in comparison with the rest of the states and even compared to other countries. Renewable energies are not the most efficient, practical or profitable sources for energy but they are clearly the most favorable for the future. Changing into them won’t be easy, but everyone is committed and have strategies to meet that goal. Their mentality is clearly reflected in their population. Sao Paulo is a very beautiful city filled with art and people who care about the environment.
segunda-feira, 25 de julho de 2016
Favelas
Favelas are part of Brasilian culture and part of the image that the rest of the world has of Brasil. Favelas are a very difficult concept to explain to those who are not from Brasil or a country that has slums that act in a similar way. Favelas are very real and it is sad how many people try to ignore their existence, especially people in the higher social classes. However, favelas are not exactly as the common misconception that most people have.
Yes, There is a lot of crime in favelas and favelas are controlled by drug lords and different gangs. Most of the time, the police turns a blind eye on what happens in the favelas. Sometimes, they become corrupt and partnerships are formed between them in exchange of money. In occasions, they even stage conflicts or actions taken in the favelas to make it look like they have it under control. Many examples of this are described in the article Performances of Police Legitimacy in Rio’s Hyper Favela by Erika Robb Larkins. Examples of this can also be seen in the movie Cidade de Deus. The movie is about a kid called Buscape and his life in the favela and those around him. In the movie, it is clearly seen how a lot of crime happens around in favelas and there is no law enforcement or government forces that do anything about it. Police officers are often seen acting for their own benefit, like when they are trafficking guns into the favela or when they rob some of the criminals.
However, that isn’t all that there is to favelas. They are also filled with normal people who are just carrying normal lives, doing the right things and want to be better and even go out of the favelas. One big example is Buscape, he wanted to become a photographer and didn’t get involved with in any of the gang wars that were happening. For these people, favelas are their homes, and they just happened to be born in a very dangerous place and have difficult lives. For them that is life and it is how it is. Some of them get too used to the life in a favela and find it hard to move out of them. For example, there are special programs to build houses and move people from favelas into them. But, many people just end up going back to their little house in the favelas.
The worst part of favelas and the movies and articles that are written about them, is the involvement of so many children. Children are surrounded by violence and aspire to be part of a gang because they think it is cool. They start with small jobs such as alerting or making errands, and climb up until they are the ones killing or trafficking. Favelas are vicious cycles that never end. Just as seen in City of God, at the beginning, Buscape’s brother and his friends are the main gang until they are killed by Ze Pequeno, who was a kid at the time and grows up to be one of the leaders of the favela, who then is killed at the end by other kids. There is hope that this will end one day, but doesn’t seem to be happening anytime soon.
Yes, There is a lot of crime in favelas and favelas are controlled by drug lords and different gangs. Most of the time, the police turns a blind eye on what happens in the favelas. Sometimes, they become corrupt and partnerships are formed between them in exchange of money. In occasions, they even stage conflicts or actions taken in the favelas to make it look like they have it under control. Many examples of this are described in the article Performances of Police Legitimacy in Rio’s Hyper Favela by Erika Robb Larkins. Examples of this can also be seen in the movie Cidade de Deus. The movie is about a kid called Buscape and his life in the favela and those around him. In the movie, it is clearly seen how a lot of crime happens around in favelas and there is no law enforcement or government forces that do anything about it. Police officers are often seen acting for their own benefit, like when they are trafficking guns into the favela or when they rob some of the criminals.
However, that isn’t all that there is to favelas. They are also filled with normal people who are just carrying normal lives, doing the right things and want to be better and even go out of the favelas. One big example is Buscape, he wanted to become a photographer and didn’t get involved with in any of the gang wars that were happening. For these people, favelas are their homes, and they just happened to be born in a very dangerous place and have difficult lives. For them that is life and it is how it is. Some of them get too used to the life in a favela and find it hard to move out of them. For example, there are special programs to build houses and move people from favelas into them. But, many people just end up going back to their little house in the favelas.
The worst part of favelas and the movies and articles that are written about them, is the involvement of so many children. Children are surrounded by violence and aspire to be part of a gang because they think it is cool. They start with small jobs such as alerting or making errands, and climb up until they are the ones killing or trafficking. Favelas are vicious cycles that never end. Just as seen in City of God, at the beginning, Buscape’s brother and his friends are the main gang until they are killed by Ze Pequeno, who was a kid at the time and grows up to be one of the leaders of the favela, who then is killed at the end by other kids. There is hope that this will end one day, but doesn’t seem to be happening anytime soon.
Alternative Energy After the Dialogue
I’ve always been interested in alternative energy and even have thought about being involved with it in my future career. However, despite of my interest, my knowledge was quite limited and there were many things I didn’t know about alternative energy or just energy in general. That is the reason why I decided to come on this dialogue. It was the perfect mix of theoretical and practical learning since we would have classes and trips to different alternative energy generation plants.
Coming from a business background, the class hasn’t been exactly the easiest class I’ve taken. However, I have used that as a challenge and a motivation to improve and learn more about the subject. Also, I have my classmates have explained things to me and helped me keep motivated. I am always excited about the trips, I enjoy them a lot and learn very much from them. Also, my business background was useful for some assignments for the class.
This class has given a different appreciation of alternative energy. Although the energy is cleaner, it still affects the environment in a smaller scale. Alternative energy is really not that practical, is very expensive, and some sources are very inefficient. Our technology for some sources is still in infant stages and it is clear that there is a lot of room for improvement.
Regardless of all the issues that alternative energy has, it is clear that it is the way to go. After this class, more than any other time, I’ve realized how big of an issue it is to work on different alternative sources for energy since the sources we are currently using, such as oil wells, won’t last very long. I’ve also learn that in order to generate the required amount of energy, many different alternative energy sources have to be used.
I want to work with alternative energy in my future career. It is exciting to be part of something that will help society and be part of new discoveries. Besides, whoever is able to come out with the new technology to improve the efficiency from alternative energy, will generate a lot of profit, and after all, even if I care about the environment and society, I am first and foremost a business student.
Coming from a business background, the class hasn’t been exactly the easiest class I’ve taken. However, I have used that as a challenge and a motivation to improve and learn more about the subject. Also, I have my classmates have explained things to me and helped me keep motivated. I am always excited about the trips, I enjoy them a lot and learn very much from them. Also, my business background was useful for some assignments for the class.
This class has given a different appreciation of alternative energy. Although the energy is cleaner, it still affects the environment in a smaller scale. Alternative energy is really not that practical, is very expensive, and some sources are very inefficient. Our technology for some sources is still in infant stages and it is clear that there is a lot of room for improvement.
Regardless of all the issues that alternative energy has, it is clear that it is the way to go. After this class, more than any other time, I’ve realized how big of an issue it is to work on different alternative sources for energy since the sources we are currently using, such as oil wells, won’t last very long. I’ve also learn that in order to generate the required amount of energy, many different alternative energy sources have to be used.
I want to work with alternative energy in my future career. It is exciting to be part of something that will help society and be part of new discoveries. Besides, whoever is able to come out with the new technology to improve the efficiency from alternative energy, will generate a lot of profit, and after all, even if I care about the environment and society, I am first and foremost a business student.
quarta-feira, 20 de julho de 2016
Brasil's Identity
Brasil is has a very diverse population. First, there is the culture from the natives that were in the country before the Portuguese arrived, and some of their traditions are still kept today. After the arrival of the Portuguese, Brasil adopted many cultural aspects from them, some of the most evident are the language and religion. The Portuguese brought with them between 3 and 5 million slaves to Brasil. Their culture helped shape the county and eventually, the slaves, the natives and the Europeans all mixed together. As a developing country filled with warm people, Brasil has always been a welcoming country with many work opportunities for foreigners, attracting many immigrants. Between 1870 and 1953, many Europeans immigrated into the country which explains the high amount of Germans, Italians and Spaniards in the country. Brasil also has the highest amount of Japanese immigrants in the world. All these different cultures have influenced the culture of the country and make it a very diverse country. This is evident when you walk down the streets in Brasil. There are people of many different colors, with different facial features, and many different styles all living together and being part of the same country. The Brasilian diversity, is a topic that many Brasilian writers discuss and ponder upon, just as Sergio Buarque de Holanda does in his book Roots of Brazil.
Brasil is a developing country that is still growing at a pace of 2.5% per year, according to the World Bank. Brasil has the highest GDP in South America. Being in a growth stage, and having such a diverse culture and population, the country is still defining its identity, and feels the need to find a role model to follow. This makes a lot of sense because it is as if Brasil was a teenager, it is still finding its place and deciding what kind of country it wants to be. Since Brasil has the second highest GDP in the American continent, the role model that it has chosen is the United States. Brasil’s culture has been highly influenced by the US. For example, American music is very popular in Brasil. It is very common to hear it in tv, radios, bars, clubs, restaurants and even stores. Also, there are many stores with American clothing.
Brasil is often comparing itself to the US. Brasilians even get sensitive about the word “American”. In the US, kids learn that South America and North America are two separate continents. Whereas in Brasil, America is just one country with subdivisions. So, Brasilians are Americans as well because they are from the continent. They don’t like it when Americans call themselves that because they feel left out. Sergio Buarque de Holanda comments on this in Roots of Brazil. He says: “For two centuries a North American mirror has been held aggressively to the South, with unsettling consequences. The time has perhaps come to turn the reflecting surface around. At the moment when Anglo America may be experiencing a failure of nerve, it seems timely to set before it the historical experience of Ibero America, not now as a case study in frustrated development but as the living out of a civilizational option.” Brasil needs to stop comparing itself with other countries and embrace its uniqueness.
This lack of identity and feeling of being lost is reflected in many Brasilians. In the movie Que Horas Ela Volta?, we can see that there are many characters with identity problems. Jessica, one of the main characters is a clear example. She is a very independent person. She’s had to be because she grew up without her mother and went through very rough times alone. All her mistakes and challenges have shaped who she is, which is why she is very confident, she knows who she is. However, when she goes to stay with Val, her confidence becomes a problem. Val wants to impose a different personality on her. Val wants Jessica to become this shy obedient person. Jessica refuses to be someone other than herself and act as if she is lesser than the family her family works for.
Carlos has lost his identity. He used to be a famous painter, but now he is retired, cannot smoke, feels constrained by his wife, avoids confrontations and his days pass by without much happening. This is why he finds Jessica so attractive and appealing. She represents what he wants to be. She is independent, young, smart, she has all her life ahead of her and is doing what she wants and becoming the person she wants to be.
Barbara is often mean to Val because she has a connection with Fabinho that she doesn’t have. She sees that her son trusts Val more than his own mother. She wants the best for her son, but doesn’t know how to act as a mother. She is successful in her career, but it is more an image than a reality. Most of the money of the family was inherited by Carlos as opposed as being made by Barbara, which is the impression that everyone gets. Barbara is too worried about her image and what other people think. Thus, she is constantly forcing herself to be someone she is not and has missed on sharing time with her family, connecting with them, and developing deep bonds just to keep her image.
Fabinho has been too shielded by Val and his parents from the real world. He doesn’t know who he wants to be and doesn’t know how to deal with the problems he encounters in his life. He is constantly being compared to other people, like Jessica, by his parents. The is a big pressure on him about who he has to become because his parents are important people. This often prevents him from being himself and leads him to failure like when he couldn’t get into the university he wanted.
Finally, we have Val, the main and most complex character in the movie. Val has always been told how she has to behave and doesn’t break the rules imposed by society about how a maid ought to behave. She is though on Jessica because she wants her to succeed and behave well. However, their relationship is not very good. It is very tough to raise someone else’s kid while your own kid is being raised by another person. Fabinho is like a second son to her and she spoils him and still treats him like a kid because she is not ready to let go of raising a child. As if that could compensate for the years she missed with her own daughter. Which is why she and Jessica are often fighting. Jessica wants Val to break the rules imposed by society and be herself and Val wants Jessica to be proper and accepted by society. Val is often copying the style of Barbara and the way the family act to be accepted by them and feel like she is a better person. For example, she bought Barbara coffee cups and she chose them because they seemed modern and stylish like Barbara. At the end, she finally takes her daughter's advice and starts to just embrace her own personality. She goes into the pool of the family, which she constantly mentions should never be done. She quits her job and decides to live with her daughter and help raise her grandson. She takes the cups that Barbara didn’t appreciate with her. She kept saying that the cups looked very fancy on top of a plate of a different color, being mismatched. At the end, she decides to use them as she wants and just matches them. She stops trying to be accepted by society and be herself. She is seen very happy starting a new journey in her life alongside her real family.
In conclusion, Brasil is a beautiful country with a very complex history, culture and population. But that makes it unique and a better country. Instead of comparing itself with other countries, it should embrace its uniqueness.
Brasil is a developing country that is still growing at a pace of 2.5% per year, according to the World Bank. Brasil has the highest GDP in South America. Being in a growth stage, and having such a diverse culture and population, the country is still defining its identity, and feels the need to find a role model to follow. This makes a lot of sense because it is as if Brasil was a teenager, it is still finding its place and deciding what kind of country it wants to be. Since Brasil has the second highest GDP in the American continent, the role model that it has chosen is the United States. Brasil’s culture has been highly influenced by the US. For example, American music is very popular in Brasil. It is very common to hear it in tv, radios, bars, clubs, restaurants and even stores. Also, there are many stores with American clothing.
Brasil is often comparing itself to the US. Brasilians even get sensitive about the word “American”. In the US, kids learn that South America and North America are two separate continents. Whereas in Brasil, America is just one country with subdivisions. So, Brasilians are Americans as well because they are from the continent. They don’t like it when Americans call themselves that because they feel left out. Sergio Buarque de Holanda comments on this in Roots of Brazil. He says: “For two centuries a North American mirror has been held aggressively to the South, with unsettling consequences. The time has perhaps come to turn the reflecting surface around. At the moment when Anglo America may be experiencing a failure of nerve, it seems timely to set before it the historical experience of Ibero America, not now as a case study in frustrated development but as the living out of a civilizational option.” Brasil needs to stop comparing itself with other countries and embrace its uniqueness.
This lack of identity and feeling of being lost is reflected in many Brasilians. In the movie Que Horas Ela Volta?, we can see that there are many characters with identity problems. Jessica, one of the main characters is a clear example. She is a very independent person. She’s had to be because she grew up without her mother and went through very rough times alone. All her mistakes and challenges have shaped who she is, which is why she is very confident, she knows who she is. However, when she goes to stay with Val, her confidence becomes a problem. Val wants to impose a different personality on her. Val wants Jessica to become this shy obedient person. Jessica refuses to be someone other than herself and act as if she is lesser than the family her family works for.
Carlos has lost his identity. He used to be a famous painter, but now he is retired, cannot smoke, feels constrained by his wife, avoids confrontations and his days pass by without much happening. This is why he finds Jessica so attractive and appealing. She represents what he wants to be. She is independent, young, smart, she has all her life ahead of her and is doing what she wants and becoming the person she wants to be.
Barbara is often mean to Val because she has a connection with Fabinho that she doesn’t have. She sees that her son trusts Val more than his own mother. She wants the best for her son, but doesn’t know how to act as a mother. She is successful in her career, but it is more an image than a reality. Most of the money of the family was inherited by Carlos as opposed as being made by Barbara, which is the impression that everyone gets. Barbara is too worried about her image and what other people think. Thus, she is constantly forcing herself to be someone she is not and has missed on sharing time with her family, connecting with them, and developing deep bonds just to keep her image.
Fabinho has been too shielded by Val and his parents from the real world. He doesn’t know who he wants to be and doesn’t know how to deal with the problems he encounters in his life. He is constantly being compared to other people, like Jessica, by his parents. The is a big pressure on him about who he has to become because his parents are important people. This often prevents him from being himself and leads him to failure like when he couldn’t get into the university he wanted.
Finally, we have Val, the main and most complex character in the movie. Val has always been told how she has to behave and doesn’t break the rules imposed by society about how a maid ought to behave. She is though on Jessica because she wants her to succeed and behave well. However, their relationship is not very good. It is very tough to raise someone else’s kid while your own kid is being raised by another person. Fabinho is like a second son to her and she spoils him and still treats him like a kid because she is not ready to let go of raising a child. As if that could compensate for the years she missed with her own daughter. Which is why she and Jessica are often fighting. Jessica wants Val to break the rules imposed by society and be herself and Val wants Jessica to be proper and accepted by society. Val is often copying the style of Barbara and the way the family act to be accepted by them and feel like she is a better person. For example, she bought Barbara coffee cups and she chose them because they seemed modern and stylish like Barbara. At the end, she finally takes her daughter's advice and starts to just embrace her own personality. She goes into the pool of the family, which she constantly mentions should never be done. She quits her job and decides to live with her daughter and help raise her grandson. She takes the cups that Barbara didn’t appreciate with her. She kept saying that the cups looked very fancy on top of a plate of a different color, being mismatched. At the end, she decides to use them as she wants and just matches them. She stops trying to be accepted by society and be herself. She is seen very happy starting a new journey in her life alongside her real family.
In conclusion, Brasil is a beautiful country with a very complex history, culture and population. But that makes it unique and a better country. Instead of comparing itself with other countries, it should embrace its uniqueness.
segunda-feira, 18 de julho de 2016
Ethanol Plant
Today, we visited Tono, an ethanol plant located about 3 hours from the city of Sao Paulo. We were received by a group of employees of the plant, who were going to give us a tour of the plant. They offered us breakfast, which was really nice, considering that we had to leave at 6:30 am to get to the plant and got a very light breakfast. They continued to explain the process to get ethanol out of sugar cane, and produce biomass energy.
First, they harvest and collect the sugar cane. They use machinery for harvesting most of the crops, but there are some places that cannot be accessed by the trucks and have to be harvested manually. The cane is carried into the plant and goes through the extraction process. In this step, the cane is shredded with blades and the juice is extracted from it. The cane goes through this process 5 times. 70% of the juice is extracted in the first station, and then water is added in the other 4 stations to extract the remaining 30%. The water consumption is very high, they need 230% of the amount of cane that they have. However, it can be reused, and they recycle water from other processes.
The solid residues of the process are called bagasse, which is then used to fuel boilers and generate energy, making the plant self sustainable. The juice is then taken through the evaporation process to take the water out and get a concentrated syrup called Molasses. They are able to capture the water through condensation and use it in other processes, such as irritation for the crops or adding it in the extraction stage. The Molasses is then further processed and some sugar crystals are created, which are then separated from the syrup through centrifugal. This is the process for making raw sugar, which they can sell to be processed into white fine sugar.
The molasses then goes through a fermentation process by adding yeast. This process is very similar to the fermentation of different alcoholic beverages such as wine, beer and cachaça. The difference is that for making ethanol, the yeast can be reduced, and the final product has a higher percentage of alcohol. It is then distilled to get ethanol.
They took us to the lab where they simulate the process in a smaller scale. Samples are taken to estimate how much ethanol they will produce and to make sure that there isn't anything wrong in any step of the process. They showed us a sample of ethanol with 93.8% pure, and we saw yeast in a microscope.
After that, we had lunch in the company's dinner and when we finished eating, went to a sugarcane plantation. We saw the special trucks used to cut the sugar cane, and our professor got to drive it. It has an arm with blades to take the leaves at the top of the cane and then uses some cylinders to get the cane which is cut with blades and thrown into a truck driving beside it. The residues of the leaves are on the ground and have to be cleaned up to prevent fires from occurring. They also clean the blades of the trucks every 3 hours and add water to prevent fires. Every truck has a fire extinguisher and there are water tanks nearby. We thanked our tour guides and translators for everything and headed back. This was another trip where I learned a lot.
The plant produces 1200 MWh per day and 300,000 liters of ethanol per day. There is very few waste in the process and the plant is pretty much self sustainable. However, it still has many issues. Big areas of nature have to be cut down to plant sugar cane. Besides hurting the environment, it takes a lot of space and all that land could be used for something else. The process is not too safe, since fires are quite common and when we got to the plant, there was a board that counted the days since the last accident in the different areas, and for some departments, the numbers weren't too high. Also, the plant had big chimneys, and looked like there was CO2 emission. Which makes me wonder if the production of ethanol damages the environment in some scale. There is still a lot of room to improve the processes of alternative energy.
First, they harvest and collect the sugar cane. They use machinery for harvesting most of the crops, but there are some places that cannot be accessed by the trucks and have to be harvested manually. The cane is carried into the plant and goes through the extraction process. In this step, the cane is shredded with blades and the juice is extracted from it. The cane goes through this process 5 times. 70% of the juice is extracted in the first station, and then water is added in the other 4 stations to extract the remaining 30%. The water consumption is very high, they need 230% of the amount of cane that they have. However, it can be reused, and they recycle water from other processes.
The solid residues of the process are called bagasse, which is then used to fuel boilers and generate energy, making the plant self sustainable. The juice is then taken through the evaporation process to take the water out and get a concentrated syrup called Molasses. They are able to capture the water through condensation and use it in other processes, such as irritation for the crops or adding it in the extraction stage. The Molasses is then further processed and some sugar crystals are created, which are then separated from the syrup through centrifugal. This is the process for making raw sugar, which they can sell to be processed into white fine sugar.
The molasses then goes through a fermentation process by adding yeast. This process is very similar to the fermentation of different alcoholic beverages such as wine, beer and cachaça. The difference is that for making ethanol, the yeast can be reduced, and the final product has a higher percentage of alcohol. It is then distilled to get ethanol.
They took us to the lab where they simulate the process in a smaller scale. Samples are taken to estimate how much ethanol they will produce and to make sure that there isn't anything wrong in any step of the process. They showed us a sample of ethanol with 93.8% pure, and we saw yeast in a microscope.
After that, we had lunch in the company's dinner and when we finished eating, went to a sugarcane plantation. We saw the special trucks used to cut the sugar cane, and our professor got to drive it. It has an arm with blades to take the leaves at the top of the cane and then uses some cylinders to get the cane which is cut with blades and thrown into a truck driving beside it. The residues of the leaves are on the ground and have to be cleaned up to prevent fires from occurring. They also clean the blades of the trucks every 3 hours and add water to prevent fires. Every truck has a fire extinguisher and there are water tanks nearby. We thanked our tour guides and translators for everything and headed back. This was another trip where I learned a lot.
The plant produces 1200 MWh per day and 300,000 liters of ethanol per day. There is very few waste in the process and the plant is pretty much self sustainable. However, it still has many issues. Big areas of nature have to be cut down to plant sugar cane. Besides hurting the environment, it takes a lot of space and all that land could be used for something else. The process is not too safe, since fires are quite common and when we got to the plant, there was a board that counted the days since the last accident in the different areas, and for some departments, the numbers weren't too high. Also, the plant had big chimneys, and looked like there was CO2 emission. Which makes me wonder if the production of ethanol damages the environment in some scale. There is still a lot of room to improve the processes of alternative energy.
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