Thursday, October 16th, 2008
One of my favorite parts of the week is most peoples' least favorite part: the rush-hour van drive from Gávea to Rocinha.
It's a little hard to explain why I enjoy it as much as I do. First of all, I'm invariably crammed up against the door - my school is ...
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Sunday, October 12th, 2008
I regularly saw youth with guns when I walked through Rocinha on my way to i2i when I volunteered this past summer. My response was predictable the first couple of times I encountered these situations: shock. Though I expected beforehand to see youth with guns or dealing drugs, actually having ...
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Thursday, October 2nd, 2008
I love economics. There’s something about reducing living and breathing people to robotic data points operating on pure economic logic that just tickles me pink. But economics, I have learned, can’t explain everything.
One of the most fundamental principles of economics is illustrated by the saying “there’s no such thing as ...
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Sunday, September 14th, 2008
One of the great things about being a volunteer with i2i in Rocinha is that, as a foreigner, you often don't fit the social categories that the people around you are used to. Not only is this a neat way to challenge old assumptions and start interesting conversations, it's also ...
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Tuesday, September 9th, 2008
Every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 9am is the beginning English class for kids at i2i. One thing we have started to do recently is decorate the third floor classroom (codename "London") with various projects made by the students.
Last week we did an activity involving body parts. Our goal (me ...
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Tuesday, September 9th, 2008
Oi gente,
My name is Zezinho and I was born and raised in Rocinha but left Rocinha to create opportunity for myself and my family. I was born in Rua 1 area of Rocinha which is pretty high up the hill. I have many fond memories with my brothers of playing ...
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Saturday, August 2nd, 2008
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="218" caption="Let the games begin"][/caption]
We spent the afternoon today at the Quadra de Futebol (soccer court), which is just a couple minute walk from the i2i building. Myself and a few other volunteers watched a soccer tournament of boys and girls who participate in a non-profit next ...
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Thursday, July 31st, 2008
Other than improving (or learning) Portuguese, building your resume, living in the marvelous city of Rio, and giving back to the world, what are the perks of volunteering with Institute Dois Irmãos? Well they are as numerous as the waves of São Conrado beach, but this series of ...
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Tuesday, July 29th, 2008
Yes the once famous US Hip Hop (or in Carioca Hippy Hoppy) artist Ja Rule (pronounced Ja Hooley) preformed off of the Curvo do S on Estrada da Gavea in Rocinha. The concert was advertised on banners, cars and blasting speakers not only throughout the favela but all ...
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Friday, July 25th, 2008
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Apparently in the latest superhero movie, the Incredible Hulk, the favela da Rocinha has a staring role. The giant green man has a few scenes where he stumbling through the becos (alleys) of what looks like Rocinha. I have personally not seen the movie so ...
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