Hopes and Dreams
Door: claupaulo
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Claudia
14 Oktober 2010 | Brazilië, São Paulo
After all the happy travel stories, let´s get back to serious business. After all I´m not a tourist, but just a student that happens to live here for a while, wanting to learn from her surroundings and find out more about my own future as well. What strikes me and occupies me is the poverty that we have here. It´s not only the poverty itself that worries me, but rather the people who look on and do nothing.
For the most Brazilians it is super normal to grow up in a everyday life of inequality. It´s common to have guys sleeping on the street in the (poorer) center, to have favelas all around the city, where houses get washed away by heavy summer rains, while in the next neighbourhood other children take another dive in their private swimming pool. It´s the most normal thing in the world to have mainly (white) students from middle and upper class in a public university, which are supposed to be open for everybody. However primary education sucks which means that only rich kiddies who had proper private high schools can enter university...
Are we that fundamentally different that we should lead such different lives? Is it the family in which we get born that should determine how much opportunities we have in life and how big we are allowed to dream...?
Why do hunger and deprivation still exist while there are enough resources on this Earth to feed everybody?
...............................
At the same time this worry motivates me even more to fight against injustice and to secure a decent life with the same opportunities for everyone. I deeply believe that we can make a change, change this world for the better.
One of my favourite places here in São Paulo to spend a late afternoon is the old train station in the center: Estação da Luz. Despite that it´s old and not that well preserved, it is very charming, particularly since it has a piano in the hall. People pass by, fancy business men in big suits, in their daily rythm, on the way to catch the train, but then some stop and hold on. Homeless men are covered in blankets and taxi drivers hang around while they have nothing to do. People start to gather around the piano in the middle of the hall. Everybody is listening to the same beautiful sound of the piano which fills the big space, played by anyone that would like to, and despite that the lives of these bystanders couldnt be anymore different, in this moment all are united by the same beautiful enchanting music.
It´s the atmosfere of hope that is here.
For the most Brazilians it is super normal to grow up in a everyday life of inequality. It´s common to have guys sleeping on the street in the (poorer) center, to have favelas all around the city, where houses get washed away by heavy summer rains, while in the next neighbourhood other children take another dive in their private swimming pool. It´s the most normal thing in the world to have mainly (white) students from middle and upper class in a public university, which are supposed to be open for everybody. However primary education sucks which means that only rich kiddies who had proper private high schools can enter university...
Are we that fundamentally different that we should lead such different lives? Is it the family in which we get born that should determine how much opportunities we have in life and how big we are allowed to dream...?
Why do hunger and deprivation still exist while there are enough resources on this Earth to feed everybody?
...............................
At the same time this worry motivates me even more to fight against injustice and to secure a decent life with the same opportunities for everyone. I deeply believe that we can make a change, change this world for the better.
One of my favourite places here in São Paulo to spend a late afternoon is the old train station in the center: Estação da Luz. Despite that it´s old and not that well preserved, it is very charming, particularly since it has a piano in the hall. People pass by, fancy business men in big suits, in their daily rythm, on the way to catch the train, but then some stop and hold on. Homeless men are covered in blankets and taxi drivers hang around while they have nothing to do. People start to gather around the piano in the middle of the hall. Everybody is listening to the same beautiful sound of the piano which fills the big space, played by anyone that would like to, and despite that the lives of these bystanders couldnt be anymore different, in this moment all are united by the same beautiful enchanting music.
It´s the atmosfere of hope that is here.
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15 Oktober 2010 - 04:57
Joanna:
Talking abt poverty, u really shld see Dhaka then. :/ I love the city itself, but honestly, its very sad to look up at some stuff...like loads of homeless kids coming to u and asking for money...and generally, its that much populated that there is really really really no space to move. -
15 Oktober 2010 - 05:16
Ecaterina:
Beautifull music! -
15 Oktober 2010 - 08:14
Youy:
to answer your question: not everybody is altruistic as you. They only think the same as you but don't take any action to help other people. And some people are even worse, they don't think of other people at all. So I think this is why hunger and deprivation still exist.
btw when will you be back?
Gr Youy
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15 Oktober 2010 - 11:28
Jeroen (NL):
Mooi clau, hopen dat er iemand is die de piano af en toe komt stemmen... Ik mis je wel hoor! Ik heb trouwens vorig weekend mn CD in de verkoop gedaan! :-D Als je wilt kan je hem bekijken op mn site (flubbel.com). Komende maandag wordt ik geinterviewd voor het Nederlands Dagblad :-) Nog veel plezier @ Braziel; pas goed op je zelf en geniet er van! -
18 Oktober 2010 - 07:13
Neeti~:
Woah, wat schrijf je goed! Inderdaad, armoede is verschikkelijk als je ergens anders dan Europa bent.. Hier valt het volgens mij redelijk mee. Maar dunno, denk dat het eigenlijk totaal anders is dan gelukkigheid. Mensen mogen wel arm zijn (ik had in India een paar vriendinnen die armer/slechter af waren dan ik omdat mijn vader nog wel redelijk verdiende toen - salarissen zijn verschikkelijk tenzij je uberrijk bent), maar zij hadden motivatie dat echt wonderbaarlijk was. Ik mocht dan alles hebben om het goed te doen, maar zij werkte zo hard en waren echt 200% blijer leek het met de allergewoonste dingen. Het zal wel verschikkelijk zijn dat ze minder geld hadden voor luxe banken, kasten, geweldige badkamer met douche erin (mwahaha, die hadden we ook niet in India), maar ze waren echt gastvrij en leken echt mega gelukkig met wat ze hadden. Geld hebben of het ontbreken ervan lijkt me niet het enige in het leven.
pps. Als je daar woont, dan leer je het wel een beetje 'negeren', want sommige zwervers zijn echt evil en kwaadaardig(dit hoeft niet hetzelfde te betekenen voor de hele groep natuurlijk, maar). Op de 'populaire' plekken zoals drukste kruispunten kwamen ze tussen rood stoplicht door om geld te vragen voor een 'goed doel'. Adi & ik vonden het verschikkelijk, maar Mam weigerde omdat meeste echt het geld gebruikten om drugs etc te kopen ervan. Echt eten geven is volgens oom het beste om te doen, maar zelfs dat weigeren ze op den duur.
BTW, BTW sorry sorry voor late reactie, moest nog even in weekendje een geweldig kast in elkaar zetten. Niet aan klasgenoten vertellen, maar ik deed ongeveer 30% van werk.. Echt vreselijk erg natuurlijk - vader vloekte erbij omdat het NOG STEEDS niet af was, mam kwam af en toe wel kijken - ze wist dat het rampzalig zou worden en ze had ons nog ZO gewaarschuwd.. Adi deed vrolijk mee en blijkt nu officieel sterker dan ik te zijn~ Schaven aan vingers--ook paar splinters eruit gehaald, vingertoppen dood door hamer-- maar ik leef nog! Het ziet er mega cool uit maar spiegel ontbreekt.
(Echt verschikkelijk erg na geweldig morele verhaal, maar ik ben uber-materialistisch met een schuifdurenkast met werkende schuifdeuren >_<). Geen nostalgische herinneringen aan Lego of Ikea want handen (en spieren) zijn dood. Kwam achter wat er zo goed aan Kansrekening&Statistiek en Ethiek is. Boeken helpen als steuntje om deur op te balanceren =) Ethiek boek is wel dood (O_O OMG, wat symbolisch!)
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