Sau Paulo, Brazil GRAFFITTI

KRISTIN, pictures really cant tell you how amazing the graffitti is here. Picture a city with no rules-- maybe they just dont have enough time to deal with street art-- so its just everywhere. Ill post some Rio art later.

Man with Cats

Jesus Christo!

Went up to see Christ yesterday. Its a gigantic statue over looking Rio, atop a huge mountain of stone. I saw monkies in the trees, and a 360 deg. view of this gorgeous amazing city.

RIO!!!!!!!!

We got into Rio after sunset last night. It was glittery, beautiful buildings, and everything has a tragic story. I am hung over this morning, and really didnt want to get up at all. UNTIL i opened the window. HELLO RIO!!

RIO DE JANEIRO

I am going to Rio Tomorrow. Everyone says its just like City of God. Warzone, snipers, drug-lords. Oh boy can't wait.

Its a relief actually-- I am done with Cambuquira.... beautiful, but i need some action.

Horseback Riding through Brazillian Countryside

Yeah, and i totally saw a monkey in the jungle! We had no supervision at all it was great. They arrived at our hotel with 14 horses and then we left! no instruction, we figured out how to get on ourselves... it was marvelous. I just took off with my horse and went galloping! it was so awesome! My horse's name was Chocolate and he just wanted to go fast, so i let him.

Cambuquira

Hale

The first afternoon, me and Simone walked through the town of Cambuquira to look for some beer. We found some at the end of the street/town at a Petrol station. Then it started to rain, all of a sudden! We were about to just go for it through the rain, and then it began to HALE. What? Simone said not to worry, "its the afternoon rain, it'll be over in about 15 minutes." So we drank some beer and avoided work. She was right, the storm passed like clockwork.

Phew

Crisis Averted! I didn't see any ghosts on Wednesday or Thursday. Tonight is another night of lights out and I'm ready!! If i do see one, ill be sure to say "what's up" (my big brother knows best).

GHOSTS

The lights are about to go off in the whole building. I am scared. I have to be alone in the pitch black for about 5 hours.

Pray for me.

Ciao Sao Paulo, Ola Cambuquira

I have left Sao Paulo and all its ramblings; big buildings; bars open till morning; taxi cabs and restaurants.

I am now in Cambuquira, the cursed town, in the countryside of Minas.

The internet here is just one plug into the wall, and can't seem to upload any pics. SO! ill have to upload some pics of this town when i leave in a week.

Its really beautiful, and they have 7 natural springs that are known around the world for their healing properties. Each spring has a different mineral content. There are: Sulphur, Magnesium, Lithium, Iron, and Two natural sparkling springs.

Its across the street from the newly renovated, gorgeous, HAUNTED, spa-hotel we are staying in. Oh fun! So all i am doing this week is drinking amazing spring water, and swimming in their olympic sized pool and actually sleeping cause there's nothing to do at night.

I expect to see a ghost here because honestly the third floor is really creepy and i have to go up there all the time by myself.

:)

-Erin

Thank you, Avi

Thanks for sending along a boy who is really great to look at. Next time, please make sure they don't bring clothes.

Love, Erin

PUB 1

For Nasty Rasty and KB

Sao Paulo

Dear Meat, Im sorry, but im going to have to eat you...

kristin, im sorry. Brazillians love meat, and i love eating. and i have no language skills to keep the vegetarianism going. Se la vi.
This is an egg sandwhich i bought. EGG SANDWHICH. But SURPRISE! Hamburger meat.
its ok, cause its damn delicious

Pissed

Last night i got drunk. I got really drunk. Or, as Simone (my Brazillian friend who speaks with an English accent) i got pissed. We went to an irish put "O'Malley's" -- it was just like home. Just a group of rowdy, drunk, loud, rude americans. We had to take three cabs for everyone to get there--unfortunately one of the cabs didn't make it to the bar. Simone started getting worried and made phone calls because, she said to me calmly "i just want to make sure they were not kidnapped... because that happens here." haha!


We left the bar and it was light outside.

Ok here;s some pics--
there were three cabs on the street next to the hotel, lights on, but no drivers.


and then the drivers came and we all celebrated! On the way the cabbies were honking and playing with each other. Thanks sao paulo, for not having any road laws at all, it was fun.

Then the rest of the night blurred together... uhh...

MOTO Boys!!!!

Moto-boys are everywhere. Like bike messengers on motocycles, only totally crazy. They are "unionized" but basically its one big motorcycle gang. The city would be at a stand-still without these guys, because traffic is constant and pretty terrible. The motoboys weave in and out of cars (there are no lanes on the roads) and just go for it.
Three of them die in the city every day. We saw one of them get killed outside while we were shooting--he got hit by a car and flew off his bike into traffic--and then another car ran over his stomach. AH!! I took some footage of them while we were in traffic, you can get an idea of how many there are around here. Moments later we passed a motoboy who had just gotten hit. All the other motoboys swarmed around him...

They are NUTS. if you mess with one of them, they all surround your car and mess YOUR shit up!
The brazillians hate moto-boys. They were happy when we saw one of them down. Yikes! If they cops catch them doing anything illegal they take them in and beat the crap out of them (some cops are on dirt bikes too).

I totally want to get down with a greasy moto-boy.

Helping Homeless Children

I visited a Non-Profit Organization the other day. I didn’t know when I got there. Its a place where homeless woman come to work and learn a trade—sewing. The upstairs is little classrooms and playrooms. The children of the homeless come here from 6am to 11pm everyday. They are fed and clothed and go to school. After 11pm, they return to the streets with their mothers.

They used to have 150 children here, but now there is only enough money for 30 kids. These are babies, most of them under 7 years old.

I am told the class difference in Brazil is huge. The rich people here are better off than rich people in the US… but the poor people are absolutely destitute. I have seen many kids sleeping in the streets around the city. Poor little things.

The woman who started this organization, Maria, used to be homeless. She slept on the property for a long time, and eventually she got the government to allow her to be the caretaker. She then built this building and set up this organization in order to help other homeless people.

At one point, a high school came to take a tour of the place and they assembled in a small classroom. Then Maria brought in all the little children to sit with them. She then spoke about the center. Mostly she spoke about the plague of social prejudice. You need money to live, to be a citizen, to be educated, and we should all feel priveledged to be alive.

They exist completely by donation. If you are interested, check this out, or contact me for info.

The Little Market

I stepped out of my hotel today and lining the street was a long row of food vendors: FARMER'S MARKET?!!? Everyone was screaming Biongia! there was everything we have here in the states--just by different names. and also a lot of stuff that i didnt recognize. They must have good weather for fruit all year round because i saw the most plump and beautiful figs, and crazy pineapples, a whole table of beautiful bananas.

I could not partake however, because i was spending the day puking and oh boy was it great! I feel better now--well enough for a beer and a cheesey sandwhich that costs 17 dollars because i found out Brazil is expensive. Its really expensive. Its hard to pay attention when im spending Real (the local currency) because i keep thinking "oh $50 real is like... 10 bucks right?" yeah, no.

Another exciting tidbit: here people use the "H" sound for words that start with R. for example, Rio is pronounced "Hee-oh" and Real is "Hey-all" its funny hearing all the americans quietly mumble different versions of the same word cause Portugese is not that familiar sounding. i feel like i am picking a lot up--maybe cause i ask our guides how to say everything.



Sorry: Descampo
Beer: Cerveche
Receipt: Receebo
Rua: Street
Americans: Gringos

que?

I learned a new word: abrigado: it means thank you in Portugese.... does anyone out there know how to say marijuana? I know: quato costa por, which means "how much for..." but that's where it ends.

So my first night here: drinking. in fact i am drunk right now. here are some pictures... ill write again when i see a ghost.

Hola Sao Paulo

Im in BRAZIL!!!! The airport was as it usuaslly is, and the experience was run-of-the-mill: spending way too much time trying to get comfortable on a tiny little seat over the course of 14 hours... se la vi.

Ghost Riding that Bitch

I used to work for a show about supped-up-tricked-out-bad-ass-automobiles. For a second there was a trend called "Ghost Riding" in which the driver walks along side the car whilst the car drives itself.

Startin' Fresh!

Its my first day at the new job! HURRAY!! WOOHOO!! AWESOMETOOOOOWN!

it wasn't long before the ghosts started hasseling me, though. I guess i gotta get used to it. How does one fight off a ghost anyhow? Here are some ideas

--Grandma Sofia says wear a piece of clothing inside out
--Silver Bullets (like for warewolves)
--Flail your arms in the air and yell (aaaooooooeee): my personal favorite
--Clem says: Sage (shes really smart, and loves hugging trees sometimes too)
--Chenoah thinks HOLY WATER will do the trick, much like the Exorcist i think
--Carlos: just ignore it.. to me that means squeezing my eyes closed, chanting to myself, "i dont believe in ghosts!" and silently peeing myself.
--Rasty: If you believe you are being followed by a ghost, jump in a stream, river, or creek or just cross over it. A ghost cannot cross over moving water.

Here's some helpful hints from a site Nasty Rasty found. Thanks, internet.

Deep Valley Under Water

Kristy and I played our last-hurrah!, or final performance!, well the last show before i leave for the big trip. We always have a really great time. A couple of friends were there, and people were getting drunk- which is always nice. The show was for Pookie-Palooza, and thanks Jason for getting us a little set. It was a really lovely time.
Now that i think about it, when i get back, Kristy Town is going to be leaving on a fantastic journey of her own around the wide continent of North America. So this may be our last show for real. We'll have to create music via snail mail like Postal Service, only with more ukulele and vintage casio keyboards.