chicago, i missed you so

It's weird and amazing how some things in me only come out when I'm here. It's been a little over 24 hours and it's already been amazing. I hadn't felt like this in almost 3 years. One half my world is more comfortable, more rational, and it completely makes me a better person. The other half is here – a mess, a roller coaster and absolutely intense. I feel like I belong here, but I miss home SO BAD already. It's never been this good, here and there.

Catarina e o amor

Esta é uma história real. Catarina é filha de uma amiga nossa e tinha 4 ou 5 anos quando se apaixonou pela primeira vez. O escolhido foi um coleguinha do clube, e ela passou a querer se vestir melhor para as aulas de natação, desfilando todo o seu charme quando o garotinho, três anos mais velho, estava por perto. Um dia, Catarina quis levar para seu eleito um presente, e escolheu aquilo que para ela era a prova inegável de amor: um Danoninho. Saiu sorridente, levando nas mãos a apetitosa declaração para o amado. O menino, ainda pouco ciente das sutilezas da sedução e pensando mais com o estômago do que com o coração, recusou o presente sem meias palavras: “Não quero”.
Desiludida e em prantos, Catarina voltou para perto da mãe com o veredicto sobre o ocorrido, que comunicou entre soluços:
– Mamãe, ele não sabe que quer o meu Danoninho!
A história de Catarina nos disse muito sobre o amor.
A mãe dela nos contou isso em uma mesa de bar, sorrindo e sentenciando pras amigas: “Coitada, tão nova e já tão iludida”.
Mas quantas vezes a gente não faz exatamente o mesmo que essa garotinha, preferindo acreditar que o outro não sabe ainda que quer o nosso Danoninho, o nosso telefonema, a nossa companhia, o nosso amor?
Ah, Catarina. Ah, Catarinas todas, essas almas apaixonadas transbordando de vontade de trocar. Às vezes correspondidas, às vezes não. Continuem tentando.
E um feliz Dia dos Namorados para quem encontrou quem queira receber o amor que você tem para dar.

das "Motherns" Juliana Sampaio e Laura Guimarães [roubado da Dri]

I'm happy.

Like I hadn't been in a long time.

It turns out that we get used to everything in this life, and that includes bad things; poor treatment; people who don't lift you up. I have the best group of friends one could ask for, and a person who came into my life and brought along what I can only describe as sunshine. A person who challenges me everyday to become the woman I know I can become and who I already see myself turning into. I'm throwing myself at the idea of being cared for, of being vulnerable sometimes. He's dared to push my buttons, he makes me mad, he touches on areas of my life I'm not at all comfortable with. He's making a mess and I'm completely grateful for it.

The lady on the picture is Sophia Loren. But it could totally be me.

nature as the ideal business environment

And now what we’re doing, 20 years later, through our eco-innovation center here at Tátil, is trying to get inspired again by the ecosystems, understanding how coral colonies and mangroves are sophisticated trading systems, where you see beings which have a symbiotic relationship, where they trade energy and matter in a completely sustainable way. We know it’s possible to be inspired by that environment, which is a business environment because it involves trading, to try and make it work in our reality. This direct comparison to coral colonies is interesting because they only occupy 1% of the planet’s surface, yet 50% of all the life there is in the oceans lives around these colonies. It’s very similar to our reality in the cities. Nowadays, in general, more than 50% of the world’s population lives in a region that amounts to something like 2% of the planet’s surface. So we can certainly have an insight from this complementary relationship between individuals, specially if we think that all natural ecosystems have full circles, with no loose ends. Nothing remains. While our ecosystems, if you consider a city, has all the ends loose, in a sense that all the energy we use, or 95% of it, comes from non-renewable sources.

- also from the brilliant video by Fred Gelli, a man who makes me proud to be in the field that I am.

consumers vs. commensals

O que é Branding 3.0 / What is Branding 3.0 from Tatil Design on Vimeo.

I really like the idea that we’ll no longer be consumers, which is very reductive, almost as if our main condition on the planet was that of consuming. It’s almost like we are termites here. We’ll have a more interesting condition, like “commensals”. We’ll enjoy what objects have to offer, but we won’t need to possess them because owning things creates a huge environmental impact.

Eu gosto muito da idéia de que nós vamos deixar de ser consumidores – que é essa coisa reducionista, quase como se a nossa condição principal no planeta fosse de “consumir”, quase como se fôssemos cupins aqui – por uma condição mais interessante quase de “desfrutadores”, onde a gente usufruiu do que os objetos têm para nos oferecer, mas nós não precisamos possuí-los. Isso faz uma diferença enorme porque possuir coisas gera um impacto ambiental enorme.

and here is a piece of my day on MSN

Abi might be coming to visit me in Brazil soon. Yay!

abi says: find me a cute guy. or just one of your throw always.
anabarroso: i will!
abi says: i want a tall one tho. is that easy to find?
anabarroso says: yeah, they come in all sizes. all ugly.
abi says: and no big noses. yuke.
anabarroso says: ok, anything else?
abi says: i like good big parts below, but you don't have to check that if you don't want to.
anabarroso says: i'd rather not. unless he's cute. then i'll check.
anabarroso says: i'll tell u this: the average brazilian penis is smaller than the average american penis. fact.
abi says: oh no! damn!
abi says: so i'll need to go with afro-brazilian then?
anabarroso says: yup
anabarroso says: and they are not circumcised, which is gross.
abi says: that is gross
anabarroso says: just being honest.
anabarroso says: I'm putting this conversation on my blog.
abi says: oh no!
anabarroso says: the world needs to see this.

lya

(sorry, portuguese this time)

É o fim do mundo
Lya Luft

Fui uma das primeiras meninas a usar calças jeans na minha pequena cidade. Uma de minhas avós, luterana fervorosa, embora fosse uma mulher culta, exclamou: "Isso é o fim do mundo!". Nem o mundo acabou nem deixaram de acontecer coisas bem mais esquisitas, a me recordar aquele episódio, que na hora achei muito engraçado.

Lembro-me dessa expressão com certa frequência. Por exemplo, quando uma criança de 6 anos serviu de atração num programa de TV, eventualmente chorando de medo, nervosismo ou cansaço. Ninguém interveio logo. Se levassem a um programa desses, semana após semana, um filhote de cachorro para fazer gracinhas, as sociedades protetoras dos animais já estariam reclamando. (Quem cuida dos humanos?) Finalmente, uma promotora impediu a criança de exercer esse "trabalho". Parabéns – e que não haja recurso.

Lembro-me de minha avó espantada quando assisto ao sofrimento de mulheres magras, muito magras, constantemente lutando para perder mais uns gramas, olhos ávidos da eterna dieta, sorriso forçado de automutiladoras. Para alegria de quem sempre foi fora do esquadro, leio (eu já sabia) que alguns já arriscam dizer que se pode ser saudável e feliz com algum sobrepeso. Não precisamos nos odiar, mas ser naturais, ser quem nos fez a mãe natureza. Porém, a nova onda é a gente se torturar, por falta ou excesso: a bunda pequena, o nariz grande, a barriga balofa, os peitos caídos, os bíceps insuficientes (o ralo QI não preocupa tanto). Aí nos matamos de fome, ou ostentamos um novo nariz estranho à estrutura do rosto em que foi metido, damos uma lipinho de presente de 14 anos a nossa filha. Nós mal conseguimos falar, com uma boca ginecológica, nada sensual. Um terço do nosso dia transcorremos suando e sofrendo muito além do recomendado em academias: não para ser saudáveis, mas para estar em forma, enquanto a alma passa uma fome danada e o tempo passa, a vida encolhe, nós nos desperdiçamos perseguindo modelos impossíveis e burros.

Minha avó acharia que o mundo está por acabar diante da confusão entre pessoa pública e propriedade do público: agora o normal é querer que o outro baixe até as calças da alma e mostre as feridas. Algumas chamadas celebridades parecem forçadas a anunciar o que fazem na cama, e com quem. Elas nem são "vistas" na rua, são "flagradas": o seu mero existir já é suspeito.

O mundo vai acabar, diria minha severa avó luterana, vendo que a política se troca por politicagem, o jogo de interesses infinitamente acima do bem do povo, a calúnia como ferramenta geral. Gente atirada como bicho (bicho, não, aí viria a defesa dos animais!) em pseudo-hospitais é fato menos comentado do que mosquitos, que podem trazer febre amarela (por isso pessoas assustadas e ignorantes matam saudáveis bugios no interior). Meu amigo atropelou um simpático tatu e quase pegou cadeia; se matasse uma pessoa, sendo réu primário aguardaria em liberdade. Viva o tatu. Abaixo as pessoas. Também se comenta que moradores de rua e pseudocolonos vão ganhar Bolsa Família. Quem ainda vai querer pegar na enxada ou lavar o chão de uma casinha?

O mais novo anúncio do fim do mundo pode ser a recomendação de fazermos xixi no banho. É questão ambiental? Enquanto for só xixi que nos recomendam, estamos salvos. Sou a favor de um ambientalismo sensato, que harmonize o convívio entre natureza e humanos, não dê mais atenção a baleias do que a crianças e aceite o progresso, fomente a educação e a higiene. A gente passa anos ensinando aos filhos: não façam xixi no banho nem na piscina. Xixi no chuveiro (e na banheira também?), sinto muito: aqui em casa, não.

Nesse cenário de absurdos, às vezes falta o botão para trocar de canal. Mas, se a menininha da televisão puder voltar a ser criança, os bugios da minha mata forem deixados em paz, os gordinhos não se sentirem os últimos da face da Terra, a gente não for multada por fazer xixi no vaso, quem sabe o fim do mundo ainda demore um pouco para chegar.

sorry

Dear readers,

So sorry I've been neglecting this blog. Honestly, I'm pretty bored with this whole web 2.0 deal, tired of hearing about twitter, facebook, blogs and all that crap. It suddenly feels very stupid and meaningless to me. I'm trying to discover a new way to relate to the web that feels a little less voyeristic and more refreshing than before. It's been working so far, and I finally feel a tiny urge to write here again.

Things are GOOD in almost every aspect of life.

Last weekend I was in Curitiba for the second time this month. I absolutely love that city, it's one of the cleanest and most organized places you'll ever see. The people are ridiculously beautiful, polite and well dressed. I have the best reception every time I'm there and have made a few good friends. I spent a couple of days in town and went to this beautiful, green campus were I've been attending some classes. Look at that big lake! Unfortunately they have that big geese issue there as well, and, as some of you may know, I'm terrified of geese, so no need to say I didn't go anywhere near the water. Thank God for the zoom in my camera.

baby boy is now a man

And then one day, he suddenly grew up and made us all proud. My brother is graduating.



I remember a few years ago when I was still living in Indianapolis there was a Tide commercial going on that had this really pretty song and I used to think about my brother every time I heard it. Hopefully he'll find his way here, listen to it and cry.



(And congrats to this girl here, too. Not too shabby!)

sometimes people ask me why i came back to brazil

Those photos are from our Christmas, and the images they're holding were my present to all of them. [more here]

IPCO, the creamy snuff: "alive with pleasure"

My friend just came back from a month vacation in India and, unlike any other normal/boring person who would buy tons of fabrics, jewelry, art, etc, he came back with giant baloons and precious little novelties - which we are loving to try out. Our favorite one so far: IPCO creamy snuff. It's a mix of toothpaste, tobacco, and some misterious substance that will give you a buzz and make you feel "alive with pleasure". You're supposed to rub it on your gums for 3 - 4 minutes, rinse it off and spit. Here's how it went:

PS: Since @Alelex88 brought it up: i'm not crazy to put that nasty shit in my mouth. 20mg of Lexapro daily and a few beers here and there give me all the "alive with pleasure" I need.

i have sold my soul to LG

I kid, I kid...

Let me tell you the story.

So I've decided to try something different. A few weeks ago, I got an email from a person at an advertising agency who works for LG inviting me to be part of a project they're developing to launch a new cell phone. I found that very odd considering the fact that I'm no Dooce or no web 2.0 celebrity, so I emailed them back and asked them a series of question: "why me??, where the hell did you find me??, do you KNOW what you're getting yourself into by inviting me??, have you REALLY read my blog??, if I don't like the cell phone can I talk about it??, WHY ME???."

So after kindly replying to my very skeptical email, they made it very clear that this was not just a dumb advertising trick, it's more of a a qualitative product research that uses platforms of the web 2.0 to showcase the interaction of the user with the device. To do that, I'll be uploading to my youtube account 10 quick videos per week for the next 4 weeks. The idea is to capture people's reactions to the interface, design, and features of the cell phone (which is a cute, cheaper version of an iPhone).

Now let's get to the FAQ:

1. Will you be getting paid for this?
I firmly believe this is none of your business. None of you, kind readers, pay my bills. However, I do understand your concern with the credibility of this blog. So the answer is: NOOOO. I will not be getting paid. But if you consider a free cell phone at the end of the project a payment, then YES, I will be getting paid.

2. Are you going to be kissing LG's ass for the next 4 weeks?
No, I will not. The main reason why I chose to be part of this project is the fact that I get to say what I think. Those who really know me know that I would never compromise my ability to criticize in exchange for a cell phone.

3. Are you really that cheap that you would do that just to get a new cell phone?
Again, that would be none of your business. But just because it's Saturday and I got to sleep in, I will answer this one: I have a job, people. Fortunately, I have a decent amount of disposable income to waste on that kind of stuff. I just really want to see how this process works and it's something different to do. I don't sew, I don't knit, I don't collect stamps, I don't practice sports, nor do I have any hobbies. Allow me to try something new, will ya?

Ok, so that's about it. Apparently they'll have a hotsite for this project, so I'll be posting the link as soon as I know it. I'll also be uploading 30 sec. videos on my youtube account regularly, so feel free to check them out if you want to.

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Quick note to brazilian bloggers who might be dying to criticize me: EAT ME, DEAR.

this is the brazil i'm from

Chico Buarque and Caetano Veloso.

Carmen Miranda my ass.

not good at all

2009 didn't start well for me. Today was one of those days I want and need to forget quickly. I don't remember ever being so disappointed at someone as I was today. I don't think I ever felt this kind of pain, the kind that almost hurts you physically.

But things like that usually come with a lesson, and I realized today that time has made me a lot stronger than I had given myself credit for. I realized that no matter if I'm the kind of person you like to have around or not, one thing no one can EVER judge is my character. Because it's not flexible, it's not shaped by whom I might be involved with, or what odd situation I might find myself in. In my universe, some things are clearly right or wrong, they are simply black or white. It's not an easy approach to life - believe me - but it's the only one I know. It's not always what gets you the guy, or the job, or the popularity others with a more flexible concept of decency might enjoy, but it's the only one I believe in. The only one that lets me sleep at night.

It baffles me how some people can be so self-righteous but still have so much character building to do. May maturity come to them at some point in life.

a draft from 10/29/07

"Moving back to Brazil has been a long, tiresome rollercoaster ride. I packed a whole apartment that I had of my own and moved back to my parents' home, where I still have (and always will have) a room and plenty of support. I gave up a stable routine, a small but comfortable apartment that had my personality all over it, a nice car, amazingly loyal friends, and a job that allowed me to pay my own bills, and went from having to having-not. From being fully on my own to not even needing a set of keys when I leave the house.

I know this is sounding bad, as if I'm complaining, but what I'm really trying to say here is that coming back home took me more courage than than the courage I needed when I left to be on my own. Coming back came with a heavy price.

I'm having a lot of time to think, the kind of time that I don't wish to have right now. I feel an almost compulsive need to work nonstop, to occupy myself with things that require from me an almost scientific knowledge of problem-solving. I want all those possibilities to just leave right now. I want them to pack their shit and leave me here with simple and definite options. Like where what I want to do. Where I want to live, and how I want to live. I want days filled with solutions handed to me on a silver tray. Surprise me with the best choice. Brainfreeze me. Make me numb. Let me listen to music and not remember people and places. Leave me nostalgia-free. Vacate me for about a week. Move me forward, push me if you have to."

I wasn't very happy. Some things still bother me, but I'm more comfortable on my own skin. Somehow things worked out on their own, like they always do. I have reconnected with friends, I have a car, a job that I love, a great relationship with my family, and an improved self-steem. But the fact that I came back still blows me away. And I'm starting to get a little more nostalgic. You know, when you start remembering all those great things that weren't really "that" great? This simulacrum is usually what gets me in trouble.

social technology

The project “Massa do Bem” (literally translated as “Good Dough”) is the first “social technology” developed and implemented by the 3M Institute of Social Innovation in Brazil. It was developed by a team at a local college, Faculdade Metrocamp, who created small “containers” made out of bread dough – the Emsopão – used to serve soup to homeless people. The edible container not only feeds those in need, by also eliminates environmental and hygiene problems caused by disposable material made out of foam, foil or plastic.

The 3M Institute believed in the idea and hired the Food Technology Institute of Campinas to enrich the dough used to make the bread. Their research improved the amount of carbohydrates, proteins, fibbers and other nutrients that should be part one’s daily intake in order to have a healthy diet.

The project lasted almost two years between research and implementation. The expression “Sustainable Technologies” can be considered new, and it encloses methodologies, techniques, tools or processes that are economically accessible. They must be easily reproduced, should minimize the negative effects to the environment and improve quality of life.

The methodologies of social transformation, developed with the help of local residents and applied to their daily routine, are simple solutions to social inclusion. The goal of 3M Institute is to discover and implement social innovations that promote social development of communities where 3M of Brazil is involved, encouraging the spread of knowledge through social networks of students, journalists and the company’s employees.

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O projeto "Massa do Bem", primeira tecnologia social descoberta e aplicada pelo Instituto 3M de Inovação Social, foi desenvolvido por uma equipe da Faculdade Metrocamp. O grupo desenvolveu pequenas cumbucas de massa de pão – o Emsopão – utilizadas para servir sopa aos moradores de rua. Além de alimentar, a massa elimina problemas ambientais e de higiene causados por embalagens descartáveis de isopor, alumínio ou plástico.

O Instituto 3M apostou nessa idéia e contratou o Instituto de Tecnologia de Alimentos de Campinas, para enriquecer a massa utilizada no pão. Os estudos aprimoraram a quantidade de carboidratos, proteínas, fibras e outros nutrientes que devem ser ingeridos diariamente para que haja uma alimentação completa.

O projeto rendeu quase dois anos de estudos entre desenvolvimento e implantação. A expressão “Tecnologias Sustentáveis” pode ser considerada nova e compreende metodologias, técnicas, equipamentos ou processos economicamente acessíveis. Devem possuir fácil reprodução e minimizar os impactos negativos no meio ambiente e na qualidade de vida das pessoas.

Essas metodologias de transformação social, desenvolvidas com a participação da população e aplicadas ao seu cotidiano, gera soluções simples para a inclusão social. O objetivo do Instituto 3M é descobrir e aplicar inovações sociais que promovam o desenvolvimento social das comunidades onde a 3M do Brasil atua, gerando conhecimento por meio da formação de redes de relacionamento entre estudantes, jornalistas e funcionários da empresa.

[via]

the brazilian, recyclable "moleskine"

Moleskines are hard to find and really expensive here in Brazil. What normally costs around 10 bucks in the US, is sold for roughly 3 times the price here. The options are not so wide either.

So, LV Design has created the Moleco, a brazilian version of the famous Moleskine - not only a whole lot cheaper than the original notebook, but also made of 100% recyclable material. The website is pretty cool, too.

Big ups to the initiative!

[via the lovely Ligia Fascioni]

II Bienal Brasileira de Design

I'll post more about this week soon. For now, here are the pictures of some beautiful architecture and a few amazing people.

in the heart of brazil

I'm in Brasília for a Design convention that's going on here:

This is my first time in the city and so far I'm not sure what to think besides that it's all very different. The streets don't have names: they whole city is divided into "sectors", "blocks", and "numbers". The city is shaped like an airplane, so people refer to "wings" to talk about locations. Weird and awesome, right? The avenues are wide, there are no sidewalks AT ALL. The architecture is UNBELIEVABLE. I've traveled a lot and I have yet to see something that compares to the visual impact that all the huge white monuments here have.

You can see some beautiful pictures here, here and here.

Now I'm going to bed. Tomorrow will be a long, long day. Pictures to come.

highschoolfriends

Everyday I spend here I'm given a new reason to believe that coming back was a good decision. I'm regaining so much of my past, I'm remembering things I hadn't thought about in almost a decade. Turns out I haven't changed that much in a lot of ways.

"I missed your laughter", she said. "You still laugh the same way you used to. A good laughter". The girl on the right has no idea how happy that made me, especially after 10 years without seeing her. She remembers a part of me that I had forgotten.

Sometimes I feel like one lucky girl.