Brazil will host the 2014 Soccer World Cup, by default! No suspense, the country was the only candidate, so FIFA gave in. The Brazilians' reaction was very un-brazilianly reserved, and for good reasons. The country will have seven years to build from scratch the huge infrastructure needed to welcome, transport and host the fans. Knowing the Brazilian art of conducting projects with fraudulent run-over budgets, the tax-payers already feel the pain! Apparently, for the recent Pan American games in Rio, contracts' run-over budgets were by as much as ten times! Brazil's governors lost no time in bickering among themselves for the booty. The gravy train has already left the station.
Rio is still a very Francophile city. The sequel of the French James Bond caricature film, "Agent OSS 117" will be partly shot in Rio. The Copacabana Palace will see some of the action. To save cost, many actors will be locally recruited. Of course, they will have to speak fluent French and sans accent.
In case the director needs a ferocious dog, there is a Pit bull looking for employment not far from the Copa. The dog is homeless and is squatting the beach public toilet. Giving the dog a job will be a social good deed. Needless to say that Rio's countless favelas, or hillside shantytowns can also supply weapons as well as bone-fide trigger-happy criminals.
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Being well known drug dealers sanctuaries, the favelas are violent places. They offer first-class backdrops for face-offs between the nothing-to-lose criminals and the take-no-prisoners police. The favela shacks nonetheless enjoy fabulous views over Rio's magnificent coastline. |
Recently one-bedroom shack was for sale for an unusually high price by favela standards because it was not in the path of stray bullets.
Actually flying bullets are not only the privilege of the favelas. People can be shot anywhere in Brazilian cities, even in the poshest neighborhoods. As a result Brazil has developed a world renowned armored vehicle technology. Export to the Middle East and Russia are thriving. Recently an armored vehicle dealer was advertising its wares in a shopping centre two blocks away from my house. A bullet ridden car was displayed in the middle of the mall. In case you forget that the Marvelous City is also a violent one.
So far no one has taken aim at the colorful fibre glass cows which are displayed in the streets of Rio. My favorite one is attached. It embodies the hedonistic pursuit of the Carioca women. A recent well-documented social survey points out the obsessive grooming and pampering of the Cariocas. |
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The study reveals that women increasingly invest in their bodies as an end in itself, for self-satisfaction and self-confidence and no longer to attract the attention of men. Botox is, in and sex is out.
Beatrice, November 4th.
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