visionarycreatrix

So much has happened since I first arrived on the last day of February. Classes at OPA, the Organization for Permaculture and Art, started later than planned, but are now at full swing. I have been volunteering here, co-teaching a photography class, documenting the theater class, and working on odd projects. OPA combines the arts and environmental education to kids from low-income communities. After a shaky first day, the classes are going really well and the kids seem to be really enjoying it. Life in the city has its ups and downs. Living in the historic district of Santo Antônio, right next to Pelourinho, is a mixed bag of beautiful buildings from the 17th century, cobblestone streets, expensive hotels, squatters from Movimento Sem Tetas (people without roofs, or houses), derelicts, street cats and dogs that ... read more

I am in Florida Paulista, a small town near where my mother and her family grew up. There are an aunt and some cousins still here. It's about a 10 hour bus ride from Sao Paolo, and a half hour from a city. I used to spend summer vacations here, hanging out with friends and family. The last time I was here was about 8 years ago. A lot has changed, my friends have moved to other places. I have enjoyed spending time with my aunt and hearing stories about our family. My grandparents were part of a big wave of japanese immigrants that moved here looking for work. Brazil was the last country in the world to abolish slavery in 1882. After that time, there was a great need of new workers, so a call ... read more