A small update from Rio De Janeiro the Marvellous city. I have not been here in 5 years and it is with great pleasure i am coming back. I went here with a lot of expectations on how much it have changed and if everything truly is so bad and chaotic as we now here from time to time in the news in the west. Last time i was here, i remember seeing a live televison broadcast showing a police helicopter circling around over Rio De Janeiro, it had been hit by a smaller missile launched from one of the favelas, and was now searching for place to crash without doing the most damage. It crashed and 4 police officers tragically died. That month there was reported 35 murders on police officers in Rio De Janeiro. 5 years ago that event was not published outside of Brasil. Nobody heard about really.
Now 5 years later i come here and as then and now people tell me it so dangerous and more violent than EVER here, i hear the same phrases as then: dont take the bus, dont go there, dont go out at night, dont do that dont do this you will get killed. And yes it can be dangerous here. Maybe especially because there are so much fear. Only one month to the olympics and every body especially the news are talking constantly about how dangerous it is and will be, going here.
Now I am here, and it feels pretty much the same. except the Brasilian people are talking about a worse quality of life, all prices are going up on everything the salaries are going down. The state of Rio is bankrupt and have no Money to pay the police or firefighters.
Chaos and fear! What will happen after the olympics? No one knows.
When walking around taking the bus, painting. I feel a relaxing vibe around the city, like a breeze of calm have set in over Rio De Janeiro. Everything seems relaxed in a way. Like a waiting position. But still I feel that everything is pretty much the same, here as it was 5 years ago. Maybe i am wrong.One thing is for sure i feel as safe/unsafe here as usual, the life continues people are still getting robbed, people are still going to the beach people are still getting killed, the bus drivers still drives like madmen. And people are still talking about how bad everything is. I dont know what to make of it. I am still enjoying the freedom to paint where ever you want to. And the positive vibe you meet everywhere.
I am looking forward to follow the development.
