A little while back I mentioned a walk along the beach at Ipanema – the volleyball and slacklining, the hotties and the notties lounging on the beach. But the thing that really got me that day was the people (or to be more specific, the women) wandering along the pavement (sidewalk) next to the beach.
It is important to wear the correct protective clothing when rollerblading…
The photo, taken in Botafogo, shows one of my favourite pieces of street art in Rio. Technically excellent, stylistically interesting and (hopefully) it makes you think.
I’m not great with art history and arty references, but this piece by How & Nosm reminded me of Picasso and Cubism in general (I just googled this to make sure I wasn’t being utterly ridiculous. Can now confirm there is definitely a resemblance!).
It’s a beautiful piece by identical twins Davide and Raoul Perre, better known as How & Nosm. They are known as the other identical twins in the graffiti world, in reference to Brazil’s very own Os Gêmeos (the twins).
Picture this: You have been doing a lot of long days at work – getting up early, coming home late (you rarely have time for a proper lunch). It is Monday night and you are still tired from the weekend when there were various late-night events, at which your attendance was non-negotiable.
When you got home from work tonight you managed to get a quick bite to eat and then head to bed – it is just before midnight and apart from the occasional dog bark, the night is quiet and peaceful. You close your eyes, so tired that you can feel your heavy body sinking deeper and deeper into the mattress as sleep takes you. Half-dreams flit in and out of your consciousness but you are too tired to take much notice. And then…
The ‘ideal’ body is a very subjective thing. Where one guy sees a complete hotty, someone else takes one look and says “she needs to eat a sandwich“. Some women like their guys a little on the tubby side (for these women I am thankful), others prefer the chiselled abdominizer model. And of course there are men and women who are into men and women respectively. Well whatever you’re into, you’ll see it on the beach in Rio. And they won’t leave much to the imagination!
Regardless of body-shape or age, Brazilian women prefer a very skimpy cut to their bikinis – both top and bottom. When the film Rio came out here, there was quite a big fuss that the derrière in the trailer was wearing a very conservative bikini:
Seriously, there were articles in the newspaper about this split-second shot and how it wasn’t an accurate representation of Carioca beachwear because it wasn’t revealing enough!
The transport system in London is not renowned for being spacious, airy or comfortable. Neither is it known for being efficient, punctual or good value for money. It’s not all bad – I wish Rio’s subway network was as extensive as London’s – but it’s a constant source of complaint and discussion for Londoners.
London buses can get a little crowded
One perennial discussion centres on giving up your seat. If you travel between 8-10 in the morning or 5-7 in the evening you will have to stand most days. So when you manage to grab yourself a seat it can feel pretty good! Then you see a frail old guy, or a mother holding a child and you hop up to offer your seat right? …Right?!
Well yes, I think most of us do and (let’s be honest) we give ourselves a little mental pat on the back for being ‘a good person’ when we do it. In fact I find that it rather brightens my day, feeling that I’ve done something amazing for a helpless stranger in distress (keeping this little scene in my head allows me to really go to town on transforming myself into an urban transport hero).