Virada Cultural

Time is going so so quickly here, this weekend I will already be half way through working at ACER. I absolutely love the work I am doing, so interesting and I am learning so much. This week I have been mainly working on presentations to give to companies that we hope to get funding from and also another fundraising proposal.

The volunteer house has been busier than usual as we are hosting three football coaches, who are running a course on using football for social impact. I took part in their training session on Monday which was good fun, In the evening there has been lots of cake baking - I made brownies from the office which disappeared in record time!

As usual I rushed into São Paulo after work on Friday and this time met Fellipe and his friend Pepe. We then drove back to his home on the outskirts of the city and had a delicious supper, before heading to 2 of my favourite clubs. As is to be expected when Fellipe is involved, we had a great night! The next morning I got up early and Fellipe's mother gave me a lift to the centre on the way to her Hungarian class! I was determined to do pack as much culture and general São Paulo appreciation into my day, even if I was feeling a little worse for wear.

I started by a much needed Starbucks before heading into Jardins for a bit of window shopping. I spent the day revisiting all my favourite places and just managed to make myself feel very nostalgic. From brilliant art exhibitions, to vintage shopping on Rua Augusta, to açai at my favourite ice cream shop, I was reminded of just how much São Paulo has offer.

However the main event to report back is the Virada Cultural that took place all over São Paulo last weekend. The Virada Cultural is 24 hrs of nonstop live music, hosted annually by the city government. Choosing which shows to go to was hard enough as there were 1500 in total - We spent Saturday night at the Monobloco show and then on Sunday went to Emicida and the closing show given by Caetano Veloso. They were all brilliant and the fact the shows were free meant there was such a mixed audience which was so great to see and is certainly not normally the case at paid concerts in São Paulo. I headed back to Eldorado exhausted but happy that I had another productive weekend!

After another busy working week, I am finishing off some last minute tasks, and then will pack a bag and head into SP once again. Tonight I am taking part in a friend's Masterchef competition so need to decide what to cook!

The Countdown Begins

The boredom of essay writing and revision is constantly causing my focus to drift to summer plans! Determined to make the most of my last long holiday for a while, I have packed lots in, returning just in time for work in September (my family are a little worried that I will be gone for good!). 

In exactly 7 weeks I will be at Heathrow about to board a very early plane to São Paulo, having finished my last exam the afternoon before, a slightly speedy turn around! 

There, I will be volunteering with an NGO for 6 weeks. ACER, Associação de Apoio A Criança Em Risco or The Children at Risk Foundation, was founded in 1993 to 'offer an alternative way of life to vulnerable children and young people living on the streets of São Paulo.' Here's a video of Lewis Hamilton and Jake Humphrey visiting ACER for Sports Relief.

I will be focusing on learning about the finances and marketing of a specific project that the charity runs called Family Guardian (http://www.familiaguardia.org.br/index-pt.html). It supports extended family members caring for children that have been taken away from their parents by the justice system, due to abandonment or negligence, so that they don't have to go into care.

ACER is situated in Eldorado, a favela in Diadema, one of greater São Paulo’s most violent suburbs according to Wikipedia! Although it is still classed as São Paulo, it is actually 2 hours from the centre which shows just how huge the city is. From living in one of the most middle class neighbourhoods, Vila Madalena, during my year abroad I will now be living in one of the poorest. I am so grateful for the opportunity to see this amazing city from a different perspective.

I'm also really looking forward to staying with friends in the city

centre at weekends and revisiting the incredible restaurants/nightlife/culture that São Paulo has to offer. Hopefully I will discover some new gems that I'll be sure to write about on here!

After São Paulo, I will be backpacking around Colombia for a month, a country that I have wanted to visit forever - suggestions for what to do and see are very welcome!

So, now I just have the small obstacle of 13 exams! Until then I will be dreaming of this place...

Selva de pedra, São Paulo

Hopefully see you on the other side!!