Ditta's Brazilian Journey

Back to my blog life

ditta — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 18:32:05 +0000

Dear All,

decided that my pause in sharing things from the Brazilian continent has been too long.

This means that my blog continues and hopefully will live long. As you can see I changed a little bit the profile and I still intend to change the focus. You will have a chance to know more on young people, youth policy, culture and politics of Brazil.

Enjoy! and Until soon!

Ditta

Happy 2007 – again from Brazil!

ditta — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 13:53:39 +0000

Dear All,

just a small note to you all that came back to this wonderful country of contrasts, this time following my heart, and joined Alessandro here in Rio, where will be spending the New Year in white at Copacabana with his family and friends!

Came a few days ago, and now trying to adapt to the summer time and caqtch up with sleep

we are staying in a lovely appartment in Barra witha great view on the beach – pictures will follow soon..

too tired to write extensively now, but will be back with more impressions soon.

best wishes for 2007 to all of you!

will be in touch

Ditta

de volta na Europa..

ditta — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 20:36:43 +0000

Queridos amigos,

Eu sei que ja passo um bom tempo antes de escrever algo mais e continuar nas minhas historias aqui da Europa.

Nao e muito facil de escrever em portugues, entao desculpa por todas as minhas faltas da lingua.. Mais bom, querro praticar pelo menos

Entao estou aqui na Holanda, em Amsterdao, aonde trabalho de novo por a fundacao 'The Network University' (www.netuni.nl) que algums de voceis ja conhecem atraves o meu trabalho. Depois a minha volta foi desenvolvindo alguns projetos aqui na Europa (sobre educacao global), mais tambem no Brasil – com a Universidade da Juventude sobre politicas publicas de juventude.

Mais na verdade depois a minha volta, tentei de me adaptar de novo da minha vida aqui o que nao foi, e ainda nao e, facil. Acho que quero voltar no Brasil, para descubrir e conhecer mais. Por isso com todo o material que eu coleccionei durante o meu viagem, estou desenvolvindo uma proposta de pesquisa e querria utilisar o Brasil como caso de estudio. Depois o meu viagem pensei muito sobre preguntas do desenvolvimento, transformacao social, educacao e juventude e finalmente chegei na minha pregunta primordial: O que e realmente a 'inovacao' em relacao na transformacao social.

Os projetos que visitei, as fundacoes que recebi um apoio financeiro da Europa e/ou de Estados Unidos, a maioria d'eles dizem que estao inovadores. Mais o que e realmente uma pratica inovadora? Pode ser tambem uma que ja existe num lugar mais nao e conhecida num outro lugar? e O que e realmente inovador, traz na verdade uma transformacao nas vidas de outras pessoas?

Perguntas assim querria muito de estudiar e buscar respostas nelas.. E espero tambem de poder coleccionar boas praticas na area da transformacao social e partilhar essas com o mundo occidental, e partilhar inovacoes e deixar o meu mundo aqui aprender mais tambem..

… depois a minha volta tive tambem outras coisas a fazer do que trabalhar e pensar como continuar a minha viagem do conhecimneto do Brasil.. Por exemplo tive uma festa da volta junto com o meu aniversario:

- a festa foi no barco-casa tipicamente holandes aonde morra uma amiga minha..

- com a minha irma em vestido tradicioal do Ceara e a caipirinha

- com amigos do Brasil, Espanha e Argentina

..mais tambem consegui de voltar 'na minha terra' – como os brasileiros gostam de dizer – na Bratislava, Eslovaquia.

- a vista de Bratislava

- com a minha familia e amigos

.. e receber visita do Brasil

mais na proxima vez!

ate breve, Ditta

back to Amsterdam!

ditta — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 12:59:07 +0000

and I am back.

5 degrees Amsterdam with a cold sun smiling at me from the other side of the Earth.

already missing Brasil – and hope to be back there soon..

but for now am here, and am full of stories to share and new ideas to develop, so all of you who are around, lets meet soon!

..para os brasileiros – acho que vou continuar esse blog para compratilhar algumas coisas da minha vida aqui em Europa.. Entao estamos em contato! e ate cedo!

Ditta

PS: will be still completing the blog with missing pictures and some additonal stories I had no time to write – so if interested check it out for more on my trip.. ciao for now

leaving Rio for Sao Paulo

ditta — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 18:56:09 +0000

not easy to believe that my trip is coming to the end.. this morning left Rio filled with mixed emotions of sadness, regret that could not stay longer – even played with the idea of missing the plane, but with a strange certaintly that ´will be back soon´.

sao paulo welcomed me with a safe place to think, reflect and prepare for the coming back to Europe. staying at lis´s place, walking in the European like Vila Madalena getting in contact with friends to say good bye and get some last minutes presents and literature.

Leaving tomorrow evening,so still a full day ahead of me to prepare for the post-winter.

so until soon, with more,dd

Sambodromo in RJ

ditta — Sun, 05 Mar 2006 18:54:17 +0000

last night was really an experience! six winning sambaschools entered the sambodromo and each in about 1h20 presented the best thematic show I have ever experienced!

in spite of the same rules of the ´desfile´ each school was distinguisheably different and had a unique character. started at about 8 PM and finished about 4 – 5 AM – so you can imagine how I look and feel now after sleeping a few hours..

just to give you a taste – a few pictures:

– and two more schools to go…
now my last two days in RJ and back to SP to get the flight back to Europe..

- Aless and his grand-ma and Louro – at Copacabana, who kindly offered me hospitality
– last moment at Ipanema
so my todays plan is Ipanema, Sugar mountain and relaxation with some thoughts about the future… also need to finish one project description I started to develop with the University of Youth and TNU..

so that is it for now and more soon, kisses dd

from Buzios

ditta — Sat, 04 Mar 2006 16:25:20 +0000

Dear All

am well at a beautiful beach resort, in a few hours coming back to Rio for the desfile fo the winning samba schools! so very much looking forwards!

am fine, relaxed and relaxing.. coming back very soon on the 10th march. will try to write more before leaving..

kisses dd

PS: at least some pictures from the time in Rio de Janeiro and Buzios:

RJ – samba block on Ipanema

– stuck in a crowd
RJ – Beaches of Joatinga, Prainha, Grumari

– beaches of RJ

– Joatinga

Beach of Grumari – with Aless and Dande

– sunset Grumari

and the beaches of Buzios:

Aless and his family..

..leaving Recife

ditta — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 01:35:02 +0000

..waiting for the plane in the mid carnaval that will displace me from Recife/Olinda to Rio de Janeiro.

the past few days was discovering amazing beaches of the states of Rio Grande do Norte and Paraiba – which I liked the most.. Driving around in a relaxed atmosphere, wonderful weather, great food – really to be recommended to everyone!

Here are at least some pictures from the trip:

Canoa Quebrada – meaning a ‘broken canoe’ – an amazing beach resort with dunes (state of Ceara)

– me playing in the dunes

Natal – the capital of Rio Grande do Norte – a city of amazing beaches, dunes and very active youth work:

- main city beach and the place where we stayed

- view from the window

- view from the hill and trip to the dunes – with a ferry over the river, where we then rented a ‘buger’ – this kind of fancy car you can see on the picture to be able to drive in the dunes..

- view of Natal from the Dunes and one of the many beautiful islands in the sea

- lagoa (with crocodiles!) in the middle of the dunes and the view on the sea

– visit of the Hip Hop movement in the periphery of Natal

Golpinho beach – ‘beach of the dolphins’ – unfortunately did not see any

and finally Paraiba:

- walking and relaxing at the beach

Alessandro – my travel companion; and a advertisment for a television sale and repair
…arrival to Recife was a little unprepared, as failed to contact people and arrange accommodation in advance, but everything ended up cool, and finally experienced the opening of the carnaval in Recife and Olinda.. feel a little sorry to leave tonight, as at midnight, there will be a great concert with the best artists staring.. but well, hopefully arrival to RJ will be smooth in spite of the late hour of arrival and tomorrow with a full RJ carnaval experience..

will write more soon, love, dd

from Natal..

ditta — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 17:03:02 +0000

apologies for disappearing, the truth is that was too lazy to sit in front of the screen, in the flow of happenings here..

now again dont have much time,but at least some pictures with coments..

in principle am travelling now with Alessandro on the North-East coast from Fortaleza through Canoa Quebrada, Natal, etc … all the way to Recife/Olinda, where from I will continue to Rio.

Everything is cool, am seeing amazing beaches, meeting interesting people and projects and enjoying myself.

Hope will be able to write more soon, though could be only after Carnaval which here started already on Monday

here are some pictures from Fortaleza..

– Fortaleza city centre

– cultural centre Dragao do Mar

– Fortaleza City Beach Beira Mar

– Fortaleza Market, cathedral and school book market

– oldest baobab tree in the city imported originally from Africa

– historical cemetery where discovered also Jewish tombs!!!

University of Youth, Sesc Caucaia

– after a nap on the beach with Du..

– youth policy training for the municipality of Fortaleza

Dunes next to Fortaleza – Cambuco

Serrinha – favela in the periphery of Fortaleza

where my guides from the Hip Hop movements explained to me the social transformation of the previously drug led periphery..

more soon, love dd

Fortaleza and the Universidade da Juventude

ditta — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 21:35:43 +0000

just a quick hi, as no real internet connection here and am using the reception to send a report to my dear TNU with a few days delay..

..arrived here on Wednesday (after my trip to Sao Paulo, about which I would like to write more, but I guess some other time), and after a warm welcome from the side of the organisers as well as the weather, I got to a Sesc recreation centre about 20 km from Fortaleza, where the University on Youth (http://www.universidadedajuventude.org.br/site/inicial/index.php) is taking place with 40 municipality workers as participants.. really amazing. Yesterday also managed to deliver a presentation of European Youth Policy – principles and mechanisms in portuguese (talking for 2 hours with people patiently listening was a real success!!)

Now staying here for a little longer to enjoy the close beach and talk to the participants and people from the organisation here from Ceara.

will be back with more soon, but for now just good wishes for the weekend and a nice shabbat!

Dd