[Bridge of Clay]

no... it's much more complex than that... oh, man, I gotta wake up early and it's late, I'll post a bit and later I complete what it's missing, ok?

The Slums: the slums are "neighbourhoods" full of small houses, with a pretty poor finish (in most of the cases) when made of bricks. But there also are a lot of slums with houses made of boxes and stuff. Slums are result of poverty. And yes, most people that live in slums are afro-descendants, due slavery in Brazil that last too long, and immigrants from another states, specially northeast states that are really poor. The thing is poverty in Brazil is the purest result of our politicians incredible corrupcy. If 10% of them were honest for 10 years, we would manage to solve about 75% of the problems, according to recent studies. Northeasterns, for example, they're not bad, but they came down in search for a second chance and opportunity. Pretty much like it happens with Mexicans and US. The thing the demand is way bigger than the supply. And then they don't have money to go back. So they go to the slums. They don't have a job and violence is the way they find to survive. But I assure you, the big sharks are so not in the slums. We just had a huge scandal here involving politcians and court judges. that's just the tip of the iceberg.

You wouldn't believe in my city, if you came here. There's a river: on one side, you have those huge and beautiful corporation buildings, one better than the other, and on the other side, you have a slum. Drive for 5 minutes through the avenue river and you'll get to Morumbi, a fancy neighbourhood just like Beverly Hills: huge mansions and a lot of Ferraris. It's so paradoxal. Wealth isn't well distributed here,as you see.

As for "Cidade de Deus" (City of God), I'll be honest: I refused to watch it. Although I know I should, but I don't like the fact that the Brazilian movie industry only shows what we got worse: our movies are all about poverty, sex and carnival. Sorry, but that's not my country. We have so much better stuff to show. But instead of a movie industry of propaganda, it's 98% social critic. Most of movie makers were lefties when younger. Lefties in the Fidel Castro/URSS style. So they have this huge utopia and anger... I know I need to give the movie a try, and I intend to, but I know the people from the slum where the movie story is based got revolted with what it shows. That happens, of course. But it's not like that... it doesn't show the good or the bright side. And if I'm not wrong, the movie story happens in the 70's or 80's. Please, correct me if that's a mistake.

I've already been in slums. Me and my friends from church help a day care center at one of them. You wouldn't believe it. Although their houses' outside is ugly, they're really organized and they have a lot of eletrodomestics, for example. TV and a puter or video-games. New refrigerators, furniture. Although they live in slums, many pretty much have agood condition, specially coz they don't spend more than they earn.

And to answer your question: no, I'm not better socioeconomically. I'm middle-class, about average. My father is an architect. He was a manager of a big company but he quit to run his own business. Unfortunately, his associated was a son of a bitch that spreaded lies and stole my dad's clients.

My mom doesn't work, so my dad had to close the office and works all for himself, in a home office. He does some projects, not much as we would like to, but thank God we can live. The hardest thing is to get paid. There are 2 clients that my dad already delivered the project, but they are always postponing the payment, or paying just parts of the total. You don't know how hard it's on you to see your dad upset due that, after spending nights awake, busy with work.

I used to study at mornings on my college, but I had to change my schedule to night school (at the same college) so I could find an internship for me. I left the best friends I ever made and now I work from 8 to 5 and go to school from 6 to 11. Not to mention the time I spend in traffic jams. I don't have a car and my parents car are pretty old, early 90's, although both are in good conditions. So, no, I don't think I'm better than anybody. But I know foreign people don't know my country as it really is.

If you'd like to know more stuff, let me know. I'll be here.