International luncheon series begins

By Julie Trac
News Editor

MC’s first International Luncheon of the semester was held on Wednesday, Feb. 22, in the Whiteman-McMillan Highlander Room of the Stockdale Center.

Amy de Farias, assistant professor of history, presented “Rio de Janeiro: The Marvelous City.” After living and working in Brazil from 1992-2002, her talk highlighted the city’s “fascinating history and wonderfully diverse culture.”

Brazil is a fascinating nation with a population of more than 170 million. Six million people alone live in the bustling city of Rio de Janeiro, simply referred as Rio, meaning River of January in Portuguese. Rio is a culturally rich and diverse area in South America.

According to de Farias, New Scientist magazine named Rio the friendliest city in the world, since Rio inhabitants truly value friendship and socializing.

Rio is famous for its yearly Carnival celebration prior to Lent. The event can last anywhere between four days to one month.

“Carnival represents the spirit of the city,” de Farias stated.

The beach is a major part of the culture in Rio. It is the place to go, see and be seen.

De Farias mentioned that everything happens on the beach, from everyday business to swimming and tanning to the latest gossip.

One of the most famous beaches is the Copacabana Beach where the crowd swells, especially on the weekends.

On New Years’ Eve, over two million people gather on Rio’s beaches to ring in the New Year. It is tradition to wear white clothing and to have one’s feet in the water when the clock strikes midnight, to start the New Year properly.

De Farias named several popular tourist attractions during the hour presentation. One popular attraction is the Sugar Loaf cable car, a four hour aerial tour of Rio, which has been in operation since 1912.

A statue titled “Christ the Redeemer” is an ominous Rio feature. It is situated atop the Corcovado Mountain and can be seen from most areas surrounding Rio.

De Farias described one account of the statue saving a life.

An Irishman had just got off the boat and he was drinking heavily due to a dispute with his girlfriend. The man decided to end his life by jumping off a bridge; however, when the Irishman looked up into the sky, the statue was lit up, causing the man to think that Jesus had saved him. After that intervention, he vowed never to drink again.

The Lapa neighborhood in downtown Rio is a popular hang out where intellectuals and artists congregate. De Farias said the best samba music can be found there as well.

Finally, and most importantly, soccer or futebol is a way of life in Rio. Many of the best soccer players come from Rio’s ghetto.

De Farias mentioned that poor children who cannot afford soccer balls will fill an animal intestine so they can play the national game.

Brazil has won the World Cup five times and is looking for a sixth win this June.

De Farias made it clear that Brazilians are adamant soccer fans who will have heated arguments about which team will win and by how many points.

The Brazilians play at Maracana Stadium, which can seat more than 100,000 fanatic fans.

The next International Lunch-eon will be on Wednesday, March 1 in the Highlander Room.

It will feature a group of MC students who participated in the annual peace vigil at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation at Ft. Benning, Ga., last fall.

  Photo courtesy of wikipedia.com