Rio and everything that's wrong
Hi! My name is Rachel, and I am currently at the Rio2016 Olympics! I am an American, for more generations than I even likely know about, but I am not a tourist in Brazil. I have been living here since November of last year, and while that doesn't make me an expert, it does make my perspective very different from those folks who just landed in the past few days or weeks. I also, as would normally be expected, have more social media contacts back in the states than I do in my new home, and this means that I often tend to get the US perspective through all that people say, comment, post, and share in addition to the reality I experience for myself here. So the following is my commentary on some specific things (or singular examples of a vast number of things) that I have seen since these Olympic Games have started from many different friends, media, and extended network contacts.
THIS ARTICLE or one of so very many like it, talking about how horrible everything is here for the games, and often saying that Brazil was never fit to be chosen for a host in the first place. Before I go through this article to state a few of the more finer points, let me first say unequivocally:
The Brazil that was selected as a host nation years ago IS NOT the same Brazil that is here today trying to actually do the hosting. From international market downturns to discoveries of vast corruption, to protests, impeachment, and now talk that it was all a coup, plus the fact that budgets have been expanded, quickly contracted, and now slashed in many areas all together, Brazil has clearly experienced a quick reversal or fortunes.
But Back to the article:
1. Brazil has a Zika problem so bad the incoming Olympic guests were given welcome gifts complete with bug spray, and athletes are "tragically" forced to sleep under mosquito nets.
First off, I've received welcome gifts with bug spray in Florida too. Mosquitos are annoying, whether or not they carry diseases. Second, do you realize how many people in the world would LOOOOVE to have a mosquito net?!?!?! They are a great way to protect against bug-born diseases without resorting to chemicals that can also do damage to humans, and the fact that athletes and the delegations can just go buy them, while others who have needed them every day of their lives for decades can't, says to me "spoiled" rather than "neglected". Also bear in mind, this disease has no treatment or cure right now. Why? Well I'm betting that since the majority of pharmaceutical companies with the capacity for developing such things look more at their market share potential and profits than for human need, the fact that Zika was, at the outset, not a first world problem is why no one really started working on it until it did reach the richer shores of wealthy nations. And as far as blaming Brazil for not having this contained, let me say that, without any treatment or cure, they can do no more than what they have done. There are posters, billboards, signs, classes, training, radio and television announcements, and every medical worker will tell people about it too. But this is the 5th most populous nation on earth, and while the regional climates vary, avoiding any standing water for years on end (mosquitos really only need a drop or 2 to breed) isn't logically possible, and unlike my region of south Florida (and nearly every other state with mosquitos) air conditioning is a luxury here, so just staying inside doesn't get you away from permanently open doors and windows. Even famous government buildings don't have this!
If you want to make a life-saving gift of a mosquito net, the Episcopal Relief and Development Gifts for Life has a great program that not only gives the nets, but provides education on how to use them most effectively, and also has a great reputation as an organization for 75 years of getting your money to go further and more directly to the recipients. Click HERE to learn and donate.
2. The water that some athletes are competing in is so polluted and infected that doctors recommend they don't submerge their heads.
So, this isn't like the pool water. This is the open water of the bay. And, yeah, third world countries with vast government corruption are, unsurprisingly, not the best at public works development. So this was going to be an uphill battle for Rio from the start, but when they were selected, it was a battle they did have a chance of winning. But then money issues, leadership corruption scandals, and general distrust and polarizing politics among the parties and politicians meant that the actual workers for many of Rio's projects have worked more than they've been paid for, and, quite logically, stopped doing work for no pay. As things fall behind schedule, and workers halt or drastically cut corners to "get done" is it any surprise that this problem hasn't magically fixed itself? I'm sorry our athletes are competing in conditions that could threaten their health, but for some Brazilians, this is the water they use to drink and bathe and clean with, so I'm more worried about the people whose issues won't be fixed by just keeping their heads out of the water for a couple weeks.
3. The rooms are small and furnished with things that are not new.
Yup. They are. And they are still WAYYYYY better than what a lot of Brazilians and, specifically, Cariocas (residents of Rio) are sleeping on each night. These rooms are bigger than some families' houses. They HAVE beds, which is a huge step up from the accommodations of the homeless that spectators and athletes walk directly past to get to events and tourist sites. I respect your right to be dissatisfied, but I feel complete disgust for anyone who posts such grievances and disparaging remarks publicly on social media, especially members of the media. You are spoiled, and now you are also rude for pointing a finger instead of offering help.
(This section also says that the US men's basketball team opted out of staying in the Olympic village entirely. From what I've heard, this isn't the first year they've done so. They are extra tall, super rich, and very famous internationally. They want to, and easily can afford, to have more private accommodations that suit their tastes. Please don't use this as a mark against Rio, as it has been done for many other events as well, because you just look ignorant when doing that.)
4. The lights and internet often go out unexpectedly.
My power usually goes out in my home in Brazil once or twice a month. I don't know why, and it could be for overload of the system demand, some kind of intentional shutdown, or just a rogue rodent who met its maker in a shocking end. Whatever it is, it's normal, it's temporary, and your facebook, snapchat, and PokemonGo are not so essential that you can't live without them. Maybe go meet some of the thousands of amazing international athletes that currently share your building? Maybe get some rest before your performance of your sport in front of the entire world? or play solitaire until your battery dies. I don't care. People had full lives before electricity and internet were invented, maybe it isn't mandatory to have 24/7 access to everything you want just because you want it.
5. Some bathrooms have backed up with some gross stuff.
In Brazil, and in many other countries, you DO NOT flush toilet paper, or any other such thing EVER! This is one of the first things in tour books, on airport signs, and general knowledge items you learn when considering a visit. The pipes are small, so a small bin is usually provided near the toilet to hold used papers, and is cleaned out daily so it doesn't get gross. I can't say for sure, but I'd guess that this is something related to the plumbing backing up (or, ya know, just having 10,000+ people all move in to a formerly unoccupied area at the same time).
6. Some rooms are unfinished, with construction materials, uninstalled fixtures, or wires sticking out of the walls.
As I've already stated, things in this process fell far behind schedule when the government stopped paying the workers, and the workers stopped doing work for free. There were obviously good intentions to supply amenities in these areas, but can you really blame people for not wanting to volunteer for slave labor? Also, it just isn't that hard to work around these things, and Brazilians do it all the time. Live wires coming out of the wall? Well, they might be for AC or a TV, but you are not required to touch them. Paint bucket in the living area? Well, you could start painting, or use it as step stool, or just move it into a corner and forget about it.
7. Food lines are long, breakfasts are not up to their standards in the only media cafeteria, and the provided kitchens are too tiny to cook in-house.
First, Brazilians are less strict about time, if you wait, you wait. Being in line for a while is also a chance to socialize, but in the end, it is what it is. Second, the photo in this article shows a fairly standard option for breakfast here. They don't do sausage and hash browns and eggs and pancakes. Culturally, breakfast is smaller here, with coffee, fruit, bread, and sometimes sliced cheese and ham. Just because you expected to get what you wanted, news media people, doesn't mean they slighted you by giving you what they know as breakfast. And, yeah, that photo of a kitchen is small. That's how it is. The sprawling houses of suburbia in the states are the global abnormality when it comes to kitchen size. I have seen kitchens in the US that are bigger than the entire house for my students' families of 5 or more people.
8. Some things are breaking from poor construction. The water wasn't turned on (or available). The showers are cold and often don't have curtains.
Remember: no one wants to work when they aren't getting paid for it, so they didn't. This is an issue of governmental leadership at multiple levels, not a personal slight to Olympic participants. And, yeah, hot showers are gonna be a bit difficult for a newly populated 10,000+ person development. Water heaters only are made so big. The alternative tends to be an electric shower like what I have at home and this one I use while visiting Rio:
However, these must be properly installed, as improper location or installation means your exposed wires from before are now featured on a device that pours water over your head. Given the choices, maybe a cold shower (and it's usually in the upper 80s and 90sF outside every day anyways) is preferable to some zappy bathing.
As far as the shower curtains thing, those aren't popular in Brazil as they easily hold water after every use and for quite a while. So...refer to point 1.
9. Structures appear to be constructed haphazardly. There is a lot of robbery. Cops and military are everywhere.
For this, I'm just going to leave the link to this video on facebook. It is well done, not too long, and explains how these are all connected, but not all necessarily bad.
Also, Rio for the Olympics has not "been turned into a war zone" as the first article states. It has been a war zone for years, but that was overlooked by people who weren't previously affected by it (aka the first world media, Olympic teams, and tourists).
10. They did manage to provide an average 42 condoms per athlete.
Say what you will, but I personally recall that during the last summer Olympics, it was frequently publicized (as oh so scandalous) that many athletes and visitors "hook up" while staying at the Olympic village. That's none of my business. But is this article, after putting Brazil down for NOT preparing enough, are they actually ending by putting them down for being prepared for this part of Olympic reality?!?!
Other than this type of article
I've also seen many people critique parts of the opening ceremony presentation. I watched it, as the only US citizen amid hundreds of Brazilians at a public park. They didn't love every second of it, but they did show their approval for most of the artistic choices made. The one critique I've seen most on social media about this is something along the lines of "Are we seriously watching Gisele Bündchen just walk for this whole song's worth of time?!?!?!"
Yes, you are. Know why? Because THAT IS HER JOB! I don't exactly know why luck of genetics and ability to walk counts as a career, especially not one with such a high price tag, but I do know that the comercial marketing system of the US is, in large part, what made her famous and why she has a job of just walking. Brazil didn't do that, the US did. I also refer you to the point above about the valuation of time. Yeah, she walked for quite a while, but the Brazilians around me, when they got bored of watching that, got up and danced with their spouse to the music, or started talking to their friends, or took a bathroom break, or went to buy a soda. If you viewed this and felt it wasted your time because you sat there and watched it, YOU sat there an watched it.
So, after all that, here's what I really want to say:
If you are expecting Rio and Brazil to maintain Western cultural, first world standards, then you have missed all the wonderful things of Brazil.
If you want efficiency, look at Germany. If you want unbridled capitalistic greed, the USA is right there.
But if you want to know about hospitality, welcoming the stranger, overcoming adversity to make something great DESPITE your leaders, and if you want to know love, look to Brazilians.
These are the people who stayed with me when I fell behind, prayed for me well before they knew me, and cared for me when I had no right to ask it of them, but no way to care for myself.
They are always there to let you in on the joke, excited to see you, will offer all that they have, and will give the warmest embraces before they even know your name.
They do not need perfection, and they don't need your disdain or judgement.
They prioritize many things that are too easily dismissed or overlooked in my home culture, but are the things most valued of a Christian life and legacy.
If you sit across the oceans, thinking Brazil has under performed for this Olympics, know this: the people--not the government--but the people whose literal work and sweat have gone into this endeavor, have poured out more than they should have been asked to give to the international community in this time of national struggle, and you, judging from a distance by standards they don't even personally hold, are the one who is poorer for your self-assured superiority in how things "ought to be".
In living, and working, and being sick in Brazil, I have learned that most things simply are. It is humanity's perspective that denotes them "good" or "bad" when, often, we are all our best when they are neither.
Do not seek to label good and bad.
Seek to improve what is, and enjoy what lies along the way.
THIS ARTICLE or one of so very many like it, talking about how horrible everything is here for the games, and often saying that Brazil was never fit to be chosen for a host in the first place. Before I go through this article to state a few of the more finer points, let me first say unequivocally:
The Brazil that was selected as a host nation years ago IS NOT the same Brazil that is here today trying to actually do the hosting. From international market downturns to discoveries of vast corruption, to protests, impeachment, and now talk that it was all a coup, plus the fact that budgets have been expanded, quickly contracted, and now slashed in many areas all together, Brazil has clearly experienced a quick reversal or fortunes.
But Back to the article:
1. Brazil has a Zika problem so bad the incoming Olympic guests were given welcome gifts complete with bug spray, and athletes are "tragically" forced to sleep under mosquito nets.
First off, I've received welcome gifts with bug spray in Florida too. Mosquitos are annoying, whether or not they carry diseases. Second, do you realize how many people in the world would LOOOOVE to have a mosquito net?!?!?! They are a great way to protect against bug-born diseases without resorting to chemicals that can also do damage to humans, and the fact that athletes and the delegations can just go buy them, while others who have needed them every day of their lives for decades can't, says to me "spoiled" rather than "neglected". Also bear in mind, this disease has no treatment or cure right now. Why? Well I'm betting that since the majority of pharmaceutical companies with the capacity for developing such things look more at their market share potential and profits than for human need, the fact that Zika was, at the outset, not a first world problem is why no one really started working on it until it did reach the richer shores of wealthy nations. And as far as blaming Brazil for not having this contained, let me say that, without any treatment or cure, they can do no more than what they have done. There are posters, billboards, signs, classes, training, radio and television announcements, and every medical worker will tell people about it too. But this is the 5th most populous nation on earth, and while the regional climates vary, avoiding any standing water for years on end (mosquitos really only need a drop or 2 to breed) isn't logically possible, and unlike my region of south Florida (and nearly every other state with mosquitos) air conditioning is a luxury here, so just staying inside doesn't get you away from permanently open doors and windows. Even famous government buildings don't have this!
If you want to make a life-saving gift of a mosquito net, the Episcopal Relief and Development Gifts for Life has a great program that not only gives the nets, but provides education on how to use them most effectively, and also has a great reputation as an organization for 75 years of getting your money to go further and more directly to the recipients. Click HERE to learn and donate.
2. The water that some athletes are competing in is so polluted and infected that doctors recommend they don't submerge their heads.
So, this isn't like the pool water. This is the open water of the bay. And, yeah, third world countries with vast government corruption are, unsurprisingly, not the best at public works development. So this was going to be an uphill battle for Rio from the start, but when they were selected, it was a battle they did have a chance of winning. But then money issues, leadership corruption scandals, and general distrust and polarizing politics among the parties and politicians meant that the actual workers for many of Rio's projects have worked more than they've been paid for, and, quite logically, stopped doing work for no pay. As things fall behind schedule, and workers halt or drastically cut corners to "get done" is it any surprise that this problem hasn't magically fixed itself? I'm sorry our athletes are competing in conditions that could threaten their health, but for some Brazilians, this is the water they use to drink and bathe and clean with, so I'm more worried about the people whose issues won't be fixed by just keeping their heads out of the water for a couple weeks.
3. The rooms are small and furnished with things that are not new.
Yup. They are. And they are still WAYYYYY better than what a lot of Brazilians and, specifically, Cariocas (residents of Rio) are sleeping on each night. These rooms are bigger than some families' houses. They HAVE beds, which is a huge step up from the accommodations of the homeless that spectators and athletes walk directly past to get to events and tourist sites. I respect your right to be dissatisfied, but I feel complete disgust for anyone who posts such grievances and disparaging remarks publicly on social media, especially members of the media. You are spoiled, and now you are also rude for pointing a finger instead of offering help.
(This section also says that the US men's basketball team opted out of staying in the Olympic village entirely. From what I've heard, this isn't the first year they've done so. They are extra tall, super rich, and very famous internationally. They want to, and easily can afford, to have more private accommodations that suit their tastes. Please don't use this as a mark against Rio, as it has been done for many other events as well, because you just look ignorant when doing that.)
4. The lights and internet often go out unexpectedly.
My power usually goes out in my home in Brazil once or twice a month. I don't know why, and it could be for overload of the system demand, some kind of intentional shutdown, or just a rogue rodent who met its maker in a shocking end. Whatever it is, it's normal, it's temporary, and your facebook, snapchat, and PokemonGo are not so essential that you can't live without them. Maybe go meet some of the thousands of amazing international athletes that currently share your building? Maybe get some rest before your performance of your sport in front of the entire world? or play solitaire until your battery dies. I don't care. People had full lives before electricity and internet were invented, maybe it isn't mandatory to have 24/7 access to everything you want just because you want it.
5. Some bathrooms have backed up with some gross stuff.
In Brazil, and in many other countries, you DO NOT flush toilet paper, or any other such thing EVER! This is one of the first things in tour books, on airport signs, and general knowledge items you learn when considering a visit. The pipes are small, so a small bin is usually provided near the toilet to hold used papers, and is cleaned out daily so it doesn't get gross. I can't say for sure, but I'd guess that this is something related to the plumbing backing up (or, ya know, just having 10,000+ people all move in to a formerly unoccupied area at the same time).
6. Some rooms are unfinished, with construction materials, uninstalled fixtures, or wires sticking out of the walls.
As I've already stated, things in this process fell far behind schedule when the government stopped paying the workers, and the workers stopped doing work for free. There were obviously good intentions to supply amenities in these areas, but can you really blame people for not wanting to volunteer for slave labor? Also, it just isn't that hard to work around these things, and Brazilians do it all the time. Live wires coming out of the wall? Well, they might be for AC or a TV, but you are not required to touch them. Paint bucket in the living area? Well, you could start painting, or use it as step stool, or just move it into a corner and forget about it.
7. Food lines are long, breakfasts are not up to their standards in the only media cafeteria, and the provided kitchens are too tiny to cook in-house.
First, Brazilians are less strict about time, if you wait, you wait. Being in line for a while is also a chance to socialize, but in the end, it is what it is. Second, the photo in this article shows a fairly standard option for breakfast here. They don't do sausage and hash browns and eggs and pancakes. Culturally, breakfast is smaller here, with coffee, fruit, bread, and sometimes sliced cheese and ham. Just because you expected to get what you wanted, news media people, doesn't mean they slighted you by giving you what they know as breakfast. And, yeah, that photo of a kitchen is small. That's how it is. The sprawling houses of suburbia in the states are the global abnormality when it comes to kitchen size. I have seen kitchens in the US that are bigger than the entire house for my students' families of 5 or more people.
8. Some things are breaking from poor construction. The water wasn't turned on (or available). The showers are cold and often don't have curtains.
Remember: no one wants to work when they aren't getting paid for it, so they didn't. This is an issue of governmental leadership at multiple levels, not a personal slight to Olympic participants. And, yeah, hot showers are gonna be a bit difficult for a newly populated 10,000+ person development. Water heaters only are made so big. The alternative tends to be an electric shower like what I have at home and this one I use while visiting Rio:
However, these must be properly installed, as improper location or installation means your exposed wires from before are now featured on a device that pours water over your head. Given the choices, maybe a cold shower (and it's usually in the upper 80s and 90sF outside every day anyways) is preferable to some zappy bathing.
As far as the shower curtains thing, those aren't popular in Brazil as they easily hold water after every use and for quite a while. So...refer to point 1.
9. Structures appear to be constructed haphazardly. There is a lot of robbery. Cops and military are everywhere.
For this, I'm just going to leave the link to this video on facebook. It is well done, not too long, and explains how these are all connected, but not all necessarily bad.
Also, Rio for the Olympics has not "been turned into a war zone" as the first article states. It has been a war zone for years, but that was overlooked by people who weren't previously affected by it (aka the first world media, Olympic teams, and tourists).
10. They did manage to provide an average 42 condoms per athlete.
Say what you will, but I personally recall that during the last summer Olympics, it was frequently publicized (as oh so scandalous) that many athletes and visitors "hook up" while staying at the Olympic village. That's none of my business. But is this article, after putting Brazil down for NOT preparing enough, are they actually ending by putting them down for being prepared for this part of Olympic reality?!?!
Other than this type of article
I've also seen many people critique parts of the opening ceremony presentation. I watched it, as the only US citizen amid hundreds of Brazilians at a public park. They didn't love every second of it, but they did show their approval for most of the artistic choices made. The one critique I've seen most on social media about this is something along the lines of "Are we seriously watching Gisele Bündchen just walk for this whole song's worth of time?!?!?!"
Yes, you are. Know why? Because THAT IS HER JOB! I don't exactly know why luck of genetics and ability to walk counts as a career, especially not one with such a high price tag, but I do know that the comercial marketing system of the US is, in large part, what made her famous and why she has a job of just walking. Brazil didn't do that, the US did. I also refer you to the point above about the valuation of time. Yeah, she walked for quite a while, but the Brazilians around me, when they got bored of watching that, got up and danced with their spouse to the music, or started talking to their friends, or took a bathroom break, or went to buy a soda. If you viewed this and felt it wasted your time because you sat there and watched it, YOU sat there an watched it.
So, after all that, here's what I really want to say:
If you are expecting Rio and Brazil to maintain Western cultural, first world standards, then you have missed all the wonderful things of Brazil.
If you want efficiency, look at Germany. If you want unbridled capitalistic greed, the USA is right there.
But if you want to know about hospitality, welcoming the stranger, overcoming adversity to make something great DESPITE your leaders, and if you want to know love, look to Brazilians.
These are the people who stayed with me when I fell behind, prayed for me well before they knew me, and cared for me when I had no right to ask it of them, but no way to care for myself.
They are always there to let you in on the joke, excited to see you, will offer all that they have, and will give the warmest embraces before they even know your name.
They do not need perfection, and they don't need your disdain or judgement.
They prioritize many things that are too easily dismissed or overlooked in my home culture, but are the things most valued of a Christian life and legacy.
If you sit across the oceans, thinking Brazil has under performed for this Olympics, know this: the people--not the government--but the people whose literal work and sweat have gone into this endeavor, have poured out more than they should have been asked to give to the international community in this time of national struggle, and you, judging from a distance by standards they don't even personally hold, are the one who is poorer for your self-assured superiority in how things "ought to be".
In living, and working, and being sick in Brazil, I have learned that most things simply are. It is humanity's perspective that denotes them "good" or "bad" when, often, we are all our best when they are neither.
Do not seek to label good and bad.
Seek to improve what is, and enjoy what lies along the way.
Great thoughts Rachel thanks for sharing.
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