Creating a Dream

02 December 2007

Why choose this community out of the thousands here in Rio alone? Two reasons. Firstly, the community is small, and compact, so we can easily measure and show our progress. Yep, that means we mean to use this as a model, and multiply it later. Secondly, no child in this community is allowed to work or beg. The streets of Rio are choked with little kids begging, selling sweets, cleaning shoes until dawn. It's obscene.

Sure, the families in the community live in profound ignorance, and their lives are incredibly hard. But they don't really know this, everyone here lives the same so they all accept this as normal.

Creating a dream... Palhaco turns 11 tomorrow. Tonight Daniel buses up to stay and organise a little birthday party for him, his first ever. What a gift I have in my hands, to be able to plant the magic of a dream in a child's life! I feel kinda guilty that I will gain so much more from today than little Palhaco... Daniel and I communicate with text messages, as they are only a few cents each. Daniel is there just 5 minutes before he texts me.

This little dialogue I hope will catch the feel of the blog. It is meant to be an easy read over a morning coffee, tracking the little community as it grows through the Quest. I hope to make you both laugh and cry, but also intrigue you with cultural oddities and day-to-day absurdities. Like the Simpsons in 3-D, or a REAL virtual SIMS.


DANIEL: Theres no food here. They are cryn bcause its no food
PAI: OK i have 20. I will transfer it. Go to the market
DANIEL: I am at novo mundo [supermarket]. The card say zero
PAI: I cannot access your card. Did you change the password?
DANIEL: Oops sory the new is XXXX
PAI: Moron

DANIEL: The line is big. The peoples is gettn pissed. Can you hury. I am whith diogo [Monstrinho]
PAI: Done
DANIEL: Thanks

PAI: [an hour later] Everything ok?
DANIEL: Yes everybody is hapy here its like a party on the kitchen. Thanks now they are hapy n full
PAI: Ok tomorrow early i will deposit enough for a football and a cake
DANIEL: No no no i asked palhaco does he want a football. He say no he want cueca [underpants]
PAI: He wants what??
DANIEL: Cueca. Dad tomorrow he makes 11 he never had undies. Dad i will take him to buy
PAI: I can imagine him going to school tomorrow wearing nothing but his undies
DANIEL: Well he be only boy in class whith undies anyway

For fotos of his party and him proudly wearing his underwear, see Blog 06 December.

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