Tuesday, March 30, 2004
Alice The Cook R.I.P.
This dish is called "Muqueca," fish, spices, and vegetables in a rich, thick broth. Many regions of Brazil claim its authorship, and each has a unique recipé. More good meetings today. People remember me. : - )
While I was busy having my diapers changed, in 1960, a newly-constructed Brasilia replaced Rio de Janeiro as Brazil's capital. President Juscelino Kubitschek (koobie-checkie) ran for President promissing to build this miracle city within four years. His good pal, modernist architect / visionary Oscar Niemeyer, created the basic design. But the seed was planted when Brazil became a republic in 1889 - I never knew this It was actually written into the constitution that a new capital was to be founded inland, to drag Brazil's population away from the coast (to this day, 85% of Brazil live within 150 miles of the Atlantic, even though Brazil is the size of the U.S. without Alaska.)
One huge irony of Brasilia is that even though its art and architecture are a valentine to progress, forward-thinking, and democratic institutions, Brazil became a dictatorship in 1964, just four years after Brasilia's inauguration, a situation which was to last 21 years and five dictators. Since the military always justified a coup with promises to reinstate democracy when "it was safe," these inscriptions were never altered, in Brazil or elsewhere. Incidentally, voting is compulsory in Brazil and in most of Latin America. It is considered a duty as much as a right.
Tomorrow I'm up at 5:30am, flight to Rio, four long meetings, and back to Sao Paolo at 7pm. If I post at all, it'll be brief. My hotel, L'Hotel (which they pronounce Ellie Hotellie) has cable TV, and I recieve the news in five languages. In all cases, the perspective seems more international and more balanced. We Americans, for all our world dominance, have a very inward, parochial perspective, reinforced by our media.... Alice The Cook, of course, is who Archie Bunker thought Mike and Gloria were referring to when they mentioned Alistair Cooke. : - )
this entry's permalink
Comments:
Post a Comment
