The curse of a name

This weekend took place around here the Rio aan de Rijn, or in good English, Rio on the Rhine (yes, the Rhine River that cuts through Germany ... it goes through Holland, behind me here at home, and ends at the sea).

Rio aan de Rijn, therefore, is a tribute to Rio de Janeiro. So, guess? = D

It is a carnival parade. In the Dutch way, of course, but I can’t say much, since I didn’t attend it. Neither Rio’s, or the Rhine’s.

But what strikes me is that, exactly at Rio aan de Rijn, happened a tribute to the hot spot of Brazilian stupidity.

A crazy dude shot three people, killing them during the festivities ...

Hell, even in the Netherlands, you put "Rio de Janeiro" in the conversation, and there comes shooting and dancing in the package ... sounds like a joke, but it’s true.

I'm sorry, locals from Rio, but I'm from São Paulo and, therefore, you hate me on a basic principle, so I kinda don’t give a shit to Rio, but Rio is INDEED a piece of crap. 2% of the population is alright (which are the locals who will read this and will not be offended because they know the shit they live in, read something similar here) but the other 98% are divided by 49% funkers , low lives, bandits and the sort and 49% of rich little bastards who live in "noble" areas of Rio, who appear out of focus in the photos of "celebrities" taken by paparazzi.

Rio is only a - yet - more conformist Brazil. I saw a program about an Englishman who travels the world visiting the various cuisines, and, in one episode, he went to Rio and found a 20-something year-old local "guide" to show him life in Rio.

It honestly made me sick. Accents aside, what stung me was the way it showed how the guy - proudly, it should be noted - talks about Rio’s style.

Speaking in English, but still sounding remarkably local, about how the foreigner should take his shirt off, relax on the beach, wake up late, get drunk ... and only didn’t talk about smoking up a weed because he was on TV ... ah, but for sure ...

I see then the next episode, he goes to São Paulo and I hear in the words of the show host himself, "a city that never sleeps, people who work. Here there’s no Copacabana or Ipanema. People take life seriously, but they know how to have fun. São Paulo is just as if Los Angeles threw up on New York. " This explains why SP’s nightlife is great. People have to work during the day.

So, you know, brothers from Rio... sorry =D Rio’s (in)fame chases it on the four corners of the world.

To be fair, is pretty fucking fantastic looking.

But if seen from afar, right? Up close you can’t see much before taking a shot in the head or getting busted by the police.

Now the Rio aan de Rijn, huh? This is voodoo!

Blame it on the president!

The governors!

The mayor!

It’s morphing time!