What is the colour of your soul?

Written by Arthur Franco

           Right after knowing that a baby is coming, what exactly comes through our minds is whether it is a boy or a girl, it is almost automatic. Besides, even when it is impossible to deem it, it is common for people to make some guessing about the baby’s gender so as to start thinking about names, possible gifts, the bedroom’s colour, how the kid’s behavior regarding different situations will be and so on.

            Society is fully permeated by gender performance – it is ubiquitous, and it seems to be so normal that people do not even think about the binary they make. However, kids’ gender starts to be constructed even before they are born. They already are expected to lean more to one specific characteristic than to other, to like one subject more than another, and there it goes.

            Judith Butler, an important philosopher that works in this gender field, affirms that the ritual announcement at birth that it is in fact one or the other instantly tranforms an “it” into a “he” or a “she”. This is true, kids start knowing to be gendered since they are born and it goes throughout their whole life.

            It is important, then, to illustrate how gender is being taught. Parents would not be fine, for example, if their 4-year-old boy starts to mince while walking. Oh, only girls are supposed to mince, isn’t it? Not actually, but these stereotypes for boys and girls still remains and plays a huge important role in society.

            Kids have to deal with these kinds of constraints since they are very little, in the kindergarten, when they start to be a part of the social world. That is another good point since one’s parents are not the only responsible for the constructing of gender, but also teachers, friends and other people one may interact with.

            Girls are supposed to help their mothers to clean the house; boys are expected to play in the outside with other kids. Girls are expected to be more delicate; boys, more aggressive. Girls are expected to cry more than boys. Actually, according to psychological research made by Eleanor Maccoby and Carol Jacklin, male and female infants cry the same amount, but as they grow up, boys start to cry less.

            It is quite important to understand that gender is not something we are born with, but something we perform. Of course male and female have their differences and it is not the aim of this article to debate them, but to show that these distinctions cannot be that extreme. Boys may play in the indoors and help their mothers with the housework whereas girls can play catch in the outside, they may not be restricted to Barbie dolls and pink stuff.

            After all, we are all human beings, and it is not worth colouring our personalities in an exclusively gendered pattern way.

The entire world will meet in Rio

Get to know more about the event to happen from the 23^rd to the 28^{th of} July

Written by Juliana Frazão

You have probably already heard that Brazil will be the stage for the most important events that are going to happen in the coming years. World Cup and Olympic Games are usually remembered when it comes to this matter, however something greater (and noisier too) is knocking the doors of every person who lives in Rio de Janeiro – it is World Youth Day!

This catholic event was created by pope John Paul II, who wanted to be with youngsters from all over the globe to celebrate life and faith. Somehow, it became known worldwide and nowadays it is considered the biggest event on earth. It takes place every two or three years in a different country. Last WYD happened in Madrid, Spain, in 2011, and now, it’s Rio’s turn!

World Youth Days, in general, have a basic program which includes an opening mass, the Via Crucis, a vigil and the closing mass. As the years passed, cultural activities were also added in the plan too. For the Cultural Sector of Rio2013, WYD is not only an opportunity to meet the pope, it is a way of being in a foreign country, learning a different culture, a new language, new habits.

One of the most interesting things about WYD is its audience, people from different continents leave their activities for a week to be part of this experience. In Madrid, 2 million people took part in the central acts of WYD, but in Philippines this number was even larger. More than 4 million participants were present in 1995, in Manila, and this fact gave the edition of the event a world record for the largest Papal crowd ever gathered.

For WYD Rio2013 it is expected more than 2 million youngsters, especially because it will be the first international visit of pope Francis. Considering he is Argentinian, Latin America would not miss the chance of seeing him for the first time since he became the pontiff.

Although it requires a detailed organisation and some professional commitment, most of the people who work for World Youth Day are volunteers. Sometimes they give away their jobs and their projects to cooperate and build an event that is not only a celebration, but is also a sign of hope and life. I talked to two international volunteers who decided to live in Rio for some months to help structure and organise WYD. You can check it here:

The point is that Rio de Janeiro will not be the same after witnessing one of the greatest encounters in the world. In July, flags will be painting our streets with different colours, and the unknown languages that will fill every corner of the city will not be a problem. In the end, everybody will understand each other, because there is no need of translation when we speak the language of love.

Follow WYD:

WYD Rio2013 Twitter – @wyd_en

WYD Rio2013 Website – www.rio2013.com/en

Unexpected destinations – Finland

Written by Juliana Frazão

When we think about Europe, we think about France, England, Portugal, Italy. These places are usually the first destination of foreigners who want to experience a little bit of the Old Continent. However, it isn’t the only place where people can find history, beauty and art – Finland gathers the best of the European spirit such as its organization and social facilities. This week, you are going to know a bit more about this traditional country.

The first admirable aspect of Finland is its resistance throughout the years. Its people had to face pressure and attempts of invasion but never gave up their widely held beliefs. Despite the wars in which the country saw itself into, the desire of keeping patriotism was always greater. For instance, lots of representatives used their occupations to stand for the right of being free. Johan Runeberg, a Finnish poet, is an example of it. One of his poems became the Finnish national anthem. This committed behaviour makes me wonder if we are willing to forego our talents for a more honourable cause.  We could learn that in Finland.

Concerning politics, unfortunately, our country has been struggling to establish fair arrangements. Regarding Finland, it is believed to be one of the most uncorrupt countries in the world. Also, they seem to be very worried about the safety and education systems. Visiting the country would be a unique possibility to get in touch with the heritage left by the ones who suffered for their land in the past. I believe Finland could provide tourists with the necessary atmosphere to learn more about it in a sensible, but also, sensitive way.

Another fact that draws attention is that although Finland may cause an impression of being a shy country from the Northern Europe, it has been growing financially, socially and standing out in the world background. If you go there, you can witness a little bit of this progress, this development that involves honestly the work of a farmer and a C.E.O. This movement of cooperation makes the country overflow hope, confidence and justice.

To sum up, Finland might be where you will share unforgettable moments with native and non-natives and contemplate the cold landscape, but at the same time, feel the warm which has nothing to do with the weather, but with the Finnish hearts.

Public Domain: Stroke!

         Written by Milton Santos

This week’s ‘Public domain’ special brings another health informative. Since the success of last week’s myocardial infarction (or only “heart attack”) Public Domain, we decided to choose an equally destructive disease that is neglected by many people: the stroke. The stroke (or, correctly speaking, the cerebrovascular accident – CVA) is the 2^nd greatest cause of deaths in the world (in Brazil, it is the greatest). The disease can be described as a loss of brain function due to some disturbance in the blood flow, leaving a part of the brain without blood supply. This “disturbance” can be caused by two different reasons: an obstruction of the blood vessel (ischemic CVA) or an intracranial blood accumulation (hemorrhagic CVA). The first case is incredibly more common in the Western civilization, as the obstruction is normally caused by bad food habits, as eating at fast foods regularly or not having much exercise per week. It has, too, a genetic factor related to the metabolic syndrome (in which the person is more susceptible to hypertension, obesity, diabetes, having, consequently, more chances of suffering from a stroke or a heart attack). The second case, more rare, happens mainly in Japan, China and the Oceania. The causes for the hemorrhagic CVA are not very clear, but researchers believe that a genetic factor might be the greatest trigger for the disease.

 

    

As (ischemic) CVA is an incredibly popular disease, doctors have come together to a simplified diagnosis, so that even non-doctors could learn how to identify the disease’s basic neurological signals. The signals are:

–      Facial paresis (facial muscles become weaker);

–      Tire of one of the superior limbs;

–      Altered language

If someone shows this 3 signs – and if CVA is non-traumatic (acute) – we can have 100% sure that it really is a CVA case. So, if it happens to you, make sure you call the ambulance right away! Time is the biggest determinant of whether the person survives or not. So, hurry up!!!

 

The man who lost his body

Written by Milton Santos

Since kindergarten, we are taught to think that we only have five ways to process information from the outside world: our visual, hearing, gustatory, olfactory and touching systems. Scientifically speaking, this division is old-fashioned.  It is now accepted that we have six senses: visual, hearing, gustatory, olfactory, somesthetic and equilibrium systems. What we once called our “touching system” is a vague, ambiguous term, not including an ability that most of us have never noticed: to sense the position and movement of our bodies – also called proprioception. This common obliviousness about this specific sense might not change the course of someone’s life… At least, that was what Ian Waterman thought until he was 19 years old, when a viral infection destroyed the nerves that control his proprioception as well as those for feeling light touch. With these nerves destroyed, Ian is unable to tell without looking how his body is positioned. The doctors were astonished when they tried to understand Ian’s disability, as it is an extremely rare condition – “How can one explain a total loss of proprioception? A sense most people don’t even know they have?”, said Ian during the first years after the infection.

Cases like Waterman’s are remarkable in the precision of the damage: he lost none of the nerves that control muscle movement and he is still able to feel deep pressure, muscle fatigue, pain and temperature. In the order hand, he lost all of the cutaneous nerves that provide the skin with the sense of light touch and all of the nerves attached to muscles and tendons that provide a sense of joint and limb position. Despite the difficulties, Waterman found a way to recover from his disease: using his visual system as a way to compensate his proprioception lost. In order to understand how vision can somehow compensate his destroyed nerves, we must keep in our minds that proprioception is essential for us to know in which position our body is before we plan to move it. In Waterman’s case, he uses vision as a way of having a feedback from his body’s position – therefore, he has to anticipate almost every movement he makes, as he must see his body before moving it. He has become so sensitive visually to how his body reacts, he can detect differences of as little as 10 percent of the weight of an object, as he uses vision to watch how his body reacts to a set movement when he picks this object up (the faster and higher he moves, the lighter the object must be). Although his movements can look mechanical, it’s often hard to tell there’s anything wrong unless something unexpected happens and he’s thrown off balance, say those who have met him. The case represents a unique opportunity to test theories of touch, proprioception and movement that would be impossible otherwise, say researchers. They are able to examine how a total lack of feedback from the outside world affects how a person moves about in and interacts with the environment.

12 million forgotten by the government

Written by Thaila de Paula Barbosa

In the country of football, at the moment when Brazil is rising, is unbelievable to see people suffering hungry and thirsty.

On north east of Brazil, there are people who don’t have water to drink, cooking, having shower, nor even to water plants. They haven’t seen any rain for about a year.

There are animals dying, there isn’t even a sprout of grass to feed them. People living just to see their animals ending. Rivers and dams totally draw an image tragic and regrettable. Meanwhile the government spends billions on construction and renovation of football stadiums.

Is that true football is more necessary than water? Is absolutely   unacceptable in a country like Brazil to exist so different situations so close to each other.

They just want water and better conditions to live and work. They have the right and the government forgot it, maybe if the government tried to invest part of this money in infrastructure and information to the region this situation could change or at least improve.

It’s important to call the attention of the government and the world for problems that cause  so much destruction, and could be so easy to solve if people just stop to look at themselves and look the country as a whole.

Mind your body, embody your spirit

Written by Arthur Franco

 

            Wake up. Take a shower. Brush the teeh. Dress up. Eat something. Leave. Catch the bus. Get to work. Worry. Work. Get stressed. Work. Solve one issue, get two others. Leave the working place. Catch the bus. Arrive home. Have dinner. Wash the dishes. Take a shower. Brush the teeth. Go to bed. Get to slee… Wake up!

            It is astonishing how one’s daily life is full of responsibilities and stress. Life is increasingly becoming an uneventful set of repetitive happenings, and people are piecemeal losing huge opportunities to experience new thoughts and feelings. Achieving better living conditions can be the main goal to many, undoubtedly, but is it worth all these preoccupations and concerns? When is it fine to stop living the planned life in order to live the unexpected one?

            Not then, but now. Now is the best moment ever, and present is the best tense. However, how is it possible to enjoy this moment in order to relieve daily strain, and at the same time to keep day-to-day working activities? An ancient Indian philosophy may be a possible solution.

           Yoga is an Eastern philosophy that works on contemplation, meditation and release. It is currently a common practice in the Western Hemisphere and it improves welfare, calmness, serenity and confidence. Its steady exercises can free one’s worry little by little and provide calmness of mind.

           There are different traditions of Yoga such as the Bhakti Movement, the Vajrayana, the Sikhism and the Hatha Yoga, being the latter the most practiced nowadays. Hatha Yoga zeroes in on shatkarma, which cleanses the body and let the energy of the mind (ha) and the vital energy (tha) flow. It is a series of psychosomatic techniques which work as a link between the physical and the divine.

           Nonetheless, if enrolling in Yoga classes would be a hardship, another good solution is to meditate. It is a very economic activity since it does not require much time to do, and it is also free. Meditation can be done in different times, ways and places. All it demands is a quiet place where one can feel comfortable and safe.

           It is of paramount importance to have a moment of self-appreciation and self-love in these rushed days. So wake up, take a shower, brush the teeth, dress up, eat something, leave, work, come back, go to bed, but do never forget to meditate a little bit.

Pros and cons of plastic surgery

Written by Marcella David

While plastic surgery can contribute to human health it may become an addiction if used in bad or exaggerated manner. In order to avoid any bad or unexpected results, it is very important to ask for medical advice.

In the beginning, the most important function of plastic surgery was repairing people who were born with defects. Although nowadays it is known for breasts or lips implants, plastic surgery has an essential importance too in lives of those people who were born with anatomical deformities or have had big parts of their bodies burned.

On the order hand, plastic surgery has many disadvantages. People think that they can give up the gym and solve all their problems on the operating table, but it is not the truth. Also, we cannot forget the damage done to the body if the person does it many times. Another disadvantage is the fact that if you do not workout, probably your body goes back to what it was before. Finally, plastic surgery is setting an unhealthy standard of beauty.

To sum up, we have to think about the pros and cons of getting surgery without the need for it or without good medical advice. Therefore, we can have a critical point of view about this process. It is very important, because it is a very invasive and risky process to be done with no precautions or due time of thought.

In the country of football, Pelé is our King

Written by Marcella Davi

Football is the most popular sport in Brazil. The country is internationally known for its football players and the sport is taken very seriously. Despite all the stars of The Brazilian football history, without any doubt, Pelé is the most famous sport personality that best represents the country.

Pelé was born in TrêsCorações, Minas Gerais, Brazil, on the 23 of October in 1940, and he was the oldest of three siblings. He grew up in poverty, having to work over many years as a servant in tea shops to earn extra money before gaining popularity. He was spotted by football star Waldemar de Brito, who took Pelé to Santos FutebolClube at the age of only 15 years old, where he gained fame.

Pelé is a national hero because of his brilliant football career and involvement in social issues of the country. He is all-time leading scorer of the Brazil national football team and the only footballer to be a part of three World Cup-winning squads. Pelé became world renowned for his ability in football and, in 1961, President JanioQuadros had Pelé declared a national treasure, which prevented the player from being sold to a foreign team. Thus, besides being a sports idol, Pelé has had a major influence on Brazilian culture. His humble origins and his joyful way to play football is a mixture that well represents the Brazilian people.

Despite all the fame and fortune he achieved, Pelé has not forgotten his humble origins and is also world famous for engaging in combat against poverty: he created a foundation to help poor children and he always participates in social programs in Brazil. Therefore, more than a national idol, he is an example to be followed, inspiring many youngsters not only for his formidable ability in football, but also for his involvement in social problems.

Oceanography is much more than surf and fishes

Written by Helber Martins

Oceanography, also called oceanology, is an earth science that studies the ocean in all its aspects. Although ocean study is really old it was first considered a science and named oceanography in 1972 after an expedition in a ship called ‘Challenger’. The expedition aimed to facilitate commercial maritime routes and truely study the ocean.

Oceanography involves many topics, for example, waves, physical and chemical components of the water, marine organisms, interactions between aquatic ecosystems, ocean currents, tectonic plates and geology. Oceanography is divided into four areas of study:  biological oceanography, physical oceanography, chemical oceanography and geological oceanography.

The biological oceanography studies the interactions of marine organisms with the environments they inhabit. These environments can be costal, oceanic or transitional such as mangroves, beaches and estuaries.  These studies help in fishery and environmental impact assessment.

Physical oceanography studies the properties and the physical phenomena in costal, oceanic or transitional environments such as tides, waves and ocean currents. Understanding these processes help in meteorology, navigation and disaster prevention with natural events such as tsunamis and cyclones.

Chemical oceanography analyzes the properties and chemical characteristics of water as salinity, temperature, and composition. Through these analyzes is possible to evaluate the changes caused by pollution in water, sediments and marine organisms.

Geological Oceanography studies the rocks, sediments and the formation of oceans and beaches. This area of oceanography is highly sought after by oil companies because it helps to identify probable oil zones.

Although not well known oceanographer profession is becoming more important due to advancing development using marine resources and home constructions and buildings on the coast that require environmental impact reports. Furthermore, there are vacancies in environmental education projects as Tamar, PeixeBoi and Baleia Jubarte.