Ah, Carnival, Brazil, so refreshing compared to dull conformist Auckland, sexual energy here is far from ripe. In fact, I think it's dead never to be resuscitated I question if it was ever alive at all. Sexual energy doesn't need to mean "leading to, or with the intent of intercourse"; sexual energy can be a movement, a conversation, a look, the weather, the heat, the smells, colours sounds and especially the attitude of a place - and no place encapsulates the sexual energy better than in Brazil at Carnival time. For me, Brazil has that perfect dichotomy of intrepid and homely - being from the tropics originally, it feels comforting and familiar, but it's still foreign enough for me to consider it exotic, which is what I love. The sound of it is so appealing - more than 72, 000 spectators crammed in the Sambadrome to watch samba, school floats dancers, and extravagant costumes during Carnival. And on top of that madness, millions of local block parties around the country consisting of the best kind of fun - drinking and dancing with locals just ripe to have a good time. Ok, so I've been getting itchy feet for a while, and upon viewing these pictures of Carnival 2013, my innate restlessness has been heightened. Scenes of Brazil through photographs and films have always led me to romanticize Brazil through a green/yellow filter where Caetano Veloso and Joao Gilberto would be crooning on Copacabana. Visiting Niemeyer buildings in Brasilia, god, that'd be ideal. But alas, any dreams of these will soon be threatened with the need to stay put and settle in one place for now until I can sustain and properly plan my great South American adventure, (including central america) - that will be one hell of a trip, I'm so excited. But in the meantime, I have these photos of Carnival and City of God to re-watch and hold off my itchy feet for a while yet. Hopefully when I do go, I'll have a reason to be there, more so than just exploring (which in itself, is a pretty fucking legit reason to go), something that drives towards something with a higher purpose. I hope - I always thought I'd live my life with all my actions contributing towards something higher, but it's taking time for me to reach that.
A reveler from the Vila Isabel samba school participates in the annual Carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro's Sambadrome, on February 12, 2013.
A man paints a Carnival float sculpture at the Grande Rio Samba school in Rio de Janeiro, on January 22, 2013. It's from warehouses like this one that io's over the top glitz and glam Carnival parades emerge. The internationally renowned competition between 12 elite samba groups dazzles more than a billion spectators in person and on TV for two days, but it takes nearly a year and hundreds of workers, many of them volunteers, to pull each one together.
Revelers pack the streets during the "Cordao da Bola Preta" street carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro, on February 9, 2013. According to Rio's tourism office, Rio's street Carnival this year will consist of 492 block parties, attended by an estimated five million Carnival enthusiasts.
The mythical jester figure who reigns over Carnival, King Momo, is represented by the the crowned and costumed Milton Rodrigues Junior who arrives for the official kick-off ceremony flashing a thumbs-up, in Rio de Janeiro, on February 8, 2013.
A performer from the Sao Clemente samba school sits as she waits before Carnival at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, on February 11, 2013.
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(1 of 3) In this photo taken Tuesday, February 5, 2013, samba dancer and call center supervisor Diana Prado talks with a co-worker, in Rio de Janeiro. Although her hectic schedule of pre-Carnival preparations often requires her to apply her extravagant glitter stage makeup in the office bathroom, Prado insists being a samba dancer, or "passista," in Portuguese, doesn't undermine her authority with the 15 telemarketers she supervises.
(2 of 3) Samba dancer Diana Prado, right, in costume as she prepares for a carnival parade at central station in Rio de Janeiro. Though passistas are unquestionably the star attractions of the world's most iconic Carnival celebrations, they're not on the payroll of the samba school they represent.
(3 of 3) Passista Diana Prado performs in a carnival parade at central station in Rio de Janeiro. A call center supervisor by day the 27-year-old's double life is split down the middle, between the glitz and glam, feathers and body paint of Carnival and the workaday office reality of head-sets and cubicles.
Performers from the Inocentes de Belford Roxo samba school parade on a float during carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio, on February 10, 2013.
Revelers of the Unidos da Tijuca samba school participate in the annual carnival parade in Rio, on February 10, 2013.
Performers from the Unidos da Tijuca samba school parade during carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome, on February 11, 2013.
Performers from the Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel samba school parade in Rio, on February 11, 2013.
A performer from the Academicos do Salgueiro samba school during carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome, on February 10, 2013.
A dragon rises behind a performer from the Beija Flor samba school in Rio, on February 12, 2013.
Performers from the Unidos de Vila Isabel samba school parade at the Sambadrome, on February 12, 2013.
Revelers from the Beija Flor samba school, in Rio de Janeiro's Sambadrome, on February 11, 2013.
Performers from the Mangueira samba school, at the Sambadrome on February 11, 2013.
A dancer from the Uniao da Ilhia samba school performs during the first night of Carnival in Rio, on February 11, 2013.
A masked performers from the Uniao da Ilha do Governador samba school, in Rio, on February 11, 2013.
A member of the Inocentes de Belford-Roxo samba school performs atop a float during the first night of Carnival in Rio, on February 10, 2013.
The Salgueiro samba school participates in the annual Carnival parade in Rio, on February 10, 2013.
Revelers from the Vila Isabel samba school participate in the Carnival parade in Rio, on February 12, 2013.
A woman poses for photos before participating in Carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome, on February 10, 2013.
A performer from the Sao Clemente samba school is tossed in the air in the Sambadrome, on February 12, 2013.
Performers from the Academicos do Salgueiro samba school parade on a float in Rio, on February 10, 2013.
Members of the Mangueira samba school, during carnival celebrations in Rio, on February 11, 2013.
A performer from the Beija Flor samba school, at the Sambadrome, on February 12, 2013.
Performers from the Inocentes de Belford Roxo samba school, on a float in the Sambadrome in Rio, on February 10, 2013.
A float from the Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel samba school in Rio's Sambadrome, on February 11, 2013.
Revelers of the Inocentes de Belford-Roxo samba school, in the Sambadrome, on February 10, 2013. Inocentes paid tribute to the 50th aniversary of South Korean immigration to Brazil.
A reveler from the Mocidade Alegre Samba School takes part in a carnival at Anhembi Sambadrome, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on February 10, 2013.
A performer from the Mangueira samba school, during carnival celebrations in Rio de Janeiro, on February 11, 2013.
A dancer from the Nene da Vila Matilde samba school during a carnival parade in Sao Paulo, on February 9, 2013.
A performer from the Academicos do Grande Rio samba school, in the Sambadrome in Rio, on February 12, 2013.
A member of Academicos do Tatuape samba school, before the first night of carnival parade at the Sambadrome in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on February 8, 2013.
A performer from the Unidos de Vila Isabel samba school during Carnival in Rio, on February 12, 2013.
Performers from the Academicos do Grande Rio samba school, in Rio's Sambadrome, on February 12, 2013.
Drum Queen Camila Silva of the Mocidade Independente samba school, on the first night of the annual Carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro's Sambadrome, on February 11, 2013.
Performers from the Portela samba school, during the first night of Carnival, in Rio de Janeiro, on February 11, 2013.
For me, this is the sound of Brazil - Cartola - Preciso Me Encontrar
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