Looking back on the trip
OVERALL THOUGHTS
This trip has been the most exciting, challenging and rewarding experience of my life so far. I have conquered everything I was scared to face, big and small: travelling alone for the first time, eating at restaurants alone, and trusting myself to make the correct decisions (even if it felt hard to make a change at the time). One of the hardest parts was the decision to leave India early. Looking back, I know this was the right decision, because if I had kept the plan to leave Mumbai on the day I had originally intended, I would have been trapped due to the severe flooding. Staying despite feeling uncomfortable alone, would have been an extremely stressful and unpleasant way to spend the time - fortunately, I decided to leave for my own well-being and safety, but I have every intention of one day returning to India to experience the country with other people at my side. Although some people have found this surprising, I actually felt the most safe and at home in Brazil - particularly Curitiba.
In terms of the research I was able to do, this scholarship has provided me a once in a lifetime opportunity to explore different parts of the world and pursue a topic I am particularly interested in. My aim as an architect is to work in humanitarian and social architecture, in order to help improve the lives of people who are less fortunate. A key part of this is to understand how this can be achieved, and the ways the community would actually like to receive help. On this trip I have had the chance to meet people from different cultures and backgrounds, discovering how they live, their key values in life, the sense of community, and their standard of living. I have also met people who have the potential power to adjust these people's lives.
BRAZIL
Before starting my trip, I was actually quite nervous about going to Brazil alone, as I feel that there is often a strong stereotype that it is an unsafe country with high levels of crime. Although, yes, you need to be aware of your belongings, and it is not safe to go out late at night alone, I would also feel the same in big cities in Europe. I found that the language barrier was often quite challenging, as many of the population do not speak English. I learnt as much Brazilian Portuguese as I could in the short space of time I had, but I also met so many young people who spoke English very very well. The people that I met on this leg of the journey were far more than I ever could have hoped for. Everywhere I went in Brazil, I had people so excited and enthusiastic about showing me around, helping with my research and generally making my trip a better experience. While travelling alone, it is vital to trust your instincts and ensure that you do not put yourself into any dangerous situations, yet at the same time, meeting locals along the way can really enhance the way you see the country, so sometimes you need to put your trust in yourself and others.
The main purpose of the study in Brazil was to explore how urban development can help the people living in poverty within the cities. I found that most of the favelas in all of the cities I visited are usually on the periphery of the city. In some ways, my findings contradicted my original hypothesis, as I was hoping to find that the successful transport systems in Curitiba would help people in poverty by creating easier mobility and access to education, jobs, etc. Unfortunately this does not entirely work, as the poverty is located on the periphery, and people still lack the ability and the funds to access the core areas of the city. There is one exception within Curitiba, which is Vila Torres, a favela located very close to the centre of the city. Despite much closer access to education, jobs and transport, this is still a highly deprived area. Around the city there is often people sleeping on the streets and begging. I found it particularly upsetting to see women with young children on the streets, knowing it is very unlikely that these children are going to school.
Overall, I really enjoyed my trip to Brazil, and the three cities I was able to visit were very different from one another, giving me a sense of the diversity of this large country. Sao Paulo is a huge, dense city, full of so many cultures and people from all over the world. In contrast, Brasilia felt so dead, due to the layout of the city. I actually did not particularly like the city, as I felt that it was built with only cars in mind, with no consideration for the human scale. Despite this, it has pockets of beauty and good design, and I found the experience very fascinating, both to my own mind, as well as the development of my project. The last city was Curitiba - my favourite that I have visited in Brazil. While here, I was able to really expand my research, delving into the demographics of the city, and fully understanding how the city has grown and developed. Staying in a hostel in Curitiba was also a great experience. I have stayed at hostels before, but I felt a very strong connection to this one. I really felt at home, and the people working at the hostel made sure to involve me in the things going on, and help me with my project where they could.
INDIA
India became a very large learning curve. I arrived in Mumbai with very high personal expectations - India had actually been the country I was most looking forward to visiting. I had been told that due to cultural differences, there are often many people who will stare at a tourist, and ask to take photos, etc. What I didn't anticipate is how it would make me feel. I definitely believe that being there alone as a woman played a key part in how uncomfortable I became, but the riots in the north and potential flooding (which actually ended up being very extreme the day after I left), led me to change my course, and go to Australia instead of Jaipur. While in Mumbai, I did have some really interesting experiences though.
The first day I just allowed myself time to explore, getting around like the locals, using the trains, taxis and rickshaws. In contrast to Brazil, slums in Mumbai are EVERYWHERE. It depends on what definition of informal settlement is used, as many houses in slums such as Dharavi are actually legally owned, but still lack adequate infrastructure and access to services, such as water. It varies between large settlements, and individual houses dotted around the city.
Being in Mumbai during the Ganesha Festival was really enhancing, as it allowed me to see how the culture is integrated into every part of society. I visited some families in Dharavi, who happily showed me their Ganesh icons and welcomed me into their celebrations. Despite the strong sense of community within the slum, there is still a high level of poverty, with conditions that are not suitable for people to live in. As many people come to Mumbai to seek employment, but cannot find it, they often resort to working in the informal sector, with substandard working conditions and safety. Dharavi is located in the heart of the city, with good connections via train to other parts of the city. This makes it a key area for real estate, but also may provide opportunities for people living here.
INDONESIA
Jakarta is the huge, sprawling capital of Indonesia, with approximately 10 million people in the city centre and 30 million in total, including the greater metropolitan area. Although I only had a short amount of time in this city, I have felt a very strong connection to it. Getting the chance to meet the children who are living in the slums of the city was heartbreaking. Not only are they from a disadvantaged background, but they are now living literally on top of the rubble of their old homes. It was a really sad but memorable experience, and I felt so uplifted by how happy, cheerful and excited the children were. They seemed very fond of having the tourists visit them, especially so they can practice their English and sing to us.
Indonesia is a country with a lot of cultural differences, as each island, city, and even village, have their own religions and customs. While Java (where Jakarta is located) is predominantly Muslim, the majority of people on the other islands I visited (Lombok and Bali) were Hindu. This was an interesting difference to see, as these places felt like entirely separate countries. The high levels of poverty in Jakarta were not reflected in the other islands. Although there will be differences in wealth here, I did not see a single homeless person in Lombok or Bali, and no large slum areas (this is purely from my own observation).
FINISHING THE TRIP
Unfortunately, it is now time for me to return home, in time for the next academic year. This has been the most incredible experience of my life to date, and has given me so much to think about in terms of the academic research, but also my own development. My plan on my return is to work through all of the information I have gathered on this trip and begin to formulate a plan about the best way to interpret and analyse it.
Finally, I would like to say thank you to everyone who made this happen: Foster + Partners and RIBA; my family and boyfriend who have been constantly supporting me; and all of the many wonderful people who helped me along the way. None of this would have been possible if it wasn't for all the help I have received and the generosity of so many people.
