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Reynaldo Lopez
WR 13300-SS13
Dr. Erin Dietel-Mclaughlin
12 September 2014
Screen Travel
The streets are empty. As I look left and right, I see no one. Silence envelops these
Brazilian avenues that are bustling with people on any given day. It’s broad daylight and yet last
night Rio de Janeiro was infinitely noisier. The peace and quiet of this afternoon was
unimaginable during the riots. And yet, as hard to believe as it is, today you can hear a pin drop
in the Favelas. The sun is high in the sky and I can only wonder, “Where is everyone? Shouldn’t
people be going places at this time of day”?
At the same time, the answer lies miles to the east. Copacabana Beach: Rio’s tourist
capital holds the answer to all of Brazil’s problems at the moment. Futebol is that answer.
Futebol is the real football. The kind that you actually play with your feet; not that silly game
that Americans play ten seconds at a time. My first question is immediately answered. Everyone
is at the beach. This summer, Copacabana is futebol’s home. As I ask around, my second
question is also answered. It takes a while thanks to the loud samba music and numerous
distractions all over the beach but I reach an answer nonetheless. People aren’t going anywhere
because today has been declared a national holiday. Today, all businesses were closed and
everyone rushed to Copacabana. Brazil instinctively set aside all of its problems and rejoiced in
the opportunity to come together for the same cause. The cause being to support the Canarinha.

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Thousands upon thousands of Brazilians agglomerated on the sands of Copacabana beach to
watch the Brazilian National Football Team take the field 2200 kilometers away in Fortaleza.
Football is a universal language that respects no obstacles and amongst the thousands of
Brazilians are also thousands of foreigners. Everyone is brought to Copacabana thanks to the
three-story tall LED screens that show all of the matches of the 2014 FIFA World Cup
happening throughout Brazil. Everyone is equally glued to these massive screens and when
halftime or the end of matches comes, friendships are made. Discussions about the matches
begin among Brazilians and foreigners alike. Advertising also brings people together, believe it
or not. FIFA’s sponsors tend to be known worldwide in an effort to equally attract all fans, not
just those from countries commonly associated with more regional sponsors, for example.
Coca Cola is a sponsor that has one of the main attractions aside from the screens. The
ridiculously tall red cans with the fancy white cursive flank every screen. Football fans from
every corner of the world stroll along the beach with flags in their hands and also painted on their
faces. The scent of feijoada rises over games of beach volleyball and beach soccer that can be
seen scattered along the shore. The habitual liveliness of Brazil has entirely transferred itself to
the beach... for today.
Even though Brazil went on to defeat Colombia that night, they lost their best player to
injury. The football team united the country and stopped the riots from previous days but the
unity provided was more fragile than glass. The next day, there was another encounter between
the military police and the protesters. The same people who were protesting before the match
were joined in the streets by more unhappy citizens. This time the protests were louder and more
violent. The list of injured and killed began to grow again after its short hiatus. Gunshots, tear

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gas, shouting... all escalated the confrontation to higher levels. Brazilian society is broken and
mending it looks very difficult.
All of this I know because my screen has taken me there. I have lived Copacabana and
the riots through the eyes of the reporters. I have lived Brazil from the comfort of my home. I
can go anywhere on Earth without leaving my house. With the interconnected, global society that
we are all a part of, it is essential that we travel and learn about the rest of the world, not just our
own corner; this being based on the competitive nature of international trade and business.
Thankfully, today screens give us the alternative of picking the exact location that we want to
visit. They also provide, to a more limited extent although still feasible, the option to travel to the
chosen location at a specific time in the past. Our level of potential knowledge with these
abilities is truly unimaginable. For now, however, it’s time to shut off the TV and go to bed.