"Pororoca" originates from the Tupi-speaking indigenous group, including the Tupinambá, and combines the words "poro" (roar) and "oca" (house/place).
Senna: Heart of Brasil - In a world that feels increasingly polarized, the story of Ayrton Senna resonates because it represents a rare moment of collective grief and shared humanity. When Senna died, Brazil came to a halt—not just out of shock, but out of awe, respect, and admiration. Ask any Brasilian who was alive at the time and they’ll tell you Brasil just “stopped” for 3 days. This kind of national unity, especially over an athlete, feels almost unthinkable today.
Senna wasn’t just a sportsman; he embodied qualities that transcend competition. He represented pure skill, artistry, determination, and the joy of human ingenuity. He made us marvel at what we can achieve as a species. Humans can’t fly or cross water naturally, but we’re a species of builders. Building machines that defy our limitations—and Senna piloted these machines with unmatched brilliance.
Senna’s universal appeal was amplified by the cultural synchrony of the broadcast era—a time when limited media channels created shared narratives. His victories weren’t just personal; they became collective triumphs, uniting a nation that tuned in together to celebrate his brilliance and mourn his loss.
The politicization and polarization in society and even in sports these days isn’t without reason. Increased scrutiny has brought overdue conversations about equity, fairness, and justice. But in the process, some of the sheer joy and wonder of athletic feats has been overshadowed. Senna’s story reminds us of a time when sports could feel unifying—a shared experience that elevated us. Today, with the explosion of media content and fragmented narratives, finding that kind of unity seems harder.
With the release of a new 6-part Netflix series, Senna’s story is back in the headlines, reminding us of his boundless drive to push boundaries and inspire. His story remains a beacon, reminding us of the awe we can still share when humanity reaches its potential. In remembering Senna, we glimpse a time when collective belief in greatness could unite us all.
Watch Senna—now streaming on Netflix.
Name: Ayrton Senna
Birth: Born on March 21, 1960, in São Paulo, Brazil.
Racing Start: Began karting at age 13; won his first championship at 17.
F1 Career: Competed from 1984 to 1994, winning 41 Grand Prix races and 3 World Championships (1988, 1990, 1991).
Pole Positions: Holds the record for 65 pole positions during his career, a testament to his unparalleled speed in qualifying.
Love Life: Xuxa Meneghel is seen by many in Brazil as the love of Ayrton Senna’s life, while Senna’s wife, Adriane Galisteu, was also part of his story, Xuxa remains a figure of public fascination.
Tragic Death: Died on May 1, 1994, at age 34, during the San Marino Grand Prix after a crash at 310 km/h (193 mph).
National Mourning: Brazil declared 3 days of national mourning; over 3 million people followed his funeral procession down the streets of São Paulo.
Gabriel Medina x Pororoca - From one national treasure to another, world-class surfer Gabriel Medina recently surfed the Pororoca in a new video series by Vivo. The Pororoca is a tidal basin where the Amazon River meets the ocean, creating a seemingly never-ending 13-foot wave. Named “Pororoca” by the Tupinamba indigenous group, it’s derived from the word poro (“roar”) and oca (“house/place”). This iconic moment in the Amazon not only showcases Medina's legendary surfing skills but also highlights his ability to unite Brazil. His triumphs, including his legendary 9.90 score and that iconic photo at the 2024 Paris Olympics, brought together people from all corners of Brazil, igniting national pride and celebration. Through his pure talent and dedication, Medina continues to inspire and unify a country with diverse cultures and passions.
Watch Gabriel Medina surf Pororoca here.
Surfing the Pororoca takes place in the state of Amapá, where the Amazon River meets the Atlantic Ocean. The closest airport is in Macapá, and from there, you'll need to travel by boat to reach the wave’s best surf spots. Best ridden during spring tides, the wave can last up to 30 minutes, offering surfers an unforgettable rush.
Mega Espetaculo: G20 in Rio -With Republic Day on November 15, Black Consciousness Day officially recognized as a national holiday on the 20th, and the G20 Summit sandwiched in between, Rio got a mega-feriado, with the 18th and 19th as added holidays to manage traffic chaos from the summit. The summit itself became a spectacle: President Biden channeling Survivor in the Amazon, political celebrities cosplaying as Rio tourists on social media, and indigenous groups commanding attention with gorilla artfare. It felt like existential theater—violinists as the Titanic goes down—where fleeting climate change talks were drowned out by a frenzy of political PR.
Brazil’s faced 3 major climate crises in 2024:
Amazon Dolphin Loss: Droughts in the Amazon this year have led to dangerously low water levels, threatening the survival of pink dolphins as their habitat dries up.
Porto Alegre Flooding: Severe floods in Porto Alegre have caused widespread destruction, displacing thousands and exacerbating the region’s vulnerability to climate extremes.
Pantanal Fires: Climate crimes are on the rise this year with Intentional fires in the Pantanal, often set to clear land for agriculture, have devastated wildlife and ecosystems, contributing significantly to air pollution and carbon emissions.
Avoiding São Paulo: Flying out of Floripa - Traveling internationally to and from Florianópolis often comes down to choosing between shitty options. The journey usually involves the necessary evil of flying through GRU, with transfer layovers ranging from 1 hour and 45 minutes (don’t do it) to 8 hours (the reality of 30-hour travel days). Flights from Floripa are frequently delayed, and the process of dealing with immigration, collecting luggage, re-checking it, navigating multiple floors, and walking 15 minutes just to get back to security is an adventure. Making it under 2 hours between connecting flights isn’t just difficult—it’s a bad idea. Despite knowing the exact stairs, hallways, and lines after several attempts, it’s still a stressful experience every time.
While you can’t make it in 1 hour and 45 minutes, on the flip side, spending 8 hours in GRU is rarely productive or relaxing. I usually just end up a shell of a human after eating subpar food, fine candies, and buying another pair of sunglasses from Chill Beans.
That’s why I’m excited to try a new itinerary next week when I return to the States. I’ll be flying Copa Airlines with a layover in Panama on my way to Washington DC. While I’ll still have to manage my usually complicated visa situation in Floripa and connect through the most humid airport I’ve ever been in (legit no AC in Panama City), with a total travel time of 13.5 hours, hopefully I’ll arrive just as sweaty and gross—but maybe a little less stressed and exhausted. Explore flights between the US and Florianopolis connecting through Panama City on Copa Airlines starting at USD $465.
Launching this past September, Tap Portugal now offers 3 direct flights per week between Lisbon and Florianopolis. Round trip tickets cost about USD $1100.
Ecstatic Dance: Cult “Lite”? When I first heard about an ecstatic dance event in Floripa on Ilha Campeche—complete with a cacao ceremony and silent disco—I joked with my friend that it sounded like a cult initiation event. Maybe we'd be asked to give up our belongings, sever ties with the mainland, and build a utopian society like in The Beach? I’ve always been half-curious about cults, hoping for an invitation, but life only sent me MLM pitches. And honestly, right now? A cult doesn’t sound half bad. After a surprise U.S. election, a “reduction in force” at work, an impending trip back to the States I wasn’t thrilled about, and my DN visa hanging in limbo, I was ready to leave it all behind. Where do I sign up?
Instead, it turned out to be simpler: open-minded people connecting with their bodies and nature. And the therapy I didn’t know I needed. It reminded me why I left the grind behind in the first place and built my life here in Brazil—outside my laptop.
In 2020, I became a nomad (judge me for my pandemic travel) as a response to burnout. From 2015 to 2019, I was consumed by the startup grind: working Saturdays, lured into working late nights with free dinners and car rides, empty promises of profit-sharing. I devoted myself to the cult of startups and worshiped at the altar of hypergrowth. But as I rose through the ranks, I realized I didn’t want what I was being sold: a house, marriage, kids, possessions, the American Dream. I didn’t even bother furnishing my last apartment—just a mattress on the floor. I didn’t feel the pull to accumulate or establish myself. That life didn’t feel like mine.
Becoming a nomad was about reclaiming my identity and purpose—defining my own meaning in the grind. It became about new experiences, learning cultures, surfing, and having conversations in foreign languages—that’s my dream. In a time when we’re asked to sacrifice so much to survive, it’s easy to unknowingly lose our identity. It’s easy to become just a worker and a consumer—working 50 hours a week for corporations, binge-watching what they want us to watch all weekend, then talking about it in Monday meetings. My travels were about finding the life in between and reclaiming the identity I’d surrendered to the startup grind.
On the nauseating boat ride to the island, my partner and I were already plotting our escape before the event even began. After a long week at work, I didn’t want to step out of my comfort zone and commit to six hours on an island. Get me back to the matrix. We live in a time of bailing, flaking, and staying in. Why commit when we can instantly soothe any discomfort—stream something, get it delivered in 10 minutes, swipe up?
When you’re uncomfortable, you need to remind yourself why you’re making the choices you do. Why did I commit to this dance imprisonment last Tuesday? It’s like when I did a 10-day Vipassana retreat and my first thought was, "Why didn’t I take a vacation like a normal person? Why can’t I just Netflix and chill?"
So, as we approached the dance area, drained and caught up in life’s uncertainty, I decided to surrender to the experience. We sat in a circle (again, cult vibes), drank ceremonial cacao, and put on headphones. The hippie beats and rising cacao energy grounded me. The wind moved with my body, the sand grounded my feet. With each stomp, each movement, I felt the stress and uncertainty of the past few weeks fall away. I felt in harmony with the world not a victim of its cold indifference.
Locals stared at us, beers in hand, filming like we were a sideshow. But strangely, it made me feel freer. Dance should be normalized; moving your body without caring what others think is a radical act.
The word "ecstatic" means overwhelming happiness or joy. I can’t say I’ve felt that way often in life, but last Saturday? Unequivocally ecstatic.
About Ecstatic Dance:
Origins: Rooted in shamanistic and Eastern philosophies, and believed to connect to ancient tribal rituals.
Modern Revival: Gabrielle Roth revived ecstatic dance in the 1970s, formalizing it in her 5Rhythms practice.
Ecstatic Dance Parties: Alcohol- and drug-free events that encourage silent dancing. Bumping and grinding all up on each other not allowed.
Guidelines: No shoes, no phones, no talking on the dance floor.
Goal: To connect with your physical self, leaving behind self-consciousness and sinking into a trance-like state.
Want to try ecstatic dance? Check out Ecstatic Dance Brasil for events all over the country.
Tchau, tchau.