My dear friends, pardon me, please, for taking long to send some news!

There’s a lot of samba and sunshine in Rio, and while my drinking and smoking have increased slightly given a few field-related anxieties, I can tell you, with all depth, that this city continues to marvel! O Rio de Janeiro continua lindo… Between field events and visits, primarily to out-of-duty security actors at the West Zone, I’ve been encountering and holding on to energized chants as Fundo de Quintal’s “Nosso Grito” – a song that talks about a dog’s life and that I partially relate to, even if in my positionality I am quite Human, especially in Brazil. As I sit and write and try and manage some sensible topics that Brandão (1976) would frame critically, almost ironically, as “matters of taste”, I have decided to share this picture with you. It was taken outside the city of Rio, but it condenses a few of the topics in my research: a household dog with no identifiable breed (raça), who actively served security purposes as a lively alarm, can be seen sleeping nicely under the sun, resting in peace. I am enjoying my time in Rio, and more broadly at home, in Southeast Brazil. But I also look forward to returning to the comfort of Amsterdam, where I feel I can have more time and headspace to share different sights of the city’s security with you!

Warmly,

João