A “Super Quadra” in Brasilia, Brazil: great forested areas where monolithic buildings called Blocos (“Blocks”) are found. This is the kind of place I grew up and I still believe is the best thing around here. And not only that: The Plano Piloto (the residential area composed by dozens of Super Quadras) is the place linked to the majority of my memories – good and bad – about Brasilia.

Simone de Beauvoir described the Super Quadras as places sharing “the same air of elegant monotony.” I agree. And the same Super Quadra can be a dreamland to a kid – and to old people – and a nightmare to teenagers and young adults. It can be dull or inspiring, beautiful or frightening in equal measure.

Notice the very small group of squares on the building on the right. They are called “Cobogós”: Walls with dozens of square holes that allows the sunlight getting in and make any home cooler.

Another thing that people – especially tourists – notice about Brasilia is its sky. A beautiful and surreal sky indeed. The sunset is something to behold. It’s easy to find small groups of people gathering to watch the sunset. A friend of mine told me an interesting story: Her grandmother came from Japan to visit her. And every day the old lady went to the apartment window and kept starring at the sky for hours! She said it was “the most beautiful thing” she ever saw.

I enjoyed very very much creating this little postcard, it was a beautiful experience. It made me think not only about the city where I live but also made me think about life. I believe Neil Young was quite right when he wrote (in his song On The Way Home) “We are only what we feel”.

Brasilia is a polarizing city full of contradictions of many kinds.

If you meet your loved ones, have a good meal and avoid the traffic jam, you just had a perfect day in Brasilia. Even if you don’t realise it at first.

Well, Brasilia still offers a high quality of life… So far!

Brasilia is an incorrigible car-dependent city.

Brasília – when seen from the sky – does not look like a plane.

The Octopus’s Garden.

My favorite writer is John Kennedy Toole. My favorite designer is Daniel Gil. And my favorite philosopher is Quentin Tarantino.