This has been an elemental month. I have been writing from Maricá, a community whose name comes from mari (thorn) and caá (bush) according to the indigenous people that first dwelt in these lands. Although located only 60 kilometres from downtown, Maricá is still blessed with rural landscapes. Culinary tradition Folk wisdom and scientific knowledge Around here it is not hard to find homes with space and potential to cultivate fruits, vegetables and pulses for their own family meals, and to

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... t them too. Water is also abundant in the Maricá-Guarapina complex of four lagoons (Maricápicture below, Barra, Guarapina and Padre). And so here is a verse from the poem 'Lagoa' written by Carlos Drummond de Andrade, one of Brazil's greatest poets: In the shower of colours (Na chuva de cores) That rains down in the afternoon, (da tarde que explode,) converted by Web2PDFConvert.com Request and acknowledgement The item on the World Urban Forum was inspired by lunch conversation with Florence Egal, Denise Coitinho, and Geoffrey Cannon. I thank Tamara Gonçalves for support on the virtual interaction during and after the Alana 3rd International Forum on the Child. My thanks also to Catarina Prima, who took the photographs of Rio de Janeiro and Maricá for the storm story. You are invited please to respond, comment, disagree, as you wish. Please use the response facility below. You are free to make use of the material in this column, provided you acknowledge the Association, and me please, and cite the Association's website.