Introduction

Welcome to the Gringoes.com email newsletter!
This newsletter pulls together some of the articles, photos, polls and other information that has been published on the Gringoes.com web site over the last week or so. Don't forget to visit the Gringoes.com site to checkout our article archive, useful information pages, classified adverts, services, forum and other pages. So read on and we hope you enjoy the newsletter. As always if you have any comments, such as what you'd like to see more or less of on the site or newsletter, don't hesitate to contact us at gringoes@gringoes.com.
Please note that although we are based in São Paulo, the site and newsletter are for the whole of Brazil. We are particularly interested in hearing from people outside of São Paulo city, specifically Rio de Janeiro and the Northeast, so if you would like to write about your experiences or any topic related to Brazil see our request for "Article Writers" below.
If you're interested to know the origin behind the site name, then read the "Dear Gringo" article here by Dr. G.


Gringoes.com December Meet Up (São Paulo)

Our second São Paulo meet up is this coming Friday (December 1st) at 8pm in Drake's Bar in Pinheiros. Drake's is a popular meeting place for foreigners, and located next to the British Consulate. Drake's have kindly offered all Gringoes.com readers attending a 10% discount.
The meet up is simply a fun event to allow foreigners in Brazil to meet other foreigners, share experiences, make friends etc.
We have reserved the deck area for Gringoes.com, so make your way there when you arrive. Partners and friends, Brazilian or otherwise, are welcome. For those who will be attending can you please send us an email with how many of you are going so we can estimate numbers.
If you'd like to organise a Gringoes.com readers meet-up in your town or city then just drop us an email and we can advertise it for you.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: São Paulo Entertainment Guide

This week‘s entertainment guide for São Paulo features a bar in Vila Olimpia, an exhibition at MAM, this week‘s recommended film, and a roundup of some other upcoming events.
If you have been to a restaurant, club, park, museum, or anywhere else in São Paulo that you would like to recommend to other readers in future Entertainment Guides then don‘t hesitate to contact us!
Also if you are a bar, restaurant, or night club owner (or hosting any other form of event that might be of interest to foreigners) that would like to be reviewed by Gringoes.com, as well as appearing in our entertainment guide, please contact us to arrange a visit. If you would like to submit an entertainment guide for your city we‘d be interested to hear from you also.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: St. Andrew's Society Golf Tournament

The American and St. Andrew‘s Societies of São Paulo are pleased to invite you to participate in our 2nd Annual "Challenge Cup", an inter-society charity golf tournament. The format will be a team competition between the two societies, AmSoc & St. Andrews.
Please confirm your participation immediately since spaces are limited.
Format: Team Twosome Best Ball
Teams: 48 golfers (each Society will have 12 teams of 2)
Winner: Team with most points wins "The Munro Cup" (only 10 best scores count)
Date: Friday, December 8, 2006
Time: 9:30 am - Registration (get your team shirt) and Warm-up
11:00 am - Brunch and/or sandwiches
11:40 am - Foursomes to Tees for Shotgun start
12:00 pm - Start of the tournament 5:00 pm - End of the tournament
5:30 pm - Awards, Cocktails and Munro Cup presentation
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil Journeys: São Paulo to Rio de Janeiro

By Ricky Skelton
You can do it in an hour, but what a waste. The slower, the better if you take the scenic route along the Costa Verde. Unfortunately for me, I only had two nights to spare. I'd liked to have spent three months going up that coast. We missed out Ilha Bela and hit the Coast at Ubatuba. Even the journey down there from the highway is spectacular, especially if you're fresh of the boat as I was. Trees with beautifully vivid purple and white flowers border the road, in the middle of the Mata Atlantica, with bending roads through the sights and smells of the forest. It's hard to resist stopping every five minutes, but it was Brazil. I needed to feel the sand between my toes and the white water fizzing around my ankles. I needed to be on a beach within 48 hours of quitting work at home.
It happened to, and life was Good. Surfing as the sun went down on Praia Grande, eating fresh seafood moqueca later, waking up to my first huge pousada breakfast and trying three or four strange fruits, my first 24 hours in the country was a resounding success. I drove as well, which wasn't such a shock on the coast road like it would be in the centre of Sampa or Rio. We cruised along, stopping at waterfalls and more pristine beaches, getting advice from the locals and drinking fresh agua de coco.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: A Moving Experience

By Pat Moraes
My husband and I really enjoy reading the Gringoes Newsletter and now would like to do our part and share a current experience. We are recently retired and this will be our second year of spending the North American winter in the tropical Brazilian sunshine. Last year we purchased an apartment in São Jose dos Campos, São Paulo and had it remodeled to our taste. We bought our major appliances, dining set, living room couches, beds, etc in São Jose dos Campos, but we have not had much luck finding comfortable recliners that we liked. My husband who was a skinny young Brazilian kid when he arrived thirty seven years ago is now built like the average middle aged American and I am a Gringa "gordinha" by nature. We felt that there were a few household items and bric-a-brac that we would like to have to make things feel more like home, and we wanted to ship two older bicycles and biking gear rather than trying to find them in Brazil.
Through Globo International TV we became aware of a moving company "Confianca Moving" that specializes in moving to Brazil. The interesting thing about this company is that you have the choice between shipping anything from one small box to a whole container. In order to have the items picked up at your residence and delivered to your destination in Brazil the minimum amount of shipping is three cubic meters. This is what we chose to do.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: Weekly News Roundup

Lula Pushing Infrastructure Projects Forward in Second Term
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is planning to hire more government workers and change environmental law to push ahead around 120 stalled infrastructure projects. The projects are a mix of transport, pipelines, dams, hydroelectric and nuclear power generation. Most have been stalled by confusing environmental law.
VW Find Agreement with 1,500 Workers
Around 1,500 workers at Volkswagen's oldest factory in Brazil, in São Bernardo, São Paulo, have agreed to accept early retirement in an attempt at restructuring and increasing profitability. Expensive labour costs have been highlighted as the cause, and the factory was blighted with strikes prior to this agreement being made.
ATC Likely Cause
It‘s now looking likely that the cause of Brazil‘s worst air crash, between a private Embraer Legacy and Gol Boeing over the Amazon, was air traffic control (ATC). Transcripts of the controllers have shown that the plane was directed to 37,000 feet, the incorrect altitude. Although the transcripts also show unanswered communications between both the jets and ATC for around 30 minutes before the crash, which have yet to be explained. The two US pilots are still being told they can't leave Brazil, after around a two month wait, and are still "under siege" from the press in a hotel in Rio. This Wednesday the Allied Pilots Association of the United States issued a statement asking for their release. Both the pilots lawyer and other lawyers have said they cannot be held legally in Brazil, although this has not prevented the situation so far. The detention has gone under the spotlight again, now that it seems very unlikely the pilots were at fault.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil Through Foreign Eyes

Meet Allison Glick, from the USA, who has travelled to and worked in Brazil. Read the following interview where she tells us about some memorable experiences from Brazil and gives some useful advice to newcomers.
1. Tell us a little about yourself, where are you from, what do you do etc.?
My name is Allison Glick and I am from Orange Lake, Florida. I breed Arabian show horses and spend my days preparing them to show. Arabians are a very international breed and with this occupation, I travel all of the time and have spent long periods of time in Brazil, with the horses.
2. When did you arrive in Brazil and what brought you here?
The first time I visited Brazil was in 1992. I had a friend from Brazil that I met through the Arabian horses, as her horses were at a US Trainer‘s farm the same time my horses were. We became fast friends. Since she had been to the United States many times, she was eager to share her country with me. I enjoyed it very much and have met so many fellow Arabian horse enthusiasts there, so now I have found a way to incorporate my occupation into traveling to Brazil. I have been there many, many times now and go multiple times every year. I have spent long periods of time there taking care of horses that we have exported and readying them for shows and that is how I have learned the most about the culture of Brazil!!
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Article Writers

Are you a "Gringo" (foreigner) living in or travelling around Brazil with experiences you would like to write about, or with advice to offer? Are you a Brazilian who would like to explain about Brazil to foreigners, and help give advice on what to do, and where to go? Perhaps you just write a frequent blog about Brazil, and would be interested in publishing some of this on our site. If you are interested in writing an article, or series of articles, or posting your blog content on Gringoes.com we are interested in hearing from you! Don't be shy! All we ask is that the articles are focused on Brazil, will be of interest to foreigners either travelling or living here, and are written in English.
We are particularly interested in hearing from people who want to write about areas other than São Paulo, specifically Rio de Janeiro and the Northeast, although other areas as well. If you are unsure about a topic then drop us an email or a draft article. Send your articles or any questions to gringoes@gringoes.com with "articles" in the subject.


Interviews

Thanks to those who responded to our request for interviews. We're building up the queue of interviews, but can always do with more, so if you would like to be in our Brazil Through Foreign Eyes, or Foreigners Through Brazilian Eyes series please send us an email. As you can see it doesn't matter if you're a foreigner to Brazil, or Brazilian, we're still interested to hear from you. The interview series is a fascinating look at how real people are enjoying Brazil, and equally how Brazilians really see foreigners. They also give various tips on what to see in Brazil, and how to survive here.
The interview itself is a set of around 15 easy-to-answer questions, and ideally we like a digital photo of you as well we can place with the interview.
So if you're interested, don't be shy, send a blank email to mark@gringoes.com with "Interview" in the subject. We will then send you the questions, and instructions on how to complete. We'd love to hear from you!

A gentle reminder to those who have been sent questions. Please don't forget to complete and return them!


Book Donations

If you are leaving Brazil and/or have any unwanted books, and are happy to donate them, then Gringoes.com would be glad to receive them! We are considering setting up a book club for Gringoes.com readers if we can get sufficient interest. For details of how to donate your books then please contact gringoes@gringoes.com with "Book Donation" in the subject.
A special request: we've had an offer of around 200 books from a Gringoes.com reader in Belo Horizonte, but we are unable to get the books to our office in São Paulo. If any readers are travelling between São Paulo and Belo Horizonte, and are able to help with transport, then please contact us at gringoes@gringoes.com


Gringoes Poll

Unfortunately there's no change in the poll this week until we can resolve if there is an issue with the database system.

Please send this email to anyone you think might find it interesting. If you have not yet registered with gringoes.com and would like to receive future newsletters click here. If you have mistakenly received this message, or would no longer like to receive mail from us, then please reply to this email with the word 'take out' in the subject line. If you are unsubscribing because the newsletter doesn't meet your needs then please let us know how we can improve it.

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Weekly Quiz

Last week's quiz question, from Steven Engler was: who was the second Emperor of Brazil? When did he reign? What was his full name? We didn't have any answer that 100% agreed with Steven's answer, but the first with a partially complete answer was Eduardo D'Angelo P. Silva, congratulations Eduardo! Steven's answer is as follows: Pedro de Alcântara João Carlos Leopoldo Salvador Bibiano Francisco Xavier de Paula Leocádio Miguel Gabriel Rafael Gonzaga de Bragança e Habsburgo was crowned D. Pedro II in Rio de Janeiro on 18 July 1841 (at the age of 15) and ruled as emperor of Brazil till 15 November 1889, when he was deposed and the Republic was proclamed. He was the oldest son of D. Pedro I, the first emperor of Brazil.
This week's quiz question again comes from Steven Engler (thanks Steven!) and is: what are four different names that have been used for the country (besides "Brasil", which began to be used in the 1520s)? Don't forget to answer all the questions! Send your answers to mark@gringoes.com with ‘Weekly Quiz’ in the subject line. Thanks to all those who've been sending quiz questions, we've built up our reserves a little but more are always welcome! Do you think you can stump the Gringoes.com readers, then please send them to mark@gringoes.com with ‘Weekly Quiz Ideas’ in the subject line. Don't forget to send the answer to the question also! Remember it needs to be relatively difficult, and not something that can be found from a simple Internet search.


Photo of the Week

The photo of the week is Fazenda Maristela and was taken by Lawrence Rincon in Tremembè, São Paulo. Click here to see the photo.
Thanks to all those who've sent in photos based on our request, but we can always do with more. So if you have a funny or unusual photo depicting life in Brazil please send it to gringoes@gringoes.com with ‘Photo of the Week’ in the subject line. Ideally we are after photos that are of something a little different, not traditional shots of beaches and sunsets. Please send relatively high resolution images (0.5 Megapixel / 640 x 480 or bigger), and let us know where you took the photo and if you have a title for it.


Tip of the Week

The tip of the week comes from the Gringoes.com staff. When buying items of a reasonable value or higher, try to negotiate a discount of around 5% or more when you're paying "à vista", that is in a single payment. Brazilians often buy basic goods such as clothes, shoes etc. in multiple payments which cost the shop interest. So paying in a single payment should score you a discount.
We've run out of tips, so a special request to Gringoes.com readers for more! Is there something you wish you had known while travelling, or something that makes life easier while living here in Brazil? Then share it, and let our readers know. Don't worry about the subject, it can be either a big or small piece of useful information. Send your tips to mark@gringoes.com with ‘Tip of the Week’ in the subject line.


Understanding Brazil: Bank Accounts

By Volker Ruther
This is one in a series of helpful articles by Volker which are a collection of information and experiences about how and where to get documents and permissions, or how to resolve bureaucratic subjects and matters in Brazil as a foreigner.
Note that although the best efforts have been made to ensure the information is valid, we cannot guarantee that it is 100% correct, as the article is based on a mixture of personal experiences and information that has been collected from various sources like Internet sites, official documents and an exchange of experiences with other foreigners in Brazil. Also even Brazilian law is subject to change, and often difficult to interpret.
Always check your own situation via a suitable source e.g. consulate or appropriately qualified lawyer, before proceeding.
To open a bank account ("conta bancária" in Portuguese) as a foreigner in Brazil is not very easy. Typically you will need a CPF (Cadastro da Pessoa Fisica) and a long-term visa like a work or permanent visa with the ID card (CIE, Cédula de Identidade de Estrangeiro). For tourists it is impossible to open a bank account in Brazil.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: A Guide to Fernando de Noronha Part 3

By Mark Taylor
Here is the third part of Mark's guide to Fernando de Noronha. To read previous parts click the relevant link at the end of the article.
Getting About
The island's transport breaks down into three main methods: buggy rental, taxis and bus.
Buggies, essentially simple beach buggies, can be rented for around R$100 a day, which can climb to as much as R$200-250 a day when scarce and the peak season. The advantage with a rented buggy is that you can get around the island pretty much wherever and whenever you want, albeit for a cost. A lot of the tracks to beaches are pretty rough, so they are well suited to the purpose.
Alternatively you can take a taxi, which again are beach buggies and you get to sit on the back of, holding tight to the roll cage. Prices will vary depending on where you want to go, but typically they cost R$10-15 per journey.
The bus is the cheapest option of all, and is very easy to use as there's essentially one route from one end of the island to the other. All you need to know is which direction you want to travel in which is indicated on the front of the bus and fairly obvious from the side of the road you're standing on. A ticket is around R$3.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Two Brazilian Charmers Part 7

By Joe Lopes
Here is part 7 of Joe's article about two famous personalities from Brazil, Bidu Sayão and Carmen Miranda. To read the previous parts click the relevant links at the end of the article.
The High Price of Fame in Brazil
Blame It on Rio
They booed. The audience had actually booed. It was unheard of, absurd to say the least, yet it was true. But how could it have happened in Rio, and, most disturbingly of all, to Bidu Sayão, the operatic sweetheart of the Southern Hemisphere?
Not five months had passed since the stylish Brazilian singer‘s appearance at the Metropolitan Opera House had caused a minor stir, and was labeled the surprise hit of the 1936-37 season. "Miss Sayão triumphed as a Manon should," wrote New York Times critic Olin Downes of her mid-winter debut, "by manners, youth and charm, and by the way in which [her] voice became the vehicle of dramatic expression."
Bidu had been chosen by the Met to assume the repertory of the recently retired Spanish soprano Lucrezia Bori, and within weeks of her initial engagement she was assigned the lead role in La Traviata, followed quickly by her first La Bohème.
Now with many US opera companies on hiatus until the fall, Bidu was free to enjoy the warmer waters of her tropical port city and its own extensive concert and opera-going season. Her ambitions there were modest, in the extreme: to please her many fans and admirers, as she always had, at Rio de Janeiro‘s Teatro Municipal.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


A Guide to Finding Work in Brazil Part 1

By Ed Walker
One thing I'm sure that many Gringoes.com readers will be interested in is how to secure a well paid job in Brazil? I am sure most readers will appreciate that this can be a challenging proposition. I arrived in Brazil without knowing anyone, not speaking one word of the lingo and not having the right visa. Despite this monumental challenge I have been fortunate enough to secure a paid job and more importantly, interesting job, in São Paulo. This article is here to give hope to those that are currently trying to find work or are considering taking on the challenge. I will pass on some hints that helped me and are worth considering.
Where do I Start?
Certainly where I come from a job is normally sourced via one of three mediums: a newspaper advertisement, a recruitment agency or personal contacts. Certainly all these three options exist in Brazil but I believe that the last source is the most likely method of finding a job. Therefore make it a priority to develop a network in Brazil as quickly as you can. This will involve putting yourself in to situations that may be out of your ‘comfort zone‘. In my case I was in touch with my countries consulate here in São Paulo who were very helpful, I joined the cricket team and started attending Portuguese lessons. After a period of time I was being invited to various events, functions and luncheons. After finding some Dutch courage after a few drinks I would introduce myself to people give them my story and swap details. Get yourself a business card with your details, so you can then hand this around, and always carry a few with you. Let people know that you are looking for work and explain what skills you have. If you do get someone‘s card follow it up with an email a few days later or a phone call. Don‘t be shy most people appreciate your position and will try to help. If you don‘t get a good vibe then don‘t contact them again. Within a few months you will start building a network but you will need to work hard at it. Don‘t be discouraged and persevere.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Understanding Brazil: Driver's License

By Volker Ruther
This is one in a series of helpful articles by Volker which are a collection of information and experiences about how and where to get documents and permissions, or how to resolve bureaucratic subjects and matters in Brazil as a foreigner.
Note that although the best efforts have been made to ensure the information is valid, we cannot guarantee that it is 100% correct, as the article is based on a mixture of personal experiences and information that has been collected from various sources like Internet sites, official documents and an exchange of experiences with other foreigners in Brazil. Also even Brazilian law is subject to change, and often difficult to interpret.
Always check your own situation via a suitable source e.g. consulate or appropriately qualified lawyer, before proceeding.
In Brazil the driver‘s/driving license is known as the Carteira Nacional de Habilitação (CNH). A foreign driver's license can be used for up to six months, but has to be in combination with an official translation into Portuguese stamped by the traffic authority, Departamento Estadual de Trânsito (DETRAN).
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Discussion Forum

If you've not had a chance yet then pop over to our web forum, register, and start joining in the discussion about Brazil. There are many forum areas such as Living in Brazil, Teaching English, Visas and Documentation, and even a place to Vent Your Frustrations! There's also a forum which allows you to comment on Gringoes.com, either with your views about past articles, areas of the site, or to make suggestions for future articles and content.
Each week in the newsletter we will choose a Post of the Week to give you some idea of what's happening in the forum, and a good thread to visit and read. This week we recommend the post "Have You Ever Been Robbed in Brazil?" started by the user The Gringo in our "Living in Brazil" forum. The post is a poll and discussion about the subject of crime.
If you have a recommendation for the best Post of the Week then send an email to mark@gringoes.com with "Post of the Week" in the subject.
On a serious note, foul language and abusive posts made in the forum will not be tolerated. The forum is intended to be a constructive and lighthearted place for discussion about Brazil.

Forex

Despite a peak yesterday there's been a slight rise over the week with the US dollar, currently at R$2.18, versus R$2.16 a week ago. The Euro has risen substantially over the week, now at R$2.87, compared to R$2.78 a week ago. There's been a similar trend with the British Pound, currently R$4.26, against R$4.12 a week ago.