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.


São Paulo: Burns Night

Robert Burns: Poet and balladeer, Scotland‘s favourite son and champion of the people. Each year Scots everywhere take time out to honour a national icon.
Join the St. Andrew Society of the State of São Paulo in celebrating the memory of this Scottish legend.
When: Saturday, February 10th, 2007, at 8:00pm
Where: Brazilian British Center - BBC
R. Ferreira de Araujo 741-4th floor, Pinheiros
Dress: Kilt or Casual (Esporte Fino)
Price: R$120 adult, R$90 aged 30 and under, R$60 aged 70+
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Gringoes.com Brazil FAQ

Are you moving to Brazil and have a 101 questions, or are you travelling to Brazil and want to know something about where you're visiting, or do you just want to learn some more about Portuguese? For the answers to this, and a lot more, checkout our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Brazil, which covers a variety of topics categorised below. These all link to articles in the database of the 2000 or so articles that have been published on the site. Of course the FAQ will be ever evolving as new articles are added to it, and we plan to add further categorisation as well. Also if you feel something is missing from here feel free to let us know.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Weight Loss Surgery in Brazil

Please note: although this article was in our previous newsletter, the link had an error, and has been corrected for this issue.
While Brazilians are renown for their beautiful figures, recent studies have shown that the number of overweight people in this country is increasing. In this interview we speak to Dr. Roberto Rizzi, a specialist in Obesity weight loss surgery.
1) Can you describe in lay man's terms what is involved with this type of weight loss surgery?
Answer:
There are several procedures. I prefer the Gastric Bypass procedure because it‘s safer and has fewer complications than other available weight-loss surgeries. Gastric bypass, which changes the anatomy of the digestive system to limit the amount of food a person can eat and digest. It is also the favored bariatric surgery in the United States.
2) How common is this kind of surgery in Brazil?
Answer:
Brazil is the second country in the world that most performs Gastric Bypass Obesity Surgeries (USA is in the first place).
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Heitor Villa-Lobos: The Brazilian Bach Part 3

By Joe Lopes
Here is part 3 of Joe's article about the Brazilian composter Heitor Villa-Lobos. To read the previous parts click the relevant links at the end of the article.
Entr‘acte: Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5
On the occasions when Villa-Lobos deigned to write memorable vocal music - his failure to create a clear-cut national opera notwithstanding - he was plainly unsurpassed in inventiveness, originality and means of expression.
For example, a thorough study of his superb Bachianas Brasileiras (1930-1945) is an absolute requirement for any classically-trained artist to achieve a deeper understanding of the Brazilian composer‘s methodology and mindset.
The most performed of the Bachianas is No. 5 for soprano soloist and eight cellos, written in two movements, with the first having its world premiere in 1939 in Rio and sung by its lyricist, the singer Ruth Valadares Corrêa; and the second completed around 1945, with words by the poet Bandeira.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: A View from Rio Grande de Norte

By Hal
To start, know that I have only been in Brazil off and on for three years. I like it here and I like almost all the Brazilians that I have met. I applied for and have received a Permanent Visa and I now live here year round.
I will try to stick to facts and refrain from comparisons with either the US or European countries, their economies, their politics or their societies.
In the future I will share with you sketches of two cities in the state of Rio Grande do Norte in the Northeast of Brazil. The cities are Natal, the capital of the state which is on the Atlantic ocean and Caicó, a city four hours inland in desert country (think Arizona). I will keep these sketches short with continuations in future installments; likely there will be accompanying fotos. First, here is a brief sketch of Brazil.
Brazil is the fifth largest (larger than the continental US) and fifth most populated (190 million people) country in the world; by far the biggest in South America. It has extensive natural resources.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: Enough of the "Estrangeirismos"

By Mark Taylor
English is everywhere in Brazil. It's very common to see English words slotted into various aspects of Brazilian life, particularly advertising (see my previous article Portunglish or Engluguese? for more on this). But plans are afoot to try and prevent this "corruption" of Portuguese with so called estrangeirismos.
The French are well ahead of Brazil in this respect, but equally have always been well known for the protection of their cultural identity (the French equivalent for estrangeirismos dubbed as Franglais). France passed the Law Toubon in 1994 which ensured that various documents e.g. work contracts, corporate procedures etc. must be written in French. Commissions regularly meet at the French Ministry of Finance to try and correct the language, by suggesting replacements for Franglais that have snuck in. Ironically though the attempts to rewire the language generally meet with failure, as the English version prevails in reality. But when looking at example replacements e.g. "telechargement pour baladeur" in exchange for "podcasting", perhaps it's no great surprise.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Around Brazil: Morro de São Paulo (& Itabuna)

By Ricky Skelton
Itabuna is one of those towns that everybody who travels finds themselves staying in occasionally. When the journey doesn‘t go as planned due to missed connections, you can‘t do as many miles as you‘d hoped and end up arriving late in a small town that you‘ve never heard of before, and neither has your guide book. You want to leave first thing in the morning, so find the ‘hotel‘ nearest to the station. These hotels are the same the world over - Brazil, Guatemala, India, Sweden even: quiet, empty, probably looked dilapidated when they were opened, and a sad-looking man with a moustache wearing an off-white vest serves you if he can tear himself away from his black and white portable TV for long enough. The walls are grey and have bullet holes, the bathroom is a mosquito graveyard, the cockroaches roam free, and you have second thoughts about lying on that mattress. Still, it‘s only for five hours.
Some places you like immediately, solely because of your journey there. The boat ride to Morro de São Paulo, leaving the mainland and a huge black cloud behind us and driving through the reflection of the morning sun, was just one of these journeys. The channels to Ilha de Tinharé are tree-lined until you see the coloured cliffs of the island. We were handed flyers for a full moon party on the beach of the first village. Sometimes it comes together for you without any effort.
…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've almost run out though, 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!


Gringoes Poll

This week's poll, continuing from last week, is on spending, and what your single biggest monthly expense is e.g. property (rent/mortgage), insurance, or are you lucky enough to spend most on entertainment? It's no great surprise that the biggest cost by far is property, with 51% of the vote. In a distant second and third place are Food (14%) and Entertainment (12%), so it's good to see people are taking their entertainment somewhat seriously! If you haven't yet voted go to our homepage and look for the poll in the left-hand column.
If you can't stand our poll ideas and have better ones, or are curious about some aspect of the Gringoes.com readers, then send your ideas to us at mark@gringoes.com with "Poll Idea" in the subject. If we choose your poll you will get a credit in the newsletter, as well as the satisfaction of seeing what the answers are!

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.

Earn your Executive MBA degree with the University of Pittsburgh in São Paulo Ranked 17th among US-programs and 35th in the world by the Financial Times, the University of Pittsburgh offers an Executive MBA Worldwide Program in Brazil. With 10 modules of study in São Paulo, one in Europe and one in the U.S., the program helps professionals advance their careers, enhance their network of important high-level contacts, and develop their managerial competencies. For more information, please email BrazilMBA@katz.pitt.edu or call (011) 5180-3639. Website: www.emba.pitt.edu

Weekly Quiz

Last week's quiz question was from Amy Lima and was: who was the first woman elected to a seat in the Academia Brasileira de Letras, in what year, and what other famous author is she related to? Congratulations to Michael McHugh who gave us the answer equal to Amy's, that is: 1. Rachel de Queiroz. 2. 1977. 3. José de Alencar.
This week's quiz question is again from Amy Lima (thanks Amy!) and is: what shape is the layout of Brasilia designed to represent, who designed the shape, and who designed most of the government buildings there? Don't forget to answer all parts of the question!
Do you think you can stump the Gringoes.com readers? If so then please send your quiz questions 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 Hogging the Bog, taken by Fiona Dunne in Colinas, Tocantins. 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

This week's tip comes from an anonymous contributor, and relates to issues with money transfer: I had to wire money here from my bank in the USA, done on Jan 4th. It took until Jan 16th (at 7:10pm!) for the money to appear, despite the banks promise of 5 - 7 days. Even then it was only transferred after threats to the bank that I would move my account if they didn't complete the transfer. The bank also hadn't warned me that I needed to sign some forms and provide salary information to prove this money came from the USA. I wired money about a month ago also, but because it was less than US$5K, I didn't have to follow this process.
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.


Brazilian Resident Investor Status Program

By the Bionexus Legal Team
A law was passed on October 6th, 2004 in Brazil whereby the fee for obtaining a permanent residency was lowered from $200,000 to only $50,000 USD. A Brazilian company must be formed and the bank account of that Brazilian company must be registered with the Central Bank of Brazil. The $50,000 USD must pass through the Central Bank into the investor's Brazilian company bank account which remains under the investor's control at all times. You can obtain a permanent residency, by investing in a business - for example it could be a real estate property.
Money transfer - It is worth mentioning that when you transfer the money legally, from your bank through the Central Bank of Brazil (Banco Central) to your own bank account in Brazil, that the money remains yours and stays with you at your disposal at all times and under your sole control.
Comparison to Central America Residency Investor Programs - There simply is no comparison. Central American countries like Costa Rica and Panama charge up to $80,000 USD to obtain a permanent visa, but the investment goes to government tree planting projects that you have no control over and it is doubtful that you will ever receive a penny of profit. Consider it a donation.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Around Brazil: Adventure in the Pantanal and Bonito Part 1

By Marilyn Diggs
A Visit to the Heart of South America - the Pantanal
For the twenty years that I have lived in Brazil, I‘ve always heard the word "impressive" used to describe the Pantanal, the Brazilian wetlands. Recently I decided to see it for myself, only to discover that "impressive" doesn‘t come close.
The Pantanal-bound traveler‘s first decision must be whether to go in the dry season when the mammals are prevalent, or rainy when the area floods and the flora and bird life flourish. I opted for the former. Bonito, a favorite spot for ecotourism since the 1990s, was another spot I‘d always wanted to visit. So, on a clear August day I boarded the comfortable Gol plane in São Paulo and headed west to Campo Grande, in Mato Grosso do Sul state.
After a short 90-minute flight, it takes another four hours by van or car to reach the Brazilian side of the Pantanal. The enormous depression covered in savanna and scattered groves of tall trees, extends over 77,000 sq. mi (200,000 sq. km.) at the extreme north of the Plata River basin in Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. It is the home of 650 different species of birds, 40 species of mammals, and 15 species of reptiles.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Ongoing Financial Advice from the Fry Group in Brazil

This time of year lends itself as a good opportunity to take stock and to follow are some, hopefully, useful pointers for the year ahead. Firstly, take some time to read our 2007 Financial Year planner which offers a (not exhaustive) checklist of the financial tasks you should be considering during the normal course of a year. To read the Planner please visit our website (www.thefrygroup.co.uk) and follow the link from the home page.
Many of you may be interested in hearing how world markets are set to perform this year. Paul Cooper, from our asset allocators, Sarasin, has provided us with a short piece which discusses the predictions for world markets during 2007. The article is available from the Articles area of our Online Library - visit (www.thefrygroup.co.uk to log on or join the Library).
If you are seeking a home for your hard-earned capital our newest fund, The Portfolio, differs from the many services available which all claim to be the complete solution or the latest thinking. The Portfolio, launched in 2004, has already created an excellent track record (for example the Dynamic US Growth strategy has grown by 15.27%* since launch; full performance details attached) with investments of close to £150 million.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: Weekly News Roundup

São Paulo Metrô Collapse
The big story this week, hitting the international headlines, was the collapse of a hole last Friday that had been excavated for São Paulo's Metrô extension. The collapse pulled in construction equipment as well as two pedestrians and a minibus, the unfortunate victims of which were excavated later this week and unfortunately hadn't survived. Speculation was initially that the recent heavy prolonged rain had caused the collapse, although there is greater focus now on poor construction methods.
Slum Dwellers Set Buses on Fire
It is believed further shootouts in the slums between the police and drug gangs spurred an attack where slum dwellers descended from the slum in Rio de Janeiro city's north side. During they attack they burned tyres, and two buses.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil Blog: Goodbye Brazil

By Gringo Blogger
By way of introduction I'm a foreigner who's lived in São Paulo city for a few years. I came here for romantic reasons with the hopes of finding a job, like many gringos (only to find out that getting work in Brazil is a near impossible task). So I'm not your typical wealthy gringo. Thankfully I am now working part time in a great job, but am still on the Holy Grail-like quest of finding full time work. I married my girlfriend early last year, so have some idea of the highs and lows of a multicultural relationship.
In my blog I'm just documenting some of the day-to-day events that happen to me, amusing or not, to give an impression of what it's like for a gringo living in the bustling metropolis of São Paulo, and Brazil in general. It's at times also meant as a tongue in cheek look at gringo life, so shouldn't be taken too seriously.
Unfortunately the time has come where I have to say goodbye to São Paulo and Brazil. After several years of living here, and constant attempts to try and get a job with a reasonable salary, I have had to admit defeat. Probably by the time you read this I will have returned back to my home country, and will be job hunting, hopefully with more success! Although after several years of job hunting here I'm not looking forward to continuing the experience, wherever it might be. Job hunting has to be one of the most soul destroying experiences, particularly over this length of time.
…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 "mover reviews" started by the user new Mrs. in our "Moving to Brazil" forum. The post is discussing shipping of items to Brazil.
If you have a recommendation for Post of the Week then send an email to mark@gringoes.com with "Post of the Week" in the subject.
Note that foul language and abusive posts in the forum will not be tolerated. The forum is intended to be a constructive and lighthearted place for discussion about Brazil.

Forex

The US dollar has dropped slightly again this week, and is now at R$2.13, down from R$2.14 a week ago. The Euro has risen slightly, currently at R$2.77, versus R$2.76 a week ago. The British Pound has dropped slightly over the week, and is currently at R$4.20, compared with R$4.21 a week ago.