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.


Newsletter News

Apologies to those who were expecting a newsletter last week, as unfortunately we had a technical hitch that meant we were unable to send it. We promise it was nothing to do with having one to many caipirinhas during carnival. The good news though is there's a bumper edition this week, with the additional articles.


Competition! Submit An Article

There's a second chance to win our regular fortnightly competition, for budding writers who just needed some extra incentive to put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard). Each fortnight we'll give a prize of a R$150 voucher for the Tabu Restaurant located in the Sonesta Hotel, in São Paulo.
To win the prize you need to submit an article by 14th March, this time about any topic related to Brazil that would be be of interest to foreigners living, working and/or travelling in the country. Next fortnight we'll narrow the article topic again to something related to São Paulo. Note this is open to both new and regular contributors.
Send your articles to mark@gringoes.com with "Competition" in the subject. Note that the article needs to be your own work, and cannot have been published previously.


Brazil: The Great North Road Part 6

By Tamashin
Here is the sixth and final part of Tamashin's article about his road trip from São Paulo to João Pessoa. To read the previous parts please click the relevant links at the end of the article.
Back to Minas from João Pessoa.
Basking in the warmth of Joao Pessoa, we were now faced with the return journey home. Several factors were to influence our change of route. It was now mid January and there would be more holiday traffic going South. According to Journal National news programme, everyone was doomed. Flooding everywhere, bridges collapsing (25 in Minas alone) roads breaking up or closed due to landslides, buses being burned in Rio and people being shot, Campos (RJ) underwater in several areas, the list of disasters was growing day by day. Even the bridge at São Mateus was still underwater and our own home town was severely affected by the floods. All on our route back home. There was no alternative but to take the BR101 back down to the BR418 after Teixeira de Freitas. I was reliably informed that this road had been reduced to rubble by lorries all the way to Teofilo Otoni. I could have gone south via Feira da Santana and Vitoria da Conquista also known as "the bull road" or Estrada do Boi. However, the tales of daring do to negotiate this route put me off.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Are you from Brazil or Rio?!

By Max
I‘ve been asked some crazy questions in Brazil, like how long does it take to get to London (my hometown) by bus? Err, do I really have to answer that?
Brazilians have an excuse for their ignorance concerning world matters, with public education ranking one of the worst in the world and their general disdain for reading. The so-called developed world, however, does not. So, I thought I‘d turn the tables for a second and give them some credit by airing my experiences here in the good old US of A. I live in Brazil but travel to Phili almost every year so I have found myself comparing the two worlds almost daily. The question, "Are you from Brazil or Rio?" was asked to me in Philadelphia, USA in the year 2006! For those who want to know, I simply answered Brazil. Didn‘t bother to shed some light on this poor ignorant soul for I was too much in shock to really say anything. Instead I just took a minute to reflect on some of the things I had started to realize in American society and about Americans in general, compared to that of Brazilians.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: Weekly News Roundup

Amazon Plane Crash Developments
Some further developments in the case surrounding the worst air crash in Brazil's history, involving a collision between a GOL Boeing 737-800 and an Embraer Legacy executive jet. The developments concerned a leaked copy of the lengthy transcript between the pilots and air traffic controllers, obtained by the Folha newspaper, which highlight various problems. These include difficulties for the US pilots of the Embraer Legacy in understanding the English of the air traffic controllers. It also highlighted that the US pilots lost radio contact with air traffic control a minute or so before the crash. The loss in communication occurred during a check on altitude.
New Air Traffic Control Chief
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has named Brigadier Juniti Saito the new chief of Brazil's Air Traffic Control, along with changes to the leaders of the army and navy. The director of air traffic control, Lieutenant Brigadier Gen. Paulo Roberto Cardoso Vilarinho, was dismissed in November due to his mismanagement of the system and subsequent delays.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil Through Foreign Eyes

Meet Matt Bowlby, from the USA, who has lived and worked in, and travelled around Brazil. Read the following interview where he tells us about some of his most 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.?
I am an American and a recent university graduate. I grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota but spent most of my undergraduate studies abroad, with study experiences in Latin America, Europe and the Middle East. I currently live and work in the Arab world in international development and humanitarian relief.
2. When did you arrive in Brazil and what brought you here?
I first came to Brazil during high school as a public health worker in the rural northeast. The experience was an incredible introduction to the country and certainly far from the Brazil most foreigners (and even Brazilians) ever see. I lived with a family in a one-room mud house in a small village in the sertão of Rio Grande do Norte.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Understanding Brazil: Sworn Translations Part 5

By José Henrique Lamensdorf
Here‘s part 5 of José‘s article about sworn translations in Brazil, subtitled "Almost Everything You Wanted to Know About Certified/Sworn Translations in Brazil". To read the previous parts click the link at the end of the article.
11. What is consularization? Consular authentication? Consular notarization? Consular legalization?
These are all different ways to call the same thing, and there doesn‘t seems to be any definitive right or wrong name for it. As there is nothing else similar enough to be confused with, all refer to the same thing.
Depending on the purpose of the documents to be translated, their consularization may be required, for them to be accepted in Brazil. The best way out is to ask the entity where you will submit such documents whether the consularization is required or not. If it is, get it done before sending it for a sworn translation.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Renovating Your Property in Brazil Part 2: The Cost

By Boris Goldshmit
Before we start discussing the intricacies of the renovation process in Brazil it would be a good idea to get some notion about the cost of different options.
Let‘s take a typical Rio de Janeiro apartment of about 100 sq. meters (or 1,060 sq. feet) 2-bedroom/2-bathroom as a benchmark model for the sake of our discussion. The apartment would be about 40 years old with very little maintenance work done on it over the years.
Some of the typical necessary work that has to be done would include:
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Understanding Brazil: Sending Money Home from a Real Estate Deal

By Jose Santiago
The frequency of wire transfers out of Brazil is increasing in frequenty, due to the latest increase in the value of the Brazilian Real compared, specially, to the American Dollar. Foreign homeowners and foreign real estate investors in Brazil are selling their real estate in order to cash out not only the real estate equity made, but also the income created due to increase of the Brazilian Real.
For example, last week I had a client who purchased a property 2 years ago for R$200,000 at R$2.70 per US$1.00 or US$74,000 approximately. The same property built up an equity of 25% (which is the national average of real estate appreciation for the past 2 years in Brazil) bringing the price up to R$250,000 alone and dividing that figure by today‘s current rate of R$2.08(commercial rate of dollar on 2/21/07) he got more than US$120,000 or 61% in total equity.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


US Authorities Tackle Brazil´s White Collar Criminals

By John Fitzpatrick
Brazilian and foreign shareholders must be wondering why decisive punitive action in an insider trading scandal involving one of Brazil´s biggest companies has been taken by the US Securities and Exchange Commission and not the Brazilian equivalent, known as the CVM. The SEC announced on February 21 that it had imposed penalties on the former chief financial officer of the meat processing company Sadia, amounting to around US$364,400 for illegally buying shares in another meat processing firm, Perdigão, just before Sadia tried to acquire it last July. A former employee of the ABN AMRO bank was also ordered to pay a total of around US$135,380 for his involvement. The CVM issued a statement on February 22 saying that it had cooperated with the SEC investigation yet gave no idea when its own investigation would be completed. In other words, it has taken the US authorities, located almost 5,000 miles away in New York, just over six months to do what the CVM has failed to do on its own doorstep and punish the wrongdoers.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: The Great North Road Part 5

By Tamashin
Here is part 5 of Tamashin's article about his road trip from São Paulo to João Pessoa. To read the previous parts please click the relevant links at the end of the article.
There comes a time when nature calls and you have to stop. Choose your station wisely. While the restaurant may look very clean the loos may be exactly the opposite, to the point of making you retch. There are no clear guidelines as even some stations, which looked liked brand new developments with restaurants and snack-bars, had really lousy toilets. One particular find was the hole in the floor which I had never seen before. No pan, just a ceramic hole in the floor with foot-treads either side. At first I thought someone had stolen all the pans! Heaven help the person who walks in there in the dark. However, there are places which show a bit of ingenuity. While washing my hands in one place, I realised my feet were getting wet. Ingenious! The waste wasn‘t connected so as you washed your hands, the water ran straight onto your feet. Obviously they were thinking about the people who had put their foot down one of the toilet holes.
Then in one particular restaurant (I use the word loosely) the waitress was keen to impress by personally showing me everything in all the trays. "There‘s probably something here you‘ve never had before" but looking at the congealed lumps of unidentifiable food, I could only think it would be botulism or salmonella.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: A Day in São Paulo

By Teacher Claudia
This article is the first to win our competition to submit an article and win a R$150 voucher for the Tabu Restaurant located in the Sonesta Hotel, in São Paulo. For more details on how to enter the competition read here.
This is my suggestion for a full day in the south zone of São Paulo.
To start the day, I’d go the Museu Paulista at USP, also known as Museu do Ipiranga, in the Ipiranga neighborhood. It’s certainly one of the most beautiful museums in São Paulo, and the location has a great view. I’ve been there countless times, and there’s always something to be learnt. Brazilian history, society, culture, they have a little of everything there. Besides the knowledge you can acquire and develop there, your eyes can be filled by the sight of the gardens. I can easily spend three or more hours there, seeing, learning, thinking and walking. The entrance should be around R$5.
For lunch, I usually head to a restaurant in a nearby neighborhood, Vila Mariana. It’s a very simple place on Rua Luis Goés, called “O Braseiro”. Its main dish is barbecued chicken, and there are several side orders. I enjoy the potato salad and “polenta”, something made of corn meal, similar to French fries. As a drink, Guaraná of course, but you can have beer, should you prefer. Two people can easily eat for R$50, but remember, it’s a simple place. Unfortunately I don’t appreciate their desserts, but we can leave those for later.
…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, continued from a couple of weeks ago, is on your favourite region in Brazil, and where you'd live given the choice: would it be in the cooler south, or the hot northeast? It's still neck and neck, with the Northeast having 30% of the vote, the South with 29% of the vote, and the Southeast with 28% of the vote. 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.

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Weekly Quiz

Last week's quiz question was from Laize de Lima and was: what was the population of São Paulo in 1600, and how many houses did the city have? Laize managed to stump the readers, as we had no correct answers. According to Laize the correct answers are 1500 inhabitants, with 190 houses.
This week's quiz question is again from Laize de Lima (thanks Laize!) and is: when, what was the first monument in São Paulo and where was it erected? 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 Potato Pickers and was taken by Scott Nagle in Guarapuava, Paraná. 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

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.


Brazil: Mythbusting!

By Mark Taylor
I'm a fan of the crazy US series Mythbusters, where the moustachio'd Jamie and bespectacled Adam set about proving, or disproving, a variety of mostly urban myths. I hear various myths purported about Brazil, some obvious and some not so obvious, and this is my take on them, with a (sometimes tongue in cheek) view to busting or not.
The Capital of Brazil is Rio de Janeiro
For good or bad, Rio is the city that will spring to mind for the majority of foreigners when asked to name a city in Brazil, and on that basis I assume this is why Rio is often believed to be the capital. In some senses that's not so far from the truth as Rio was the capital of Brazil several decades ago, but in 1960 the purposefully constructed capital Brasilia took over the reins. São Paulo is actually the largest city in Brazil by quite a margin, usually thought of as the business capital of the country, and one of the largest cities in the world. Brazil itself is also a vast country, and very diverse in both its cities and cultures. In any event, myth = busted. Other busted Rio based myths are that the famous Brazilian carnival is only celebrated there, or that it's only worth seeing in Rio. Carnival is actually celebrated in varying ways across Brazil, and it will depend on what your preference is as to where it's best to see.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil vs. Argentina: Statues of Christ

By Ricky Skelton
I don‘t really need to say anything about Cristo in Rio, do I? Good. What people don‘t realise is that Buenos Aires has its own statue of Jesus, which is probably almost as big as the one towering over Rio (I‘ve only seen his feet close up, so I can‘t tell for sure but the feet were quite big, and you know what they say...). But unlike the well lit, well prominent Rio version, the Christ in BA is quite well hidden. In fact very well hidden most of the time. I couldn‘t even see him at first. I was trying to find a huge swimming pool complex to spend a hung-over Saturday afternoon, and the bus driver helpfully told me to get off about 16 miles too early. After an hour of melting like chocolate in the burning early afternoon sun, and with no shade around, I came across buses at a gateway, and a queue of adults and children queuing to get in. I saw something that looked like the tubes of waterslides above the fence. At last. But the sign said ‘Terra Santa‘. What? Through the gates I could see three plastic crosses on a hillside with figures attached to them, and plastic figures and plastic palm trees around. Why plastic when you can have real ones? Even with my Spanish, I could work out that it was a theme park based on the Bible story. Possibly the tackiest thing I have ever seen, but I couldn‘t see right inside to judge properly.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


The Enchanting Easter Island

By Marilyn Diggs
The 1994 movie "Rapa Nui," produced by Kevin Costner, portrays a grueling tribal contest to elect the Bird Man before Easter Island's discovery by the outside world. Athletes race down 300-meter cliffs, swim through the shark-infested ocean towards a tiny coastal island to snatch the first eggs laid by a sacred bird, and then return with them unbroken. The first to make it back, wins. In exchange for putting the egg into the head honcho's hands, the Bird Man's tribe rules the island for a year. And, the victor gets to marry the white virgin who has been kept in a cave for six months to make her skin pristine. The couple has the honor of living a year in the quarry where the famous moai (pronounced "moy") statues are carved. Intrigued by the film, I couldn't believe that I was on a LAN plane heading for this ritual's location and would see for myself the mysterious island, the most isolated place on earth.
A five-hour plane ride from Santiago brought us to the South Pacific island just after a magical peach, gold and violet sunset. I would see these fascinating colors again later, but this time from the sacred ceremonial site Tahai, against maoi silhouettes. At the small airport, smiling copper-skinned islanders tossed purple flower lays around necks and drivers whisked tourists off to their lodgings. It was pitch black. I could hear the ocean outside my comfortable cottage at Hangaroa Hotel, but had to wait until dawn for my first glimpse of Easter Island.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Understanding Brazil: Sworn Translations Part 4

By José Henrique Lamensdorf
Here‘s part 4 of José‘s article about sworn translations in Brazil, subtitled "Almost Everything You Wanted to Know About Certified/Sworn Translations in Brazil". To read the previous parts click the link at the end of the article.
8. Are there cheaper and more expensive Public Translators?
In the same state, there cannot be. The various state-wide rates are independent from each other, but the rates within the same state are always the same.
Actually you could go checking which is the Brazilian state that has the lowest rates for public translations, and if it has a translator licensed for the language you need. However, would it really be worth the inconvenience, the additional postage expenses and time? And there would still be the risk - according to Murphy‘s Law - of the rates there being adjusted precisely when your job is on the way. If you are outside Brazil, bear in mind that international courier companies only offer really fast service to some, not all, of our state capitals.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil Through Foreign Eyes

Meet Alan Longbottom, from the UK, who travelled to Brazil on an exchange programme, visited Brazil several times, and is now living in Rio Grande do Sul. Read the following interview where he tells us about some of his most 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 Alan Longbottom, and I am a 61 year-old Englishman, originally a teacher in the UK, working in secondary schools and universities who managed to take early retirement ten years ago. After retiring I worked as a Rotary Volunteer in Kenya for several years, working with others to build schools and train teachers.
My Rotary work involved me in bringing a team of young people from my region - Yorkshire - to Rio Grande do Sul on an exchange programme, and once here I was asked to do more voluntary work with English teachers here - who incidentally cannot speak English!! So I came back to Brazil for several working visits.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: Weekly News Roundup

Death of 6-Year Old Catalyses Nation
The main story this week is Brazil‘s reaction to the death of 6 year old boy João Helio Fernandes. Fernandes was killed in a botched robbery attempt in Rio de Janeiro, when his mother was carjacked, and he was trapped in the seatbelt and dragged by the side of the car for several kilometres. The horrific nature of the boy‘s murder, and the apathetic response from the criminals responsible, has provoked a markedly unusual reaction from a country where tens of thousands of people are murdered each. Both the public and media alike have been demanding changes to the law to ensure that crime is reduced in Brazil.
Senate Debate to Reduce Prison Age
The senate have been debating whether to reduce the age of those who go to prison from 18 to 16, rather than being sent to a juvenile detention centre. Although the prisons are already significantly overcrowded, with a deficit of 140,000 places, this change would necessitate 11,000 more.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: The Great North Road Part 4

By Tamashin
Here is part 4 of Tamashin's article about his road trip from São Paulo to João Pessoa. To read the previous parts please click the relevant links at the end of the article.
We don‘t see the police very often in our part of Minas, certainly not the Federal police. When you do see them it‘s because they are lost. So it was with some trepidation that I approached a police check point. Yes, there was a barrier across my half of the road and there was an arrow pointing to the right but I thought it couldn‘t be for me, it must be for truckers or buses and anyway I couldn‘t see any policemen. So I went left around the barrier and off onto the horizon. At this point I would like you to imagine a dark black windowed shadowy 4x4 cruiser purring past a police check point, then accelerating into the distance. I was well over the speed limit listening to Joan Sutherland going through the motions, when I was aware of alternating flashing headlamps and red and blue lamps in my rear view mirror. "He can‘t mean me" I thought but he did. I pulled over and stopped, lowered my window, motor running, heart beating fast and the last ten minutes flashing before me. Yet another very large policeman walked into my life. "Documents" he boomed. I handed over some out of date papers.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Around Brazil: Natal Part 2

By Hal
Here is part 2 of Hal‘s article about Natal. To read part 1 click the relevant link at the end of the article.
Natal is a comfortable city; large enough to have most everything a person could want, small enough to navigate easily, with restaurants, hotels and particularly beaches, very handy. By taxi the airport is about 15 minutes and a number of beaches from five to fifteen minutes from downtown. North and south of Natal the coast is lined with beaches, one nicer than the next, within an hour‘s drive.
There are a wide variety of hotels ranging from pousadas (small hotels) to very fancy "resort" hotels on a section of the oceanfront (but watch the currents here, they can be tricky). Most beaches are very safe, usually well protected by reefs.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil´s Opposition Parties Try to End Disarray

By John Fitzpatrick
While President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva tries to put together a government from the 11 different parties which support his administration, the two main opposition parties - the PSDB and the PFL - are trying to recover from their resounding defeat in the presidential elections. The PSDB, which fielded the failed candidate, Geraldo Alckmin, is showing signs of a split while its ally, the PFL, is considering a radical review to broaden its appeal that may even result in a change of name. Both parties face another four years in which they will try to form a strong opposition to Lula and, at the same time, gather strength to put forward a separate or joint candidate to win the presidency in the 2010 elections. It will be a tough task.
Last years´ presidential election should have been a walk over for the PSDB-PFL ticket. The bribes-for-vote scandal which erupted in mid-2005 ended up tearing Lula´s government to pieces and destroying the credibility of the Workers Party (PT). The scandal was a gift to the opposition. As it unraveled throughout the rest of 2005, new examples of corrupt and criminal behavior within the government started to appear on a daily basis. Revelations piled on top of each other as Congressional investigation committees were shown live on television and the print media dug up mountains of muck. Things cooled down somewhat in 2006 but practically on the eve of the first round of polling some PT members were caught by the police with around R$ 1.7 million (about US$800,000) in cash they allegedly intended paying in return for some dirt on the PSDB candidate for the São Paulo state governorship, Jose Serra. The PT´s incompetence in resurrecting the scandal in such a clumsy way was unbelievable and was one of the reasons why Lula did not win outright in the first round although he still came within a whisker of doing so. Despite all this propaganda material falling into their hands, neither the PSDB nor the PFL could capitalize on it and Lula ending up crushing Alckmin by a 60%-40% margin in the second round.
…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 "Brasilian Highway Code." started by the user tamashin in our "Romance" forum. The post is discussing about the issues of driving in 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 remained more or less the same over the week, currently at R$2.12. The Euro has risen slightly to R$2.79. The British Pound has also risen over the week to R$4.15.