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.


Around Brazil: Chapada da Diamantina/Lençois

By Ricky Skelton
There are two amazing places in Brazil called Lençois. The first one is the old diamond mining town in the Parque Nacional da Chapada Diamantina, and what an oasis it is after Salvador! The chapadas are flat-topped mountains, similar in shape to Table Mountain in Cape Town or Monument Valley in the USA. But the chapadas are covered in trees, all lush and dark. They hide thousands of waterfalls of all shapes and sizes, taking the purest tea-coloured water to the bottom of the valleys.
There are some places where you can find yourself alone at an unnamed waterfall. I climbed up one with layers reaching further up than I could manage, all the time thinking ‘Nature doesn‘t get any better than this and I‘ve got it all to myself!‘. That never happens back home. There are also plenty of incredibly photogenic caves in the area, with water as blue or as transparent (depending if the sun can hit it) as anything you can find. Those photos on postcards that you see in Lençois haven‘t been doctored. They really do look like that.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: Arthur Schlesinger

By Sol Biderman
When the newspapers reported the death of Arthur Schlesinger in New York on 1st March, at the age of 89, I remembered a black and white polka dot bowtie. I was a Fulbright fellow studying at the Universidade do Brasil on Rua Antonio Carlos in Rio in 1961 and had sailed to Argentina on the White Star line when I first met him and his itsy bitsy teeny weeny black and white polka dot bowtie. It was in Buenos Aires. at the Inter American Press Association meeting at the Plaza Hotel in front of Parque Retiro. It was shortly after he joined the Kennedy staff and shortly after the debacle of the aborted Bay of Pigs invasion. Che Guevara was across the Rio de la Plata, attending a hemisphere-wide congress in Montevideo denouncing Kennedy for the attack. Che then flew up to Brasília and was decorated with the Medal of the Southern Cross, which helped bring about the downfall (regime change) of Brazil‘s president Jânio Quadros.
At the Inter-American Press Association meeting in Buenos Aires I brazenly handed Schlesinger a list of suggestions on how to improve America‘s relations with Latin America. Mr. Schlesinger took my written suggestions and put them in his pocket. When I met him again, in 1998 at a lecture he gave at a New York University auditorium near the Public Library on 42 Street, he was 80 and wearing another itsy bitsy teeny weeny black and white polka dot bowtie. I was reintroduced to him by Albert Bildner (who founded the Bildner Center for Brazilian Studies at the CUNY), I said to Mr. Schlesinger, "What did you do with my list of suggestions I gave you nearly 40 years ago to improve our relations with Latin America?" He replied laughing "Oh I‘m sure the government must have followed every single one of them."
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Briefing Bush on Brazil the CIA Way

By John Fitzpatrick
Ahead of President George W. Bush´s visit to Brazil I thought I would try and find out how he might be briefed by his advisers. Unfortunately I have no contacts at the White House or the American embassy so I had to seek out public sources such as the CIA, the State Department and the Library of Congress. Presumably Washington has learned a lot since Ronald Reagan´s embarrassing toast "to the people of Bolivia" during a visit to Brasilia in 1982 and Bush will be provided with up-to-date, accurate advice. If this advice is based on what is available on these official US sites then Mr. Bush should be very careful in what he says publicly since he risks upsetting his hosts. If, on the other hand, he decides to rely on the Brazilian foreign ministry then he will not learn much at all since not only is its English-language site amateurish and outdated but, at times, baffling.
There are many American sites on Brazil, often from academic institutions, but I chose the three official ones mentioned in the introduction. Overall they are quite impressive and comprehensive although it is difficult to imagine Brazilians agreeing with many of the statements and conclusions. The Library of Congress site has not been modernized since 1997, so is of no value in terms of current affairs, but it does have a lot of interesting more general material.
…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

Last week's poll was 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 was a close run thing right up to the end, and at the final count the Southeast won with 30% of the vote, followed closely by the Northeast with 28%, and the South with 26%.
This week's poll is on President Bush's visit to Brazil. Do you think the visit will strengthen ties between the USA and Brazil, or will it make no change, or even worsen the relationship? 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.

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.


Weekly Quiz

Last week's quiz question was from Laize de Lima and was: when, where and what was the first monument in São Paulo and where was it erected? Congratulations to Jacques Allain who had the correct answer of the 'Obelisco da Memória' on Largo da Memoria (near Anhangabaú), built in 1814.
This week's quiz question is again from Laize de Lima (thanks Laize!) and is: what was the name of the first newspaper in São Paulo, and what year was it first published? Don't forget to answer both 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 Copacabana and was taken by Jann La Pointe in Rio de Janeiro. 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.


Understanding Brazil: Sworn Translations Part 6

By José Henrique Lamensdorf
Here's part 6 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.
14. Does a Public Translator also work with plain, "unsworn" translations?
Yes. most of us do. There are many who are Public Translators licensed for one language, but they do plain translations from/to that one and other languages. Very few, if any, Public Translators work exclusively as such. And many Public Translators are specialized in areas where sworn translations will never be required.
15. Is it by any means 'better' to hire a Certified Public Translator for normal, unsworn translation jobs?
Not necessarily. The Public Translator is a professional who, on top of complying with a whole series of requirements (e.g. Brazilian citizenship and residence, clean record, etc.) was approved in an exam organized by the "Junta Comercial" of his/her state. To give you an idea, the last three such exams in the São Paulo State took place 20 years apart! Some other states have not had these exams for over a quarter century.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil Through Foreign Eyes

Meet Kathleen Haynes, from the USA, who has travelled around Brazil. Read the following interview where she tells us about some of her 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 live in a northern suburb of Boston. I graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell not too long ago and currently work in helping employees in my company obtain H-1 visas and green cards. I have a Brazilian boyfriend who is from Minas Gerais. I attend a Brazilian church, and I think I have more Brazilian friends than American!
2. When did you arrive in Brazil and what brought you here?
The first time I went to Brazil I had the opportunity to stay in Rio de Janeiro with my fiance whose home is Rio. I have since visited Rio again, Santa Catarina, and São Paulo. I did not marry my fiance from Rio, but Brazil still has a special place in my heart.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: Weekly News Roundup

French NGO Workers Killed in Rio
The major international story this week is the killing of three French charity workers in Rio, as part of an attempt to hide a defrauding by the Brazilian treasurer. It is believed the victims where first tortured, before being stabbed to death. Police described the scene as "monstrous. There is blood all over the place." The treasurer and other suspects have been arrested.
Law Prohibits "Outdoors" in São Paulo
A bill to prohibit the so called "Outdoors" in Portuguese, that is large billboards, in São Paulo, has become constitutional. The law is part of "Lei Cidade Limpa" (the Law of the Clean City) that prohibits billboards and other types of large advertisements, such as murals.
Brazil's Finance Minister Held Hostage
Guido Mantega, the Finance Minister, was held hostage at his home last Friday. It occurred during a robbery by armed assailants of his country retreat, about 40 miles outside of São Paulo city. Neither Mantega or the hostages were harmed, and police have taken three suspects into custody.
…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 "brazilian guys and their families" started by the user Janey in our "Romance" forum. The post is discussing about close ties within Brazilian families and the problems they can cause.
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

Despite a peak earlier in the week, the US dollar is slightly down over the period, currently at R$2.11, compared with R$2.12 a week ago. The Euro has followed a similar trend and is also down slightly to R$2.78, versus R$2.79 a week ago. The British Pound has dropped more significantly over the week to R$4.08, against R$4.14 last week.