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.


The American Society of São Paulo

Are you an expat - American, British, German, French, or other - living in São Paulo? Join the American Society and enjoy our expat get-togethers (pub nights, hiking trips, eggnog parties, etc.) as well as our monthly 16-page Forum magazine, while helping contribute to the Society‘s community assistance programs in the city. AmSoc is great way to meet new people: families and singles. We are a civil, non-profit association with no political or religious affiliations. To join, visit www.amsoc.com.br.


Countdown to Brazil

By Helen Brayley
May 15, 2007
28... 27... 26... 25 days and counting. As I sit in my bedroom of my fourth floor condo in Canada I cant help but get caught up in the excitement of my upcoming move to Brazil. I dream of a shimmery azure sea gently lapping against golden sandy beaches. The white hot sun blazing down onto the crowds of beautiful bronzed bodies in skimpy swimwear. A far cry from the snow that is still falling here.
My current experience of Brazil comes purely from media encounters, ranging from movies such as ‘Bossa Nova‘ and ‘City of God‘, to travel articles and the odd news report. Images of Brazil are always awash with the green and gold of the Brazilian flag, the imposing statue of Christ the Redeemer and weird and wonderful animals from the Amazon.
Despite my excitement I did none of the planning of this move myself. I am the ‘accompanying spouse‘ of an International Banker. His title sounds glamorous but I am yet to decide as we can be moved, without discussion, anywhere in the world. He is being given a work visa for Brazil and from this I can apply for one too. Not an ideal situation but at least Brazil and the UK seem to get along so I can go there on a tourist visa for the time being. Getting a residency visa and work permit shouldn‘t be too difficult, right?
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil v Argentina: Buying Beer

By Ricky Skelton
May 15, 2007
You wouldn't think this would be such a big deal, right? Not worth writing an article over. And certainly not worth reading one. Buying beer is very important, sure, but it isn't a difficult thing to accomplish. You go into a shop or a bar, you ask for a beer, they give you what you want, you pay, you leave, job done. Normally. In Brazil, it's even easier. The beer comes to you in cans, delivered from an ice-box on a cart or from a hatch in the side of a camper van on any street in the country. Things don't run so smoothly in Argentina. You can't imagine how baffling it is for gringoes the first time they go into an Argentinean supermarket, fill up a basket with food & grab a couple of beers out of the fridge. They have no cans, just litre bottles. On my first time, the checkout girl asked me some question that I didn't quite understand but she clearly had a problem with the beer. I thought 'Does she need ID? For me? It's been a while since that happened.' No. Showing her my driving licence didn't appease her. What then? Somebody waiting in the queue pointed out the empties. You need to bring some to buy some. They won't let you buy beer without empty bottles! It is impossible for anybody to buy beer for the first time! You would have to buy empty beer bottles first! Amazing. I didn't know where the shop was that sold empties so I left my food behind as well and walked out chuntering angrily.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Understanding Brazil: Hidden Dialogs

By Laíze De Lima
May 14, 2007
Here in the USA, frankness is a recommended quality in business and everyday life. Not so in Brazil. Most Brazilians consider frankness to be quite rude, and it often creates hostile situations. It can be extremely difficult for Brazilians to say "no" when invited to events, offered gifts or help, or asked for favors.
Here in the USA, "No, thank you" is polite, and "Absolutely not!" is somewhat rude, but acceptable in many situations. In contrast, in Brazil, "no", even with a "thank you", is rude to say in situations where something is being offered.
Brazilians have developed subtle ways of saying "no". Between Brazilians, there is a hidden dialog which is, with a little effort, easy to understand. When they wish to say "no", they say phrases such as:
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Around Brazil: Walking in Natal

By Hal
May 14, 2007
Morning
Last time it was Natal auto and moto drivers, this time it is early morning walkers fine tuning their bodies.
Walkers are more relaxed than drivers. Bom dias are exchanged, a pause to pass the time of day with a stranger often occurs . Also they are individualized; drivers lose their identity inside their comfy shell. Every walker is a visible person.
A walker in Natal has many choices: A variety of ocean beaches, the odds-on favorites, plus "in-land" locations. Two I have used are Parque de Dunas and Rua Alfonso Pena from which the town fathers ban autos and motos from 5 to 7am every morning.
Alfonso Pena is a broad, tree lined boulevard which bisects Tirol, an upscale neighborhood. It is edged by many boutiques tucked amongst some small older casas plus a recent outgrowth of tall, weed-like condominiums. There is a landscaped middle island separating the opposing traffic lanes.
…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 who you prefer to hang out with, the local Brazilians, or other expats? Clearly the majority aren't too fussy as 60% prefer to hang out with both Brazilians and gringoes, with 36% preferring just Brazilians, and 4% just gringoes.
This week's poll is on how you access the Internet in Brazil. Are you lucky enough to have broadband at home, or are you forced to seek an Internet café? 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 a Quiz Question

There's another chance to win our regular fortnightly competition, with a prize of a R$150 voucher for the Tabu Restaurant located in the Sonesta Hotel, in São Paulo.
To win the prize this fortnight you need to submit an interview for our Brazil Through Foreign Eyes, or Foreigners Through Brazilian Eyes column by 30th May, from which we'll select a prize winner. Next fortnight we'll change the competition topic to something else.
Get a copy of the interview questions by emailing mark@gringoes.com with "interview" in the subject, then make sure to submit your answers before the 30th to mark@gringoes.com with "Competition" in the subject.


Weekly Quiz

Last week's quiz question came from the Gringoes.com staff: which town in Ireland has a quarter of its population made up of Brazilians? Congratulations to Angel Juarez who was first to reply with Gort in Co. Galway.
This week's quiz question comes from Stephanie Glennon (thanks Stephanie!): what is the Brazilian connection with the recent Kentucky Derby? Send your answer to mark@gringoes.com
with ‘Weekly Quiz’ in the subject line.
We've run out of quiz questions, so a special request for some more! 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 titled Three Indian Maidens and was taken by Mike Stricklin in Piauí. 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

Our tip of the week comes from competition winner Laura Croll and is: if you find a taxi driver that you like and feel comfortable with, ask for his cell number. The driver in essence becomes a personal driver. I was in Brazil many years, wondering who was driving me around, and why they always took a different route before I figured this one out.
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.


São Paulo Part 2: My Tips For Travellers

By Gary Bembridge
May 14, 2007
Best Time to Visit
São Paulo has glorious weather, although by Brazilian standards locals would say it is actually a bit cool and gets too much rain! But in reality any time of the year is fine, as the temperature hardly varies across the year and averages between about 21 degrees Celsius in mid winter (July) and up to 28 degrees Celsius in January/February.
The wettest time of the year is mid-summer which is from November to February. I have visited now in both July (winter) and February (summer) and both were great. Summer is the best time to visit if you can though as most of the festivals take place, and of course Carnival takes place in February. This is quite something though not as famous or as flamboyant as the renowned one in Rio but is great. Prices of hotels do rocket at that time though.
Getting There
Many of the major European and US airlines fly direct to São Paulo with regular schedules. In recent years frequency has increased a lot, for example British Airways used to fly there about 3 or 4 times a week and now flies there at least once a day. One limiting factor though seems to be the Brazilian Air Traffic Control who seems to be fairly inflexible and subject to disputes and delays. There are restrictions about how many aircraft can be in Brazilian air space at any one time and this can generate delays.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: Weekly News Roundup

May 11, 2007
Pope Visits Brazil
The big story this week is the Pope's visit to Brazil. Pope Benedict XVI arrived on Wednesday and was greeted at São Paulo's Guarulhos airport by President Luiz Inacio da Silva. The Pope spoke out against abortion, stressing the need to respect life "from the moment of conception until natural death", although the topic was not broached directly with Lula. Yesterday the Pope attended a huge rally in São Paulo's Pacaembu stadium, with over 30,000 people, where he told young Brazilians to avoid sex before marriage, and also to avoid drugs. Today the Pope canonized Brazil's first saint, with hundreds of thousands of people attending the ceremony. Antonio de Sant'Anna Galvao was attributed two miracles by the Vatican, by dispensing prayers in pill form. Another highlight of the Pope's trip will be a public Mass in Aparecida on Sunday, which over 350,000 people are expected to attend.
Ambev Pay Alcoholic Beer Taster
Companhia de Bebidas das Americas (Ambev) have received a court order to pay one of their beer tasters R$100,000 after a claim that he became an alcoholic. The taster was required to drink around a litre and a half (around 3 pints) of beer a day, and was also given a bottle of beer when he finished work. Ambev had claimed the taster was already an alcoholic and won a prior ruling, but then lost the ruling after the court claimed they shouldn't have employed an alcoholic.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: Portuguese Tip - Dever and Ter que

By Ana Luiza Bergamini
Many students of Portuguese think they should use dever when they're saying something like "I must go..." or "You must do...". Yes, one of the meanings of the word dever is must, but Brazilians just don't use it like that in daily conversation. What we say most of the time to communicate obligation/duty is the literal translation of have to, ter que. See the examples:
Eu tenho que ir agora. [I have to go]
A Ana teve que preparar o almoço sozinha. [Ana had to prepare lunch by herself]
Você tem que ter todos os documentos para poder vender o carro. [You must have all the documents in order to sell the car]
So what about dever? There are 3 ways in which dever is frequently used in conversation:
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Popular Brazilian Expressions Part 4

By Tamashin
Here is part 4 of Tamashin's article on popular expressions in Brazilian Portuguese that he has been collecting. To read the previous parts click the relevant link at the end of the article.
61. Quem e´ discipulo de si mesmo e´ mestre do burrro.
62. Quem nao tem cao, caça com gato.
63. Agua mole em pedra dura, tanto bate ate que fura.
64. Quem anda pelas cabeças dos outros e´ piolho.
65. Quem tem boca vai a Roma.
66. Aguas passadas nao movem o moinho.
67. Devagar se vai longe.
68. De grao em grao a galinha encha o papo.
69. Ninguem joga pedra em avore que nao da fruta.
70. O seguro morreu de velho.
…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 "Brazil is so expensive now!" started by the user sangroncito in our "Vent Your Frustrations!" forum. The post is discussing the issue of Brazil being more expensive than it used to be.
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

There's been a sharp drop with the US Dollar this week, falling from R$2.03 to R$1.95 over the week. The Euro has also fallen sharply from R$2.74 to R$2.64. The British Pound has suffered a similar fate, and has dropped fom R$4.03 to R$3.86.