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.


Forum and Site Problems

Apologies to forum users as unfortunately we have had to take the forum offline. This is due to issues with the size and type of database. We are very keen to find someone who can help with migrating forum data from Access to MS SQL, as well as helping with an upgrade of the forum to the latest version of the software.
We were also hacked again on Friday (18th May), and in the interim since the last time we were hacked have been hunting unsuccessfully for someone to help secure the site. If you can recommend a reliable web design company, ideally Brazilian, that can help with one or ideally all of these issues then please contact us.


Brazil: Walking in São Paulo

By Bernard Morris
May 29, 2007
The weather in late April in São Paulo is ideal for exploring the neighborhoods on foot, and I took full advantage of another opportunity to go where everyone who loves urban sights should go. São Paulo is a mother lode of interesting places to see. The streets I traversed lie near the Congonhas Airport in the city. The airplanes fly in so low every few minutes during the day that one cannot forget that a major airport is nearby, surrounded, at a safe distance, by high-rise buildings. Imagine New York‘s Central Park, only Central Park is Congonhas. São Paulo‘s larger airport, of course, was built well away from the center of the huge city.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: Having a Child Abroad for US Citizens

By Michael Stewart and Jose Santiago
May 28, 2007
If a United States citizen has a child in another country, that child should be reported to the nearest US Embassy or consulate to establish an official record of the child's claim to US citizenship. If the child comes to the USA without the proper forms having been filed, the parents must file for a Certificate of Citizenship for the child.
If the United States citizen is the husband, and the wife is an alien, the child will still obtain citizenship in the USA at birth provided it is reported to the Embassy or consulate and the husband has resided in the USA for an amount of time required by law.
When both parents are US citizens, a child born abroad will be a US citizen as long as one of the parent's resided in the USA prior to the child's birth.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil Through Foreign Eyes

Meet Brian McCurtis, from the USA, who has travelled to and is currently working in 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 a 29 y/o project manager for a Telecommunications company and I live in Dallas, TX. I am African-American, originally from Wichita, KS and did my undergrad at UC Irvine in Orange County, CA. I am single and enjoy new experiences!
2. When did you arrive in Brazil and what brought you here?
I was assigned my first project in Latin America about a year ago and was able to travel to São Paulo, BR to meet some of my internal clients. I stayed at the Hilton Morumbi and had a great time. I found the people friendly, the food AWESOME and the overall lifestyle great. I ended up traveling to São Paulo nearly every month after that and have been to SP over 7 times so far. Now I have negotiated a 6 month transfer and am currently residing in the Morumbi area. I absolutely love it.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Portuguese Tip: Regularity of Verbs in Portuguese - Final Part

By Teacher Claudia
May 25, 2007
Dear readers, today we‘ll see the last part of the regularity of verbs in Portuguese, concerning Second and Third Conjugations.
Activity 1 - Introduction
Read a piece of the song "Cara Valente", by Maria Rita.
Foi escolher o mal-me-quer
Entre o amor de uma mulher
E as certezas do caminho
Ele não pôde se entregar
E agora vai ter de pagar com o coração.
(Bold guy
He chose loves-me-not
Between a woman‘s love
And the well-known way
He could not surrender
And now he will pay
With his heart.)
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: Weekly News Roundup

May 25, 2007
Prosecutor Seeks Indictments of US Pilots
Brazilian prosecutor Thiago Lemos de Andrade is seeking indictments against the two US pilots involved in Brazil's worst air crash. This follows reports that the police had cited the two pilots as being responsible. The indictments are based on the pilots not noticing the plane's transponder wasn't working from 55 minutes before the crash. This is despite reports that the failed transponder didn't show an alert in the cockpit, and air traffic controllers are also responsible for spotting a problem.
Romario Claims Thousandth Goal
Famous Brazilian striker Romario claimed the thousandth goal in his career last Sunday, in a match of Vasco de Gama vs. Recife Sport. Romario scored 56 times for Brazil. His goal calculations included youth games and testimonials so has not been ratified by FIFA.
…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 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? It appears the majority of you are fortunate enough to have home broadband, with a vote of 72%. Internet Café access is a distant second with 13%, and home dialup a distand third with 7%.
This week's poll is on corruption in Brazil. Have you ever experienced corruption firsthand, seen it secondhand, or never witnessed it? 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 Interview

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 a photo for our "Photo of the Week" column by 13th June, from which we'll select a prize winner. Make sure to follow our guidelines for submission. 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 Angel Juarez: two drivers have won the F1 Championship more than once at Interlagos. Who are they? Congratulations to our resident quiz master Jacques Allain who was first to reply with Michael Schumacher (1994, 1995, 2000 and 2002) and Mika Häkkinen (1998 and 1999).
This week's quiz question comes again from Angel Juarez (thanks Angel!): which driver having won the F1 Championship more than once has won all his F1 Championships at Interlagos while never having won that Grand Prix? Send your answer to mark@gringoes.com
with ‘Weekly Quiz’ in the subject line.
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 Bargain and was taken by David Weller 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

Our tip of the week again comes from competition winner Laura Croll and is: in São Paulo if you fly with TAM to Congonhas there is a free shuttle that will take you to Guarulhos. This is much cheaper than a taxi! As well, it can save friends and family lots of time during rush hour, but make sure to get in line quickly. The bus holds about 50 people and it is first come/first served.
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.


Bringing People Together: Electronic Voyages to Brazil Part 2

By Joe Lopes
May 24, 20007
One of the most touching compliments I came across lately, however, was this fairly moving one sent to me on New Year's Eve:
"Last night a dozen friends came by for pasta, wine, a couple of Jeannette MacDonald-Nelson Eddy films. After which I pulled up your delightful writings of Carmen Miranda and Bidu Sayão ("Two Brazilian Charmers" and "The High Price of Fame in Brazil").
"We all have a little bit of film, jazz music and opera awareness and it made for a wonderful roundtable discussion... I, of course, included more of Ms. Sayão's second husband. It made for a special evening of old friends. Many thanks. Have a great New Year and my best regards. Fred Danise, Oceanside, California."
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Around Brazil: A Weekend Plan for Fortaleza

By Cintia Carneiro
May 24, 2007
The weekend is coming and you are in a sunny and warm Fortaleza, so how about taking advantage of what the city has to offer?
If you think that your weekend starts on Thursday (like many people from Fortaleza do), then you won't be home alone. There are always good things to do and cool places to go to. So, start writing...
Thursday - It's Crab Night in Fortaleza. Why not go to a big open space with good food and lots of Forró music? That is what Quinta de Forró no Curral do Boi do Sertão offers. Every Thursday, Boi do Sertão opens its doors to you, with plenty of cold beer and the Forró band Libanus to start the party around 9:30pm.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Popular Brazilian Expressions Part 6

By Tamashin
May 24, 2007
Here is part 6 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.
101. O habito nao faz o monge.
102. A barba nao faz o filosofo.
103. Nao ha´ roses sem espinhos.
104. Dinheiro nao traz felicidade.
105. Quem cala, consente.
106. Quem foi pra Portugal, perdeu o lugar.
107. Ro quepula de galho em galho nao faz ninho.
108. Quem tem telhado de vidro, nao atira pedras.
109. Nao se acua a onça com vara curta.
110. A gente colhe o que plante.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Do Foreigners Need Title Insurance in Brazil? Part 2

By John D. Markunas
May 24, 2007
Any instrument that affects rights to a property must be recorded in the Real Estate Registry. The main legal document binding the transaction is the public deed of purchase and sale (escritura pública). Once the escritura is executed, the closing process ends, but not the entire process of acquiring the real estate. Property rights in Brazil are 100% enforceable only when the escritura is duly registered at the proper Real Estate Registry.
Despite the protection that recording title provides, purchasers of Brazilian real estate may still be liable for previous problems with the property. There exists the real possibility of errors committed by clerks in the Real Estate Registry. Risks or title defects could include survey errors, title flaws, fraud, forgery, undisclosed liens and encumbrances, and a host of other problems. Attorneys identify these risks, but if by chance, the attorney misses something (a hidden defect for example) buyers could face substantial losses or damages with no remedy. In one notable case, a US buyer of beachfront property in Northeast Brazil lost his land after the deceased seller‘s illegitimate children surfaced after closing and claimed possession of the property. In addition, a buyer may be liable for environmental violations even though they occurred before the acquisition. Brazil has a stringent environmental liability system, composed of civil, criminal and administrative liability.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: I Am Concerned

By Richard Conti
May 24, 2007
No-one has been such a strong supporter of the northeast of Brazil as I have been in the past few years and my past articles prove it, which you can find here in the archives of the wonderful Gringoes.com site. However, lately during my past few trips there and especially to the areas of the northeast and João Pessoa in particular I have reason for concern, and now can no longer with a clear heart continue to praise the area as I once have done.
It is no secret to any of us that the US Dollar is not bringing the buying power that it once did. In support of Brazil it is not Brazil that is entirely at fault but the US Dollar as well. Needless to say, or place blame on anyone, Americans are not in as good a position, nor is the area as great a value as it once was for us.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Discussion Forum

Unfortuately as the forum is offline there is no recommended post of the week.

Forex

Despite a rise earlier in the week the US Dollar has dropped slightly over the week, from R$1.95 to R$1.94. The Euro has faired similarly, and is down from R$2.63 to R$2.61 over the week. The British Pound has also dropped, from R$3.88 to R$3.84.