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.


Brazil: Winter Ceilidh

August 21, 2007
The St Andrew Society of São Paulo invites you to a night of fun and dancing at the: Winter Ceilidh, Friday 24th August - 8pm
Brazilian British Centre (BBC) R. Ferreira de Araujo 741 - 4th floor, Pinheiros.
Price: R$65 - includes buffet dinner, Atholbrose and soft drinks. Cash bar available.
This is a great evening with Scottish Country Dancing, the pipes and drums of the Scottish Link Pipe Band, good food and Atholbrose.
All Welcome.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Around Brazil: Caicó

By Hal Sutcliffe
August 21, 2007
Caicó is a city of 50,000 in the desert, the regional center of relatively unproductive desert farming. During the summer it is stifling: the temperature climbs uncomfortably above 100° and there is no cooling breeze.
In contrast, Natal is a metropolis of 800,000 on the ocean, the capital of Rio Grande de Norte, with considerable manufacturing, retail, and government employment. The temperatures are usually in the eighties, rarely go beyond 95°F and there is an almost constant on-shore breeze.
Life styles in Natal and Caicó are similar. Most bars, cafes and restaurants are "open air". "Better" restaurants are roofed over, but open on the sides. My favorite cafe in Natal has some 50 tables spotted on a grassy lawn beneath a batch of shade trees. They serve beer, wine and the hard stuff, including cachaça - a rum made from sugar cane which is the Brazilian national drink. The food here, particularly the beef broiled on a spit... is deliciosa. And, nostalgia note, the French fries are US style! In Caicó a large plaza in the centre city is surrounded by twenty or so small cafes serving citizens under the trees. Great place.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: Physical Fitness and Personal Training in São Paulo Part 1

By Stephen Thompson
August 21, 2007
Diego is a personal trainer in one of Brazil's top personal fitness academias, as gyms are known in Brazil. He has a perfect body, with a chiselled chin and shock of thick, straight hair. The trainer's physique is his calling card, we look at him and we want to have THAT body, exuding health and well-being. But Diego also has a sharp mind, with his witty banter he entertains his students, turning a dull hour of physical exertion into something fun, a welcome break from the computer to be looked forward to two or three times a week.
I first met Diego when I went for a consultation at Competition, one of the top three gym chains in São Paulo. His clients include the rich and the famous, and though doubtless in his opinion they are all "the lazy", he carefully motivates and encourages them to set and reach their fitness goals. Diego loves physical fitness and has made it his life. A keen cyclist and football player, he seriously injured his shoulder in a collision with a bus while riding a bicycle on the University of São Paulo campus a few years back, but got back into shape by weight training and gave up his career in IT to take a four-year course in Physical Education at FMU, a private university in São Paulo.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil Through Foreign Eyes

August 17, 2007
Meet Kevin Raub, from the USA, who regularly travels to Brazil and the rest of the world. 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'm an American currently dividing my time between Los Angeles and Fernando de Noronha, Brazil, where my new wife runs an ecotourism agency. I'm originally from Atlanta and have spent the last 10 years scouring the globe as a travel and entertainment journalist for publications like Travel+Leisure, Town & Country, American Way, New York Post, Stuff, FHM, Organic Spa, and Lonely Planet. I'm just back from three months in Brazil's Central West (Brasilia, Goias, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul) for the next edition of Lonely Planet's Brazil guide, due out in January, 2008.
…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

We currently have problems with the poll, so unfortunately it's not accepting votes correctly.

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.

Weekly Quiz

Last week's quiz question came from Jacques Allain: what did the 17th century Brazilian explorer and 'bandeirante' Bartolomeu Bueno da Silva and a pterodactyloid pterosaur fossil found in Goiás have in common? Congratulations to Michael Roy Smith who was the first with the correct reply 'Anhanguera', from tupi-guarani meaning 'old devil'.
This week's quiz question comes from Teacher Claudia (thanks Claudia!): where does the popular expression "para inglês ver" come from? 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 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 Limp Face, taken by Bjarte Nataas. 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.


Portuguese Tip: On God - Expressions with "Deus"

By Teacher Claudia
August 17, 2007
Dear readers, my American student has asked me the meaning of the word "Adeus" (goodbye), as there seems to be a "deus" in it. Due to his remark, we had another very fruitful discussion on the many expressions Brazilians use on daily conversations, apparently not aware we are speaking the name of God in vain. Well, I did my homework, found the reason why we say "Adeus" and some other things that may interest you. By the way, Brazilians don‘t like to say "Adeus". Just keep reading me and you‘ll understand why.
Activity 1 - Introduction
Read a piece of the song "Partido Alto", by Chico Buarque.
Diz que deu, diz que dá
Diz que Deus dará
Não vou duvidar, ó nega
E se Deus não dá
Como é que vai ficar, ó nega
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Ask a Brazilian: Brazilian Wax

August 16, 2007
This is a question often raised with many smiles and laughter at parties outside of Brazil. A "Brazilian Wax" seems to be all the rage everywhere in the world, with franchises and businesses for Brazilian Waxing starting up all over the place. To confirm the common use of the term Brazilan Wax it even has it‘s own Wikapedia reference.
So can you please tell us, WHAT IS A BRAZILIAN WAX CALLED IN BRAZIL?
David
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: Tamashin‘s Tales - The Gunfight

By Tamashin
August 16, 2007
I have been asked by several contributors on the Forum to get together a few of my true experiences of living in Brasil and put them on the home page and/or newsletter.
This particular article is taken from a booklet I published called "Do you see what I see..?" based on life in a Rio favela during the early 1990s.
The Gunfight
Thursday night was choir practice night in our church. We met at 8.00pm in the church grounds and sat in a big circle. There were about 50 people present to practice the hymns for Sunday. Even at that time of night it was hot, about 28C.
The church was surrounded by a 2.5 metre high wall topped by a fence of about the same height. You couldn‘t see what was going on outside but you could certainly hear. There was a great combination of sounds. You could hear different types of music, people shouting, children playing and other churches with the loud speakers on full blast trying to get everyone to listen to their message. Then there was our little group rehearsing the hymn over and over again until the Priest was happy.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


The Brazilian Beat Goes On: My Own "Best-Of" List of Present-Day Bossa Nova Classics Part 2

By Joe Lopes
August 16, 2007
Here is part 2 of Joe's article, covering his top ten favourite tracks that reflect the pervasive influence of the classic bossa nova sound in their makeup or design. To read part 1 click the relevant link at the bottom of the article.
2. "Each and Every One" and "I Must Confess" (Everything But the Girl). The next items up are from the British pop duo Everything But the Girl, headed by none other than (what else?) a girl, the steamy songbird Tracey Thorn, and her multi-talented partner Ben Watt, more or less jazz-lite contemporaries of the better-known brand of vocalism practiced by Nigerian-born Sade and her Grammy Award-winning group.
Their entry, the single "Each and Every One," from 1984‘s eponymous Everything But the Girl (Blanco y Negro/Sire), the US version of their UK debut album Eden, is a stylish second choice for soothing pop vocals of the sixties-era kind, that also became hot with the English after-dinner crowd - an upbeat, up-tempo tune blessed with that unmistakable touch of samba.
…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.
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 risen slightly, and is currently at R$2.01 versus R$1.99 a week ago. The Euro has also risen, up to R$2.73, versus R$2.68 a week ago. The British Pound has also risen, from R$3.97 to R$4.01.