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.


Site Hacked

November 9, 2007
Dear Readers,
Our apologies again for being offline for the last 2 weeks, in terms of both the main site and email newsletters. Our site was again attacked by a hacker who corrupted our content database, which in turn when restored caused issues with our content management system. All should be working now, but if you spot any problems then please let us know.


Dreams Can Be Foundation

November 14, 2007
Dreams Can Be Brasil, in partnership with Cirque du Soleil and CIE has the pleasure to announce benefit tickets for Cirque du Soleil's show Alegria. These seats are available in Sector 1 for the performance dates of: Belo Horizonte (Dec 13th), Rio de Janeiro (Jan 25th, 2008), São Paulo (April 10th, 2008) and Porto Alegre (May 29th, 2008).
Proceeds from the benefit tickets will go to support the projects and programs of Rede Circo do Mundo Brasil, a member of Cirque du Soleil's Cirque du Monde; a worldwide social outreach program of Cirque du Soleil in 19 countries. This social action is being realized in partnership with FASE.
Reserve your ticket today and help more than 10,000 impoverished youth throughout Brazil.
In order for Dreams Can Be to realize the proceeds from your benefit ticket your ticket must be acquired directly from Dreams Can Be: www.dreamscanbe.org/loja.
For more information, please call (21) 2249-5572, or send an email to: contato@dreambrasil.org.br.


Around South America: Peninsula Valdes

By Ricky Skelton
November 13, 2007
Mother Nature likes to hoard her most valuable treasures and keep them hidden together in different parts of the world, like a pirate burying troves around the globe. Two of her finest bounties are in Brazil - the Amazon and Pantanal. A third is on the Atlantic coast of Patagonia, half way between Buenos Aires and the End of the World.
Peninsula Valdes and the surrounding coastline have some of the finest and most varied marine life that can be seen on terra firma. Being a part of Patagonia, the wildlife watching in Peninsula Valdes is a relaxing, dreamy past-time that takes place under a clear azure sky and on top of a deep marine sea. The area is renowned for whale-watching, but there is so much more than that, including foxes, guanacos and wonderfully obedient armadillos on the land. Just watching the Southern Right Whales that breed in the area would be enough reason for me to return though. Arriving in Puerto Madryn and seeing whales for the first time, playing in the waters just off the beach, is a fine start. The next morning‘s high tide at Playa Dorillado was one of the times when I have been almost too excited at seeing wildlife. The steep beaches and calm waters of Golfo Nuevo are the playground of these gentle creatures (that is, gentle as long as you aren‘t plankton - in which case, it‘s a daily massacre) that come to the area between September and November to give birth to 5m calves that grow to around 18m long. Floating upside down with their huge hands in the air, they look like they‘ve just flopped backwards into a cool sea on a hot Bahian day. Rolling around and patting the water with their fins, they duck and dive, breach the surface and land with a boom of spray, and blow air so hard that you can feel it from the beach. But then, it is only about 20m away.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: Oscar Freire - São Paulo´s Street of Dreams

By John Fitzpatrick
November 13, 2007
If you walk along São Paulo´s Rua Oscar Freire and nearby streets like Bela Cintra and Haddock Lobo you will visit a world which is beyond the means of over 99% of the Brazilian population - the world of luxury goods. Think of any famous brand and you will find it here - Armani, Tiffany´s, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Bulgari, Montblanc, Cartier etc. You can pay R$180,000 (about US$90,000) for a watch, R$89,000 for a necklace, R$50,000 for earrings, R$5,000 for a blazer or a mere R$1,200 for a pair of sunglasses. In a country with a minimum monthly wage of R$380 and millions of people living below the poverty line you would not think there would be much demand for highly-priced products like these. However, there most certainly is and luxury goods producers are queuing up to get into the Brazilian market. The latest two companies to announce their entry are the Italian shoe and tie maker Ferragamo (R$430 per tie) and the German travel goods producer Rimova. A researcher at the FGV business school says an estimated 1% of the Brazilian population of around 186 million can afford to pay these prices - that´s a tempting market of nearly two million people.
…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.
An extra addition this week, as we've had a couple of article suggestions that none of the Gringoes.com staff feel they are capable of writing. So the hope is that a reader out there would be interested. The two topic suggestions are:
1. Renting Cars in Brazil - covering say any license requirements, insurance (and any related peculiarities), and perhaps a summary guide on the oddities of driving in Brazil
2. Brazilian Swear Words and Slang - we're a bit wary of this topic in case we offend more sensitive readers, but it could also prove a useful guide to not saying the wrong thing (we're aware that Tamashin has already written a large slang guide).
If you are interested in writing then contact mark@gringoes.com.
Equally if you have any article ideas that you'd like to see written, then feel free to drop us a line.


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 the last few weeks, is on opening a business in Brazil. Would you consider it, do you already have a business, or would you think it was madness? 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.

Weekly Quiz

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 Fruit Silhouette, taken by Dedelef Prins in Pirassununga, São Paulo. 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.


Brazil: The Business of Climate Change Part 4

By Tim Cowman
November 13, 2007
Climate change is THE hot topic (please excuse the pun) of the moment. No more so than in the country commonly referred to as the lungs of the world, Brazil. Over this four weeks Tim Cowman will bring us up to speed on the newly created business of the climate.
One of the latest buzz words floating around Brazilian business circles is Carbon Neutrality. This is a process by which an individual or business can ensure that they have a neutral output of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
"Carbon Neutralization is a voluntary action where a set quantity of Greenhouse Gases emitted by human activity are removed from the atmosphere"
How is this achieved? Firstly the company in question must complete a GHG inventory where they calculate the numbers of tons of carbon they release into the atmosphere per year. This includes their transportation (distances and mode), energy usage (type and amount) and the processes carried out in the company itself.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


The Gringoes.com Incomplete Guide to Surfing in Brazil - The Litoral Norte

By John from Cincinnati
November 12, 2007
Editor's Note: Tico Johnny was recently attacked while surfing by toxic flesh eating red tide algae. We expect a full recovery, but in the meantime his alter-ego "John from Cincinnati" has graciously volunteered to continue the series. The show must go on!
Welcome back, surfistas! I'm your tour guide, John from Cincinnati. Before we get started, yes, I really am from Cincinnati, and at this time I would like to express most heartfelt thanks to HBO for naming their short-lived "surf-noir" drama after me and making all of this possible. You're an inspiration to us all!
Now on to business. Just where does a "gringo" surf? Well, since many of my fellow gringoes are based in São Paulo, as I was once upon a time, why don't we start there with some "rice and beans" surf travel.
The "Litoral Norte" basically runs from Santos to the Rio state line and is action-packed with exceptional wave spots, some famous throughout Brazil and even internationally. South of Santos the beaches aren't quite as nice, but if you must go slumming all is not lost. A few nuggets can be found between Peruíbe and Itanhaém.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: Lula Called to Account on Tax

By John Fitzpatrick
November 11, 2007
We are witnessing something almost unparalleled in the corridors of power in Brasilia and governors´ palaces all over Brazil - politicians of all parties trying to reach agreement on an important issue that has nothing to do with individuals, corruption or incompetence but about holding a government to its word and making it responsible to the public. The issue is the government´s desire to extend to 2011 a tax called the CPMF - the so-called check tax - which is levied on financial transactions. This tax was introduced in 1996 as a provisional measure lasting two years to raise resources for the public health service. However, as governments are reluctant to turn off a free flowing tap of funds the measure has been extended in terms of time and to other areas, such as combating poverty and paying for pensions. It is now a major source of income - around R$40 billion (around US$19 billion). President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is desperate to keep this tax going but he may well have to settle for a bit less and even pledge to reduce or eliminate it in the coming years.
I remember thinking that the CPMF tax was a good idea when it was introduced and that a deduction of 0.2% of the value of any check I signed would not be too painful. However, I started to have second thoughts when the tax was extended and then almost doubled to 0.38%. The resources did not seem to be improving hospitals and health care and started to be apportioned to other areas. A site called ContraCPMF points out that even though governments have collected R$200 billion over the last 11 years from the tax it has made little difference to the state of the public health system.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil Through Foreign Eyes

November 9, 2007
Meet Richard Murison, from the USA, who has lived in both Brazil and other countries. 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 was born in Madison, Wisconsin, and might very well have remained there all my life were it not for World War II, where I served as a Navy Supply Officer, and where I first came in contact with Brazil. After the War, and graduation from the University of Wisconsin, I attended the Thundrbird School (third graduating class) in Glendale, Arizona., with the intention of going into "export" (we called it then, and now termed "International Business), where I learned Spanish and Foreign Trade. After graduation I drove to New York where I got my first "real" career job with the Sydney Ross Company, a subsidiary of the Sterling Drug Company, at the time one of the world´s largest.
2. When did you arrive in Brazil and what brought you here?
After a year in New York and three months of training in Mexico I was posted to Brazil. where I arrived to stay in August of 1950. I was transferred twice out of Brazil, once for 4 years and once for 5 years, during which I lived in Japan, Holland, New York, Pittsburgh, and Mexico City, and worked for various companies including Bristol-Myers, Pfizer, H.J.Heinz, G.D. Searle, and lastly McQuay do Brazil for my last 20 years of employment, during which I also owned, and operated for ten years, an English School in São José dos Campos. Educationally, I completed an MBA in the U.S. and a law degree in Brazil, where I continue to be a member of the OAB (Brazilian Bar Association). In short, my experience with Brazil goes back some 60 years, during which I have spent about 49 years, living in Rio, Recife (twice), the Interior of São Paulo State, and mostly in São Paulo City during recent years and especially in retirement (where I also live in Fort Lauderdale, Florida).
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brecht, Weill & Buarque: The Brazilian Play‘s the Thing! Part 3

By Joe Lopes
October 25, 2007
Here is the third and final part of Joe's article. Apologies to our readers for the long delay in publishing. To read the previous parts please click the relevant link at the end of the article.
First of all, the German word Morität has an unusually pertinent etymology, in that it denotes a "song about the dirty deeds of criminals." It was intoned throughout the Continent as far back as medieval times and was still cranked out by barrel-organ grinders in the Weimar Republic period of the early 1920s. Without missing a beat, composer Weill picked up on and used the genre‘s repetitive, drone-like quality as a continuous link between the scenes of Brecht‘s wicked wordplay.
The "vastly watered-down" English version of the ballad, soft-peddled to easily-shocked New Yorkers of the mid-1950s, is shorn of two of the original‘s patently suggestive stanzas: their graphically explicit content exposes Mackie as more than just a dashing, Victorian-era rogue ("a cute rat-pack gambler," as author Peter Gutmann eluded to, in the Classical Notes website), but a vicious and brutal thug, arsonist and rapist-more akin, in type, to the disreputable Jack the Ripper:
…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 dropped over the last 3 weeks, from R$1.82 to R$1.73. The Euro has also dropped, from R$2.58 to R$2.54. The British Pound continues the trend, at R$3.56 compared with R$3.70.