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.


Newsletter Update

We would like to wish a Happy New Year to all our readers, and welcome to the first newsletter of 2008!


Brazil: João Pessoa Meet Up

January 8, 2008
After the huge success of the last meeting where over 40 people turned up, a new meet up has been arranged for Saturday 23rd February 2008, at 12.00 NOON/MIDDAY. It will be at CASA GRANDE, Rua Professora Maria Sales no 705, Tambau. (83) 3247-1101. domgustavog@hotmail.com
For a restaurant review see here at the Gringoes.com forum. The menu is excellent and includes Salmão na Brasa, Picanha Argentina amongst other things. The portions are very generous and cost, reasonable. Plenty of parking is available in front of the restaurant.
The new restaurant is only a short walk to the famous Tambau seafront. This time, the restaurant has been booked for 100 people including children. There will be monitors on hand for the play area.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Kermit in Brazil

By Kermit the Vlog
January 8, 2008
As a regular caipirinha drinker with a small collection of Gilberto Gil tracks in my iTunes library and some colourful t-shirts, I figured I was part-way prepared to move to São Paulo from Paris. Hell, if the job came up, I was clearly qualified to be an advisor on Brazilian stuff to the Bush White House. Overqualified, even, given that I once went out with a Brazilian girl and with her help I could more or less point out her country on a world map without resorting to Google Earth.
OK, so I couldn't point out São Paulo on that map. And back then, adapting my very limited Thai linguistic experience to Latin America's biggest country, I thought you said "obrigado" to guys and "obrigada" to girls. And, come to think of it, I knew of no other Brazilian movie other than "City of God". Oh, and as a gringo hailing from a country that most definitely wasn't the US, I felt hurt being labeled a "gringo".
So, all in all, it was with a great deal of excitement and ignorance that I packed my bags and skipped across the ocean to what all the guide books comfortingly referred to one of the great homicide capitals of the planet. (I laugh in the description of danger, of course - especially when it's in a book featuring prominent pictures of such dire perils as lithesome beauties wearing little more than fake diamonds and dental floss.)
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: São Paulo Meet Up

January 8, 2008
Longstanding forum user and equally longstanding meet up organiser Denise is again planning a São Paulo meet up. The meet up is at Wraps, for 1pm on the 12th January (Saturday).
If you‘re planning to attend please advise Denise before the 12th, via the forum for the moment, so she can confirm table reservations.
Wraps
(at CENTER 3)
Avenida Paulista, 2064
Terceiro andar
(Próximo aos cinemas)
(11) 3253-2883
www.wraps.com.br
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


The Gringoes.com Incomplete Guide to Surfing in Brazil - Santa Catarina

By John from Cincinnati
January 7, 2008
Welcome back, surfistas! I trust that you‘ve been paddling hard and practicing your bottom turns and "soul arches". Good thing, because you‘re going to need those moves when we hit the "Magic Island" of Santa Catarina.
But before we paddle out, a little business to take care of. Apparently my sponsors at Gringoes.com are desperately searching for someone to explain the nuances and intricacies of renting cars in Brazil. Never one to fail a friend in their hour of need, here is what I, John from Cincinnati, know about renting cars in Brazil:
My 7' funboard fits nicely into the back of a Fiat Palio or VW Gol. But wait, there‘s more:
Don‘t give Avis two credit card numbers.
What idiot would do that, you ask? ME. Too much saltwater on the brain, I guess. Reserved the car on one card, and then paid for it on another. The good folks at Avis then charged both cards, and although my friendly attendant immediately realized the mistake, it took months to get the second charge removed. Then when my speeding ticket was processed (yes, I am a terrible role model) they double dipped again, resulting in more phone calls and faxes on my part.
…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

Last time's poll was seasonally related. Where were you spending Christmas last year? In your Brazilian home, elsewhere in Brazil, for gringoes in your foreign home, or somewhere else outside of Brazil? It seems most of you preferred to stay at home (in Brazil that is) with 34% of the vote, in second place with 30% of the vote were those who were still in Brazil but not at home, in third place with 26% of the vote was those of you who spent it in your "foreign" home, and last place was the 10% of you spending it elsewhere outside of Brazil.
This week's poll is on New Year. Did you get in the Brazilian spirit and dress in the appropriate colour of underwear/clothes, ignore the supersititon, or were you not aware of 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.

Photo of the Week

The photo of the week is titled Festa of Yemanjá taken by Jann La Pointe at Copacabana, 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.


Cops and Robbers Brazilian Style

By John Fitzpatrick
January 7, 2008
São Paulo recently marked an event which will give readers abroad an idea of what life is like here - for the first time in 50 years a whole day passed without a single murder reported. Not surprisingly, this news did not lead to mass celebrations and there was one dissenting report that a body had been found in a rubbish skip. However, the event was consistent with a trend which has seen the murder rate in the city fall by almost 80% since 1999. Veja magazine recently published an article explaining the reasons for this statistical reduction. One of the points it highlighted was an electronic system based on the New York model which allows police to map every district of the city and identify specific locations for various kinds of crime. By doing so, they have been able to anticipate possible criminal actions and ensure a police presence in these most dangerous areas. Unfortunately this electronic efficiency is not always matched by human efficiency, by the police, or the judiciary, as the following example of a police chief who is currently driving around in a BMW worth almost R$300,000 which was confiscated from a drug dealer shows.
The 2006 model BMW was apprehended by the federal police in São Paulo at the beginning of the year as part of an anti-drugs operation. The car was registered in a false name and belonged to one of Brazil´s main drug traffickers, Luciano Geraldo Daniel. Goods amounting to R$15 million, including the BMW and 12 other flashy cars belonging to Daniel and his associates, were confiscated by the legal authorities. The cars were handed over to the federal police´s anti-drug squad. According to the Estado de S. Paulo newspaper, the director of intelligence at that time, Renato da Porciuncula, not only took the BMW for his personal use but took the vehicle with him when he transferred to a new job with the national intelligence agency (ABIN) in Brasilia in October. A team from the Correio Brazilense newspaper photographed him driving the car from his home to his office.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil Through Foreign Eyes

December 14, 2007
Meet David Sundin, from the USA, who currently lives and works remotely 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'm American, 51 years old, from Texas. I own a small business in Texas, and plan to open one here, too. I'm married to a Brazilian woman, and we have two girls, ages 9 and 11.
2. When did you arrive in Brazil and what brought you here?
I married my wife, who's from Sao Paulo, 11 years ago. I met her while she was working for the US Department of Commerce, setting up trade shows, and I was attending one of these shows. I was wandering around the show, lost, without my documents, and she walked up to me and asked if she could help me. Other guys came home from the trade show with pens and cups, while I came home with a Brazilian girlfriend!
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: By The Curmudgeon in Sky-High Dudgeon

By The Curmudgeon
December 14, 2007
Defense Minister Nelson Wannabe President Jobim, having done nothing to solve the airline crisis other than propose more space between seats to accommodate tall people like himself, has now come up with a sound bite: he‘s going to fine the airlines for delays over 30 minutes. 5% of the ticket price for the first 30 minutes, and each 30 thereafter.
Now, the fine print says that the penalty will only be applied to the "net" delays, and apparently that excuses delays caused by INFRAERO, ANAC, AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS and GOD (meaning the weather).
If this is the criterion, it means, of course, that there are almost no grounds upon which to hold airlines responsible, except willful negligence, such as canceling flights with too few passengers, or preventable maintenance problems, e.g. the toilet doesn‘t work, so some dingbat in overalls comes and fixes it and you take off 30 minutes late. Is there anybody out there who thinks airlines want delays? Delays play hob with their schedules, their slots, their working hours, etc., all of which cost them a bunch of money - in short, airlines hate it.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Understanding Brazil: Playing Pool

By Ricky Skelton
December 13, 2007
If anybody understands the rules for playing pool in Brazil, could they let me know please?
Ok, I suppose I‘d better write a little more on this. Just like my games of pool in Brazil though, I‘m not sure how to start. Playing with the local kids in the Amazon town baffled me so much that I gave up and asked my partner to point at the ball he wanted me to hit. It didn‘t help that the balls weren‘t traditionally numbered. Three #6‘s, two #3‘s and a couple of an indeterminate colour that I‘d never before seen on a pool table - somewhere between green, yellow, orange and brown (the colour of chip-shop curry if you understand that reference). It isn‘t just in the out of the way towns of the Amazon that I feel confused, but every game I‘ve played from Oiapoque to Chui.
It went wrong from the first match. I was invited to break, and a stripe went down. I potted another and was stopped from taking a third shot. I was told that I‘d potted the wrong ball. I looked at two fairly obvious stripes, then at my opponent. He laughed, picked up one of his own balls and dropped it in the pocket. What kind of game was this? How was I ever going to win if he didn‘t use a cue? Or the cue ball?
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: "Tristeza Não Tem Fim" ("Sadness Has No End") Part 5

By Joe Lopes
December 13, 2007
"Is There Any Money In It?" The spot where the formidable Carioca pair would finally meet and be formally introduced turns out to have been a favorite hangout for Marvelous City‘s intellectual and literary community, sort of the Greenwich Village coffeehouse of its day.
As memorialized in Brazilian author Ruy Castro‘s book, Chega de Saudade ("No More Blues"): The History and Stories of Bossa Nova, "It is almost unbelievable that the partnership of Vinicius and Tom Jobim could have been born in [a place such as] Casa Villarino," only because no one took very seriously what came out of that easygoing establishment, knowing full well the detrimental effects that too much alcohol had on the proffered wisdom of the bar‘s regular customers.
But no matter: the now historic gathering of music-loving and poetry-reading compatriots and cohorts would take place there on a late afternoon in the autumn of 1956.
…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! If you've got some burning question about Brazil, or just want to discuss a particular topic, then you're bound to get an answer there.
There's also a forum which allows you to comment and give us feedback 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, abusive posts and certain types of advertising in the forum will not be tolerated. Make sure to check the Read This First area first before posting. The forum is intended to be a constructive and lighthearted place for discussion about Brazil.


Forex

The US Dollar has risen slightly since last month, from R$1.75 to R$1.77. The Euro has also risen slightly, to R$2.59 from R$2.58. The British Pound has dropped over the month, from R$3.59 to R$3.46.