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.


Article Writers - Gringoes.com Wants You!

Are you a "Gringo" or Brazilian interested in writing for our site? Have you...

Photo of the Week

The photo of the week is titled Castaway taken by Andy Davis in Ubatumirim. 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 Book Review: Blood of the Wicked

February 24, 2008
American author Leighton Gage's debut novel, Blood of the Wicked, is a gripping and brutal tale of murder and revenge set in modern day Brazil.
Gage, a former Brazil resident, delivers a riveting and complex novel which touches on many issues all too common in this country, including brutal murders, police corruption and cover ups, land conflicts and sinister clergymen.
The book‘s main character Chief Inspector Mario Silva of the Brazilian Federal Police is surrounded by death and violence where ever he goes. Indeed it was the brutal murder of his father and rape of his mother by street thugs that drew the well educated Mario to the police force in the first place.
Most of the book is based in the remote Brazilian town of Cascatas do Pontal, where a bishop is murdered and landless peasants are feuding with land owners.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil Through Foreign Eyes

February 22, 2008
Meet James Woodward from Canada who travelled to Brazil to learn Portuguese and ended up staying. Read the following interview in which 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.?
My name is James Woodward, and everybody calls me Jim. I am from Canada. I was born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario (near Toronto) but lived in Vancouver, British Columbia for the last 28 years before I came to Brazil. I am an English teacher, do translations, and I also write textbooks to teach English as a second language here in Brazil. I married a Brazilian woman and after 5 years separated. I now live with another wonderful woman who more than makes up for all the problems and heartaches I went through with the first.
2. When did you arrive in Brazil and what brought you here?
I arrived in Brazil on January 10, 2002. After I began to learn the Portuguese language (just out of curiosity) I decided to completely change my life, so I came to Brazil to make a fresh new start. I have never regretted my decision and these days don‘t even think of going back to Canada to live.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: Myths and Facts Regarding the Investment Visa Program

By Jose Santiago
February 22, 2008
Firstly, the Investment Visa Program was created by the Brazil‘s National Immigration Council Resolution Number 60/2004 with the intent to increase foreign investments in Brazil by giving, in exchange, direct legal residency to any foreign Investor who brings no less than USD$50,000.
How It Works
In short, after a few initial steps and registrations, a foreign individual must transfer from his or her own bank account abroad at least USD$50,000, which shall be integrated to an existing corporation/business and deposited into its corporate bank account. Once that is done, a certificate is issued by the "Banco Central" qualifying the foreigner individual as a Foreign Investor and with that, he or she may be able to apply for the Investment Visa Program before the "Ministerio do Trabalho e Emprego".
…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 dropped sharply over the week, from R$1.74 to R$1.67. The Euro has also dropped, from R$2.56 to R$2.52. The British Pound continues the trend, dropping from R$3.39 to R$3.30.