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 Through Foreign Eyes

April 11, 2008
Meet Deepak Sapra from India who spends several months a year working in Brazil. 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.?
I am from India, and live in a city called Hyderabad. I am a management professional and currently work in an India based global pharmaceutical company, handling their business for Latin America. This often brings me to Brazil, and to São Paulo, where I stay for a few months, a few times a year. I am currently in São Paulo with my wife and 2 year old kid.
2. When did you arrive in Brazil and what brought you here?
My first time to Brazil was in April 2007, and since then I have been a regular visitor to Brazil. Business brought me here, but it was actually the culmination of a long desire to get here. From India, Brazil appears so so far, that it really is another planet. Not to say that Indians haven‘t heard of Brazil: they surely are the most passionate supporters of the country‘s football team east of Rio!
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Ask a Brazilian: English Books and Brazilian Boys

April 10, 2008
This is our regular column called "Ask a Brazilian", the idea being that you can quite literally ask a question of a Brazilian - for those issues you aren‘t sure about but perhaps dare not ask someone else. It is meant as a bit of fun and answers should not be construed as expert opinion or the definitive reply on the matter. For that reason we ask you to please send comments and experiences in order to add to our replies.
Is there anywhere I can buy books in English? I find it too hard to read for enjoyment in Portuguese. Do any gringoes want to consider a book swap? I have over 70 books in English to trade.... Just a thought.
-- Lori Martins (MG)
Lori,
In Sao Paulo you can find 'some' at Livraria Cultura, Fnac, Siciliano and others. Hopefully you have one or more of these bookshops near you, but it is worth trying any large bookshop.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Estalagem Caiuia, Alagoas

By Alison McGowan
April 8, 2008
Estalagem Caiuia is a beautiful rustic pousada situated right on Bitingui beach, a smallish beach (by Alagoan standards!) between Porto de Pedras and Japaratinga, Maragogi. It's quite small, with only six navally themed rooms, linked by a decked veranda dotted with hammocks. But it is quite special too, in fact, very special.
If you are looking for personalized service, the owner, Mara, has the perfect combination of hospitality, generosity and culinary genius. And the food is truly wonderful, prepared in the huge open kitchen which is the focal point of the pousada. We tried sea bass in orange sauce with capers and banana puree, and fried fish in the lightest batter, and sauteed shrimps gratine, and I want the recipe for all of them! After eating, the hammocks invite a siesta. But then there is also the jacuzzi,, the warm warm sea and the beach, tempting you gently. Just writing about it I miss it.
About the Location
Estalagem Caiuia is situated right on Bitingui beach, between Porto de Pedras and Japaratinga on the Coral Coast of Alagoas. There are a few houses dotted about along the road and a couple of other hotels/pousadas in Bitingui, but Japaratinga is the nearest village up the coast and to get to a town you really need to travel 10kms to the north to Maragogi. Total tranquility!
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Irish Language Course in Sao Paulo

Basic Introduction to the Irish Language is a 12 week course at USP, Sao Paulo. The course is a basic introduction to the distinctive characteristics of the Irish language given by a native Irish speaker. The content will include exercises to learn fundamental grammar rules, the principles of pronunciation, necessary vocabulary for constructing simple phrases, and a general outline of Irish culture and living. The course will be presented in three modules, each one encompassing four classes.
Coordinator: Prof. Dr. John Milton (FFLCH/USP)
Teacher: Stephen Little
Host: Departamento de Letras Modernas (FFLCH/USP)
Price: R$ 160,00 (general public) - for other prices see http://www.fflch.usp.br/sce/cursos/lg_irlandesa.htm
Certification: for students with 85% presence on the course and a mark of 7,0 an extension certificate is awarded.
Course Location: Prédio de Letras - room 208 (Av. Prof. Luciano Gualberto, 403)
Dates: Tuesdays, 2pm until 4pm, from April 15th to june 24th 2008.
Places: 40 (a minimum of 10 bookings)
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


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 Fusca Delivery taken by Victoria Winter in Bairro Cidade Baixa, Porto Alegre. 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.


Benefits of Brazil´s Growth Start to Spread

By John Fitzpatrick
April 7, 2008
There has probably never been a better time for a worker to find a good job in Brazil than at the moment. The economy is growing, shrugging off most of the fallout from the crisis in the United States, consumers are buying as if every week was Christmas, real pay is rising and millions have been moving up the social ladder into higher classes. Unemployment is virtually at a record low and jobs are plentiful. Social inequality and misery are still around but millions have been taken out of poverty or given a helping hand thanks to the economic boom and government social security programs. How much credit should President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva take for this situation? Quite a lot but the truth is that Lula has had a lot of lucky breaks and he knows it.
The rise of China has created a market for all kinds of Brazilian goods. Chinese industry needs Brazilian iron ore and steel, farmers want fertilizers, while the food industry wants to feed China´s increasingly better-off consumers with Brazilian pork, beef and chicken. China´s apparently endless appetite for Brazilian goods is one of the reasons why the current financial crisis, which has pushed the US economy to the verge of a recession, has had only a limited effect on Brazil. The idea that when the US sneezed the rest of the world caught a cold is no longer valid.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Understanding Brazil: Farra do Boi

By Ricky Skelton
April 7, 2008
Crawling along the roads of Santa Catarina at Easter time, there were a couple of roadside signs that caught my attention. The first one said ‘Atençao - Comunidade Indigena´. Now your guess is as good as mine why Brazilian motorists might need a sign warning them of native people in the area. Perhaps old tribal hunting routes are still used that cross the BR101, or it has taken centuries for these groups to adapt to the ways of the Europeans and their metal horses. Absolute rubbish, I know, but I really can´t think of a good reason.
The second sign very prevalent at this time of year says ´Farra do Boi nao é tradiçao. É crime.´ I asked what Farra do Boi involved and the answer took me a little by surprise. Knowing a little about Brazil´s two main Boi-based folkloric festivals, Bumba Meu Boi and Boi Bumbá, I couldn´t understand why another of those might be a crime. Bumba Meu Boi takes place in Sao Luis, capital of Maranhao, as well as throughout the North East. The parades are re-enactments of a story that involved a man killing the best bull because his pregnant wife had a vontade to eat the tongue. This was a crime and the man responsible was in big trouble until the bull was resuscitated by magic and he was pardoned. Lucky him and so far so good.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil Through Foreign Eyes

April 5, 2008
Meet Alison McGowan from the UK who first stayed in Brazil 30 years ago and returned more recently. Read the following interview in which she tells us about some of her 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 British, but "carioca de coração", and I run my own business, Florence Associates, from a beautiful home/office in Rio. For the past 20 years I have been working in the field of "intercambio" representing language schools in the UK, US, Australia and Ireland. I am now moving sideways into tourism, working with the best hidden pousadas in Brazil.
2. When did you arrive in Brazil and what brought you here?
I first arrived in Brazil in 1979 and was here until 1984, establishing and managing the Oxford University Press office. I decided to come back to Rio for good in 2002 when I realised it was just as easy (and a lot cheaper) to run my own business from here, rather than the UK. The original reason for coming was actually nothing to do with a job though; I came here because I fell in love with Brazilian music whilst living in Paris back in 1974.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Ask a Brazilian: Cold Caçhaca

April 5, 2008
This is our regular column called "Ask a Brazilian", the idea being that you can quite literally ask a question of a Brazilian - for those issues you aren't sure about but perhaps dare not ask someone else. It is meant as a bit of fun and answers should not be construed as expert opinion or the definitive reply on the matter. For that reason we ask you to please send comments and experiences in order to add to our replies.
Vanessa,
Brazilians love an ice cold beer and have impressive beer fridge freezers and beer dispensers that chill beer perfectly, hats off to them. I was wondering why Caçhaca isn‘t also cooled/frozen like one would with vodka? I can imagine an extra cool Caipirinha made with ice cold Caçhaca may be good. Caçhaca bottle tops do not tend to screw securely shut which inhibits the bottle being laid horizontally in the freezer after its been open, which seems strange to me.
I haven‘t tried freezing Caçhaca myself yet, perhaps I‘ll get round to some experiments soon, purely in the name of science! Perhaps the lime or Maracujá may not flavour the drink as well when the Caçhaca base is so cold, however I know from experience that frozen vodka makes for a great caipiroshka.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>





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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 fallen over the fortnight, from R$1.73 to R$1.69. The Euro has also fallen, from R$2.71 to R$2.68. The British Pound continues the trend, falling from R$3.44 to R$3.33.