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.


Sao Paulo: Caledonian Ball 2008

August 25, 2008
The St. Andrew Society of Sao Paulo cordially invites you to the Caledonian Ball. One of Sao Paulo's premiere events, the Caledonian Ball, is a wonderful Scottish evening with something for everyone. There will be the Scottish Link Pipe Band and Scottish Country Dancing to Iain MacPhail and his Scottish Dance Band, flown in especially from Scotland. Additional music for dancing will be provided by a DJ throughout the evening.
Where: Grand Hyatt - Sao Paulo. Avenida das Nações Unidas 13.301
When: Saturday, September 27th at 8pm
Dress: Kilts / Black Tie (dark suit & bow tie are acceptable)
Cost: R$225 per person (R$175 under 30 yrs & over 70 yrs) includes pre-ball canapés and drinks, sumptuous dinner, and first-class wine, whisky, & other beverages
Ticket Deadline: Tuesday September 23rd
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil‘s Surprising Expansion of the Legal Definition of a Tax Haven

By Robert Eugene DiPaolo
September 15, 2008
On June 23, 2008, Brazil‘s Congress published Law 11,727/2008, which, effective as of January 1, 2009, will amend Brazil‘s transfer pricing regulations and expand the legal definition of tax havens. The surprising news in all of this is that it is widely believed that these changes were made specifically so that the exotic state of Delaware could be designated as a tax haven, or at least a jurisdiction with the characteristics of one. Yes, you read that right - Delaware - the second-smallest state in the United States. The state which elected Joe Biden, Barrack Obama‘s vice presidential running mate, as a United States Senator, may be designated by Brazil as a fiscal paradise, just like the Cayman Islands, Panama, the British Virgin Islands and Bermuda.
At this point, Brazil‘s tax authorities still need to adopt an expanded definition of tax havens, review its existing list of blacklisted jurisdictions and decide if it wants to add or remove any countries or locations. So, until Brazil‘s IRS issues a new list of tax havens to implement this legislation, something which it is expected to do by the end of this year, Delaware will remain something of a tax haven in waiting, or at least in the minds of many Brazilian lawyers and tax advisors.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil Through Foreign Eyes

September 12, 2008
Meet Jim Kelley from the USA who retired to live in Brazil. Read the following interview in which he tells us about some of his most memorable experiences 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 Jim Kelley. I first came to Brazil a few years ago and found that I loved it on the Island of Itaparica. So much so that my wife Romenilda (Brazilian) and I bought a condo on the island.
2. When did you arrive in Brazil and what brought you here?
When I retired from my work in New York on November 3 2006, we headed for Brazil to live. (My wife had been in the US for 18 years) I arrived in Itaparica on Dec 3 2006. We owned an apartment in Salvador and got rid of the tenant and started remodeling it for us.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: Coming Up - Serra versus Dilma?

By John Fitzpatrick
September 12, 2008
The world´s eye may be on the presidential contest in the United States but here in Brazil, preparations are being made for the race in 2010. Unlike Americans voters, Brazilians are unlikely to have a black candidate but there is a fair chance that they might, at least, have a woman candidate in the shape of Dilma Rousseff, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva´s chief of staff. For almost a year Lula has been parading her up and down the country, lavishing her with praise and acting more like her publicity agent than her boss. However, she is still barely known among the population and has no political muscle and would find it hard to compete on her own merits against someone like the São Paulo governor, Jose Serra, who looks like being the main opposition candidate.
Serra versus Dilma should be a no contest. There is no doubt that Serra has all the qualifications for the job. He has held a number of senior posts, including health and planning minister in the Fernando Henrique Cardoso administration, and has been a Senator and mayor of São Paulo. As a minister, he was constantly moaning about the economic policies of the finance minister, Pedro Malan, which he claimed were holding back growth. Despite all his barking he never got round to biting and he even became the PSDB candidate to replace Cardoso in the 2002 election. However, the electorate was a bit jaded after eight years of rule by Cardoso and his team and Serra, with his long face and impatient attitude, proved no match for Lula who put aside three previous defeats and finally became president.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Gringoes Poll

Last fortnight's poll was on the topic of crime in Brazil. Do you feel the level of crime is high or low? It seems you feel that the level is high, with 36% voting "High", 32" "Very High", and 28% "Medium".
This fortnight's poll continues the theme of crime in Brazil. Have you been directly affected by crime, know someone who has, or been completely unaffected? 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!


Interviews

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!

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 Coconut Mask taken by Dave Ricci in Arraial D'Ajuda. 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 Through Foreign Eyes

September 6, 2008
Meet Max Ray from the USA who has both visited and worked in Brazil several times. Read the following interview in which he tells us about some of his most memorable experiences and gives some useful advice to newcomers.
1. Tell us a little about yourself, where are you from, what do you do etc.?
I live in Nashville, Tennessee in the United States. I am an internet marketer, so I can travel with my laptop computer and VoIP phone and work anywhere.
2. When did you arrive in Brazil and what brought you here?
My first visit was in 2002 when I went to Manaus and stayed at the Ariau Towers which is where the picture I attached was taken with a piranha that I caught. I came to Brazil for my 50th birthday and spent a month between the Amazon and Rio. Now I go back every year for 1-3 months and rent an apartment in Ipanema when I am there.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Ask a Brazilian: Revoked Visa

September 6, 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.
I have a really good friend who has had his visa revoked and is being forced to return to Brazil (Rio). He has not been there since he was 12 years old and has no clue where to even begin. Any advice on how he goes about getting an ID, paperwork he may need to fill out, places he needs to go to get it... ANYTHING will help!
Thank you soo much in advance.
- Ashley
Ashley
I'm a little late answering this question, so I hope this is still useful.
I was hoping for a simple answer but apparently in Rio there isn't. Each document is issued in a different place. I'm afraid it will be hard for him to deal with brazilian burocrazy, especially in Rio where everything runs differently.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: "Tristeza Não Tem Fim" ("Sadness Has No End") Part 12

By Joe Lopes
Septebmer 6, 2008
You Can‘t Please Everybody
Trying to make sense of Brazilian politics and economics - Winston Churchill‘s spot-on reference to Stalinist Russia as "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma" fits the bill here quite nicely - is tantamount to taking a boat up Iguaçu Falls without a paddle: the harder one struggles against the natural force of the tide, the more frustrating it becomes, until finally you throw your arms up in disgust and let things flow of their own accord.
We can just as easily redirect the above commentary to refer to Brazil‘s continuously evolving national cinema. Ergo, and in the same breath, to rationalize why the newest edition to the ongoing Orpheus film cycle failed to ignite international interest in the way its predecessor had before it may be an exercise in futility, but it‘s one that, if properly done - with the requisite forbearance this often exasperating topic demands - can lead to a better understanding of the country‘s complicated cultural heritage.
…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 dramatically over the fortnight, from R$1.67 to R$1.82. The Euro has also risen dramatically, from R$2.42 to R$2.57. The British Pound has also risen, from R$2.96 to R$3.25.