Posted in Brazil Facts, Random Musings on 20. May, 2011
Hi all, I will get that post of the Leblon jazz festival up as soon as I can. Meanwhile, you might be interested to know that the world’s oldest person is a Brazilian. Maria Gomes Valentim is 114 years old and, if all goes well, will turn 115 on July 9th. Sra Valentim was born [...]
Posted in Brazil Facts, Random Musings, Rio de Janeiro on 11. May, 2011
Hi all, You know you’re really on the map when Paul McCartney comes to your town to play. For a long time, Rio seemed to be a bit off the beaten path. Or sure, everyone’s heard of Rio, and knows a bit about it – or believes that they do. (By the way, Rio is [...]
Posted in Brazil Facts, Random Musings, Tips for Travelers on 07. May, 2011
Hi all, There’s a good chance that if you come to Brazil you’ll be on vacation and will overindulge one night. Therefore, as a public service, I am publishing, for the first time anywhere, my patented Brazilian Hangover Cure. It’s guaranteed to work or your money back. Of course, we all know that the only [...]
Posted in Activities, Brazil Facts, My Trips, Travel Recommendations on 02. May, 2011
Hi all, While many people have Rio on their radar to visit one day, most may not realize that there are many wonderful spots nearby. One of these is the small town of Paraty, about 4 hours by bus from Rio. That’s where I went this weekend, to escape the bustle of Rio. Paraty has [...]
Posted in Brazil Facts, Holidays & History, Rio de Janeiro on 22. Apr, 2011
Hi all, Yesterday was a national holiday here in Brazil, Dia do Tiradentes, literally, “Day of the Toothpuller”. The history of Brazil, like that of the US, is populated with some interesting folks, and Joaquin Jose Da Silva Xavier was one of these. His beginnings were humble. He was born in 1746 in the state [...]
Posted in Brazil Facts, News, Rio de Janeiro on 09. Apr, 2011
Hi all, Just recently I wrote here that violence in Rio is largely confined to the favelas and is “rational” in the sense that it is primarily driven by the profit motive, as rival drug gangs battle for control. (See post “You think Brazil is dangerous?“) While I will stand by those words, senseless violence [...]
Posted in Brazil Facts, News, Random Musings on 22. Mar, 2011
Hi all, As I noted in my last post, many Brazilians are wary of the US and its current overtures. Some Brazilians take an even harder stance, denouncing US “imperialism”. I witnessed such a protest on Sunday a few blocks from my home. Before US citizens shrug off such protests as baseless and irrelevant, they [...]
Posted in Brazil Facts, Random Musings, Rio de Janeiro on 20. Mar, 2011
Hi all, The big news here is that President Obama is in town. He visited the capital of Brasília yesterday. Today he addressed an invitation-only group in the municipal theatre here in Rio and visited the statue of Christ the Redeemer which overlooks the city. Here’s an excerpt from his talk at the theatre: Obama [...]
Posted in Brazil Facts, Random Musings on 21. Feb, 2011
Hi all, Hope that you had a good weekend. We are gearing up for Carnaval here in Rio, so expect some posts about that in the next few days. Today, however, I wanted to write about a topic I’ve been meaning to address for some time: The English Invasion. Unlike the British Invasion of the [...]
Posted in Brazil Facts, My Trips, News, Podcasts, Random Musings, Rio de Janeiro on 14. Feb, 2011
Hi all! As Mark Twain once said, “The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” No, I’m not dead, just MIA. I spent 2 months in the US, spending the holidays and helping my mother prepare her house for sale. ANYWAY, I got busy and let the blog lapse. But I am back and [...]
Welcome to MY Brasil.
