Sambadam

Brasil Festival Amsterdam

Ew !

Apparently, I haven't had the drive to blog on a regular basis lately. Blogging comes on the bottom in the list of my priorities right now (and the coming months). A big SORRY also to other bloggers for my absence.

Sometimes, it is very difficult to be me. Not easy.

But then I got a tip from my other significant half, via e-mail:

Him: "During the months of October and November there will be happening the Brazil Festival Amsterdam. Maybe you feel like blogging something about it ?"

Me: "- Of course, thanks !"

And here is what I have found on their site (in Dutch):

"After successful festivals about India and China, Amsterdam is during the months of October and November welcoming Brazil.  
Brazil Festival Amsterdam promises to be a surprising introduction to the Brazilian culture. Because Brazil is not only the land of carnaval, samba, football and capoeira. This South American country has a dynamic  economy and a blossoming culture with a wide range of forms, from classic to modern. The key word to Brazil is "multicultural". This is noticed in the bossa nova, the XXth century dance culture and the present classic music. But also in the film, arts and the architecture. Everything is in there. From indian origins and western baroque to the most modern expressions. The Brazilian culture looks like the Brazilian kitchen: a fusion of the best from many worlds. "
More info:  www.brasilfestival.nl (yes, Brazil as it should be: with an "s", ha ! Unfortunately, everytime they mention "São Paulo" they write it Sao Paolo - ARGH !! ).

Below, a few examples of what you can enjoy:

Balé da Cidade de São Paulo.


Bianca Gismonti and Claudia Castelo Branco. An explosion of "pianofire": Duo Gisbranco.

Documentary "Sweet Dutch Brazil"(O Doce Brasil Holandês). I have already talked about it before.

On the 9th of October, Zuco 103 (= Brazilian Lilian Vieira, German Stefan Schmid and Dutch drummer/producer Stefan Kruger) will be performing songs in de samba de gafieira style for kids: "Secrets for Your Ears", for kids older than 6y. Sitting while watching is not possible ! (Oops, and this reminds me I really have to enter in contact with Lilian for a interview here at GFH. Zuco 103 tours around the world - but it is totally un-famous in Brazil, btw.)

Lilian sings mostly in Portuguese, sometimes also in English.


Ana Carolina has alredy been in Amsterdam on the 7th of July and I MISSED IT.

But there is much, much more about Brazil during October in November in Amsterdam.
Vamo que vamo !
 www.brasilfestival.nl

The Cultural Shock... and the Backlash (post bilíngue)

Bilingual post, em português na segunda metade.  

Due to some discussions happening lately among other fellow bloggers living in the NL about the cultural shock, I decided to summarize here the phasis that someone arriving in a new country may go through. IF you are not planning to live abroad but you have friends of family members who have done that - then I recommend you to read it, anyway. As always, plese forgive my occasional mistakes in English - thanks !

1) Cultural shock on arrival to your new country. (Actually, the cultural shock can last years - and not only immeditely after you arrrival.) Basically, you do not understand precisely why people do the things the way they do. Why the toothpicks and matchsticks are different.  The sun is different and the air too. What the heck - even the barbecue is different: and may not have red meat at all ! Okay, being the conscious traveller you are probably you have already read the most important books in order to grasp some of the country's past history and become aware of cultural differences - but still... Then you build up a blog to share your surprises, revolt and contentment with other fellows. Pheeew ! You are not alone, taking part on the local blog community you see there are other people that also find absurd the way people react and things work (or do not work, depending the point of view or the country, haha !) in the adopted country.

And then after a while you start idealizing you home country (the same one that had some characteristics you were fed up about when you left f.o.r.e.v.e.r.) and start planning you vacations to see old places and friends. Aaaah, you just cannot wait until you step H.O.M.E. !

That's when probably your are going to experience...

2) A reverse cultural shock. This happens when after some years living in your adopted country you go for a vacation in your country of birth. Oddly, upon arrival, you find strange that certain things in your country of birth are the way they are. Yep, you enjoy lots of things, your favorite foods, the people - but things do not seem to have the same taste. You do not know how to explain that. Strangely, sometimes during your vacation in your home land you even miss certain things from your adopted country. How strange.

And then there is the third phasis:

3) A big crisis for realizing you do not really belonged to your previous country but still do not feel (maybe never will) at ease with your adopted one. Maybe you should look for thereapy - but believe me: blogging is cheaper though.

Below, a video featuring Titans - a Brazilian rock band from the 80's. It is called "No where".
Oldie but good.


I am not Brazilian
I am not a foreigner
I am not Brazilian
I am not a foreigner
I belong to nowhere
To nowhere I belong
I am not from São Paulo, neither Japanese
I am not a carioca, neither Portuguese
I am not from Brasília, neither from Brazil
No nation conceived me
I do not care about there
I do not care about here

In another video, Titans sing about the refusal of adapting into circumstances/routine and the world in general. Why do we have to fit in a scenario and fulfill others expectations ?


I do not fit in the clothes
I used to
I do not fill the house
with joy
Years have passed by
While I slept
And the one I loved
Forgot about me

Did I say
what nobody listened to ?
Did I listen to
what nobody said ?
I am not going to adapt myself
Adapt myself...

I do not have the face
I used to have
In the mirror this face
is not mine
When I realized it
I found it so strange
My beard
Was so big

Did I say
what nobody listened to ?
Did I listen to
what nobody said ?
I am not going to adapt myself
Adapt myself...

I am not !
(Going to) Adapt myself !
I am not going to adapt myself !
No way !
I am not going to adapt myself !
__________________________________________________________
Devido aos últimos posts que ando lendo em blogs de brasileiros que moram na Holanda (e de estrangeiors que foram viver no Brasil) eu decidi fazer um post psico-antropológico-sociológico dando um panorama do que se passa na cabeça de um expatriado. Mesmo que você não planeje ir morar no exterior, provavelmente tem um amigo/conhecio ou parente que já o fez - e por isso seja interessante dar uma lida nas fases que um estrangeiro passa.

1) Choque cultural. Você leva sustos diários (positivos ou negativos) por perceber como os interiores do prédios e táxis são, as estradas, a burocracia, o molho da salada, o palito de dente, o fósforo, o adubo, a água de beber, a paquera (ou a falta dela).  Até o que eles chamam de churrasco é diferente e pode até não ter carne vermelha !!! Com mil morcegos Batman !

2) Choque cultural ao reverso. A Beth do blog Noites em Claro já levantou esse tema há pouco. Ela está há 17 anos vivendo na Holanda e há 12 anos sem visitar o Brasil. Está cheia de expectativas de ver e  visitar coisas nessas férias. Não posso esperar para ela compartilhar as conclusões quando voltar.  Negócio seguinte: você está vivendo tranquilamente no seu país adotado, se livrou daquela bagunça e calor infernal do Brasil, mas anda pesando passar umas férias lá - afinal ninguém é de ferro, neam ? Vai ver coisas lindas, e comprar umas coisinhas que te faz falta (CD's ? alicate de cutícula ? Tesoura de cortar pelo do nariz ? feijão de verdade ? carne seca ? umas roupitchas de arrasar ? estocar cera depilatória para cinco anos ?), vai comer as coisas que gosta e visitar lugares bacanas. Aí... você descobre que o ator que achava bonito está uma pelanca só, virou gay ou engordou muitíssimo ou já morreu, nem existe mais CD pra comprar com essa banda que você gosta, as roupas não cabem pois os brasileiros são todos anões ou pré-adolescentes que vestem tamanho 36, a picanha está pela hora da morte, o alicate de cutícula é uma porcaria e... putz, até já quebrou a mola antes de você embarcar pra casa. E tem mais: ficar fazendo escova pra ficar toda na estica é C.A.F.O.N.A.A.A.A.... !

Isso te leva para a terceira fase...

3) Crise por estar entre duas culturas, sem pertencer exatamente a nenhuma delas. Você execrava coisas do Brasil quando vivia lá, mas ainda acha estranho no novo país chamarem de churrasco um frango mirrado no palito com molho de amendoim. Solução ? Vai relaxar vendo os vídeos do Titãs, Legião, Barão Vermelho ou banda que o valha ou vai relaxar blogando - custa beeem mais barato que fazer terapia. Eu não tô nem aí !

Só o Bilhete de Ida

(Texto originalmente publicado no Brasil com Z blog).

Sentindo falta de uma melancia, de uma água de côco injetada direto na veia.

Quem emigra, sempre escuta a seguinte pergunta: "Vai voltar ou não para seu país de origem ?". Esteja vivendo há poucos meses ou há alguns anos no novo país, é batata: sempre ouvirá a pergunta !

No meu caso, como vim para a Holanda para ficar ao lado do meu amado (que é holandês desde a pré-história e até debaixo d’água) eu vim para ficar… para sempre. Pagamos hipoteca aqui, nossos filhos tem escola gratuita, vivemos num país bem internacional e economicamente estável e central na Europa: fácil para ir para a Escandinávia, para o Mediterrâneo, para a Europa oriental, até para o Oriente Médio e para o norte da África é "pertinho".

Voltar ou não voltar para o país de origem é uma decisão muito pessoal, decisão essa influenciada por motivos nem sempre racionais (claro, o ser humano não é um bicho lógico). Já conheci vários estrangeiros europeus que após alguns anos decidiram enfiar a viola no saco e voltar para o país de origem. Apesar da Holanda ser um país rico e que oferece muitas oportunidades, eles sentiram que seriam eternamente estrangeiros com sotaque, e por isso preteridos no mercado de trabalho. Voltaram para a Itália, Irlanda, Croácia, Alemanha e Espanha e foram estudar ou ter um trabalho semelhante ao que tinham na Holanda – mas sem o estresse de terem de se justificar porque estavam na Holanda, porque não falavam (ainda) holandês fluente – isso quando falavam. E sobretudo agora no país de origem estão próximos a seus entes queridos.
Conheci algumas escandinavas que apesar de casadas com holandeses bem empregados quando tiveram filhos deram um ataque de pelancas e arrastaram marido e prole para a Finlândia e para a Suécia. Atenção: países com menos oportunidades de emprego/carreira e bem mais frios que a Holanda. Elas não aguentaram ser estrangeiras (apesar de louras e de olhos azuis e sem dificuldades para aprender o holandês) e viver fora do aconcheguinho do lar frio lar de origem. Elas dizem que estão melhor mentalmente, vivendo em países menos populosos, com mais natureza, menos competitivos e com menos engarrafamentos.
Sim, eu poderia voltar perfeitamente a viver no Brasil. Mas aposentada, com os filhos encaminhados nos estudos. E só viveria alguns meses por ano, quando fosse inverno e início de primavera na Holanda. Me pareceria muito interessante passar de novembro a abril no Brasil, fazendo várias rotas pelo sul do país, pelas cidades históricas de Minas, esticando para o Chile, Uruguai e Argentina. Descobrindo pousadas escondidinhas no Rio e em São Paulo.
Por enquanto eu ainda me tensiono ao descer no Galeão, ao dirigir por estrada esburacadas, muitas vezes sem acostamento e de mão dupla. Eu acho a mobilidade pública no Brasil muito cara e limitada – os preços das passagens aéreas são irreais, viajar de trem de norte a sul, leste a oeste… inexistente.

Meu mundo por um queijinho minas.

Eu não creio que se voltasse a viver no Brasil por alguns meses por ano, eu teria uma “crise de identidade”. Eu iria curtir muito um solzinho da manhã ou fim da tarde, rodízios, comidas a quilo, água de coco, o frango assado pingando óleo e o pastel da padaria, a melancia e a manga que só existem em terra brasilis, as roupas e calçados leves, a comunicação fácil entre as pessoas. Eu teria sim uma baita crise se tivesse que viver novamente o dia-a-dia eterno numa sociedade tão machista, com tanta divisão social, tanta valorização das aparências e tanto descaso com tudo que é público.

Mas creio que em 15 ou 20 anos a situaçao do Brasil estará melhor, tanto em termos humanos quanto tecnológicos. Há muito chão a percorrer. Por enquanto eu vou labutando e sendo feliz por aqui.

Será que alguém aí pode me oferecer um pastel, uma bolinha de queijo, um croquete de camarão ou um bolinho de bacalhau ? Tô no seco.

Father's Day: let's go to RIO

It was Father's Day (at least in the Netherlands, not so sure about other parts of the world) it was gray and there a new Pathé theater in town. Oh, and there is this film for kids in 3-D with the action going on in Brazil, that happens to be mommy's land of birth. And being a good Dutch man, daddy discovers that the 11am session is cheaper than the afternoon ones. Ha ! Let's dress up and go quick to RIO !

In Holland, Jamai is the voice of Blu.

Did I like it ? Definitely, yes ! After all the cold colours of Ice Age and the slow animals marching all the time it was quite a contrast watching a film with such frantic colours, lots of aerial views and non stop music. Even the sunlight during the sun rising and during the end of the afternoon were perfect. Light and shadows in the tropics are definitely very impacting and different from the Dutch light. Still, I think it is a movie for American audiences basically - with all the clichés Northern Americans expect to find in a location called "Rio" (by te way, the Earth globe was displayed a couple of times during the film so that everyone could be aware where Brazil is).

Brazilian director Carlos Saldanha told a Rio de Janeiro newspaper the film’s animated beachscapes had to undergo at least one change for American consumption: bigger bikini bottoms.

The replicas of buildings located downtwon in Rio were perfect: the Petrobrás building and the round cathedral, the aquaduct, the historical buildings in Santa Teresa and Lapa.... My husband liked a lot the fact that he could recognize some locations downtown and had a good time (he is a very light guy, never searching things to be criticized). But the birds could cover huge distances around the city in a couple of minutes, which I think made the movie a bit too unrealistic.

I have noticed many errors. Some of them were also pointed out in the Brazilian press. When confronted about it by the Brazilian journalists, director Carlos Saldanha justified the changes as "creative liberties" and that he had made a cartoon, "not a documentary". He also added that after living for more than 20 years in the US he doesn't consider himself a "Brazilian director with a Brazilian view of things" but a director who will make any type of movie he wants, in order to please any audience he wants to. He explains it further on the videos below:







Anyway, some of the so called errors that I can remember are (yes, I am totally a nerd like that):

1) Linda and Túlio arrive in Brazil from the US and land in the domestic airport Santos Dummont, not the international Galeão airport. Huge error;
2) The two toucans that appear during the movie are of two different specimens, thus they can not really mate;
3) Jewel and Blue are two blue macaws from Rio. But actually this type of blue macaws (Cyanopsitta spixii) is native of Bahia.
4) They have only three claws instead for four. They look like chickens, with three claws;
5) The toucans have 7 kids. Toucans can only have two, up to four kids exceptionally;
6) The thieves leave Rio from a clandestine airport, with asphalt and all. A clandestine airport in Rio ? Really ? If it was at least in the middle of  the Amazon...
7) Cockatoos are Australian. Ok, in the film they do not make references to sadist and cruel cockatoo Nigel being Brazilian. But he eats a chicken leg - as much as I know cockatoos are vegetarian;
8) The streets in Santa Teresa completely empty during Carnival ? I don't think it's possible !

On the way back home while I was mentioning to my husband about the erros in the film, my son interrupted us and looked puzzled at me: "Er... mom ! It is a cartoon, birds talk and all, haha! A cartoon. What do you want ?"

The crew in Rio, during the première in Brazilian ground.

Above: the Russian poster. Below, I couldn't identify in which language this one was.

Do Que Sinto Falta do Brasil ?

(Texto originalmente publicado no blog Brasil com Z).

Eu sentiria muito, mas muito mais falta de coisas holandesas se eu tivesse que voltar ao Brasil do que sinto falta de coisas brasileiras agora. Se eu morasse no Brasil eu sentiria falta:

- Da imensa variedade de pães, iogurtes e queijos a ótimo preço;
- Das estufas e lojas com potes, plantas e flores lindíssimas e baratas;
- Da ausência de baratas, lacraias, pernilongos e outros bichos escrotos;
- Das estradas perfeitas e bem sinalizadas;
- Das aves aquáticas: patos, cisnes, gansos e cegonhas em profusão;
- Do ar limpinho;
- Da segurança.

Leite condensado dá para se encontrar facinho, facinho na Holanda.

Do que sinto falta do Brasil (não vou mencionar que o que sinto mais falta é: pai, mãe e amigas) :

1) Salgadinhos (de botequim). Entre eles bolinho de bacalhau é hors concours. Peraí, e todo o bacalhau que se encontra na Holanda? Você me pergunta. “Ei, dona preguiça, vai comprar bacalhau e batata e fritar bolinho!” “Perái” respondo eu! Sim, aqui há bacalhau pra todo lado, frito em quiosques, e pronto no supermercado pra ser esquentado em casa no microondas. Mas não há o bacalhau salgado e seco. Os holandeses geralmente riem quando digo que é uma gostosura brasileira, o tal do bolinho de bacalhau frito. Eles sacaneam que o bacalhau vem da Noruega e que a receita é portuguesa…
Aqui empadinha não dá para fazer em casa, pois não há gordura hidrogenada. E farinha pra quibe eu nunca vi na Finalmente Brasil, a loja de produtos brasileiros em Amsterdam. Felizmente aqui encontro farinha de mandioca, doce de leite, leite de coco e feijão preto.

2) Comida a quilo pro almoço.

3) Eu ainda sinto falta de um sol a pino durante o meio-dia. Aqui o sol fica só no horizonte e esquenta tanto quanto lâmpada e escritório.

4) Sinto falta de uma animação na rua. Tipo um domingo de sol, durante as férias de verão. E eu nem sou de muvuca, de massa, ugh ! Mas sinto falta de ver e saber que uma animação anda rolando. Animação de rua só acontece em mega dose durante o Queen’s Day e o Reveillon. E olhe lá.

5) Sinto falta de interesse das pessoas sobre o que é o Brasil. Na imprensa holandesa se aparece alguma coisa é só desgraça, minha nossa senhora... Barco que caiu no lago Paranoá, prédio que desabou inteirinho em alguma capital. Ou coisas sem pé nem cabeça, como alguma nova tribo na Amazônia, cujos índios atiravam flechas para o helicóptero que os filmava.

6) Serviço bom bonito e barato de depilação. A falta desse serviço me irrita total. Se bobear, eu acabo virando "Conga, a mulher gorila" de parque de diversões de quinta.

Dutch Duo Beautifies Slums in Rio

Since 2006, a Dutch artist duo named Haas & Hahn have been painting massive murals in Rio de Janeiro's most notorious slums. These are very poor and violent communities and the two artists had the help of the locals, in order to accomplish such projects.
An example below:

Is this a LSD trip or what ?

Cool !

The videos are in portuguese. I found great fun hearing the Dutch guys speaking portuguese, so recognizeable Dutch accent !

Uxua

It is the year 2004. What do you think that happens when a very rational Dutch guy spends a holiday in a tiny village somewhere in Bahia ?

a) He gets very bored;

b) He has a relaxing time and that's it. At the end of his vacation he is refreshed to return to his frenzy and well paid job in Europe;

c) He drops his job as a creative director for a well known brand in Italy, buys a house in his favorite holiday spot in Brazil and changes career. 

Psst ! To help you finding the right answer here is a tip:  

"Jet-setting fashion designer Wilbert Das enjoyed holidaying in the pretty Brazilian fishing town of Trancoso so much that he never left"  (Elle Decoration, UK)

Above: Uxua lounge. In pataxo indian language "uxua" means "marvellous".

Trancoso community in located on the coast of Bahia, northeastern Brazil. The village is full of hidden treasures.

Dutch designer Willem Das becomes an hotelier in Bahia, after restoring some houses for guests. He names his housing complex Uxua. The whole project counts with an absolute respect for the local materials - with here and there an European touch.   I found the result rustic and stunning. On the international press Uxua has received raves.

The pool is embedded with 40,000 specimens of aventurine quartz pebbles with healing properties.

Above: the dining table at one of the restaurants at Uxua.

Below: the kitchen.

Photos above: some of the interiors of the casas where the guests stay.

Acarajé anyone ?

Vai um acarajé ?

It is also possible to get married in Trancoso, by the way.

The cerimony is at a charming little church, the honeymoon is at Uxua.

All the amazing photos on this post are from Fernando Lombardi and I snatched them from Uxua's official website.

To know more: www.uxua.com (English)

(And you ? Have you ever been to Bahia ? )

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Rio, Movie Trailer

I have already talked about a Carlos Saldanha's film trailer before.
Above, you can watch a new one.
It seems it is going to be released in mid April. Looks cute and funny !
However, I hope it doesn't present all those esterotypes from Rio and Brazil, we Brazilians are so "used to" when living abroad (Grrrr !).

New posters for “Rio”. The movie features the voices of Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway , Neil Patrick Harris, George Lopez, Jemaine Clement, Tracy Morgan, Leslie Mann, will.i.am, and Jamie Foxx.

Algum brasileiro por ai com alguma estorinha de ter vivido uma experiencia ruim por causa dos estereotipos a nosso respeito ?

Rio 2016

During the New Year's Eve at Copacabana Beach, the logo for the 2016 Olympics Games was announced.

Three interconnected human figures, embrancing the diversity of races and differences, where you can see the Sugarloaf silhouette:

To visit the official site (in English) with photos and job opportunities click here.
For an interesting article above the Olympics on the Economist go here. But I have to disagree that the international airport in Rio is "operating above capacity": most of the times I have been there the flux of passengers was pretty okay, compared to other overcrowded airports in the world. I disagree with some other points from the article as well.

(Source: well, how do I know all that ? I follow The Adventures of a Gringa in Rio... on the Facebook. Go there ! I have also supplied Rachel twice with links to documentaries... )

The video above is pretty, although I think the institutional video from 2009 is far more energetic and charming:



And recent 360o degrees photos of Rio and Brazil you can enjoy clicking on this link.
And ten facts about Brazil that will blow your mind here, on a short article.

Brigadeiros (Brazilian chocolate truffles)

Why not enjoying some brigadeiros during the 1st of January ? It is so easy to prepare that even a eight year old kid can do it (ooops, and I have to start teaching it to my son asap). Three ingredients: cocoa powder, 1 can of condensed milk and chocolate sprinkles. Maybe some butter too, depending on the quality and consistency of the condensed milk you are going to employ. Believe me: the Dutch love this. I regularly make brigadeiros for birthday parties at home. I will do some for the New Year's Eve as well. I think they are very yummy and look fab & festive - but unfortuanltely are very understimated. Here I am with my humble blog telling the world to try it ! I am helping to spread some Brazilian gastronomy knowledge.   

Above, I hold one brigadeiro between my fingers, so that you can see how big they are. They should be firm and round - and stay firm and round even after a couple of hours. If you make them and they get flat after a while then you need more practice and cook them longer.

Here you see them placed in mini cups, ready to be served. I have bought such mini cups in Brazil, but you can serve them directly on plates, like on my first photo. Or maybe on pretty spoons, such as amuse bouche and hors d'oeuvres served at cocktail parties.

I have found this video on youtube in English. The teachers Luciana, Bethania and Vanessa from Street Smart Brazil course will tell you on a humorous way how to prepare them. Boa sorte e bom apetite !



I have so many years of practice doing brigadeiros that I arrived to the point I do not need unsalted butter, a non-stick pan or wodden spoon. I use a regular pan and spoon. But if you are preparing it for the first time just follow all Bethania's advices. For a larger image double click on the video quickly. This trick will lead you to the youtube page where you can enjoy a wider screen.

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Presentinhos do Brasil

Hoje eu passei o dia inteiro pensando nas comidas brasileiras natalinas. A textura e o aroma de um panettone, os bolinhos de bacalhau do meu pai, um peruzão amigo ou um pernil bem grande, farofa, rabanada (que eu nem gosto tanto assim). Hummm… Cheguei a decisão que ano que vem quero um panetone na mesa holandesa ! Vou pedir para meus pais já me enviarem um no inicio de dezembro 2011 pelos correios.

Pois bem, estou eu preparando hoje o banho das crianças quando um entregador toca a campanhia com uma caixa grande nas mãos. Reconheci logo como tendo sido enviado pelos meus pais – e pelo formato não podia ser panetone (e meus pais não lêem meus pensamentos). Não tive como esconder a entrega das crianças e mostrar de surpresa durante o Natal. Três livros do Tintim e quatro de atividades e adesivos. Fiquei comovida com o exagero (o peso total foi de 2 kilos) e os gastos. Liguei logo para minha mãe para agradecer e botei as crianças treinadinhas para dizer “Obrigado vovó / Obrigada pelos presentes”.

Acho que o lado mais duro de constituir uma família fora do Brasil é o fato dos meus pais não curtirem meus filhos numa base mais freqüente...

A Mix with Everything

Go here. More Brazilian related news here.
(thanks for your tips gringa)



I think Brazil has missed a HUGE opportunity to make an unforgettable World Cup in 2014. Where are the new roads ? Airports ? Metro lines ? Hotels ? New stadia ?
The second video is an interview with Eike Batista, the richest man in Brazil and 8th in the world, according to Forbes magazine. Let's pay attention to his advices, because he knows everything.

Today I Love

Today I love... this projection on the statue of Christ the Redemeer.
Project : Fernando Salis.
Music: Heitor Villa Lobos, Bachianas Brasileiras # 7
Have a wonderful weekend you all !

Hoje eu estou adorando: projeções do abraço do Cristo Redentor no Rio de Janeiro, de Fernando Salis. Música de Villa Lobos, Bachianas Brasileiras no. 7. Um bom finde a todos e uma otima semana !

Because I am Brazilian

When I first came to Holland, I had to hear all kind of stupid, double-sense, aggressive silly, disinformed and humourous questions. Sweet things such as: How many times have you been in the Amazon ? Are the snakes (sic) very big in Brazil ? Why are you white ? Are you scared by cars here in Amsterdam ?

I have just seen such cartoons in The Good Blood blog and found them brilliant. They are from Iris Yan and her blog is Pigs in Maputo. Check out more cartoons and cliche' questions here. The last cartoon of the series is simply the best. Oh, and do not forget to read the comments. Enjoy !