Here’s the link to a few more pictures of the event in Brasilia.
I’m not sure how having such an event assists in developing the Brazilian underwear industry unless the purpose is to pump money (via purchases) into the industry.
Apparently, a swicki is a social wiki which anyone can create. I just came across one for Brazil and although I haven’t spent much time on the site, I found the whole swicki idea to be quite interesting. The only part I dislike is the part where the top entries appear first because in that sense, only those entries will continue to be read first and therefore gain more hits. A bit circular. On the other hand, there’s a search box.
“A swicki is a custom social search portal on the topic of your choice. With every search, vote and click, your swicki generates more relevant results and turns into a valuable asset for you and your community. Take a tour to find out more about how swickis work.”
Here’s the Brazil Travel Guide swicki.
Over at Cachaçagora, Phil scored an interview with Tony Abou-Ganim, who is well-known in the world of mixology and also as a consultant for big-named brands such as Leblon Cachaça. Click the link above to read the interview in full and click play on the video below (which is included within the Cachaçagora interview) for a few tips on how to make great caipirinhas and batidas (ba-chee-dahs) from cachaça.
I’m beginning to think I should work for Leblon as I’ve had many run-ins with the brand on various levels. I bought a bottle right when it came on the market in the US and I know a Leblon brand ambassador in São Paulo, among other encounters.
Over at Expat Brazil, theres a post on a NYT article about why Floripa (Florianopolis) is the place to be. The article it links to goes into the club scene mainly and while somewhat telling, I do hope Floripa has more to offer than chic places and cool people.
One of the places mentioned is Praia Cafe de la Musique, which if I’m not mistaken is located in Jurere Internacional (the Beverly Hills of Floripa). Last time I was in São Paulo, I visited the SP version of this club in or near Os Jardins. Not a bad looking place but a little foo-foo (or is it fee-fee?) for my taste.
In the near future, I’m hoping to feature Floripa a little more (assuming I find the right kind of information). For now, there are a few things I do know about it. Floripa is the second most visited Brazilian location after Rio, it has 30-odd beaches, plenty of european-looking people and apparently an excess of Argentines during the summer months.
No, I’m not insinuating that Brazilians are criminals…read on.
I was ‘thumbing’ through the Italian daily Corriere della Sera when I found an article on a Brazilian woman who has no fingerprints, due to a rare disease. Below, I’ll translate part of an article from a Brazilian news site I also found her name mentioned on (where I found the photo below as well).
“In the case that she wishes to commit a crime, the engineer and psychologist Tânia Maria Manso Corrêa Machado, 64 years old, would make the life of criminal investigators a little more difficult. They would be incapable of using the most universal method of investigation, the comparison of fingerprints left at the scene of a crime. Tânia doesn’t want to commit any type of crime though. She is a normal person. She lives in Belo Horizonte, is no longer married and has two children. Aside from such a common situation, she is a bit of a rarity: her fingerprints are disappearing. The only finger that is still traceable is her right thumb. Even with that finger, the lines are too insufficient for any digital read out to prove that she is who she says she is.
“My skin has always been so smooth that my mother used to tell me I have the hands of a lazy person,” affirms Tânia.”
…but I’m sure I shouldn’t have.
This is sort of a follow-up to my post on the Top 10 ways people find my site because in the last month, one post has sky-rocketed to number 3. More interesting than #3 itself is something I’d like to reiterate from the ‘Top 10 ways’ post, that out of so many different topics on Brazil (which I have covered on my site), a short write-up on an American TV show being shot in Brazil has gone straight to the top very quickly.
That being said, I’m happy with my stats, my readers, the comments, basically with how my site is going and where its headed. At any time, I could choose to cover certain topics which would make my stats go way up in much the same way that my new #3 most searched for topic has. Fortunately, I want quality over quantity.
Nuff said.
In the same way that Forvo allows one to hear words being pronounced in other languages, Howtosayin is a multilingual phrasal dictionary. Here’s what they say on their ‘about us’ page. ”HowtoSayin.com is a mashup website, that translates words into 23 languages.”
Here’s an example, and although I’m not sure about how large its database is, I’m sure it will grow with time. In a sense, one could use these sites along with something like Dicionario Informal to find how to say a stock phrase and possibly what the street term is too. My only concern is, will the day arrive when very few people will need to learn another language?
Afternoon in Itapuã
Its good
to spend the afternoon in Itapuã
under the sun that shines in Itapuã
hearing the sea in Itapuã
speaking of love in Itapuã..
Itapuã is a neighborhood located in the western zone of Salvador, Bahia. The song was written by Vinicius de Morães. Here’s a few pictures.
Why there are groups out there trying to force their ways on others, I’ll never understand. Just as Amerindians couldn’t care less who Sir Issac Newton is, they equally don’t care about changing their spiritual beliefs.
ABC did a short on a group of Missionaries who are attempting to coerce others to not think for themselves. Here’s the link.
If you speak Portuguese or read French, here’s a pretty good documentary about the works of Oscar Niemeyer, narrated and starring the man himself. Special appearances by poet and friend Ferreira Gullar and even Fidel Castro towards the end. Running time: 1hr
