Monthly Archives: August 2009

Narrow-minded Brazilian Architecture

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Somewhere in a small town in Brazil, there’s a pretty narrow-minded architect, I mean don’t get me wrong, I’m sure he’s a real stand up guy but his head was a little in the clouds when he made this one…

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In the small town of Madre de Deus in Bahia, of just about 4 miles squared, there’s a house that’s three stories high and seven feet wide and believe me, it’s an eye-catcher. The residence comes complete with two living rooms, a kitchen, three bedrooms and a varanda. The owners are two 40-somethings, Helenita Queiroz Grave Minho and her husband Marco Antonio and they live with their three children, Helenita’s mother, sister and one dog…go figure!

On the narrow plot of land, when Helenita found herself unemployed, she decided to build a house and rent it out for extra cash. Marco Antonio thought it was a crazy idea but in the end, he gave in and hired a bricklayer who happened to agree with Marco, saying that not even a fridge would fit in a place so narrow. And you know what? He was right. The family ended up having to take apart their appliances and furniture in order to get them in the house.

At the end of two years of work, the owners became satisfied with the house which was bigger than where she lived previously. Upon having this realization, Helenita decided to move to the narrow house and to rent out the old house, which today goes for around $350/month.

The mayor’s office made a fuss at the start but upon seeing the finished work, gave in as well and eventually accepted the new tourism spot where tourists come to sit in front and take pictures. Now, Helenita and Marco Antonio plan to build yet another story, this time without a roof so they can enjoy the sunshine and a nice bbq.

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The Guarani – searching for a home

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“In Brazil, there are today around 46,000 Guarani living in seven states, making them the country’s most numerous tribe. Many others live in neighbouring Paraguay, Bolivia and 
Argentina. The Guarani people in Brazil are divided into three groups: Kaiowá, Ñandeva and M’byá, of which the largest is the Kaiowá which means ‘forest people’. They are a deeply spiritual people. Most communities have a prayer house, and a religious leader, whose authority is based on prestige rather than formal power.

For the Guarani, land is the origin of all life. But violent invasions by ranchers have devastated their territory and nearly all of their land has been stolen. Guarani children starve and their leaders have been assassinated. Hundreds of Guarani men, women and children have committed suicide.” – Source (news, photos and a few videos here)

For an idea of how the Guarani live these days, see the Brazilian/Italian film “BirdWatchers – La terra degli uomini rossi” (Terra Vermelha in Portuguese) or check out the documentary on sugarcane workers (which doesn’t feature Guarani people but it is a job they end up having to do). I’ll post a short review (in PT) below for Birdwatchers.

500 Posts in my 17th month

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I started this site as a way to store the information about Brazil that I held in my head but quickly I saw its use as a learning tool. There was a time when I approached the subject of Brazil as a ‘typical gringo’ but that was nearly 10 years ago. Why the need to dive deeper? Well, stereotypes have always interested me and so has sociology and etymology and because of that, I knew there was no way to let Brazil let me off the hook easily. I made my bed long ago and getting under the covers was the only way for me to get to know the sleeping beauty called Brazil (although I do have one complaint, she often hogs the blanket).

Even though the word Brasil in Portuguese is masculine, I’ve always seen it as feminine…like a tomboy who grows into a beautiful woman that never stops talking and whom you never tire of (we all know women talk more than men). She’s got a voice that’s sweet like honey and her words are as smooth and curvy as the border of her body. She speaks in tongues and she’s got your ear, from the moment you first see her.

Here’s to 500 posts and 130,000 views!

Havaianas – The ‘Wanting Less’ ad

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Over at Cuca Brazuca, I spotted a little write-up on a clever Havaianas advert with the theme “menos é mais” (“less is more”) which goes perfectly with their brand image…except for the fact that their adverts can be seen in high fashion magazines in the US, which doesn’t jive with the theme of their new ad. Interesting that their marketing strategy for the States is to be seen as chic while in Brazil, I would argue it is the opposite. Either way, they’ve had me hooked for many years.

Towards the end of the ad, there’s two young women in bikinis wearing the famous flip flops at what I would guess to be a waterfall. As a tip, I highly don’t recommend wearing Havaianas while walking through the water or on slippery rocks. I tried it…and failed miserably.

WebJet – Brazil’s 3rd largest airline

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Webjet Linhas Aéreas (in PT) is a Brazilian low-cost airline that I don’t think many people are familiar with, although it’s 4 years old. It belongs to the biggest Brazillian tour operator, Viagens CVC and is based in Rio. In June 2009, Webjet ranked third in the domestic market share in terms passengers/km, behind TAM and Gol (and before Azul). Here are their current destinations.

Scheduled Destinations

  • Belo Horizonte – Confins Airport
  • Brasília
  • Curitiba
  • Fortaleza
  • Natal
  • Porto Alegre
  • Recife
  • Rio de Janeiro – Galeão Airport and Santos Dumont Airport
  • Salvador
  • São Paulo – Guarulhos Airport

    • Weekend Charter Destinations

    • Ilhéus
    • Maceió
    • Porto Seguro

    WebJet is seriously looking at making João Pessoa one of their destinations and I’ve heard rumors of possible expansion into neighboring countries. Currently, they have 16 Boeing 737′s and are looking at rounding out at 20 by the end of the year. On a side note, Australia also has a Webjet, so as long as the Brazilian carrier doesn’t enter Australia or vice versa, I think it’ll be alright.

    Brazil, the country of the present?

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    (Business Week)

    “For years, Edilson dos Reis Rodrigues dreamed of owning a home. But the public school teacher and his wife together earn just $710 a month, so he could never set aside a down payment. Now, he’s finally getting the chance.

    Thanks to a new government program called My House, My Life, Rodrigues will soon own a two-bedroom apartment near São Paulo. He’ll get a cash grant covering a quarter of the $52,000 price and a discounted 30-year mortgage, so he’ll pay just $220 a month—half what a conventional loan would have cost. “This is an incredible opportunity,” the 31-year-old says, smiling broadly as he hands in paperwork to seal the deal.

    My House, My Life is just one of the stimulus measures that Brasilia has implemented to keep Latin America’s biggest economy from stalling. As a result, Brazil will likely be one of the first countries to emerge from the slump: The economy may grow slightly this year and by as much as 4.5% in 2010, helping lift millions of Brazilians out of poverty. “Brazil is emerging from the crisis, and next year we are going to have surprising growth,” President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said proudly in a July 28 speech.” – Source (more here)

    Street Smart Brazil – Real Portuguese lessons

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    There’s a new site out there looking to teach the real deal, the way it is spoken by natives. Personally, I’ve always looked to native speakers when I’m learning a new language and very rarely, big companies. My theory is that pronunciation is as important as vocab and grammar and all that jazz. Anyways, go and check out StreetSmartBrazil and say hi to Luciana, a native of Recife. Here’s a little snippet from her site,

    “I bring to you the Portuguese that you do not learn in textbooks, using software, or in your traditional language school. Along with proper grammar and vocabulary, you will learn idiomatic expressions, proverbs, popular sayings, and slang that cannot be found in traditional learning vehicles. Here you will learn the Portuguese that we speak in Brazil.”

    Together with her site, you can find a blog, with helpful hints on improving your Portuguese in the written and video form, plus a bookstore to buy the books you’ll need. If you read this now and forget the name of the site, just come back here and check my links page(s)…StreetSmartBrazil will be there!

    Anti-Smoking Law in São Paulo starts today

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    “SAO PAULO — Bar and restaurant owners in Brazil’s megapolis of Sao Paulo are grumbling about a new anti-smoking ban due to come into effect from Friday.

    “How can I control someone who comes in and smokes inside?” asked Max Abdo, the owner of the Tabaqueria Ranieri, a drinking establishment that sells upmarket cigars to a well-heeled clientele. “I’ll respect the law, but everything’s very confusing,” he told AFP. The new measure, effective all across Sao Paulo state, prohibits smoking anywhere but in the open air and in private homes.

    Sao Paulo governor Jose Serra has said establishments will be held responsible if violators light up. In an interview with Brazil’s Globo television, he said the ban was to protect the health of non-smokers, seven of whom die each day in the state from passive smoking.

    Cassio Gabus Mendes, Abdo’s partner in the Tabaqeuria Ranieri, said “smoking a Cuban (cigar) is a ritual” in his bar, but added a non-smoking section where bands play had been added two months ago to try to keep customers when the ban comes into effect. Smokers “are going to have to adapt,” he said. The law, though, makes an exception for premises that solely sell tobacco products. The manager of one such establishment, Marisa Carvalho of the Davidoff shop, said she expected sales to skyrocket with the ban. The outlet has tables and chairs where nicotine-junkies can relax while puffing away on their 70-dollar cigars.” – Source

    Well, I did call Brazilians the New French last year in a post on picking your poison. I don’t see this law as very enforceable though, it’s kind of like the no texting law in California.

    Smoking is barred in the entire state in public places, including businesses, bars, restaurants and nightclubs. In practice, it will only be permitted to smoke outside, at home, in a car or in places that ignore th law. The fines for being caught range from $400 – $800 and can be doubled in the case of reoccurance. – O Globo

    The problem with being fined so much is the person fined is the owner or the bar/locale where the offence took place, not the person doing to smoking.