GOING, GOING ,GOING

Issue CXXX - Weekly Edition: September 7 - September 13, 2011
Dollar Climbs to R$1.70 Against the Real: Daily
September 13, 2011 | Filed underDaily Update | Posted by Contributing Reporter
By Brennan Stark, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The U.S. dollar rose 1.78 percent against the Brazilian real according to Monday’s closing figures. The rise effectively leaves the dollar worth just over R$1.70, its highest level since December 2010, but still well below its five year high of R$2.50 in December 2008.


The dollar climbs to highest value against the real since December 2010, image by Yahoo Finance.
Although the U.S. economy continues to struggle, economic crises in Greece and Italy have diverted some to pull funds and investments and direct them at the less risky U.S. market.

“Everyone is very afraid of a Greek default,” Andre de Carvalho Ferreira, director of Nova Futura DTVM Ltda., a brokerage firm in Sao Paulo said in an interview with Bloomberg. “You never know what’s going to happen. There’s no upside to hold the real. There’s more to go.”

The last eight consecutive reports have indicated that the dollar has strengthened and, according to Abucater dos Santos, manager of foreign exchange at brokerage company ICAP Brasil, the dollar’s trend could continue to rise until it reached R$1.80.

One possible reason, dos Santos suggests, was early September’s cut in the basic interest rate in Brazil from 12.5 to twelve percent per year.

BACK TO BLACK FESTIVAL IN RIO DE JANEIRO

2011 Back2Black Festival in Rio in August

August 9, 2011 | Filed underEntertainment | Posted by Patricia Maresch

By Patricia Maresch, Senior Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – While Rio is preparing itself for the Rock in Rio Festival in late September and early October, another music festival with big international guests is already on its way: Back2Black. The African roots, music and cultural heritage festival takes place the last weekend of August at the old train station Leopoldina and is a celebration of African rhythms, sounds, colors, styles and social and economic consciousness.

Prince will perform in Rio August 27th, photo by I Do Shows/Flickr Creative Commons License.

Undoubtedly, the festival’s highlight will be the performance of the American musician Prince on Saturday the 27th. “I am so excited that Prince is coming to Brazil, I think I’ve waited my whole life for this moment,” says 32-year-old Prince fan Guilherme. It has been twenty years since Prince has last performed in Brazil, at the 1991 edition of Rock in Rio.

It’s Back2Black Festival’s third edition this year, bringing great names of Black culture to Rio de Janeiro for concerts, debates and exhibitions, on four different stages. Besides Prince, there will also be other international artists performing, such as Chaka Khan, Macy Gray and Aloe Blacc.

One of the four stages will be entirely dedicated to Afro-Brazilian artists with music from Moreno Veloso, Domenico Lancelotti and a special performance from the band Paraphernalia with rapper BNegão. Brazilian superstar Seu Jorge will also be performing at the Back2Black Festival.

Seu Jorge gained world fame for his acoustic versions of old David Bowie songs in the film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou directed by American filmmaker Wes Anderson.

Macy Gray is performing August 26th in Rio, photo by Programação Back2Black Festival 2011.

Brazilian culture has strong African roots and the Back2Black Festival wants to show how the African influences affect Brazilian contemporary culture. “Our African roots have been ignored for several decades,” says festival organizer Connie Lopes.

“The Back2Black project was therefore created out of the urge to redo bridges, giving Africa back to Brazil,” she adds. Last year’s edition was a huge success with performing artists Erykah Badu and Carlinhos Brown.

Tickets for the festival went on sale two weeks ago and vary from R$100 for a day pass to R$250 for a ticket to see Prince. “It’s kind of pricey, but it will be totally worth it,” says English teacher Thiago. “It’s kind of a unique experience to see Prince perform at this very special Leopoldina venue.”

According to O Globo’s gossip column Prince has said that none of the festival employees are allowed to drink alcohol when they are working with him. The artist became a Jehovah’s Witness in 2001.

Prince has supposedly invited the famous architect Oscar Niemeyer to attend his concert at the Back2Black festival, the same gossip column wrote. The last time Prince – a fan of architecture – was in Rio he had also tried to meet the 103-year-old Niemeyer but the architect was traveling at the time.

For more information about tickets and programming, see the official festival site.

COST OF LIVING IN BRAZIL

Cost of Living Soars in Brazil
August 2, 2011 | Filed underBusiness | Posted by Sarah de Sainte Croix
By Sarah de Sainte Croix, Senior Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Brazil’s two biggest cities, Rio and São Paulo, have been ranked amongst the top fifteen most expensive cities in the world for expats, according to Mercer’s Worldwide Cost of Living Survey published last month. The report has Luanda, Angola as the world’s most expensive city for expatriates in the second year in a row, and for the Americas, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil top the list.


With soaring real estate costs and strong real against the dollar, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are the most expensive cities in the Americas, image recreation.
The survey ranks São Paulo as the tenth most expensive city in the world (up eleven places since last year), and Rio de Janeiro as the twelfth (rising seventeen places). New York, North America’s most expensive city, lags far behind in just 32nd place, making Brazil the most expensive country in the Americas. London and Paris occupy eighteenth and 27th place, respectively.

The Mercer Report, which is published annually, is designed to help multinational companies and governments determine compensation allowances for their expatriate employees. It measures the comparative cost of 200 items in each of the 214 cities covered by the survey against prices in New York City. These items include housing, transport, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment.

Brazil’s astronomical rise through the rankings can be explained in part by the recent housing boom. Property prices in Rio de Janeiro have risen by 16.1 percent since last year, and rental prices have gone up by around 100 percent in some areas of the Zona Sul.

Nathalie Constantin-Métral, the survey’s senior researcher, commented, “The cost of housing – often the biggest expense for expatriates – plays an important part in determining where cities are ranked”.

Because the findings are measured against a base line in New York, another crucial factor is the growing strength of the real against the dollar. Mercers says, “The US dollar has weakened significantly against some currencies, including the Brazilian real. So the Cost of Living indices for U.S. expatriates will continue to increase to reflect the need to use more U.S. dollars to buy the same number of host currency units.”


Brazil's Big Macs are the second most expensive in the world, photo by John Sember/Flickr Creative Commons License.
A third factor is the ever increasing cost of goods and services in Brazil. A recent survey by Veja magazine found the average cost of a forty inch LED TV screen in Brazil to be R$2,000, compared to R$1,700 in France and R$1,100 in the United States.

Similarly, a minute’s cell phone talk time costs on average R$0.60 in Brazil, R$0.44 in France, and in the U.S., just R$0.17. A Brazilian Big Mac is also amongst the most expensive in the world, second only to Switzerland.

In global terms, Brazil’s inflation rate (currently at around six percent) is relatively high, but even with this in mind, prices are still soaring. Businesses blame increasing logistics, utility and rental costs, combined with high staffing costs as a result of Brazil’s employment laws, which are tipped very much in favor of the employee.

High taxes are another determining factor. On the price of a car in Brazil, for example, the consumer will pay around thirty percent of the total value as taxes, compared to sixteen percent in France, and just six percent in the U.S.

British expat Rebecca Smythe commented, “I only buy clothes and things when I go back to England – it’s just too expensive here now. I am struggling to afford my rent even.”

RIO ROCKS

An Extra Day of Rock in Rio Added

July 19, 2011 | Filed underEntertainment | Posted by Patricia Maresch

By Patricia Maresch, Senior Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The organizers of Rock in Rio 2011 recently announced the line-up for the festival’s extra day, Thursday, September 29th. The additional day features the legendary Stevie Wonder, and the British acts Jamiroquai and Joss Stone – who will perform solo. Also the American urban artist Janelle Monáe, whose 2010 Grammy nomination song “Tightrope” will be on the ticket.

Stevie Wonder will perform on Rock in Rio's extra festival day, photo by cliff1066/Wikimedia Creative Commons License.

The tickets for the first two weekends went on sale on May 7th and all 600,000 were sold out within four days, leaving scores of fans disappointed.

The decision to have an extra day was announced mid-June in response to a request from Rio’s mayor Eduardo Paes and the high volume of fans who were asking for tickets on Twitter and Facebook. It’s the first time in the 26 years of Rock in Rio’s existence that the organization decided to add a day to the festival.

Perhaps the biggest name on the new day is Stevie Wonder, a music icon who has sold over a 100 million records and won 25 Grammy Awards. He scored hits with “Isn’t She Lovely” and “Superstition.” Wonder has worked with artists like Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney and Prince and is said to be a major influence on artists who are performing at Rock in Rio as well, such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Alicia Keys.

“The line up for the extra day is fantastic, perhaps even the best of all,” says Dutch cultural exchange consultant Marlies van Exter, who has lived in Rio for eight years. “Finally, with festivals like this we see some great acts performing in Rio.”

Janelle Monáe will perform at Rock in Rio on September 29th, 2011, photo by Joe Mabel/Wikimedia Creative Commons License.

There are now some 200 confirmed performances of international and Brazilian artists. They will perform on four stages: World Stage, Sunset Stage, Electronic Stage and Rock Street.

Besides a run on tickets, there is also a high demand in hotels and hostels. Riotur (Rio’s Secretary of Tourism) expects that 315,000 tourists will attend the festival, which – according to the Brazilian Association of Hotels – will probably lead to a record hotel occupancy rate of 98 percent. Many Cariocas are considering offering lodging to outside visitors through sites such as Couchsurfing.

A Riotur study predicts that ten percent of the visitors will be foreign, 35 percent Brazilian tourists and 55 percent from Rio. Spending by tourists is estimated at R$365 million (US$233 million).

Following early indications of the events success, Roberta Medina, vice president of the festival, has already announced that there will be another edition of the festival in Barra da Tijuca in 2013.

The first Rock in Rio was held in January 1985, and by drawing 1.4 million people it is believed to be the largest rock festival in the world. The next editions were in 1991 and 2001, before the festival went overseas, with Rock in Rio concerts held in Lisbon and Madrid.

This year Rock in Rio takes place on September 23rd, 24th, 25th, 29th, and 30th, and on the 1st and 2nd of October at the Parque Olímpico Cidade do Rock in Barra da Tijuca. Among the headline acts: Guns N Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Coldplay, Metallica, Elton John, Jay-Z, Lenny Kravitz, Shakira, Rihanna, Ivete Sangalo and Snow Patrol.

Official ticket sales for the extra day starts one minute after midnight on July 23rd, online only atwww.rockinrio.com.br at R$190 (US$120). There is a limit of four tickets per person (per CPF) and only one of those can be half-priced.

BRAZILIAN AIR PASS

BRAZILIAN AIR PASS:FOR MULTI-DESTINATION TRAVEL The Brazilian Air Pass is a cheap way of doing multi-destination trips in such a big country as Brazil. If you are planning some multi-destination travel, consider the Brazilian Air Pass, for internal flights. Without it, flying in Brazil can much more expensive. The Brazilian Air Pass is a product of the two major brazilian air carriers: the TAM and the Varig (both companies have a large brazilian territory covering and are comparable in importance). You can buy the pass either via TAM or via Varig offices or their representations (see details below).  Brazilian Air Pass: Validity, formats 1 – Brazilian air passes are valid for stays between 3 days (minimum) and 21 days (including the day of departure) and are only available to foreigners and brazilians residing abroad. They are issued by the major brazilian air carriers: TAM, Varig and Transbrasil. 2 - The most common airpass format has four flight coupons (4 destinations) and costs US$ 490.00 (and small additional fees). Additional flight coupons (for visiting additional cities) may be purchased for US$100-$130 each. 3 – Air passes are valid for flights between the brazilian airports served by the carrier to whom you buy the pass, except for shuttle flights between Congonhas airport (São Paulo) and Santos Dumont airport (Rio de Janeiro).  Acquisition, rules, children, unused passes, pre-scheduling of the flights 4 - You have to buy the Brazil Airpass outside Brazil, in the country where you are resident. You can’t buy it in Brazil. Coupons must be purchased before international departure. 5 - You have to present the round-trip international tickets (or a copy, or a proof of purchasing) to buy the airpass. 6 - There is no airpass discount for children with more than three years old. Infants with less than three years old benefit from a 90% discount. Each person must have an airpass. 7 – Air passes are refundable if unused. Partially used air passes are non-refundable. 8 – You can’t buy the Brazilian Air Pass without scheduling the internal flights you want to do in Brazil. Flights must be booked and confirmed for the whole itinerary in the moment of the purchase of the Air Pass. So, plan well your travel, with all the destinations and the days involved, before contacting TAM or Varig (the main Brazilian air carriers) offices or their reservation centres.  TAM and Varig Air Passes 10 –Varig Airpass is more restrictive than TAM’s one: passengers must have an international ticket on a Star Alliance carrier (Air Canada, Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways, Austrian Airlines, BMI British Midland, Lufthansa, Mexicana Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways International, United Airlines, and Varig Airlines); otherwise, airpass prices are higher. 11 - The airpass is not valid on all Brazilian carriers: if you buy a TAM airpass, it allows you to flight in TAM brazilian flights; if you by a Varig Airpass, it allows you to flight in brazilian Varig Airlines and their affiliates (RioSul and Nordeste). The alternative Varig Airpass/TAM airpass isn’t an important issue. Both companies have a large brazilian territory covering and are comparable in importance.  Reservations 12 - For Brazilian Airpass information and reservations through TAM:  TAM Airlines From USA, you can also call to: 1-888-235-9826 or 1-888-2FLY-TAM. For calls from other countries see phone numbers on  TAM Airlines 13 - For Brazilian Airpass information and reservations through Varig:  Varig Airlines From USA and Canada, you can also call to: 1800 468 2744 or 1800 GO VARIG; For calls from other countries, see phone numbers on  Varig Airlines You can also contact any of these carriers (for Varig Airpass):  Air Canada, Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways, Austrian Airlines, BMI British Midland, Lufthansa, Mexicana Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways International, United Airlines.    For more information about packages and multi-destination travel in Brazil, see: Planning your Brazilian tour …  Multi-destination travel in Brazil

PROTESTERS IN BRAZIL

Understanding Brazil: Protesting

By Ricky Skelton
June 21, 2011

A lot has been made of Brazil‘s strong economy, and complete avoidance of the 2008 Global Economic Crisis. Some put it down to Lula‘s skilful handling of the economy, although as his policy was just to hope that Brazil didn‘t catch the cold, then it was clearly nothing to do with him. Many people far more knowledgeable than me, including some on Gringoes.com‘s very own forums, have been predicting if not a crisis, then certainly a downturn in Brazil‘s economy. It seems to be about to come to pass, although bearing in mind that hardly any Global Economic Experts predicted the biggest crash in decades a couple of years ago, I wouldn‘t bet the house on their advice just yet.

There are signs though. The Real is supposedly the most over-valued currency on the planet (read the forums...), and the strong economy has been a disaster for Brazil‘s exports, as far cheaper Asian substitutes take over the business. One huge pointer as to the economic situation was Dilma‘s refusal in February to raise the salario minimo higher than R$545 after promising on being elected that it would rise to a whopping R$600 in 2011. Economic indicators state that Brazil‘s economy cannot afford such an increase in order to stay competitive. The downturn in exports is beginning to kick in, with many manufacturers of goods such as cars now having surplus stock. Car prices are expected to drop as a result.

At the sharp end of the wedge are the Brazilian workers, especially the public employees. With inflation maintained at around 6%, the average wage of your average Brazilian has been effectively dropping for the last few years, as prices increase far more than salaries. Something has to give, the economy cannot stay so strong if not everybody benefits, and clearly there is no trickle-down effect. Perhaps the likes of Sergio Cabral and Antonio Palocci‘s consultancy fees have meant that there is no money available for everyone else.

Recent posts circulating on Facebook have given the idea that Brazilians may be finally getting shaken out of their shoulder-shrugging, ‘what-can-you-do‘ torpor, and about to protest.

BOPE: R$2.260,00 prá arriscar a vida!
Bombeiro: R$960,00 prá salvar vidas!
Professor: R$728,00 prá preparar para a vida!
SÉRGIO CABRAL: R$17.000,00 prá ‘bagunçar‘ a VIDA dos outros.
Vergonha Nacional.

Brazilians as a population have always been curiously reluctant to protest about anything, unlike their neighbours in Argentina, Bolivia and Peru. Strikes and protests just don‘t happen here, whether through fear of reprisals that stem from the period of Military Dictatorship or something deeper in the Brazilian psyche.

The surest sign of an economy hitting trouble is an increase in the protests of workers. The first ones in Brazil are here, with the Bombeiros of Rio protesting about an increase in their salary from a paltry R$960, most of which is made up in benefits rather than wage. It is good to see such protests in Brazil, less good to see the dictatorship-style way that Cabral ordered BOPE to put an end to the situation. The protests have now spread to more public areas, such as outside Copacabana Palace, with more people involved. Who knows how long they will continue.

It would be nice to think that any downturn in the Brazilian economy could lead to an increase in this type of protest. If Brazil‘s coming ‘crisis‘ could help waken the dormant Latin American Protest gene, then Brazil as a whole might benefit in the long term. Citizens more willing to protest against the excesses of the country‘s political elite. Citizens from other walks of life, other communities prepared to follow Marina Silva‘s lead and move into politics perhaps, and help dilute the influence of those in power at the moment, the wealthy, land-owning elite. If you watch any of the Brazilian Parliament footage, it is quite staggering how unrepresentative of the Brazilian population the overwhelmingly white, male congress remains, despite having a female president. Surely a country ruled by a more representative cross-section of Brazilian society would result in a fairer sharing of the wealth, and help Brazil become the country it already imagines itself to be.

IT TASTE LIKE....

Yucky or what? Thailand's 13 most totally and utterly repulsive dishes

Live shrimp, fermented oysters and red ants. Even Thais have trouble stomaching some of the country's most notorious delicacies

By Mark Wiens 16 June, 2011

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Not all Thai food arrives at the table with a seductive appearance and sensational aroma. In fact there are quite a few dishes that not just foreigners but many Thais gag at the thought of eating.
But as disgusting as the majority may find them, even the most horrifying of dishes have devout fans who consider them a delicacy they fantasize about daily.
In honor of these culinary mavericks, here's a list of the most repulsive Thai dishes out there.

1. Goong Ten 

Always wanted to know what it feels like to have tiny shrimp dance the cha-cha in your mouth? Try goong ten.

With a name that literally means "dancing shrimp," you'd better believe this dish is alive. 

A frenzy-filled salad, goong ten is mixed in a metal bowl while the transparent little shrimp attempt in vain to wiggle their way to freedom. 

Why some people love it: I'll be the first to admit that a spoonful of the dancing critters is both entertaining and delicious. After taking a bite, the shrimp rupture with saltiness and climax with a pleasant crunch.

2. Larb Leuat Neua

It's safe to say fans of this bloody dish aren't suffering from anemia. Diarrhea, on the other hand...

This dish basically consists of dull red raw beef embellished with sprigs of mint.
But since the beef is not bloody enough on its own, the salad is fortified with a thick dressing of extra raw blood.
It goes against what most of us consider common dining knowledge: it's not safe to eat raw beef mixed with uncooked blood.
Why some people love it:  Nothing says manly like a spoon full of spiced blood paired with a nice big mug of ice-filled beer.

More on CNNGo: 40 Thai foods we can't live without

3. Som Tam Hoy Dong

Som tam hoy dong: Papaya salad with a revolting twist.

Whether it's the idea of eating fermented oysters soaked in blood red goop or the fear of eating a dish that is almost certain to result in a severe case of diarrhea, most foreigners and even quite a few Thais are reluctant to dine on som tam hoy dong.
Why some people love it: Judging by the fans of this dish that I've spoken with, the appeal of fermented oysters most likely develops in the early childhood years and sticks with them for life.

4. Gong Chae Nam Pla 

Stop looking at me, prawn.

Raw mantis prawns soaked in fish sauce are a mean looking dish. Their claws, tentacles and bulging eyes stare at you as you attempt to slurp down their slimy flesh.
To make the experience even worse, it's very easy to stab yourself as you reach your tongue into the shell to suck it all down.
Why some people love it: It's salty, fishy, spicy and slimy. If you find that combination of textures and tastes is alluring, you'll love goong chae nam pla.

More on CNNGo: Five Thai dishes that will send you running to the bathroom...then running back for more

5. Larb Mote Daeng

Ants aren't just for anteaters. Larb Mote Daeng might just be Thailand's most under-rated dish.

Red ants and their eggs are prized trophies in a number of Thai dishes.
Blindfold a person, feed them a bite of red ant larb, and they will usually say it's delicious.
But unfortunately, it's purely the idea of eating ant eggs that's to blame for most people's revulsion.
Why some people love it: Red ants eat mango leaves so their bodies taste like a squirt of lime. Their eggs, on the other hand, are fatty, like precious morsels of rich butter.  

More on CNNGo: 5 basic ingredients that can be used in hundreds of Thai dishes

Read more: Yucky or what? Thailand's 13 most totally and utterly repulsive dishes | CNNGo.com http://www.cnngo.com/bangkok/eat/thailands-13-most-repulsive-dishes-242509?hpt=hp_bn10#ixzz1Pg4yb9VD