The Brazilian authorities have extended the annual winter vacation, this to prevent the spreading of the swine flu. About 9 million Brazilian students have extra vacation because of the fear of swine flu. All over Minas Gerais and São Paulo there are notices hanging on the school gates informing the people about the extended vacation.
The health ministry informs that 56 people have died because of swine flu.
H1N1 influenza virus

Lyrics:
Ouviram do Ipiranga as margens plácidas
De um povo heróico o brado retumbante,
E o sol da Liberdade, em raios fúlgidos,
Brilhou no céu da Pátria nesse instante.

Se o penhor dessa igualdade
Conseguimos conquistar com braço forte,
Em teu seio, ó Liberdade,
Desafia o nosso peito a própria morte!

Ó Pátria amada,
Idolatrada,
Salve! Salve!

Brasil, um sonho intenso, um raio vívido,
De amor e de esperança à terra desce,
Se em teu formoso céu, risonho e límpido,
A imagem do Cruzeiro resplandece.

Gigante pela própria natureza,
És belo, és forte, impávido colosso,
E o teu futuro espelha essa grandeza.

Terra adorada
Entre outras mil
És tu, Brasil,
Ó Pátria amada!

Dos filhos deste solo
És mãe gentil,
Pátria amada,
Brasil!

Deitado eternamente em berço esplêndido,
Ao som do mar e à luz do céu profundo,
Fulguras, ó Brasil, florão da América,
Iluminado ao sol do Novo Mundo!

Do que a terra mais garrida
Teus risonhos, lindos campos têm mais flores,
"Nossos bosques têm mais vida",
"Nossa vida" no teu seio "mais amores".

Ó Pátria amada,
Idolatrada,
Salve! Salve!

Brasil, de amor eterno seja símbolo
O lábaro que ostentas estrelado,
E diga o verde-louro dessa flâmula
- Paz no futuro e glória no passado.

Mas se ergues da justiça a clava forte,
Verás que um filho teu não foge à luta,
Nem teme, quem te adora, a própria morte.

Terra adorada
Entre outras mil
És tu, Brasil,
Ó Pátria amada!

Dos filhos deste solo
És mãe gentil,
Pátria amada,
Brasil!

English translation of the Brazilian Anthem:

The placid banks of Ipiranga heard
the resounding cry of a heroic people
and brilliant beams from the sun of liberty
shone in our homeland's skies at that very moment.

If we have fulfilled the promise
of equality by our mighty arms,
in thy bosom, O freedom,
our brave breast shall defy death itself!

O beloved,
idolized homeland,
Hail, hail!

Brazil, an intense dream, a vivid ray
of love and hope descends to earth
if in thy lovely, smiling and clear skies
the image of the (Southern) Cross shines resplendently.

A giant by thine own nature,
thou art a beautiful, strong and intrepid colossus,
and thy future mirrors thy greatness.

Beloved Land
amongst a thousand others
art thou, Brazil,
O beloved homeland!

To the sons of this land
thou art a gentle mother,
beloved homeland,
Brazil!

Eternally lying in a splendid cradle,
by the sound of the sea and the light of the deep sky,
thou shinest, O Brazil, garland of America,
illuminated by the sun of the New World!

Thy smiling, our prairies have more flowers
than the most elegant land abroad,
"Our meadows have more life",
"our life" in thy bosom "more love".

O beloved,
idolized homeland,
Hail, hail!

Brazil, let the star-spangled banner thou showest forth
be the symbol of eternal love,
and let the laurel-green of thy pennant proclaim
'Peace in the future and glory in the past.'

But if thou raisest the strong gavel of Justice,
thou wilt see that a son of thine flees not from battle,
nor does he who loves thee fear death itself.

Beloved Land,
amongst a thousand others
art thou, Brazil,
O beloved homeland!

To the sons of this land
thou art a gentle mother,
beloved homeland,
Brazil!

The Coat of Arms of Brazil was created in November 19, 1889.

From now on will post some of my favourite Brazilian bands. One of them is Cordel Do Fogo Encantado who mix different Brazilian musical genres. Formed in 1997 in the sertão region of Pernambuco (Arcoverde) as a theatrical poetry/music mixture. Influences ranging from Afro-Brazilian axé music and candomblé rituals, reisado, the embolada, the samba de coco to, rock, funk. Lead vocalist Lirinha has been publicly reading poetry since he was twelve and his forceful intonation lends a distinctive avant-garde feel to the whole sound.
Cordel do Fogo Encantado is associated with Pernambuco's Mangue Beat, a musical movement that is repopularizing traditional northeastern Brazilian folkloric musical genres by mixing them with rock and funk music.
A few weeks ago I saw there show and it was very good, a band you must see on stage!

Band Members:
Lirinha, pandeiro/vocals (Arcoverde)
Clayton Barros, guitar/vocals (Arcoverde)
Emerson Calado, percussion/voice (Arcoverde)
Rafa Almeida, percussion/voice (Morro da Conceição, Recife)
Nêgo Henrique, percussion/voice (Morro da Conceição, Recife)

Here is one of my favourite tunes:
Cordel Do Fogo Encantado - O Palhaço Do Circo Sem Futuro

Lyrics:
Pai me ensina a ser palhaço...
Pai me ensina a ser palhaço...
Pai me ensina a ser palhaço!...
Isso não se ensina seu bosta!

Sou palhaço do circo sem futuro
Um sorriso pintado a noite inteira
O cinema do fogo
Numa tarde embalada de poeira
Circo pegando fogo
Palhaçada
Circo pegando fogo
E a lona rasgada no alto
No globo os artistas da morte
E essa tragédia que é viver
E essa tragédia
Tanto amor que fere e cansa

Discography:

Cordel do Fogo Encantado (2001)
1. A chegada do Zé do Né na Lagoa de Dentro
2. Poeira (Tambores do vento que vem)
3. Cordel do Fogo Encantado
4. Boi Luzeiro (Pega de Violento/Vaidosa/Avoador)
5. Chamada dos Santos Africanos
6. Chover
7. O Cordel Estradeiro
8. Antes dos Mouros
9. Os Oim do meu Amor
10. Toada velha cansada
11. Salve
12. Alto do Cruzeiro
13. Pedrinha
14. Foguete de Reis
15. O Carroceiro
16. Profecia Final
17. Catinguera
18. Ai se Sesse


O Palhaço do Circo Sem Futuro (2002)
1. Os Anjos caídos
2. A construção do caos
3. Nossa Senhora da Paz
4. Na Veia
5. A árvore dos Encantados
6. O Palhaço do Circo Sem Futuro
7. Devastação da Calma
8. Tempestade
9. Quando o sono não chegar
10. Dos três mal-amados
11. A Matadeira
12. Cavaleiros do Fogo da Origem
13. Britadeira
14. Jetir Xenupre Jucrêgo
15. O espetáculo
16. Vou saquear a tua feira
17. O Fim do segundo Ato


Transfiguração (2006)
1. Tlank
2. Aqui (Memórias do Cárcere)
3. O Sinal Ficou Verde (Além do Bem e do Mal)
4. Sobre as Folhas (O Barão nas Árvores)
5. Preta
6. Pedra e Bala (Os Sertões)
7. Louco de Deus (Perto de Você)
8. Ela Disse Assim (A Teus Pés)
9. Transfiguração
10. O Lamento das Águas Sagradas
11. Joana do Arco (Agitprop)
12. Canto dos Emigrantes
13. Morte e Vida Stanley
14. Na Estrada (Quando Encontrei Dean Pela Primeira Vez)

The Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932 (also referred to as Paulista War) is the name given to the uprising of part of the population of the Brazilian state of São Paulo against the federal government. The uprising started on July 9, 1932, after five protesting students were killed by government troops on May 23, 1932.

Yesterday I went to the show of the Belgian band "Vomito Negro". The name is taken from Spanish/Portuguese and translates to black vomit, which is the last stage of yellow fever.
Vomit negro gave a great show, but the Brazilian synthpop band before was very weak.
"H.A.R.R.Y And The Addicts" made a feeble performance, didn´t know the band before but it is not worth writing about them. The Brazilian EBM/Synthpop/Industrial scene has no outstanding bands. I love EMB, Industial and it was a pleasure to see "Vomito Negro" do there thing, hits like; Baby needs crack, no hope no fear made the public wild.
If you like EBM (electronic body music), industrial, elektro... then São Paulo is a good place to go out, parties and shows are organized by Projeto FerroVelho on a regular basis.

Some pictures of the show @ Inferno Club

Yesterday evening there was a public rejoicing for all fans of Corinthians. It is the third time the teams wins the "Copa do Brazil". The triumph means Corinthians secured direct qualification for the 2010 Copa Santander Libertadores, South America's biggest club competition. On his return to Brazilian football, this was the second title won by Ronaldo, after having helped Corinthians win the Paulista State Championship earlier in the year. In that tournament Corinthians didn't lose a single game.
Until late at night the fans were celebrating in the streets, a lot of fireworks, singing and cars making a lot of noise.


Wallpaper Corinthians:

This traditional Brazilian drink prepared with cachaça is very popular among gringos. Especially if your at the beach relaxing.
Like any great cocktail, art and skill are required to make a tasteful Caipirinha. Too much of any one thing – lime, sugar, or Cachaça - and the delicious mixture from Brazil will be anything but delicious. Too sour, too sweet, or too much Cachaça, and you have a cocktail out of balance. And like life, it's all about balance for any great cocktail.
Let's start with the basics: what is a Caipirinha, and how is it made? The national cocktail of Brazil, the Caipirinha is a combination of muddled lime, sugar, and Cachaça served on the rocks in a rocks glass. Take a good size lime, cut it into 8 wedges, and place 4 wedges in a rocks glass. Add two teaspoons of sugar, mash the lime and sugar with a muddler for 15 seconds, and add crushed ice up to the rim of the glass. Add two ounces of Cachaça, stir thoroughly, and garnish with a lime wedge. Sounds pretty simple, right?

See the instructions on video:

As you've probably figured out and seen on various cocktail menus and restaurants, the Caipirinha has a lot of legs. Sure, the lime version is the classic, and it should be – the perfect combination of the sweet, the sour and the fruit. However, there is a lot that can be created and explored substituting or adding alternative fruits to the recipe. Think about the array of fresh fruits that you can find, and which ones are your favorites, and you have some great Fresh Fruit Caipirinha options. In Brazil, some of the most popular are passion fruit (maracuja), pineapple (abacaxi), mixed berries (frutas vermelhas), and grape (uva) Caipirinhas. However, the list goes on from there: Tangerine, Kiwi, Strawberry, Raspberry, Blackberry, Orange, Pomegranate, Peach, Grapefruit, Kumquat, and Melon. Throw in some herbs, like Cilantro, Mint, or even Basil (one of my favorites is Strawberry and Basil). Try Watermelon - with Cilantro and Red Pepper. Or Pineapple - with Mint. Or Cucumber with honey and lime.

Yet another fine beer to drink in Brazil, Bohemia Confraria was launched in 2005 as a special edition, derived from a Middle Age recipe, created by monks and improved by Bohemia. It is not easy to find Bohemia Confraria in a bar but if you do find it I recommend you to taste it. It´s a Belgian style abbey beer like Leffe (AmBev - AB InBev). Most of the big supermarkets in the state of São Paulo have it. It is brewed in Jacarei - São Paulo.

When you think about Brazilian drinks you think about Caipirinha & Cachaça. But Brazil is starting to have some good beers. It is not only the common mass-produced brands like; Skol, Brahma, Antartica,... More microbreweries are rising from the dust and beers brewed by the microbrewers have a more distinctive flavour. From now on will share my experience here and review some of these great Brazilian Beers.
One of my favourite bottled beers is Baden Baden Red Ale, which is a very potable rich and creamy English-style Barley wine with 9.2% alcohol content. Brewed in the beautiful town named Campos do Jordão in the state of São Paulo.
You can visit the brewery when you make an appointment and taste their draft beers Crystal (=pilsen) and Bock for free after a 30 minute visit.

Visit www.badenbaden.com.br

Last weekend it was again the annual Gay Parade in São Paulo. The LGBT Pride Parade - Parada do Orgulho GLBT, in São Paulo, is the largest of its kind in the world. The theme for São Paulo's 13th LGBT Pride Parade was "No Homophobia, More Citizenship - For Isonomy". The parade took place at the avenida Paulista. This is one of the biggest events in São Paulo city. All hotels are booked and tourists from all over Brazil and the world come to see / participate in this annual event.
Because the event took place in the extended holiday weekend (11th Corpus Christi, 12th Valentine´s Day) São Paulo became over-crowded with bright colours.

In June it is the annual time for the "Festas Juninas", a kind of hillbilly (caipira pt) party. Festas Juninas, or June Festivals, are traditional celebrations enjoyed throughout the country. They celebrate:
Santo Antônio - 13 de junho (St. Anthony on June 13, this Saint is said to be a matchmaker; women who are loosing hopes to find a husband appeal to St. Anthony, particularly during the periods of the June Parties)
São João - 24 de junho (St. John on June 24, according to popular faith, the responsible for a good harvest of corn)
São Pedro - 29 de junho (St. Peter on June 29, the guardian of heavens, with control over the clouds and rains).
Some of the largest June Festivals in Brazil last through June but have their climax on St. John's Day (June 24).
It became a Brazilian tradition to organize parties to celebrate these saints; because they always happen in June, they were called "Festas Juninas". They originated in the smaller towns of the countryside, where people were more religious and more dependant on good crops; today, the parties can be found all over the country. All men dress up as farm boys with suspenders, large straw hats, make up beard and moustache and women wear pigtails, painted gap teeth and red-checkered dresses and a bonfire is always present.

Travel Tip: Go to the Brazilian city of Caruaru to celebrate the largest Festa Junina in the country. Caruaru has competed with other cities in the past to hold the largest celebration and was awarded that distinction by the Guinness Book of World Records.

Brazil's Transportation Ministry says it hopes to have a high-speed train operating in time for the 2014 Wold Cup. The objective of the work is to connect Campinas - São Paulo - Rio de janeiro. The extension will have 518 kilometers. Ministry's transportation policy director Marcelo Perrupato says the new train line is expected to cost some $15 billion. In Brazil trains are mainly used to transport goods. Travel between cities in Brazil is mainly by bus.
The only train I ever took in Brazil was a charming steam locomotive called "Maria Fumaça" (Smoking Mary), from São João del Rei to the nearby city of Tiradentes it´s a 35-minute ride that covers about 13 kilometers. Trains are run on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays. It is Part of the Estrada de Ferro Oeste de Minas (West Minas Railway), and is the oldest in Brazil still in activity.

Brazilian President Lula Repeats He's No Chavez and Will Get Out in 2011.
These last days there was a big discussion among the Brazilian population regarding a third consecutive mandate for President Lula. Public opinion is split almost in half on the re-election of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for a second period, giving him a third consecutive 4-year mandate, according to the latest poll published in São Paulo.
Lula himself discarded the idea of a third mandate and said: “No, I don’t want any debate on a third term. It’s nonsense to talk about a third mandate”.
Lula da Silva went further, “In 2014 I’m only interested in seeing the world football Cup played in Brazil. Only God knows what will happen then”, when he can effectively run for a new period according to the current constitution. The Partido dos Trabalhadores PT (Workers Party) presidential candidate for 2010 is cabinet chief Dilma Rousseff (Ms Rousseff was recently exposed to cancer treatment). Dilma Vana Rousseff Linhares (Born December 14, 1947) is a Brazilian economist and politician. She is a member of the Worker's Party and was appointed as Chief of Staff by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2005, when PT luminary José Dirceu was implicated in a major corruption scandal and fell from grace. Lula has already endorsed her as his pick for president, calling her “the most qualified person to govern Brazil” in an interview with the BBC last February.. She was the first female to assume the position.

For a little bit more then a year my Internet Service Provider (ISP) is the São Paulo based "Directnet (Neovia)" and provide internet by a WiMax system to São Paulo and some surrounding cities. They promise a good service, ...
I am thinking in changing to another ISP because they have a very bad service. My connection is unstable and has a lot of time outs, the speed varies a lot from 10 KBs to a maximum of 59KBs. If the connection drops and you call their help desk they say it´s your computer or network card that has problems, the problems never come from their side. I stopped calling their help desk because you pay a fortune to stay on the phone and for them to come to the conclusion that it is not their fault but that something must be wrong with your computer.

My advice: Do not take Directnet / Neovia as your Internet Service Provider (ISP), look around and see what the options are in the region where you live!

Brazilian bureaucracy is really a pain in the ass, and sometimes just impossible. Last year I moved to Brazil and got married, so I went to the Federal Police to get my permanent residence visa. I thought it would be a smooth visa application process. First the Federal Police promised me they would do a surprise visit within the month, after that they would send my application to Brasilia to be approved. After 3 and a half months they showed up at my apartment. In the meanwhile I could not get a work permit because I needed a printout from the federal police´s SINCRE system and they would only give it after the publication in the Diario Ofical. After 10 months my application was approved and was published in the Diario Oficial. So after a year I got my work permit, some other foreigners say I am lucky because with them it took more then a year to get it.
Now after a year and a half I am still waiting to get my identity card and it doesn´t look like I will receive it soon.
If you want to move to Brazil I advice you to do the application before you come to Brazil in your countries Brazilian Embassy, easier and faster.
Navigating the Brazilian bureaucracy and maneuvering one’s way through the Brazilian legal system is a challenge even for the most skilled Brazilian professional.

My advice: save yourself a long period of uncertainty and headaches, apply for your visa via Brasilian embassy or consulate in your homecountry.

Brazilian drivers of motorized vehicles are extremely rude and dangerous and have no respect for cyclists; men, women, old & young people, bus drivers ... even cops & politicians.
There is no respect for cyclists on Brazilian roads and if something happens they blame you because you are in there way.
Brazilian drivers only respect vehicles larger than themselves, as a cyclist your just a small insect in their way. Traffic laws in Brazil are poorly respected, traffic lights mean nothing to them, you always need to look behind and around yourself for fear of a ferocious and/or ignorant car driver.
Brazilian drivers need to be schooled into respecting the space a cyclist needs.
As a European I am not used to this kind of competition for road space inside a city, I always make sure my brakes are in top condition to be able to stop in a fraction of a second and always use a helmet as precaution.
I love to ride my bike but sometimes it really gets on my nerves, especially when it happens several times in a few minutes. The best thing to do is take your bike to the countryside and enjoy the mountains and surrounding views.

Beer company Ambev (AB Inbev) and advertising agency "África Publicidade" are prosecuted for their latest TV commercial with Ronaldo by the “Ministério Público Federal” in São José dos Campos, São Paulo.
They are being accused for producing and spreading a TV ad in which the footballer Ronaldo recommends the beer brand Brahma. The prosecutor Fernando Lacerda Dias said that the ad is encouraging young people to drink. He requires a fine of at least R$ 1 million.

Note: The accusation was started by rivalling beer company Nova Schin.

Here is the new TV commercial showing Ronaldo "I am Brahmeiro!"

Brazilians and their opinion:

Airport authorities in Paris said the Airbus A330-200 with 228 people on board dropped off radar screens somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean shortly after taking off from Rio de Janeiro for Paris. The plane left yesterday (sunday) at 19:00 at Galeão - Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport (Rio de janeiro). Three hours and 20 minutes after taking off from Rio de Janeiro the plane disappeared from the radar.
The Brazilian air force undertook a search-and-rescue operation for the aircraft near the Brazilian island of Fernando de Noronha, CNN reported.

Yesterday Mr.Joseph Blatter, president of world football's governing body FIFA, has unveiled the name of the 12 venue cities for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. It will have been 64 years since the last world cup was held in Brazil (1950). Fifa has selected 12 Brazilian cities to host matches at the 2014 World Cup finals. These are Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Manaus, Belo Horizonte, Natal, Fortaleza, Curitiba, Salvador, Brasilia, Cuiaba, Recife and Porto Alegre.

"In the very beginning, 10 cities were going to be chosen, but thanks to the influence of Ricardo Teixeira [the Brazilian Football Confederation president] and the interest of the whole country, we agreed increasing the number to 12," said Blatter.

The decision by the executive committee of world football's governing body was made in Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas. Five candidate cities were omitted from the final list: Florianopolis, Goiania, Campo Grande, Belem and Rio Branco.


Fans in the 12 Brazilian cities chosen to host 2014 World Cup matches erupted in a public rejoicing after the announcement was made.

Sunday News 31/05/2009:

Brazil is a very big country with a lot of; interesting places to visit, people to meet, food to eat, music to dance, criminals and corrupt politicians all in one beautiful country.
I will tell you about the good, the bad and the ugly sides in Brazil.
As a "gringo" living in Brazil I prefer to stay anonymous, because Brazilians like foreigners who talk about good things in Brazil but they do not like a gringo telling them the bad things of their country, they can but we can´t.
It is not that I do not like Brazil, on the contrary, I love it but is not all sunshine in a country with beautiful beaches, waterfalls,...
From now on will report about the good the bad and the ugly...