Daily Life in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Obama in Brazil

President Barack Obama will be making a public speech at 2:30 pm on Sunday, March 20th in Rio de Janeiro.

Where? A platform in Cinelândia.

President Obama's wife and daughters are accompanying him to Brazil but are not expected to make an appearance at this event. 

Entrance to the square begins at 11:30 am at just one entrance point, at Santa Lúcia and Rua México, near the US Consulate’s visa entry door. It is advisable to take the metro to the Gloria or the Carioca station, as the Cinelândia station will be closed. Parking and traffic are expected to be a nightmare in the area.

I can tell you firsthand that there have been a LOT of low-flying aircraft in the area the past couple of days, not sure if that is related to the presidential visit or not.

How to get in: make sure to bring ID (not just a photocopy of it). Cameras and cell phones are permitted but purses, backpacks, umbrellas and liquids are not.

Do you plan to go and see Obama in Rio on Sunday?

Petrobras Sets Sights on being the World's Biggest Oil Company

This morning's CFA Institute news briefs started out with a link to an article in Forbes about Petrobras' big plans. Click here to read the article in full.

Well Done, Cariocas!

Today's headline was a nice one: Numero de homicidios no Rio e o menor em 20 anos, in English, Rio's murder rate is the lowest it's been in 20 years.

Proof in numbers at least that it's getting better here all the time.

With the way that futebol players are idolized here I admit I was a bit concerned that there might be a bit of a trend starting of murdering pregnant girlfriends, but I guess not! Thank goodness!

Rio's 2010 homicide rate is 29.8 per 100,000 habitants. To put this in perspective, the 2009 murder rate in New Orleans was 52 per 100,000 habitants. In St. Louis and Detroit it was 40.

Can't wait until the headline reads that there was no garbage left on any beach after the hottest weekend of the year. Let's keep dreaming big.

A couple of notes on the floods

Though we have not been personally affected by the floods (didn't know any of the victims etc.) other than of course our heartfelt sympathies to those who lost loved ones, there are a few related items-about-town to mention.

There are donation bins and collections points set up virtually everywhere. They are asking for donations such as water and food, clothing, toiletries, candles - basically anything useful is welcome. Transportation of these items is reportedly a bit of a nightmare though and so therefore although Cariocas (along with the rest of the country) being known for their generousity of course, have opened their hearts and wallets, apparently not many of these goods have yet reached those in need.

There is/was a great need for blood donations. However, I have been unable to locate anywhere other than the blood bank in centro to make said donations. If anyone knows of other places to donate blood, please advise. That would be good info to have in any case.

At the grocery stores, the produce shelves are pretty barren in the legumes section. Many of our fruits and veg come from affected areas.

 

Rock in Rio 2011

I've driven by the giant guitars in Gavea & Copa but hadn't really looked into what Rock in Rio entails until this weekend. Turns out it's from September 23rd until October 2nd and will feature the following bands (announced thus far): 

September 24: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Snow Patrol, Capital Inicial, NX Zero, Stone Sour.

September 25: Metallica, Slipknot, Motorhead, Coheed and Cambria, Sepultura, Angra.

October 1: Coldplay, Skank.

 

For more info: Rock in Rio site

This Weekend in Rio...

Many events and concerts around Rio de Janeiro have been canceled as a result of the violence and general unpredictability going on.Today's #'s were slightly better though - hopefully that trend continues.

I checked the government of Canada's travel advisory site and nothing has changed in terms of travel advisories to Rio. Mr. DRL's mom is flying in next week for a visit, hopefully things will calm down before her arrival.

One thing I keep wanting to mention - please remember that anyone who buys drugs basically anywhere in the world is connected and contributing to this violence in Rio and in this case, innocent people being killed. A two year old girl was shot in the arm today. Something to think about if you like to get high...

Rio readers: are you doing anything differently this weekend? Staying in more? Going about your daily rio life?

 

Air France 447: The Search Resumes for the Black Boxes

A case near and dear to my heart... we miss you, Anne & Mike.

Air France is planning to launch a fourth sea search for the black boxes which hold the answers (cockpit conversations, flight data) as to why the crash occurred. The search will begin in February 2011.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1333223/Search-solve-mystery-Flight-AF447-begins-again.html#ixzz16PBdVmra

Rio Situation Update

Really, I can't tell you anything about what's happening that you can't find elsewhere on the internet. And as we've been discussing, it's hard to say how true some of it is anyway!

Pertinent in my world on the situation:

• Last night a car was set on fire on Farme de Amoedo in Ipanema. Getting a little too close to home for my liking. 
• I can tell you that my maid told us we should not leave the house at all this weekend. Good thing I have lots of water and alcohol around here I guess...  I think we'll assess the situation as we go. 
• The army and air force are currently helping the police.

Here are the latest numbers on the war in Rio:

• 96 vehicles burned, 192 people arrested, 25 killed and three policemen wounded.

Here is hoping that the worst is over, the criminals who have escaped the favelas now occupied by the police will be captured swiftly and that no more innocent lives are lost.

Update on the situation in Rio

If you follow me on twitter, I've been re-tweeting a lot today, snippets from here and there, things I'd heard. For example, when they shut down Avenida Brasil this afternoon. Also a very popular tweet today is a warning not to go to Shopping Leblon on Saturday as a mass attack of armed favela residents is expected. I don't know how much truth there is to that but I can tell you there's nothing in that mall that I need that badly!!!! I'll be avoiding that area, thank you very much.... Since writing this there have already been more tweets talking about the mall being closed on Saturday. Like I said it's just heresay on twitter but sometimes where there's smoke there's fire...

Speaking of avoiding areas, I'm certainly glad Mr. DRL came home early today and avoided the Tunel Reboucas as an Antarctica truck was burned close by, causing a big cuffuffle .

If you search Leblon on twitter these days there's also a lot of gruff being said about Leblon residents and the governor's residence. As I've mentioned we live in very close proximity to his place. So any talk about that freaks me right out!

Stay safe everyone. It is my hope that this difficult time in Rio will not be in vain and that the city will be safer in the long run. I hope that no more innocent lives are lost.

Here is a photo of two of the front pages of papers in Rio de Janeiro today (OGlobo and Extra). Scary stuff.

Here is a regularly updated map of where in Rio de Janeiro cars have been firebombed/arrests have been made, etc. The current map:

 

Rio Rattled By Violence

There are a number of articles you can read about the current violent situation between gangs and police in Rio. It's been a bad week. Blockades have been set up by gangs, cars robbed, buses burned, people shot. Supposedly two of the gangs might even be working together on this attack. It's awful news. 14 people were killed in Rio just today, including a 14 year old girl who was hit by a stray bullet. Today seems to be the worst day so far, 22 is the total death count since Sunday. The one positive note is that 25 people were arrested (which brings the total since Monday to 150).

Here's the lowdown from what I've read tonight:

• Earlier today bomb squads were called in to several areas of Ipanema where wooden boxes were left on the street (near a park we go to regularly, in one case). They contained promotional materials, not bombs. Thank goodness.
• This morning a car was bombed in Copacabana on Rua Siqueira Campos. As a scary-for-me sidenote, Mr. DRL picked the Canadoca and I up from the Pao do Acucar store a block from there, yesterday evening. Crazy. 
• Cars were also set on fire in Niteroi and Recreio. In other words, this situation is NOT just taking place in the Zona Norte as many of Rio's unpleasant situations are. It seems to be almost everywhere.  
• R$200 is apparently the going rate for drug traffickers from Vila Cruzeiro to pay someone to set fire to a bus in Rio. 
• Eduardo Paes is calling this week's acts terrorism.

That said, to be honest if you want to know how I have personally been affected when going about my daily busines - I haven't. It is a chilling reminder, however, to read later about things go down in areas I frequent. With the exception of noticing a lot more helicopters and police around, there doesn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary around here. Which just goes to show how diverse life is in Rio. In one minute it's paradise and around another corner, a warzone.

An interesting sidenote - I was talking with the Canadoca's babysitter a little bit this morning about the situation (she lives in Rocinha) and she seemed pretty un-rattled by it. In fact she was much more excited to tell me about seeing the latest "SAW" movie. I guess when one grows up surrounded by these situations it just doesn't phase one the same way.  The last thing I feel like doing is watching a scary movie... 

Everyone's writing about Rio...

• If you have a carseat in Rio, I suspect the value of it just went up... a Dorel child car seat factory was destroyed by fire this week in Rio de Janeiro. Already the newly-required-by-law items were in short supply. 
• A human trafficking ring was busted in Brazil this week with 12 people arrested. The scheme? Smuggling people (using false documents) into the US through Mexico but upon arrival,  holding them for ransom. 10 of the 12 were arrested in Minas Gerais. 
• Some ugly news that has spurred a lot of talk about hate crimes in Brazil - a teenager was shot (luckily he survived) by two military members at Rio's Pride parade. The accused have since been arrested, thankfully. 
• I am not the only person out there with concerns about Brazil's airports! These people have obviously also been to a Brazilian luggage carousel and know what I'm talking about.... maybe I can get some funding and support now for that "Acceptable Behaviour at the Luggage Carousel" instructional video? All joking aside, Giovanni Bisignani, CEO of the International Air Transport Association has stated that Brazil's overburdened airports cannot meet demand and are a "growing disaster" that could embarrass the country during the upcoming Olympic Games and World Cup if they aren't improved. Article on ESPN. From the same article, earlier this year, the IOC's principal concern was the lack of planning to revamp Brazil's airports.

• An interesting little read about art in Rio among other topics (dining, poverty, contrast in Rio, etc.)

 

Royal Couture Connections...

Even the royal engagement has a Brazilian twist - the Issa dress Kate Middleton wore for her engagement announcement to Prince William is by a Brazilian designer, Daniella Helayel:

In Rio, Issa items can be purchased at from the store Alberta, which has locations in Shopping Leblon and in Ipanema (Visconde de Piraja 302). In the states, it can be purchased at Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus. 

Strangely enough, on a similar note, I just discovered that a friend is designing men's clothing for Hardy Amies, known as the couture house of the Royal family... maybe he will be designing some things for the royal wedding....

Recent positive articles on favela life in Rio

Generally the stories about favela life in Rio are scary. These ones are not, highlighting positive changes that are happening today. Having spent all of about 3 hours in a favela since arriving here, I obviously don't claim to know much, but I'm certainly interested. I do know that favelas are not all about drugs and poverty the way people picture them, they are also about families, community and every day life.

• Interesting article about a property rights project for residents of Cantagalo (the favela at the end of Ipanema). Property lines were established and mapped, creating transferable property titles for longstanding residents. 
• Rio's Police Pacification Project in Cidade de Deus (City of God) features an afternoon physical education program directed by officers. 
• Article in the Financial Times about Rio's Police Pacification Project offering glimmers of hope for Rio residents. 
• National Geographic blog post about a Favela Painting Project, which creates striking artworks, collaborating with local people to use art as a tool to inspire, create beauty, combat prejudice and attract attention. - there is also a facebook group you can join.

Twilight in Rio

Breaking Dawn, of the Twilight series, has been filming in Rio recently. Pictured to the left are the stars waving from a suite at the Copacabana Palace. Apparently filming wrapped up over the weekend and the big stars (Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart) have now departed. I personally haven't seen any of the movies or read the books, but am much more interested to now that it was filmed here in Rio and in Paraty. Stangely enough supposedly the rest is being filmed in Canada.

Filming in Brazil was of course not without drama. After the recent shootout at the Intercontinental Hotel in Sao Conrado, the Twilight cast and crew were nervous about filming in Brazil. Apparently they had a change of heart and continued on. Rio residents in Lapa made international headlines last week by setting the set's port-o-potties on fire in protest of streets and businesses being blocked off to accomodate the filming.

Another link for Twilight fans: the house where honeymoon scenes were shot

Today in Rio...

Dilma is Brazil's new president - and its first female president. Election season is over, kids... 

There was a shooting today on the beach in Ipanema - a vendor shot two others, near the Caesar Park Hotel. SCARY!!!

 

Quick Brazil-Related Headline Roundup

- Warnings of potential FOOD SHORTAGES in Brazil, along with Kenya, Indonesia, Uganda, Nigeria, the Philippines. Click here for more on that...

- More dollars raised to fund Brazil oil - HRT Participacoes em Petroleo SA (HRTP3.BR) raised more than $1.5 billion in a share offer last week, right on the heels of Petrobras' financing last month, which was the world's largest ever, at $25 billion. Brazil is still seen as being hot hot hot.

- In case you were up last night wondering about how social media is penetrating the Brazilian market... Orkut is still the most popular social networking site here, then Windows Live, then Facebook (though it is growing rapidly), then Twitter. More here.

 

Things to Learn From Brazilians

Some things I've picked up - for which I'll be forever grateful...

- The value of well-designed closets. They've figured it, as I've mentioned before in a prior post. The Canadoca actually has a play area in my closet! No, you do not need to call social services, the closet is just that sweet.

- The importance of fibre in the diet. Feijoada, fruit, acai, quinoa, say no more.

- Essential oral hygiene. After-meal teeth brushing parties in the office bathrooms and dental floss in public washrooms. I have mentioned the Canadoca's brazilianness in her food choices but forgot to mention until now her absolute obsession with brushing her teeth. "Teeth" is also one of her favorite words of the moment...

- Smaller swimsuit bottoms somehow actually seem to make your butt look better/smaller. Funny how that works...

- Stand by your woman. After reading about this, I might need to Brazilianize my hubby a bit in this department! I bet there's not a couple in the world who hasn't had an argument about how one did not properly stand up for the other some awkward social or family situation. Well, maybe not this couple... What's am I talking about? It seems as though two US air marshals arrested the wife of a Brazilian judge on a flight to Rio recently. Why? She was reportedly intoxicated, unruly, and trying to break into the galley looking to score more booze. Before we judge, let's remember it's a 10 hr flight from anywhere in the states ;)  I guess I SHOULD mention that she assaulted and, um, bit one of them. She happened to be on the same Houston-Rio Continental connection that I normally take.... now why can't anything as interesting as this happen when I'm on board! Like I said - a 10 hr flight - could use some entertainment! She has her husband not only just give someone a piece of his mind upon her arrival in Rio, but ARREST the air marshals for assault, took their passports and everything! They ended up FLEEING the country (and the bogus charges).  So, fellas, let this be yet another lesson to you from the Brazilians - next time your wife asks you to speak up for her when your mother throws her a rotten dig, just do it, and remember it's not as though she asked you to initiate an international relations crisis on her behalf. I get that this guy may have taken Honor Thy Wife  a bit over the top.... But who wants to argue with a biter?  You can read more about this incident here.

 

There is a Brazilian expression that Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love) has been known to share:

If you’re smart, you learn from your mistakes, but if you’re a genius, you learn from other people’s mistakes.

Making Headlines...

• JW Marriott (NYSE: MAR) in Copacabana has been sold to Host Hotels & Resorts Ltd (NYSE: HST), but Marriott will continue to operate the property under a long-term agreement. I guess I'm not the only one commenting on the barriers to entry in the Brazilian marketplace, here's a quote from the release: "Host was able to acquire the fee-simple interest in an extremely high-barrier to entry location in a market which is experiencing exponential growth,” said Gregory Rumpel, executive vice president for Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels in Miami."  click here to read more.
• Last week when I was away there were several incidents of roadblocks being setup for people to be robbed... word travels fast and the San Francisco Chronicle just put out a piece in its Travel Alerts section noting that thieves have been particularly brazen as of late. More here. 
• The New York Times put out a piece about househunting in Brazil here. 
• I frequently hear from readers looking for opportunities to, well, basically do what we're doing, work for a multinational here in Brazil. Coming soon to Brazil, SNC Lavalin, the Canadian engineering firm, which just struck up a partnership with Brazilian company Alusa. Click here for more details. 

New Carseat Law in Brazil

As of September 1st, in Brazil it is now mandatory for babies and children up to 7 years old traveling in private passenger vehicles to be strapped into carseats.  Previously use of carseats was simply a recommendation. It seems that taxis and buses are exempt.

Police in Rio began issuing fines on September 8th.

Those who disobey the rules will receive a fine of R $ 191.54 and seven points in the driver's license, plus the seizure of the vehicle until the deficiency is remedied. The new rule was initially to begin to be enforced in June, but was postponed because the seats themselves were in short supply. As it is, there are currently 3 month waiting lists at some stores to buy the seats. So, I am guessing that you could probably sell a carseat for a pretty penny here in Brazil these days! Especially considering they are about 4 x the price of the ones back home as it is!

One article I read estimated that previously just 32% of mothers in Brazil were using carseats to transport babies.

 

 

 

Rio Reinvented?

Much has been written in the media lately about Rio being reinvented, particularly with the Olympics and World Cup coming. When I am asked about the current state of Rio I am always hesitant to answer. I realize that my answer is totally dependent on my experiences there, which are in no way representative of what is going on in the city as a whole. We've been in Rio for over two years. Touch wood, we have not had any "incidents" happen to us, a few near-misses, sure, but nothing major. My opinion of Rio's current security state is largely dependent on this continuing to be true.

I also realize that after living in the big city for as long as we have, we've become hardened to certain things, again, we are not objective.

Nevertheless, in true Brazilian fashion, I will still offer an opinion! I do think that Rio is changing for the better, and it is being cleaned up. I hear about less incidents of horrendous crime, the drive to the airport doesn't seem to scare my guests the same way it used to before the "walls" along the road went up, and I feel safer overall. Maybe it's the Polyanna in me, who knows.

Smithsonian magazine put out an interesting article on Rio's reinvention this month, check it out here. It talks about the opportunity Rio currently has to repair itself, and the hows and whos, shortcuts and challenges of getting Rio "there". 

On the other hand, an interesting quote from a piece The Guardian put out on the recent gunfight at the Intercontinental Hotel in Sao Conrado:

"We have been sharing in the illusion that Rio is entering another chapter, turning the page on the horror," he said. "But this shows that the pacification units are merely islands of excellence in an ocean of barbarity that is very much alive." 

My only comment on this incident is that since living in Rio I have not heard of a single incident of a tourist being killed here, though I have heard of SEVERAL meeting such unfortunate fates in countries such as Mexico. Yet people seem to have no fear of going there, but Rio is terrifying to them. Strange. Apparently this incident was enough to scare off the stars of Twilight from filming in Rio!

Anyway! I think I have been sharing in the illusion, too. I have relaxed, about a lot of things. Or maybe just become lazy?  Maybe I have changed.

What do you think? Is Rio getting safer? Has it changed?

 

In the News: Brazil's very own OJ

Maybe that's an unfair comparison to make but last night while watching Brazilian TV it was hard not to think of the OJ Simpson case and the night he was arrested (the infamous Bronco chase) as the TV reporters followed the homicide unit's car containing Flamengo Star Goaltender Bruno Souza. He is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend, Eliza Samudio. It should also be mentioned that Bruno is married, and his wife, Dayane Souza (not sure if it is Dayane or Dayanne as I've seen it spelled both ways in the news reports) has also been arrested in connection with the case.

Eliza Samudio (25) had a four month old son who was reportedly fathered by Souza, for whom she was seeking support. Her body has not been located, though there are reports that her blood was found in one of Souza's vehicles and homes, O Globo reports that DNA tests revealed it to be Samudio's. Souza's teenage cousin has confessed to being involved in her kidnapping and murder.

Futebol is still making big waves here - front page news in fact - but not in the way one might think in the last days of world cup. It's been a devastating week for Brazilian futebol fans in more ways than one.It's been said that Flamengo has the biggest following of any futebol team in the world... the team has announced the suspension of its star goalkeeper until the facts of the case are known.

Brazil's Big Loss

So it's all over! In case this blog is your only source of information on Brazil (please please diversify a bit if this is the case!), the country is no longer in the running for the world cup, and was defeated by the Netherlands yesterday. A commenter asked me to provide some perspective on the general mood of Brazilians here...

Yesterday when the game ended I was on the beach in Leblon, having watched the first half at home.  Firecrackers went off signaling the end of the game, which I was keeping up with in real time on my blackberry.

Rio went quiet. Traffic slowly increased but the normal horns and hubbub where nowhere to be seen or heard. A group of fans dressed in yellow and green huddled closely together and slowly meandered up and down the promenade quietly. Mr. DRL and I were out and about last night and people were out, many still in jerseys, but it was generally quite quiet. Click here for a gallery of raw emotion on Copacabana.

As far as answering the question about who's to blame? This is kind of funny. Well, everyone from Paulo Coelho to my nanny is blaming Mick Jagger. Yes, you read that right. He professed his support for the USA, then England, then Brazil. Many Brazilians are blaming him. And also now asking him to throw his support behind Argentina. Even OGlobo is reporting on the Jagger jinx. It's apparently one of the biggest topics on Twitter right now too.

Taking the heat off the rolling stone, Dunga, Brazil's coach, says the biggest responsibility for the loss falls on himself. 

A conspiracy theory also exists, well, at least in the taxi we were in - our driver last night had another theory about the root cause of yesterday's loss. He claims that he has proof from ITAU (a bank in Brazil) that the Brazilian players were paid to throw the game. Ok then.

So what happens now? According to my baba, many Brazilians will now cheer for Germany.

Sadly, the Dutch Consulate was attacked by some misguided disappointed fans after the game yesterday, and the consul himself was injured on the hand by an explosive. Disgusting. He is obviously quite a big person though and is downplaying the incident, which you can read about here.

As a quick aside and follow up to yesterday's post about the commercial side of World Cup - I found this article online and had to laugh at the quote about business declining by 50% during games where Brazil is playing. Um, 50%? Really? Because I could have sworn it would be more like 100%.  Literally everything shuts down. It should not come as a surprise to these business owners... you can't make money if your doors are closed, people!

Good news, funny news, sad news, silly news aside, what it all comes down to for me.... Though it would have been wonderful to experience Brazil winning the world cup here, it was fun while it lasted and inspiring to witness the passion of the people and their love for the game. It will now make it all the more sweet for Brazil to win in 2014 on home turf.

$$$ Rio = Expensive. It's Official.

BR means BRING REALS.

Rio is officially the most expensive city for expats to live in, in ALL of the Americas.

That's right, ahead of Manhattan, Sao Paulo, San Francisco.

Read it and weep... and hang onto it for your next salary and living expenses review... check out the full article here.

I've written about the out of control prices on rent and utilities. I've told you to bring all the electronics you'll ever need from home. You have heard about how I only get my hair cut when I go home (and based on the difference between the cost of my last hair cut here and my last one at home, I think that a quarter of my plane ticket paid for itself with that one swift move). Imported items are costly at the grocery store. I've warned you to buy your scotch at the Duty Free. Now, for those who are here - what aspect of living here do you find most expensive?

Random Quick Roundup

- Yesterday the South American version of the Amazing Race was filming on Copacabana beach.Apparently the contestants dressed up in Prefeitura orange jump suits and everything!

- The ups and downs of being an expat wife - had a fantastic week in the pleasant mid-20's weather, biking around with the Canadoca, going to the park, getting together with friends ,enjoying ourselves and yesterday's holiday. Today, Mr. DRL was back at work and when I called him at 5:00 to see when I should expect him, he figured he "would not start anything new" today before coming home. After his meetings he still had to have, of course. Nice. 

- In the headlines this week:

• a Brazilian futebol (Soccer) player, Adriano is questioned for financial ties to the Commando Vermelho, one of Rio's prominent drug gangs
• Brazil's police are criticized by the UN for their number of casualties (11,000 since 2003), and it's been stated that something needs to be done before world cup is hosted here - read more here.

One Year After AF 447

Still no answers. Though the last I heard, the search for the black boxes was still on.

Today we remembered our friends at the memorial site.

We miss you, Anne & Mike. xo

Coming Soon To A Brazil Near You

I get a lot of inquiries from people who would like to move to Brazil to work. My advice is to find a multinational firm operating here and get here on an expat package. As it's been said, Brazil is not for beginners, folks. We use all the help we can get our hands on! Make sure your have a generous living allowance...

So if you've read my blog entries and are still interested in job hunting for something that might take you to Brazil, here are some companies that are making waves in the media recently about either entering the Brazilian market or expanding their presence here:

• Standard Chartered - starting investment banking operations in Brazil. 
• Valeant Pharmaceuticals International just made a $56 million acquisition in Brazil (announced today but hadn't named the company). This is the second Brazilian acquisition the California based company has made in as many months.
• Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy LLP, which is a New York law firm, plans to open an office in Sao Paulo. In the past year, other firms such as Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, DLA Piper LLP, and Mayer Brown LLP have also set up shop in Brazil. Read more here. 
• Vaaldiam, a Canadian mining company, just announced plans to restart one of its Brazilian mines.
• Speaking of Canadians, it is widely speculated that Scotiabank (who happen to be one of our banks of choice back home in Canada), which has quite a presence in other parts of South America such as Peru and Chile, could bid to purchase the Brazilian securities unit of German lender Commerzbank...
• Finally (more Canadians) - a delegation of Atlantic Canadian organizations and companies in the oil and gas and transportation sectors just returned from what they are calling a successful business mission to Brazil. 

The Rain Has Stopped!

It is currently NOT raining. Mr. DRL headed to work this morning. The mayor has kept schools closed today again and asked people to avoid non-essential travel. Apparently it is essential that Mr. DRL go into work. As you can tell I'm *thrilled* about this... (Ok he just called me from the office and made it there really fast and said the roads had basically no water on them on the way there. Good news!)

Here is the full report on the situation for today.

According to OGlobo, the situation is still pretty bad around the lagoa and motorists are asked to avoid it. There have also been many cases of cars stuck in traffic being looted. Lovely.

This situation puts a spotlight on Rio's everyday issues such as homelessness, unsafe building in the favelas (many of these homes are now lost due to mudslides), terrible living conditions in the favelas, litter (because it hampers drainage and thus contributes to more flooding), traffic woes and overall organization and readiness to deal with situations that arise. 

An Update on the Floods of Rio de Janeiro

It is raining like CRAZY still and hasn't let up. The wind is also blowing pretty hard, all my windows are rattling right now...

According to OGlobo, there are at least 96 people who have died in the floods. There have been nearly 29 cm of precipitation in the past 24 hours. Governor Sergio Cabral has declared 3 days of official mourning.  Here in Leblon we still have power but according to the article, many bairros don't, including neighbouring Gavea, along with Laranjeiras, Sao Conrado, Santa Teresa, Jardim Botanico, etc.

The bridge to Niteroi is also closed. 

Stay safe everyone!

Flooding in Rio de Janeiro!

As you may have read on the news it's been storming in Rio, up to 30 people have died because of the flooding and mudslides - click here to read more.

Despite the mayor's warnings to stay indoors, I took my guests shopping in Ipanema today (The Canadoca stayed home with her Papai as he was home from work today, don't worry I didn't take her out in this!) and about half the stores were open for business. The streets were pretty quiet, and the canal looks like this:

Around the Web

Stuff I found interesting...

1) Gisele and her baby either are or were in Brazil for her sister's wedding. Last time I posted about Gisele it garnered a lot of attention...

2) Looking for a house to rent in Buzios? Here are two great sites with listings, here and here.

3) On doing without some of the conveniences of back home - I think it's great that we eat so few processed or packaged food items here. One of the only processed items that have passed the Canadoca's lips so far are these organic teething biscuits I bought while home at Christmas time (and even then, it's only when she is having a teething meltdown in a big way that she is handed one of those). However, I just found some recipes on the internet for homemade teething biscuits, the one I'm going to try making her tomorrow doesn't even have flour or sugar in it. Perfect! Click here for the recipes. 

4) Looking to watch Brazilian films? Click here for a fantastic list of recommendations.

5) Back in Canada I drove under these wildlife overpasses in Banff National Park about a million times, as I lived in Calgary for 7 years and my parents live in the interior of British Columbia. Pretty much every single time I drove under the darn things I wondered to myself if they actually worked - was the wildlife actually smart enough to use the overpasses? Were studies done? Was anyone monitoring the animal activity? I mean, the things had to have cost a fortune, but if they worked, it was worth it, right? Well don't you just love it when a question that has been burning in your mind for years is finally answered? Click here for a quick and interesting video or here to read info on this topic.  Here are some photos so you know what the heck I am referring to:

 

Making Headlines

• On Sunday I was kind of sad that we hadn't bothered to get tickets to see Guns N Roses as they were scheduled to play here that night, but I guess it was meant to be that way, since it was cancelled!  Apparently their stage collapsed from heavy rains. We have been having some crazy weird weather.  I would have liked to see them in concert here, though, as I am always tempted to play "Welcome to the Jungle" in the car on the way home from the airport when I pick up my visitors...
• Recently I wrote about a new fund featuring small-caps in Brazil - read more about it here. 
• A grenade was found in front of a medical building in Leblon on Friday. Sketch!
• This is pretty old now (a month ago) but I really should mention the Canadian ship that capsized off the coast of Brazil recently. It was one of those "spend a semester on the seas" boats and everyone on board spent 40 hours in lifeboats before being rescued. Amazingly, they all survived. Click here to read more. 
• There is some news about the Air France crash as well. There is a new one-month long effort starting at the end of March being made to locate the black box, by a team of underwater robots. Also it seems that a Brazilian court has taken it upon itself to order a settlement for a woman (Rio's attorney general) who was killed in the crash, though it doesn't seem as though they had jurisdiction to do so. Why does this not surprise me?
• Though there are a couple of Mac Stores here now (in Rio Design and Barra Shopping), Steve Jobs says that Rio's "super crazy tax policies" are keeping Apple from opening up a store here.  He continues to say that this "prohibitive taxation "makes it very unattractive to invest in the country" Yeah, not the first time it's occurred to me that this guy knows his stuff...
• As I've mentioned on Twitter, Cristo is currently getting a facelift. If it's necessary for him, there's no hope for the rest of us...

I Stand Corrected

Sometimes I really don't mind being wrong. Really!

There were a number of citations during Carnivale for public urination. Men, women and even foreigners were arrested (it's mostly fines that were being handed out, but it is punishable by up to 2 years in prison which is obviously crazy, but it's good that there is incentive for people to xixi no banho). This is progress, people!

Here is an article on the subject, from Reuters.

In addition to the various port-o-potties distributed around the city (though it seemed like they were everywhere, the ratio of toilets to people still seemed a bit off. Not that I am saying the public urination is understandable!) they introduced these puppies:

Media Mistakes

When I make an error on this site, readers are quick to point it out. I appreciate this. What's the point of having a blog where nothing is true - this is supposed to be a resource for people. By no means do I consider this blog to be "news" - I mean, come on, it's my point of view only! I do as much fact-checking as I can, but let's face it sometimes sources are wrong. It's getting out of control how wrong the ACTUAL media is, on such a regular basis. It seems as though anytime something is covered that I do personally know about, the media gets some aspect of the story all wrong. Which doesn't give me much hope that the rest of what is reported is accurate, either. And yet I still pay attention. Why is that?

Here are some examples of ridiculous recent goofs:

Terry Fox/Michael J. Fox: This one is crazy. Terry Fox was a Canadian hero, in fact I've written about him before on the blog. I find him incredibly inspiring. Yes, Michael J. Fox is also an inspirational Canadian (though I am pretty sure he now calls himself an American), very accomplished, but I am pretty sure he hasn't run across Canada... or attempted to. I believe they are both even from the lower mainland in BC... but to mix them up? I know it must be confusing that more than one person's last name is Fox... but come on guys... link here.

Samba Parade: It was reported that a seven year old girl performed as a samba queen in one of the parades - in fact she was supposed to but didn't end up doing it. After the fact, CNN reported she had. Was the CNN reporter drunk? Did they actually go to the parade? Or even talk to anyone who did? How does this happen? (In my opinion - lazy journalism!) By the way, in case you missed it, they also reported that Rio is now the capital of Brazil! They are really on a roll over there...

News Roundup

Haven't done one of these in awhile... just some stories that caught my attention

• This story really freaks me out, it's really sad - a 41 year old engineer named Michael Kanaley, an American expat, married to a Brazilian, a father, had been here 7 years... encountered some sort of major trouble while driving home from Buzios earlier this week - he was found shot to death, and his vehicle was found later, burned out. Awful.
• On a happier note, 6 day cruises departing Sao Paulo at the end of the montha re as low as $374 per person (based on double occupancy). Smoking deal!!!! Click here for details.
• Currently meeting in Brazil - an international commission deciding on fishing limits for tuna and other large migratory fish. 
• In 2009 Brazil set a record for the most vehicles sold ever in its history. Mercedes Benz apparently caught wind of this and is plannng a major expansion, which will be in part financed by a loan of 1.2 billion reais from Brazilian state development bank BNDES.
• Looking to invest in a Brazilian equities fund? Small to mid-caps? There's a new fund - The Advance Brazil Leblon Equities fund. Click here for more.
• A Boston family is seeking justice for the death of their family member who was shot by an off-duty police officer in the streets of Rio. 
• The Rio Times (formerly known as the Gringo Times) just put out a list of Rio's 10 Most Interesting Gringoes of 2009. Check it out!
• A piece on the life of a taxi driver in RIo. Click here. 
• Wondering where to samba in RIo? Click here.

Recent Articles of Interest

Wallpaper Magazine has issued its Fab 40 featuring 40 reasons to stay (or head to Brazil). They did lists for 10 different areas of which Canada was another. Of particular interest to me on the Brazilian side were a bunch of places and things I've never heard of, there's always more to experience and see in this country, it's more than just the corcovado, sugarloaf and the foz...  click here for the list. 

My mom sent me this article which is about Stockwell Day's time in Brazil recently. Funny enough, he met with Mr. DRL on one of his trips. The article doesn't say much, but here it is anyway.

An article I'm sure that would be dear to Mr. DRL's heart... further complications to the already atrocious to navigate taxation in Brazil. This article focuses on a new 2% tax on foreign investment in Brazil. Article here, from the Wall Street Journal.

Random Ramblings

Just some of what rolls around in my brain...

1) Spotted along Viero Souto on Saturday: something that I doubt you'd often see in Canada - two guys in hardhats, on a construction site, hugging. Heartwarming stuff. And it had to be about 33 degrees too, nothing was stopping these guys.

2) WTF (but "who" instead of "what") are these freaks? Did you hear about the spider stealer they caught trying to smuggle 1,000 spiders out of Brazil over the weekend? EEEk. I am not really a scared-of-bugs kind of girl but this wigs me out a bit. Wasn't there a movie about snakes on a plane a few years back...?

3) If you want to send Christmas cards from Brazil, you have to be DEDICATED... I just spent over an hour and a half affixing postage to my Christmas cards. Those suckers had better not get lost in the mail. Note that I also spent about 40 minutes in the post office obtaining said stamps. But the stamps oh they are soooo cool.  I LOVE the stamps here!

Busy News Week in Brazil

Brazil has sure had its share of press coverage this week with the BLACKOUT, a visit from Madonna, and a spread in the Economist. 

I find it a bit suspect that Brazil had its first big blackout in a long time just days after 60 minutes reported on hackers causing the ones in 2005 and 2007... but anyway.

The blackout was definitely interesting. Mr. DRL has been working horrendous hours so Canadoca and I were at home on our own when the lights went out. At first I figured it was just my place  (and fault, as I was running MAD AC! It's been sooooo hot here the past couple weeks) but then I looked out the window and quickly realized it was not. Mr. DRL called me from the office and said he was leaving (about 10:40 or so). I was a bit nervous about this, being that you never know what kind of ruckus might be kicked up in the streets with the power out and all but he told me to relax, it would probably take him no time, and not to worry about it because at night no one pays attention to the traffic lights anyway. Touché. 

He was home in record time (minus having to climb the stairs as the elevators didn't work) full of reports of which hotels in town had generators and therefore lights.

Where were YOU when the lights went out? I am personally just glad that I was not one of the many people who were IN AN ELEVATOR!!!

Air France Flight 447

Recently, on the birthday of my friend who passed away in the Air France crash, I thought I'd find out what the latest is on the investigation. There wasn't much news, other than that Air France does intend to continue looking for the black box, and that the families have filed suits.

Then, this weekend, there was a memorial held for the victims, here in Leblon. Apparently several people at the event wore black armbands to protest the lack of transparency of the French authorities in the investigation. Article here.

A glass plaque was also erected in memory of the passengers on board. 228 birds, one for each passenger. Canadoca and I will go for a walk there this week to see it.

Like Family

I think that Rio and I are now like family. In the sense that it's okay for me to say how it is, and reveal its negatives, but I sure don't like it when other people do...

On the Oprah episode.

I will preface my comment by saying that I think that Oprah has gotten awfully used to getting what she wants. Can't blame her, really. But it sure seems as though she has sour grapes over this lost Olympic bid. I was also watching SNL the other day and there was a sketch where "Obama" wishes the Olympic committee good luck with Rio with a bit of an eye roll. I'm not sure if that sketch was based on an actual event or not but it indicated he was a bit bitter as well.

Anyway! On the episode of Oprah about women around the world, I have the following comments to share:

1. It seems a bit absurd to even attempt to "show how people live" in 5 different countries in a span of an hour. Lofty goal at best. I've been here almost 2 years and every day I feel as though I have it LESS figured out.
2. I felt that Oprah was unnecessarily negative about Brazil, compared to how she was about other countries. Given the fact that she gushed on and on about the bread in Denmark (who cares?) and then basically only asked questions about Rio that referred to the negative aspects such as favelas and plastic surgery. I liked the woman they chose to "represent" Brazilian women, and thought it very interesting that they also went in to the favela.
3. I watched the "after the show" extra footage on Oprah's web site and was disappointed to see that her negativity continued towards Rio. The subject at hand was how long children remain living at home, and the woman's children were still living at home in their early 20's, which she said she loved. Oprah's comment was that in her country that would be considered to be mooching off of the parents. I think if you look at statistics, this is actually becoming more the norm in North America as well, while young adults are still going to University, etc.
4. It wasn't just the Rio portion that irritated me about this episode. Oprah did not seem to be paying attention in the least. For example, she asked questions that had already been answered five minutes earlier in the pretaped segments, and then had a very difficult time wrapping her head around a simple concept of cost of living and pay/taxation being different in Denmark and Dubai. This may not seem like a big deal, but when you are trying to portray what "life is like" in another country in such a short period of time, repeating questions is a total disservice to the viewer.
5. The reason her attitude towards Brazil is so disappointing is because most people who watch her show will never make it here themselves, rather this is just one glimpse for them which will likely form their opinion, and hers is based on having lost a competition, not even her own experiences here as she hasn't even been here. 

Brazil in the News

As I haven't done one of these posts in ages, some of these news items are a bit old but have been in the back of my mind to share for awhile... I'll start with newer items and end with older ones.

• Perhaps the craziest news I've heard out of Brazil in awhile; Futebol on the praia (beach soccer) is being BANNED as of December 1! Article here. Apparently hundreds of police will be enforcing this law. Don't get me started on that use of resources... this is part of our new mayor's mandate to clean up Rio. I wonder when he plans to get started on the public urination problem? This is right up there with stopping people's household good shipments because of a lone jar of peanut butter but then letting a container of automatic weapons go through. Which is by the way something that happens like every day...  Maybe I should write him a letter. And for those who think it is not a problem in Rio any more than anywhere else, I have to tell you that my husband's auditors were in Rio last week and it was one of the only things that they commented on about Rio! (the xixi).
• Brazil is expected to publish a list of trade sanctions against the US tomorrow, in retaliation for Washington's cotton subsidies. Article here. 
• Curious about what the view is like from the Penthouse in the Copacabana Palace? Click here to see, part of an article on luxury resorts in RIo. 
• Madonna is expected to come back to Rio tomorrow, and is rumoured to be staying at Fasano. Portuguese article only, here. 
• 60 Minutes reported that a series of power outages in Brazil in 2005 and 2007 were caused by cyber attacks. Article here.
• Lula has an impersonator on the radio...
• There have been a number of large-scale international investments in Brazil's real estate sector lately, click here for more details. 
• The BBC reports on walls going up around a number of Rio's favelas here.
• It looks like Woody Allen's 2011 project will be shot and set in Rio. Should be interesting! Article here.

Explains the fear of Halloween?

This article is crazy. Maybe this explains why Halloween is so disliked here - the dead walk in Brazil on a normal day, why would we need a special day for it. Click the link but the gist of the story is that there was a man falsely identified by family members as being killed in a car wreck. He later showed up at his own funeral.

The key question that comes to mind: I wonder how much "paperwork" will be required to clean this mess up?

Tonight, On Oprah...

If you are here in Rio, try and catch The Oprah Winfrey Show on GNT at 8 pm. It will feature a segment on Rio de Janeiro. As Oprah runs about 2 weeks behind here in Brazil, I've already heard different things about this episode from a number of people back home, and therefore have had to try not to form too many opinions about what was featured until I see it for myself...  it is an episode about women around the world, and apparently a woman from Ipanema and her maid were interviewed for the Rio portion. To view some "after the show" questions asked, click here.

Also on Oprah's site about Rio - a guide to traveling here (there is one for each of the Olympic 2016 Candidate cities) 

I'm hoping some of you come back and let me know what you thought of the episode and how Rio and its women were portrayed. Can't wait to watch!

Making Headlines

Despite the fact that I have tried to move this blog away from the direction of reporting on scary news items, I can't NOT mention this weekend's gang war here in Rio, particularly because it was yesterday's top story internationally. Can you say: "All because of the Olympics?"

Although a police helicopter being shot down does make this story a bit more interesting, 12 people dying in a gun battle in Rio is not normally international-headline-grabbing news. It is not exactly a slow day in Rio, either, but, well, you get my drift.

Now the headlines scream: Rio, host city of the 2016 Olympic games, is home to a gang war. Um, yeah. Did anyone really think that a 7 year halt had been called on that situation the minute that Brazil won the Olympic bid?

The Guardian published a decent article on the situation, click here to read it.

Parabens, RIO!

Well, Rio, you did it! I think I am still in shock. I am the first to admit when I am mistaken and in this case I certainly was - I did NOT think that Rio would be awarded the games, but I sure am glad it was.

I had a tear in my eye as I watched - up until the part when I saw Lula, red faced, bawling uncontrollably into a handkerchief, at the press conference and then at that point I switched to laughing... So cute. Brazil certainly brings the passion!!! I wish I could have been down on Copacabana with the masses, celebrating.

Now comes the hard part, and it will be interesting to see how Rio pulls it off. No matter what the outcome, the 2016 Olympics are sure to be picturesque, entertaining and one of a kind. I hope this brings about changes for the better for Rio.

Today's the BIG DAY!!!

I am anxiously awaiting the result of the IOC vote today - where will the 2016 Olympics be held?

According to what I've been reading, against all odds, Rio is now considered a frontrunner... who would have thought?

I remember how emotional I was the day that Vancouver was selected to host the 2010 games, and I think if Rio is selected this will be even moreso the case for me - it would just bring about so many opportunities for Rio and Brazil in general, and give it some exposure to the world. There are so many misconceptions about Brazil and this would help educate people on what it's really all about. I hope it would also result in the improvement of many living conditions and infrastructure in the city - much needed.

I've been a bit vocal about my disapproval of the amount of money spent on what seemed like a long shot bid, considering that Rio wasn't initially intended to make the final ballot (Doha was vetoed by the committee because of its hot climate, despite scoring higher than Rio in preliminary rounds of city selection). Recent crime sprees in the Zona Sul while the world's eyes are on any news coming out of Brazil also make me curious if this is sort of a demonstration of protest coming from the city's less fortunate - one could hardly blame them for thinking the money could have been spent elsewhere, considering the price tag of the bid and the lousy living conditions for many in Rio.  Considering how many issues first world countries have in preparing a city for the frenzy of the games, I've often wondered how on EARTH Rio could ever get it together - but when it comes down to it, I hope Rio gets the games.  I wish I were in Rio today to head on down to Copacabana for the big announcement - but I am still traveling.

Eu Quero!

Rio 2016 video

I knew this would be good. Here is Rio's little promo video as part of the submission for hosting the 2016 games. I remember when I watched Vancouver's a few years back and it brought tears to my eyes it was so beautiful. Rio's doesn't disappoint. One observation I do have is that it seems incredibly tranquil - and given Rio's reputation internationally, I venture to guess that this is deliberate. Check out the video, it's beautiful, and I am proud to say that I've been almost everywhere that is featured.

Happy Happy

Rio: the world's happiest city?

Flying to Brazil these days....

doesn't seem so fun. Maybe it is not such a bad thing that Canadoca and I are stuck here!

This week alone there have been three disconcerning incidents:

1) A 15 year old girl died in-flight from the US to Brazil, supposedly of gripe suine (swine flu).

2) A Delta flight from Rio to Atlanta encountered issues and turned back to Rio late last week.

3) Sunday night's Continental flight from Rio to Houston made an emergency landing in Miami after encountering severe turbulence (to the point where there were several injuries and people were taken to hospital).

Around the web - travel in Brazil

Since becoming Canadoca's mom I have neglected reading a lot of the blogs I normally enjoy. Which means I haven't been passing some of the interesting stuff I find on to you. So here are a few (and some are not so new but that's why!) interesting articles and tips on travelling around Brazil.

Great posts from "Brazil for Insiders" - including:

• Pre Catalan in Rio - Sofitel - which I also recently visited and quite enjoyed. 
• A Tiradentes weekend - great looking pousadas.
• A review of Conde Nast's top beaches in Brazil - and why it might be off-base. Here is a more complete list on the same site. 
• This post is a must for anyone heading to Salvador, Bahia, as is this one from The Moment blog.

From the "Gringo Times"

• Hiking in Rio - fantastic way to see some of Rio's sights in an active manner!
• Some coverage of Trinidade - a little beach community near Paraty that we visited with my inlaws back in November. 
• Or, for a weekend in Rio, check out Markets in Rio in case you are sticking around here... or head to Santa Teresa for the weekend (something I am actually tempted to do on a regular basis since there are so many amazing hotels and dinner spots there!)

From Ben in Rio:

• I don't know where this is but that waterfall waterslide looks like so much fun! 

From Expat American Living in Brazil:

• Pantanal via Train

Finally, with all these great destinations we need some cheap flights! Apparently Brazil's airline industry is going through some deregulation.

Escape to Brazil?

Although this has not happened to me personally, apparently expats here are frequently asked if they are here because they are running from something. I guess it's no secret that it can be a good place to hide out - be it avoiding a custody case, like the David Goldman case, or jail time (Brazil does not extradite the parents of Brazilian born children to other countries).

So, it's no wonder that there are pop culture references alluding to Brazil as the perfect escape. I recently caught an OLD episode of Beverly Hills, 90210, around the era where Dylan McKay was getting ripped off by his "family" - where did they head once they had his money? Brazil.

This season Desperate Housewives featured a character who planned a murder followed by - you guessed it, a quick escape to Brazil.

Is it any wonder that some people are scared to even visit here?