Archive for May, 2008

Saturday, May 24th, 2008
Brazil History and Culture
Jason Sands asked:


The heap of anguish caused by the claustrophobic city life can only be eradicated when you take a stride down the blue beaches of Australia or relax at the foot of Christ De Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro. When life demands too much and you want to escape from this mundane world, take a flight to one of your desired destinations and spend the holiday there with your loved ones. Give yourself a chance to enjoy the gorgeous Greek Island, scintillating Cuba or the magical Thailand. The unparalleled exquisiteness of the five top destinations below is alluring visitors to feast on the amazing beauty.

1. Australia - Whitsunday Islands

The spectacular scene of Australia has made it the suitable holiday destination for people from all over the world. The very thought of the coral reefs, lush rainforests and the amazingly warm ocean water would chill you up and you won’t be able to resist the charm of holidaying in this country. Whitsunday coasts and islands seem to have been naturally tailored to quench your need of getting lost in the soothing greens and serene blue of the water. The Islands are centrally located on the Queensland Coast where almost all flights have been given access. The airport is about 40 minutes away from the Airlie Beach and leisure can be enjoyed to the full extent. Apart from this Island particularly, Australia is encompassing within itself a wide array of holiday zones. The Gold Coasts, Hunter Valley, Sunshine coast, the wonderful Sydney and so on. At Whitsunday, you will get the opportunity to select resorts and hotels of your choice. The availability of the peaceful ambience, spas, swimming pools, gardens and other amenities will vary with the denomination of the accommodation you choose. The exciting Great Barrier Reef, the stunning beauty of the Proserpine River and the luxury yachts are bound to drive you ecstatic. Holiday packages to this Island will seem to be incomplete, as you will fall in love with Whitsunday forever.

2. Brazil - Rio de Janeiro

It may be the outstanding color of its beaches or the magical sound produced by the forests that has made the creation of samba music possible in Rio de Janeiro. The high-spirited people of this state make Brazil one of the liveliest places on earth. Those of you who are fond of sports must take your family to this city to enjoy the essence of sports and sporting spirit. The intense cultural life of ravishing Rio includes mind-blowing music and heart throbbing belly dances. The state is the pride of Brazilians for it includes within it, theaters, clubs, museums, beaches, gardens, forests, lagoons and the memorabilia of the World War II. Winter is full of events and it would the best time to take a flight to Rio and give your life a new refreshing turn. Hotels and inns are available at your fingertips, which you can reserve even via the Internet.

3. Greek Islands

If you are a travel freak then you must spend your next holiday at the Greek Islands, which are about 22 in number. Mykonos would take you down the memory lanes with the windmills turning the pages of history. Affordable hotels and excellent services are designed to make your visit very pleasurable. Naxos is the island of churches, Venetian castles and homes just opposite to the nightlife culture that Rhodes can give. Lesvos is a perfect destination to soothe your tired mind and eyes. Wildlife, restaurants, spas and greenery can cheer you up for the rest of the hectic year ahead. Most of the islands here are breathtaking and you can zoom through the clouds directly or can halt in mainland Greece and then move ahead. Accommodation places are always ample, just prior booking is essential.

4. Cuba

Vigorous salsa, mind-blowing architecture, exciting tropical beaches and the swashbuckling nightlife can be the most apt phrases to describe Cuba – the dream destination for most people. Relaxation coupled with luxury is going to make your holiday in Cuba one of the most memorable experiences. This unique and safe Caribbean Island has got a historic importance of its own. Fishing or sailing in a tranquil ambience can reinvigorate you to your fullest. The journey to Cuba would revitalize you, shedding all the lethargic loads that you had been carrying so far. Your stride through the Las Terrazas will enable you to relish the flora and fauna. The coffee at a famous Cafetal restaurant would make you nostalgic, and sips at the Darquiri cocktail at Tropicana Cabaret are definitely an enchanting experience. Ecological tours of the Western Cuba can also be a sumptuous and momentous moment for you. If you are looking for cheap eats and lodging, you can find it at this top holiday destination.

5. Thailand

Thailand gains prominence as one of the hottest tourist sports for the sky kissing mountains, green meadows, multi-colored orchids, fascinating native handcrafts, coupled with the tropical climate. The country is well known for the hospitality, and the local food is also superb to taste. For the active traveler, this can be the ideal spot to spend the holidays. Travel packages booked earlier can make your journey to this place an interesting one. Bangkok is the main gateway to Thailand where the international airport is situated. The religion followed in this country is Buddhism and everywhere place you visit, you are going to find information pertaining to Lord Buddha. The elephant conservation center, wildlife sanctuaries, Thai crafts and the fruit carving are simply wonderful. The capital Bangkok is of great prominence due to the natural beauty that it ensembles. Makha Puja, Flower festival, Pattya festival and the Sonkran festivals attract throngs of visitors every year to this country. For a cool escape, the southern beaches are a definite hot spot and are not to be missed, Phuket having the biggest tourism numbers followed by Koh Samui.

Holidaying in any of these top destinations will leverage the stressful life you live and will have to resume to after some days. Visits to these heavenly places will make your experience meaningful and you will find a new spirit to restart your life. So, keep aside all hesitations, pack your luggage and set off for the dream destination that you had been longing for so far!



Jo

What are some guidelines to watch when shipping something from USA to Brazil?

Friday, May 23rd, 2008
Brazil
PookieAceves asked:


Im shipping something from florida to a lady in brazil. I need to know what guidelines to closely follow and packing guidelines so that my stuff will not be returned or damaged?

Brady

Have you ever considered visiting Brazil in your vacations?

Friday, May 23rd, 2008
Brazil
Wal asked:


I am brazilian, currently living in my country and I must say I have several friends (really) from USA that came to my country in order to visit and just tour. They liked it here and they come back every year. Have you ever heard of Brazil or have you ever considered this possibility of visiting us?

Tammy

Sunday, May 18th, 2008
Brazil History and Culture
Eva Torriente Diaz asked:


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alicia Alonso, Alicia Ernestina de la Caridad del Cobre Martínez Hoya born 21 of December,1920

 

A year later she performed publicly for the first time in Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty. Alonso danced in Cuba under the name of Alicia Martínez.–The dancer’s rapid progress in her lessons came to an abrupt halt in 1937, when the 15-year-old fell in love with a fellow ballet student, Fernando Alonso whom she married. After her marriage she changed her last name to Alonso. The new couple moved to New York City, hoping to begin their professional careers. There they found a home with relatives in the Spanish Harlem section of the city. Alonso soon gave birth to a daughter, Laura, but managed to continue her training at the School of American Ballet and took private classes with Leon Fokine, Alexandra Fedorova, Enrico Zanfretta and Anatole Vilzak.- -She then arranged a travel to London to study with the renowned Vera Volkova.– Meanwhile, her husband had joined the new Mordkin Ballet Company in New York.  She had surgery to correct the problem and was ordered to lie in bed motionless for three months to allow her eyes to heal.  in 1943 to begin rebuilding her skills. However, before she had barely settled, out of the blue she was asked to dance ”Giselle” to replace the ballet Theater’s injured prima ballerina. Alonso accepted and gave such a performance that the critics immediately declared her a star. She was promoted to principal dancer of the company in 1946 and danced the role of Giselle until 1948, also performing in Swan Lake, Anthony Tudor’s Undertow (1943), Balanchine’s Theme and Variations (1947), and in such world premieres as deMille’s dramatic ballet Fall  River Legend.-  (1948), in which she starred as the Accused. By this time in her career, she had developed a reputation as an intensely dramatic dancer, as well as an ultra-pure technician and a supremely skilled interpreter of classical and romantic repertories. Alonson’s long time partnership with, Youskevitch, have many times been compared to to that of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

Alicia was afflicted with an eye defect and was partially blind after she turned 19. Soon she had her partners be in the spot she expected them to be. She also used lights in different parts of the stage to guide her too.

After seeing the doctor for worsening vision problems, Alonso was diagnosed in 1941 with a detached retina.-

Unable to comply completely, Alonso practiced with her feet alone, pointing and stretching to, as she put it, “keep my feet alive.” When the bandages came off, Alonso was dismayed to find that the operation had not been completely successful. The doctors performed a second surgery, but its failure caused them to conclude that the dancer would never have peripheral vision.

Finally, Alonso consented to a third procedure in Havana, but this time was ordered to lay completely motionless in bed for an entire year. She was not permitted to play with Laura, chew food too hard, laugh or cry, or move her head. Her husband sat with her every day, using their fingers to teach her the great dancing roles of classical ballet. From Women in World History, Alonso later recalled of that period, “I danced in my mind. Blinded, motionless, flat on my back, I taught myself to dance Giselle.”

Finally, she was allowed to leave her bed, although dancing was still out of the question. Instead, she walked with her dogs and, against doctor’s orders, went to the ballet studio down the street every day to begin practicing again. Then, just as her hope was returning, Alonso was injured when a hurricane shattered a door in her home, spraying glass splinters onto her head and face. Amazingly, her eyes were not injured. When her doctor saw this, he cleared Alonso to begin dancing, figuring that if she could survive an explosion of glass, dancing would do no harm.

Nearly mad with impatience and still partially blind, Alonso traveled back to New York



to found her own company, the Alicia Alonso Ballet Company, which she maintained with little financial support, this company eventually became The Ballet National of Cuba.-

Youskevitch and her other partners quickly became expert at helping Alonso conceal her handicap. To compensate for only partial sight in one eye and no peripheral vision, the ballerina trained her partners to be exactly where she needed them without exception. She also had the set designers install strong spotlights in different colors to serve as guides for her movements.–Alonso knew, for instance, that if she stepped into the glow of the spotlights near the front of the stage, she was getting too close to the orchestra pit. There was also a thin wire stretched across the edge of the stage at waist height as another marker for her, but in general she danced within the encircling arms of her partners and was led by them from point to point. Audiences were reportedly never the wiser as they watched the prima ballerina.

Alonso’s desire to develop ballet in Cuba led her to return to Havana in 1948

Fernando was general director of the company, which was at that time composed mainly of Ballet Theater dancers temporarily out of work due to a reorganization in the New York company. Fernando’s brother Alberto, a choreographer, served as artistic director for the company.-The company debuted briefly in the capital and then departed for a tour of South America.-. The performances were a hit with audiences everywhere, but Alonso found herself funding the company with her savings to keep it going despite donations from wealthy families and a modest subsidy from the Cuban Ministry of Education. in 1952 and then producing and starring in Giselle for the Paris Opera in 1953.-

Meanwhile, she commuted between Havana and New York to recruit the world’s best teachers to train her new students. She remained a sought-after prima ballerina during this hectic time, dancing twice in Rusia

Between 1955 and 1959, Alicia danced every year with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo as guest star. She was the first dancer of the Western Hemisphere to perform in the Soviet Union, and the first American representative to dance with the Bolshoi and Kirov Theaters of Moscow and Leningrad (St. Petersburg) respectively in 1957 and 1958. , North and South America, and she danced as guest star with the Opera de Paris, the Royal Danish Ballet, the Bolshoi and with other companies. She has staged her versions of Giselle, Pas de Quatre, and Sleepng Beauty for the Pars Opera.- She also staged Giselle at the Vienna State Opera and the San Carlo Theater of Naples, Italy; La Fille Mal Gardee at the Prague State Opera, and Sleeping Beauty at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan.-

During the decades to follow Alicia Alonso had cross-world tours through West and East European countries, Asia



By the mid-1950s, the Alicia Alonso Ballet Company was in dire straits financially and politically. A dictator,Fulgencio Batista

Forced to work in nightclubs to earn a living, the dancers often had no energy to perform for Alonso. As the dancer became increasingly vocal in her disdain for Batista, the regime offered her five hundred dollars a month in perpetuity to stop her criticism. Disgusted, she folded her school in 1956

Alonso worked with the Ballet Rousse until 1959, during which time she performed in a 10-week tour of the Soviet Union

, had taken control and was determined to squash the heavy opposition to his rule. Supported by the island’s financial infrastructure, the Mafia, and American business interests, he mercilessly repressed anyone who stood in his path. -Declaring that all artists and intellectuals were left-wing sympathizers, he drastically cut what little funding the government had given Alonso’s ballet school and touring group. and joined the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo with Youskevitch., dancing in Giselle, the Leningrad Opera Ballet’s Path of Thunder, and other pieces. Her performances earned her the coveted Dance Magazine Award in 1958.

When Fidel Castro

Alonso felt strongly that she and her ballet school were “very much part of the Cuban revolution.” She wanted her dancers to bring the beauty and excitement of ballet to the island nation’s workers and farmers who had virtually no experience with artistic expression.



 

Because of her intense and passionate affiliation with the new communist


 

When the Vietnam War

Alonso danced solos in Europe

Alonso continued to serve as the director of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba in the early twenty-first century. Numerous books have been written on the ballerina, including Alicia Alonso: At Home and Abroad (1970), Alicia Alonso: The Story of a Ballerina (1979), Alicia Alonso: A Passionate Life of Dance (1984), and Alicia Alonso: First Lady of the Ballet (1993). During a November 2003 on-stage interview prior to a Cuban National Ballet performance in San Diego, California, she exclaimed, “I’m so happy to be here. And I’m happy whenever I’m on the stage. The stage is where a dancer should be, even if it’s only to walk or sit. I am at home on the stage.”

As director and leading dancer of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, Alicia Alonso has been an inspiration and guide to the new generations of Cuban dancers. With her own consummate style, she has left her mark on the international world of dance. Some of her former and more famous students are now dancing at the

(1977). She has served on juries at international dance competitions in Bulgaria, Rusia, Japan,Brazil, and the United States.

She has created her own works including La Tinaja, Ensayos Sinfonicos, and Lidia. She appeared in a feature-length documentary made in Cuba about her and her work Alicia

Because of her intense and passionate affiliation with the new communist took power from the Batista dictatorship on January 1, 1959, Castro vowed to increase funding to the nation’s languishing cultural programs. Encouraged by this sudden change and eager to see her homeland again, Alonso returned to Cuba and in March 1959 received $200,000 in funding to form a new dance school, to be called the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, along with a guarantee of annual financial support. –Alonso has since described receiving a message from Castro in 1958 sent from the Sierra Maestra inviting her to head the company upon the triumph of the July 26th Movement..She officially founded the school in 1960.-, and within several years her dancers were winning international dance competitions. government in Havana,– American audiences turned their backs on the prima ballerina and she vanished from the country’s cultural radar. However, her company continued to build its powers and achievements in both Eastern Hemisphere and Western Europe.-. In 1967 and 1971 she performed in Canada, where reviewers noted that Alonso was still the greatest ballerina of her time.  ended and Richard Nixon left the presidency, Alonso was permitted to perform again in the United States in 1975 and 1976. An American reviewer said of the dancer, then 54 years old and a grandmother, “she creates more sexual promise than ballerinas half her age.”  and elsewhere well into her 70s, although her near blindness became increasingly apparent.– In 1995, she and a number of other aging National Ballet members performed in San Francisco in a piece called In the Middle of the Sunset.,American Ballet Theatre,- the Boston Ballet.-the San Francisco Ballet , The Washington Ballet , the Cincinnati Ballet and the Royal Ballet.-, among others.

is a Cuban Prima Ballerina Assoluta and Choreographer.- She is considered a legend and is most famous for her portrayals of Giselle and Carmen. Since she was nineteen, Alicia was afflicted with an eye defect and was partially blind. Her partners always had to be in the exact place she expected them to be, and she used lights in different parts of the stage to guide her of an important ballet  company in Cuba.-She began her career in Broadway musicals in New York.– Although plagued by eyesight problems, Alonso was one of the principal stars of the Ballet Caravan and later of the Ballet Theater.Alonson was born in Havana, Cuba.-. She was the one of two daughter of an army officer and his wife. The family was financially comfortable and lived in a fashionable section of the then-vibrant capital. Alonso indicated at a very early age, produced an affinity for music and dance - her mother could occupy her happily for long periods with just a phonograph, a scarf, and some records. She started dancing at the age of nine and studied ballet at Sociedad Pro-Arte Musical in Havana with Sofie Fedorova.-

.In June 2002 she was designated UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for her outstanding contribution to the development, preservation and popularisation of classical dance and for her devotion to the art-form, through which she has promoted the ideals of UNESCO and the fellowship of the world’s peoples and cultures. -She continues to direct her Ballet Nacional de Cuba, even though she is in her eighties and almost blind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



AWARDS:



the Dance Magazine Annual Award, 1934

the Dance Magazine Annual Award, 1958

the Grand Prix de la Ville de Paris, 1966

Anna Pavlova Award of the University of Dance, Paris, 1966

the Grand Prix de la Ville de Paris together with her company, 1970

Order of Work of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, 1974

Gold Medal of the Gran Teatro by Premio Gran Teatro de La Habana in 1985

National Prize for Dance from the Ministry of Culture of Cuba, 1998

Gold medal from the Circulo de Bellas Artes of Madrid, 1998

UNESCO Pablo Picasso Medal for her extraordinary contribution to dance, 1999

Grand Prix de la Ville de Paris, 1999

Premio Benois de la Danza, 2000

 



To see Alicia Alonso dance, was a sight to behold.- Her unique style represented trueGenius, unable to be imitated by any other dancer in the world.-

When she danced “The Swan Lake”, it was as she floated in the air, and her movements made her look as a real swan , delicate and beautiful, -almost unreal.

GISELLE,- her favorite ballet, has never been performed the way only she was able to do. –No other ballerina has ever, and willl never be able to perform as she did.-Her political preferences CAN NOT obscure her manificent ART.

“ART” is art, and can not,– and should not iterfere with a person’s ability to perform, depite race, political preferences, or sexual inclinations.-

SHE WAS A TRUE “PRIMA BALLERINA ASSOLUTA” in all the sense of the word.

Eva de la Torriente Diaz

July 23, 2009





Jacob

What are the tax reporting requirements for a US company hiring a consultant in Brazil?

Tuesday, May 13th, 2008
Brazil
Lisa L asked:


I have a very small US-based company. I need to hire a consultant in Brazil (similar to a 1099 US consultant), but have no idea how to find out if any tax withholding is required or if any official forms are to be completed. I asked my Accountant and she didn’t know. Can anyone share information that would help get me on the right track? Thanks!

Darryl

Tuesday, May 13th, 2008
Brazil Travel and Holidays
Aoureliou Televko asked:


In Fortaleza, Brazil we stayed for a few nights around Beira Mar Ave., were a hand made crafts market was opened every single evening. Along the street, there were many people advertising different travel destinations along coast of Ceara. First that got our attention was a small and charming place called Jericoacoara. Jericoacoara (Jeri, called by Brazilians) as we learned later is the most wanted tourist attraction in Ceara too. It is far away from modern world, and offers a quiet refuge into paradise while staying there. Jeri is one of the most unique and beautiful beaches in the world.

It is also a city in a protected and preserved area, which is kept in its primitive state by the Brazilian government. That is why we decided to go there first, and started to look into different ways on how to get there. The most reasonable and safe way we found, was to take a bus operated by Redencao. A round trip will cost you R$ 35.50 ($1 USD =R$1.81 at the time of our travel) per person. This bus stops every morning at exactly 9:15 am in front of the Praiano Palace Hotel on Beira Mar Ave., and takes all tourists that wish to visit Jericoacoara. It is a bus with comfortable seats and with air conditioner. The trip is about 6 hours along the Hwy.

During the trip, you can watch a video or the views outside the window, and admire and be amazed by the size and the number of the cashew trees, and the greens of the sugar cane plantations. We also stopped along the way and had lunch in a very authentic Brazilian outside cafeteria, with very good Brazilian food. After 5 hours, our bus stopped and we had to change it for another one, which was a 4X4 bus, because the Hwy finished at Praia beach. The rest of the trip was very impressive, along the beach and between white dunes.

When we arrived there, many locals came around to propose different options of the available hotels and posadas (small Inn). It is quiet easy to find and accommodate your taste and pockets to the options that they offer. The most expensive and modern is a hotel called Mosquito Blue the less expensive are little pousadas, they are R$ 35.00 per night and up. We chouse a posada called Jeri Brazil, because I really liked its country style. The owner was a friendly woman called Edna. She was the one to cook our meals too. We paid R$ 50.00 a night including breakfast and internet.

Jericoacoara steals your heart with its simple beauty. Its streets are paved with sand. Everywhere you can see, houses adorned with bushes full of colorful flowers and are shaded by cashew and coconut trees. Jeri has just four main streets, along which you can find the restaurants and small gift shops. There also are a few small supermarkets were you can buy the essentials if you need them, and they offer stuff like fresh fruits, snacks, sunscreen, a variety of drinks, etc…

Jeri is full of things to do for the active and extreme as well as for those who wish to relax and recharge.



Brendon

Is it expensive to import to Brazil from USA? how are imports taxes in Brazil?

Sunday, May 11th, 2008
Brazil
QuestionHead asked:


I am going to be shipping to Brazil. Does anybody know if it is expensive to export clothing to Brazil?

Luke

What is a positive and negative effect that humans have on Brazil’s effect?

Sunday, May 11th, 2008
Brazil
Jason asked:


I am doing a project in geography and I can’t find this anywhere. What is a positive and negative effect on Brazil’s environment that was caused by humans? Thanks for helping.

Wyatt

Sunday, May 4th, 2008
Brazil Travel and Holidays
Parag Sheth asked:


About Brazil

Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world, and central to south America, bordering the vast majority of countries in the area. The country has over 7,000 kilometres of coastline and spans a massive four time zones. The landscape is as varied as it is different, with the golden beaches along the coastline to the mountains, valleys and beautiful rain forests inland. Along with the diversified landscape there is a vast variety of cultures which converge to give Brazil that vibrant, fun carnival atmosphere for which it has always been known. A haven for the worldwide tourist market, the country is fast becoming one of the “hot spots” in the holiday industry.

Against this back drop of beautiful landscapes, differing cultures and a fun time attitude the economic situation has been somewhat different. Historically Brazil has struggled with high inflation, high interest rates and serious bouts of unrest in the employment market. The country is heavily linked to the US economy, with the local currency tagged against the dollar, and employment also heavily dependent on the US (especially the Auto market, which has been going through a very difficult period).

Since President Lula took control in 2003, we have seen one of the more steady economic periods in the country’s colourful history. Heavy spend on infrastructure has helped to improve the performance of the economy, and a more stable exchange rate has assisted the import and export trade. Currently ranked 13th largest economy in the world, this is set to increase to 5th over the next 20 to 30 years.

Property Market

As you would expect from an historically volatile economy, the Brazilian property market has been prone to huge swings. Since the current government took control the wild swings have been reduced as investors start to factor in the long term growth potential of the country - as government policies continue to kick in. This long term attitude by the authorities is a breeding ground for a potentially lucrative property market, and as prices are beginning from a very very low base, there is great potential.

As the country continues the crack down on law and order problems, which has effected the levels on foreign investment in the past, there seems to be a growing air of confidence within the Brazilian population. As with many of these so-called “developing countries” there are a number of property “hot spots” which you should be aware of. Not surprisingly Rio de Janeiro (the home of the carnival!) and Sao Paolo are the most popular locations for foreign property investors, offering a security not yet seen in the majority of Brazil. These two vast cities are the centre of the Brazilian business market, attracting multi-national companies from all over the world - although still dominated by the vast US contingent.

Rio has perhaps the greatest variation of the two offering both an ever expanding business market together with the renowned beaches, including the Copacabana and Ipanema beaches which are very popular with travellers. Investors in Brazilian property are also seeing good returns in places as far a field as Pernambuco, Alagoas and Sergipe to name but a few. Indeed many letting agents are guaranteeing minimum yields of 6% for the buy to let market.

Why Invest in Brazil

While historically Brazil has been a very volatile country, there are signs that the current government regime are getting to grips with the detail of the economy. Often renowned for the gang wars and general crime, the country has done a lot over the last few years to clean itself up. Central to the south American economy, Brazil is a massive country with much untapped natural resources. These natural resources are the major attraction to overseas companies, and with much of the country still uninhabited, this attraction will last for many years to come.

The property market in Brazil is still in its infancy, and while it has developed greatly over the last decade, there appears to be a lack of organisation. Indeed, there have been many stories of agents increasing prices, and wide variations in pricing for the same properties. As time progresses, the market will settle down, and the more unprofessional end of the market will be overshadowed by new structured entrants. It is recommended that you take advice from local reputable partners, regarding the Brazilian property market, before entering into any transactions, and ensure that the agreements are water tight.

While the country may not be at the forefront of the minds of overseas property investors, there is no doubt that property in Brazil offers good value compared to other developed countries of the world. If the economy continues to grow at a controllable rate (even if there are short term swings), the so called “hot spot” areas will grow, bringing in some of the smaller cities, both inland and on the coastline.

Outlook

Brazil is a country that has been on its knees on a number of occasions, only to be bailed out by the International Monetary Fund, and the US. More recently the country is starting to straighten, and looks set to stand high in the future, offering a useful basis for overseas investors. The more settled the economy, the easier it is to forecast future returns.

There is a general feel good factor building among the Brazilian population, with the days of 100% monthly inflation a thing of the past. While there are risks associated with countries such as Brazil, these are factored into the potential returns. Political tension between the south American countries seems to be at a relative low, compared to periods of friction in the past. There is also more co-operation between local neighbours, which is bringing a sense of purpose to the region.

With the backing of the international community, Brazil cannot be allowed to falter because of its influence on the overall south American region. The tourist market continues to thrive, with the general relaxed attitude of the population, as well as the beautiful weather, two of the main attractions. In a country historically blighted by unrest and depravation, while there is still a long way to go, property in Brazil offers definite attractions to the overseas investor.



Yesenia

What is the best team from Brazil you know?

Friday, May 2nd, 2008
Brazil
Gu-Babilônia_37_anuuus asked:


You know the Flamengo , the Gremio, the Atletico-PR, the Sao Paulo? If you know what is the best team in Brazil?

Carlos