Brasil 9. Café da manhã -Brazilian Breakfast-

It has been a while after I haven't write about "Series Brazil", actually I still have something I would like to add!

Breakfast = Café da manhã in Brazilian Porutoguese (literaly, coffee in the morning).

There if someone ask you "Café?" and if you say "Sim"(= yes),
they will not serve you just a coffee,
but with bread and all the breakfast menu! (well, I was surprised several times, since I was usually the sleepy and forgot about this fact each time...)

At hostel in Foz do Iguasu, 2007, August.

Also I would say the breakfast in Brazil is quite unique. As similar to other country which carries western custom, there's a coffee, bread cheese, ham and small amount of fresh vegetables,
but the special thing is there is always some sweet cake and fruits are coming together! e.g. watermelon, papiya.

One quote from a groupin facebook "You know you're Brazilian when..."

"Your breakfast consists of milk and coffee, bread with butter and a piece of cake."

Today's song: "Shadow of the day" by Linkin park

Brasil 8. "Capoera"

Brazilian Martial art!!

Dynamic and acrobatic! The "Capoerist's" iron body but flexible muscles are really art!
And it was funny surprise that our tour guide suddenly started to join the Capoera and act there!

Btw there's one thai movie "Tom Yum Goong", where you can enjoy the action between
Capoera vs. Mue Thai(Thai Boxing)

It's funny and action is great, Check it out!!!

Brasil 7. "Coco"

Something you can't forget in Brazil is "Coco" (coconuts). At the small shops at the every corner, we can buy fresh "coco" with 2 reals (7 SEK, 0.8 euro, 120 en)!? Crash and open up the top of hard shell and drink a juice with straws. After finishing to drink juice, you may ask to chop out all the shell! You might say "Why?" It's because the white layer of inside of coconuts is also very sweet fruit to taste!!



Left, In Rio, I was focusing to take picture of "Quiosque" (= Coco stand(!?), the small food store just on the beach line), then the funky guy in the shop was running out to get in the photo, :D.

I like Brazilian people, hahaha!

Today's song: "Love is wicked" by Brick And Lace.
(comment on the song: the sounds of clapping hand in a rhythmical tempo is very cool!)

Brasil 6. Parque Nacional do Iguaçu / Parque Nacional Iguazú

One of the most famous waterfalls, Iguacu waterfalls are located at the border of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay.
The main touristic points are located on Brazilian side and Argentinian side, namely, ParqueNacional do Iguaçu(Brazilian side name in Portuguese) and Parque Nacional Iguazú(Argentine side name in Spanish)

Brazilan side offers the best view of the largest water fall.
After a walk to on the catwalk under continuously falling splay of water,
I could see the magnificient view in the middle of huge amount water flows!
Around the waterfalls, we can see "permanent" rainbow in many places!


In Argentine side offers long hiking path and many other view from different angles!
After a walk to on the catwalk under continuously falling splay of water,
I could see the magnificient view in the middle of huge amount water flows!
Around the waterfalls, we can see "permanent" rainbow in many places!
And view of waterfall from the top is just impressive and I'm just astonished by the power of the waters!! It was so pity that I couldn't stay there too long time, because I and my travel mate arrived there about the closing time of the park....

Brasil 5. ônibus e Kombi

As you know, Rio de Janeiro is very huge city.
It is not strange even it takes 2 hours to move from one side to the other side of the city. It is really huge city. In the morning and in the evening, there's a rush hour to have a heavy traffic jam. It's quite similar to Tokyo in some way.

However, there's one thing it make two city very very different. that is public transportation "ônibus" and "Kombi".

ônibus

ônibus is a so to say ordinary bus, but there's a so many different lines and it is quite tough for new comers to know which bus goes to which place.
(I heard even local people can't know if it is the place not familiar, therefore it's nessecary to ask the route etc.)

Kombi

Kombi is a small wagon for rather short distance, and there's a incredibly huge different lines!
I felt like a if you know the proper "Kombi route" you can arrive exactly in front of everywhere!
And this in the case of Kombi, they are rather running by private bussinesses, therefore, probably nobody in the Rio knows how many lines do they have! lol!

I was just impressed to see my friend jumps from one bus to another bus and changes the lines from one after another and manage to arrive the exactly the place where she want to go!

The last funny thing(at least for me) was the fee of "ônibus" and "Kombi" was always fixed, regardless to how long you will travel(costs 1.5-4 reals, 0.5-2 euro, 80-300 JPY, usually).
Therefore I travel for 1 hour from center to outside and I paid 2 reals, sometimes I paid 1.5 reals for 5 minutes...

Today's song: "Glamurosa Rainha Do Funk" by Mc Marcinho

Yves Larock

"Yves Larock"
is My recent highly recommend artist. Music is sort of party music (house?).

As well as swinging and catchy sounds, he produces nice music videos!
Check it out!

Rise up! the scenery and the acrobatic and comical performance are quite cool!

http://www.yveslarock.com/

Today's song: "Rise up" by Yves Larock

Brasil 4. a description by a famous businessperson

"Brazil has an aspect which strongly attracts young people. This country has been keeping on changing but still it is in a changing"
"Brazil has a huge country, rich nature and resources. In that meaning it has large a potential."
"but when anybody tries to start things, they do recognize that it is very difficult to proceed the things there"
"then they ask "Why it is like?" with disappointing, but in the end they are attracted to the fascination the country"

by Carlos Ghosn, present President of Japanese car industrial company "Nissan".

カルロス・ゴーン経営を語る (日経ビジネス人文庫) (文庫)

The reason why he has words to Brasil is because he was born in Brazil until 6 years old and also he worked in Brazil for a few years.

He is one of the most prized bussinessperson, because of his outstanding achievement in reconstruction of "Nissan" since 1999. (at that time, Nissan stayed mired in the red, 7 times for the previous 8 years...)

PS.
He has a very interesting history in his life, so I just listed a part of it (ref. book above)
He was born in Brazil as a sun of the family
whose grandparents (of Carlos Ghosn) are from Levant.
However, he and his family moved to Levant when he was 6 years old and went to a school where education was carried out by a method from France. After highschool he left Levant and entered the one of the most famous school in Paris, "École polytechnique" and "Ecole des Mines".

After school he started work in the huge tyre company "michelin" in France as an elite candidate,
Assigned a the president of the branch in Brazil of "michelin".
Assigned a the president of the branch in USA of "michelin".

Headhunted by the French car industrial company "Renault"
Due to affiliation of "Renault" and "Nissan", Carlos Ghosn came to Japan! for a reconstruction of management.