Nike launches Brazil v Brazil ad

Nike has always produced interesting adverts when it comes to the Brazilian national team (A seleção). To launch Brazil's latest team kit, it has created this video featuring both current stars and those from the past, including: Ronaldo, Anderson Silva, Galvão Bueno, Javier Mascherano, and current boy wonder Neymar.

Amazon to flood Brazil’s digital market

Electronic products have always been hideously expensive in Brazil. This is because the country’s government slaps excessive taxes on such products, presumably in an effort to benefit local producers.

Amazon: more than just a river in Brazil

But this backfires because the local population is willing to pay for goods made by the likes of Apple regardless of price. But there is still a large swathe of the population which can’t quite stretch to the asking price for these products.

This is where Amazon might be quite clever; according to reports, the firm is planning to launch in the country in the middle of this year, and the Kindle will sell for a flat price of US$115 (£72) (R$196). It is even also considering a special launch price of $87. For Brazil, this is incredibly cheap for an electronic gadget and could open up a large and growing section of the market as first time buyers.

With taxes, this will be a huge squeeze on Amazon’s profit for the device, but if they can strike a hit with Brazil’s entire middle class, which is growing every year, it could hit a rich download seam and grab a large share of the market. Amazon might also spark competition among other tech hardware producers. Might more drop prices of physical devices in order to sell more subscriptions or App downloads?

There is one slight problem for Amazon. That is, a tech firm already owns the Amazon.com.br domain. That could be an interesting battle.

I didn't know Brazil has an Antarctic base

Comandante Ferraz Brazilian Antarctic Base 

I didn't know Brazil has an Antarctic research base - that is, until last night, when news broke last night that the Comandante Ferraz Brazilian Antarctic Base (Estação Antártica Comandante Ferraz), based on the tip of the  Antarctic Peninsula, burned to the ground, sadly resulting in the death of two members of the Brazilian navy. In a tragic incident, an explosion broke out in the engine room ravaging the entire building. 

From Wikipedia: Established in 1984, it is named after Navy Commander Luís Antônio de Carvalho Ferraz, a hydrographer and oceanographer who visited Antarctica twice on board British vessels. He was instrumental in persuading his country's government to develop an Antarctic program.

The Comandante Ferraz base was equipped with research laboratories, dormitories, a gym, a large-scale kitchen, a library, and technical installation used by expedition boats.

But the fire appears to have completely destroyed the building. As the facility was used for marine research, it is also sad that a large amount of important research materials lost forever. Let’s hope some things were salvaged.

Brazil in pics: São Mateus

São Mateus, situated in the north of Espirito Santo close to the border with Bahia, is a stunning coastal town with local beaches at Guriri and Barra Nova.The water on the coast is warm.

Some of the highlights are the old architecture, and the many seafood restaurants. Please see a collection of my pics below.   

São Mateus fishing cottages

Brazil must free ‘national treasures’

As I reported here, Brazil’s government has done some good business over the last few years with its most valuable assets.

It lets investors in when it comes to buying commodities firms, such as Petrobras and Vale, but then swings its weight on important decisions whenever it feels like it - often to investors’ detriment. Why? Well, because it wants to look after Number One first, as Luciana Dias, the commissioner of the securities and exchange commission of Brazil, told me in London.

She said: “With companies like Petrobras and Vale, it is clear that the government is the majority. Investors just need to be aware of that.” Dias also pointed out, with a sarcastic expression, that Maria das Graças Foster, Petrobras’s newly-appointed chief executive, is a long-time friend of Dilma Rousseff, Brazil’s president.

The newest Brazilian offering to come to market is its airports. The attraction to investors are that these airports, such as São Paulo’s Guarulhos, are some of the fastest growing in the world.

At the moment, Brazil’s airports operate slowly because of bureaucracy, are overcrowded, and need major upgrades. For the government, the situation couldn't be better. All the hassle and expense is taken out of their hand. The winning bid, incidentally, was 16.2 billion reais.

But there’s a catch. The government will own 49% of the assets and maintain the right to veto decisions. Sounds very familiar to the situation of investing in Petrobras or Vale. As Dias points out, investors need to be aware. Good luck!

The situation seems remarkably similar to the 1970s, when Pele, the famous Brazilian footballer, was deemed a ‘national treasure’ and the government banned him from joining any team from outside the country.

Incredible football club: incredible miss

I want to avoid this blog becoming filled with football chat, but as I am a Sometime Flamengo fan, I feel it is only right to share what is surely the worst open goal miss of the season. Maybe of all time.

Flamengo star striker Deivid's 3-yard miss, which prompted the animated commentator to repeatedly say "incredible," and then "incredible football club," the incident capped a poor night for Flamengo as they were beaten 2-1 by local rivals Vasco in the Rio de Janeiro Taça Guanabara final. Have a look at the shocking moment below.

Scottish immigrants established football in Brazil

I am fascinated to learn that a substantial portion my Scottish ancestors emigrated to Brazil at the end of the 1800s and the beginning of the 1900s. I need to find out more, so this will be a long one. Bare with me.

Why they went to Brazil in the first place and, indeed, where they have since disappeared to is a bit of a mystery. Did they simply mix and breed out of existence? Did they leave to another country? Did they return to Scotland?

Whatever happened to them, the Scottish travellers who settled in both Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo left a huge mark on modern day Brazil. From Britain, they gave Brazil one of its current international claims to fame - football.

There are two main characters to the story. (Pics below)

First, there is Charles William Miller, born November 24, 1874. He is widely considered to be the father of Brazilian football. Born in São Paulo to a Scottish father (railway engineer John Miller) Charles Miller was sent to Southampton for Schooling as a youngster, where he learned to play football. When he returned to Brazil in 1894, he brought two footballs and a Hampshire FA rulebook.

Not only did he organise the first ever games of football in Brazil, but he also helped set up São Paulo Athletic Club and the Liga Paulista. Furthermore, he also suggested the name for Corinthians football club in 1910, based on a team that he knew already existed in England of the same name. Corinthians remain one of Brazil’s top clubs today.

The players of São Paulo Athletic Club, founded by Miller, were mostly employees of the Companhia de Gás (Gas Company), London Bank and São Paulo Railway, and were also mostly British. The club eventually stopped operating its football division.

The second story is that of Archie McLean, a football mad, machine mechanic from Paisley. Having played for Ayr FC and St. Johnstone, his employer transferred him to São Paulo in 1912. Bored in his spare time, he soon founded the Scottish Wanderers football team. His performances for the team caught local’s attention, and he was even selected to play for São Paulo state in a match against Rio de Janeiro. Because of his fast feet, he was nicknamed Veadinho (the little deer) in Brazil. Incidentally, Veadinho is now a term commonly used as an insult when refering to homosexuals from São Paulo. The two anecdotes are presumably unlinked.

Dogs in Brazil

Something I noticed on my travels throughout Brazil was the amount of stray dogs on the streets. They are everywhere, in posh neighbourhoods and in the countryside. People buy puppy, can’t afford puppy, puppy grows up, forced to live on the street. In Brazil, the problem is exacerbated because the poor need to concentrate on feeding themselves first. The problem for the dogs is that food on the street is scarce and the stray dogs pick up nasty diseases.

Does anyone care? The answer to that is yes. One foreign couple in Rio de Janeiro set up a blog (Dogs in Brazil) dedicated to saving local stray dogs. The site is updated regularly with new arrivals, and they are also on Twitter. 

I have attached some photos of stray dogs I seen in Brazil - although all of these were living on a farm and were well fed. Mothers weren’t too pleased with me playing with their puppies. 

Viva South America!

Oliver Balch, an independent journalist based in Buenos Aires, set about exploring the South American continent with a pen, notebook and an open mind. His tour takes him through Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela.

From the first page, it becomes clear that Balch is a brilliant writer. He is entertaining, humorous, and puts the reader ton location with him. He is someone who is obviously passionate about South America, but wants to learn more. It is a story of a real life journey; an adventure through some remarkable places, and with some remarkable people.

Viva South America! is told through a beautiful blend of journalistic assignment story and genuine travel writing. Balch observes the people and places he visits with detail, describing both in depth. He paints various pictures in his writing; whether or not you have visited the countries he talks about, the book takes you on a journey.

There is a downside of visiting such a large, varied and eccentric continent and trying to squeeze those findings in to one book. A theme is given to each of the countries, some of which might be perceived as obvious and stereotypical. Nevertheless, they are all important.

The Brazilian Biggs

There are two sides of the famous Biggs tale. First, there is the story of Ronnie Biggs - the man famous for taking part in the Great Train Robbery of 1963, his subsequent escape from prison, and his life of avoiding capture by travelling around the world. Second is the story of Michael Biggs, Ronnie’s son, born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as his father avoided deportation from the country due to a Brazilian law which disallowed it. (Pictured together below)

Michael, or Mike as he is known, was famous from the moment he was born. As a young child, he joined a children’s band called Turma do Balão Mágico, a musical TV group which took Brazil by storm in the 80s. Think Teletubbies and you will have an idea of comparable popularity among Brazilian children in the day.

Further down the line, Mike moved to Britain after his father voluntarily flew back to carry out his jail sentence. These days, he is a musician as well as a businessman. He has also dedicated his life to finding justice for his father, who is now terminally ill.

While commentators rightly paint Mike as a good guy, they also tell a sordid tale of a father with little regard of his son’s very existence, let alone his fame or fortune. But these stories stink of spin produced by a still-angry British establishment, who are keen to pour dirt on Ronnie Biggs. A perfect example can be found in this (doubtless hurtful) George Pitcher column. Would Mike really go to such lengths of devotion if any of this were true? I have my doubts.



Nevertheless, I will try to establish facts. I’ll do this firstly by reading Mike’s biography, The Biggs Time, and then by trying to establish contact with the man himself. To Mike Biggs: if you see this I would very much like you to get in touch!

Brazil blogs of the week

I will be compiling a list of English language blogs somewhere on this site. Until then, here are five I have been looking at this week.

1) Born in Brazil
Ana Santi, deputy editor of fashion magazine Drapers, keeps this blog as “my way of reconnecting with Brazil and taking you with me.” Well worth a read.

2) Dogs in Brazil
I’ve been following this blog for a while now. “The Story of various rescue dogs and two humans struggling to save more street dogs and set up a non profit charity in Brazil.”

3) Brazil Road Trips
“A great way to discover a great country.” Raf Kiss tells a story of journeys through Brazil on two wheels.

4) Rio Gringa
A fascinating insight into the life of a New Yorker living in Brazil.

5) Andrew Downie’s Brazil blog
He’s a Scottish journalist living in Brazil. This alone warrants a mention.

Carnaval: a celebration of romance, lust, and sex

Carnaval in Brazil provides revellers - male and female - with an opportunity to dodge public nudity laws by simply painting their body parts a different colour - as highlighted here.

And this points to a major part of the celebrations. There are no two ways of saying this: carnaval in Brazil is about romance and lust - but mostly, it is about sex. This might seem odd given that carnaval originated from Christianity, but it is perfectly in keeping with the passion of the Brazilian population. I should add that this is not a complaint - merely an observation. And good on them for enjoying life an all its forms.

During carnaval, streets become packed with sweaty, drunk, happy people. Dancing and kissing the opposite sex is high on the agenda, and the process is often repeated many times over with different partners in any given session.

But what happens when you meet a partner that really grabs your eyes and your heart? Then, inevitably, she or he is snatched away in an instant - stolen by the revolving crowds.

Someone has come up with a solution. As highlighted and redistributed several times in an AP article, a blog called “Little Leopard, Where Are You?” has been created to solve this very Brazilian carnaval party problem. The blog allows revellers to seek out their crowd romancer in the way of a post. Genius. This seems like an idea that could be replicated world over.

However, mysteriously, despite this being a reputable source I am struggling to find a link to the actual blog. Please do send me a tip if you know better.

Brazilian journalists risk a contracted death

Over the past couple of weeks, two well known journalists have been shot dead in Brazil.

Brazil's hacks have always claimed a freedom of expression and right to report on wrongdoing, and also enjoy seeking out corrupt officials. But, as I have known for a long time, the Brazilian press isn't really free.

For one, 'black-lists' exist, where media directors name corporates linked to government officials which simply cannot be named in a bad light - or sometimes even at all. This immediately compromises a journalists ability to be impartial, rendering the countries' press handcuffed.

Corruption is being eradicated from the top down, slowly but surely, as I reported here. But there is clearly still a long way to go.

For those brave enough to open their own operations criticising corrupt government officials, it can be extremely dangerous.

Last week (Sunday 12th Feb), Paulo Roberto Cardoso Rodrigues, became the second journalist to be murdered in a week. He was the editor of Jornal da Praça, in Ponta Porã in the Paraguayan border state of Mato Grosso do Sul, often critical of officials in his newspaper writings and on his website. When driving home one night, he was shot five times. Police described it as a contract killing.

Three days earlier, Mario Randolfo Marques Lopes, editor of Vassouras na net and often critical of corrupt officials, was kidnapped along with his girlfriend in Barra do Pirai in Rio state. They were executed. Randolfo had previously been subject to several death threats for his reportings.

So, the message from the bribe-paying, bribe-taking elite is clear: write about the specifics of corruption and you will be eliminated.

Shaking hands with Lula

Meeting Brazil's former President left me with  mixed feelings.

When first elected, it seemed preposterous that Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (simply Lula in Brazil, where he was president from 2003 to 2010) would one day be coaching politicians and business leaders on how to solve a worldwide financial crisis. But that’s exactly what he did today in London.

The bearded founding member of Brazil’s Workers’ Party had a poor upbringing, worked in factories for much of his career, and even lost a finger as a result of an industrial accident. But today, he commands respect around the world.

In Brazil, opinion is split between those who think he is a god among men for dragging millions out of poverty, and others who think he was simply lucky to be in the hot seat at a time of natural growth (and really, lacks sufficient financial intelligence to solve such problems).

Nevertheless, it is difficult not to like him. Indeed, Lula was once described by US president Barack Obama as “the most popular politician on earth.”

“This is my man - I love this guy,” Obama said at the G20 summit in 2009.

Lula’s speech at the Economist’s High-Growth Markets Summary made no mistake about what he feels is wrong with world leadership, clearly blaming the lack of political action on the continued market turmoil.
Lula insisted that giving the poorer population access to credit and the means to consume led to the country’s growth. “If you give R$10 (£3.40) to a poor man, he is going to become an immediate consumer. This is Brazil’s experience,” he said.

It was Lula’s insight into the global financial crisis which impressed me most. “I was born during a crisis in Brazil, I worked through a crisis, and then I was elected during a crisis. What I learned is that crisis is not a time for despair.”

“This is a global crisis of leadership,” he added. “I have a question about Greece: how much less would the [eurozone] crisis have cost if you had dealt with the problem two years ago?” he said.

“The crisis cannot be solved without Brics (Brazil, Russia, India and China). The west [should] understand the world has changed and there are new players. If all the countries cannot sit on the table, then we will not solve problems,” he said.

This blog was first published on Fundweb.

São Paulo: the biggest big smoke

Watching the F1's season finale at interlagos (São Paulo, Brazil) today brought back memories of my visit to the city last year. What an amazing, vast place. I used to think London is big, but when I climbed 40 floors up to a skyview cafe, all around for as far as I could see, it was a concrete jungle. Amazing. Here's a few pics.