Vince in Brazil

Wild Weekend

2006-07-03T11:23:00.000-07:00

The biggest thing happening in Brazil this weekend was the World Cup. If your from any country but the US you can probably understand the streets being empty, the stores closing and cars racing through the streets to get home. You don´tt see to many people on the streets once the game starts but you hear them for sure--explosions, horns and hollering, just in the air. Unfortunately Brazil lost. France put a number on them. It was the worst game IÃÂ´ve seen them play since I´ve been here. However it was the best time I had Florianopolisolis. My friend Sergio who I met on the campus of UFSC invited me to his fathers house to watch the game. Some of his aunts, uncles and friends of the family where there and they made me feel right at home. They sang, drank, danced, told jokes and had not one, but two excellent guitar players. They quizzed me on US politics and told me about the similarities between our countries. They even blamed the lost of the game on me--- the Americano! They were kidding of course. They had all kinds meat, potato salad and chicken hearts. They asked me for request about what music I wanted hear---the only name I knew was Sergio Mendes & Brazil 66! They played it, but that record is tired for them down here.... It was a great experience meeting new people esspecially someones family. It was a great Saturday. I´m waiting for them to send the pictures!
Sunday was also fantastic-- Me and another classmate-Christina, visited the old Florianopolis fortresses built by Portugueseuese centuries ago. Here are a few flixs.

Turn in Day

2006-06-30T14:55:00.000-07:00

It was kind of a blue day in a way. Overcast with brief sprinkles---had my knees kinda creaky. But Johanna, who has been helping me with my interviews showed on time and I was able to tie up some lose ends for my story, although, unfortunatley one of my subjects didn´t come with his crafts today. I had a few more questions. I think I had enough--I´ll find out next week! So there was a bright spot! I haven´t been getting good sleep while I´ve been here and its putting damper on my trip in a real way. My energy is low when I know I should be excited about being here. I´m trying to persevere, but I know this will be big negative memory that shouldn´t have to be there. Just the thought of another whole week........I do have idea that might resolve things more on the results of that later.

Meet the wife

2006-06-29T13:43:00.000-07:00

I continued getting information from sources and as it happens Marcos wife showed up, Rosileina, to help knit hats for the day. It was kind of rainy so there wasn´t much traffic. Since his wife is a student of the school, I don´t think the have to a havea permit or anything. I´m going to meet with my interpreter tommorow to get clear on that. And I´d like to talk to a few more students.

New story in progress

2006-06-28T11:44:00.001-07:00

Today was music day again on the campus UFSC. I guess its punk or acid rock, but I don´t listen to that stuff at home so....... . Still it was nice seeing all the students hanging out. I talked to a few venders that will be subjects of my next story, with the help of my Brazilain friend Johanna who interpreted for me. We will meet with them again this week to tie up loose ends. Most sell hand knitted hats and jewerly. We had a nice time this weekend visting some of the beaches, eating and hanging out.

Internet Cafe Story

2006-06-23T14:53:00.000-07:00

Gregorio Frontino Geremias is a man with an eye toward the future.With help of his two sons Romuald and Jefferson Geremias, he recently opened na Internet café, Intel Web, in Carvoeira the UFSC campus neighborhood in Florianopolis.
Gregorio, a retired construction worker, built a two story home for his family in Florianopolis about thirty years ago. The house was later converted into a five-unit apartment. About a month ago, he and his sons eliminated the lower apartments and redesigned the rooms for an Internet cafe.
“We are breaking even now, but we think in about a year we can turn more of a profit than we were getting from the rent”, Romuald said. Already a few people have become regular customers.
Daniel Torres, who moved to Florianopolis sixteen years ago from SãoPaulo, stops by at least once a day to check his email and visit the Orkut/MSN site Torres said.
I like it because its faster than the connection speed I have at home, Torres said. He said he also uses the Internet for online shopping, something that on the rise in Brazil.
According to IBOPE Intelligencia Consultants, 57% of Brazilian Internet users visit e-commerce sites, an 18% increase from last year.
Natalia Golloti, a 15 year old student at Colegio Catanueuse is also a regular visitor to Intel Web. She like to “meet new friends and study for her classes.” Her favorite site is also Orkut/MSN.
The cafe has 14 computers and Romuald said the plan to add more, taking advantage of the 20% discounted financing offered by the government for those starting small businessses. There are plans to open another cafe in Ingleses this summer.
Romuald, who has a Masters degree in Oceanography and a teacher credintial from Instituto Catarinense De Pos Educacao said, “It was my dad who came up with this idea to make money, we just have to be patient.
Most of the customers come in the evening after work hours and the two brothers split two shifts between 8:00 am and 10:30 pm. Although there are a few other cafes in the area, the Geremias´ said they have a nice location because of the university near-by and the many students who live in the apartments along Carvoeira.
In other cities throughout Brazil, like São Paulo, Internet cafes are also growing in number, especially in poorer areas where people can´t afford computers at home.
In an article for the BCC news Denize Bacoccina talked about how some local governments are sponsoring Interne cafes as part of a “digital inclusion plan”, to help people learn skills to find jobs.
Although the Geremias’ cafe is not government sponsored, they feel as though the are helping the community. “Just for people in the community to have access to information through the Internet is important for the developement of out country, plus the can relax and enjoy themselves at the same time,” said Romuald and Jefferson, who are college graduates.
The cafe offers internet access for 2.50 R an hour (about US $1), and also have faxing, copying and scanning available.

Music Day

2006-06-22T10:17:00.000-07:00

Wednesday is the day when students gather for music, a 12:00 concert in the middle of campus. The band this day played a lot of American rock&roll like Jimi Hendrix, The James Gang and so forth. It started raining towards the end but everyone seem to be having a nice time. We met a couple of guys the other day that work for one of the local banks and they showed up at the hotel. I had some work to do right then and nobody else home yet so we met up later at a restaurant bar down the street from the hotel. I don´t think they were really interested in me being there but they where having a really good time with the girls-they were there five hours and then went somplace else, but I stayed home. I thought I was going to eat and rest but ended up talking with Matt and Jenette till three in the morning--I might as well have went with the other guys.

UFSC

2006-06-20T11:37:00.000-07:00

We got a taste of the campus today, the students there are really friendly. I´m still trying to figure out what to write for my first article--maybe something about the bands that will be playing wednesday on campus. I got a little lost coming from school, but fortunately found my way back to the hotel.

First Days in Florianopolis

2006-06-19T10:50:00.000-07:00

If you plan on flying this far south in Brazil, I suggest you do some things to get in shape for the trip. What I couldn´t tell you. The 12 hour flight started off nice enough, but about the six hour mark my journey became quite gruelling. After altenately viewing King Kong and reading and article in Rolling Stone magazine about my musical hero--James Brown--it was lights out for most people. But me being the bright guy I am, decided earlier to take advantage of the courtesy refreshments and drank not one, but two diet cokes. I couldnt keep the reading light on forever out of respect for my seat mate, Shannon from Tulsa, Oklahoma (more about her later) . So from1:00 to about 5:00 in the morning I stared blankly out at the cloud canopy we flew over making our south to Florianopolis SC. I even welcomed the turbulence that visited now and again, hoping for more to distract me from the droning engines. My butt and knees were competing for the pain. I got up and walked several times for only brief relief. It was a welcome relief to get off that plane.
Shannon, my seating companion gave the term fear of flying a new concept. Besides talking about how dangerous it was to be in South America--she was saying it a loud Oklahoma accent without any regard for the other passenger most of whom where from some part of the country. I told her to check herself before she wrecked herself.