Zero Tolerance for Drinking and Driving in Brazil

A new law has just been approved and sanctioned by the Brazilian president that has zero tolerance on drinking and driving. If you are pulled over and made to take the breathalizer, and it is found that you have ingested even ONE beer, game over. Your license will be taken away and you will pay a 1000 real fine.
More than 25,000 people die in car accidents annually in Brazil, with 60% of these accidents alcohol related. The statistics are beyond comprehension.. I applaud the Brazilian lawmakers, yet I am doubtful it will stick. The brewing and distillery industries have a large lobby in Brasilia. Unfortunately, in the absence of common sense, the government here had to do what was needed, zero tolerance. Sometimes that is the only way to wake people up to a grave problem.
Now its up to this same government to fix the highways so they will be safe for all drivers.
And maybe dreate a law against cell phones and driving!!!

The Insane Prices of Cars in Brazil

Hard to believe that Brazil is a car manufacturing country. The prices for cars and SUV's are absolutely ludacris. I was looking at an ad for a Hyundai Santa Fe here in Brazil. The price is 149 700 reais which is about 93500 Canadian dollars. Hyundai manufactures this car here in Brazil. I went on the Autotrader.ca site and tracked down the same car in Canada and the base price with freight was 38800. Almost two thirds less!!!!
Another crazy comparison. A Classe A Mercedes from 2003 is worth about 16000 dollars. With that amount, one can buy a used Volve XC70 station wagon in Calgary. The same XC70 wagon(used)here would put one back about 50000 dollars.
People think that Brazil is cheap, but its not. The weak dollar has made life very good for the Brazilians, but terrible for those living on a dollar salary. Three years ago,the dollar to the real was almost 3-1. Now its 1.6 reais to the dollar. Prices continue to rise, and there are people somewhere here that are making big bucks somehow...

Flying Back and Forth to Canada..

I have noticed something on the website of Continental that kind of boggles my mind. As I am always looking for good deals to fly to Canada, I was searching fares. As it turns out, if you pay with a Canadian credit card, the flight is almost 500 dollars more expensive than if you pay it with a Brazilian credit card.
Try it yourself, when paying with a Brazilian issued credit card, the fare is 1265 USD plus taxes,with a Canadian credit card,it costs 1707 USD plus taxes.Just go up to the top right corner and change your billing country.
I used to fly on Air Canada,but their connecting flight from Sao Paulo to Rio is very inconvenient, whereas Continental has a very good schedule between Calgary and Rio de Janeiro via Houston, AKA the 'petroleum milkrun'.

Lover's Day in Brazil

At home we have Valentine's Day on February 14th. The Brazilian version is called Dia dos Namorados and is 'celebrated'on June 12th which in fact is St. Anthony's,the patron saint of marriage. Folklore has it that women go and pray to Saint Anthony to help them find a husband. Well if you ask me, considering the slim pickings here, poor St. Anthony must be working overtime.
I have a hard time with commorative days,Mother's Day, Father's Day,Family Day, Children's Day for the simple reason that EVERYDAY should be Mother's Day Father's Day etc etc. Why just one day? We should remember our parents, partners and children everyday and treat them special every day, not just on their 'day'on the calendar.
To me its just another Hallmark invention and a way for commerce to capitalize sales during a slow month here.

My Favorite Restaurant in Rio de Janeiro

Today, I took my two boys out for lunch. Where did they want to go? Our favorite restaurant in Rio de Janeiro, Wasabi. It had been well over a year since we had been there and to my surprise, it had expanded, but still had the South Hampton-meets-Buzios feel to it.






Being the polite Canadian, I asked the owner if it was okay to take photographs of his restaurant and I explained about my blog. So in effect, this is my first real restaurant review. All comments are welcome,folks!.
Wasabi is a fusion restaurant in Barra da Tijuca owned and run by Alex Jorge. He has been involved with food since 1988 when he started out as a sushiman. At that time, he also got involved with Italian cooking. Sushi restaurants abound here in Rio, but Alex took his sushi to a new level. Over the years, Alex has fused oriental food with a Brazilian touch, by using local ingredients. Imagine a grilled fish kabob with mangos and leeks...divine. When I asked Alex to sum up his feeling about his type of food, he said that the most important for him is that it is done with love. And it is.




The view from the restaurant is amazingly beautiful, looking over a lagoon and the mountains, on a clear day you can see up the back of the Gavea Rock and the Floresta da Tijuca...Venice meets Rio.




The chef, Vitor Lisboa, puts out dishes such as 'Crock Nira', made with salmon, kani and nira rolled in a tempura batter and lightly fried, and Fish Tataki, made with assorted fish, green onions rolled in an edible rice paper.
There is, of course, the sushi bar with two sushimen cutting fish and rolling to feed the demand for classic Japanese fare. My son Caetano is a big fan of the sushi, and my other son, Cristiano, can't get enough of the rings of squid, done tempura style.My favorite is the seared tuna sashimi with black sesame seed crust....mmmmm.
Wasabi has a bit of everything for everyone, vegetarian,Japanese, so it is a good option for grownups and for kids (it also has a kids menu).



Wasabi
Shopping Barra Point
Av Armando Lombardi 350,3rd floor
Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro
Telephone (21) 2491 2920
www.wasabisushi.com.br
Open Daily from 12h -24h
Prices from R$3.99/100g during the week at lunch, R$4.29/100g weekends and holidays
Evening buffet from R$42.90 during the week, R$45.90 on weekends and holidays
WiFi available
All credit cards accepted

Maria Maritaca...

 

Perched on my window sill, is my good friend Maria Maritaca.

Hockey Night in Canada Theme Song ...Update

In a last minute coup, CTV closed a deal with the composer of the HNIC anthem, dealing a blow to the CBC.
Note to the CBC....Get with the program!!!

What to Wear in Winter in Rio de Janeiro

The thought of Rio de Janeiro usually conjures up visions of heat, humidity,sweat and sun. What the travel magazines fail to tell you that, yes, Rio de Janeiro has winter.
Between December and March, the temperature in Rio is usually above 30C, spiking up to 40 on really hot days. It is definitely 'less is more' during that time of year. We are in June and the weather is pleasantly warm and dry. Right now there is a dry wind coming from the inland, bringing blue skies with it. Thanks to global warming, the seasons here are becoming a bit askew, but in the end, there comes a time when the mercury can get down to 12 degrees Celcius.
So if I may venture into travel tips land, these are my tips for dressing properly year round in Rio de Janeiro.
I am a HUGE fan of the single bag/suitcase philosophy. There is a great website that you can print out a packing list for a single bag. http://www.onebag.com/popups/what2pack.pdf The website writes:
What to pack when travelling? An old adage suggests bringing half as
much clothing and twice as much money. This is a list of the maximum
amount of stuff one should ever need to cart around (and all of it—except
for what you’ll be wearing—will fit into a single carryon-sized bag).
Eliminate items whenever possible. Minimize clothing by selecting a
uniform (one or two) colour scheme. Choose fabrics carefully: natural
fabrics wrinkle more easily and dry more slowly than modern synthetics.
Learn to “bundle wrap”, to avoid wrinkles and save space. And remember
that there are two kinds of luggage: carryon and lost.

For Rio de Janeiro, I suggest a color scheme of beige or khaki, white, navy and your favorite color to give a 'pop'. Cariocas are not big black fans but the quintessential little black dress never misses. If your trip includes Sao Paulo, then yes, wearing black in SP is okay. A pashmina scarf will do wonders year round...it may be 40C outside in the summer, but they LOVE their AC down here. Cashmere cardigans are a good thing year round. Quick dry fabrics are key and I have trousers from Mountain Equipment Co-op that I live in!!! Buy your bikini down here. The bikini shop, Banco de Areia, has an outlet in the shopping mall in Barra da Tijuca called 'Downtown'(not to be confused with the city center)where they carry pieces from the export line..translation being it will cover your bum and it is 'Glencoe Club' friendly. Clothes from Lululemon in Canada are also no brainers.
Cariocas tend to be more casual than a New Yorker for example, yet a sports jacket is a must for a man as there are some restaurants that do have a dress code. AVOID LINEN..Its hot and wrinkles in a second. A summer weave from cool wool will fit the bill. Blue jacket and khakis will go from the boardroom to a party very easily here.
Zip off pants are the best invention since ice cream. Versatility to the max.
And if worse comes to worse, there is GREAT shopping down here.

Sex and the City..the Movie...the Disappointment

I just got back from a Monday matinee(being underemployed is such joy)where I saw the film 'Sex and the City..the Movie'. I must first of all thank my wonderful boyfriend, Eduardo, for understanding my girliness of not wanting to see Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark 4. Looking back now, I kind of wish I had spent 2 hours with Harrison rather than Carrie and her clan.
Why was I disappointed? It's simple. They basically took a plot line (one that I have seen already in the series) that would have fit into a 25 minute HBO episode and dragged it out for 2 hours. I missed the quickness of the TV series and I found Carrie to be boring and definitely not witty. Charlotte was too shrill and Miranda was just,well TOO Miranda. The only saving grace was Kim Cattral(you go girl...fellow Canadian)with her one liners.
I kind of wish that they had ended SATC when Big connected with Carrie in Paris, not with a movie that was, in the end, a major bummer.

Love My Flowers....

 

Champions!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Santa Marcelina Futsal Team

 

Hope...Esperanca...Faith...Fe

The Girls From Pavuna

I met these girls at a soccer tournament where my 11 year old was playing. I have spoken ad nauseum about soccer here in Brazil, but I forgot one thing...that Brazilian girls are also a force to be reckoned with on the soccer scene. So here is the photo that I promised to put on my blog for them.

CBC May Drop Hockey Night in Canada Theme Song

Yes,its true...As it turns out, there is a dispute between the CBC and the original composer of the HNIC jingle. The deadline is today...
The thought that the theme song will change is very disconcerting. It has been part of a national identity for 40 years!!!

What NOT to Wear, Rio de Janeiro Version

Being the addict that I am of reality/makeover shows, I would like to do a version of What Not to Wear/Rio de Janeiro.
The climate here is hot and hotter. Winter is the same as a Canadian summer. Therefore, clothing is minimal for most of the year. Bikinis are a year round staple.
Brazilians make great bikini's and the best brands are Salinas, bum bum, Rosa Cha, Blue Man and Banco de Areia.They also make great blue jeans. Forum, Gang, Opcao, Shop 126 are all good brands and they all make long legged jeans.
This said, it is a mystery to me the outfits that men and women wear here.
Lycra is a good thing. Lycra and an overweight woman is not a good thing. White lycra leggings should be banned from the earth. Women who work at the bank should use short sleeved blouses, not spaghetti strap halter tops!!!! Dress code please!!!!
IF you are over the age of 30, your belly should not be hanging out.
Please stay tuned for a photographic display of my reason for ranting...

Cala a Boca, Junior

To finalize my series on football/soccer in Brazil, I must relate the game that filled Maracana with over 80 thousand spectators.
Last night was the semi final of the Libertadors Cup. The winner of the Libertadors Cup will go to Tokyo ,Japan in December to play the winner of the UEFA Cup (Manchester United, no need for introductions) and the winners of the Asian Cup and the African Cup in a sudden death final to be World Club Champions.
Fluminense had tied with Boca Juniors(the team that revealed Maradona to the world)in Buenos Aires 1-1. They needed to win at home at Maracana Stadium to go on to the finals against a team from Ecuador.
I started to watch the game when my 11 year 'tri-color'came into my bedroom at some ungodly hour and put the TV on. It was already in the second half, and Fluminense had just tied the game 1 -1 with an amazing free kick by Washington(Note: In Brazil there are more Washingtons and Hamiltons than there are in the foresaid cities of the same name...but I digress)
The game was very fast and furious. Flu was getting the ball downfield past the Boca defence, usually on a counter attack. Conca from Flu went down the left flank and shot towards the goal...it was deflected off the Boca defender and direct into the goal..2-1. MAracana simply went insane....
Boca was relentless and had various corner kicks that were saved by the Flu goal keeper Fernando Henrique. Dodo from Flu sent the last goal into the net with barely two minutes left to play.
As I have said on my older posts, the Red Mile in Calgary has NOTHING on Brazilian soccer fans...
I LOVE THIS GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!

Soccer result Brazil 3 Canada 2

For the first time in history, the Brazilian National team actually BEAT Canada. Until now, the main Brazilian National Team has only been able to tie with Canada.
Canada put up a good game and I believe that Canada will eventually get to the World Cup and be a strong contender...hopefully before I become a senior citizen....

Cold Temperatures in Brazil...Who Knew?

Being Canadian, I always get a kick with how Brazilians complain about the cold weather. When the thermometers hit below 20C, you would think the Ice Age hit. They drag out sweaters to put on,yet wear sandals on their feet. Oh my God its so cold, they say. All I can think of is how on earth would they ever survive a Canadian winter?
We are going into winter down here, the past three days have been unusually cold. As I write,in front of the computer with a fleece blanket on my shoulders, I can feel the chill of 16C in my apartment. The fact that one wall of my apartment is just windows(and not double paned insulated),I suffer from drafts. I slept last night with flannel sheets, a wool blanket AND a down comforter.
This leads me to think that inland of the coast in states such as Minas Gerais and southern states such as Parana and Santa Caterina must get really cold!!!!
Did it ever dawn on anyone that maybe builders and architects should build houses with proper insulation and heating???? Its inexistent here!!!
How do you think Canadians survive? I learned that if you put on a hat, you save 70% of your body heat from escaping through your head. Warm head, warm hands and warm feet. Oh yes, 12 inch pink insulation does wonders in the house....