How I miss Brasil, this was probably the most incredible experience of my life.  I have never had so much fun working on projects, learning, and laughing so much in my entire life.  The times I shared with my fellow FIU PIRE students and the CS people at UFF will always be in my heart. (wow that is sappy) now for some great pictures.

Oh I forgot to mention my first love in Brasil.  THE FOOD!

Seriously the food.

Also the drinks.

Well, as we know, Brasil is a very exotic place with very exotic plants.  They also produce lots of sugarcane, which as we know can make things really delicious.  From that tidbit of information, I can assure you that the drinks are incredible.  I will be running you through several drinks to definately try out.  The suprising thing is High Frictose Corn Syrup is never really used at all.  This is definately a blessing because not only is it healthier but it tastes better too!  So onto our drinks.

Guaraná

I cannot rave any more about this drink, seriously I think it is the best pop (yes I said pop instead of soda, I will be midwesterner till I DIE!!) that I have had down here.  Plus you can get it in Miami, thanks to all the Brasilians.(yes I spelled Brasil with an S, as the old saying goes when in Rome, VISIT THE VATICAN, you hethans).  This stuff is made out of a nut from the Amazon, how cool is that. It seems to have a lot of natural caffene which is always good.  Check out the wikipedia article about it.

Wiki article about awesomness of this Amazonian nut

For you non link clickers:

As a dietary supplement, guarana is an effective energy booster_it contains about twice the caffeine found in coffee beans (about 2–4.5% caffeine in guarana seeds compared to 1–2% for coffee beans).

Did we just read that?  Who needs those energy drinks when we have this gift from Mother Nature, THANKS!!!

 You can also get this in larger bottles too, we polished off a 2 litre last night.  It was great!  There are other brands out there but I would recomend sticking to the Antarctica brand.  It seems to taste the best.  They are also a Brasilian company that has recently reached out to other countries, like our separate country, South Florida.  Now onto other drinks.

açaí

We are all currently addicted to the wonderful smoothy that comes from this.  Seriously I really am addicted.  This is yet another exotic Amazonian fruit.

Now look at that image -->

you see that bowl of strawberries?  They look good dont they.  WELL ITS IN HERE!  They blend strawberries and açaí together!!! Then add Guarana to the mix.  OMG instant success!  Can you believe that?  Suposadly it is healthy or something.  I am from the midwest so we digest the unhealthy stuff, Detroit gives you those powers.  Now you can either eat it fancy like the bannana bowl one, or you can get it practically anywhere in the cup version.  One day I had four of them, I have only had one today but I will be hopefully eating 3 more.  Sometimes they put granola in it, but I am a purist.

Suprisingly this magical fruit comes from a palm tree of the sorts.  I so want to grow this in my back yard, too bad customs will not let me take it home.

Now for the budget minded people.

Guaravita!!!!!

This stuff is really cheap and it seems to be some sort of tea drink,  but it tastes INCREDIBLE.  The only problem is that rich Brasilians turn their nose up at it calling it a trash drink.  Whatever I am from the midwest and again can digest water from Lake Erie.

So lets get back to budget mindedness.  This drink usually costs R$1.  Which is like $0.54 US.  BUT if you dig, you can find it for R$0.50.  Can you believe that?  I want to bring home a case of this stuff.  It is great!  They have one infused with vitamins but that is way too healthy for me.

This week was different from the others, with a rainy weather and tons of work to do for my project I didn’t have any other choice than to stay at home working all day long. We are approaching to our final lap in this intensive yet fun and educational project. 

Hiking in Tijuca Forest

Last Sunday was extreamly eventful as Dr. Esteban planned two trips for us. Sunday morning he picked all my PIRE fellows for a Hiking trip to Tijuca forest. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tijuca_Forest

The forest is approximately 30 minute away from Niteroi by car. After our arrival we all gathered and gave our names at the security desk in case someone doesnt make it back. After the formalaties we finally started Hiking. The forest was beautiful and our goal was the climb the highest mountain in the forest. After 2 hours of huffing and puffing (me only) we all made it to the top. As per Dr. Esteban the peak was almost a 1000 meter. The weather was cloudy with a little bit of drizzle. Due the the weather we couldnt see the view of the city which i heard is breath taking. I am also attaching a picture which shows the avtual view of the city under normal conditions.

Maracana

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Est%C3%A1dio_do_Maracan%C3%A3

After climbing down from the mountain and having our lunch. We all decided to watch a soccer match at the most famous Soccer statium in the world, MARACANA. The actual game started at 1830 hrs but we all got there at 1500 hrs and paid 30 reals for the tickets. After an hour of waiting the statium was finally opend and we all walked in. The stadium can hold upto 90,000 spectators. The match was between two of the best clubs of Rio, Batafogo vs Flamengo. After asking around one of the stadium staff told us to sit in the green section if you really want to enjoy the game. As per instructions we headed to the green section which was luckliy the Flamengo Section. Since we got there early some all we could see was red flags and drums on the top section. After 2 hours of waiting the game started but at this point our section was full and i can say 35-40% of the stadium was full. When the game finally started the flamengo fans took out the Gigantic flags and the party started. The fans first cheered their them and then came Singing, Rythamic clapping, Cursing, Dancing and what not. The game ended in a 2-2 draw but Brazilian style soccer i can say is the most advanced form of soccer. This is exactly why they are have won 5 soccer championships. But the game is no fun without the fans.

....After our lunch, Zaidi, Seijiro and I went to the "Maracana" one of Rio de Janeiro's famous landmarks. I have been dying to go to this place for years, and to finally be given the opportunity to experience a soccer game at "Maracana" was amazing. We arrived earlier than what we should have, one of the PIRE students thought the game started at 4:30pm which in reality started at 6:30, so we had to wait for almost 3 hours for the game to start. In the mean time we took some pictures out the stadium

At 4:30, they started letting people inside the stadium, we still had 2 hours left for the game to start, so we walked around and started taking pictures of inside the stadium 

Now the game finally started and let me tell you, it was one hell of an experience. I've been to many soccer games in Miami, and nothing an compare to the atmosphere of the Maracana. We decided to sit on the Flamengo side, the fans their were rowdy, jumping up and down, banging the drums and singing through out the entire game. The game was a nail bitter, the final score of the game was Flamengo 2, Botafogo 2, it ended in a draw.

During this week I spent most of the time working on the white paper for my project. On Saturday Prf. Estaban invited us to the international Animation Festival, which is hosted in Rio once a year. We saw short animations from a variety of countries, such as France, Brazil, and the United States. The festival featured a variety of interesting and up-and-coming directors, writers, editors, and animators and their latest work. We then, went to the Navy Museum in Downtown Rio, which was pretty close to the Festival. Once we were there, we were able to go into a submarine that was used by the Brazilian Navy up to a couple of years ago.

Here are some pictures of the Navy Museum:

On Sunday, we were invited by Prof. Esteban Clua, his wife and two of his students to hike one of the highest mountains in Rio de Janeiro, Pico da Tijuca. From the top of this mountain one can see all of Rio; it has 1,060 meters of height, which is remarkable when taking into consideration the fact that Rio is on sea level.  It was a long, difficult, and almost painful hike, but fun indeed. Later that day we got to go to the world reknown Maracana Stadium, one of the biggest stadiums in the world and where Pele scored his one thousand goal more than a decade ago. We stayed for the game between two local teams and it was one of the most vibrant places i have ever been. The energy from the fans was contagious and now I understand why Brazilians love soccer so much; it is in their blood, it is part of their culture, and their families, they live soccer, they feel it in every sense of the word, and they invite others to enjoy it as well. This has to be one of the best experiences I have ever lived.

Here are some pictures of the hiking at the Pico da Tijuca and the Maracana Stadium:

The week was hectic as i had to write a technical paper which was due on friday. Pretty much the same activities but the weekend was eventful. Dr. Esteban planned this weekend for as. He first invited us to the animation festivel which was in RIO. A lot of artists around the globe presented their art. I attended 2 hours of the show. The short animated movies were awesome and i had a great time. http://www.animamundi.com.br/

Now as Americans we are addicted to cell phones.  Often we talk until we see the other person.  Constantly we see ourselves talking on the cellphone while we drive, walk, eat, and sometimes we even fall asleep while on the phone.  How do we break this addiction to survive in Brasil?

We buy a cell phone.

 Brasil and the cell phone industry

Now in Brasil cell phones are slightly different.  In the USA everyone has a cell phone, which puts a lot of capital into the infrastructure, which in return lowers the price of cell phone plans.  This then fuels our need to TALK ALL THE TIME.  Brasil does not have this infrastructure, so in return their prices are a lot higher.  So less people talk on the phone, thier efficiency is incredible.  Their manorisms will definately be adopted when it comes to cell phone efficiency.

The best option for fellow PIRE adventurers is to get a prepaid cell phone.  As Americans we are already familiar with the prepaid cell phone plans, but there is a catch in Brasil.  Due to the crime and the usage of criminals in prepaid cellphones, you must have a valid Brasilian ID to get a prepaid phone or SIM chip.  Somehow you need to buddy up with a Brasilian and convince him that you REALLY are a good guy and don't partake in criminal activity.

Carriers in Brasil

The best one I would recomend would be VIVO, they seem to have the best prepaid plan along with the best service.  The sales people aren't bad to look at either.  Most places with a cellular credit card machine can recharge your minutes with ease.  They run in packages of R$17 R$26 and R$60.  But be careful these calls are expensive and will not last long.  The actual cell phones for the base model can cost as little as R$49 to R$69.  For me, my purchase was one of these phones.

The best method would be to unlock a phone from the USA and purchase a chip.  Vivo keeps it exciting by giving you great graphics with your purchase. Most blackberries and Iphones can be unlocked and used with this chip.

For people that are in my situation, I purchased a cheap cell phone.  This is my glorious phone in action.

Police Registration

The Brazilian government stipulates that in order to remain in the country, any visitor planning on staying for more than 30 days must register with the Brazilian government. This week meant that this task needed to be addressed, as we were about to cross the 30-day mark. My team members and I arrived at the Niteroi Federal Police Department, where we need to wait for about 2 hours until our numbers were called. The clerk then handed over a list of documents required for registration. Since all the instructions were in Portuguese there was difficulty in deciphering the requisites. After few minutes of being perplexed, we decided to go back to our university and ask Dr. Esteban for assistance. He translated the form for us and told us what documents to take. 

The Brazilian Government required:        

1. 2x3 Photos (not passport pictures)

2. Notarized copies of passport pages (all pages used)

3. Registration form

4. Bank fee (to be paid at any local bank)

5. Finger Printing

6. Name Verification

After paying the bank fee, the teller told us that there was a notary at the corner and to look for the Cartonio (Portuguese for Notary). This became another obstacle since no one could understand what we were looking for. After 25 minutes of walking we finally found the Cartonio and got everything taken care of. The next day business day we went back to the Niteroi Federal Police department, and waiting in a large line for almost two hours. After submitting my paper work the clerk told me that I forgot to include two of my passport pages that had been used. After receiving this exasperating news, I rushed with one of my PIRE colleague, who coincidentally had the same problem, to the Notary to get the situation resolved. Upon returning, the clerk informed us that the officer who does finger printing is out to lunch and will be back in two hours. After two hours of waiting, the finger print officer finally showed and proceeded to give me a hard time for not relaxing my finger. I thought perhaps after all this, the process would be complete, but I was wrong. The document-receiving clerk went out to lunch and showed up 30 minutes later, and I was able to get my passport stamped, finally allowing for some peace of mind.

Weekend trip to Buzios

Our PIRE buddies finally manage to get out the city to visit Buzios. This small town is approximately 150 km from Rio. We took a boat ride and visited two beaches in Cabo Frio. 

Dr. Clua with his Wife

During this week we were able to finalize the police background check required by the Brazilian Embassy at the Federal Police Department here in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I have to say this process was a little bit painful since their management system is very slow and very unorganized. I took us 3 full days (Friday, Monday and Tuesday), which usually it’s a process that would take 3-4 hour in the United States. I will post here the requirement from the Federal Police Department for the future student that will be coming to Brazil:

-    Original from signed by the Brazilian Embassy (This is provided and stapled in your Passport when you get your Brazilian Visa)
-    Copy of every used page in your Passport (From previous flights, first and last page and most important the page that has your Brazilian Visa, otherwise you’ll have to spend an extra day at the Federal Police Department). After you make these copies you will need to have them notarize.
-    2 (3x4) pictures with white background. (Make sure it’s 3x4 and white background, otherwise you’ll have a bad day)
-    Fill out the form provided at the Federal Police Department. (Make sure the names matches in both forms and passport, the Original Form provided by the embassy, the form that you will be filling out and of course your passport, otherwise you’ll have a really bad day going to the embassy here is Brazil just to get your documents recheck; this will take you almost a day since you have to take a taxi/bus to a far location in Rio de Janeiro plus the endless lines that you’ll have to make).
-     Pay two Tax tickets fees for the Niteroi Fedral Police Department, which you could find here (www.dpf.gov.br). After you fill out these two forms online and have them print out, you need to pay them at any local bank and have them stamped.

             1) Code: 140082 = $R 64,58 > Registration fee.
             2) Code: 140120 = $R 124,23 > C.I.E.

-     After you present all these prerequisites, you will need to get your fingerprints done at the Federal Police Department.

After we were done with this painful process, we headed out to Catholic University, also known as PUC Rio. Here Prof. Esteban Clua had a meeting/speech. During his meeting, we had the opportunity to walk around the facility and get to know a different university. This university is very well known and also ranked as one of the best universities in Brazil, also very expensive. Here are some pictures of the facility:

After Prof. Clua's meeting, we headed out to Petrobras, short for Petróleo Brasileiro S.A., which is a semi-public Brazilian multinational energy company headquartered in Rio de Janeiro. I will provide a little history about this company:

Petrobras is the largest company in Latin America by market cap and revenue, and the largest company headquartered in the Southern Hemisphere. The company was founded in 1953, mainly due to the efforts of Brazilian President Getúlio Vargas. While the company ceased to be Brazil's legal monopolist in the oil industry in 1997, it remains a significant oil producer, with output of more than 2 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, as well as a major distributor of oil products. The company also owns oil refineries and oil tankers. Petrobras is a world leader in development of advanced technology from deep-water and ultra-deep water oil production.

Petrobras controls significant oil and energy assets in 18 countries in Africa, North America, South America, Europe and Asia. These holdings as well as properties in Brazil give it total assets of $133.5 billion. Petrobras is Latin America's largest company, thanks to 2008 sales of $118.3 billion, according to a ranking from Latin Business Chronicle over Latin America's Top 500 Companies.

Since they didn’t let me take pictures for obvious reasons, I won’t be able to show you the inside of Petrobras, but I did take a picture with one of the employees outside the facilities:

And to finalize this week, Professor Esteban Clua who invited us to Buzios & Cabo Frio. To get to this wonderful place you have to take a 3-4 hours trip on a bus and from here we had to take a 45 min boat ride to get to the virgin islands. There you can find the best beaches in Brazil. Unfortunately you can’t appreciate it from the pictures and also because the weather was cloudy, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying the virgin islands and the beautiful town of Buzios. Here are some pictures of the trip: