Archive for April, 2008
A very unwelcome surprise Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 2, 2008
On Monday, a man driving his car in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais had a nasty surprise. As he was driving, a baby cascavel (rattlesnake) fell onto his lap. He immediately pulled over the car, and the authorities managed to capture the snake and bring it to the Polícia Ambiental (the Environmental Police). The man and…
Coming in the Near Future: Bullet Train Between Rio and São Paulo Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 1, 2008
Globo News announced that only in 2009 will the Ministry of Transportation open the bidding for companies interested in constructing a bullet train railway between the cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. (In Portuguese, this bidding process is known as a leilão de licença. Leilão also means auction). A viability plan will be…
Brazilian City Spotlight: São Félix do Xingu Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 1, 2008
The municipality of São Félix de Xingu, population 60,000, is located in the northern state of Pará. Despite its modest population size, the city extends over 84,600 square kilometers, a space fifty-six times larger that the city of São Paulo, where ten million people live. For this reason, it’s the second largest municipality in Brazil…