Archive for 'Uncategorized'
NGO Focus: Luta pela Paz Posted by Rachel on Feb 4, 2009
Luta pela Paz, also known as Fight for Peace, was established in the Complexo de Maré favela in Rio de Janeiro in 2000. One of the city’s most violent favelas, many teenagers with few job or educational opportunities join drug trafficking gangs and work as soldiers for traffickers. To combat this, the non-profit Luta pela…
Happy Iemanjá Day! Posted by Rachel on Feb 2, 2009
Today in the northern Brazilian city of Salvador is the Festival of Iemanja, the Afro-Brazilian goddess of the sea. Known as the queen of the sea, she brings protection to fisherman, pregnant women and children. The main celebration in Salvador takes place on Rio Vermelho beach, where thousands of worshippers dressed in white descend to…
NGO Focus: Projeto Beija-Flor Posted by Rachel on Jan 27, 2009
Today, we’re starting a new series where we look at grassroots NGOs operating in Brazil. The Projeto Beija-Flor, or the Hummingbird Project, is a part of the Children at Risk Foundation, created by Gregory Smith in 1993 in São Paulo. The purpose of the organization is to defend street children’s rights, to give street children…
Beach Food in Rio de Janeiro Posted by Rachel on Jan 23, 2009
On the beach and boardwalk in Rio, you can get lots of different food from mobile vendors, including boiled corn, popcorn, ice cream, churros, sandwiches, Middle Eastern food, soda, and plenty of snacks. Now, several companies are introducing special carts to the boardwalk in Rio so you can buy a variety of food and beverages…
Brazilian Cooking Series: Part V Posted by Rachel on Jan 21, 2009
Today we’re going to learn how to make coxinha, a popular Brazilian snack food. Literally, coxinha means “little thigh,” but in reality coxinha is deep fried chicken, shaped like a pear. The recipe is also popular in Portugal. It is made using dough, a mixture of wheat and chicken stock, and shredded chicken. The chicken…
New Biofuel Discovery in the Amazon Posted by Rachel on Jan 15, 2009
Brazilian engineer Otoniel Duarte has made an important discovery during a study in the northern state of Roraima: he found that a species of Amazon palm tree, the palmeira inajá, is capable of producing oil that can be used for biofuel. The inajápalm is a close relative of the dende palm, native to Africa, which…
Theme Cruise Craze Takes Brazil Posted by Rachel on Jan 6, 2009
The latest travel trend to take Brazil by storm is the theme cruise, a cruise based around certain activities, a performance or celebrity, or a certain type of music or dance. It began with the fitness cruise fifteen years ago, intended to get people in shape while they were on vacation. Since then, cruise ship…