Here is a link to the Old Index page. For about 10 years it was pretty much unchanged. Yes, that is how long I have had this site. Here are also links to two other main topic pages - the Brasil page for Brazilians in Arizona and the ASU page for subjects relating to Clarice and her Portuguese language classes at the University.
Morro de Sao Paulo. This is about a village on the coast of Brazil, a few miles South of Salvador, Bahia. I had a chance to visit both Salvador and the Island of Tinhare in January of 2007. The reason for writing the page is that I found it hard to plan the trip due to the lack of good, unbiased opinion about the island. I also could not find a decent map of morro de Sao Paulo on the Internet. So I wrote this page as a guide to Morro de Sao Paulo (what to do, where to stay, etc.) and I even made a map showing all the hotels and attractions. I spent 2 days gathering data for this page so I hope you appreciate it. I also visited the village of Garapua, a much smaller place. Anyway, all I can say is.... I am going back!
The Image of Brazil. The initial reason from this page is a stupid movie called Turistas. Actually, this is about how Brazil is perceived abroad. Bananas, crime, naked women, burning forests, Corcovado, coffee, soccer, football, samba, beautiful beaches, dead indians, more crime, Pele, Sugarloaf, and so on - take your pick. All of these are common images of Brazil in both North America and around the world. What is the real Brazil? Do the images and stories in the media about Brazil reflect reality? Is Brazil good or bad, fun or scary, rich or poor, beautiful or ugly? Those are really hard questions!
Planes - The Great Airplanes of Aviation in Rio de Janeiro. I have been looking for an excuse to write about airplanes and aviation in Rio de Janeiro. I have always liked planes - particularly historic, old aeroplanes of the World War II era and before. The excuse I found to write this page was this 1936 Pan American Airways booklet promoting Flying Clipper Cruises to Rio. I purchased it on Ebay. Anyway this page is about aviation in Rio de Janeiro, including Santos Dumont airport, and most of all the great aircraft of the 1930s: the Panam Sikosky Clipper flying boats, the Junkers J52s, the Condor, the DC-3s, the Connies, and of course, the great Graf Zeppelin.
Winter Program in Salvador, Bahia. Upon request I am including this link to Clarice's Winter 2008 Cultural program in Northeast Brazil. This program will spend a week in the fabulous city of Salvador, a United Nations World Heritage city known for its Baroque architecture, historical sites, museums, as well as music, dance and arts, and a week on the equally fabulous tropical island of Tinharé (at the villages of Gurapua and Morro de Sao Paulo), known for its crystal beaches, natural beauty and for being an ecological sanctuary.
Cascais - Summer Program in Portugal 2006. This is mostly about a small town in Portugal. This year (2006) I had the pleasure to join a Portuguese Language Summer Program group for an exciting week. It was an interesting experience, and very educational. If you are going to the Lisbon area, then as far as I am concerned the little village of Cascais is the place to stay. It is small, quiet, historic, scenic and well localized - and only a 30 minute (18 miles) train ride away from downtown Lisboa, the Capital of Portugal.
The UN and Brazil. It was back in the mid 1970's that I first recall hearing the concept of Brasil Potencia or Brazil World Power. In 2005, Brazil, Germany, Japan and India launched a joint bid for permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council. Brazilian diplomats are working hard for Brazil to become the first (and only) Latin American or Southern hemisphere nation on the UN Security Council. I will even mention the unmentionable: Brazil's possible or probable nuclear weapons development program.
Rio in the 30s. Old pictures of Rio de Janeiro, taken by an unknown tourist. Last year I spent about $10 dollars on Ebay for 5 rolls of black and white film labeled 'Rio 1936 and 1937'. I am fascinated by the old Rio de Janeiro that existed from 1920 until about 1960 - with its quaint, friendly atmosphere, streetcars, bohemian life and easy-going spirit. This was the land and time of the malandro - the archtype of the Carioca.
Liberation Theology. Take down the crosses, throw out the communion table, tear up the Bible, for Marx and Stalin are moving in. This is about the Reds in the Catholic Church and their difficult, unhappy relationship with a certain Polish Pope. Believe me, I know Liberation Theology. For almost 2 decades I was near the center of it, watching it grow and glow.
Who are they? This page is about random people that I have come across. They all have a Brazilian connection, and they may be of interest or not, depending of the time of day. Actually some I have heard of, or know about, and others I don't have a clue about. While many Brazilians will know some of these people, many of them are from another time. For the most part (exactly 97.4%), the everything on this page is basically true (real people, real words, real events...), even if a few facts are exaggerated - but only a little.
440 years of Rio. An animated image showing 440 years of growth of Rio de Janeiro in 1 minute, made from 22 simple maps. This attempts to show how and where urban development happened in the City of Rio de Janeiro, which has changed much in the 440 years since it was founded in 1565. It also shows the many changes to the mountains, lagoons, and beaches, as well as the landfills in the historic center area. 
Fome Zero, the Zero Hunger program. A look at President Lula's plan to end hunger in Brazil. This is a page about the Zero Hunger (Fome Zero) program and how it is perceived by different parts of society. In Brazil nothing is simple - and nothing is sacred. No matter how noble the goals, no matter what a person does, or how he does it, there will be those who are critical of it, and those who will find humor in the whole thing.
Politically Correct Racism. Last year the Brazilian Federal government issued a document called 'Political Correctness and Human Rights' listing words that it considers unacceptable. Political Correctness really doesn't work very well in Brazil - it doesn't even translate well. The truth is that American problems are not Brazilian problems and the Portuguese language is not the English language. The document was foolish, but it was statements made by a US professor that really made me mad. Being black is not a crime or defect!
Maps of Rio. The history of Rio de Janeiro is fascinating and it is well documented in manuscripts and maps, by the Portuguese, French, Dutch, English and after Independence, by the Brazilian government and private individuals. I doubt that there is any other city in the Americas -- and I include even the very historic cities of Mexico and Lima -- which has as much detailed historical information from such a variety of sources, as does Rio de Janeiro.
Summer Program. Clarice has asked me to include a page and link to her Portuguese Program in Brazil. In 2005 the Summer Program will spend six weeks in Rio de Janeiro. Few places on the planet have been as blessed by nature as Rio, with white beaches and blue skies, surrounded by mountains and forests mirrored in an emerald green ocean. This is a great opportunity for people wanting to study Portuguese and learn about Brazil. 
The twenty most. A list of the twenty most important people in different sectors of Brazilian life in the 20th century, from politics to art and literature. It was published by Isto é magazine and is very good, but it needs some corrections. At the end of the page I have added two more rankings: the happiest Brazilians and a list of the most corrupt. You must really know Brazil to follow this subject.
Latins?. Are Brazilians Latinos or are they Hispanics? Or both? Or neither? A few thoughts on proper vocabulary and ethnic labels. I will try to clear up this controversy, and probably create a few more. This page will explore the correct usage of these terms and how they relate to each other. In spite of myself, I let politics get into this page, but it is hard to avoid them when talking about race and ethnicity.
Inflation. The dragon that ate my wallet and savings. A look at inflation in Brazil over the last 50 years. This page is for those people who write and say "I have ten crisp, uncirculated 1000 cruzeiros notes (or whatever) that my dear Aunt Clarabella left me in her will, from her 1960 trip to Brazil. How much are they worth? Am I rich? Can I retire now?". 
Tale of Two Statues. Few people remember it now, but at one time there was an exchange of the 2 most famous landmarks in the world. The Statue of Liberty and the Corcovado statues were moved between Rio and New York for temporary display. Also a few words about Corcovado as a symbol of Rio and a comparison of the sizes of the largest statues in the world. 
Argentina A short and sweet history of the ancient rivalry between two great countries in South America. This includes historical information and some personal reflections on the subject. Also there is something about football (soccer), Most of all, however, there are "argentine" jokes, which are very popular in Brazil.
Regionalisms. This is about regional differences and stereotypes, but there is a small grain of truth somewhere here. The fact is that these characteristics are part of popular folklore, portrayed in daily conversations by Brazilians about other Brazilians, all the time. Some might be offended by certain aspects of this article, but oh well.
Brazilian Houses. This is a quick look at "normal" middle class houses in most Brazilian cities. Like I said, it is about "common" houses. Of course there is a wide range of construction types and things can vary greatly from state to state and city to city.
Scenic Backgrounds. These images have been collected over a period of about 10 years, mostly for flyers or as backgrounds for Powerpoint presentations on Brazil. Most of them are 1100 x 850 or so, to provide an adequate resolution for graphics. The pictures have large blank areas to include text or have been "lightened" so that text can be overlayered. Note: there seem to be too many of Rio, as compared to the rest of Brazil.
Posters of Brazil. Of all the requests I receive certainly the most common is if I can provide posters of Brazil - for free, of course! There was a time, long, long ago, when the Brazilian Embassy in Washington DC would provide photos and posters. No more! Acabou, jamais! So what to do? Of course there is the Internet and Ebay... On the other hand, why buy posters if you can make them yourself at a very low cost.
The Arches. When most people think of Rio they visualize Sugarloaf or Corcovado. Not me, I'm different. If I were to choose one thing as representative of Rio, it would surely be the old acquaduct.
A Lula joke. A bit of Brazilian political humor. Brazilians are democratic, equal-opportunity satirists when it comes to making fun of their leaders and their promises. Here is a joke about God, Bush, Fidel and Lula. There is also a joke about old Sarney, the ex-president, and his experiences in France.
The Amazon and the World. There is nothing (nada, nyet, zilch!) that unites Brazilians so much as the idea of the Internationalization of the Amazon -- for the good of the whole planet earth, of course.
The Ginasio Vocacional. A trip back in time 40 years, to my days at Ginasio Estadual Vocacional Oswaldo Aranha, in Brooklin, Sao Paulo. Also a few words about Claudia Alencar, the artist, and an old friend from the Ginasio Vocacional. 
Law and Justice Starting with a boycott website, I share a few thoughts on the disturbing and complex issue of crime and justice in Brazil. There are no easy answers.
Brazil's name. How it happened, how it was stolen and other things. The fact is that "America" was Brazil before "America" was America; and Brazil wasn't "Brazil" initially, but "Brazil" was paradise before it became Brazil. An essay on the historical and mythical origin of the name "Brazil".
About Biggs, the train robber. My opinion of Ronald Biggs, the self-promoting English train-robber from the 1960s, who lived in Rio for many years. Biggs is 25% thug, 25% cheat, 25% lier and 25% jerk. 
Ye Old Orbis Map. I buy an old map and play detective. What is it? When was it made? Is it an original map? Anyway, it is an interesting piece of history and I got my $50 worth out of it.
Big and small. A look at the aumentative and diminutive suffixes in Portuguese. A light-hearted essay on the "zinho" and "zao" suffixes, with examples. 
The Old and New Rio. A study of the major changes that have occured in the last 200 years in the city of Rio de Janeiro. This includes the building of Rio Branco Avenue, the tearing down of Castle Hill (Morro do Castelo) and other major changes to the old historic center area. I created a map overlay that shows the differences in the city from 1838 to 2000. Added 5/2004.
BRAZILbrazil - Home Page
ELEMENTS OF BRAZILIAN CULTURE
HIGHLIGHTS OF BRAZILIAN LITERATURE PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE CLASSES IN ARIZONA (ASU)
11 GREATEST BRAZILIAN ARTISTS OF ALL TIME 
EDUCATION IN BRAZIL. Basic information on schools in Brazil
A QUIZ - TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF BRAZIL
COMMON POPULAR SAYINGS
MOVIES FROM BRAZIL 
ROMANCE LANGUAGES
My favorite movie. This is by far the most brazilian of movies made in Brazil. The story is ironic, dramatic and even funny. It is the story of a travelling carnaval that tries to out run progress.
BOOK REVIEWS 
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