Posted by Rachel
There are plenty of weird but true stories that come out of Brazil, and this one is no exception. This week, a man thought to have been killed in a car crash showed up at his own funeral.
Ademir Jorge Gonçalves, age 59, was out drinking with friends in Santo Antônio da Platina, Paraná when relatives believed he was killed in a car accident. They mistakenly identified the body, and set up a funeral for the following day, which happened to be Dia dos Finados, when Brazilians honor the dead. In the meantime, a supersticious friend burned all of Ademir’s clothes and his mattress.
But the next morning, another friend warned Ademir about the mix-up, and Ademir showed up at his own funeral, still drunk, to explain to his confused relatives. The body was later correctly identified, and Ademir went home to an apartment without a bed or any clothes!
Posted by Rachel
The Logo network’s website, TripOutGayTravel.com, part of the MTV network, elected Rio de Janeiro as the Best Global Destination City for gay travelers this week, beating Buenos Aires, Barcelona, London, Montreal, and Sydney. The election took place at the International LGBT Tourism Conference in Boston.
The announcement comes on the heels of Rio’s Olympic selection win, as well as being named the “Happiest City in the World” by Forbes. It will also play host to several games during the 2014 World Cup to be held in Brazil.
Eduardo Paes, the mayor of Rio, was delighted by the news. “It recognizes the hospitality of our people, who make everyone feel at home. I’m proud and pleased to be the mayor of such a welcoming city that respects and values differences.”
The announcement also came right after Rio’s annual gay pride parade, held on Sunday in Copacabana.
Posted by Rachel
Fernanda Abreu was of the first singers to popularize the funk movement, though her music was considerably more pop than today’s funk. This is one of her most classic songs, called Rio 40 Graus, that has some wonderful lyrics that really embody life in Rio de Janeiro. They’re really long, so I’ve included just a portion of them here! Click here to access the full lyrics.
This is a tough one to follow, but there’s a lot of repetition, so try your best to follow along!
Rio 40 Graus..(2x)
Rio 40 graus
Cidade maravilha
Purgatório da beleza
E do caos…(2x)
Capital do sangue quente
Do Brasil
Capital do sangue quente
Do melhor e do pior
Do Brasil…(2x)
Cidade sangue quente
Maravilha mutante…
O Rio é uma cidade
De cidades misturadas
O Rio é uma cidade
De cidades camufladas
Com governos misturados
Camuflados, paralelos
Sorrateiros
Ocultando comandos…
Full lyrics
Posted by Rachel
Today, for today’s interactive feature, the question is: what Brazilian news outlets do you use to get your news about Brazil? They can be TV, print, or online.
I use Estado de Sao Paulo and G1, as well a number of Brazilian blogs that often have links to breaking or recent news stories. I also check Folha de Sao Paulo, on UOL. Globo News has good news videos and live news broadcasts.
What about you?
Posted by Rachel
For all of you in New York and in the U.S. Northeast, be sure to check out the exhibit sponsored by the Sociedade da Língua Portuguesa da Organização das Nações Unidas (UNSRC), known in English as the UN Portuguese Language Society.
The UNSRC will host an exhibit featuring one hundred pieces by eight indigenous artists from the Amazon. The artists come from a variety of tribes, including the Tukano, Wanano and Kokoma tribes. Check out some of the pieces here.
The exhibition will take place from October 26 through November 6th at the UN, located at 2 United Nations Plaza in Manhattan.
