Get a Visa

You should know that to enter Brazil you need a visa. At least you do if you're from the United States. This is because the U.S. did it to Brazil and pissed off their government. So don't forget to apply for one well in advance. Betsy didn't realize she needed one until less than two weeks before her departure. She raced over to the Brazilian embassy and encountered a very bitchy secretary who asked why she was going to Brazil and where she's staying. When Betsy said just for fun, and she's staying with me, the secretary loooked at her straight in the eye, leaned in, and dared to say, "I don't believe you. I think you're going to work there." Betsy denied it, but became extremely nervous about not getting a visa. She ended up having no problems after that, but they do turn people down often.

Carrie Bradshaw

Helio, after watching an episode of Sex in the City, tells me I remind him of Carrie Bradshaw, Sarah Jessica Parker's character. Not just her looks, but also her personality and manner of speaking. I take this as a compliment. She's a cool cat. She's definitely more fashionable than me - I could care less what brand of shoes I'm wearing. But we're both outgoing, independent, and have biggish noses.

There are worse people I could be compared to as a visiting American.

Lula The President

One thing that surprised me was the public's view of their current President. The President of Brazil is Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, more commonly referred to as Lula. When he was elected in 2002, he was a symbol of hope for the common man, as he founded and led groups for workers for years beforehand and came from a meager background.

But I was shocked to hear that this was a man who never graduated high school. (He later received his high school equivalency.) Person after person I spoke with disliked Lula, and I asked why. He is considered a sell-out, a traitor, a liar. They say he takes from everyone to fatten his own pocket. I hate to admit it, but in a way it gave me a small sense of satisfaction, that Americans are not the only ones in modern day to hate their leader.

Shouldn't they have known not to trust a man whose nickname means squid?