Brazil is like China

I've decided that I like Brazil. The people are so friendly. I've just been driving around in the car with one of the staff here so that he can show me the various pizza restaurants. The Brazilians like pizza. Actually they like all food. We had the most amazing barbeque that came with all sorts of side dishes that we had to try. Some of the students then went off to return with cachaça. :)

The driving seems to be on par with China. Apparently only a few hundred motorcyclists are injured each day.

We were told today that kidnapping was quite common. One female student told us how she was recently kidnapped. It turned out that a gang took all her money and then kept her in the car whilst part of the gang went off to withdraw all her money from the cash machines. Then they let her go. Apparently this happens "all the time". (Okay, that's not like China!)

The site where we gave our lectures is guarded by men with large guns. Apparently this is because a gang broke in and shot everyone.

Actually, to me, the place seems very safe (except for the cars).

I've realised that I know almost nothing about Brazil. I'm just looking up some information on the Japanese in Brazil (there is a huge community). Apparently the first Japanese immigrants arrived in 1908. Apparently, "Japanese immigrants began arriving in 1908, as a result of the decrease in the Italian immigration to Brazil and a new labour shortage on the coffee plantations." This was the same time when "America had banned non-white immigration to the United States, on the basis that they would not integrate into society; these laws were specifically targeting the Japanese. At the same time in Australia the White Australian Policy at the same time prevented the immigration of non-whites to Australia."

There are a few more similarities between Brazil and China. 1) there are no llamas. 2) there's clearly a huge amount of money here with the main exports being to China. Their export goods are listed as "airplanes", "footwear" and "coffee". I never realised that Embraer was a Brazilian company which has its headquarters in the place that I'm staying (Headquartered in São José dos Campos) - Embraer stands for "Empresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica"

Our lectures have finished now! Writing (and presenting) five talks in five days was exhausting.

The photos that I attach include pictures of their various telescopes (one of which is on a high-altitude balloon launching site!), the view from my hotel room (of the road and mall), the second largest Catholic church in the World, some food called TNT and various photos from the barbeque.