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.

hmmm

The word for "pull" in Portuguese is pronounced "push"!! :)

A reminder

This is just a note to remind me to write a blog entry about
1) drinking coffee in Brazil
2) parrots
3) lots of guns
4) lack of llamas
5) the telescopes and balloon launching
6) the church
7) beer
8) blowing up rockets
9) a big vacuum pump

First impression of Sao Jose dos Campos

I need to learn Portuguese. Nobody speaks English. I finally got my internet working (they'd spelt my name Hobbys). I just ordered some food at the mega-mall and got a funny look. When the food arrived, it came with a colouring-in book. No llamas.

I'd pictured San Paulo as a massive city (perhaps like Barcelona) and Sao Jose dos Compos to be a small town (perhaps like Sant Cugat) where people lounged around in restaurants, eating Tapas and watching Tango dancing (with their llama tied up outside). I can't say much about San Paulo except that, from the air, it looked massive and the airport has a very friendly information centre lady who does speak a little English. Sao Jose dos Campos at first glance seems a bit like Brownsville, Texas. From my window (on the 7th floor of the Ibis), I can see a petrol station, lots of 3 lane roads, the Colinas Shopping centre and a few palm trees. The shopping centre didn't seem to have an entrance (just a large car park), but I found a way in through a supermarket in which I bought some Suco Tropical De Maracuja that is Oganico. There's a picture on it of happy looking people picking an unidentifiable fruit (oh, I've just found out that it is a type of passion fruit).

When I arrived last night, I discovered that nobody was waiting for me at the airport. This led to an interesting 30 minutes of trying to buy telephone cards and contacting someone. By the time that I had done this the driver had arrived. He didn't speak any English, but enjoyed listening to lots of Tango music.

I attach lots of photos from the flight (the picture on the ground is at Auckland airport). Dad, notice the small runway near the mountains!! I also attach a photo of Sha with a sheep.

In Brazil

A severe lack of llamas in the street.

In Santiago

Man randomly playing the violin in the middle of the airport. Air Canada flight going to Buenos Aires. A book about a plane crash in Shangri-la is not good reading material for a flight. Watching Hanna is also not a good idea - tagline: " Innocence can be deadly.".

My blog tells me:

"Parece que has accedido a tu cuenta desde una nueva ubicación. Para poder verificar tu identidad y asegurarnos de que nadie está intentando acceder a tu cuenta sin autorización, realiza este rápido procedimiento de verificación. Para obtener más información sobre esta medida de seguridad adicional"

Currently listening to another incomprehensible announcement and the violinist.

The mountains outside the window are spectacular.

I attach a picture of Sha in a massive factory (not in Chile), a picture of Sha on a chair (not in Chile), a girl who is not Sha, but does have a large wombat (not in Chile) and a picture of Sha cuddling a man that is not me (not in Chile nor in Australia)

I have not spotted any llamas yet.

In a few hours I should be in Brazil, but don't know whether llamas live in Brazil or not.

Dial 8888 for a bumbershoot

"Dear guest: In the leaflet, you will kiredod, the chief dquioment department receiver center in kunming. Natuarlly, we remain at your service day and night to provide any other information. Dial 8888 for a bumbershoot"

We are in Kunming. What a journey!! Vikram and I headed off before dawn down the alleys of Lijiang (pulling our bags and carrying my poster tube). We found a taxi and headed off to the train station. We arrived rather too early and therefore split up to find some breakfast. I was in charge of drinks and found a suitable coconut/banana coffee. Vikram was in charge of the food and obtained some ridiculously spicy "edible mushrooms" and a biscuit.

Finally we got into the massive scrum to be the first onto the train. The train was a double decker and had rows of beds. Sitting for 8 hours on a bed is uncomfortable, but we were were entertained by our companions. We travelled with three young girls (ages 11, 9 and 7) and their parents (all squashed onto two small beds). They were from Sichuan. We played cards with the girls, they taught us Chinese, sang us a welcome song and looked at all the photos on my laptop. They liked the koalas. I proudly read them a story in Chinese and they found my name extremely funny.

The scenery was also impressive. The train went through a million tunnels as it went through the mountains of Yunnan. We have no idea where we went, but think that we may have passed Dali.

We then arrived in Kunming to find that nobody speaks English here. We didn't have a hotel room, but ambled up to the first hotel (without knowing how to ask for a room), but discovered that no room was available. We then tried the next one and a friendly chap from Hong Kong helped us get a room!

It's hot! We've just been walking around (stopping for some beers and an icecream) and then ended up with a meal suitable for about 10 people!

Off to Beijing tomorrow!