Moon handbooks: Brazil

Author: Michael Sommers

Journalist Michael Sommers guides travelers to the best that Brazil has to offer, from surfing, hang gliding, and enjoying the sizzling nightlife in Rio to venturing into the Amazon to witness the Meeting of the Waters, where the Rio Negro and Rio Solimões join to form the world's mightiest river: the Amazon. Sommers also includes unique trip strategies like A Tale of Two Amazon Cities—which provides details on exploring the rainforest between Manaus and Belém—and Gastronomic Brazil, a mouthwatering tour of Brazil's cuisine. With expert advice on viewing popular attractions like Iguaçu Falls and Corcovado, as well as escaping the crowds in less frequented places, like Bahia's rustic fishing villages, Moon Brazil gives travelers the tools they need to create a more personal and memorable experience.

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Lipstick Jungle

Genre: Drama, Comedy, chick-lit, romance, contemporary. 

Author: Candace Bushnell

In this book, Victory Ford is the darling of the fashion world. Single, attractive, and iconoclastic, she has worked for years to create her own signature line. As Victory struggles to keep her company afloat, she learns crucial lessons about what she really wants in a relationship. Nico O'Neilly is the glamorous, brilliant editor of Bonfire Magazine - the pop-culture bible for fashion, show business, and politics. Considered one of the most powerful women in publishing, she seems to have it all. But in a mid-life crisis, she suddenly realizes this isn't enough. Wendy Healy's chutzpah has propelled her to the very top of the cut-throat movie industry. When it becomes clear that a competitor is trying to oust her, something has to give - and Wendy must decide between her career and her marriage.

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The Star Zoo

Genre: Cientific fiction, Futuristic

In our world today a hummingbird is a small, brilliantly coloured bird that lives in the tall trees of tropical forests. In the far distant future, Hummingbird (Hummy for short) is a girl of sixteen who lives somewhere in the Galaxy, on a planet called Just Like Home. She has the name 'Hummingbird' in big letters on all her clothes, but she has never seen a real hummingbird. She has never seen any living animal or bird at all. The Book of Remembering says that there were once many animals on a planet called Earth, but that was before the Burning, a long, long time ago ...

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Little Lord Fauntleroy

Genre: children's novel,

Little Lord Fauntleroy is a novel by the English-American writer Frances Hodgson Burnett, her first children's novel. It was published as a serial in St. Nicholas Magazine from November 1885 to October 1886, then as a book by Scribner's (the publisher of St. Nicholas) in 1886.

Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett

Lord Dorincourt had occasion to wear his grim smile many a time as the days passed by. Indeed, as his acquaintance with his grandson progressed, he wore the smile so often that there were moments when it almost lost its grimness. When young Cedric Errol's father dies, he becomes heir to the fortune of his English grandfather, the Earl of Dorincourt, and must move from working-class New York to England. Bad-tempered, cantankerous and bitter, the old man is slowly won over by the kind, generous and cheerful spirit of Cedric.

When a plot arises to deprive Cedric of his inheritance and another pretender steps forward as heir, Cedric's friends in America become involved in order to thwart the challenger. Through Cedric's unconditional love and trust he teaches his grandfather to show compassion to those who are less fortunate than himself.

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The League of Regrettable Superheroes: Half-baked Heroes from Comic Book History!

Genre: Comics, superheroes, graphic novels, humor.

Author: "Calamity" Jon Morris

You know about Batman, Superman, and Spiderman, but have you heard of Doll Man, Doctor Hormone, or Spider Queen?

In The League of Regrettable Superheroes, you'll meet one hundred of the strangest superheroes ever to see print, complete with backstories, vintage art, and colorful commentary. So prepare yourself for such not-ready-for-prime-time heroes as Bee Man (Batman, but with bees), the Clown (circus-themed crimebuster), the Eye (a giant, floating eyeball; just accept it), and many other oddballs and oddities. Drawing on the entire history of the medium, The League of Regrettable Superheroes will appeal to die-hard comics fans, casual comics readers, and anyone who enjoys peering into the stranger corners of pop culture.

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Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life

Genre: sports

Since the 1950s, when Pelé first started playing, soccer has been how the world sees Brazil, but it is also how Brazilians see themselves. The essence of their game is one in which prodigious individual skills outshine team tactics, where dribbles and delicate flicks are preferred over physical challenges or long-distance passes, where technique has all the elements of dance and, indeed, is often described as such. At their best, Brazilian soccer players are both athletes and artists. As Alex Bellos brilliantly reveals in his classic book, their game can symbolize racial harmony, flamboyance, youth, innovation, and skill―in short, it's a microcosm of the country itself.

Author: Alex Bellos

Bellos, a veteran journalist and author whose star has continued to rise since Futebol was first published in 2002, revisits his search for what the great Brazilian striker Ronaldo has called the "true truth" of the Brazilian way of life. With an unerring eye for an illustrative story and a pitch-perfect ear for the voices of the people he meets, Bellos uncovers the nuanced role soccer has played in the history of Brazil and the lives of its people.

Updated and with a new chapter covering recent events in Brazil, this revised edition of Futebol is perfectly timed to coincide with the 2014 World Cup, as the world turns its rapt attention to Brazil and their Beautiful Game and the country once again becomes the capital of "the world's game."

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Animals of the World (The Blackbirch Press visual encyclopedia)

Genre: Encyclopedia

A visual encyclopedia of invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals found throughout the world. 

Author: Lewis K Parker

Cartas aos iniciantes: Jessica R. S. de Campos

"Hello guys my name is Jessica and I’m 27 years old. I was born in Jaboticabal a small city in the state of São Paulo. In 2013 I got married to Tiago. He is a PhD in science by USP São Carlos. After the weeding we moved to São Carlos. Because of his profession he got a scholarship to Germany. We live there one year more or less, from 2015 to 2016. During this period, I staid most of the time at home. As at the time I didn’t speak German neither English, I didn’t feel comfortably enough to go out alone.

When I came back to Brazil, I decided take English classes. I start looking for schools, until a day I found a friend and he said that he was doing English at Alpha Idiomas. We tried to talk a little in English, “basics things” of course, and what awakened my attention was his pronunciation. So I decided to visit Alpha Idiomas to know their teaching method.

What I did like most, was that every day you have a different activity to do, and if you don't make the homework, you cannot watch the next class. In my opinion that is good, because you keep the progress. I did only the first semester, because I would travel to Germany on the next nine months.

Now it’s been almost a month since I got here. I’m very happy, this time I’m feeling more confident to go out alone. My husband and I share a house with the owner and his daughter-in-law, it’s nice because in this way I have the opportunity to practice my English and, maybe, to make new friends. I can say that this time is being a good experience." (Recebida  por e-mail em 03/04/2018)

TRADUÇÃO:
"Olá pessoal, meu nome é Jessica e eu tenho 27 anos. Eu nasci em Jaboticabal uma pequena cidade no estado de São Paulo. Em 2013 eu me casei com Tiago. Ele é um PhD em ciências pela USP São Carlos. Depois do casamento nós mudamos para São Carlos. Por causa de sua profissão ele ganhou uma bolsa de estudos na Alemanha. Nós vivemos lá por um ano mais ou menos, de 2015 a 2016. Durante esse período, eu fiquei a maior parte do tempo em casa. Como naquele tempo eu não falava nem alemão nem inglês, eu não me sentia confortável o suficiente para sair sozinha.
Quando eu voltei para o Brasil, eu decidi fazer aulas de inglês. Eu comecei a procurar por escolas, até um dia que eu encontrei um amigo e ele disse que ele estava fazendo Inglês na Alpha Idiomas. Nós tentamos conversar um pouco em Inglês, "coisas básicas" com certeza, e o que despertou minha atenção foi a pronúncia dele. Então eu decidi visitar a Alpha Idiomas para saber o método de ensino deles.
O que eu gostei mais, foi que todo dia você tem uma atividade diferente para fazer, e se você não faz a lição de casa, você não pode assistir à próxima aula. Na minha opinião isso é bom, porque você mantém o progresso. Eu fiz apenas o primeiro semestre, porque eu viajaria para a Alemanha nos próximos nove meses.
Agora faz quase um mês que eu cheguei aqui. Eu estou muito feliz, dessa vez eu estou me sentindo mais confiante para sair sozinha. Meu esposo e eu compartilhamos uma casa com o dono e sua nora. É legal porque desse jeito eu tenho a oportunidade de praticar meu Inglês e, talvez, fazer novos amigos. Eu posso dizer que dessa vez está sendo uma boa experiência."

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Cultural Immersion: Bangkok (Thailand)

Flag of Thailand

▪ Thailand

 Located in the heart of mainland Southeast Asia, Thailand or Kingdom of Thailand encompasses diverse ecosystems, including the hilly forested areas of the northern frontier. The country has also many rare species of  trees, shrubs and plants. The country was primarily an agricultural country, however since 1960 an increasing number of people have moved to Bangkok and to other cities. (Read more)

▪ Bangkok

Bangkok, the capital of Thailand is the only multicultural city in a country of small villages and towns, it’s also a cultural and commercial centre. Located on the mouth of river of the Chao Phraya River, Bangkok it was formely divided into two municipalities: KrungThep on the east  and Thon Buri on the west, the two were  united as a city-province with a single municipal government in  1971. The buildings of the city were originally modelled on Ayutthaya, and was designed to reflect the glory of the city. Home to the Royal family, Bangkok is the capital of Thailand in every sense. (Read more)

▪ Tourist Spots

▪ Dusit Palace

The Dusit Palace, originally constructed on Ko Si Chang in 1868 and moved to Vimanmek  Teak Mansion, it’s a gougeous palace in Bangkok.  This beautiful building  contais eigthy one rooms, halls and anteroons, is said to be the  world’s largest golden-teak builging, allegedly built without the use of single nail. The mansion was also the first permanet building on the Dusit Palace grounds, and served as Rama V’s residence in the early 20th century. (Read more)

▪ Lumpini Park

The Lumpini Park, the first public park in Bangkok is more than an oasis of nature, originally designed to house Thai crafts and flowers, it’s a calm place where people can run, stroll paths, take a paddle boat ride or just sit and relax with family and friends. (Read more)

▪ Chatuchak Weekend Market

Chatuchak Market also known as JJ Market, is one of the largest markets in the world, with more than 8,000 stalls peddling wares ranging from antiques to clothes, acessories and also food. Chatuchak Market also includes a wide array of tasty restaurants with the best street food in Thailand. (Read more)

▪ Wat Arun

Wat Arun also Known “Temple of Dawn” is one of the  oldest and best known tourist spots in Bangkok, situated on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya River, the temple is an architectural representation of the Mount Meru, the Center of the universe in Buddhist cosmology. (Read more)

▪ Grand Palace & Wat Prakeaw

With an incradible building,  the construction of the palace was started in 1782, when the capital of Siam was moved from Thonburi to Bangkok. The palace also served as the residence of the Kings of Thailand until the misterious death of King Ananda Mahidol. Today, the palace is a famous tourist attraction, parto f the Grand Palace is dedicated to a royal temple, Wat Prakew, na sacred temple of Thailand and home to the famous Emerald Buddha. (Read more)

▪ Cuisine

▪ Pat Thai

Pat Thai is one of the most famous dishes in Thailand, is prepared with rice noodles stir-fried  with dried and fresh shrimp, bean sprout, tofu, eggs and seasonings. Tradictionally is served with lime halves and a few stalks of Chinese chives and a sliced banana flower. (Read more)

▪ Khao Pad

Khao Pad it’s  a famous food in Thailand. The recipe is  prepared with fried  rice, eggs, onion and few herbs. The secret of this pretentious dish lies in keep simple. 

(Read more)

▪ Yam Nua

Yam Nua is a spicy beef salad, prepared with a mix of onion, coriander, spearmint, lime, dried chili and tender  strips of beef, it  perfectly embodies  the invigorating in the  mouth thrill of all Thai salads. 

(checkout the recipe)

▪ Mango Sticky Rice

Sticky rice is the staple starch of northern and northeastern Thai cuisine (Isaan), and it’s also commonly used in all sorts of Thai desserts.

For Thai mango sticky rice, the sticky rice is steamed, mixed with thick coconut cream and sugar, paired with perfectly ripe yellow sweet mango, served with some extra coconut cream on the top to make it even better, and finally often some crispy yellow mung beans are sprinkled on the very top. (Check ou the recipe)

▪ Cha Yen

One of the most delicious and popular Thai drinks, Cha Yen or Thai iced tea is prepared with  orange and milky and tasty traditional tea that often proves to win many tourist’s hearts. You can also choose  to drink the Cha Yen cold or hot. 

(Read more)

▪ Oliang

Oliang or Black iced coffee is another traditional drink in Bangkok, the Oliang is a mix of coffee and others ingredients, can be roasted rice and caramel then roasted with coffee beans. Normally people drink Oliang cold and you can also adding milk in the drink. 

(Read more)

▪ Nom Yen

Nom Yen is a creative drink made of fresh hot milk mixed with green or red syroup. Very popular among kids and teenegers who not consume any kind of caffeine drinks. The drink is colorful and atractive. (Read more)

▪ Habits

Bangkok is a city with friendly people, the culture is deeply influenced by religion, the belief system and values of Buddhism play a huge  role in day-to-day life, no matter how frustreted or upset a person might feel, they always strive  to maintain a positive and friendly attitude, sense of humor and a smile. (Read more)

▪ Music

The Thai music was developed in the royal court while folk and popular music sprung up in the countryside. The traditional music of Thailand refrects its geographic position at the intersection of China and India, and also reflect trades routes that have historically inlcuded Persia, Africa, Greece and Rome. (Read more)

▪ Dance
Dance is the main dramatic art form of Thailand. Thai dance, like many forms of traditional Asian dance, can be divided into two major categories that correspond roughly to the high art (classical dance) and low art (folk dance) distinction. (Read more)

▪ Climate

The climate in Bangkok simillar to the rest of Thailand is hot all year round, between mid-November and January the weather is good, usually with clear skies. In fact, the weather in Bangkok it’s hot even  thought it’s winter, normally in February the temperatures start to rise, remains sunny, although occasionally a few thunderstomrscan develop. (Read more)

▪ Cost of living

Bangkok in the past has had a reputation of being cheap, but after years,  the city changed and the biggest surprise for many visitors is how modern the city is nowadays. The life in a city who still growing everyday can be a little bit expensive. ( Readmore)

Check out some information about cost of living in Bangkok 

▪ Extra  

Cultural Immersion: Johannesburg (South Africa)

Flag of South Africa

▪ South Africa 

Officially Republic of South Africa, the southernmost country on the African continent, renowned for the great natural beauty and cultural diversity, all of which have made the country a favoured destination for travelers since the legal ending of apartheid. Most of South Africa’s landscape is mad up of high, flat areas colled plateaus covered with rolling grasslands, called highveld and tree-dotted plains colled bushveld. (Read more)

 

▪ City of  Johannesburg

Home of  the South Africa’s hero Nelson Mandela, Johannesburg is the most advanced commercial city and the engine room of the South Africa regional economy. It is a city with unique African character, world-class infrastructure in the fields of telecommunications, transportation, water and power with globally-competitive health care and  educational  facilities. The city was named after two  officials of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR) Johannes Meyer and Johannes Rissik, the city grew rapidly . However , the city has also some   contrasts : Johannesburg is home  to both wealthy and poor residents and refugees, global corporations and emerging enterprises. (Read more)

▪ Tourist Spots

▪ Soweto  and The Mandela  Museum

 Soweto ( na abbreviation for Southwestern Township) lies 20 kilometers southwest of Johannesburg  and offers visitors a jorney into the soul of the fight for freedom. The tours often include a visit to Mandela House Museum, when Mandela lived with is wife Winnie before he was imprisoned for 27 years. (Read more)

▪ Market Theatre

 The Market Theatre complex housed in a converted market building, plays a major part in Johannesburg’s cultural life. It has four live theater venues where some of the finest productions in South Africa are presented. (Read more)

▪ Johannesburg Art Gallery

 Is one of the biggest collections of art in Africa with more than 9.000 works, though only a small portion is displayed at one time. The Gallery focuses  on works by South African and European artits. (Read more)

 ▪ The Apartheid Museum

The Apartheid Museum is very popular for visitors who want to learn about the history of the city and also about the history of the country, you can also see  photographs, text panels and be able to learn throught film footage, the non-profit museum was opened in 2001 and releis on donations, contributions and sponsorship to keep growing. (Read more)

▪ Lion Park

The Lion Park is a wildlife conservation dedicated to the protection of Transvaal lions and is  spread over 500 acres  of land Gauteng province, more than 90 lions live in the park including  the rare  white Lions. The park also include cheetahs, spotted hyenas, cape wild dogs, Black-backed jackal and antelopes. (Read more)

▪ Croc City Crocodile & Reptile Park

Close to Lion Park, the Croc City Crocodile & Reptile Park is one of the wold’s favourite wildlife to see crocodiles and other reptiles, you can also learn about those incradible animals ans have a photo taken holding a baby crocodile or a snake. (Read more)

▪ Cuisine:

▪ Malva Pudding

 It’s easy to see why South Africans love malva pudding. Malva pudding is a sweet and  stickly baked sponge pudding made with apricot jam and served smothered in a hot cream sauce. 

(Read more) 

▪ Chakalaka and pap

Chakalaka and pap are mainstays on every South African dinner table. Chakalaka is a vegetable dish made of onions, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, beans and spices, and is often served cold. Pap, meaning porridge. Papa and Chakalaka are served together. 

(Read more) 

▪ Amarula Don Pedro

This cocktail-come-dissert uses South African Amarula, a cream liqueur made from indigenous marula fruit blended with ice cream. (Read more)

▪ Mealie

Frequently served on the cob or mande into a beer Mealie is a maize and quickly meal for the masses and those on a tight budget. Can also be processed in the form of Mealine Pap wich is a porridge made from  ground maize and grains. 

(Read more)

▪ Frikkadel

 Also called meatball, Frikkadel is a traditional South African food  that is mainly made of  baked or sometimes deep-fried, frikkadel are prepared with onion, bread, vinegar, eggs and spices, you can find easilly in the entire country. (Read more)

▪ Biltong

Biltong is one of the most popular food in South African, it is a kind of cured meat, an air-dried meat (usually beef) that is savoured nearly everywhere by nearly everyone. Many differents types of meat are used in its making, ranging from beef through games meats fillets of osthich from commercial farms. 

(Read more)

▪ Umqombothi

Umqombothi is a beer made from corn, has a lower alcohol percentage than most of commercial beers, high in vitamin B this beer is usually drunk in a communal setting where the drinks is shared between friends. 

(Read more)

▪ Mageu

Mageu is a non-alcoholic drink made from fermented mealie pap, looks like a thin carbohydrate-rich porridge. Its made by adding  flour or sorghum to maize porridge. People usually drink Mageu to improve digestion. (Read more)

▪ Cape Malay Curry

similar to a common curry ( a dish of meat and vegetables), but is known for combining sweet and savory flavors using sweet spices like cinnamon and ginger, dried fruit and savory seasonings like garlic and onions (Check out the recipe)

▪ Bobotie

popular with many South Africans, bobotie is a delicious mixture of curried meat and fruit topped with creamy golden layer. (Check out the recipe)

▪ Habits

 Johannesburg is referred to as the largest and most densely populated city in South Africa.  Three-quarters of its population comprises of the Africans, along with 16% whites and 6%  Coloured. Indians also make 4% of the population of Johannesburg. Christianity is widely practised,  but there are a considerable number of Jews, Hindus, Muslims  and people who still practice  African Traditional religions. (Read more) 

▪ Famous Personalities

Nelson Mandela

Civil Rights Activist, Writer, 

President (non- U.S) 

▪ Music

▪ Kwaito

Kwaito is a mixture of house music, R&B, Jamaican raggae and hip-hop. Kwaito is played  almost countinuously on radio stations, in clubs and in people’s home, the cultural influences is evident in many song and bands. (Read more)

Song: Wena | Artist: Heavy-K DRUMBOOS

▪ Heavy-K DRUMBOOS

Mkhululi Siqula best Known as Heaby-K Drumboos  is a Record producer na DJ from South Africa, the artist come a long way from making music in his roon to producing some of the biggest artits... (Read more)

▪ Climate

The city of Johannesburg  enjyable weather all year round, a good reason for the great  climate is the fact that  Johannesburg is located  at high altitude above sea  level, another good reason is that there’s often a light breeze, helping to ward the extremely hot temperatures. The seasons are not always clearly defined.  (Read more) 

▪ Cost of life

In Johannesburg the cost of living is low.  The city is ranked as one of the cheapest expant destinations in the world. (check out the cost of living in Johannesburg)

▪ Extra