All Lies.

Remember this story?? Well, it turns out that there is a change in the information. It's very minor really, unless of course, you consider the fact that the story was a complete lie to be a major detail. I mean, why should that bother anybody, right?? HELLO?!? What the heck? The tribe does exist, however they were not newly discovered. Instead, we have known about their existence since 1910. Seriously. The guy made up the whole thing about finding a new tribe. He actually knew the coordinates of where the tribe is located,so he sought them out to take pictures and pass them off as a brand-new, undiscovered Amazonian tribe. The guy claims he had noble intentions. (Showing the danger of logging in the Amazon) But, still....lying to the entire world??? Was that really necessary? Apparently he thought so. Ugh.

Here is the new story... http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90781/6436134.html
I encourage you to do some more research on the subject, and to read some other articles if you are interested. And, I wonder if anyone is as offended by this as I am. Anybody??

Home Again

I am back home from GA, and I am still recovering from an exhausting week. Our group had a fantastic trip, and they all really enjoyed it. Now if I can just catch up on sleep before I leave for Brasil next Monday.....yeah right. I have so much stuff to do to prepare for that, which means, there will be little catching up on sleep. Great. Oh well, you can't win them all, right?

Gone for a Week

I will be out of town for the next week....with no internet access. So, that means this will be the last post until I get back next weekend. Sorry!

Reminder: If you haven't seen my blog for my trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brasil....you should check it out!
http://julieinrio.wordpress.com

Oh How I Love the Wii...

My brother and I have been playing various games on our Wii for the last several hours. And, because Wiis are way cooler than I ever imagined....I can also access the internet on it!! That's right, it has a wireless card. So, I'm sitting downstairs on the couch writing this post from my Wii.....and viewing it on a big screen tv. Now, I'm usually not a materialistic person, but I have to admit, this is pretty freaking sweet.

I Actually Won a Contest

For the past several months, I have been reading a great blog. It is written by a girl who is from New York, but has lived in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil for the last year. She held a contest to raise some money, and I actually won the contest! This means I will be the new owner of a blue pair of Havaianas and a Brazilian flag canga!! Heck yeah!

Be sure to check out her blog: Adventures of a Gringa in Rio

Places I want to visit in Brazil this summer....

I decided to make a list of the places I want to see in Brazil. I originally intended for the list to be for my new blog (Minha Viagem ao Rio....My Trip to Rio), but I decided to post it here too. Check out the Rio blog though!! http://julieinrio.wordpress.com

These are in no particular order. Be sure to click each one to view a picture...

1. Ilha Grande
2. Escadaria Selarón
3. Cristo Redentor
4. Pão de Açúcar
5. Ipanema
6. Tijuca Forest
7. Jardim Botânico
8. Copacabana
9. Arcos da Lapa
10. Jardim Zoológico

This is not a complete list, but it is everything I could think of at the moment....considering what time it is... As I compiled this list, I was reminded once again that Rio is truly an amazingly beautiful city.

Random Early-Morning Thoughts

*I just got home a few minutes ago (about 3 a.m.) I have been out (since 6:30 p.m.) buying stuff for our Vacation Bible School at church, and then decorating at the church. Seriously. Over 8 hours. Kinda ridiculous, no?

*I leave for Brasil in 3 weeks! Super exciting.

*I've been admiring my fish tank since I cleaned it on Friday. It is a 45-gallon tank, so it takes forever to clean, and to do a partial water-change, but it looks so great once it is done.

*I need to buy a few more fish.

*I bought 2 new swimsuit tops today......still looking for the perfect bottoms.

*If it gets any hotter in K-Town, I just might die.

New Blog for Rio Trip

I started another blog specifically for my trip to Rio. I wanted to have a separate blog for all of my friends and family to keep up with my experiences while I'm away. Check it out.

http://julieinrio.wordpress.com/

Amazing 6-year old girl singing

My step-mom showed me this video, and I was amazed. This little girl is 6 years old, and she has the most beautiful voice I have ever heard. Her pitch is spot on...plus, she is super cute!

I was also very impressed with this one:

Amazonian Tribe...Part II

As promised, I am finally getting around to writing a post about the article from a few days ago. This is simply my opinion on the issue: First of all, it is somewhat mind-boggling to me that so many people still live in such a primitive state. Survival International estimates that there are more than 100 uncontacted tribes that exist, and of course we don't know how many people are in each of those tribes. When I think of the life that I live in what we would call "civilized" areas, it amazes me that these tribes have survived over the years. They have been able to provide food and shelter for themselves, as well as, protection from the elements and otherr humans. With the controversy surrounding the Amazon, the biggest concern is that tribes like this one are in danger of illegal logging, and development of the area. Brazil's policy is basically to leave the people of the tribe alone, and to not make contact with them. I personally think this is good in the sense that these people haven't been exposed to certain diseases, and contact with outsiders could lead to death and extinction of the tribe. I also think it would be completely disrespectful to barge into the Amazonian basin (a.k.a. these people's home) and demand contact. This would be threatening to the tribe, and would probably result in a tragedy. We don't even know what language they speak, and it is most likely not Portuguese. This would make any contact extremely difficult....even if it is meant to be friendly on our part.

The Brazilian government flew over the basin to take photos simply to prove that the tribe does exist, in an effort to prevent development of the Amazon. It's good to know they are there. Now I think we should leave them alone, and let them continue their way of life.