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

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.

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/

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.

Uncontacted Amazonian Tribe in Brazil

I saw this article today, and I definitely want to write a post about it. However, I am a bit pressed for time at the moment. So, I decided to post the link, and I will post my own thoughts later today, or possibly tomorrow. It's pretty interesting. Be sure to look at the pictures.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080529/sc_nm/brazil_tribe_dc;_ylt=Aj7UWbpVq2oDZ0SYCTqojCek4LgF

Pack up!

As you may or may not know, I am planning to go to Rio de Janeiro, Brasil again this summer. I was talking to André tonight about it, and he said something that was funny, but encouraging at the same time. First, some background info on the conversation: I have been unsuccessfully looking for a job. The problem is....I live in the middle of nowhere, with few job opportunities. I have some money saved up already, but as plane tickets to Rio are expensive, I still need to save more. The cool thing is this: my dad and step-mom are putting hardwood floors in their house, and my step-mom has offered to pay me to help her put the flooring in! Yay! After telling André about all of this he said..."Julie, pack up. You're gonna be in Rio in a few months." My first reaction was laughter, and then I felt really encouraged by what he said. Sometimes I worry about it, but then there are moments like that....and they make it all ok. Graças a Deus.

Music....Brasilian/American Opinions

My friend, Fleda, (being the thoughtful girl that she is) found a cd of a Brasilian singer at McKay's bookstore, and she bought it for me. Sweet, right? The singer is a guy named Sandro Coelho, and the cd is called "No Sul Do Meu País". (In the South of My Country) I have found that I actually really like his music. So as I was talking to André a couple of days ago, I mentioned that Fleda bought me the cd, and I asked if he knew of the singer. He said he didn't, but he looked him up online and started listening to one of his songs. He then informed me that people in Rio do not listen to that kind of music, and that this guy is not famous in Rio. Ummm, what? So, I asked if he had any suggestions on what I should listen to. Why, of course he did! He sent me some videos with Samba and Funk music, and I did like them. However, that does not mean that I can't like the other guy too. André then proceeds to tell me that he hates country music, and that he thinks it sounds funny. As a fan of country music, I had to argue this. And it didn't go so well. I was not going to give up so easily, so I decided I would start sending him videos of country music singers; telling him that I am going to teach him to appreciate country music. I think it is going well so far! He did tell me that he has a hard time understanding Kenny Chesney's accent sometimes. I informed him that I have no trouble at all. haha. I just find the difference in opinions interesting. This is somewhat of a generalization, but what is it about Sandro Coelho that makes him unappealing to Cariocas? I think he has a nice voice, and I like his songs. And as for country music, clearly not all Americans like it, but I do. Oh well, I suppose it is a difference in cultures, and so forth. Even though I am pointing this out like it's a problem, it's not of course. It's actually just one more part of Brasil/Brasilians that I love. Até logo!