By Imanuddin Razak
What comes to mind if a stranger asks you about Brazil? People from older generation will mention soccer legend Pele and Copacabana Beach. Younger folk will mention the name of another soccer great, Kaka, and Rio de Janeiro’s legendary beaches.
Everyone could not agree more with the selection of Pele and Kaka, as both represent Brazil’s soccer glories, whose names are not only popular in their home country, but also on the international stage.
But Kaka and Pele have to vie for recognition with the equally popular 4-kilometer long Copacabana, which has played host to millions of New Year’s Eve revelers each year. The beach has also frequently been the venue for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup .
But associating Brazil only with soccer and its stars, and Copacabana Beach, is a great disservice to the country, founded in 1500, as it also offers beauty and excellence on par with the achievements of other countries in terms of natural beauty and supremacy in science and technology.
Beside soccer and beaches, Brazil is also famous for its Carnival, an annual festival regularly held 40 days before Easter Day. The Carnival has become an event of great significance with the country coming to a halt for almost a week, giving time for Brazilians to party day and night.
While the festival is popular nationwide, the one held in Rio de Janeiro is considerably the most extravagant. It involves the formation of huge crowds at various locations. Life is far from ordinary in many parts of the town with carnival season being the most expensive time to visit Rio. The price of hotel rooms and accommodation in general can be up to four times higher than regular prices.
Rio is also the home to the Maracana Stadium, the largest soccer stadium in the world. Brazil will host the next World Cup in 2014 and Maracana is now undergoing reconstruction for hosting soccer matches in the tournament.
While Rio is more popular among seekers of leisure and festivals, Sao Paulo is home to some serious business in the country. It is said to have the highest concentration of decision and opinion makers in South America, hosting at least 80 museums with the Soccer Museum and the MASP (Sao Paulo Museum of Art) as its icons, with a huge collection of cathedrals and churches, more than 60 shopping malls; and last but not least, the annual event in the form of Sao Paulo Fashion Week, part of the international chain of fashion shows, which include among others Paris, Milan and New York.
Apart from festivities and a strong tradition, Brazil is also known for its impressive economic and achievement in science.
Brazil is one of the four countries — known as BRIC referring to Brazil, Russia, India, and China — deemed to be the biggest and fastest growing emerging economic markets in the world. It is the only country in the world that can free itself from its dependence on oil as it can mass produce ethanol to meet the demand for fuel.
Brazil also boasts the presence of EMBRAER or Empresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica (The Brazilian Aeronautics Company), the third-largest aircraft manufacturer in the world in terms of annual delivery of commercial aircraft (behind Boeing and Airbus ) and fourth-largest in terms of workforce. Based in Sao Paulo, the company focuses its aircraft production on specific market segments with a high-growth potential in commercial, defense and executive aviation.
Brazil is also the primary destination for those seeking quality cosmetic surgery. One of the prominent surgeons is Dr. Ivo Pitanguy — a Rio de Janeiro-based surgeon known as one the world’s most eminent plastic surgeons with clients coming from the ranks of celebrities and models.
I have set the menu on the table and now the decision is yours. Rather than daydreaming about it, you can travel to Brazil and get the experience first hand.
Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com
What comes to mind if a stranger asks you about Brazil? People from older generation will mention soccer legend Pele and Copacabana Beach. Younger folk will mention the name of another soccer great, Kaka, and Rio de Janeiro’s legendary beaches.
Everyone could not agree more with the selection of Pele and Kaka, as both represent Brazil’s soccer glories, whose names are not only popular in their home country, but also on the international stage.
But Kaka and Pele have to vie for recognition with the equally popular 4-kilometer long Copacabana, which has played host to millions of New Year’s Eve revelers each year. The beach has also frequently been the venue for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup .
But associating Brazil only with soccer and its stars, and Copacabana Beach, is a great disservice to the country, founded in 1500, as it also offers beauty and excellence on par with the achievements of other countries in terms of natural beauty and supremacy in science and technology.
Beside soccer and beaches, Brazil is also famous for its Carnival, an annual festival regularly held 40 days before Easter Day. The Carnival has become an event of great significance with the country coming to a halt for almost a week, giving time for Brazilians to party day and night.
While the festival is popular nationwide, the one held in Rio de Janeiro is considerably the most extravagant. It involves the formation of huge crowds at various locations. Life is far from ordinary in many parts of the town with carnival season being the most expensive time to visit Rio. The price of hotel rooms and accommodation in general can be up to four times higher than regular prices.
Rio is also the home to the Maracana Stadium, the largest soccer stadium in the world. Brazil will host the next World Cup in 2014 and Maracana is now undergoing reconstruction for hosting soccer matches in the tournament.
While Rio is more popular among seekers of leisure and festivals, Sao Paulo is home to some serious business in the country. It is said to have the highest concentration of decision and opinion makers in South America, hosting at least 80 museums with the Soccer Museum and the MASP (Sao Paulo Museum of Art) as its icons, with a huge collection of cathedrals and churches, more than 60 shopping malls; and last but not least, the annual event in the form of Sao Paulo Fashion Week, part of the international chain of fashion shows, which include among others Paris, Milan and New York.
Apart from festivities and a strong tradition, Brazil is also known for its impressive economic and achievement in science.
Brazil is one of the four countries — known as BRIC referring to Brazil, Russia, India, and China — deemed to be the biggest and fastest growing emerging economic markets in the world. It is the only country in the world that can free itself from its dependence on oil as it can mass produce ethanol to meet the demand for fuel.
Brazil also boasts the presence of EMBRAER or Empresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica (The Brazilian Aeronautics Company), the third-largest aircraft manufacturer in the world in terms of annual delivery of commercial aircraft (behind Boeing and Airbus ) and fourth-largest in terms of workforce. Based in Sao Paulo, the company focuses its aircraft production on specific market segments with a high-growth potential in commercial, defense and executive aviation.
Brazil is also the primary destination for those seeking quality cosmetic surgery. One of the prominent surgeons is Dr. Ivo Pitanguy — a Rio de Janeiro-based surgeon known as one the world’s most eminent plastic surgeons with clients coming from the ranks of celebrities and models.
I have set the menu on the table and now the decision is yours. Rather than daydreaming about it, you can travel to Brazil and get the experience first hand.
Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com
