Here comes the next challenge

Good and bad news, people.

Good news first, I've got a job at a Japanese company branch in Brazil as an engineer. And since the company has expansion plans, there are good opportunities if I work hard to seize them. Besides, my Japanese skills will be used; and therefore I won't forget Japanese any time soon. Also, there are possibilities that I'll go to Japan for a certain period of time for training and other activities. I am quite happy with this job and opportunities offered. A very interesting offer, even among those when I was looking for jobs in Japan.

Bad news, I don't know if I'll be able to keep this blog updated. From some friends' example, it is pretty hard to keep up once you start working. I'll try anyway. Even because I'll move to Curitiba, and that may be worth at least some posts about areas of the city.

Now it is my time to move on. Stay tuned.

Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

Once again after another public service position, I went to Rio de Janeiro for an examination on July 25th.

Rio de Janeiro, or just Rio for short, is the most famous Brazilian city... for the best or the worst. The most visited touristic city in the south hemisphere, it has one of the largest parties on the planet (Rio's carnival) and beautiful beaches that contribute for the image of "carnival, soccer and beaches" some people abroad have of Brazil. On the other hand, social inequality led to the also famous "favela" and high crime rates in some areas (especially related to drug traffic).

So, after reaching the city by plane on the 24th and reaching the hotel where I'd stay, I decided to make good use of the nice weather and go to the statue of Christ the Redeemer. One of Rio's main touristic spots and a symbol of the whole country, it is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World whose open arms represent a warm welcome to all.


Unfortunately, many other tourists obviously had the same idea. The train that leads to the top was crowded and I had to wait hours until I was finally on the top. Until then the weather changed to foggy. It would be impossible to take panoramic pictures of the city, and even the statue had hidden amid the fog a times. On the bright side, that allowed for unusual pictures of the Christ and some amusement watching all the tourists (myself included) waiting for an instant when the statue would become visible.

The next day was the day of the exam which took good part of the morning and a bit of the afternoon. Since the test was held close to another touristic spot, it would be a nice idea to pay that place a visit.

And that place is Maracana Stadium (official name: "Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho"). Built for the 1950 FIFA World Cup, it has also hosted former Pope John Paul II masses, performances of artists like Paul McCartney, Madonna and Tina Turner. Maracana is also the main stadium for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games and is scheduled to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup final match. The nickname Maracana comes after "similar to a rattle" in a indigenous language because of the presence of birds called "maracanã-guaçu" (in that same language) used to be common in the area.

From there, I went to Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden. Considered one of the most important botanical gardens in the world, it has more than eight thousand specimens from Brazil and abroad.

Close to the botanical garden, I also went to Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon. Although it is a lagoon, it has salty water. That characteristic is kept by an artificial connection between the sea and the lagoon. It is common to see people jogging, exercising or just hanging around the area around the lagoon. Especially on weekends, the place can be bursting with life at certain points.


Then came the third and last day... and something was still lacking. I mentioned before about beaches in Rio, but I haven't been at any so far. So before leaving to the airport, I went to Copacabana beach. Probably the most "touristic" beach in Rio, it is famous by its sidewalks with patterns resembling waves and by its Reveillon party.

There was still a little time a last location before returning home: Ipanema beach. Although the neighbourhood and the beach themselves are also famous and important in Rio, many people might be more familiar with the name because of the song "Girl from Ipanema" - perhaps the most famous Brazilian song abroad.


More pictures are available from my Picasa album.