General Info

[QUOTE=DaveWave]Gentlemen:

How many of you have used your IPhone in Brasil? Were you able to avoid the massive charges that many US based Iphone users have reported while out of the country?

Did you get the $6.99 (or whatever) international plan that is supposed to lessen the cost?

Any input here from IPhone users is welcome. I know if you simply turn the damn thing on in a foreign country it will update your email and everything else leading to a lot of $$ charges.

Many thanks in advance,

DaveWave[/QUOTE]
That's the bad side of i-phone. As soon as you are out of your homecountry and home provider, you are at the mercy of wild rates.In that the Blackberry is unbeatable. I prefer to have an i-pod touch that has same functionalities as the i-phone, but with no phone feature (and bills). And I download those personal emails when I bump into a free wi-fi spot.

[QUOTE=Bionicman]That's the bad side of I-phone. As soon as you are out of your homecountry and home provider, you are at the mercy of wild rates. In that the Blackberry is unbeatable. I prefer to have an I-pod touch that has same functionalities as the I-phone, but with no phone feature (and bills). And I download those personal emails when I bump into a free wi-fi spot.[/QUOTE]Get skype and before you leave forward your cell calls to a skype number. Get skype on your iphone and anywhere there is wifi you can received the calls, which on avenida atlantica. There are alot of places. Also, consider jailbreaking the phone, getting a brazilian chip from TIM all incoming calls are free. Make people who call you from the states pay the toll.

Is the term "garota" a derogatory term? I mean, if I use it for the word "woman" with a non-GDP Brazilian-American (male or female), would it be looked at with a raised eyebrow that I used that term or is it the exact same as "mulhere"?

Thanks.

Rodeo

[QUOTE=Rodeo9112]Is the term "garota" a derogatory term? I mean, if I use it for the word "woman" with a non-GDP Brazilian-American (male or female), would it be looked at with a raised eyebrow that I used that term or is it the exact same as "mulhere"?

Thanks.

Rodeo[/QUOTE]
"Garota" means literally "girl", so no, I don't think it's derogatory at all. As opposed to "mulher", I think it's clear "garota" refers to a young woman, yes, so it's not exactly synonymous. But think about "Garota de Ipanema", de famous Tom Jobim song. I don't think that the songwriter, Vinícius de Moraes, actually one of the most highly acclaimed Brazilian poets of the 20st century, was to insinuate that they were singing about a prostitute.

EA

[QUOTE=DaveWave]Gentlemen:

How many of you have used your IPhone in Brasil? Were you able to avoid the massive charges that many US based Iphone users have reported while out of the country?

Did you get the $6.99 (or whatever) international plan that is supposed to lessen the cost?

Any input here from IPhone users is welcome. I know if you simply turn the damn thing on in a foreign country it will update your email and everything else leading to a lot of $$ charges.

Many thanks in advance,

DaveWave[/QUOTE]


I took my unlocked jail broken iphone down in July. It is not on any U.S. based plan. I have skype and I made calls using WiFi. Used wifi in my apartment and on Avenida Atlantica. Surfed the net everything. I got a Tim card, but had a hard time getting it to work. I don't recommend them, but if you use Tim, don't pay until your phone is actually working. They will charge you for the card and don't guarantee it to work. No money back. If you have an iphone turn everything off...push...mail, anything that automatically updates. If you don't it will drain your minutes. To avoid all of these problems, get a cheap unlocked GSM phone from EBAY. Good luck.

[QUOTE=Rodeo9112]Is the term "garota" a derogatory term?[/QUOTE]
Better say "menina". It's much classier. Or "moça".

Gents,

I wonder if you can help. I'm thinking of going to RJ in October. I prefer using agencies as opposed to many incalls and clubs.

So anyway, I mailed an agency called 'bellaspacompanhantes' to see what they would charge for me to spend three days with a girl. Their response was 900USD per day.

Am I right in thinking this is extortionate? What should I paying and would a request in Portuguese have made a difference?

Also, if anyone knows how I can go about getting someone for that many days, I'd appreciate the info.

Bill

Strange that no one here ever mentionned the excellent brasilian TV serie Mandrake.

Mandrake is a brilliant Criminal lawyer (and also a wine and cigars amateur, a womanizer and a one-night-stand maestro). His main line of work is dealing with the characters from Rio's underworld on behalf of his clients: wealthy people, or high middle class people, who find themselves entangled with this parallel reality, mainly for sex affairs.

Definitely one of the most brilliant TV serie ever done in Brasil. Interesting perspectives about the upper-classes in Rio and their dirty little secrets, lots of (soft) sex and tons of moças bonitas.

[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68RWbBkPJ1w&feature=related[/url]

Some episodes synopsis :

- A Playboy falls for a prostitute and hires Mandrake to negotiate her "release" from the brothel where she works.

- When the nymphomaniac girlfriend of an Argentine pop star vanishes in the city, Mandrake is hired to find the girl.

- A famous stylist is blackmailed by an anonymous who threatens to expose his eccentric sex life.

- A colleague calls Mandrake to handle an emergency in an orgy at a millionaire's mansion involving prominent people.

- In search of a friend's niece turned call girl that went missing, Mandrake goes to Brasilia and investigates a bizarre sect headed by an influential politician.

- When an old friend gets blackmailed and indicted for corrupting minors, Mandrake investigates and uncovers unsuspected secrets.

Ect, ect ..

Here is the official site : [url]http://www.hbo-br.tv/mandrake/[/url]

The whole serie is downloadable on Vuze.

Got it now. At first, I thought you were serious about this show having "cultural" value. LOL.

Then I realized you were informing us how lowbrow the show is.
Seems to be one of those shows intelligent people laugh at because the characters take things seriously in a show that is ultimately simple and formulaic.
Most Brazilians in my educational range (JD,PhD, or MD) do not watch TV at all because there is so little quality.

TJ

[QUOTE=Prosal]Strange that no one here ever mentionned the excellent brasilian TV serie Mandrake.

Mandrake is a brilliant Criminal lawyer (and also a wine and cigars amateur, a womanizer and a one-night-stand maestro). His main line of work is dealing with the characters from Rio's underworld on behalf of his clients: wealthy people, or high middle class people, who find themselves entangled with this parallel reality, mainly for sex affairs.

Definitely one of the most brilliant TV serie ever done in Brasil. Interesting perspectives about the upper-classes in Rio and their dirty little secrets, lots of (soft) sex and tons of moças bonitas.

[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68RWbBkPJ1w&feature=related[/url]

Some episodes synopsis :

- A Playboy falls for a prostitute and hires Mandrake to negotiate her "release" from the brothel where she works.

- When the nymphomaniac girlfriend of an Argentine pop star vanishes in the city, Mandrake is hired to find the girl.

- A famous stylist is blackmailed by an anonymous who threatens to expose his eccentric sex life.

- A colleague calls Mandrake to handle an emergency in an orgy at a millionaire's mansion involving prominent people.

- In search of a friend's niece turned call girl that went missing, Mandrake goes to Brasilia and investigates a bizarre sect headed by an influential politician.

- When an old friend gets blackmailed and indicted for corrupting minors, Mandrake investigates and uncovers unsuspected secrets.

Ect, ect ..

Here is the official site : [url]http://www.hbo-br.tv/mandrake/[/url]

The whole serie is downloadable on Vuze.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=TJ Fannatic]I realized you were informing us how lowbrow the show is. Seems to be one of those shows intelligent people laugh at because the characters take things seriously in a show that is ultimately simple and formulaic. Most Brazilians in my educational range do not watch TV at all because there is so little quality[/QUOTE]
Oh well.

Another know-it-all hardcore woremonger who doesn't know shit about this country and who has decided that it was his board by challenging with condescending attitudes everything that doesn't suits his tastes of culturally unaware cheap-sex-tourist-in-Copacabana.

Just a question Bubba : where have you met those "brasilians in your educational range" ..in Help? ..in VM?...in Tijuana brothels ? ..or in your rural Iowa white trash trailer park?

Do you even gibber two words of portuguese ?

Anyhow despite what you wrongly state, Mandrake was met with great enthusiasm by critics. For your information it was adapted from the character created by Rubem Fonseca, known for his sharp analysis of Rio de Janeiro's diverse society, who won the Camoes Prize, considered to be the most important Novel Award in Brasil.

[QUOTE=Prosal]Strange that no one here ever mentionned the excellent brasilian TV serie Mandrake.

Mandrake is a brilliant Criminal lawyer (and also a wine and cigars amateur, a womanizer and a one-night-stand maestro). His main line of work is dealing with the characters from Rio's underworld on behalf of his clients: wealthy people, or high middle class people, who find themselves entangled with this parallel reality, mainly for sex affairs.

[/QUOTE]


Thanks for the heads up on what looks like a very entertaining show, I am going to check it out.

[QUOTE=TJ Fannatic]Most Brazilians in my educational range do not watch TV at all because there is so little quality.

TJ[/QUOTE]

Maybe they don't have a TV in that educational range?

[QUOTE=Prosal]Better say "menina". It's much classier. Or "moça".[/QUOTE]


Yeah, Moca is good, Garota is more equivalent to what we call Chick.

[QUOTE=Sangue Bon]Maybe they don't have a TV in that educational range?[/QUOTE]
By the way, it is well known in certain circles that highly educated people often do not own televisions. So it is safe to assume that the intelligensia in Brazil may not have TVs.

Ironically, I was just speaking with a Brazilian woman two days ago and she said she has not owned a TV in years. This is very common amongst the educated classes in all nations.

These are the only types of Brazilians I associate with in the US, so I can only speak from that experience.

Again, I spend my days with certain types of people and often do not understand people's posts on the ISG. If that guy was serious about the Mandrake show then sorry, I did not mean to offend.

In fact, I may attempt to write an episode myself to sell to them and make some dollars for a couple of trips to Rio!

TJ

[QUOTE=TJ Fannatic]Again, I spend my days with certain types of people and often do not understand people's posts on the ISG. If that guy was serious about the Mandrake show then sorry, I did not mean to offend.

TJ[/QUOTE]TJ,

I've taken little excerpts from Prosal's episode summaries and shown how the plots tie into ISG themes, and why the post about the show is relevant and interesting for most people, including me.

As for 'certain' types of people. Let's be real. I also spend my time with 'certain types' like well-read and bred Ph. D's. If they are sure that their wives, preachers, or bosses won't find out, they are no different than any other person. Drinking cheap beer, watching trash TV, paying to have sex with women who maybe never even attended school at all; girls would think that fine art is something that her real boyfriend stole and sold for money when she didn't find enough highly educated and cultured non-TV watching gringos to fuck her last week at the termas. Do you see the irony? . As men, we all enjoy trashy stuff to some extent regardless of how well we've been trained and educated to do otherwise. In fact, it sounds like that is the point that the show is making.

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-.A Playboy falls for a prostitute.[ISG member meets a pro and pulls TLN]

-.Nymphomaniac girlfriend. [we all want one, or 10]

- Eccentric sex life. [half a world from home and having crazy sex with hot women you just met, several per day. Not a normal activity for 99.999% of the population]

- An orgy. [calling in the agency girls for a party]

- Call girl that went missing. [termas girl doesn't show up the next day as promised]