IMPORTANT ADDITION TO OUR BRAZIL CARNIVAL PROGRAM...

All Carnival bookings have the option to participate in Carnival parades (blocos) - 1st - 6th Feb 2008...

It is rare for non-Brazilians to participate and be a part of Carnival Parades - you can if you wish, help out and be a part of some of the parades in Olinda and Recife - this is exclusive to Volunteer Brazil bookings...

So here's the deal -

• 5 nights bed and breakfast from 400.00 USD (200 Pound) per person...
• 5 Nights - From Friday 1st February through Wednesday Morning 6th February (Carnival period is Saturday 2nd February through Tuesday 5th February)
• Price includes - 5 nights bed and breakfast in Recife or Olinda & hotel pick-up.

It is reccommended that you book this very, very quickly - it won't be available for very long....

email: alan@volunteerbrazil.com

Or Book here: http://volunteerbrazil.com/booknow.html

SKILL SWAP

Good Morning (It's morning as I write)...

I have a skill swap proposal:

I am looking for someone who can translate one page (my main page) of one of my travel websites into the fololwing languages; German, Dutch, Italian and French.

IN RETURN:

If you have a website I can do any of the following in return:

i) Analyze and evaluate your website index page (main) and up to 2 other pages of your website.

The evaluation will be solely about Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and a brief synopsis on how you may improve your search engine rankings/traffic on the pages evaluated.

ii) Translate one of your webpages from English to Portuguese.

If you can help - please email me: alan@volunteerbrazil.com

THE LAST CALL FOR CARNIVAL - PROBABLY...

We have reduced our Carnival price to....

BOOK NOW for CARNIVAL - 5 nights bed and breakfast from 400.00 USD (200 Pound) per person...

5 Nights - From Friday 1st February through Wednesday Morning 6th February (Carnival period is Saturday 2nd February through Tuesday 5th February)

Study English in an English College

If you want to study English, there is no better place to learn the language than in England itself - Quaint, fashionable, historic, with sprawling countryside and very appealing villages. With towns and cities, boasting unrivalled architectural diversity, whereby, history and tradition meets modernity.

This is a wonderful opportunity to study English in the traditional home of the language - Living, studying and working amongst English native speakers, in their own cultural environment will be an invaluable aid in helping you to achieve your objectives.

Your College location

You will be based in Brighton, on the south coast of England, amid beautiful, sprawling Sussex countryside, and as a welcome bonus, your college is less then 50 minutes from London.

Some important points about your English course:

You will be taught by professional teachers.
Class sizes are a maximum of 12 students.
All students are over 16 years old.
Your teachers will offer counselling sessions, and ask about accommodation and your life in England.
The college has a self study centre to help you improve your English outside classes.
Academic and Administration staff will help you apply for a university place - and advise you.
Regency College is acreddited by The British Council.
In addition to your chosen Cambridge English examination qualification (or other) Regency College will present you with a certificate at the end of your course.

Your Accommodation

Your accommodation is going to be an integral part of your English cultural experience, with this in mind, you have a wide-ranging choice of accommodation options.
Your accommodation options:
Homestay with a local English family.
Self catering flat in Regency College.
Local hotel or guest house.
Private rented accommodation in Brighton.
You may choose to have a single or shared room, the choice is yours. You may also decide whether you want to have your meals included in your accommodation choice, or to be more adventurous and take care of your own eating arrangements.

Got a Question?
please don't forget, if you have a question, want advice on the best option(s). Or perhaps you would like to talk to a native English speaker about what its like to live and study in England - Ask us, Here!

You can check it out ; here: http://unitedkingdom.volunteerbrazil.com/

Bed & Breakfast Accommodation in Brazil


Bed and Breakfast Accommodation in Recife, Brazil

Are you looking for bed and breakfast accommodation in Recife?

Room RateTariff

R$ 60 per person per night (around US $ 34 – 16 United Kingdom Pounds – 23 Euros)

Airport pick-up is available for US $ 35 (up to 3 people)

Please email: bedandbreakfast@volunteerbrazil.com

Or make your reservation here: Reservation (please let us know your dates, how many nights accommodation you require and if you want airport-pick-up).

Or call us:
0055 81 32692793 (regular line)
005581 88798877 (mobile).

Both English and Portuguese speakers are welcome at our bed and breakfast.

Local information
Your bed and breakfast is only a short bus ride to down town Recife and the beach area of Boa Viagem. The exquisite resort of Porto de Galinhas is less than an hour on local transport and the historic and UNESCO site of Olinda is less than 5 miles away.

Recife has a tropical climate and is a hot sunny city, light clothing and shoes are reccomended. The city is served by Recife Guararapes International Airport, and domestic flights can be easily arranged to the Amazon in the north or Rio de Janeiro in the south. The fourth largest city in Brazil derived its name from the Portuguese word for Reef, and being protected by a long coastal reef you will find some of Brazils best beaches along its coast, in particular, Porto de Galinhas which is considered to be the second most beautiful beach in Brazil.

(in actual fact the beach considered to be the most beautiful is also in Pernambuco - on the island(s) of Fernando de Norohna). Recifes deep cultural roots are notable, and the citys cultural program should not be overlooked. You will find many fine restaurants, a pulsating nightlife, and rich places to explore art, craft, music and dance. Traditional handcrafts to look out for are clay figuerines, wood sculptures, leather goods and woven straw which you will find at markets and shops hidden away in the citys narrow streets.

Make a difference to a child this Christmas -

Donate Today

Donate to Volunteer Brazil - Brazil Donations

If for whatever reason you are unable to volunteer or come to Brazil - you can still help by making a donation...

Why not make a donation?

There are 2 ways you can make a donation:

By making a regular monthly or annual donation...

A one-off donation...

Either way you will be contributing to a very, very worthwhile, much needed and greatly appreciated cause - moreover, you will recieve initial and regualr information and feedback about your oen and other donations...
You may either make a monetary donation using your American Express card or by sending a contribution direct to our bank account using the SWIFT bank transfer facility.

Some points to consider regarding donations...

You may donate as little as US $50 (50 Euro or 25 GBP)...

You can choose a generic project for your donation...

You will receive an acknowledgement and details of where and on what your donation has been used - with regular updates...

If you choose to donate monthly, you will recieve a monthly donations newsletter - for one-off donations, this will be quarterly...

You may donate clothes, books, school supplies, IT equipment - in fact almost anything which maybe needed or useful to our projects in Brazil - please contact us for our delivery address in Brazil.

If you have a question, want more information or would like to donate, please contact us today! Contact us

To make a donation using your AMEX please call us on 00 55 81 32692793 (Office) or email us @ information@volunteerbrazil.com

We will need your card number; name on card, expiry date and 4 digit security number (on the front of your card), and of course the amount you wish to contribute (and whether it is a one-off contribution or monthly/annual).

For a contribution direct to our bank in Brazil - Please contact us for our banking information - information@volunteerbrazil.com

Thank you for reading and hopefully, donating - see you soon...

Brazil Carnival 2008 - The Greatest Show on Earth...

Book NOW - 5 nights bed and breakfast from 600.00 USD (295 Pound) per person...

Come and join us for the Worlds Greatest Carnival Party - Early Booking is Strongly Advised!

5 Nights - From Friday 1st February through Wednesday Morning 6th February (Carnival period is Saturday 2nd February through Tuesday 5th February)

Reserve Your Place FOR 2008 - Click Here!

Price includes - 5 nights bed and breakfast in Recife (in a homestay) & hotel pick-up. (hotel accom available @ extra cost - but will only be available until December at the very latest - hotel accom is almost fully booked...

Brazil hosts web policy forum

More than 2,000 people who oversee the workings of the net around the world are gathering in Brazil

Policy makers, activists and officials are gathering in Rio de Janeiro for the second Internet Governance Forum.

The UN-backed body aims to give those developing policies for the net a place to air problems and hear about others who have succeeded.
Sessions at the four-day forum will debate security, international domains and control of core net functions.

Debating chamber
The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) grew out of the World Summit on the Information Society meetings which were held in 2003 and 2005.

The forum is intended to be a debating chamber that, among other things, helps to keep the UN Secretary General up to date with pressing net issues.

The IGF was also created to be a "neutral space" in which policy makers, concerned citizens, lobby groups, educators and companies can debate and swap ideas without the need to produce recommendations or decisions.
But this lack of measurable success has led some critics to decry it as little more than a talking shop.

"Using 'talking shop' as a negative suggests communication is a bad thing," said Emily Taylor, director of legal and policy at UK domain name overseer Nominet, who will be attending the meeting.

She said it was one of the few times that those involved with overseeing the net get a chance to gather.

"I know from working in the industry for a few years that an awful lot can be learned from your peers," she said.

Theresa Swinehart, general manager of global and strategic partnerships at net overseer Icann, said one of the most positive aspects of the IGF was that lack of pressure to produce decisions and policies.

"One of the big issues at the WSIS was the importance of sharing information and addressing issues that may not be under the jurisdiction of one particular organisation," she said.
In some senses, she said, the IGF could already be judged a success because it had put in touch people around the world working on the same thorny net problems.
"It's already demonstrated benefits because people are aware of the issues and have information about how to solve them," she said.

Ad hoc working groups have emerged from the first IGF in Athens and many are expected to report what they had been doing at the 2007 event.

Sessions at the IGF will debate how to improve net security and ways that governments have tackled rising cybercrime. Other sessions will look at linguistic diversity online, the move to IP version 6, the number system for all online devices, and how to protect free speech.
Ms Taylor said the debates typically involved the sharing of success stories, recounting of the mistakes some made and policies that did and did not work.

She said: "Often you learn as much from what went wrong as from what went right."

Report taken and made by the BBC

Volunteer in Argentina - Travel and Tango!

Argentina is an extremely pleasurable experience, so unexpectedly diverse, yet paradoxically, what you would expect from the second largest country in South America. It has one of the most diverse terrains on the planet - with a variety of climates. From subtropical to subpolar, in fact the highest temperature recorded is 49 Degrees Celcius, whilst the lowest recorded is - 39.

You will be based in Godoy in the region of Sante Fe, 60 kms from Rosario.
You may either Teach English to children and adults or teach or help with sporting activities (all types of sport). You may if you wish combine both activities and can also help the local authority in Godoy plan new programs for now and the future.

You will volunteer 5 days a week ,for a minimum of 4 hours per day. This allows you plenty of time to explore and immerse yourself in Argentinian Culture.

Your accommodation will be with an Argentine family who will serve you 3 meals per day.

Apply to Volunteer in Argentina

CARNIVAL FEB 2008

What will you be doing between

Feb 2nd through 6th 2008?

6 Nights - From Friday 2nd February through Wednesday 6th February (Carnival period is Saturday 2nd February through Wednesday 6th February)

6 nights of frenzied partying, 6 days of glorious sunshine - the ultimate , the best, the most famous of all Carnival's await's you. Do not delay much longer, as Carnival period in Brazil is booked-up very quickly, and accommodation can be problematic if you leave it too late.

You can book for Carnival in Brazil through Volunteer Brazil - check-out the Carnival Brazil page ;here: http://volunteerbrazil.com/myPictures/carnaval.html

You may choose from the following:

Carnival in Olinda

Carnival in Rio de Janeiro

Carnival in Recife

Carnival in Bahia

Please state your preference on your application form, you will find it here; http://volunteerbrazil.com/booknow.html

And finally - WHY NOT VOLUNTEER DURING THE CARNIVAL PERIOD - IF EVER THERE IS AN INSTANCE OF KILLING 2 BIRDS WITH ONE STONE - THIS IS IT!

Go here: http://www.volunteerbrazil.com/

Have a great day......

20% off all Volunteer Programs in Brazil...

Have I got news for you - Volunteer Brazil are giving a very, very generous 20% discount off all their Volunteer Programs in Brazil - the only stipulation is that you must volunteer in Brazil, Argentina, Peru or Africa before December 31st 2007.

Check out the available volunteer programs;here:

http://volunteerbrazil.com/projects.htm

BRAZIL TESTIMONIAL

Here is a recent (so recent, Chris is still in Brazil) testimonial about Volunteer Brazil's Street Children Project

In Chris' own words....

hey Alan things are amazing!

its amazing here and i would recommend it anyone .the kids are amazing and each of them is so happy and playful. everyday we play and have fun.

im starting to get the launguage aswell being constantly surrounded by it. its okay if someones talking directly to me but if their talking around me it goes over my head. but its okay tho because i know whats going on most of the time.

but like i said everything is amazing, the scenery, the kids and the staff are also really good. they really help me and help explain things if needs be. had a massive futsol tournament last night and im paying for it now. my feet are in pain but it was worth it.

am really enjoying my experience here just cant believe how quick the days are going. hope everything is well with you. and thank you for this, i cant describe how happy i am here.

Chris, Recife, November 2007 (Street Kids Program)

Why is Brazil Real Estate attracting so Many Overseas Investors?

Overseas property investors are heading to Brazil for a multitude of reasons; even famous move stars and footballers are investing in Brazil real estate.

Here is a 100% themed website BRAZIL REAL ESTATE dedicated to increasing awareness and exposure about the Brazil real estate investment market is receiving a lot of interest and has even been featured in the UK national press.

The site is focused on the North East state of Rio Grande de Norte as being the investment hotspot and they have even produced a free 76 page country and buyers guide with detailed information about the area, tourist attractions, economic growth and other property investment related information.

The site highlights the importance of tourism growth being a key factor for all the investment activity.

Tourism development

The Brazilian government for the North East are and have been actively encouraging tourism growth and inward foreign investment especially in the north-eastern state of Rio Grande do Norte.

The northeast is full of flavours and vibrant colours. Music, dance, folklore, religion and regional culinary delights all abound with as many different delicacies as there are states and accents. It is an all year round paradise for those in search of perfect beaches, equally perfect weather and dramatic landscapes, all seasoned with a large dose of culture, history and folklore.

Exceptional Tourism Growth and Potential: Brazil had 5,358,000 visitors in 2005, an increase of 4% since 2004, placing them as the fourth greatest tourist destinations in the Americas. The amazing and diverse landscapes from Rio de Janerio the tropical city metropolis , the quintessential sandy beaches of the North East, to the Amazon Jungle mean Brazil has a wealth of varies attractions and a wide range of tourist activities.

However the main area for tourism development in Brazil as mentioned earlier is the north east region.This has originated from a large public investment programme which was initiated around 10 years ago: the Tourism Development Programme in the North East, PROSETUR / NE.Over 670 million dollars have been invested through this programme on;
- Transport- The environment- Infrastructures- Tourism management bodies
The success of this has resulted in the implementation of PRODETUR / NE II with an estimated investment of 400 million dollars.

Between 2002 and 2005, the number of international passengers at Brazilian airports increased by 50%. The north east of country, the main leisure destination in Brazil, saw a 160% increase in travellers within the same time period, this trend is predicted to continue.

This investment activity has encouraged international property developers to set up shop and start building a selection of top quality residential tourism resorts in the area.
4 new residential tourist developments worth mentioning are; Grand Natal Golf - Located only 20 minutes north of Natal the capital of Rio Grande do Norte; the sunniest and safest region of Brazil you will find this residential development that is absolutely respectful with the ecosystem, the unspoiled landscape, and the people living in the area.

The development will feature five golf courses, a heliport, a residential complex, tennis and paddle courts, a riding club, spa facilities, a health and aesthetics centre as well as a thriving commercial and recreational complex all surrounded by tropical gardens, pools and perfectly landscaped grounds.

Sol Do Atlantico - Only 150 meters from the shore-line is a beach lover’s paradise – the sophisticated, development has a front line, elevated position ensuring all properties come with exceptionally stunning views. Pipa Paradise - peace and tranquillity; the development is situated directly behind the ‘Chapadão’ a rocky plateau and conservation area located above the ‘Praia do Amor’, the Love Beach with some of the most spectacular sea views available anywhere in the world. Porto Brazil – apartments on a luxury secured gated community located only 12 km from the centre of the city of Natal with superb views over the surrounding area. It is a resort with a complete leisure, relaxation and amusement infrastructure including a range of services from tourist trips to rental management schemesTo view these developments then check out this site which has been designed to specifically showcase these 4 developments in all there glory, with floor-plans and areas and property pictures and investment points.

Here is the BRAZIL PROPERTY INVESTMENT site with all 4 developments.

In summary Brazil is a rising start for both Tourism and because of the massive investment now real estate investment is also growing in popularity.

We would like to point out that if you are looking to buy Brazil property make sure its in the right location including facilities and tourist attractions as well as making sure it’s a quality build and attractive type of property i.e. front line beach. This is just a quick guideline article and
This article is for information purposes only and you should consult independent professional advice before making any decisions or buying Brazil property.

Visit our web site where you can download your free 76 page country and buyers guide which is a must read before you buy Brazil property.

You can download the country and buyers guide which will help inform you with more detailed information about The North East and Tourist attractions and should help you decide on what area and type of property when looking to BUY BRAZIL PROPERTY

Get involved in Conservation in Bahia, Brazil....

Our conservationpermaculture project in Bahia aims to contribute towards the sustainable development of the semi-arid region of Northeast Brazil, disseminating - through politico-environmental education and the strengthening of the local ('Sertanejo') popular culture - practices and alternatives based on the principals of permaculture; aimed at living in harmony with this semi-arid climate.

You will be based in Irecê, in the central part of the State of Bahia.

We want you to help us develop and spread the use of agricultural practices most appropriate to the semi-arid climate of the region founded on the principles of Permaculture. (the creation of an ecological farm based on diversified, year-round agricultural production and the use of natural renewable resources such as solar energy and the capture of rainwater, etc), to combat the rural exodus of young people, students and farmers agricultural labourers through enviro-political education and organisation, and to revitalise traditional regional culture through the study, recording and promotion of cultural groups and the organisation of cultural events.

Are you up for this? Apply Here…

Permaculture is about designing ecological human habitats and food production systems. It is a land use and community building concept which strives for the harmonious integration of human dwellings, microclimate, annual and perennial plants, animals, soils, and water into stable, productive communities. The focus is not on these elements themselves, but rather on the relationships created among them by the way we place them in the landscape. This synergy is further enhanced by mimicking patterns found in nature.

Information about Bahia

Bahia's capital is Salvador, or more correctly, São Salvador da Bahia.
Bahia is the chief locus of the early Brazilian slave trade, and is considered to possess the greatest and most distinctive African imprint in Brazil.

Bahia is the birthplace of many noted Brazilian artists, writers and musicians. There also are indigenous tribes, such as the Pataxo and the Tuxa.

Have a great day......

Just take a look at Gerbrand...

Gerbrand volunteered with us in June, and as I write is still here on our NGO Volunteer Program.

I think he was quite amused and surprised to be voted The King of The Corn during the festival of St John - in all fairness to Gerbrand , he played along with it, and in fact did a magnificent job, too.

(Gerbrand is from Holland but is currently studying at the University of Wales in Cardiff....)

Some further information and a delicious sweetcorn recipe:

On 23rd June is the celebration of São João (St John The Baptist) the most popular saint in northeast Brazil. Fires are burnt in front of the houses, quadrilha is danced ( from French folklore) , all this is to give thanks for the good harvest, traditional meals are eaten and it is a great excuse to have fun...

Recipe for Canjica Pernambucana
Ingredients: · 25 spikes of sweetcorn· 1 cup of thick coconut milk· 4 litres of thin coconut milk· 3 cups of refined sugar· 1 soup spoon of butter· 1 soup spoon of salt· 1 cup of sweet herbal tea· 50 grames of butter cheese (optional – use a mincer if you have one)

Preparation and Method:

Grate the sweetcorn spikes and wash the mass with part of the light coconut milk through a thin sieve. Place mixture in a mincer machine or a liquidizer.
Add the rest of the thin coconut milk and boil it, always stirring it with a wooden spoon.After one hour and a half of boiling and stirring, put all the other ingredients and the remainder of the thick coconut milk.

Boil it on a low heat, always stirring it with the wooden spoon. Place it in a crosspiece plate or small plates and sprinkle with cinnamon…..
Hope you enjoy it!

PS: Thank you to, Mirian Machado-Thomas for writing about the June Festivals and providing the recipe for the delicious canjica...Obrigado Mirian...

If you have a question about the June Festivals or would like more Brazilian recipes , you may contact Mirian here

See you soon...

Missing Children

Can you imagine what it must feel like to find your child has gone, been taken away from you , taken from their bed, has failed to return from an errand – has just simply disappeared...

Think about it for just one moment – and one moment only, because if like me, you find it unbearably hard to imagine – be thankful, very thankful…

But somewhere in the world this nightmare happens each and every day, in fact thousands of times per day – very thankfully some of these disappearances are accounted for very, very quickly, but sadly not all.

Missing Children Myth

According to the organization; connect for kids, posting pictures of missing children is the single most important tool for locating children who are missing. Further, law enforcement agencies concur and many police forces throughout the world cite photographs of the missing are the vital link between the public and the eventual solving of the disappearance.

If you want more information on missing children in your country, go to http://www.missingkids.com/ , for Brazil only go to http://br.missingkids.com/

To conclude I want to highlight the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. The disappearance of Madeleine has received extensive European news coverage. Indeed most countries outside Europe has to a lesser or greater degree given Madeleine’s disappearance some coverage.

Madeleine went missing on 3rd May, she was taken from her bed by a person or persons unknown in the Portuguese holiday resort of Praia de Luz in the Algarve. Madeline was holidaying with her mum and dad, and twin brother and sister.

Madeleine McCann is only 4 years old, and somebody, somewhere, has knowledge of her whereabouts.

If YOU know where Madeleine is, if you know anything at all about her disappearance , please. Please , please get in touch with your local police immediately. Alternatively you can call the Portuguese police on 00351 282 405 400 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

For more information please visit the official Madeleine McCann website, here: http://www.findmadeleine.com/

Lets hope Madeline is found safe and sound very soon…

Over 2 million children are forced into sex slavery each year.

If you think you can’t make a difference, think again...

My name is Kiren, I am volunteering with Volunteer Brazil in June of this year (2007). For 5 weeks I will be volunteering on the women at risk program in Recife.

As a Master’s Degree student in psychology at New York University, I have earned the opportunity to help the victims of sexual trafficking in Recife, Brazil with Casa de Passagen (House of Passage) for five weeks starting June 2007. Brazil is among the top three countries with the highest number of sex trafficking victims (some as young as six years old). UNICEF estimates that the number exceeds 500,000.

Casa de Passagen is a project based in Brazil that works with the city council, local authority, police, courts, judges, and other social service agencies to assist street prostitutes and sex slaves. Casa de Passagen rescues, rehabilitates, and empowers these women and children through shelters, counseling, education, various types of therapy, job skills and training, and recreational activities.

I am currently the on-site counselor for ECPAT-USA (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography, and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes), running a program that gives young adults an opportunity to educate, raise awareness, and develop and implement projects that address this increasing problem. I also have relevant counseling experience, especially working with diverse communities. I hope to use my education, skills, and experience to support these victims in starting a new life. In addition to the psychological services I can provide, my passion for raising awareness about the horrors of prostitution and trafficking will enable me to educate others throughout Brazil.

All programs are run solely on volunteer contributions, and therefore each program has a fee. To be able to participate in this program, I need financial assistance, which I hope you can help provide. If possible, I am asking to be sponsored for at least one day of my program ($111.11). However, any donation that you can contribute would be greatly appreciated. Checks can be sent to the address below.

I encourage you to visit http://www.volunteerbrazil.com/ to learn more about the program.

I thank you in advance and I look forward to sharing this experience with you. Kiren Shingadia.

Help me Fundraise!

Contact me:
email: Attention of Kiren: information@volunteerbrazil.com

With a Little Help From my Friends

My name is Lacey, I am Canadian and volunteering with Volunteer Brazil in July of this year (2007).

For 5 weeks I will be volunteering at an orphanage in Recife.

I was born and raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Although I have grown up in Thunder Bay, I have spent a number of months overseas on school exchange, as well as personal travel throughout North America. It is not vacationing which I love so much as traveling to experience different cultures and languages. Having recently graduated from Lakehead University's Teacher's College and wanting to experience more of the world, I havedecided to embark on a volunteer adventure in Brazil.

I have been very fortunate with the life I've had here in Thunder Bay, and I want to give back to those children who have not had the privileges I have had. During my time at the orphanage I will be helping in the everyday lives of the children.

I will be providing them with love and attention, playing games and helping them get ready for school, complete homework, and teach them informal english lessons. I want to have the opportunity to share some things with the children/youth of Brazil, while at the same time have them teach me something about their diverse culture. I had no doubt that this is what I wanted to do once I completed school, and by helping meraise funds you can help me reach my goal. In total my 5 week volunteer placement will cost me approximately CAD $3000.00.

This is broken down into program fee (which includes language training and living expenses for the duration of the 5 weeks), flight, visa, as well as traveler's insurance. My goal is to raise as much of that as possible. I will be approaching friends, family, and local businesses in search of any type of support. I am asking for funds; however, I will also be accepting services and donations which may help in my fundraising goals.

I am in the process of setting up a number of fundraising projects which will soon be posted on this site.

Thank you for your support!

Fundraising Events:

Yard Sale @ Evangel Church (Thunder Bay) on Saturday 5th May...

Car Wash @ Jones and Associates (Thunder Bay), day and time to be arranged...

BBQ, location, day and time to be arranged...

Ongoing fundraisers:

Mom's Pantry sales (please contact me for more information on how to order)Flower Pens ($3-on sale throughout the community)

Thank you to my sponsors...

Cozy Corner Store.

Jones and Associates Insurance.

Contact me: Lacey Dagenaisemail: lacey@volunteerbrazil.com

LIKE A VIRGIN...

I doubt if these guys are being ¨touched for the very first time¨

Today marks the first day of many days of debauchery in Olinda.

Mothers, wives and girlfriends send their sons , husbands and lovers to do battle in this UNESCO World Heritage Town.

Bidding farewell to their men is not the usual anxious, heartwrenching wonderment and hope filled goodbye associated with battle - Indeed , mothers, partners and sisters have helped considerably with the battledress of short skirt, lipstick, stuffed brassiere and nail polish...

Freudian fear dictates that the females do not worry whether their men come back alive and victorious, but whether they come back as, well, er....men...

Like most Latin American males, Brazilian men are essentially macho, and prima facie, there are only 3 phrases or verbal attacks which can send a Brazilian man into a frenzy...

1) Telling him that he is a ¨corno ¨... (corno, means horn, signifying that he has grown horns, meaning that his wife or girlfriend is having an affair).

2) Calling his mother a prostitute...

3) Calling him gay... (meaning homosexual)...

It is with amusement then, this weekend, we will see thousands of Brazilian macho men, cross-dessed, flaunting themselves as desirable, delectable, female virgins...

Apparently, Dia das Virgens, or Day of the Virgins came about by a group of men from a Bairro Novo family (a district of Olinda). They decided it would be great fun to become, transvestite, for a day...(no surprise that the virgins wiggle their bits the 2 weekends before Carnival).

This tradition caught on very, very quickly and is now a major and significant event in the Olinda calendar...

Flaunt your bits at Olinda this year, only a few places remaining for our main carnival event...

Check it out, here: http://volunteerbrazil.com/myPictures/carnaval.html

Have a great weekend, whatever your doing...

Alan (or is that Alana)...

AS MAD

AS A MARCH HARE

No beating around the bush, no spiel, no sales-talk...

EXCEPTIONAL LOW COST VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS...FOR MARCH 2007

1 WEEK VOLUNTEER PROGRAM FOR $550 US DOLLARS (280 Great Britain Pounds 430 Euros)

2 WEEK VOLUNTEER PROGRAM FOR $715 US DOLLARS (362 Great Britain Pounds 552 Euros)

3 WEEK VOLUNTEER PROGRAM FOR $880 US DOLLARS (445 Great Britain Pounds 680 Euros)

4 WEEK VOLUNTEER PROGRAM FOR $1100 US DOLLARS (558 Great Britain Pounds 850 Euros)

The only condition(s) which apply to our MAD MARCH HARE OFFER are as follows:

1) Your volunteer program must be 1,2,3 or 4 weeks in duration.
2) The first day of your program must commence in March 2007.
3) We are capping the offer to 30 volunteer program places.

Go and check-it out! MAD MARCH HARE OFFER

Study

English

in an

English

College.





If you want to study English, there is no better place to learn the language than in England itself - Quaint, fashionable, historic, with sprawling countryside and very appealing villages.

With towns and cities, boasting unrivalled architectural diversity, whereby, history and tradition meets modernity.

You will be based in Brighton, on the south coast of England, amid beautiful, sprawling Sussex countryside, and as a welcome bonus, your college is less then 50 minutes from London.

This is a wonderful opportunity to study English in the traditional home of the language - Living, studying and working amongst English native speakers, in their own cultural environment will be an invaluable aid in helping you to achieve your objectives.

Some important points about your English course:

You will be taught by professional teachers.
Class sizes are a maximum of 12 students.
All students are over 16 years old.
Your teachers will offer counselling sessions, and ask about accommodation and your life in England.

The college has a self study centre to help you improve your English outside classes.
Academic and Administration staff will help you apply for a university place - and advise you.
Regency College is acreddited by The British Council.
In addition to your chosen Cambridge English examination qualification (or other) Regency College will present you with a certificate at the end of your course.

Your Accommodation

Your accommodation is going to be an integral part of your English cultural experience, with this in mind, you have a wide-ranging choice of accommodation options.

For more information, check out this page: http://unitedkingdom.volunteerbrazil.com/

Or, contact us directly, here:
http://unitedkingdom.volunteerbrazil.com/studyinenglandapp.html

GOOGLE BOT MAKES FALSE ARREST!

Hi,

Haven't been able to post for a week or so...

My blog was placed under house arrest by the google bot...

The blogger team sent me an email - here it is:

Dear Blogger user,

This is a message from the Blogger Team. In order to maintain a free, high qualityservice, we use an automated classifier to identify spam blogs.

[1]This system has detected that your blog has characteristics that resemble spam.Since you're an actual person reading this, your blog is probably not a spam blog.Automated spam detection is inherently fuzzy, and we sincerely apologize for thiserroneous result.

You won't be able to publish posts to your blog until we review your site and verifythat it is not a spam blog. To request a review, please fill out the form foundhere: http://www.blogger.com/unlock-blog.g?blogID=22981200

We'll take a look at your blog and unlock it in less than four business days. Pleasenote, if we don't hear from you, we will remove your blog within 20 days.

If the blog at http://volunteerbraziltravel.blogspot.com/ does not belong to you,then no action is necessary on your part. Any other blogs you may have will not beaffected. By using automated classification systems we've been able to dedicate more storage,bandwidth, and engineering resources to users like you instead of spammers.

Thanksfor your understanding.Sincerely, The Blogger Team

Fortunately, the humans at Google, have now recognised, and acknowledged the megalomaniac tendencies of their ¨virtual bouncers¨...

The human sent me this:

Hello,

Your blog has been reviewed, verified, and cleared for regular use so thatit will no longer appear as potential spam.

If you sign out of Blogger andsign back in again, you should be able to post as normal. Thanks for yourpatience, and we apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.

Sincerely,The Blogger Team

See you soon, Tchau ....

Check-out my new Brazil Travel Board - here:

http://travelbrazil.proboards52.com/index.cgi

New Project in The Amazon Rainforest.

Our Amazon project is deep in the western section of the rainforest, in the state of Acre.

Acre has the Bolivian border to the south, and the Peruvian border to the west.

Due to illegal logging and other devastating activities, 45% of the rainforest in Acre is protected by the Brazilian government, and the remaining 55% is very, very, closely monitored.

There are hundreds of plants, fauna and trees under threat of extinction, perhaps none more so than the Mogno tree, which, primarily, over the past 150 years has been illegally cut down and sold as the sought after, wood; mahogany.

The Mahogany was a much sought after commodity, particularly in the British and North American markets. It was ultimately this desire for mahogany, the once favored wood for furniture making (amongst many other traditions) which today threatens the species.

Our project then is to replant and protect the most endangered trees, plants and rainforest fauna. We do this by collecting seeds and fruits from endangered species, and replanting them in a nursery environment. The nursery stage is usually about 3 months in duration, after which the plants and seedlings are replanted in the Amazon Rainforest.

The project objective is to replant some 50,000 hectares per year, we are currently only managing 2000 hectares per year - less than 5% of target..……This is why volunteers are needed

More Information about your location.

Acre, lies in The Amazon Basin, and 93% of the state territory is covered with tropical rainforest. And despite the deforestation , Brazil, remains the most bio-diverse country on the planet (Indonesia is second).

Some of the trees are gigantic, such as the "sumauma" which can attain a height of 160 feet, or the water lily, named by a British Victorian explorer as "victoria regia" on account of the lily being ¨fit for a queen¨, spanning more than 6 feet across.

There are Brazil-nuts , copious amounts of exotic fruits, innumerable species of insect, birds of paradise, parrots, marine life, snakes, turtles, monkeys, jaguars, panthers and possibly other species waiting to be discovered.

Indigenous peoples of your location.

The known Indian peoples of the Amazon Basin, are divided into 6 linguistic groups:

Tupi, Karib, Tukano, Jê, Pano and Aruaque. However, there are also isolated groups who have little no contact with other groups. Notwithstanding, previously unknown indigenous Indian groups are sometimes discovered.

The first immigrants to the area

By the end of the 19th century the first wave of immigration took place, this was due primarily, to the European and North-American demand for rubber.

Rubber companies were set-up, called "Seringalistas" . The "Seringalistas" appropriated large areas of rain forest for rubber extraction (latex). The Amazon Indians tried in vain to resist, but their bow and arrows were no match for the guns of the rubber companies sponsored gunmen. The gun wielding "Correrias" were mostly bachelors, and usually killed only the male Indian, and taking the Indian women as wives. In addition to this , many of the Indians died from diseases such as tuberculosis and measles, hitherto unknown in the region.

The Indians were forced into labour, constructing roads and rubber-tapping.

The rubber boom brought great wealth to the Amazon cities of Belem and Manaus. However, this was to end, under dramatic and infamous circumstances.

Biopiracy is not new to Brazil, indeed the Portuguese colonizers were the first biopirates to set foot on Brazilian soil. However, the decline of the Brazilian rubber industry is infamously attributed to an Englishman; Henry Alexander Wickham, who in 1876 stole rubber tree seeds.

He was originally in negotiation with the Brazilian government to establish a rubber industry in the Amazon region. When the parties could not agree terms, Wickham hid the rubber seeds on his ship, stashed between banana leaves.

Ironically , Brazilian officials organized a farewell party for Wickham, and proceeded to give him a most generous send-off, not knowing of course, that he had hidden seeds on board his ship.

Wickham and his pirates sailed for the British colonies of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and Malaysia and established the region as the worlds main latex production and exporters. Which devastated the Brazilian rubber-tapping industry.

Wickham was subsequently knighted by King George V, and loathed by Brazils rubber barons, who called him ¨the executioner of the Amazonas¨.


If you would like to volunteer on our Amazon Project, please contact us by either , clicking here:

http://volunteerbrazil.com/booknow.html

or by emailing us: alan@volunteerbrazil.com , mention, Wickham the rubber-tree pirate in your email, for 15% discount off the program cost.