Parking cars on the street...

Last week, I was talking with my classmate friends about how they get a driving license in Japan and how hard and expensive it is here for them. While we were talking about it, I was surprised with the comment about an interesting matter. I had never thought about it, and though I've already been living here for 8 months, we don't find cars parking on the street in Japan..... It really impressed me. It's because in Brazil, and I believed that it is so in many others countries, it's common to park cars on the street in most cities' places...

Indeed, I think it is a good idea and it can be a good solution for bigger cities like Sao Paulo that have serious traffic problems, because certainly it could improve the traffic flow. And now, I can understand why we can find so many car parks everywhere in Japan, and how it is important and necessary for Japanese.

Have you already taken notice or thought about it??

Bossa Nova musical style...

Bossa Nova is the Brazilian musical style that was influenced by samba and jazz. It was developed in Rio de Janeiro in the 1950s by Joao Gilberto. The film Black Orpheus, in 1959, brought huge popularity in Brazil and Latin America, which spread to North America by American jazz musicians. Maybe, the most successful song is "A garota de Ipanema" that means "The Girl From Ipanema" that was recorded in 1970s and it was translated in English after soon.



Bossa Nova is most commonly performed on the nylon-string classical guitar, played with the fingers rather than with a pick, but the piano is another important instrument that also it has served as a stylistic bridge between Bossa nova and jazz.

In Japan, I really was surprised when I listened to Bossa Nova in the stores, department shops, shopping malls and restaurants in the original Portuguese.

I've met people here in Japan that really enjoy Bossa Nova.... Do you enjoy it???

Japanese culture in Brazil

Hello,

Lets tell you some information about Japanese culture that has influenced Brazilian society....



First of all, there are more than 1,3 million of japanese descendent living in Brazil. It's the largest number of japanese communities abroad according to the Association of Nikkei and Japanese Abroad. In Brazil, the largest of Japanese communities are in states of Sao Paulo and Parana.

We can find in Sao Paulo, the biggest Brazilian city, more than 600 japanese restaurant that serves tradicional japanese dishes like sushi, sashimi, temaki, tempura, teppanyaki and teishoku. These number is so incridible because there are more japanese restaurant than tradicional brazilian restaurant that we calls "Churrascaria", a steak house that serves meet of beef, pork and chicken. Furthermore, from the 1990s, with the development of globalization and the maturing of awareness on a healthy diet, Japanese cuisine was rapidly gaining strength the scenario gastronomical Brazilian. Today, fortunately, we can say that lovers Japanses cuisine in Brazil not restricted only to the descendants of Japanese.

Liberdade is know as Sao Paulo's Japan Town. We can find many variety of japanese things like restaurants, karaokes, bookstores, cafes, Japanese private schools and many association kind of Japanese provinces.

There are many Japanese companies in Brazil as Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Nissin, Ajinomoto, Hisamitsu, Asics, Mizuno, Komatsu, Sony, Toshiba, Panasonic, NEC and others that have influenced and developed my country.

This year, we are cellebrated 100th year of Japanese Immigration to Brazil, and I hope that these relationship between Japan and Brazil become stronger.

Grape fruit juice.... do you like it??

Hello,

Last weekend, when I went out with my Brazilian friends, we talked about grape fruit juice....

I've tried it once in a karaoke. I had never tried it, and living here in Japan, I usually want to try new tastes.... but it was so bitter and unsweetened..... and I thought: "That can't be true that Japanese really like grape fruit!!!". I talked with my Brazilian friends that live in Japan and they had the same thought..... My friend had already asked his Japanese friends, and everybody told him that it's true.... they really like it.....

When we had an opportunity to ask our sponsor in Japan, he said: "Grape fruit juice is so delicious".... but, I also can't believe it..... Do you like grape fruit??

My first BLOG...

Hello folks,

My name is Reinaldo, I'm Brazilian guy that actually is living in Japan.... I've been here since April, 2008 and my foreign study program will be until March, 2009. I'm in Kumamoto city, in the south of Japan, and studying Business Administration focusing on Marketing, and this blog is a part of English Advanced Class' exercises.

I've chosen to write about Japan, first because I'm living here and I will stay during one year, and second because I'm a descendent of Japanese.

I would like to make new FRIENDS here in Japan...... please be my friend!! :)

Thanks.

Reinaldo M.