Professional Documents
Culture Documents
AmSoc Forum May 2012
AmSoc Forum May 2012
Volunteer Day
Clouds and cool weather didnt hamper anyones fun at the Volunteer Day held at the U.S. Consulate on April 21. The American Societys Community Action Committee and the Consulate invited nearly 80 children from six different charitable institutions to a day of sports, arts and crafts and just plain fun. With 100 volunteers (more volunteers than kids!), there was plenty of opportunity for the children to meet new people and for our volunteers to get to know the incredible children the American Society helps support. The children arrived at noon and were able to choose from several sports to play, including American-style football hosted by the Corinthians Steamrollers football club. Guilherme Lima and Gerao Vida Nova ran soccer games with the kids and the Graded Scouts paddled around
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Hardware
Page 10: There are plenty of choices for those wishing to get their hands on a tablet.
Travel apps
Page 12: How travel apps can help you out in many situations before or during your next trip!
Our Mission
The American Society of So Paulo promotes friendship by organizing social, cultural and athletic events for its diverse membership; encourages integration with the Brazilian society; and supports the American traditions of education, philanthropy and volunteerism.
Presidents Corner
Last month I commented on how amazing it is that due to the strong Real the cost of living in Brazil is very expensive Brazilians are travelling to the U.S. to shop. The By Joe Sherman, AmSoc president E c o n o m i s t magazine uses the MacDonalds Big Mac index as a simple comparison to measure purchasing power parity. The base is the cost of a Big Mac in the U.S which is US$4.20. The most expensive Big Mac is in Switzerland at US$6.81- or the Swiss Franc is 62% overvalued compared to the U.S. dollar. The Big Mac in Switzerland is followed by those in Norway and Sweden. The Brazilian Big Mac cost is US$5.68, Brazil is the fourth most expensive! If you want to plan a vacation based on Big Mac dinners - Hong Kong works best at US$2.12! So based on the Economist index the Real is 35% overvalued, or the exchange parity should be about R$2.40. I dont know what the exchange rate should be, but Brazil, as a developing economy, following Switzerland, Norway and Sweden on the Big Mac index doesnt seem right. So, I am packing my suitcase for a short trip to the States. Based on the above analysis and many newspaper articles on Brazilians shopping in the U.S., my suitcase is empty. I need to take advantage of the exchange rate and the lower prices in the U.S. I dont need anything but might as well buy something. OK, I will be bringing back a new golf bag which is important, maybe a new putter... The AmSoc Gala event team continues working around the clock to put together a memorable dinner/dance on May 11th. This includes finalizing the selection of a DJ, the appropriate lighting/decorations, and the donations for the silent and live auctions. We are very fortunate to have GM as our major sponsor and you will have the opportunity to view several of their latest models at the event. Also, do not forget to mark down June 30th on your calendar to celebrate the 4th of July in style at the consulate facility! See on page 8 for more details of this event. Abraos, Joe
CAC News
The AmSoc Community Action Committee informs about news within the community and supported charities and asks for your active participation Vivenda da Criana Congratulations to the young adults in Menor Aprendiz Program. 8 apprentices are currently working at La Selva Bookstore Headquarters. If you are looking for apprentices for your company. (You know it is required by Brazilian law.) Keep our young adults at Vivenda in mind. Please contact the office of the American Society. Moving Are you moving? Do you have items you cant take with you? Dont throw them away!! Our AmSoc Charities can take them off your hands. Clothes, appliances, furniture, kitchen items, cleaning supplies, anything you have and cant use anymore! Please contact Eileen Tasso, eileentasso@gmail.com
About Forum
Lynn Cordeiro, editor and layout Ernest White II, staff writer Forum is printed by EGB. (http://www.egb.com.br) Views expressed in Forum do not necessarily reflect those of the American Society board of governors, members, or staff. Forum reserves the right to edit content for brevity and/or clarity.
The American Society of So Paulo Rua da Paz, 1431 04713-001 So Paulo, SP Tel: (11) 5182-2074 Fax: (11) 5182-9155 email the editor: mail@falaphoto.com
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Get Lucky
If you like immediate gratification, be sure to find the Lucky Box in the cocktail area during drinks before dinner. With this game of chance, you are guaranteed to win something. Simply pay R$50 to randomly choose an item from the closed Lucky Box. The items are valued from R$50-R$150 so you can literally triple your money.
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Productivity
Things culturedcode.com/things For iPhone and iPad, $19.99 Things is a task management app that satisfies all your needs. It is simple to use yet has a lot of great features to keep you organized. It is not cheap for what it is, but you are paying for an interface that is clean and efficient. I use it every day! Pocket Informant HD www.pocketinformant.com For iPhone and iPad, $14.99 If you are looking for an app that has it all in one place: tasks, calendar, notes and contacts, give this a try. It synchs with a variety of online calendars over the air and is easy to setup. DocsToGo www.dataviz.com For iPhone and iPad, $16.99 If you need to edit, create or view Word, Powerpoint or Excel files, you need this app. You can also use this to view a variety of text formats, even pdfs, that otherwise would go unopened on your device. Indispensable if you work cross-platform. iThoughtsHD / Mindnode www.ithoughts.co.uk For iPhone and iPad, $9.99 www.mindnode.com For iPhone and iPad, $9.99 Mindmapping apps. What, you dont know what mindmapping is? Mindmapping allows you to create visual maps of whatever your project is. You can use it to organise your thinking about tasks, brainstorming, project planning or even goal setting. iThoughts HD gives you the more options of the two. Instapaper www.instapaper.com For Kindle, iPhone and iPad, $4.99 Save articles and webpages for later
reading with the click of a button. It saves and formats the text for you, so you wont be bogged down by graphics and ads by the time you get around to read your saved articles. Very useful for when you dont have a wifi connection.
Not for slow thinkers - you have been warned! Blueprint HD www.fdg-entertainment.com For iPhone and iPad, $0.99 A novelty game that lets you use your touchscreen to the max by twisting a 3D painting into place. You turn and drag disconnected lines in 3D until they reveal a structure or object. Fun for a while for you and a great way to show off your shiny new tablet to other people.
Games
Spelltower www.spelltower.com For iPhone and iPad, $0.99 My new favorite! Spelltower is a mix of Scrabble and Tetris and is very addictive. Find words in a grid not just the usual way but you can crossover, go in a circle, anything is allowed as long as the letters touch corners. It is a great game for young and old that like puzzles. Mahjongg Artifacts www.g5e.com For Android, Nook, Kindle, PSP, iPhone and iPad, $4.99 I am a Mahjongg fan and this was the nicest looking tablet app that I found. You can customise sets and backgrounds as well as board layouts. But be careful, you might get hooked! Scrabble www.hasbro.com/scrabble For Android, Kindle, iPhone and iPad, $9.99 The tablet version of this crossword game lets you play by yourself against the computer, with people on a local network, your Facebook friends or simply by passing the tablet back and forth to a friend. There is much feedback in terms of stats that makes this a truly interactive version of the board game classic. Pictureka! www.ea.com For iPhone and iPad, $4.99 Another boardgame-come-tablet app from Hasbro. You search one painting for certain objects that the computer throws at you with breakneck speed.
Entertainment
Epicurious www.epicurious.com For Android, Nook, Kindle, PSP, iPhone and iPad, $Free You know those moments when you look at the contents of your fridge but have no idea how they can be turned into a meal? Enter Epicurious! This neat app lets you enter the ingredients you have and gives you a variety of recipes. It is also great just for browsing recipes. You can then add all the required ingredients to a shopping list too! Flipboard www.flipboard.com For iPhone and iPad, $Free Neat application that you can customise to aggregate news from a variety of sites, blogs and other sources into one very readable format. You flip the pages like a magazine and just open an article if the headline and first few paragraphs interest you. Goodreads www.goodreads.com For Android, Nook, Sony Reader, iPhone and iPad, $Free If you like to read Goodreads is the app for you. Browse for books, read reviews, see what your friends are reading and saying about their books,
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For Kids
Where is Waldo? www.playwaldo.com For iPhone and iPad, Wii, DS, $0.99 Now Waldo is hiding on your tablet! I found it a little strange that the app is not making use of the zoom functionality, you just pan the image to look for Waldo, but for kids this works just fine. My PlayHome www.myplayhomeapp.com For iPhone and iPad, $3.99 Perfect for little girls that like to play house. There is something to touch and move around in every room of the house and great attention has been paid to detail, even the washing machine can be switched on or off! Amazonas www.studiomalatesta.com.br/conteudo/amazonas For iPad, $4.99 Interactive storybook about the flora and fauna of the Amazon. Nice graphics and fun activities make this a great book for kids. As a bonus you can choose to use (or should I say play) the book in English, Portuguese or Spanish! Gube www.gubeapp.com For iPhone and iPad, $3.99 Sometimes you just need a video for your kids. But then you dont really know what clips they might look at if you leave the tablet with them for 15 minutes and if they are appropriate. Gube solves this by only displaying previously vetted child-friendly YouTube videos. Simple and genius! Montessorium learning apps montessorium.com For iPhone and iPad, $1.99 to $4.99 If it comes to learning apps for preschoolers I have looked long and wide and I can with conviction say that Montessorium makes the best learning apps for that age group. Intro to Math deserves a special mention since it illustrates very well what numbers mean
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Our older kids, boys joined with girls, played with equal intensity but without the same outcome, for they
Volunteer Day
and the Hyatt sent a team of cooks to help grill the lunch: hamburgers and hot dogs. Event organizer Eileen Tasso thrilled with the opportunity to run around in such a large open space and swim in a pool (some for the very first time), came from the following institutions: ABBA, Lar Tia Edna, Vida Jovem, SPACE, Abrigo Analia Franco and Casa Limiar.
(continued from front page) the swimming pool helping our guests stay safe. When they werent out being active, the kids could make bracelets, necklaces and picture frames at the arts and crafts table. AmSoc received donations of food from several sources, including the Graded PTA for soda, Guadalupe Alas for chips, Kraft for 80 Easter bunnies, Hersheys for chocolate and beautiful cupcakes from Jamie Lynn Chamberlin. Nancy and Darek Villeneuve kindly donated cash which went towards lunch
said, The food was great but the kids were having such a blast we could barely get them to come over to get something to eat! The Community Action Committee would like to extend special thanks to the U.S. Consulate for offering its beautiful grounds for the event and for sending so many enthusiastic volunteers. Invited guests, who were
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Apple iPad
Occupying a broad and middle ground between tiny smart phones and clunky laptops, tablet computers have become the most exciting thing in personal technology over the past couple of years. Of course, the Apple iPad was the first and continues to be at the forefront of the tablet boom, and other manufacturers are just playing catch-up. Still, Apple isnt the only game in townAndroid tablets and e-readers offer different functions at different price points, and there is always something to be found for anyone interested in either upgrading their existing tablet or jumping into the fray for the first time. Tablets burst on the scene in a big way in 2010 with the first Apple iPad, which sold more than a million units within the first month of its release. Ease of use and the incredible selection of apps, games, and media have become the hallmark of the iPad and set an industry standard that still hasnt been touched. Android tablets, developed to run on Googles Android operating system, offers the widest range of alternatives in price, size, and capabilities. Windows tablets, which use Microsofts Windows software, have been around since the 1990s and come as close to the laptop experience is you can get without actually getting a laptop. These PC tablets are called convertibles and have physical keyboards stashed within
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Sony Tablet S
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Travel Applications
By Melissa Harkin, AmSoc member Smartphones have been to the Noughties what the internet was to the Nineties nothing short of revolutionary. If you dont already have one, you soon will. And with a smartphone comes its innovative addons apps, or applications. Ten billion apps have been downloaded in the past three years. There are 17,000 travel apps on the market, and 160 million app-compatible devices are owned worldwide iPhones, Androids, BlackBerrys and tablet devices such as the iPad. There are apps that can make our holidays a little easier, others that are just a bit of fun, and many that are thoroughly pointless. The best let you do anything you can do online or with a guidebook, but more quickly and easily and while youre on the move with maps and GPS to tell you where you are. You can search for flights, book a hotel, see the exact location of your accommodation you can even talk into an app and let it translate your words instantly. Here are some of the best travel apps on the market. Slick, user-friendly guides to UK destinations, covering more than 30 towns and cities. The brainchild of Mark Ellingham, the founder of Rough Guides, they offer an excellent selection of expert-picked highlights in easy-todigest nuggets, with lots of attractive photographs. There is a useful map, too. Cond Nast Traveller City Guides iPhone/iPod Touch Bright and stylish guides split each city into districts, with color-coded reviews and a clever to-do list tool, but the app is slightly let down by its clunky filters. Current guides include New York, Rome, Barcelona and Paris. Lonely Planet - Android, iPhone/ iPod Touch, iPad, Nokia The best breadth of content, with 125 easy-to-use city guides and phrase books for iPhones and 25 Compass Guides, augmented-reality apps for Android, plus five e-books for the iPad. Footprint iPhone/iPod Touch and Android Footprint has gone for a more exotic spread: 51 destinations, including Havana, Hanoi and La Paz, as well as more popular cities such as Cape Town and Sydney. Clear, simple listings, attractive photography, and reader reviews.
Destination guides
Cool places iPhone/iPod Touch, iPad and Android
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Currency exchange
Xe (Free) Android, BlackBerry, iPhone/iPod Touch A simple, live currency converter that lets you choose your favorite currencies for comparison. Thomas Cook What Rate (Free) Android, iPhone/iPod Touch An easy-to-use converter, with simplified charts and pleasant, clean design.
On the road
Wikitude (Free) Android, iPhone/iPod touch One of the best augmented reality apps available, which lets you point your phones camera at your surroundings and then annotates the screen with notes on local accommodation, restaurants and sites. TomTom iPhone/iPod touch and Windows Mobile The well-known satellite navigation brand is available for mobile downloads. Google Sky Map (Free) Android, iPhone/iPod Touch A bit of fun when youre away; simply point your phone at the night sky and it will show the planets and constellations. Off Exploring (Free) iPhone and iPod Touch This lets you quickly and easily type up a blog, add a location and photographs and post your latest on the website for friends and family to see.
Language
Earworms iPhone/iPod Touch Self-styled revolutionary language learning apps, these 70-minute audio lessons use mesmerizing music and repetition to get your brain to remember key words and phrases. Weirdly effective. Lonely Planet Phrasebooks Android, BlackBerry, iPhone/iPod Touch, Nokia, Windows Mobile Easy-to-use, comprehensive phrase books with more than 600 spoken and phonetically written phrases for each guide, organized into subsections. Google translate (Free) iPhone/iPod Touch and Android Type or speak into your phone and let it instantly translate into 15 languages (with mixed success if you dont speak clearly).
Sundays
Conveniently located on Rua Carlos Sampaio, 107 Bela Vista Just a block and a half from the Brigadeiro Metro station on the Avenida Paulista
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clAssifieds
H ousing
Vila Nova Conceio So Paulos best place to live. Near Ibirapuera Park. Modern building, with all Sports facilities, heated swimming pool, gym, play room, barbecue, multi purpose sports court. Three bedrooms (1 suite), living room with terrace, complete kitchen,maids bedroom and bath, big service area, two parking spaces. Fully furnished,with allappliances. Call Ana Beatriz or Eliane Phone (011) 3849.7085 or (011) 96266229-mail to: anabeatriz@caboverde.com.br Looking for apartments Looking for furnished, fully equipped apartments in So Paulo. Offer management, promotion, purchasing, remodeling and decoration services for your property. We will rent your flat to foreign tourists & executives visiting the city looking for alternative accommodations. Highly experienced specialized international group. Contact: Paola B. de Estrada 92102201, paola@apartmentssp.com or www.apartmentssp.com Qualified Learning Specialist Success in school leads to success in life. Areas of expertise include in-home support for academics, behavior modification, and intensive preparation for SSAT, PSAT, SAT, TOEFL, TOIEC, IGCSE, and IB Diploma Programme. References furnished upon request. Dr. Wendy M. Smith can be reached at: 3885.7256 [office] or 9236.5267 [mobile]. Math and Science Tutor Teacher with 25-plus years of experience, tutors Math, Physics, Chemistry, and Science for all levels, including but not limited to the IB, IGCSE, SAT-I & II, ACT, AP and Brazilian vestibular. Elementary and middle school students are also welcome (all subjects). Currently St. Francis School, formerly Chapel and Graded. Call Fernando Knijnik at (11) 9134-6700. Selling Up Go with a pro! We have been selling household goods for families, individuals, and companies for more than 20 years in So Paulo and Brasilia for embassies. We have hundreds of preselected clients wanting to buy from you, safe and sound! Send an e-mail to meredithsales@ zaquie.com or zaquie@zaquie.com or call (11) 5908-1144 or (11) 7997-8808. Ask for Ms. Zaquie Meredith. Personal Trainer I will come to your home, office, or workout facility and create an exercise/fitness program tailored to your health concerns, fitness goals, and schedule. For adults and children, individuals or groups. Sessions in English, Spanish, or Portuguese. For more information please contact Daniela Franco at (11) 9739-6191 or dsf29@ hotmail.com. Argos Dog Kennel Traveling? What about your dog? Argos Kennel Hotel could be his second home in the country. Food, water, and shelter with lots of love and personal care. No lonely kennel for him, but our home and the freedom of a spacious garden. Fetch and carry service. English and French spoken. Call Jean or Christiane at (11) 4661-1430 or (11) 7230-3369 or send an e-mail to Jean. chris@uol.com.br. Embu Guau, SP. For Sale - 2008 GM Zafira Expression 2.0 Flex engine automatic (mint condition), ABS, airbag, alarm, on board computer, cruise control, digital air conditioner, power steering, antivandalism insulfilm protection. 7 seats, 78.000 KM, single owner, all maintenance done at dealer, new brakes, tires, oil change with filter, kept in covered garage. Price R$ 41.000,00. Please contact Eileen Tasso 11-5644-5482 (h) American-Licensed Expat Psychologist Richard Morhaime, Psy.D., offers skilled psychotherapy for children and adults. He also provides complete diagnostic evaluations in English for children with academic or behavioral difficulties, featuring individualized recommendations for school and home. For more information, contact Dr. Morhaime at 5538-0099 or 9669-8057 or visit www.expatpsychologist.com.br American-Licensed Psychotherapist In this busy and ever-changing world, people often feel stressed and overwhelmed with no place to turn. Psychotherapy/counseling can provide a safe place to receive professional guidance and support. Brief or longer-term therapy offered depending on your needs, goals and expectations. Services: individual, couples, child/adolescent. Certified to conduct Adoption Home Study for American Citizens. Contact: Pamela Wax, MSW/LCSW at 5051-5988 or 9656-2106 or send an e-mail to pamwax@gmail.com. Located in Moema.
S ervices
Pet Sitter Pets can make travel difficult. If youre traveling, you need someone to take care of your pets. Kennels can be stressful and upsetting. Let your pets stay in the comfort and surroundings of your home. At My Pets Nanny, we come to your home to take care of your pets. Get peace of mind when youre on vacation. Contact a pet sitter from My Pets Nanny today at mypetsnanny@hotmail.com / www.mypetsnanny.com.br Vet Housecalls Homevets offers veterinary services for Dogs, Cats, Birds and exotic pets all in the comfort of your own home. We provide examinations, vaccinations, physical therapy, preventive care, as well as quality care for sick animals. Veterinary housecalls are more convenient for you and more comfortable for your pets. Call us today at 9667-0056 or contato@homevets.com.br / www.homevets.com
Forum does not check all of the advertisers appearing in this newsletter. We urge you to use these services; however, thoroughly check prices and services prior to finalizing any service or purchase agreement. A classified of up to 350 characters costs R$60 for AmSoc members and R$80 for non-members. To place a classified please call (11) 5182-2074 from 8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m., or send an e-mail to AmSoc1@ americansociety.com.br.
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cAlendAr
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5 5e6 Saturday Saturday and Sunday
Come play tennis and enjoy a Brazilian Barbecue at 10 am at the So Paulo Athletic Club SPAC. Call John Kennedy: (11) 9951-9103 A free event that attracts millions of people to the streets every year with 24 hours of cultural schedule. To check the schedule: www.viradacultural.org Time: 9h00 - 12h00 / Location: Espao Escandinavo. Rua Job Lane, 1030 - Alto da Boa Vista. Please RSVP to: monthlycoffees@newcomers-sp.com.br Dance the night away at our premiere charity dinner dance on May 11, with silent and live auction. To buy tickets access: americansocietygala.com or Call us at the Office: (11) 5182-2074 Time: 9h00 - 12h00. Location: Given upon RVSP Please RSVP to redrose@newcomers-sp.com.br The US Band that got known with All Star comes to Brazil! 10pm at Via Funchal. To buy your tickets you can go to Via Funchal or buy online www.viafunchal.com.br After Mamma Mia!, the Band Rod Hanna comes back to the Teatro Bradesco Stage to show its most recent presentation. The show brings new versions of Priscilla, Mamma Mia, Saturday Night Fever and others! At Teatro Bradesco: Shopping Bourbon So Paulo - Rua Turiassu, - Piso Perdizes, 2100 - Perdizes The British band comes to Brazil to a free show! At Parque da Independncia: Av. Nazareth, s/n - Ipiranga. Time TBD. For more in information: http://festival.culturainglesasp.com.br/programacao-sao-paulo A virtuous violinist, Andr Rieu and his Orchestra come to So Paulo Ginsio do Ibirapuera: Rua Manoel da Nbrega, 1361 - Paraso
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For more than 60 years The American Society of So Paulo has worked to establish a strong network for expats living and working in So Paulo. Join Today!!! Visit our website at www.amsoc.com.br and fill in our on-line form or call the AmSoc office at 5182-2074
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