The Quarter-Finals:

Brazil vs. Netherlands

Even though Brazil will host the next World Cup in 2014, it felt as though the World Cup was already here as everyone hurried through the streets in the morning with their yellow and green jerseys to large screens set-up downtown, or to friends’ homes and bars to watch the match between Brazil and the Netherlands. The match started off with a denied goal from the Brazilian team followed up within 5 minutes by Robinho that scored a perfectly aligned goal. Screams of joy, fireworks and Brazilian vuvuzelas filled the air.

By the second half, the Netherlands played their usual game of perfect defense and well placed goals that ended the game for Brazil at 2:1. Brazilians were in shock to learn that their team would not advance. It was a game well deserved for the Netherlands who now advance to the Semi-Finals.

Ghana vs. Uruguay

One of the most exciting games since the start of the World Cup, Ghana set out on a mission to make history, again. This all seemed possible when the first goal was scored in extra-time of the first half and then the unforgettable penalty kick at the end of the second half of overtime- which was missed. This lead the game into penalty kicks and Uruguay came out as the victor and now advances to the Semi-Finals.

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Day #18 World Cup

Day 18: Brazil vs. Chile and Brazil is going wild! Stores closed early to let employees join friends and colleagues in small cafés or gather in downtown areas to cheer on the national team. Massive crowds turned out to watch the game which was followed by concerts in São Paulo, Bahia and Rio. The Brazilians version of the vuvuzela instantly turned the metropolitan streets of São Paulo into a stadium as the team scored which is heard in the audio sample.

Brazil World Cup
Day #10 World Cup (Reporting from Brazil)

Day 10: Brazil plays against Cote d’Ivoire and because football is a huge deal in Brazil, everyone was outside showing their support. Banks, stores and companies paused or closed early to watch the game and cheer on A Seleção, the Brazilian national team.

Brazil world cup
Virada Cultural: Don’t Sleep São Paulo!

May 15th - May 16th in São Paulo Brazil is the Virada Cultural, the night where the city doesn’t sleep to enjoy activities all night long. Various venues are set up throughout the downtown areas with stages for concerts, dance areas with reggae, samba rock, and Brazilian hip-hop.  Artists create light shows on buildings, circus performers do special high wire acts between skyscrapers and street performers are everywhere in between. Food vendors and restaurants stay open all night as well as some grocery stores to keep the party going by supplying snacks throughout the night. Other venues also take part. Movie theaters create special screenings with themes like “Culinary Cinema” and “Horror Films” and charge just $1 Reais ($0.50 USD) to enter.

São Paulo events Brazil
Street Film

Do you know your city so well that you can capture the small moments that define your city? A Brazilian duo known as Cinema de Rua in São Paulo, Brazil capture the essence of the city in their short films. They take video footage of the most mundane scene- the rainfall, apartment buildings, plastic and turn it into short visual poems. The concept is interesting because it is not made with an objective of tourism so it shows that city for what it really is and I would love to see others do the same thing about their cities.

Here are a few of their films: The Rain, The Plastic Bag and Video Graphite. More are available on their blog Cinema de Rua.

São Paulo brazil cinema film culture city
Stay a While

Photo of Kabash du Toubkal (www.kasbahdutoubkal.com) by Alan Keohane

Have you ever gone on a journey to a new place and by the end of your stay you realized that the best part of the trip was actually the accommodations? Well, there is a world of unusual and strange hotels around the world that might make your next trip more about the stay-in than the going out.

Some of these locations are well known, such as the popular Ice Hotel in Sweden in comparison to, perhaps, the Dog Bark Park Inn in Idaho, USA that prides itself in being the world’s largest beagle (since the 2-story body of the hotel is shaped as a dog) but I like the one’s the reflect the nature of the place it is located.

Planning a trip to Berlin Germany? The Propeller Island City Lodge embodies the many faces of Berlin through art, re-used materials, modern decor, color, lights and engineering. Bottom line? You could end up sleeping in a room with a slanted floor, floating bed or kaleidoscope walls.

Trekking through Morocco? Try staying at the Kasbah du Toubkal for a breathtaking view in the mountains and learn to live like a Berber. The Kasbah is located 60km from Marrakesh and acts more as a welcoming center than a conventional hotel. Passing through? You can stay for only a few hours or for several week.

Hiking in the Amazon? The Ariau Amazon Towers Hotel in Brazil is the ultimate tree house. Live among the species that make the Amazon the hub of biodiversity. There are packages available that incorporate tours, hikes and visits with local residents.

Passing through Cappadocia Turkey? Cappadocia (Kapadokya) is known for their hoodoos (fairy chimneys) that make up a large part of the surroundings. What better way to experience the region than to stay in one of the many hotels that have been carved out of the hoodoos, a practice dating back to 4,000 B.C.

Turkey Berlin travel hotels morocco Amazon Brazil
São Paulo International Film Festival

Currently in São Paulo, Brazil, it’s the 33rd annual International Film Festival (33º Mostra Internacional de Cinema) which takes place for two weeks. Here are a few of the films being shown this year that are interesting for the modern nomad- films about interactions between other societies and cultures:

Eastern Plays (Bulgaria 2009)

Heiran (Iran 2009)

Delhi (India 2009)

London River (UK, France, Algeria 2009)

cinema culture film festival brazil
Solide: Les Nubians en Concert

Les Nubians, the French-Cameroonian musical duo, performed last night in São Paulo, Brazil as part of the year of France in Brazil events. The performance was held at SESC- a unique cultural center with several locations and a television network that provides events and activities to all for less. With tickets costing the same price as a liter of milk, fans from SP filled the auditorium. Les Nubian performed many songs from their last album, Step Forward, including the summer favorite Temperatures Rising and a few old classics after starting off the show with their new single, Solide.

Proving that music is an universal language, the sisters had the crowd on their feet and incorporated some Brazilian samba rhythms in their songs. Speaking a mixture of English, French and Portuguese- Les Nubians gave a great performance that any global nomad would love.

Les Nubians perform their last concert in Brazil tonight at SESC SP-Pinheiros at 21h.

Visit Les Nubians website

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