year three
“Side Channels” is three years old! It has been an interesting year, albeit with little blogging. One of the highlights of the past year was my four week trip to Brazil in April. Good food, weather, people. I visited Rio de Janeiro (Ilha Grande, Rio), Pernambuco (компютриландшафтRecife, Ilha de Itamaracá, Porto de Galinhas), and Rio Grande do Sul (Porto Alegre, and the great town of Vacaria).
In Recife there is a very long beach stretch along a neighborhood called Boa Viagem. It is a popular destination, but used to be more so until in the early 1990s when ecosystem disruption due to development has driven sharks to Boa Viagem beaches. Shark attacks on humans have then become much more frequent. I found this sign interesting as one rarely sees this kind of language on signs, and it was unexpected there in Brazil’s Northeast. Note that the Portuguese portion doesn’t evoke statistics and simply says “Danger: area susceptible to shark attacks.” (Presumably because it is common knowledge over there and the risks are well known).
January 21st, 2008 at 1:06 am
I might be seeing too much into the shark’s sign, but I think it reveals a trait of Brazilians’ mentality. Brazilians grow up hearing that they are underdeveloped, and that North America and Europe are the rich, smart, respectable parts of the world. I guess so thinks the public employee who designed the sign, he/she probably thought: “the gringoes deserve a more elaborate message, since they are educated people, and we care about what they think of us”.
Happy blog anniversary!
January 22nd, 2008 at 11:00 pm
A productive and Happy New Year for all. I thought of you, Saar, when I saw the news of the Bochum Nokia plant and all the to-do around it.
January 29th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Hey Saar!
You came to Brazil and to demostrate this you choose a picture of a sign??? I hope you have enjoyed Brazil a little more!
And Carol! I totally disagree with you. I don´t think that you can understand the ‘Brazilian mentality’ as you said just because this sign.
Maybe a sign just saying: ” Danger: area susceptible to shark attacks ” is not enough to a gringo.
Anyway… Saar, happy blog anniversary.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:41 am
Hey, I like the pic with Currywurst and Glühwein — had to miss German Weihnachtsmärkte this time (went to Portugal to meet Jorge), but good to know you visited a few extra to make up for me, cool ;-)
Hopefully see you on Friday, and welcome back anyway.
April 28th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
Hey Saar,
Hope you are well.
Joe
June 24th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
Hey, are we getting to year four with no posts?