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Showing posts from May, 2024

Never a Dull Moment in Rio de Janeiro

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People commonly say that “Brazil is not for beginners”.   It means that there are such bizarre and unique situations in which only a native can understand and deal with it.   In terms of Brazilian oddity standards, Rio beats all the other cities.   The reaction of its inhabitants is typically a blasé shrug.   Lately, the catalogue of attention-grabbing news has unexpectedly outraged or amazed the Cariocas. A major happening was Madonna’s Celebration Tour concert.   An estimated 1.6 m revelers flocked to Copacabana Beach to wish the Material Girl a happy 40 year-long career anniversary.   I was not one of them, I went to bed early.   Not only was the concert free, a milestone in the entertainment business, but it took place peacefully in a city notorious for its commonplace violence.   Rumor has it that Madonna was paid a US$ 3.3m fee; Itau Bank sponsored the concert (US$ 12m, an estimate), with the states and city of Rio providing a tenth of tha...