The Darker Side Of Brazil

If you share any interest with me in the country of Brazil, you may be very interested in this article at the BBC News Website. While I do not see the corporate side of the corruption here on a daily basis, I have been asked for a bribe from a government official. The fact that I have been asked for a bribe did not surprise me so much as that I have only dealt with three government agencies since I arrived (well--not including customs).

Street vendors, and menial task jobs are a way of life here, as the article says. I was watching a sidewalk being paved a few weeks ago, and was amazed at the size of the crew doing the work. At home in the States, the crew would have been half the size, and they would have had machines to do most of the tedious parts of the labor. Here everything is done by hand because--at least it seems this way to me--it is cheaper to pay a laborer than it is to buy a machine that would take the place of five of them.

The article talks about much more, and is very well written. If you have questions for me post in the comments, and I will do my best to answer.

Technorati Tags: Brazil, Life In Brazil