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Been here in Brazil since Dec 18th - and another week to go.
As some of you well know - I despise Bank Holiday racing, and as the period around Christmas and New Year seems like Bank Holiday every day - no loss at all to me.
As you can see I can access the Betfair Exchange from Brazil - and View 'My Markets' long-term Football bets/situations.
Although, Not bothered with having a bet at all while here -
- not too easy to try to concentrate on Jump Racing on Waterlogged to Heavy going in Britain - when it is absolutely boiling here at 2:25pm.
As some of you well know - I despise Bank Holiday racing, and as the period around Christmas and New Year seems like Bank Holiday every day - no loss at all to me.
As you can see I can access the Betfair Exchange from Brazil - and View 'My Markets' long-term Football bets/situations.
Although, Not bothered with having a bet at all while here -
- not too easy to try to concentrate on Jump Racing on Waterlogged to Heavy going in Britain - when it is absolutely boiling here at 2:25pm.
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Cancel the obituary. Happy hols onlooker. You aren't missing much, most of the recent drama's surrounding a 52-rated Goldie horse.
Has it made the papers in Brazil?
Has it made the papers in Brazil?
thinly veiled "As you can see I can access the Betfair Exchange from my bedsit in west croydon" fred ...
Have you had any contact with Larabrown in the Bahamas?
Thought you'd be on your annual holidays Onlooker, didn't know you'd have a Brazilian though!
As hulk say's,similar to when he was in the Algarve when there was a travel ban and no flights,enjoy your waxing onlooker!!!
Envy envy. I used to spend 3 or 4 weeks a year in Brazil from 1972 until 2010 when we sold our business there (in Rio Grande do Sul) but visited Rio, Sao Paulo and other parts. Nice time of year to be there although March is better in my opinion as it is cooling down a bit. Enjoy the churrasc arias and the Sorveterias. Be careful about too much cachaca in your caipirinha!
Sad if people find pleasure in posting lies but if they do then I am guilty of being caught on the hook. I still recommend Brazil in March.
Look on the bright side sage,at least we know you were genuine,counts for plenty imvho!!
I have never in 78 years seen any point in telling lies. It does make me gullible to people who do but it rarely does me any harm.
Sage, I doubt onlooker was anywhere else other than Brazil when he posted on the 13th, I wouldn't worry about being caught out.
boiling hot at 2.25 PM in South America....I know I will log onto the Betfair forum ..........not got a swimming pool , bar , good book .......
Nothing to worry about sageform,plenty perceive my digs as petty but purely to divide the moronic sociopaths who live on here 24/7!!
I never had any problem betting on Betfair while in Brazil, in contrast with many European countries.
Germany is a classic sage,one on here had no idea what a VPN was and called it a VPM and claimed no issues,still does despite BFs algorythmic systems easily weeding out banned countries!!!
There is more chance of Onlooker being in Brazil than there is of Glenfibby being in Italy imo.
Postcard from onlooker just came through my letterbox. Seems legit.
For those that don't know him, that's him on the right.
[ This image is no longer available. ]
For those that don't know him, that's him on the right.
[ This image is no longer available. ]
Sageform,
I was working in Brasil (1986) for Embraer, an aircraft manufacturer based in Sao Jose dos Campos where i met my then future wife (she was working for the CTA). I stayed in the Novotel initially, but moved to her place later.
Travelled a fair bit in Sao Paulo state and Rio De Janeiro, but not further. I loved the Baby Beef and typical Churrascaria restaurants, but not keen on the local dish, Feijoada.
A wonderful country, beautiful scenery and beaches, nice people, but the crime element is a negative of course. My girlfriends' place was in a nice area of the city, but bars on all windows and the iron gate in front of the carport area was padlocked. I didn't have any issues during my time there, but a couple of work colleagues did (not serious).
My daughter and her mother are actually there now, currently in Caraquatatuba (beach resort close to SJDC) visiting family over the festive/NY period, returning to Germany on Thursday. I've been back there several times (during happily married times) but not for a quite a few years now. If i ever get the chance to work there again i would consider it, but i wouldn't want to stay there indefinitely.
Top2rated
I was working in Brasil (1986) for Embraer, an aircraft manufacturer based in Sao Jose dos Campos where i met my then future wife (she was working for the CTA). I stayed in the Novotel initially, but moved to her place later.
Travelled a fair bit in Sao Paulo state and Rio De Janeiro, but not further. I loved the Baby Beef and typical Churrascaria restaurants, but not keen on the local dish, Feijoada.
A wonderful country, beautiful scenery and beaches, nice people, but the crime element is a negative of course. My girlfriends' place was in a nice area of the city, but bars on all windows and the iron gate in front of the carport area was padlocked. I didn't have any issues during my time there, but a couple of work colleagues did (not serious).
My daughter and her mother are actually there now, currently in Caraquatatuba (beach resort close to SJDC) visiting family over the festive/NY period, returning to Germany on Thursday. I've been back there several times (during happily married times) but not for a quite a few years now. If i ever get the chance to work there again i would consider it, but i wouldn't want to stay there indefinitely.
Top2rated
Onlooker has said on a number of occasions in the past that he takes his annual holiday at this time of year as the racing is poor and a lot of meetings are called off.
I have no doubt that he is telling the truth, seems there are some very jealous people on here.
I have no doubt that he is telling the truth, seems there are some very jealous people on here.
Hi Andrew, As you say security can be an issue but as I had a farming business down in Rio Grande, it was much less of an issue. Mind you there was one occasion when I was on a bus journey back to Porto Alegre when the bus was told to stop at a police road block because the police were engaged in a gunfight with some criminals and we were close enough to hear the gunfire! I went over for 2 weeks most years between 1972 and 2010.
Andrew, just looked it up on Wikepedia and have a rough idea where you were although for me Sao Paulo was nearly always a quick stopover. Congonhas airport was a bit hairy! I did once visit the Univ. of Sao Paulo Agricultural College at Piracicaba, north of SP when I was invited over to give a couple of lectures. To my shame the students could all understand my English while my Portuguese never got past the very basic stage.
racing is poor ....King George , Welsh Grand National , Irish festival.....at least it picks up this week with 3 runners max in the big race.....
Sageform
I never got as far south as Porto Alegre, but one of my Swedish friends in Linköping is married to a Brasilian from the city. According to her there are some nice areas down there, albeit not without it's problems and not only crime (typical in most of Brasil really) but she returns once every couple of years to see family so it can't be so bad. Her husband actually likes it there.
I don't know the Rio Grande area where you were, how did you get involved in a farming business down there (if you don't mind me asking) ?
I can speak Brasilian Portuguese reasonably well, although you would expect that being married to one.
I never got as far south as Porto Alegre, but one of my Swedish friends in Linköping is married to a Brasilian from the city. According to her there are some nice areas down there, albeit not without it's problems and not only crime (typical in most of Brasil really) but she returns once every couple of years to see family so it can't be so bad. Her husband actually likes it there.
I don't know the Rio Grande area where you were, how did you get involved in a farming business down there (if you don't mind me asking) ?
I can speak Brasilian Portuguese reasonably well, although you would expect that being married to one.
If the racing's poor over Christmas,he must be in Brazil most
of the year.
of the year.
I don't think onlooker has a great interest in jump racing but I might be wrong.
Andrew, Quite a long story. I had a family farm here and knew another 20 something in UK who was in the same situation and we decided to look abroad when Tony Benn announced that Labour were going to nationalise all farms in UK in 1970 with no compensation paid. Our families decided to pool our spare capital and start a business in Brazil in case it happened. We carried on until 2010 but like most places in the world, pig farming in Brazil is now dominated by virtual monopolies so we sold it. The farm was in Santa Rosa about 200 miles west of Porto Alegre near the Argentine border. I call it my second home and was always made very welcome as we brought a new modern kind of farming to the area. It was never very profitable but it was a tax deductible trip to Brazil once or twice a year. I have been as far south as Cassino, a beach resort, and Rio Grande which is a huge container port these days. I never quite made it to Uruguay which I regret.
Totally irrelevant, but I met a Brasilian couple just before Xmas, whilst out walking. They were about 50, stood on a corner by the local ring road and obviously lost, so I offered to help. Which proved difficult as they had no English, but did manage to get across that they were Brasilian and I don't speak Portugese. Then the man got out his phone, flicked through pages of pictures, found the one he wanted and enlarged it before showing it to me - it was a street sign that said 'Zakopane Road'. I know where that is I thought, then realised I couldnt give them directions. So I walked with them back to their home, a trip of about a mile, and there was much smiling and hand shaking. They weren't AIS, but BIS - Brasilians in Swindon.
A bit surprising to find Brazilians in Swindon who don't speak English. Santa Rosa is a town of some 30,000 and there were 20 English schools the last time I was there never mind the public schools that teach it. Even in Brazil itself, English is a big asset as so many big employers are American owned.
Sageform
Thanks for the response (i was simply curious). That was a big move to make, more so considering it was over 50 years ago, long before the internet age and when travelling across the globe was not as common as it is today. I've worked in quite a few different countries, but i simply take a flight to wherever, and work in a pre-prepared office where many speak English, so no big deal. A lot different to your experience, so well done.
With respect to English speaking, when i was working at Embraer, not many of the Brasilian engineers did, generally it was those in mangement positions or ex-university students. There were quite a few Japanese guys there, one of them was head of the section i worked in, and he was fluent. It was also OK in hotel receptions, but most bars, restaurants and supermarkets in Sao Jose Dos Campos, forget it. I can't comment on what it's like there today of course.
Alan
Nice story. If you see them again, i know an interpreter you can contact 
Thanks for the response (i was simply curious). That was a big move to make, more so considering it was over 50 years ago, long before the internet age and when travelling across the globe was not as common as it is today. I've worked in quite a few different countries, but i simply take a flight to wherever, and work in a pre-prepared office where many speak English, so no big deal. A lot different to your experience, so well done.
With respect to English speaking, when i was working at Embraer, not many of the Brasilian engineers did, generally it was those in mangement positions or ex-university students. There were quite a few Japanese guys there, one of them was head of the section i worked in, and he was fluent. It was also OK in hotel receptions, but most bars, restaurants and supermarkets in Sao Jose Dos Campos, forget it. I can't comment on what it's like there today of course.
Alan
Nice story
. If you see them again, i know an interpreter you can contact
Driver2
He only speaks fluent gibberish and BS
He only speaks fluent gibberish and BS
The point is well made Andrew. English speakers are very often promoted quickly. My business partner (originally from Ireland) has a son who had a Brazilian mother but of course spoke fluent English. He rose rapidly through the ranks of a combine manufacturer in Santa Rosa (he was also very computer savvy so was one of the early experts in precision farming) and is now based near SP with John Deere.
Alan...was wondering if Pele or the World Cup came into the fragmented conversation back to Zakopane Road?.....Polish influence there by the sound of it.
I'm surprised that so many citizens in Germany, an advanced Western, technologically minded country, do not speak English. The youngsters tend to (not so the immigrants) but even on the DLR so many middle aged don't. In 2021 i had to go to the 'Foreigners Department' to get a residency card (Aufenthaltstitel) in accordance with the Brexit withdrawl agreement, the receptionsist couldn't speak English and the women dealing with me was not fluent by any means.
In Sweden it's the opposite, they learn it from 7 years old and many speak it better than Brits do. No dubbing of TV programs or cinema films up there.
In Sweden it's the opposite, they learn it from 7 years old and many speak it better than Brits do. No dubbing of TV programs or cinema films up there.
Even a Brazilian who speaks no English can say Manchester United and Liverpool if you say you are from Inglaterra.
Andrew, the first time we went in 1972 all we had was the address of the British Consulate in Rio and the Frigorifico Anglo (Vestey) office in SP. They managed to use a radio to put us in touch with a forward thinking meat company in Santa Rosa (to get two 28 yos out of their office). Only one person spoke English in Santa Rosa at the time and his daughters now have one of the English schools. No telephones or any tarmac within 100 miles of town in those days. The English speaker's father in law was Russian and still alive in 1972. He helped establish the first settlement in Santa Rosa after fleeing Russia. Things happen 10 times faster in Brazil. The vast majority adopted mobile phones in the 1990s having never had a land line.
Andrew, the first time we went in 1972 all we had was the address of the British Consulate in Rio and the Frigorifico Anglo (Vestey) office in SP. They managed to use a radio to put us in touch with a forward thinking meat company in Santa Rosa (to get two 28 yos out of their office). Only one person spoke English in Santa Rosa at the time and his daughters now have one of the English schools. No telephones or any tarmac within 100 miles of town in those days. The English speaker's father in law was Russian and still alive in 1972. He helped establish the first settlement in Santa Rosa after fleeing Russia. Things happen 10 times faster in Brazil. The vast majority adopted mobile phones in the 1990s having never had a land line.
hi guys , interesting conversation.
Saw a question on the Chase a few weeks ago and they discussed with the Chaser after the answer was given , it appears 17.3% of the world population speak any English which isn't their first language but only 5% speak English as a first language.
They confirmed Chinese followed by Spanish followed by English was the first language pecking order.
Good luck
Saw a question on the Chase a few weeks ago and they discussed with the Chaser after the answer was given , it appears 17.3% of the world population speak any English which isn't their first language but only 5% speak English as a first language.
They confirmed Chinese followed by Spanish followed by English was the first language pecking order.
Good luck
hi guys , interesting conversation.
Saw a question on the Chase a few weeks ago and they discussed with the Chaser after the answer was given , it appears 17.3% of the world population speak any English which isn't their first language but only 5% speak English as a first language.
They confirmed Chinese followed by Spanish followed by English was the first language pecking order.
Good luck
Saw a question on the Chase a few weeks ago and they discussed with the Chaser after the answer was given , it appears 17.3% of the world population speak any English which isn't their first language but only 5% speak English as a first language.
They confirmed Chinese followed by Spanish followed by English was the first language pecking order.
Good luck
I was wondering where onlooker had got to - enjoy your sunshine break, England is literally freezing at the moment.
All this talk of Brazilians, anyone backing the Cola Brasil ridden by Brazilian jockey Cristiano Martins who previously had his only winner in Ireland on this horse at Cork over 6fs, he's ridden 425 winners in Brazil and actually bought this horse as a yearling.
Definitely needs further than 6fs at Dundalk, outpaced in the rear before running on well in the straight!
Tattcorner,
"Zakopane Road?.....Polish influence there by the sound of it."
It's just modern builds on the north western side of the town. But you're right, there's a collection of roads with Polish based names. Zakopane Rd links Torun Way and Mazurek Way for example. No idea why, but I've always thought it appropriate as the housing in that area suggests the architect gained his previous experience designing prison blocks for KGB.
"Zakopane Road?.....Polish influence there by the sound of it."
It's just modern builds on the north western side of the town. But you're right, there's a collection of roads with Polish based names. Zakopane Rd links Torun Way and Mazurek Way for example. No idea why, but I've always thought it appropriate as the housing in that area suggests the architect gained his previous experience designing prison blocks for KGB.
From the 2006 Swindon Advertiser...
"The area near Torun Way, which is off Thamesdown Drive, now includes a number of streets with Polish-themed road names.
Former mayor Stan Pajak proposed the Polish names for the new housing estate being built by Bloor Homes.
His father moved to Swindon from Poland in 1945 and he accompanied current Swindon Mayor Ray Fisher to Poland last year."
"The area near Torun Way, which is off Thamesdown Drive, now includes a number of streets with Polish-themed road names.
Former mayor Stan Pajak proposed the Polish names for the new housing estate being built by Bloor Homes.
His father moved to Swindon from Poland in 1945 and he accompanied current Swindon Mayor Ray Fisher to Poland last year."
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