Last Day in Belém

Today was our last day in Belém! I’m so sad to go but I’m super pumped about going to Rio with Janice and Laura. I’m actually in their room hanging out right now listening to music and discussing places we want to go see.

Our last day here was eventful to say the least. A few of the girls in our group and I went to Ver-O-Peso to do some last minute shopping. Janice and I went off on our own because we wanted to go to a separate part of the market. I had to get my mom these lantern objects, which aren’t lanterns at all. They’re just paper ceiling decorations. We then ventured to another part of the market to find Janice a tambourine. While we were on our mission, we stopped to buy some jerseys. It was really funny because a guy who worked in the market was so eager to please us. All I have to say is than Janice and I are quite the bargainers. We wouldn’t buy anything from anyone unless they would sell it to us for a cheaper price. Anyways, Janice ended paying this guy for some jerseys and he took off with her money. We were kind of pissed off and looking for where he went. If I saw him I was going to beat him up. But I didn’t have to take it to that level. The little Brazilian man came running back with her change (I guess he didn’t have enough money to break her bill oops!) We did however make it in time to get Janice her tambourine.

After going to the market, we all went to this place that resembled a farm. It was a really nice place though. I really liked how it was in nature and not in a big city. There were chickens running around pecking at the ground and a dock where you could get into a canoe and cruise around in the river. Joanne, Laura, Brit and I were the first to hop in the canoe. Brit and I paddled and we ended up crashing into this wooden object in the water and we got stuck for a little while. Thank god we got out of that sticky little situation. I got some really great pictures but for some reason my computer is deciding not to work. I swear my computer gets PMS and decides to be difficult.

Next, we all went on a short hike on a trail. The trail was really easy to hike, which was good because most of us were in sandals. Being in nature was really nice for a change. I miss being at home and being able to drive somewhere in the woods and just bond with nature. Although the trail was not that long or strenuous, we all still felt a little winded and couldn’t wait to eat lunch. The food wasn’t as bad as everyone was complaining it was.

After eating lunch we went back to the hotel to get ready for our sunset boat trip. I was really worried that it would rain on the boat while we were trying to watch the sunset. The boat we were going on was the same boat we took to the island last week on our beach trip.

The boat left at the docas, which has been a very central location during our stay here. The sunset today was BEAUTIFUL! WOW!!! I don’t know how to put into words the way the sun lights up the sky and how the reflection on the water glows. It really is something you must see in person. If anyone ever goes to Belém I highly recommend taking the sunset boat ride.

The boat ride was really fun! They had dancers again and one of them was our dance instructor on the last boat ride. We went up and down the Amazon and watched the dancers perform traditional dances and they got some of the audience involved for fun. I had a really good time tonight to say the least and I’m really sad to go.

When we got off the boat we had to say goodbye to the people who’s flights don’t depart until tomorrow. My roommate Emily was one of the people. I almost started to cry when I said bye to her. I don’t do goodbyes because they make me really upset for some reason. Goodbye is so permanent and I just can’t handle the stress of going through it. I did want to say goodbye to Emily though. I’m really going to miss her a lot. She was the best roommate I could’ve asked for on this trip. Em-Dogg if you read this- I LOVE YOU!!!!!

I’m also going to miss Raúl, our professor. Raúl has been so patient with us and so helpful. If it wasn’t for him I don’t know how we could’ve survived this trip. Raúl let us go off to do our own thing every night, which was nice but I think I liked having him around more. He is really a great and fascinating guy to talk to. I love how he loves his family and dog so much. He also arranged the coolest events for us to do and took us to some wonderful places to eat. Thank you for everything Raúl!

I’m going to miss everyone come to think of it. Everyone in the group had something special and unique to offer. Everyone was really smart too- I met some of the most intelligent girls I’ve ever known on this trip. I don’t even like writing about goodbyes and this entry is making me sad. I know I shouldn’t be sad because I realize I’ll see these people again, except Dan. Dan is moving back to Chicago. I’m going to miss joking around with Dan and our inside jokes about Summer Heights High. Maybe we’ll all get to see him playing professional volleyball on TV one day.

Anyways, I must go pack for Rio now. I’ll be updating my blog there too so you can all follow the rest of my Brazilian adventure!

Five Things I've Learned About the Amazon

The Amazon is very rich in culture and biodiversity. The tops five things I’ve learned about the Amazon is it’s the most diverse region out of anywhere in the world, deforestation has affected everyone here negatively and the Federal Government is now trying to help. Disease and illness is difficult to control and loggers, farmers and miners negatively affect the indigenous peoples.

The topic I have learned most about is biodiversity. The rainforest is the most bio-diverse place on the planet. Trees, animals and aviary enrich the jungle with so much life- it’s really amazing. The problem in the Amazon is the production of sustainable resources. Because people are farming land illegally, they are cutting down the trees and destroying the ecosystem. Deforestation has devastated the Amazon and it’s biodiversity.

Deforestation is due to the need for the wood. The Amazonian foliage is used for so many different purposes such as food, houses and consumer products. Not only are companies going through and cutting down the forest but loggers and farmers are taking over the land illegally and doing what they please with the resources they obtain. It’s really sad because the indigenous people of Brazil rely on the forest to survive.

The Federal Government is trying to do all they can to protect the Amazon. However, it is difficult to do so when there are so many people illegally inhabiting the land and destroying natural resources. Although the government is not in total control over the land in Brazil, they are working really hard to make a difference. They want to protect the indigenous peoples and figure out how to make the Amazon a more sustainable area. The government also works to protect the forest by doing their best to patrol the territory.

Disease and illnesses are also something that affects the Amazon. Because of the climate, disease is always changing and spreading. It is also really difficult to control because of the mosquitoes and other parasites. Luckily, the Amazon has what we know as universal health care and vaccinate everyone, including Indian tribes. It’s sad though because the Amazon is not a fully developed part of the world so they are still doing research trying to fine cures and vaccines to other illnesses. It is hard to get everyone under disease control consider malaria and yellow fever are two major diseases that are spread throughout the Amazon.

Finally, another thing I learned about the Amazon that I find really important is how farmers, loggers and miners are driving out the indigenous people of the Amazon. These groups have gone through and taken over indigenous territories. They are have been known to massacre indigenous tribes and the courts have convicted some groups of genocide. The indigenous people are an important part of the Amazon. They have lived here for centuries and are considered to be the most knowledgeable people of the Amazon. The government and others social groups are doing all they can to protect the Indians, however, the Indian people also don’t have any laws protecting them from illegal intruders.

All five of these topics I’ve discussed are serious issues in the Amazon. Brazil is doing all that it can to help improve the overall lives of the people and the Amazon. I really hope that these conditions improve overtime. I hope I live to see the day when Brazil makes it’s transition from being a developing country to a developed one.

Top Five Things I've Leanred About Science Reporting

I have learned numerous important issues when it comes to science reporting. The top five I will discuss are that you cannot be sure that the information a scientist is telling you is true, don’t make mistakes and always check your facts, the most important thing is to always be prepared and have your sources lined up, nature reporting is more about what you observe as opposed to environmental reporting which is based on facts and finally, provide your lead with facts and quotes.

You can never be sure when you are a science reporter whether or not your sources are telling you honest facts. This is a huge issue for science reporters because if they do not go back and double check their facts and their source have provided them with false information, heir reputation will be damaged. Sources will make up information to tell you either because they really would like their product to be public or because they are heavily influenced by the company they are working for. You can never know if they are following the money aspect or if they have a hidden agenda. As a result, they are more likely to tell you all the good information about the product and leave out the negative. If the story becomes published and it turns out that the source provided false information, then there is nothing you can do to undo the damage that has already been done.

This leads up to the next most important thing I’ve learned about science reporting. DON’T MAKE MISTAKES!!! Always check your facts. This is really important because if you do not go back and double-check your information and there is a mistake, chances are you will damage your reputation in some way. A science reporter has only one reputation and you want that reputation to be the best. If it’s not, chances are people are not going to want you writing for them. I cannot stress how important it is to clarify information and go back and make sure everything is correct.

Third, another really important thing to consider when science reporting, is to be prepared and already have your sources lined up. This is especially important when natural disasters occur for example, a volcano erupts or a tsunami wipes out an island. This way when a natural disaster occurs, you already know whom your expert sources are and already have your questions so you can be the first to publish the story. Another example of when it would be important to have your sources lined up is when a tragedy like a plane crashes. That way you can have your sources who knows why a plane crashes or what could have caused the plan to crash.

When a science reporter is reporting about nature, they tend to use more descriptive language and write about their own experiences in nature. Environmental reporting, however, is not the same. When you are reporting about the environment you should include statistics, charts, graphs and even how is affects global, social and economical issues. For example, when a science reporting is doing a story on global warming, they might discuss how is it going to effect us in the future as opposed to what is going on right now. Environmental reporting tends to more about what needs to be done and nature reporting is about what is going on right now, for example, the extinction of polar bears.

The fifth most important thing I’ve learned about science reporting is to provide you lead with facts and quotes. Without these two items the lead probably won’t appear as interesting as it could be. It also shows that you are getting information from a knowledgeable. It also gives more background information about what you will be discussing later on in the story. The story is also more credible if the lead is followed by facts and quotes.

The BEACH

We went to a real beach today! I love beaches, especially ones that have real sand. Although the beach isn’t what we in California know as a beach it was still so relaxing and peaceful. It was a little island and you could tell that the lifestyle in this area was totally different than in the city.

It took us about an hour to drive there from our hotel. The drive went by quickly. I think that could be because Kendra and I talked about movie, books and TV shows. I seriously love Kendra. For those of you who don’t know this already, Kendra is my boss at the Daily 49er.

At only 19 years old, she’s taken on the role as City Editor. She is so bright and talking with her makes me want to be a better news writer. Same thing goes with Joanne. Joanne is on a whole other level of maturity. She’s only 20 and works as the Editor in Chief at the newspaper. Joanne is one of those people who you know will accomplish anything she puts her mind to. I really respect both Joanne and Kendra. I consider myself lucky to be working with such amazing people.

When we got to the beach you could immediately tell it was going to be one of those beautiful days. The sky here is so blue and the clouds make this place appear so heavenly.


It was probably quite comical to see our entire class taking pictures and laying all in a row on the beach. The water in the Amazon is really warm, but it does sometimes have patches of cold water that come from the ocean.

Raúl decided we should leave the spot we had originally stopped to go further down the road to another part of the beach because there was a restaurant where we could order some lunch. Sounded good to me! So we packed up our towels and drove to the other end of the beach.

The restaurant we ate at was really nice. It was completely open like a taverna and looked over the Amazon. The food was so so, but as always we had a good time. Kendra and I split fried chicken. The drumsticks had NO meat on them. I thought it was pretty funny because our class jokes about how everything here is so malnourished.

There was also a bee that would not leave us alone, mainly me. I’ve never been stung before so I don’t know if I’m allergic and I’m not about to find out if I am on this trip. Lisa and I stayed away from the table until our food came.

After lunch, we all walked down to the beach and swam in the Amazon. The water was murky, just like it was at the other beach we went to last weekend but it was cleaner. After about 10 minutes of swimming it started to rain. It was only a little drizzle, but then it started to really come down. Our day at the beach was over.

Carla, Lisa and I did however make a new friend. The dog we named Paris, because she had a marking that looked like the Eiffel Tower on her chest, was the sweetest dog ever. You could tell that we were all animal lovers by the way we gathered and gave the puppy so much love. We were sad to say goodbye.

Once the rain stopped, we all got into the van and drove back to the hotel. I quickly finished my papers so that I could go to Favella’s with everyone tonight. I am happy to say that I have completed everything, except for my media packages for each story. I’m going to complete those tomorrow if my computer doesn’t blow up before I can get to it.

My computer has been acting so strange lately. It all started in Long Beach around final period. I don’t know why it’s been geeking out lately, but it’ll just randomly freeze up or trip out. For example like right now- I’ll be typing a word and it’ll keep adding letters when I’m typing! It’s really annoying.

Emily, Dan, Kendra and I all decided to leave later than the rest of the group to go to dinner. We got into a cab who told us he knew where Favella’s was then asked us if we were going to the Docas. NO we were not going to the Docas- this guy had no idea what Favella’s even was. With that, we got out of the cab and just walked there. Without Kendra we should not have known where we were going.

Once we got to Favella’s I realized the group had already ordered their food and drinks so I quickly got a waiter and ordered my food and a beer. I really needed a beer.
There was a live band that went on tonight! They were a Brazilian band that sang American music. They busted out with some Rebelution and of course, we all sang along.

Raúl’s friend Renato met us at Favella’s again. This time, Joanne and I got to talk with him and get to know about how he became a doctor. He talked with us about his time in Massachusetts and how he worked in Denver. He is so charming! I must say that if I were a Brazilian girl that I would go after Renato haha.

My camera broke again tonight! I’m so mad. Luckily it still works and its just a little piece of plastic that broke, but still it’s really annoying. Hopefully if my camera breaks I can go get a Leica like Janice. Her camera is so awesome and it takes the best pictures.

After a few beers and some good live music, a few of the girls and I decided to head back to the hotel. We sang Beautiful by Christina Aguilera the whole way back because it was playing on the radio. The cab driver, who looked like Christopher Lloyd’s character in Back to the Future, laughed at us. We probably sounded terrible haha.

Now I’m back in my hotel room and I’m so ready to pass out. I have such a busy day tomorrow. I have to go to the little alley market to get my mom some lanterns she wanted then going to a place for lunch where they have trails to explore. I better remember to wear my vans. Raúl also wants to take us to dinner on a boat tomorrow where you watch the sunset. I can’t wait!! On top of all that, I need to do my media packages so I don’t know how much free time I’m going to have to relax on my last day in Belém.

I’m going to bed now. Ciao!

News Story: IDESP Researching for Sustainable Development in the State of Pará

The Instituto de Desenvolvimento Econômico, Social e Ambiental do Pará, or IDESP, is a research institution working on how to make landscape changes and sustainable development in the state of Pará.

IDESP focuses on important issues on the state such as social, economic and environmental development. This institution is focusing on sustainable science in local, regional and global aspects. The Brazilian government controls IDESP.

Today, deforestation and illegal logging and cattle ranching cause a lot of problems. They have negatively affected the sustainable development in Pará. According to Peter Mann de Toledo, a researcher at IDESP, “[The IDESP] is expected to provide crucial information.”

The most important question researchers ask is, “What should we do to solve the problems in Pará and make the land more sustainable?”

In order to solve this issue, IDESP has gone through and measured soil content, taken satellite images of the landscape and utilize scientific information. After gathering all the data, IDESP writes research reports then organizes seminars with the government to begin the process. “The more informed we are, the better decisions we make,” said Toledo.

There are three pressures that are affecting the landscape of the forest: cattle, soybean and sugarcane. All three of these pressures are affecting the land negatively. The use of cattle forms the “arc of deforestation” as a result of burning crops. Pasturing soybean has led to the highest rates of deforestation and sugarcane is used for its bio-fuel.

However, misinformation about the area is an immense problem. IDESP’s main goal is to get the Paránese population to increase production in areas that are not in the forest. If the researchers are not accurate, they will not be able to stop people from cutting down and using the forest for production.

Toledo says that the answer is to integrate. “You can build a robust database and develop sustainable territories,” he said.

A law is in the process of being passed, in order to solve the issue of not knowing whom the land belongs to. The New Program Settle, according to the Foreign Policy website, is a bill waiting on that will grant ownership rights to previously illegal occupiers of vast tracts of land in the Amazon.

This bill will force landowners to become responsible for the property. This now solves the dilemma on not knowing whom the land belongs to. The citizens who have occupied the land illegally have to pay the previous owner of the land and the government in order to remain on the property.

IDESP is re-thinking production and as a result, Pará will become a sustainable developing state.

News Story: Açaí Now Too Expensive For People of Brazil

Euterpe Oleracea, also known as açaí, is an essential fruit in the Brazilian diet and used to be the most affordable resource in the Amazon.

Açaí is an indigenous palm tree that grows in the rainforest. The native South American fruit used to only cost 1 or 2 reais per liter. Today, açaí costs 10 reais per liter. “Açaí is almost the same price as meat,” said Ima Vieira, an ecologist and director of Museu Emílio Goeldi in Belém, “It used to be the most affordable price for local people.”

Global demand for açaí has increased dramatically over the years and is now grown solely for cultivated as an export. As a result, there is an increase in local price and açaí is too expensive for the people who live here. The palm produces about 20 kg of fruit per year.

According to Açaí Berry Time, açaí has been in the region of Brazil for centuries. Before açaí became a popular product in the western region of the world, it used to be used for medicinal purposes by tribesmen in the Amazon.

Brazilians rely on açaí as a large portion of their diet because the berry has one of the highest antioxidant contents and helps control cholesterol. In addition, açaí helps the immune system, shield the heart and fight infection.

The process to produce açaí is very complex. First, natives club up the Açaí palm tree and cut the branches to gather the berries. Once the berries are cut, they are then transported to a production company and exported as an international product. There are many citizens involved in the course of producing açaí. “There are many middle men,” said Vieira.

Açaí can come in three forms: berries, juice and powder. The açaí berries are typically added in salads and the powder is used as a supplement.

However, the manufacturing of açaí is seen as an opportunity to produce a product without disturbing the rainforest. The rainforest is losing its biodiversity as a result of deforestation. From 2003-2004 over a billion trees were cut down. It is still unknown whether or not açaí has been affect by deforestation due to its rapid growth in the forest, where it’s mass-produced.

The people of Brazil do not know whether açaí is affected by the deforestation of the rainforest. Only time will tell what the future holds for the latest nutritional fruit.

Our trip is almost over!!

I hardly got any sleep last night! I asked my professor, Raúl, if I could do some extra credit work by writing a news story on each speaker we had come speak to our class. Definitely a lot more difficult than I thought!

I was also super frustrated with my computer uploading videos for my media packages! I don’t know what it is but for some reason my computer has been freaking out lately. I think it has to do something with how moist my room gets because of the humidity.

Emily, Dan and I finally finished the first season of Summer Heights High. Emily has never seen the show before so Dan and I decided that we had to have her watch it with us. I have to say that my favorite character in the show is Jonah, the troubled year 8 student who is obsessed with break dancing.

Enough about that though, let’s talk Brazil! I’m seriously obsessed with being here and don’t want to go back to the U.S. Luckily, Janice, Laura and I are going to Rio on Saturday. I’m so happy I extended my trip.

Raúl, his friend Renato, an ear, nose and throat doctor and our entire class went to a really nice restaurant last night called ROXY. The food was absolutely amazing! The places Raúl takes our class to eat are really good. It’s when we go out searching for restaurants on our own when the food is typically borderline horrible. Renato is very handsome and polite. He did his residency at Harvard. I was sad that I was sitting at the opposite end of the table because he seemed like a really interesting person to talk to.

Renato gave us a ride to a bar that our class went to for some drinks. This bar had some of the most interesting illustrations of people I’ve ever seen on the wall. I took a bunch of pictures because I thought the paintings of people were really funny. Our cab driver home was insane, but that’s nothing new.

Today, a journalism student by the name of Diego came to our class today to interview us and get to know a little more about why we were in Belém for a story he was writing. He was really kind and his English was very clear. I could understand everything he was saying.

Next, we went to the mall to have lunch and shop around. Janice, Emily, Carla and I separated from the group and went across the street to another mall. They had some really cute stuff in this area. I got three dresses for Rio, which is something I needed because I’m running out of clothes.
After eating lunch and some shopping, we all piled back into the van and made our way to the Instituto de Desenvolvimento Econômico, Social a Ambiental do Pará, also known as IDESP.

Our speaker was a researcher for the company named Peter Mann de Toledo. His lecture was about landscape changes and sustainable development in the state of Pará. This research institution focuses on important issues of the state such as social, economic and environmental development.

After the lecture I was so confused as to what Toledo was trying to explain to us. After writing a story about it I understand what he is saying. Groups such as farmers and loggers run a piece of land that they do not own legally. IDESP’s job is to go to these areas and take samples by measuring the soil content, take satellite photos of the area and come up with a proposal as to how to make Pará a more sustainable state. Once all this information is gathered, ISPEC takes their proposal to the government where they discuss how to come to a solution in making the land more sustainable. “The more informed we are, the better decisions we make,” said Toledo.

IDESP does nothing other than research on how to make the land more sustainable. This company is run by the government so I find it reassuring that they work hand-in-hand in order to come up with a solution on how to stop deforestation of the rainforest. There is also a new law coming into play on taxing the farmers who are using land illegally. Not only are these farmers going to have to pay the people they purchased the land from illegally, but they are also going to have to pay taxes to the government in order to keep the land.

I hope this law gets approved because the fact that the rainforest is becoming so devastated due to these farmers is really disappointing. It seems as though Pará will achieve their goal in making the land more sustainable. “We must re-think production,” explain Toledo. He’s right. If they don’t, the state of Pará is never going to make the transition from a developing country to a developed country.

After the speaker we came back to the hotel, again. I’m super stressed out that I’m not going to get all my work done because I want to go out with everyone and experience everything, but I also have so much work to do because I really want an “A” in this class. I’m working really, really hard though so hopefully my work will pay off.

Well I must be off to go write more papers and do more research. I’m really hungry and can’t wait to go to dinner tonight. I think we’re going to an Italian restaurant that Raúl recommended we go, so it’ll probably be good food again. Check out my news story on IDESP later tonight or tomorrow.

Peace out.