Passive income

Tio(uncle) Orlando owns a eucalipto forest. Year one he and his partner grow the tree from seeds they bought. First they start growing baby trees from seeds in test tubes. Then they plant the small young trees. There are 150 kinds of eucalipto trees in Brazil. Some are for medical purposes. Eucalipto is used to cure lung disease. Some are good for furniture. Some are good for paper. First year, the small trees needed to be pruned and debugged. Then the trees will basically take care of themselves. It takes four year for Orlando’s type of forest to grow. The trees are sold for making paper. China is now the biggest paper producer in the world. But they have to import pulp.

Now, let’s do the math. An acre of land for the forest is about R$20,000. 13 acres cost total R$260,000. First year planting costs about R$100,000. Property tax is about R$200 a year. At today’s eucalipto wood price, the forest will yield R$800,000 in four years. The buyer will cut the trees and transport the wood away.

The forest pays for itself in four years. Even with wood prices going down, it hardly can be a losing deal.

This is what I call a good passive income. You work one year and vacation for 3 years. What a life!

Few young people can grasp the essence of passive income. Building a multiple income is more important than building a fortune. Imagine at 25 years of age, one buys one forest every five year. Or for that matter, one buys a house or apartment every five year! Then one truly gain financial freedom—having their destinies in their own hands. When one has ample income, one can pursue one’s interest, instead of driven around by money and finances. Most people work all their lives for the banks paying off loans and government paying off taxes. Fortunes will follow when freedom from money is attained.

Planting young eucalypyus trees
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9kvxXz8zkI&feature=related

Pruning Eucalyptus for High Value wood logs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONAa2oAUUHA

Eucalyptus Forest on the Mountains..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vf7ZWPBswk&p=39AC7F683AA1D34B&playnext=1&index=21

Harvesting eucalyptus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ouf3i0-gP98&feature=related

Negro and Japones

The other day at an upscale mall in Campinas, I ask Orlando that I don’t see too many black people there. He said black people tend to go to other malls. Here they call mall “Shopping”. He told me he had seen really black people in New York.

Here in Brazil, people have been mixing for the past 500 years. I saw mostly brown people here. There tend to be more black people in the Northeast states. Brazil has one of the worst histories of black slaves. Since it is closer to Africa than US and the Caribbean, the black slaves were treated worst here since a new slave can be obtained cheaply.

The Arabs were the most notorious slave traders. And yet there is Arabic influence here. Quite often, Arabic foods are in restaurant menus. Their kibe and esfiha are practically Brazilian daily snacks. There is a poplar Arabic fast food chain called Habib's.

Wherever I go, Brazilians call me Japones. They can’t distinct Chinese, Korean from Japones. Last I heard there are one million Japanese living here—the largest Japanese population outside of Japan. Even Chinese food items have to adopt Japanese names here. In Chinese restaurants, Chow Mein is Yakisoba; fried rice is Yakimeshi.

Wedding in Brazil

Marriage is like a dinner with dessert first. Why not have dessert everyday instead?

We are invited to a wedding tomorrow night. Weddings here usually start at evening. As a matter of fact, most parties start late and last until next morning. I think it is because of the hot weather here. Last wedding I attended, the ceremony was at 8pm; reception started at 11pm. I was cutting my filet mignon at 1:30am. The kids were sleeping on adults' laps.

Now, I can only think of some good words for the couple, "Have fun".

When millions agree, it still doesn't make it right

On Sunday, Brazilians will go to the poll again. Two candidates weren't getting the majority votes to qualify. Yes, democracy is working here!

Greece invented democracy. In Greece language, 'demo' means self; 'cracy' means rule. Democracy means self-rule. Today's democracy is not self-rule. It is a concentrated power at the national level of government.

Democracy always commits suicide. History proves it. Look what happened to Greece. Look what happens in every country that adopts democracy. They become welfare countries. Democracy is the forebody of socialism. Socialism is the backbone of commiunism.

Let me quote John V. Denson from LIMITING THE STATE

We should learn from the war and welfare century that the greatest discovery in Western civilization was that liberty could be achieved only through the proper
and effective limitation on the power of the state. It is this limitation on the power of the state which protects private property, a free-market economy, personal
liberties and promotes a noninterventionist foreign policy,which, if coupled with a strong national defense, will bring peace and prosperity instead of war and welfare. It is not democracy per se which protects freedom.Too many people living in
democracies are lulled into believing that they are free because they have the right to vote and elections are held periodically. If you take conscription for military
service as an example, I think you would find that if it was proclaimed by a sole monarch, the people would revolt and disobey.
However, in a democracy, when the politicians vote for it, the people comply and still think they are free.

Excerpt from A CENTURY OF WAR John V. Denson

Freedom means self rule. And at same time, freedom comes with self responsibility.

Freedom in a community or a country also means to protect the weak and the quiet. Democracy exploits the weak and the quiet. It is just the opposite. Democrocy is to rob one group to benefit another group.

If democracy works in Brazil, like other countries, Brazil is doomed.

Flex

The license plates here are sealed. It goes with the car as long as it lasts.















Our car does not have 'Flex'. It has a regular gasoline engine. But we find a 'Turbo' buttom. You notice the green switch says AC. When the green goes away, our car is in turbo mode. Haha!

The buses of the few cities I visited use biodiesel as fuel.

There are five different kinds of fuels available at gas stations.

The prices hasn't changed much the past five or six years I visited Brazil. They are slightly higher, about 10%!

This Shell station is very clean!

Flex has been available in cars here for quite a few years.

The Flex engines can accomodate either gasoline or alcohol.

As you can see, alcohol is cheaper therefore more economical.,

Next week, we will go to Sao Paulo for its Auto Show. Will tell you about it after Nov. 3rd.

Freda

Tia Oneida's cat

Back in Campinas

One night, the two of us wanted to be alone and some comfort food. I suppose we are a little bit homesick. We went to Outback and ordered ribs, blooming onion plus beer. It filled our stomachs pretty good.
Otherwise, we stay home and Adriana's aunt Oneida prepares pretty decent food for us.




My favorite coconut pudding.

Here is a ham and cheese pie. Tasty!

Parking

For parking on the street, you purchase a ticket from either a uniform person or some stores. Fill in the day, time, license plate and place it on the dash.

In Itanhaem, we pay R$1 an hour.

If it is free parking, some kids will come up to you and ask to watch your car for you. You give him some coins afterwards.

My favorite highway restaurant

Everyone gets one of these on the way into the restaurant. All the food items are electronically imput into this 'Bill' with barcode. You pay the cashier on the way out.

The day we left Itanhaem, we stopped for lunch at my favorite highway restaurant--Frango Assado.

But, toilet first.

Right for me.

Left for Adriana.

Want to buy a tree?

Ummmm, sweets?

Waiting for our chicken.

Here it is, one whole fried chicken, potatoe salad and polanta with cheese(fried corn sticks with melted cheese).

I'm having limao juice with my meal.

Digging in! I love dark meat.

On the way out, there are plenty of food stuff to buy.

Chocolate for the road!

橙汁車

The orange juice sitting in your fridge may be made/squeezed in US. But most likely part of the juice is from Brazil.

Brazil is the world's largest orange juice supplier.

There are two kinds of oranges here. One is without acid, which is great for drinking.

A sack of about 25 oranges costs about R$8 on the roadsides near the orange groves.

Next time you drink your orange juice, think of Brazil.
















How Brazil Became the Saudi Arabia of Orange Juice
http://www.brazilmax.com/news.cfm/tborigem/fe_business/id/7

Caminhao

The highways are full of trucks. In some sections, there are more trucks than cars.

Take a look!

Signs of a booming economy!

Cibratel and Itanhaem Videos

This is my video (That was me coughing. Got an allergy in this humid weather.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clE8DOTXwVQ

I manage to find other videos in Youtube
Praia do Cibratel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb57OTT_skQ

Brazil - Sao Paulo - Itanhaem - The Southern Shores
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRN-oDf8oaU&feature=related

The Rural Area - Itanhaem
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVtLNN9CdyY&feature=related

Amazon in Itanhaem
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6v68y0brSI&feature=related

Praia Cibratel

We finally got lucky yesterday, waking up with bright sunshine. It was Monday. Most the weekenders went home. We went to our favorite beach Cibratel where it is away from the town center. There are less people there. The beach is clean and stretches about 20 kilometers towards south.

Sunshine was gone around noon time. Today it is raining. We'll head home tomorrow.

If you don't have beach chairs and umbrella, you can patronize one of the quiosques (kiosks).

Adriana

Make sure you bring some money to the beach.

R$35

Handmade in Brasil

Our spot

3 people

2 Bikini