04 February 2013

BRASIL: Reuters Man In Sao Paulo...On Brasil's Boom.

      This newsblog is a sucker for first person account of media correspondents.
      Having struggled...and survived...for many months in Cuba's provincial cities...taught this editor to honor the woes...and small victories...of foreign reporters.
       Unlike many cinematic portrayals...a reporter's life overseas rarely involves lounging around deluxe restaurants, bars and private clubs...or living in plush apartments and working in efficient AC comfortable offices.
      Brian Winter...Reuters' man in Sao Paulo writes about Brasil's boom, its now historic low unemployment rate...and his frustrations in finding...a handyman.
     "...here is one challenge that has left me utterly defeated, and brought members of my family to near tears: Getting a pair of curtains hung in our living room. OK, it's not exactly life-or-death. But our utter inability to find a carpenter or handyman does say a lot about the historic changes rippling through Brazil's economy - and it may also shed light on other topics, from President Dilma Rousseff's popularity to a recent crime wave in Sao Paulo."