Going to Brazil for carnival or cosmetic surgery?

by Abha Malpani on

What better way to hide that you are going to get your physical imperfections perfected than to say you are off to Brazil for the Carnival! A nip and tuck here and there, some suction down and under, followed by some raucous dancing, drinking, and bronzing on the beach will make you a new person and everyone will think it was your holiday! That’s the main pitch of an ever growing wave of surgery tourism in South America, with Brazil being the center of it all.

Brazil has long been the cosmetic surgery capital of the world, providing easy, not to mention cheap, access to qualified cosmetic surgeons. Brazilians have no shame touching up their bodies so they can flaunt their “dental floss” thongs. Prime example is Brazilian carnival star and supermodel Angela Bismarchi who plans to dance at this year’s Rio carnival (2-6 February) almost nude in front of a 300-person drum group after her 42nd (!!!) plastic surgery. Nylon wires will be implanted in her eyes to make them look Asian so they accentuate the theme of her parade team that will celebrate the centennial of Japanese immigration to Brazil.

I wasn’t surprised to read that Brazil is an image-mad country where the pressure to look hot is so high, even the poor get surgical enhancements on an installment; it’s an added bonus that Brazilian butt and belly surgeons are amongst the best in the world. According to an article in the Guardian: Exact figures are hard to come by, [but] it’s known that Americans spent around $12.4bn (£6.5bn) on plastic surgery in 2005, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery; they say Brazil is not far behind.

So whether you want to look oriental, or scrape off some flab and not be too obvious about it, there is definitely a cosmetic surgery tourism package for you. Frommers has a decent round-up of your options, check them out here.

The sex industry is blooming in…Nepal

by Iva Skoch on

Well, there could be a stranger place than Kathmandu to operate a sex parlor…say, the Vatican. But clearly, it is only a matter of time. The search for spirituality and natural beauty is, apparently, paved with lap dances.

This week’s Economist has an article on the rise of sex tourism in Nepal. There are now an estimated 200 “massage parlors” and over 35 dance/strip bars, selling “sex” for as little as $28, which of course is not insignificant for them. Those women, however, might be better off than the 200,000+ Nepali women, who are trafficked into India for sex every year.

Some say Nepal is becoming the new Bangkok. Since the civil war ended only recently and marked the end of Nepal’s Himalayan tourism industry, sex tourism is ready to replace it. I especially like the part of the article where the Nepal Tourism Board suggests that tourists should “Have a drink at one of the local dance bars, where beautiful Nepali belles will dance circles around your pals.”

Now, all you need is a low-cost carrier to fly there direct. Makes me want to scream.

Watch out for middle-aged British binge-drinkers

by Iva Skoch on

Here is the question. Why do British people like to binge-drink so much? Just when you think American college students are bad, go to any British pub at about 10pm and you will probably see more drunks than at an average American fraternity house.

In addition to all the young people in Britain drinking too much, there are the middle-aged folks to worry about. A record number of middle-aged people are drinking themselves to death, according to latest figures published in The Independent. A report shows that 8,758 people died from excessive alcohol intake in 2006, twice the number in 1991. The biggest increase was among people aged 35 to 54 and among women than men.

Binge-drinking was one of the reasons why Britain decided to change their “must-drink-fast” 11pm closing time for pubs and introduced 24-hour licenses for pubs and clubs in 2005. There is no hard evidence whether binge-drinkers have transformed to 24-hour drinkers, although streets of London are still rowdier than normal after the 11pm spill-out-on-the-street tradition.

The cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems

by Aaron Hotfelder on

Over at Brave New Traveler, Tim Patterson observes that travel is like a drug– there’s usually a high, followed by addiction. Of course, this doesn’t stop many travelers from indulging in real drugs on the road, and Tim’s article provides some great advice for those who choose to do so. He stresses not only safety, but respect, which includes awareness of your host cultural’s values and traditions:

“When I worked in Japan, I soon learned that it was impolite to NOT get fall-down drunk at office parties. However, there is a huge difference between getting fall-down drunk within the boundaries of a specific cultural ritual, and getting fall-down drunk and roaming the streets as a pack of boorish foreigners.”

In addition, it’s important not to let drugs and alcohol obscure your real reasons for traveling. Tim’s article nails it:

“Why are you traveling? To see the world and experience new ideas and new sensations? Well then why are you getting drunk every night at the youth hostel?”

Check out the whole thing here.

Obvious headline allusion explained here.

If you want to see “Rent” on Broadway, don’t wait

by Jamie Rhein on

If you’re looking for a show to see on Broadway, why not pick one that won’t be there after June 1? “Rent” is closing after a 12-year-run. [via New York Times] This has me thinking that perhaps I ought to head to NYC to see it once more myself. I saw this show several years ago when the Broadway touring company was in Columbus. I can vouch that there’s not another show out there with so much heart.

For anyone who has struggled to find ones place in the world, make a difference, and be heard, you’ll relate. Even if you know someone like that, you’ll relate. The musical, based on Puccini’s opera “La Bohème” was written as a partial response to the AIDS crisis, as well as the gentrification of many New York City neighborhoods.

Since the mid-1980s there are neighborhoods in NYC, once affordable and a bit edgy, that have become more and more boutique drenched with nifty little eateries only middle class folks and those with deeper pockets can afford. My brother’s neighborhood near Mark’s Place is one of them. One of my favorite restaurants, Rectangles once served a wonderful Middle Eastern appetizer plate, but it closed because of not being able to afford the rent anymore. This was only two or three years ago, but it was affected by the change.

Some critics wonder if “Rent’s” message has passed, similar to the criticism of the musical “Hair” that made a small comeback this past year (I know of two productions.) Personally, I don’t think so. Regardless, the lyrics and music are absolutely wonderful. Now that it’s closing, this opens up the possibility of more regional theaters staging a production. Already the song “Seasons of Love” has made it into school choir concerts.

I think the story remains pertinent. There are always people who struggle, make friendships, get disappointed, feel hope and looking for fantastic lyrics to sing their heart out (at least to themselves.) In “Rent’s” case, the singing–boisterous, often joyful, and mostly hopeful–comes in the type of songs that you’ll actually remember once the curtain has gone down and you are back in your own life searching for your “one song” that lets you know that you’ve made a difference. Here’s a You Tube video that includes “One Song Glory.” Switch the in the word “post” for “song” and there is the blogger’s version. I always keep my guitar on hand.