Scott Laronge

With apologies to any childhood flashbacks, today was a day of unexpected encounters.
I went off to Maracanã stadium for the US v Mexico game. After two red cards for the USA and two goals for Mexico, I decided to head back home since I didn’t want to wait around for three hours for the [...]

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This probably should have gone out a week ago, but the Pan American Games started in Rio last Friday.  As did the price increases.  I noticed that the prices at one of my regular restaraunts seemed to have gone up by R$10-20 per dish ($5-10).  I asked the waiter if they had changed the menus [...]

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With the dollar’s continual fall against other world currencies by approximately 10% since the year started, I’m realizing this does not bode well for me in my international career.  With a lower dollar value (and conversely, a higher foreign exchange cost), US based firms are less likely to expand their international operations and may begin to [...]

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I received an e-mail today from INFRAERO that they wouldn’t be able to grant me an internship.  Given the fact I sent them a letter on February 12th, a six month turnaround should not be too surprising given that it is a government agency.
I guess my only advice to the first year students is to write [...]

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It was 29°C today, or about 85°F. In the middle of the winter. And as I am wont to do, I spent the nicer part of the day sunning on the beach, tanning like a calico cat.
One of the things I have found is that people are routinely amazed when I tell them [...]

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Well, technically, it isn’t a paycheck.  I never picked up a CPF number while I’ve been down here.  Though it is helpful, once everyone hears I’m a foreigner, they’ll take my passport number.  Now, when I leave and the nice Policia Federal officer tells me I owe R$85 to my gym and another R$200 to [...]

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It must be an odd coincidence, but I started both my academic milestones on or near the 4th. In 1999, I moved into the dorms at UC Berkeley to start my undergraduate degree. That day, I met Robert and Andrea who are two of my best friends to this day, even though we [...]

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