Russians and Brazilians get closer after the meeting of the two presidents. A big agreement is on the way concerning the use of the space shuttle launch in Alcântara, in the state of Maranhão, in northern Brazil, by the Russians, who will take the first Brazilian astronaut, Lieutenant Colonel. Marcos Pontes, 41, to space in March inside the space shuttle Soyuz 4.

Pontes has been training in Houston since 1998, with no set date to fly to space. He is already in Moscow getting ready for the mission and will be in space for a whole week to do scientific research. In November authorities will meet to discuss details of the Russian use of the Alcântara space plant.

Brazil will support Russia's international political projects, such as a seat with the WTO, and Russia will open more space to import Brazilian sugarcane and meat, with the exception of meat from Mato Grosso do Sul, because of the recent contamination problem.

According to Minister Celso Amorim, President Lula's visit to Russia turned out to be one of the best bilaterals he has seen in this administration. Commercial and technological agreements were made and President Vladimir Putin even made a sympathetic statement on Brazil's intentions to be part of the UN's permanent Security Council, saying that within the organization's reform a seat should be destined to Brazil.

Russia also supported India and Germany on the same subject, but did not support the inclusion of Japan.

The two presidents were together for almost five hours, with good chemistry, according to the Brazilian press. Good personal interaction between the leaders will mean more business and that the two will be talking and discussing international matters frequently.

Business numbers between Russia and Brazil last year went up to 2 billion dollars. In 2005 Brazil export numbers to Russia grew 85%, behind only sales to India. Brazilian and Russian entrepreneurs also met to discuss agreements for joint ventures and the making of regional 50 place jets by Embraer for Russia.

The Brazilian government sees a great potential for the two countries, as there is no history of rivalry and no geopolitical questions between them, which is considered a very positive factor. Brazil is today Russia's biggest commercial partner in Latin America.

Brazil's President, who admitted that his visit to Russia was a dream come true, defended the unity of developing countries to become less dependent of the EU and USA. Critics have noted that geographically Russia is not fit as an ideal partnership with Brazil and that Russia knows that, minimizing the effects of the visit.

Dollar Down, Profits Down

The president of the Brazilian Association of Exporters of Citrus Fruits, Ademerval Garcia, finished and presented a study that did not make juice producers very happy. The falling dollar has made holes in the pockets of orange juice producers, who export up to 98% of what they make.

For each ship leaving Brazil, producers are making less 10 million reais than they used to in 2004, when the dollar was up. This means less 1,4 billion reais by the end of 2005.

Brazilian Jewelry Among the World's Favorites

Brazilian jewels are in. Orient Express, the magazine, recently featured creations by H. Stern, Jóia Brasil, Pepe Torras, Tereza Xavier, Carla Amorim, Kim Poor, Margot Singhwagner and Bruno and Flávio Guidi.

H. Stern, Brazil's biggest and more international brand name, started selling stones, then precious jewelry and in the last ten years, design.

In its 60th anniversary, H. Stern has come a long way since its first office in Ipanema, back in 1945, to the launching in October of a new collection, with new designs for H. Stern classics, such as stars, irregular shapes and colorful gems combined randomly.

A new H. Stern branch is opening in Paris, at Le Printemps, launching the brand's new collections, Diane von Furstenberg's, the Carmen Miranda line and the campaign done by Kate Moss before the cocaine scandal.

Before 1995, H. Stern was known for creations to attract tourists and celebrating dates. Today, design is the brand's first concern, to reach directly those who will wear the pieces, women.

Today, H. Stern makes pieces that are not so classic, something stylish and trendy, without losing touch with its fine taste and craftsmanship.

In 1999 H. Stern launched a collection inspired in the singer-composer Carlinhos Brown, from Bahia, and 2001 featured the furniture designers Campana.

H. Stern has been featured by newspapers and magazines throughout the world, such as Visionaire, W, and The New York Times. With campaigns photographed by the likes of Michel Counte and Mitchell Feinberg, H. Stern has decorated the most famous celebrities in the planet, like Beyoncée and Angelina Jolie.

Today, H. Stern has 160 stores in 12 countries and in 2006 it will go to Saks Fifth Avenue, Hong Kong, Mexico and Moscow. 50 new stores are opening in different countries of East Europe.

US$ 50 million were invested in partnership with Israeli entrepreneur Lev Leviev to that end, and the first Eastern European store will open in Moscow in 2006.

A new store with a spa, a partnership with L'Occitane is being planned to open in Rio in 2006, and a new line designed to reach a younger public, between 20 and 30 is also on the way.

Roses are Red, Violets Are Blue...

He has called himself the John Galliano of the flowers. The talent is directly proportional to the modesty. Jeff Leatham, 33, the American flower designer, does all the flower arrangements for the homes of celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Ricky Martin and he is known for his work for the Hotel George V, in Paris.

He went to Brazil to lead a workshop in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro. Leatham only used imported flowers and two Brazilian species, like the orchid from the Amazon, in a total of 13 thousand flowers altogether. Before his workshops in Rio, Leatham spent time in Brasília and São Paulo.

The confirmed presence of Brazil's First Lady, Marisa Letícia, did not surprise anyone. All the first lady seems to be doing to occupy her time is to initiate reforms.

She has redone the Alvorada Palace in Brasília, the Granja do Torto, the residential palace, and just finished remodeling President Lula's office.

While the first lady busies herself with decoration and flowers, the Worker's Party dives deeper in the mud. Speaking of lilies and mudholes...

Danny Glover in Brazilian Movie

Joel Zito Araújo, the Brazilian director who did Daughters of the Wind (Filhas do Vento) invited Danny Glover to be in his next film, Caim e Abel, about sexual tourism. Zito made the invite while Glover was in Brazil for the Rio Film Festival.

Zito heard when Glover said he likes Brazilian cinema and he would like to be in one someday. The director did not think twice and in a blink of an eye, Danny Glover had a role in Joel Zito's new movie.

Clara Angelica Porto is a Brazilian bilingual journalist living in New York. She went to school in Brazil and at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Clara is presently working as the English writer for The Brasilians, a monthly newspaper in Manhattan. Comments welcome at clara.angelica@gmail.com.

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