What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word BRAZIL?

The first thing that comes to mind when I hear the word, Brazil, is the mighty Amazon River. Many might think that I must be nuts, but I would give anything to see it, jjust once before I die.

I started a pet shop anout 20 years ago, and I figured that if I was going to run it properly, I needed to be well-informed about the different species of fish I'd be selling. I bought several books and started reading, and it didn't take too long for me to fall in love with the Amazon River. It is unbelievable the number of fish that live in it's waters.

Anyone who's ever had an aquarium will tell you that they love the colorful fish they can buy to stock it. Most of the time, those fish will be Neon Tetras, swordfish, mollies, angel fish, just to name a few. And, they all make their home in the Amazon and it'd tributaries.

The most memorable fish that I was lucky enough to acquire was a Red-tailed catfush. I ordered the fish, and when it arrived in the United States, it and others of it's species had to be kept in quarantine for 4 weeks to make sure they were healthy and disease free. When I finally got him, he was only about 5 inches long, and looked sort of puny.

I had an aquarium already set up so after getting him acclimated, in he went.

Two years later, 'General' had a 150 gallon tank all his own, of course, because he would have eaten anything smaller than he was. I went to the local grocery store twice a month to get him beef hearts that I would cut into pieces for him. The kids in town loved to come and visit 'General', and especially liked to be there at feeding time.

General lived for another 10 years, and sadly passed on one night while the shop was closed. He was the Amazon, to me, in all it's magnificant glory.

Uf so many things flood my mind with that word... the lovely Portuguese language, my friends, my wonderful Portuguese teacher, delicious food, and a chaotic, confusing and beautiful country that I want to visit (and maybe live for a spell! ).

It really is an amazing land to live in. I'm so proud to be called brazilian!

I have an uncle that lives in Amazon, and he loves it there. Every year I tell him that I will go there visit, but I never do. Maybe this is a sign for me to go!

You guys should come visit Brazil! You will love it!

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.