Keep calm and go to Rio

Whenever possible, I try to escape the Dutch winter. When the mercury starts to drop in the Netherlands, I travel towards the sun to settle at some exotic place with temperatures above 30 degrees. Right now, I am celebrating the summer in Rio de Janeiro. I spent a few weeks in the north of Brazil and decided to fly to Rio for New Year. I started 2020 at Copacabana beach with three million people dressed in white watching a dazzling firework show. It was amazing! In Holland we know how to celebrate New Year, but this was a total new experience!

So far, Brazil has been amazing. It is the largest country in South America with an estimated population of 216 million. It has stunning beaches, tropical rainforests, historical towns and famous waterfalls. Usually, I want to see and explore as much as possible, but I don’t want to leave Rio de Janeiro yet. There is something magical about this place. The people are very open and free, street art is legal, the caipirinhas taste better than anywhere else and the views from Sugar Loaf Mountain and Dos Hermanos are simply incredible. It is also the right time to be in Rio: the biggest Carnival in the

world just kicked off, 40 days prior to the Carnival parade in February. Together with the Cariocas (the natives of Rio de Janeiro) I am enjoying the street parties with live samba music. I’m also learning more about this city. Did you know that every day, people applaud as the sun sets on the beach? This is their way to show their appreciation for the beautiful day. I love it! Or another funny fact: the famous Christ the Redeemer statue gets struck by lightning at least once a year. In 2014 he even lost a thumb during a storm!

Because this is such a great place to be, it is also hard to focus on work in a city that is so vibrant. So, one of my resolutions for 2020 is to find a good balance between work and travels. I will keep you updated on how that will work out.

I wish you all a beautiful 2020. Do what you love, appreciate what you have and make it a wonderful year!

Houdoe from Brazil, Eline

Eat a grasshopper for a change

I recently saw a TV program entitled The State of the Climate. Entire protests are being conducted in the media. Politicians and large companies are concerned with this subject, and rightly so. It is an important topic. Many protests have already taken place, but it remains an important topic that must be resolved. Yes, it concerns us all, and as such we all must do our bit.

The TV program was very interesting. Various speakers and guests discussed a variety of topics. One of them caught my attention: eating grasshoppers!

A long time ago, Safari Park De Beekse Bergen set up several stalls where you could try out alternative foods. I’m not sure if it was a success. When I was there, not many people went to try it out. And certainly not me! But in later years I learned more about it.

You may recognize it when you come home after a long day of work or school. For dinner something is served that you don't like very much. Sometimes the taste is not good, sometimes it is too healthy or not healthy enough and so on. But do we, in the Netherlands, have the right to complain so much about food? I don't think so personally. Abroad, especially in Asia, very remarkable dishes are served, from insects to rats. In the Netherlands we would rather not think about this, but abroad it is a habit and sometimes even a delicacy.

Eating insects could be the future. Producing a kilo of beef costs 80% more energy than producing a kilo of locust meat. Insects are said to be quite tasty. They are on the menu in about 100 countries. For some Chinese, the cockroach is a delicacy. The recipe? Wok, peel off armor and eat. Outside China, eating insects is also the most normal thing in the world. For example, Colombian cinemagoers eat roasted parasol ants and Japanese eat rice with wasps. Also on the menu in many countries: caterpillars, mosquitoes, termites, bugs, grasshoppers, and beetles. But not in Europe and North America.

“Eating insects could be the

future. Producing a kilo of

beef costs 80% more energy

than producing a kilo of locust

meat.”

The stock of insects is large enough because they are the most fertile animals. There are approximately 1400 edible species. Of these, 24% live on the American continent, 24% in Asia, 38% in Africa and only 2% in Europe. Edible insects with a content of 40 to 70 percent of proteins compare very favorably with, for example, maize, which has a protein content of only 10%.

The average Dutchman is horrified by the idea of eating an insect. Therefore, the Association of Dutch Insect Breeders (Venik) is active. Their goal is to market insects for human consumption. In other words: more people must start mouthwatering when watching locusts, crickets and mealworms.