What's a good topic/question to study while in Brazil?

How has the police action that cleared the drug lords out of a couple of favelas affected the other favelas still ruled by the drug lords? Do they have hopes? Or do they think the crime will get worse as the drug lords are displaced? You didn’t say where you’d be—this is relevant only in Rio.

In other areas you might ask how the government helps them or what they think of the new President.

Brazilian music, Brazilian birds, Brazilian economy. And enjoy the Brazilian fruit [juices] bars—fruits you will never taste anywhere else.

The declining state of the amazon rain-forest.

I’ve always been fascinated that the Brazilian government; that their public healthcare system either provides free or highly subsidized plastic surgery to their citizens. Boob jobs, eye lifts, nose jobs; you want a nip and a tuck and it can be yours for nothing or next to nothing. It’s not really a lofty or terribly serious or even artistic subject but I have always wondered how if affects the culture, how it affects how ordinary or not so ordinary Brazilians see themselves and/or see their reconstructed selves. No matter who you are, rich or poor, in Brazil, as far as I know, you can reinvent yourself, at least physically.

How different Brazilian Portuguese is from that spoke in Portugal; how much have native languages influenced it.

Who were the “first people” in Portugal and how are they treated today?

The modern day history of the Confederados—Americans, who after the Civil War, migrated to Brazil from the Confederacy.

With the Amazon rainforest disappearing at the rate of an acre every second, I would think a highly interesting topic would be, “How can we enable the ligitimate aspirations of people for self-improvement without irreparably harming the ecology?”

Culture is the obvious, however, I’d highly suggest studying up on diversity. Brazil is full of different cultural backgrounds—including the indigenous tribes.

Ohh just thought of this. Dont know where you’ll be staying in Brazil though so it may not be do-able.

You could research Curitiba and its amazing approach to a green city. I mean they have fucking sheep graze the grass in parks instead of using lawn mowers for fucks sake lol