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Obama island's Brazilian 'engine'
Barack Obama will soon follow in the footsteps of US Presidents Bill Clinton and John F Kennedy by holidaying on Martha's Vineyard. But behind the scenes of the exclusive island getaway, BBC Brasil's Bruno Garcez finds an army of immigrant Brazilian workers tending lawns and waiting on tables."During his visit to Martha's Vineyard, Barack Obama will play golf in a course set up by Brazilians, eat meals prepared by Brazilian cooks and swim in a pool which was cleaned by workers from Brazil." So predicts Mauricio Brandao, a 28-year-old Brazilian who has spent the past 12 years in Martha's Vineyard, a sophisticated resort and a traditional summer destination for Hollywood stars and politicians. He works on the island as a horse trainer, but defines himself as a "fixer" who grabs any job available - with a preference for work offered by those he refers to as "the high-ranking people". Mr Brandao knows the place where Mr Obama is likely to stay with his family well. The Blue Heron Farm is a 28.5-acre vacation home likely to cost from $35,000 to $50,000 per week to rent, according to local newspaper the Vineyard Gazette. The official data provided by the administrator of Oak Bluffs - one of the island's six towns - backs up Mr Brandao's prediction. Posted by: ed 2009-08-24 |
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