crazier things have happened...

I knew when I started this blog I would have lots of silly stories to tell about my adventures. They have seemed to lessen with time and understanding the language but yesterday I took a big step backwards. 

I needed to pick up a few things at the hardware store and while there I remembered my bathroom sink wasn't draining very well. Quickly I racked my brain trying to think of how to explain this so I could get something similar to draino. I thought I explained my situation and she came back with a sack of something and said what I thought was "mix this with water...." or something like that. I looked at the sack on the way home and it read, "massa para vidros." Hmmmm mass of glass? But then it appeared as though there was an ingredient list for various uses so I figured maybe it was what they call a "falso amigo," a word that doesn't mean what it says? 

Perhaps this isn't really glass then, but chemical crystals? Ill mix it with a little water and see what happens. Nothing. Well maybe it is glass, but since it is only tiny chards then it could have chemicals on it to break up whatever is clogging the sink? Ok lets pour some down the drain then. Ran the water, poured a little more, ran the water... nothing changed. So if that wasn't stupid already I poured more. Waited. Nothing. 

This morning Rose, my maid was here and I was having portuguese class. I asked my teacher, its strange they give chemical glass to break up a clogged drain eh? She looked a bit perplexed. I explained while her face changed from puzzled to straight up laughing. At the same time Rose walked in with a sack full of glass and hair. She had taken apart the entire drain because she noticed things sparkling below in the sink hole and water was at a stand still. She was completely confused. I don't blame her, who in their right mind would pour glass pieces down a drain when it was clogged? 

I totally lost any credibility I might have gained over the past 18 months. The adventure continues. 

Reblog, "Coming to Visit? Bring an Extra Suitcase."

I know everyone in the Brazil blogger circuit knows prices are crazy here but for my family and friends back home I just want to remind you every day how lucky you are to have inexpensive goods at your disposal. I love living in Brazil and feel very lucky for the experience but I am afraid sometimes we worry about being priced-out. My friends in more expat friendly neighborhoods are enduring the pain of landlords asking for double if they would like to stay and sign another lease. Renting an apartment that isn't falling apart or off in some area way outside the city for under $US1600/month is impossible. For the lucky ones that found deals early on and signed 30 month leases, we are literally scared waiting for the renewal ticking clock. Our good friends Suzanna and Jeff over at "Rooted Journeys," just wrote a great post after having lunch at a little sandwich spot in Jardins. No fru fru just a sandwich and a coke = us$26.00 Our neighborhood padaria (bakery) made new menus and you know what that means. Charging us$12.00 for a chicken sandwich with cheese and tomato (no free sides EVER) was way too cheap. Now its $18.


Rooted Journey's "Coming to Visit? Bring an Extra Suitcase."

I’ve officially been demoted from Rooted Journeys co-author to guest contributor. Not because Suzanna said so (she never did), but because it turns out I’m just not very good at motivating myself to actually sit down and write something. But here I am, so vamos-lá.

Generally speaking, it seems that many Americans view Brazil as a chaotic tropical wonderland – think Carnaval, string bikinis, palm trees, samba dancing, bossa nova, favelas, drug lords…you know, all the fun stuff.  In reality, one of the most defining features of Brazil as an expat in São Paulo is simply how ridiculously expensive it is. No matter how much you try to stop talking about it, and even more importantly, try to stop converting prices into dollars, it just won’t fade into the background as a simple fact of life. For those of us living it, it’s like a permanent fat lip – the moment you think it’s healing, you bite it again and want to take out your aggression on the old lady walking too slow on the street in front of you. That’s right, it makes you want to push an old lady. It’s that ridiculous.  Although, just for the record, I would never actually push an old lady.  And the prices here are worse than a fat lip.  Maybe that wasn’t quite the right metaphor, but there’s no turning back now.  Let’s keep moving.

A couple of recent articles have highlighted some of the effects of this charming Brazilian reality.  The cover story a few weeks ago for Veja (a popular weekly magazine in Brazil) was titled Pague Um, Leve Dois, Tres, Quatro…. English translation: Pay for One, Get Two, Three, Four.  The lead-off explains further (translated): “The favorable exchange rate alone does not explain the low prices that mesmerize Brazilians who shop in the United States.”  To drive home the title, the article cites the happy fact that the cost of an iPhone in Brazil is the highest in the world, leaving shelves for $1,650 (USD equivalent) in Brazil.  In the US, the same unlocked iPhone 4S (32GB) goes for $815.  That puts it at just over double the price for us lucky brasileiros.  But why stop there, it gets better!  Asics sneakers that go for around $200 in the US? A cool $457 in the equivalent Brazilian play money.  That’s 2.3 times the price.  A PlayStation 3 goes for 2.8 times the price.  Calvin Klein jeans are 3 times the price and a Guess handbag tops it off at 3.8 times the price.  Go Brazil!

These are just random examples, but they do give an indication of general price levels.  Not everything comes in at double the price, but it’s fair to say that São Paulo has justly earned its ranking as the 10^thmost expensive city in the world for expats and the most expensive in the Americas (Mercer Survey).  So, you may ask “why”, which we ask ourselves constantly. Of course there is no simple explanation, though the Veja article presents a pretty reasonable set of factors.  Here’s a summary:

• Exchange Rate – the Brazilian Real (currency) is about 25% stronger against the dollar than its long-term average making goods more expensive accordingly, especially imports.
• Demand – quite simply, growing demand is outstripping the country’s productive supply capacity. High demand + low supply = high prices.
• Tax Burden – the Brazilian tax burden is 36% on average versus around 25% in the US.  The difference is even greater when considering additional taxes on goods Brazil classifies as “superfluous.”  Plus, Brazilian import taxes are triple what they are in the US.
• Inflation – while the days of hyper-inflation have passed (hopefully for good), inflation is still significant and widens the price gap over time (6.5% inflation in Brazil last year versus 2% in the US)
• Competition – as a matter of policy, the US government prioritizes competition over protectionism and Brazil vice-versa.  For example, whereas the US government made cheap credit available to US auto-makers to help them become more competitive with cheaper Asian imports, Brazil has chosen to simply elevate import taxes to artificially raise prices of the foreign competition.
• Economies of Scale – US companies generally focus on selling more at a lower margin whereas Brazilian companies tend to focus on a small market at a high margin
• Productivity – it’s just not rising fast enough relative to labor costs (due to low unemployment, a lack of qualified labor, insufficient investment, etc.)

The result?  Prices that make your eyes pop and a growing class of Brazilian consumers that have become America’s big-spenders.  It’s no wonder so many Brazilians take annual shopping trips to Miami and New York – they easily recoup the cost of the trip in savings on their purchases.  Brazilians now spend more in the US than visitors from any other country – on average, $5,400 per person per trip in 2010 (article).  Japanese tourists came in far behind at number two with $4,300 in spending per person.  So next time you see people filling up suitcases with stuff in the mall, try a warm bem-vindo.  Good chance they’re our neighbors.

So, please have some patience when you hear us (constantly) complaining about the prices here and be generous with your suitcase space when you come to visit – we’ll be filling it up.

PS – I  had a coke and a nice sandwich for lunch today (filet, brie, arugula).  No fries or chips or any extras.  The tab was R$45.  That’s about $26.  For a sandwich.

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To new beginnings....

According to a recent pin on Pinterest, "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." Verdade.

After 16 months in Brazil, I experienced my first dinner in Portuguese. We met a wonderful Brazilian couple in Mendoza and they ended up purchasing a bottle of wine for us. As a thank you, we insisted on having them for dinner back in Sao Paulo. This week couldn't have fallen at a worse time climatically speaking. 90 degree days with 89 degree nights. We don't have air conditioning so we gave them the option of coming over in sungas and bikinis or meeting at a favorite restaurant. As much as everyone wanted to dine in small pieces of lycra, we concluded one of our favorite new restaurants, Oryza might be a tad more classy.

“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” – Mae West

Happy 1 year brazilanniversary to us (thanks Danielle for this very appropriate diction)! It feels like yesterday and then again many years ago. But when our feet hit the ground in this wonderful country 365 days ago we were running sideways, forwards and backwards all at the same time. I took up this blog as a way to remember our journey and share our many experiences with family and friends but it has also been therapy for the sometimes tough but usually beautiful moments we've had trying to get a grip on it all. I thought I grew up a lot after college but I didn't realize that was minuscule in comparison to this past year abroad. A and I are both in a place in our lives where we are trying to figure out our future professionally in the midst of new career paths and zip codes (CEP codes to be exact) and we have been tested, tried and sometimes brought to tears. But there is nothing like a journey with your partner, one year of marriage down and one common adventurous goal checked off the life list for us both.

The good news is the first year of anything is always the hardest and if you go by visual imprint only, I'd say we had it pretty good thus far. We've seen the most incredible waterfalls in Iguazu, beaches in the north, two fabulous carnivals of completely different scale in Tiradentes and Rio respectively, the incredible landscape of the Pantanal, a few trips to Buenos Aires and lots of amazing things in between. We've met wonderful people and made lifelong friends and that is just the beginning.

The bad news is that I miss country music and chocolate chips. But in learning to manage, I've gladly replaced both with bossa nova and every fruit you can imagine and then some you can't. It sounds healthier if you forget that I also pretended like I discovered steak and cheese bread for the first time and together they bought a not-so-luxurious duplex apartment in my stomach and butt; eviction notices ignored.

What a year, so here's a few things we've learned so far...


-the mule travel system is sacred and its important to happily inform any visitor they will probably have to dodge fed ex for a month prior to departure and carry another duffle down just for us. 


-how best to spend an entire afternoon and evening eating. just eating. and enjoying eating. and talking about eating. and thats on sunday. every sunday. 


-that the gym is not just for working out your muscles, but more importantly your vocal chords and your spandex collection. 


-that in every crowd of brazilians there is always a Bruno and a Leticia so if you can't remember anyone's name best try those first. 


-ha, you thought NY was expensive. 


-drop crotch pants are the new skinny jean, for some reason a la crotch extends down to your knees. i dont understand it. men and women both. its terrible. 


-the farmers markets here rule. 90 cents for 20 bananas? ill take it. it makes all the other expensive things feel better. well not really i lied about that last statement but i like farmers markets. 


-novelas are awesome and thats a fact. 


-i get to kiss (on the cheek) a lot of people and i like it.


-nothing like a coffee after breakfast, lunch and dinner. and you get a cookie too. bonus!


-my butt's gotten bigger but my bikini bottom's gotten smaller? fact of life. (As Carmen Miranda said, "Look at me and tell me if I don't have Brazil in every curve of my body")


-get over yourself and show more skin. americans are way to demure.


-louis vuitton is apparently the stamp of approval you've made it. brazilians are obsessed with this brand more than any other. 


-nothing is ever on time. you are never late. there is always traffic to blame and generally people are very forgiving. its both a blessing and a curse.


-cab drivers are your friends. they don't believe in a plexiglass separator it would be insulting. when i use the same one over and over we kiss and hug like long lost pals. 

-Brazil is beautiful and I can´t wait to spend more years here!

Ahh the stage is set and the adventure continues.

beijos

Ohh thats braziliant

In preparation for our upcoming voyage to the Pantanal next week we just found out we needed yellow fever vaccinations. Yes, we probably should have known that but I guess since its not exactly the Amazon I didn't think to research. Anyways my mother in law is coming down for a few weeks and we are all going to these beautiful wetlands for the big 4 day holiday around the corner. With a yellow fever vac, you need 10 days for it to settle in before you might need its all mighty medical powers so basically today was the last day I could get it done. So here is a little story about how my mother in law and I both received our vaccine, hers in Chicago and mine in Sao Paulo.

MIL: Finding out at the last minute before her trip, frantically she calls the doctor to get an appointment. Luckily they had one available the next day. She goes in, waits over an hour to see the nurse, finally gets into the little patient room, chats with the nurse (probably hitting the two hour mark here) and is informed that not only does she need the yellow fever vaccine but she also needs malaria pills. The nurse had over 50 pages of diseases and problems that could occur and basically asked her, you sure you want to go? Um was there a choice? She finally receives the shot and a prescription for the pills. When she goes to check out she finds out insurance doesn't cover this and has to pay over 400$ for both the vaccine and the pills (which mind you according to travel websites you really don't need malaria pills but you know how over the top better safe than sorry american doctors are). She's now very upset at both the cost and the now half day spent at the doctors office.

Me: I inquired about where to get a vaccine on a newcomers facebook page, immediately was given a very helpful website found here to locate your 'vaccine posto' nearest to your neighborhood. Nervous it could take all day I took a cab over and was embarrassed at how close it was to where I live. 8R later I walked into a big building with a blue sign that read VACINAÇÃO and found a room much like the DMV. There was a man by the ticket dispenser (to receive a number and wait) and clearly his job was to dispense tickets from the already automatic machine and answer questions. He told me I didn't need a ticket (ohh how nice) and that I should go down a hallway to a room on the right. Inside sat two nurses at a table and no one else. I told them I needed a yellow fever shot and they asked if I had a passport number or RJ (resident card) which I had neither with me. They mulled it over for a min then decided that was ok and I just gave them my name and address. Literally 2 seconds later the nice little nurse sat me on a chair, whipped out a shot, administered it and gave me some instructions that I gave a smile nod to even though I had no idea what she was saying. I asked how much? They smiled and waved me off and said "free." Within 10 minutes I was saying thank you to mr. ticket dispenser and out the door I went. 

The first thought that came to mind... Ohh, thats braziliant*!! (happy dance)

*I give credit to the very funny Born Again Brazilian blogger who discovered this fabulous adjective! I even found you can buy a t-shirt with the above logo here! 

The way the DR. should be

With almost a year under our belt, I finally decided to take a few friend's recommendations and get a doctor. And this is not your average stethoscope trotting white coat wearing man of the infirmary, this guy is Pele´s medicó! Boo-ya sickness and health my knees are going to shine like a hall-of-fame national hero!

Our first consultation was akin to meeting up with an old friend at their house. His office is in one of those big beautiful old coffee planation houses on Avenida Brasil and minus the secretaries at the entrance I climbed the granite stairs to the second floor and went straight into his comfy office. In true brazilian fashion I was offered coffee, water  and fresh squeezed juice.  He greeted me wearing jeans, loafers and a t-shirt and we got to business while he ate some lunch.

What I loved most about the experience was the lack of paperwork involved. He had his computer set up with an online form that we filled out together. He went through family history and basically every part of the body head to toe asking about issues and problems past and current. He also gave me a nice lecture about eating right and living a stress free life.  Happy minds = Healthy minds and I was advised to get to the beach and relax as often as possible. I'll take that prescription any day! He was also plugging his book, which talks a lot about mind over matter of which below there is a photo with Pele and his little health bible. After our 2.5+ hour chat we went to another room in his office for the checkup. From eyes to toes to ekg's and blood draws he tested for anything and everything. I came with allergy questions and left feeling like if anything was wrong well beyond my recent aversion to the pollution, he would get to the bottom of it.

Before going in for the blood draw I noticed my name on a list with just about everything checked off. Strange, but he reminded me it was standard procedure. 31 viles of blood later I practically fainted in the lounge chair. I wish I was kidding but this guy tested for EVERYTHING. I guess that is normal? I just kept telling myself if the guy apparently treats a world phenomenon he knows what he's doing so I am awaiting the file cabinet of results.

In sum, I am impressed and happy to finally have a doc here. Its those little big things that help with adapting in a new place. It is quite common in Brazil for the doctor to give you their email, home and cell phone numbers to be available at your disposal. During our almost 4 hour appointment he was answering many a text message from his clients... over 5000 of them. Clients that is but I would imagine over the course of a flu season he hears from all of them. Most of the time he can even cure common illnesses over the phone and then send a motoboy to fetch your prescription at any hour of the day, any day of the week. Super bonus!  It wasn't a cheap consultation but the follow up is included and the subsequent appointments (so long as they aren't more ekgs or other ex-rays etc.) are covered by insurance. For all the american copays I've shelled out over the years its nice to finally see a doctor!

Pele with my doctor's new book

Pay your bills even if you cant!

So here I am at a cafe downtown with internet for the first time since Wednesday and the last time till probably next week at least for my personal computer.

Why? Because NET, our internet, tv and phone provider cut off our services.

Why? Because we were 10 days late on paying our bill. Yes only 10 days!!

Why? Because the post office decided to go on strike for about 30 days causing complete mayhem for mail delivery.

So we got our bill late in the mail and past its "due date."

If the bill is past its due date, you can no longer pay it online or at the bank which is how most people pay their bills. You (or the bank) enter in this very long code of 60 or so numbers at the bottom of your bill directly into your online bank account and it finds it and pays it. Its actually a nice little system if were automatic. But, the code doesn't work if it is after a certain "due date." We (stupidly) assumed we would be getting our next bill very soon since the last one was so late and just pay both on top of a late fee that sadly wasn't our fault but inevitable. Instead, NET cut us off which probably took 3.5 seconds. Guess how long it takes to turn back on? 4 BUSINESS DAYS once the money transferred pops up in their account which also can sometimes take DAYS. So here we are. (Yes I know we can set up automatic bill-pay we just ran into problems before attempting to do so and its a bit more complicated than it sounds).

I will tell you, the world doesn't fall apart when you lose internet and tv but it does remind at least us, how dependent we have become.  I work in a design office and when the power goes out, as it randomly does sometimes, everyone goes into panic mode. "But how do we work now? we must go home!" Perhaps considering we are all some type of architect, we could... I don't know DRAW??? But on paper? With a pencil?

Ahh life...

Now thats more like it...

CNN posted this article 

and I am like wait, whaaaaa t? Where is Sao Paulo or Rio on this list? I was in Shanghai in 2007 and while that was a few years ago I know I never felt that rush of expensive steam there quite the same way I did here. So then I was relieved to see this article in Bloomberg which, when it comes to this subject, I trust over CNN (even though they spelled Sao Paulo wrong... we'll just let that one slide...oppsies).

How is it that two mainstream articles are written within days of each other and ohh so different? I was shell shocked to see Brazil not even mentioned in the first article. Am I crazy? Is it normal to see $40 salmon dishes and $50 steaks at most of the restaurants nearby? Sure, there are exceptions and they are basing a lot of this off the cost of items like bread or cigarettes which are still very reasonable in Sao Paulo (actually not sure about cigarettes) but EVERYTHING else isn't! Jim wrote a great article that gets to the bottom of it, purchasing power. Economies are all very different but the most important factor wherever you are is how much does it cost to maintain your standard of living.

Take for instance the other day at the mall, I spy the EXACT same George Foreman grill for sale for a whopping 400R ($250)! I had literally just bought that same grill at Target in the US for $35... thats a 700% markup! Now I understand a markup on imported goods but I am sorry, you have to be a CEO to 'college kid' cook your chicken? I told a cab driver about it, he knew all about George Foreman grills, put it on the same level as acquiring a Louis Vuitton bag!  In the US you get a forman grill for your dorm room because you dont have a place to cook your food. Its cheap and probably embarrassing that I just bought one and was super excited to use it (less dishes when you have to handwash everything)! But c'mon!?! Even my old space heater I had at my desk at work in Chicago was $18.99 ....and $75 at the Sao Paulo Wal-Mart! Forget how you cook your chicken, freezing in this winter weather for that price just isn't fair!

So yea, how many times can I say it, its expensive here!  From $7 ice cream cones to $70,000 mini coopers... we feel it all around us and I am glad that Bloomberg finally legitimized it. Now... about those beaches.....

suit'n up

stripes = american
funky pattern = brazilian

initial thoughts:

-thank goodness for that thick band right?
-ohh and that is a size "LARGE"
-skin to fabric ratio has now been reduced from a comfortable 4:5 to a denuded 1:5
-my tan lines will be amazing for the debut
-maybe the patterns will scare people off before they see the rest of the package
-americans and their excess!

Because

Because my friend said, I’ve never seen you so happy over a toilet seat for your birthday

            Well that was one of many things I bought myself back home to bring to Brasil, it was needed, it was cheap and it didn’t squish and make a puff sound every time it is sat upon like the current, need to now happily throw out one we had

Because I’m on cruise control

            The last three months feels like an airplane ride: Running to the gate, shew you just made it, sweating, boarding, finding places for your things in overhead storage sometimes inconveniently in the back of the plane when you are seated near the front, settling into your seat, then moving seats, mechanical problems once everyone was settled, waiting on the tarmac for hours not knowing when the mechanical problems will resolve, finally taking off, the shutter of the wheels on the runway, the bumps and turns to maneuver into the flight path groove, turbulence as you move through the elevation changes and… seat back we have reached cruising altitude.

Because I love champagne

            And so I drank a lot of it on my birthday. And the next day…. and the next….

Because you just never know

            I pinch myself sometimes and still think, wow I live in Brazil!

Because some things change

            I now wear spandex and perfume to the gym because a girls gotta fit in!

Because I do love ‘Glee’

            I am not going to be ashamed of it anymore

Because it was my birthday

            So I celebrated for two weeks and ate all my favorite foods, did all my favorite things and saw as many of my favorite people as I could from Bodo’s Bagels in Charlottesville to a little dinner in Itaim

Because I always wanted a lot of storms…

            To make me curl up and read on the couch with chocolate milk and now I get them at 430 every day!

Because it is just the sunset of my twenties

            Not the sadness of growing older

Because my birthday 

            Marked the exact day three months ago that we took off for this new adventure

Because I am one year older

            In a place I love with a guy I love and I’ve never been happier!

Because I love the fruit and colors of this country

honesty: brazilian style

This morning in portuguese class

Teacher: Good morning Jana, are you pregnant?
Me: Huh?

Teacher: Yes are you with child... ? Oh i guess maybe not now, a lot going on in your life eh?
Inner Dialogue: is she serious right now?
Teacher: Did you eat a lot this weekend? Like feijoada or lots of churrascaria?
Me: Ummm no, lots of salads actually? (seriously, I went to the market this weekend and ate the healthiest all month)
Teacher: Well my you sure look, shall I say in english Chubby?! (no smile on her face either)
Inner Dialogue: Blunt force trauma
Me: Here is my homework for lesson 4.

Gotta love brazilian honesty. Im off to the gym for the next 87 hours

It takes a forest... of patience

Getting proper quantities of documentation to do ANYTHING in this country is like wading through concrete. I seriously don't think the word "efficient" is listed anywhere in our brazilian portuguese translation book. If it were, it would read:
Efficient: please see Incompetent.

Ok a little mean but I need to air out some frustrations.

We have an air freight box coming from the US that was packed back in early December complete with sheets, towels, pillows, dishes, silverware....etc. Things we well kinda need. The box was supposed to arrive Dec. 23 and instead landed Dec. 27th. Fine. We could wait a few days without those necessary things since we were still living in a hotel. However once we moved into our apartment we have a floor, a mattress, paper towels... none of which help with any of the desired things we enjoy doing like shower and sleep. We didn't want to buy stuff because we thought the box was here and would be delivered any day!  All documentation was said to have been done, notarized and approved. Dec. 29th we received an email when we inquired about receiving such box, requesting more documents. No, they needed "three" copies of our airline ticket each notarized, not one notarized and then copied two times like we were told. They also needed "two" copies of some "DOU Gazette" which I am not sure what that is but something must have gotten lost in translation. Once we get this all figured out, printed and notarized it will take a day to send to the correct people that will then take a day to approve it and then another day to send us our box. Or they will realize we need to cut down another tree and have that notarized as well, just in case.

This comes on top of the fact we have no local bank cards either. Itau bank screwed up Alex's information and its taken over three weeks for him to be able to pick up a temporary card. He was told last week they would have this "rushed" for him to pick up Monday. Well today is Monday and they said, sorry we are rushing it for Wednesday. We have been using our american cards for the past six weeks that work 50% of the time. Usually we go through 3 visa's and an AmEx to find out this just isn't going to work. Our back up plan is cash or realizing we have run out of cash like the other day when I poured out all the change I had on the counter and had to put back the groceries that I couldn't cover while a line of confused people waited. It will get fun if that happens at a restaurant. "I thought you said you got cash? No, I thought you HAD cash? Sir could we wash dishes?"

We also have a container coming that left Chicago in early December. That is supposed to take 1 month to get here by boat and then another 2 months in customs. IF our mini rainforest of documentation is correct.

Brazil I love you but this is a bit ridiculous.

Meet Gringo

When we landed we were given a rental car for 1 month and its hard to believe this friday we will be heading back to Localiza to return the little bugger. Over the last few weeks it's taught my husband how to drive a manual, driven a few friends and I safely to the beach for the first time and helped us discover our amazing new neighborhood and city.  Feeling the pressure to figure out how we would replace the wheels, I reached out to several gringo websites and friends. 

On many levels buying a car in this country is difficult. The first being the price. Unless you are a diplomat, it is financially ludicrous to import a car. By the time it makes it through customs, and that is a big, "if," you have paid off so many people and taxes to wrangle the legal system you've doubled the cost of the car and it could take years! If you buy a new car, it costs double what that same car would be in the US!! So I figured I would ask everyone we knew here if they were selling a car since buying a new car didn't make sense to us. Alex does not have a lot of job security with a one year contract so cheap, functional and used became our priorities. I would have loved to use the word "safety" in that sentence but air bags are not mandatory in Brazil till 2014. Power steering is a luxury amenity as is air conditioning surprisingly. 

Its clear word of mouth is an incredibly useful tool here. Within a week of asking around, I was given the name "Marcus" attached to an email address and told that he is 'the expat car man.' So I inquired and immediately had an appointment to be picked up at our hotel. Marcus owns a used dealership outside the city and really makes his business on transfers from major companies around the world. He has a variety of cars from BMW's priced around $100,000 to basic cars with wheels and doors. We needed wheels and doors. 

Since cars are so expensive they are obviously stolen all the time. You are warned if you try and buy a car from a regular guy because you have no guarantee if the engine inside the car is even the engine that originally came with the it. The car could have been entirely stolen, have stolen parts or have been marked as a drug vehicle and someone is trying to dump it fast. Not only did Marcus offer us an 8month warranty on our chosen 2005 VW Gol but he said he would happily buy it back from us if things change in a year! Even in an 05' there was no power steering but we got air conditioning!!!  His wife is also the insurance dealer so in one swoop you get the whole package! It was almost too good to be true but he certainly seems to maintain his reputation.

I have named our new car "gringo" in honor of its hue, personality and all those helpful in our purchase! I look forward to the many memories we will make over the next year and hopefully with good luck all the years to come...Merry Christmas to us! 

Gringo

Future Gringo with my creative brother's touch... (thats alex and i as kids)

In search of Christmas

Yesterday I got together with a woman from Chicago that I had met at an InterNations gathering a few weeks ago. InterNations is one of the many great ways to meet other expats and they host monthly events that attract hundreds of people.

Our mission? To find us some "Christmas!" Not that its hard to find around here, almost every condo building has a tree, and a lot of them have strung strands of lights from the entrance door to the top penthouses diagonally to create the effect of one large tree of lights. We however, were homesick for that Michigan Avenue in December feeling so we headed to the core. Avenida Paulista is a very important roadway channel in Sao Paulo, featuring lots of financial buildings, shopping and street-side cafes. It even has it's very own wikipedia site (what doesn't these days)?! We took one turn from the MASP (Sao Paulo Museum of Art) and hit Christmas overload. It was like 'Glee' meets Brazil's Got Talent. Variations on common tunes with a little solo jam here and there. Crowds come for their 12:30 and 7pm shows every night for the whole month.

Holidays lights were everywhere and as night descended upon us so did the people. Cafes spilling over with cheery souls, families out for strolls, teenagers making out per usual... everyone was merry! We saw Santa farming, Elves watering sunflowers and Mrs. Claus tending to her flower garden. The large Christmas trees still had lots of fake snow and one of the popular lighting choices are strands hanging in the trees made to look like icicles or snow falling. One scene had the Claus' on the porch with a very happy Bernese Mt. dog by their side. Santa must be a little confused. Anyone that farms next to sunflowers in the snow while icicles fall off the trees with their Bernese Mt dog full of fur would be!  Shame they don't show him with a bikini clad Mrs. Claus on one knee, the first three buttons undone off his nice white shirt and his red velvet jacket slung over his shoulder, black haviana's instead of boots prepping for some time in the southern hemisphere. Regardless Santa was happy, and so were we when we found a nice spot for a bottle of white wine to cool off from our Christmas adventure.

Christmas was found indeed.