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.

Like

my first novela run

is over. Small tear.

(tatatosatt.blogspot.com)

Just finished the finale of "Finas Estampa," the 9pm Novela that began back in August and ended this weekend. There were moments (loooong moments) where I didn't miss an episode (watching at least 5 of the 6 nights a week it comes on) and then months where I forgot it was still going. I caused a ruckus at home when for 3 weeks I refused to go out to dinner so as not to miss a wandering eye or a sneaky in-law even though they have an online globo recap. Then Christmas rolled around and it was hard to keep up so the show and I took some time off. But like all breaks I missed the routine and there I was in January trying to refigure it all out again.

In the end, it was good to see it all wrap up and come full circle.  The good guys won and in true scary movie fashion, the evil Tereza Cristina just wouldn't die. We never did figure out who "Cro" the secretary's lover was but all the nasty splits patched their wounds and life in Barra returned to normal.  Not sure if I am going to start the next one, "Avenida Brasil" with the same momentum as before but I am certainly addicted to the concept. When you watch you are one with the maids and taxi drivers, the ladies at the nail salon and just about everybody you come in contact with. Its a cultural phenomenon and name dropping a novela star gets you an extra nod of approval.  I'll never forget coming back from Rio on a Saturday night and seeing Milena Toscano grabbing her bag off my flight. I acted like a total tween about it and couldn't wait to tell my novela watching friends. Every magazine mentions them, my old portuguese teacher would review lessons around the drama and I finally knew a guest every once in a while on Mais Voce. For the past 7 months I felt like a part of the cool club. And now my nine pm network family is finally off for a much needed vacation.  What a crazy thrill that was! 

welcome, a naked bike parade!

(folha) 

Lets face it. People drive like maniacs here. Recently there have been a few bike accidents and one in particular on Paulista Ave where a young biologist was run over and killed by a bus. It has caused an uproar among the cyclist community causing demonstrations with people laying down across major intersections around the city. The Pedalada Pelada, a group promoting alternative modes of transportation also organized a Saturday night naked cycle on Paulista Ave. Lucky for us we had just picked up my brother (his first time to South America) from the airport Saturday night and we were driving towards home and saw a bunch of the nude riders. I wasn't quick enough to snag a photo but lucky for you, Folha was. Click here I would love for Sao Paulo to become more biker friendly, but with buses that act like tonka trucks that wish they were high speed Chinese rail and cars that think they are buses well I just hope they find a way to remedy this mess of a situation. 

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.

Natura: The Store

As I have mentioned before, Natura is a wonderful Brazilian cosmetics company. Their direct sales model is the only thing I have ever been frustrated with. While I think it works well in certain income classes among Brazilians, it isn't flexible for other markets, making it hard for expats and tourists to buy into the brand when they need to have a consultant. How do you select makeup color from a magazine? There is a constantly changing variety of native scents for bath and body products, how do you know which to choose? What if people want to bring it to their home country as gifts? Happens all the time and the little kiosk in the airport doesn't offer much.

A glamorous rise and fall...Daslu

Most outside of the international luxury-shopping sphere have probably never heard of Daslu. It is ranked #13 of 236 things to do in Sao Paulo by Lonely Planet but it’s recognition goes far beyond what I imagined when I first started researching its history out of curiosity. Known as the premier place to shop in South America if you are amongst the (.0)1%, its status as one of the most luxurious fashion emporiums in the world now joins the ranks of Lehman Brothers, Enron and Arthur Anderson… well sort of.

Watch out the gringos are coming!!!!

We were at the movies last weekend and one of the pre-preview commercials had a voice singing, "the gringos are arriving, are you ready?" and we were the only ones in a crowded theater that burst out laughing for quite a while. Anyways, now I am hearing it all the time on tv and its just too funny. Cel-Lep is a language school that I actually first started taking lessons from and well I ended up with an interesting teacher that enjoyed making excuses for why she couldn't make our class at least once a week (and if she actually showed up she continually asked if I was pregnant, loved grabbing my cheeks and prayed for me to have a baby. but thats besides the point). The package was unfortunately paid in full and I am one of those people that needs to learn how to complain more when I receive bad service because instead I just felt bad for her and never said anything. Well thats over with now, but hopefully they have employed a more motivated crop of teachers for this latest influx of hopeful brazilians frantically trying to get ready for the gringo explosion!

Enjoy

Sao Paulo Fashion Week

I am still trying to meet the right person to hook me up with a way in to see something during Sao Paulo Fashion week but until that happens I rely on other's photos. "The Face Hunter," a fashion blogger and avid people watcher always goes and always has a great series to check out. Here is his visual diary of pictures from the last week, an eclectic mix of fashion and city.

Love and Baby Bumps

This weekend I got to shoot a beautiful mommy to be. She is due at the end of February and despite the rainy weather we found a little sunshine in the praça near Parque Ibirapuera. I wanted to style a picnic with lots of pink balloons but it was too much to risk with the flash storms and saturated soil. A park bench did the trick along with a few inside pictures. My favorite is the black and white in the doorway. I love that maternity pictures are so popular these days, its fun to celebrate the transformation of the female silhouette especially in Brazil. Brazilians love their mommas-to-be and their babies, I am amazed when I see crazed drivers and manic motoboys slow down and quickly become cautious for a woman clearly pregnant. On the bus people give up their seat immediately, hold bags and all too often bump touch without invitation. But certainly better the opposite I suppose. A lot has changed, in my grandmother's era women stayed inside and hoped neighbors wouldn't notice anything, keeping very private. Two generations later and way down south here at the beach women sunbathe and swim right up to the last few months publicly and very happy. Can't wait to meet the result of this lovely family in a few months.

"E" is for "Baby Emma" 

“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! 

Hello 'hollywood'

My bull rider loving cousin of the west coast informed me about a very good looking Paulista in the championship bull riding competition this weekend in Las Vegas. So I wanted to cheer him on and dutifully agree that yes Mel hes quite the hottie! While hes becoming one of my special interests he listed his as soccer, team roping and surfing. A true Brasileiro.

Good Luck Guilherme Marchi nicknamed "Hollywood." Ill make sure my televisão is turned on for your show... Im a guna file this one under nourishment... =)

Outside dining

Pe de Manga

For those that love feel of a deck, patio or view, here is my ever evolving list of favorite outdoor spots in the city.

1. Pe de Manga : actually listed in the book, 1000 things to do before you die and I agree its awesome!

now no longer in order of preference


2. Due Cuochi Cucina on the roof at Shopping Cidade Jardim : very small area to eat outside but a nice view beyond the electrical fields


3. Tanger : they have a wonderful front porch dining area


4. Capim Santo : lovely lovely gravel backyard


5. Unique Hotel : classic spot everyone has to go once (or a million times), small bites and pizza only, on the pool deck though


6. Figueira Rubaiyat : The famous fig tree that stretches throughout the restaurant space is fun for people watching but I think a bit overrated


7. O Pote do Rei : our new favorite spot in Pinheiros, seating in the back is also under a lovely tree outside


8. The ever special Sao Bento boteco establishment on Aspicuelta : kinda like eating outside, again open air but really fun. If you find its too crowded there just about every bar on both sides of the street is the same type of feel...


9. Esch Cafe : Cigar bar but they have great food and a front outside dining space


10. Santa Gula : is sorta outside/inside but a really cool entrance and has funky artsy appeal 


11. N'o Cafe : you will find us here just about every weekend taking in the sunshine and a great breakfast


12. Deli Paris : next door to N'o Cafe and if we aren't there we are here for their all you can eat buffet that is okay but its nice to sit on the sidewalk and people watch! 


13. Arturito : Threw this one in even though it isn't exactly outside except for a sliver in the back but its so fabulous its one of our favorites and if you haven't been you should! You can still get a little sunshine in along the bench in the back right side so technically there is a piece of an open roof. Call ahead as it is very difficult to get a reservation here. 


14. Famiglia Mancini : apparently has a great little outdoor space but I have yet to go! 


I had some problems making this post a dedicated page and lost pieces of it so it will just be a post for the time being. I am sure there are quite a few restaurant spots I am missing so please feel free to add to the list...

Banco Itau Heist

 

This kinda went viral amongst friends recently and at first I thought it was a joke. Is it all really possible? In Sao Paulo, indeed it is. Story taken from Forbes ....

´´Banco Itaú branch located on Paulista Avenue

On the night of Saturday, August 27, precisely at 11:50 p.m., 12 men
in gray uniforms entered one of São Paulo’s most highly secured
buildings, the Banco Itaú‘s bank branch located on Paulista Avenue,
the very financial and business heart of Brazil’s biggest metropolis.
They passed through the security check at the bank’s underground
parkade by identifying themselves as furnishing workers – a perfect
disguise, since the branch was under renovations and the guards at the
building had been previously warned about people coming in that night.
Without firing a single shot, they spent the following 10 hours
breaking into some 170 private strongboxes belonging to at least 120
wealthy clients of Banco Itaú, Latin America’s largest bank by market
value. Only two security guards were disarmed, the first when the
thieves seized the ground floor where the entrance door to the branch
was opened, so the other members of the team could enter; and the
other when he arrived in the morning for his work shift.  Five other
men spent the whole night outside, to keep the rest of the pack aware
of any possible casualties, should something have gone wrong.
Gallery: Global High Performers

On the next morning, the thieves left with cash, luxury watches, gold
bars, sapphires, emeralds, rubies and diamonds. Loads of diamonds.
According to the most optimistic estimates, the total amount of
valuables taken was about R$ 100 million ($58.5 million). Little of
the loot was insured (banks don’t usually ask their customers about
the contents of their safety deposit boxes,) and much of it appeared
difficult to trace. Banco Itaú only guarantees the compensation of R$
15.000,00 ($8,800) per deposit box. Those whose valuables are worth up
to R$ 200.000,00 ($117,000) can opt for an insurance plan provided by
the bank. If the amount to be secured is higher than that, an external
insurance company must be hired for the service. Most clients,
however, never thought of being ripped off in such a way.

Among the victims who did not have insurance is Therezinha Maluf
Chamma, the 82-year-old sister of the legally troubled former State
Governor of São Paulo, Paulo Salim Maluf. For more than 30 years,
Chamma kept hers and her daughters’ jewellery in two deposit boxes at
the Banco Itaú branch. Everything was stolen, including a diamond
necklace by Van Cleef & Arpels and a ring encrusted with a diamond of
the size of a big cherry. The family’s loss was R$ 1 million
($585,000) or more. Two collections of luxury watches were also taken,
one of which contained 143 Rolex watches worth more than R$ 2 million
($1,170,000). Another client lost two jewellery cases, one being an
18th Century Prussian jewellery case studded with rubies, and made of
silver and ivory, which sheltered inside a collection of 33 rough
diamonds extracted from African and Brazilian mines. The other was a
wooden box decorated with silver containing 58 Colombian emeralds in
its interior, in sizes varying from 1 to 3 carats. Together, the boxes
are worth R$ 12 million ($7 million).

Due to the amazingness of the situation, one should expect that the
police would take immediate action. But that’s not what happened at
all. In spite of being prompt informed by Banco Itaú about the crime,
the police department responsible for handling bank robberies in São
Paulo only began to investigate the case a week after it took place.
Even the security guards who worked that night were interrogated only
11 days after the robbery, not to mention that investigators didn’t do
much during the time known as the ‘Golden 48,’ in reference to the
relevance of collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses during the
48 hours after a crime is committed, a period after which the
likelihood of solving it drops precipitously.

There’s already suspicion of self-dealing in a fishy deal between key
members of the investigation team and the thieves, especially because
the São Paulo police has a history in this regard. In the past, some
of its officials extorted money from Colombian drug lords, including
Juan Carlos Ramírez Abadía, and also from burglars responsible for
several bank thefts over the past years.

Because of that, a lot of the victims are hiring private investigation
agencies such as the New York-based RCI First Security and
Intelligence Advising, which already contacted hundreds of cutters,
jewellers, auctioneers and money changers from all over the globe in
order to locate some of the stolen goods. The fact that the
investigations were delayed, though, is a major problem. Timing is
crucial in these cases, since the thieves will always try to go away
as soon as possible to avoid being tracked down.

As soon as they heard the shocking news of the robbery, the directors
of Banco Itaú set up a crisis committee to monitor the situation and
make an exhaustive assessment of the consequences of this
unprecedented theft, which, for some reason, only became public last
week. For a bank, a huge robbery like the one in this case can somehow
be compared to a plane crash for an airliner. Some 40 managers at the
bank were ordered to put aside their daily tasks and devote to
personally inform clients that their precious goods had been stolen.
Many have had to be medicated after receiving the news.

Meanwhile, investigators are trying to identify the thieves thanks to
the only clue they have left: Although they’ve destroyed much of the
surveillance system, some of the security cameras went unnoticed to
them. Based on the video footage, 12 thieves have been identified so
far. And it is quite likely that the mentors of the Banco Itaú
burglary are the same behind the Banco Central burglary at Fortaleza,
one of the world’s largest burglaries.

On the weekend of August 6, 2005 and August 7, 2005 a gang of burglars
tunneled into the Banco Central in Fortaleza, a city in north-eastern
Brazil. They removed five containers of R$ 50 notes, with an estimated
value of R$ 164,755,150 ($95 million) and weighing about 3.5 tons. The
money was uninsured; a bank spokeswoman stated that the risks were too
small to justify the insurance premiums. The burglars managed to evade
or disable the bank’s internal alarms and sensors; the burglary
remained undiscovered until the bank opened for business on the
morning of Monday, August 8, 2005. So far, authorities have recovered
more than $8.93 million, while the remaining is still unaccounted for.

The Banco Central robbery inspired a just-released movie that is
already a contender for representing Brazil at the 2012 Academy
Awards. The question is whether a possible sequel of the movie will
have a happy ending for the victims or the thieves.´´

Well thats kinda fun

Maybe wordle word clouds are one of those... ´um that came around like 4 years ago? things,´ but to me it came around last week when my brother emailed me a worldle of my blog. it goes something like this...

I could make poetry out of it but for now, it kinda sums up my life here.

great weekend view, just brazilian. chairs, husband, view, unforgettable home

Rio or Sao Paulo?

While I am in Article Forwarding mode...this article is taken from The Economist (scroll to the bottom for an audio guide)

Doing Business in Brazil

Rio or São Paulo?

Aug 24th 2011, 18:31 by H.J | RIO DE JANEIRO AND SÃO PAULO

• 
  

LAST year Paulo Rezende, a Brazilian private-equity investor, and two partners decided to set up a fund investing in suppliers to oil and gas companies. Although this industry is centred on Rio de Janeiro, Brazil’s second-largest city, with its huge offshore oilfields—and fabulous beaches, dramatic scenery and outdoor lifestyle—they instead established the Brasil Oil and Gas Fund 430km (270 miles) away, in São Paulo’s concrete sprawl. Even though it means flying to Rio once or twice a week, Mr Rezende, like many other businesspeople, decided that São Paulo’s economic heft outweighed Rio’s charms. But the choice is harder than it used to be.

For many years, São Paulo has been the place for multinationals to open a Brazil office. It may be less glamorous than Rio, as the two cities’ nicknames suggest: Rio is Cidade Maravilhosa (the Marvellous City); São Paulo is Cidade da Garoa (the City of Drizzle). But as Mr Rezende sadly concluded: “São Paulo is the financial centre, and that’s where the money is.”

Edilson Camara of Egon Zehnder International, an executive-search firm with offices in both cities, does 12 searches in São Paulo for each one in Rio. The biggest mistake, he reckons, is for firms to let future expatriates visit Rio at all. “They are seduced by the scenery and lifestyle, and it’s a move they can sell to their families. But many have ended up moving their office to São Paulo a couple of years later, with all the upheaval that entails.”

From a hamlet founded by Jesuit missionaries in 1554, São Paulo grew on coffee in the 19th century, industry in the first half of the 20th—and then on the misfortunes of Rio, once Brazil’s capital and its richest, biggest city. The federal government abandoned Rio for the newly built Brasília in 1960, starting a half-century of decline. Misgoverned by politicians and fought over by drug gangs and corrupt police, Rio became dangerous, even by Brazilian standards. The exodus gained pace as businesses and the rich fled, mostly for São Paulo.

Now, though, there are signs that the cost-benefit calculation is shifting. São Paulo’s economy has done well in Brazil’s recent boom years and it is still much bigger, but Rio’s is growing faster, boosted by oil discoveries and winning its bid to host the 2016 Olympics (see table below). Last year Rio received $7.3 billion in foreign direct investment—seven times more than the year before, and more than twice as much as São Paulo. Prime office rents in Rio are now higher than anywhere else in the Americas, north or south, according to Cushman and Wakefield, a property consultancy.



Community-policing projects are taming its infamous favelas, or shanty towns: its murder rate, though still very high at 26 per 100,000 people per year (two-and-a-half times São Paulo’s), is at last falling. Brazil’s soaring real is pricing expats paid in foreign currencies out of São Paulo’s classy restaurants and shopping malls; Rio’s recipe of sun, sea and samba is still free. Even Hollywood seems to be on Rio’s side: an eponymous animation, with its lush depictions of rainforest and carnival, is one of the year’s highest-grossing films.

Red-carpet treatmentRio’s mayor, Eduardo Paes, has big plans for capitalising on the city’s magic moment. The sharp-suited, English-speaking lawyer has set up a business-development agency, Rio Negócios, to market the city, help businesspeople find investment opportunities, and advise on paperwork and tax breaks. Though all investors are welcome, it concentrates on those in sectors where it reckons Rio has an edge: tourism, energy, infrastructure and creative industries such as fashion and film. “A couple of years ago, foreign businessmen would come to Rio and ask what we had to offer,” says Mr Paes. “We had no answer. Now we roll out the red carpet.”

The political balance between the two cities has changed too. In the 1990s São Paulo was more influential and better run: it is the stronghold of the Party of Brazilian Social Democracy (PSDB), the national party of government from 1995 to 2002. Now the PSDB is in its third term of opposition in Brasília, and though it still governs São Paulo state, it is weakened by internal feuds. In Rio, by contrast, the political stars are aligned. The state governor, Sérgio Cabral, campaigned tirelessly for the current president, Dilma Rousseff—and received his reward when police actions in an unruly favela late last year were backed up by federal forces. Mr Paes and Mr Cabral are from the same party, and their pre-Olympic plans for security, housing and transport mesh well.

São Paulo’s socioeconomic segregation, long part of its appeal to expats, is starting to look like less of an advantage. Most of its nicer bits are clustered together, allowing rich paulistanos to ignore the vast favelas on the periphery. In Rio, selective blindness is harder with favelas perched on hilltops overlooking all the best neighbourhoods. But proximity seems to be teaching well-off cariocas that abandonment is no solution for poverty and violence. Community policing and urban-renewal schemes are bringing safety and public services. Chapéu Mangueira and Babilônia, twin favelas a 20-minute uphill scramble from Copacabana beach, are being rebuilt, with a health clinic, nursery and a 24-hour police presence. The price of nearby apartments has already soared. Several other slums are also getting similar make-overs.

Central do BrasilRio’s Olympic preparations include extending its metro and building lots of dedicated bus lanes, including one linking the international airport to the city centre. By 2016, predicts City Hall, half of all journeys in the city will be by high-quality public transport, up from 16% today. São Paulo’s metro extensions are years behind schedule, and the city is grinding towards gridlock. Its plans to link the city centre to its main international airport (recently voted Latin America’s most-hated by business travellers) rely on a grandiose federal high-speed train project, bidding for which was recently postponed for the third time.

Rio is still unpredictably dangerous, and decades of poor infrastructure maintenance have left their mark. Its mobile-phone and electricity networks are outage-prone; the língua negra (“black tongue”, a sudden overflow of water and sewage from inadequate hillside culverts) is a staple of the rainy season; exploding manholes, caused by subterranean gas leaks meeting sparks from electricity lines, are a hazard all year round. All in all, still not an easy choice for a multinational business—but it is no longer foolish to let prospective expats fly down to Rio to take a look.

Audio guide:

Sao Paulo: Brazilian Beauty

Aug 20th Wall Street Journal Article

By SAMEER REDDY

Rafael Pinho for The Wall Street Journal

Figueira Rubaiyat

Beaches, bikinis and feathered headdresses are not reasons to visit the biggest city in Brazil—that's Rio you're dreaming of. What São Paulo lacks in sea and sand, it more than makes up for with sophisticated style, can't-look-away architecture and a rich culture influenced by immigrants from around the globe.


This megatropolis of 11 million is the pounding heart of South America's biggest economic success story. A city on the make, it's dynamic and teeming, yet noticeably…happy. Despite the frequently rainy weather, locals have a rep for offering easy smiles.

Insider's Guide to São Paulo

View Slideshow

Rafael Pinho for The Wall Street Journal

Chef Helena Rizzo at Mani

And why not? Paulistas are blessed with stunning buildings, including several by celebrated Brazilian modernist Oscar Niemeyer. The city's diversity is on display in Liberdade, also known as Little Tokyo. In Vila Madalena, a bohemian outpost set in rolling hills, the nighttime vibe is one of all-out revelry. Street art graces miles of concrete walls around town; avant-folk fashion turns heads on the streets.

September will bring some bikini sightings with the Miss Universe pageant, as well as rain-free fall weather. If it does drizzle, at least there are plenty of sunny dispositions to enjoy.

—Sameer Reddy

The Hotelier

ROGERIO FASANO

Rogerio Fasano
Head of the Fasano Group, which owns the Hotel Fasano São Paulo

Mega Food Market: Mercado Municipal. For me this amazing indoor food market represents the plurality and the multiculturalism of São Paulo. It also reminds me of my grandfather, who used to go there all the time. 306 Rua da Cantareira, mercadomunicipal.com.br

Landmark Museum: Museu de Arte de São Paulo. MASP is my favorite museum in town. Its modern architecture is a landmark and represents the feeling and spirit of São Paulo. 1578 Ave. Paulista, masp.art.br

Petite Park:Trianon Park. I like this small park because I used to spend a lot of time there when I was a kid. My school, Dante Alighieri, was just across the street. Its location is a breath of fresh air on the city's most business oriented avenue—the contrast is nice. 850 Alameda Jaú

Escape Route:Congonhas Airport. I love the feeling of going there, because it usually means that I will be boarding a flight to Rio de Janeiro, my second home in Brazil. www.infraero.com.br

Memorable Building:Edifício Matarazzo. It was designed by the Italian architect Marcello Piacentini in the 1940s, and in my opinion it is the most beautiful building in the city. It was one of the inspirations for the Hotel Fasano in São Paulo. 15 Viaduto do Chá

The Chef

ALEX ATALA

Alex Atala
Chef and owner of award-winning restaurant D.O.M.

Authentic Eats:Mocotó Restaurant & Cachaçaria. Far from the city center, but it's a must. This picturesque restaurant has unforgettable food based on traditional Brazilian dishes, and very reasonable prices. It's been open since 1973; these days chef Rodrigo Oliveira carries on his father's work. 1100 Ave. Nossa Senhora do Loreto, mocoto.com.br

Street Art: Beco do Batman. "Batman's Alley" is more than just a street—it's an open-air graffiti gallery in the heart of the bohemian Vila Madalena neighborhood. Worth the trip. Rua Gonçalo Afonso

Asian Bazaar: Liberdade Street Market. Hosts the best of Japanese culture and cuisine—São Paulo, after all, has the biggest Japanese community outside Japan. Saturdays and Sundays on Praça da Liberdade

Modern Fare: Maní. Chef Helena Rizzo does wonderful work alongside her husband, Spaniard Daniel Redondo, creating nouvelle Brazilian cuisine. It's one restaurant I truly recommend. 210 Rua Joaquim Antunes, manimanioca.com.br

Cultural Complex: Latin American Memorial. I believe Oscar Niemeyer is a revolutionary and a genius. Make sure to see his soaring, curving design that showcases Latin American art, theater, music, dance and more. 664 Ave. Áuro Soares de Moura Andrade, www.memorial.sp.gov.br

The Style Editor

ERIKA PALOMINO

Erika Palomino
Editor of Plastic Dreams magazine, columnist for Brazilian web portal iG and TV commentator

Sleek Museum: Museu Lasar Segall. The movie theater and gardens form a modernist space in which you can walk around, and watch art films sitting on antique chairs. You can also see the atelier of gravures and enjoy a late afternoon coffee in the calm. 111 Rua Berta, museusegall.org.br

Sports Arena:Estádio do Pacaembu. I like to go there to watch the Corinthians' soccer matches—my team! Also great for a visit to the Soccer Museum or to hang out at the low-key Art Deco pub. Praça Charles Miller, corinthians.com.br

Art Showcase: Pinacoteca. A beautiful building that hosts great exhibitions, completely restored by Brazilian starchitect Paulo Mendes da Rocha. Afterwards, have a wonderful lunch at Acrópoles, a nearby Greek restaurant. 2 Praça da Luz, pinacoteca.org.br; 364 Rua da Graça, restauranteacropoles.com.br

Boutique and Bite: Surface to Air and Lorena 1989. Check the new arrivals in the city's best multi-brand store, then have a delicious meal at the attached terrace restaurant, which has a charming view. 1989 Alameda Lorena, surfacetoair.com.br, lorena1989.com.br

Top Design: Micasa. A spectacular design store, they have pieces from Vitra, the Bouroullec brothers and special collections from young Brazilian furniture designers. 2109 Rua Estados Unidos, micasa.com.br

The Fashion Designer

OSKAR METSAVAHT

Oskar Metsavaht
Designer and owner of Brazilian luxury brand Osklen

Modernist Masterpiece: Pavilhão Lucas Nogueira Garcez (Oca).The dome-shaped building, designed by Oscar Niemeyer in 1951, once housed the Museu da Aeronáutica and the Museu do Folclore, and was renovated in part by Paulo Mendes da Rocha. It's now used for temporary exhibitions and events. Ibirapuera Park, parquedoibirapuera.com

Go-To Gallery: Galeria Fortes Vilaça. One of the most important galleries in São Paulo. It represents artists I really appreciate, like Vik Muniz, Janaina Tschäpe and Ernesto Neto. 1500 Rua Fradique Coutinho, fortesvilaca.com.br

Local Snack Spot: Frevo. One of the most traditional snack bars in the city. Its Beirute sandwich, made with pita, roast beef, cheese and tomato, is famous—and delicious! 603 Rua Oscar Freire and other locations, frevinho.com.br

Edgy Art: Instituto Tomie Ohtake. Designed by Ruy Ohtake, the center is named after his father, a well-known Japanese artist, and the center reflects a contemporary view of the city, where culture, art and entertainment are all integrated. 201 Ave. Faria Lima, www.institutotomieohtake.org.br

Power Tower: Edifício Itália. São Paulo's second-tallest building, located in the city center, offers an amazing view of the skyline. Don't miss the rooftop restaurant for a 360-degree perspective. 344 Ave. Ipiranga, www.terracoitalia.com.br