São Paulo

Today marks one week in Brazil. The lesson I’ve learnt this week is that perceptions are easily changeable. The things that used to once startle me and intrigue me here in Curitiba are now becoming the norm. I look out the window of our 20 story apartment building and see a horizon covered in much of the same buildings. I no longer notice the details of the buildings, the streets, the environment or the people that once used to stand out so obviously to me here. I’ve had many conversations with my boyfriend about the things I ‘see’ in Brazil that he has never noticed before. Before going to Sao Paulo, it didn’t really feel real that I was in Brazil. Everything felt the same, but the surroundings were just a little different. But going to Sao Paulo really woke me up. It made me realise where I am, and put a lot of things in perspective. I have never seen anything like it.

We went to Sao Paulo because Diogenes is in the process of applying for traineeship programs here in Brazil, and the interviews and selection process all occur in Sao Paulo. Sao Paulo state is the richest in Brazil, and Sao Paulo is the biggest city in Brazil (and the third largest in the world) with a population of roughly 20million. This city is the same size as my entire country. It was breathtaking. The people in Sao Paulo were very ‘real’. The slums entering the city were never-ending on the horizon, kilometre after kilometre, just like in the movies. Sao Paulo had a 22-lane highway (11 lanes each way) coming in and out of the city. I’m pretty sure the biggest I’ve ever seen before this was a 6 lane highway (3 each way). The air was thick with pollution and I preferred to keep the car windows closed. The streets were lined with homeless women, children and men. Helpless people literally slept on the roads, almost as if they were praying to be run over in an attempt to end their destitute lives. Government apartment buildings were 2:1 ratio with normal apartments in many parts of the city. There wasn’t a quiet moment to be heard. I saw a lot of shocking things, like an old man with polio writhing around on the ground trying to stand up after he fell over, and no one came to his aid. I saw young girls being made to go up to cars, with dirty marks all over their pants, and my heart just crushed. Whilst there is much more to the city than the poverty, I talk about it because it’s such a contrast to anything I’ve seen before and really impacted me. However, I actually fell in love with Sao Paulo. We stayed in a geographically high part of city where the air was cleaner, where there was no or little poverty and there were many trees and a vibrant atmosphere. It almost felt as how I imagine New York to feel. There were cultural hubs, gorgeous gardens, people everywhere, all the time, Sao Paulo just never stopped. It was amazing to see how three or four different ambulances/ police managed to navigate their way through completely jam packed peak hour traffic. On that note, I have never heard so many sirens! We will no doubt have to go back there for more of Di’s work but I am really looking forward to getting better acquainted with the city and I’m secretly hoping he gets a job there. I feel I still have a lot to learn and experience there.

We took a bus to Sao Paulo, and it took over 6.5 hours cruising through the luscious green countryside of Parana and Sao Paulo states. The first thing I said when I got on the bus was ‘Oh my god, this is the nicest bus I’ve ever seen’, and it was. Sao Paulo bus station is also the largest in the world, with over 600 platforms. People commonly travel by bus and so the bus services are efficient, clean and luxurious. We stopped over at a roadhouse along the way and I ate at my first Brazilian ‘buffet’ where you get charged by the kilo. The food was glorious. Brazilians know how to eat well. I was surprised at all the different cuts of meat and I told Di to just put a little of whatever he was having on my plate – I hadn’t seen them before, so I had no idea what was good. Little did I know until I questioned Di, ‘I don’t really like this kind of chicken...’, ‘ Oh you don’t like chicken hearts?’ – ‘WHAT? I’M EATING CHICKEN HEARTS?’ Oh my god. So, I had a quick 101 on the fact Brazilians like to eat ALL parts of the animal. In fact, Diogenes mum’s favourite dish to prepare is Tongue. I can’t wait...

Speaking of food, Diogenes and I did our first big grocery shop yesterday... at Wal-Mart. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am not really a fan of corporate giants and delocalised food systems, so this was a little interesting/hard for me, but nevertheless fun. It took us a whole day. Food like Quince, a delicious fruit I used to indulge in with blue cheese, costs just over a dollar here. We have been having fresh bread with fresh mozzarella and quince for breakfast with fresh fruit, iced-tea, fresh lime water and muesli and yoghurt. We take our time in the mornings to enjoy, and we are finally starting to develop some routine. Getting used to each other, but particularly getting used to living with someone, being with another person 24 hours a day and being completely dependent on them (for everything) is completely new for me and has been an incredible learning curve and I think day by day Di and I are getting closer than ever. On Sunday we met one of his long term friends Ana Luiza and her boyfriend Henrique and not only were they amazing people who I can’t wait to get to know better, but it was so nice to start becoming part of ‘society’ here. Tonight we are meeting a whole group of his friends, girls and guys. I can still barely speak a word of Portuguese because we haven’t really done any practice, but we are going to start practising a lot more now. I’m very different here. I don’t really feel different, but people like to tell me I am exotic. I hope that’s a good thing...

There is a lot I would like to comment on about Brazil. There are so many subtleties in particular that fascinate me – like the inherent class system. There is a distinct lower class, middle class and ‘class with opportunities’. I haven’t come across the really affluent class yet, but I’ve heard it does exist – perhaps in Sao Paulo state. Everybody has their role in society here, and everyone happily gets on with their jobs. It’s strange for me to always have valet parking or to have someone serve me at a petrol station, check my oil or wash my windows. I find it hard to comprehend people, even students, have ‘maids’. There is so much inequality. But on that note, it makes the system work. You don’t see ‘made in china’ labels, as there are enough workers and resources for everything to be made in Brazil. The way people from the different classes interact is also fascinating for me. Its so subtle, and most Brazilians I’ve met don’t approve of discrimination, but they inadvertently practise it in their daily lives. How fascinating. Speaking of the subtleties, I was listening to some rock’n’roll with Di in the car, and the band was screaming over and over ‘hock’n’holl’. They don’t pronounce R’s here at the beginning of words, and naturally I found this hilariously comical. Needless to say, my boyfriend didn’t find it so funny that I laughed at this. The rate Brazilians ‘consume’, consume plastic packaging on their food and drinks, consume water when doing the dishes, consume paper serviettes with every meal, and the like is phenomenal for me. Consumption attitudes here seem to be not unlike those of the USA. I’m not sure the environmental revolution has hit here (yet), but I am starting to see signs and graffiti relating to sustainability. That makes me happy! Oh Brazil, how you intrigue me. I'm really learning to love you.