I'm So Fashion

A few weeks ago, Tricia Chaves, an American ex-pat in Brazil who reads this blog and has a few of her own (also a freelance writer for those who need one!), asked me for my advice on wearing jeans in São Paulo... since I love fashion, I got a little excited about it all and sent in a full fledged, "what I wear around SP" summary to her and now, I'm in the Tyra Banks blog!!

Can I wear jeans in Brazil in April/May is pretty much an "interview" with me, in which I also turn into a fashion expert.

"Polyana Ferreira de Oliveira is a Brazilian-born, U.S.-raised 20-something who does online marketing for the fashion industry. Off-hours, she's living it up in Sao Paulo or traveling around Brazil. With her tips, you can pack the right looks to transform you from foreigner to fashionista when you visit or relocate to her native land."

Love it! Thanks Tricia :-)

You can find the full article here.

$100 Weekend in São Paulo

This article has been updated on my website, My Destination São Paulo: Weekend in SP on a Budget. 

One of my favorite travel blogs is Seth Kugel's "The Frugal Traveler," a NY Times blog. Mostly because I can be pretty cheap, especially when travelling. I'm one of those people who wants to live the local scene, and I don't want to be ripped off by touristy travel 'deals'. I study maps so I don't waste time, and I try to meet up with locals wherever I go. Seth seems to follow the same schemes I do, so he's definitely a go-to for me when it comes to travel destinations.

A couple of weeks ago, he wrote about a $100 Weekend in Rio, which, like São Paulo, is next to impossible for many. They're two of the most expensive cities in the world, especially for tourists and ex-pats. Rio for it's tourist appeal, and São Paulo for it's top executive/rich business person appeal.

So what if you're "stuck" in São Paulo for a weekend and are low on cash but amped on energy?

Here's my "local guide" (after 3 years, I consider myself a local!) to $100 Friday night-Sunday night in São Paulo City. Like Seth's budget, this doesn't include lodging! Since my energy level was off the past few weeks, I've combined various places I actually went to and fun things I actually did here in SP a fun packed weekend!

Current conversion rate: 1 USD = R$1,62, giving me R$162,30 to spend.

We're assuming two things - 1. You're staying near the Av. Paulista area (although I live in Vila Madalena, I think it's just easier to assume this), & 2. You don't have a car & like to walk as much as I do.

Friday night

Pop into a metro station and grab a Bilhete Único, the metro pass here, for R$20. That should last you the number of rides you'll need on busses & metros. Remembering if you take the metro + bus, you get a discount and can ride as many busses as you want for the price of 1 for 2 hours using the pass.

For dinner, walk to o Pedaço da Pizza, on Rua Augusta. There you can taste São Paulo's "famous" pizza and get it by the slice, which is really hard to do around here! Each slice will run you about R$4 and a soda or beer, around R$3. So in my case - 2 slices (they're big!) & 1 Guaraná cost me R$12.

After dinner, take a bus ride to Vila Madalena ($3). There are tons of bars and clubs in the area, but to optimize the experience, and find a spot where tourists & Brazilians find harmony, head to Casa Club, where the cover charge is R$5 for a great live band playing Brazilian pop/pop rock, and the occasional Marvin Gaye and Sublime, and the 600 ml bottles of beer are R$7. Cover + Original beer = R$12.

Take the bus back to Av. Paulista & rest up for Saturday!

Friday total: R$44 Remaining: R$118,29 (Remaining on bus pass R$14)

Saturday

Get up early and head to the nearest bakery for a pingado (large cup of coffee & milk) & a pão na chapa (bread and butter on the... grill?). R$4

Take the metro to Luz on the blue line. Right outside the station, to your right, there's a museum, and in front of it, another one!! The one that's attached to the station is Museu da Língua Portuguesa. Yup, that's right, Portuguese Language Museum. And it's really cool. I've been there about 4 times and still can't get enough of their multi-media presentation. Right in front of the museum is the Pinacoteca do Estado, one of my favorite art museums in the world. The building's architecture is gorgeous and they always have fabulous exhibits. Plans to spend a few hours in each. Price tag on a Saturday for each museum: FREE.

Cross the Avenue to the left of Pinacoteca, and take a 15 minute walk or so to Mercadão, which is the big municipal market right down town for a late lunch. The famous sanduíche de mortadella (R$8) is a must-have, but overall, plan on spending about R$15 eating here since you'll want to try some of the fruit and such as well.

Take a 10 minute walk to Mosteiro de São Bento, my favorite church in São Paulo. Gawk at the dome ceiling, and hope to cath the priests in the midst of a Gregorian chant (but if you would like to see a mass with this, go back on Sunday at 10 AM). Oh, and take a seat. You're probably tired.

Grab a salgado around there (R$5) at a padaria just to matar a fome, but be careful not to fall into 25 de Março, the street that has crazy bargain shoppers!

Another 7 minutes walking, and you're at Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil. Right now, there's an Escher exhibit going on which is free, and I also saw a great play there on a Saturday night a couple weeks ago which was with a famous Globo actor, for R$14. Try to check out a play if there are tickets!

Assuming the play was at 7:30 PM and you're famished at this point... head back to Av. Paulista via metro, and treat yourself to all the soup and bread you can eat at Bella Paulista. With drinks and all plan on about R$30 here.

Go home, you're frickin' tired!!

Total Saturday: R$68 Remaining: R$50,29 (Remaining on bus pass, R$8,20)

Sunday

Sunday, take a bus ride to Moema, near Ibirapuera Park and treat yourself to a healthy all you can eat brunch at Pé no Parque. R$25

Afterwards, walk it all off in the park, taking a walk around the lake, checking out what's going on in the Bienal building or the Afro-Brazilian Museum (usually some great free exhibits!), both inside the park. Take a nap on the grass or check out any other sort of event going on in the park - which is very likely on a Sunday!!

Once you're over your lazy stupor, take a bus ride to Pinheiros to Ó do Borogodó, one of my favorite samba & chorinho spots in the city. R$15 cover, R$10 for a beer & caldinho de feijão.

Total Sunday: R$50 Remaining: R$0,29 (Remaining on bus pass, R$2,2o)

Whew! That was close!!

I added a few places that have cover charges and what-not, and also some "classier" places so you're not going crazy budget & health-wise, but there are all sorts of sites that you can find with free and cheap things to do all over the city, and for all tastes. The ones I usually turn to though, are probably Catraca Livre & Uia Diário. Also, don't forget daily deal sites!!! They've been crucial lately.

*Lodging tip - Couchsurfing is pretty big in São Paulo, and from what I've

heard from people I've hosted, paulistanos are pretty responsive and welcoming! Good neighborhoods to stay in for the above activities - Jardins, Bela Vista, Vila Madalena/Pinheiros, Itaim Bibi, Higienópolis/Santa Cecília.

So what'd you guys think? Would you like to see this sort of guide more on Americanizada?!

You can do whatever you want, but when in São Paulo, whatever you do, have a blast (and CALL ME!)!

beijos!

-poly.

ps - pictures coming. i'm too tired to post right now...

So You Wanna Move to Brazil? - Interview with Mr. Geonaut Brasil

Here's number 2 in my "So You Wanna Move to Brazil?" series, where I interview real people who have moved to Brazil, from numerous other nationalities or even Brazilians like myself who lived abroad for a long time. If you're interested in sharing your story, contact me! polyana's contact info.

Today's interview is with Oliver Bazely, author of the blog Geonaut Brasil, who is an Englishman living in Rio de Janeiro. His was a career move, and no, he's not teaching English here! Read on for more details on Oliver's story!

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P. We'll get on to the point here... what brought you to Brazil?

O. Strangely enough, it was a chance encounter with a French colleague who had recently returned from Rio. I mentioned I had always wanted to work in South America, rather than just travel the continent. He replied that he would ask around on my behalf, and let me know if he found any positions.

The next thing that I knew, my English boss was telling me that he had sent off my references for "that job in Brazil". I had no idea what he was talking about. That was until my current boss sent me an email proudly declaring that my references were fine, and that I had been accepted for the position. It was the least painful job application imaginable.

P.You're settled in Rio. What made you pick the city (if different from the above answer)?

O. I didn't choose Rio - Rio chose me! (see above)

P. You've lived in a few countries in Europe, but are from the UK. How was the Europe - South America transition? What were some of your biggest challenges settling here?

O. The pace of administration is very slow here, so it took nearly 1 year to organise the visa. It didn't help that the rules related to my visa changed 3 times in that 1 year period, forcing us to restart the process each time. It the took a further 10 months to open a bank account.

When I did arrive, I found it difficult to adjust to the tropical climate - being raised in the temperate latitudes meant that I didn't really understand my body to begin with. I kept overheating, or not drinking enough water, or finding it difficult to sleep. Also, it took me a while to accept that sometimes it is impossible to buy things here that are available in Europe.

I kept hunting for bargains that didn't exist, or looking for the kind of hypermarkets that are so common in France or England. I'm used to it now, but for a while I was frustrated. I thought it would be harder to adjust to the social scene here, but its not so different to France, Spain or Italy. Now it feels like second nature to invite someone to go out without any intention of following it up with an actual invite!

P. You're also a geoscientist. Excuse my ignorance, but... I'm curious. What does a geoscientist do? And are you working in your field in Brazil? If not, what have you been doing for a living in Rio?

O. A geoscientist is someone that investigates the earth using scientific methods such as experiments or observations. I work on a project that is attempting to recreate past climates, using sediment cores from the ocean floor (imagine sticking a straw into ice-cream, then squeezing the collected ice-cream out of the straw).

We investigate changes in chemical, physical or biological properties of the sediment, and use that information to understand what type of climate must have been operating to cause those properties. As an example, if we find lots of pollen from a tree that needs lots of water, we might suggest it was raining lots!

P. How's your experience been in learning Portuguese? When did you start to learn, what is some advice you may have for those planning on learning?

O. I started to learn Portuguese back in England, using Rosetta Stone and having a few private lessons. When I arrived, my tactics changed, as I had to squeeze my language work around my research, which was difficult, because there was so much work to do. My progress has been slower than I imagined because my daily work is in English, but eventually I started to feel more comfortable talking in Portuguese. I wrote a blog post about it when I first arrived that includes some some tips for beginners (Learning Brazilian Portuguese) . More recently, I have been progressing faster because I can now talk with the locals.

P. What are some of your favorite spots in the city? To eat, to hang out, to drink, etc... (I may need these for my next visit to the city!)

O. My favourite spots are Parque Lage for lunch, Parque das Ruinas in Santa Teresa for the view, Rua Mercado for forró and Itacoatiara in Niteroi for the beach. I also like Miako, which is a Japanese restaurant that seems to be popular with the Japanese community.

P. Have you travelled outside of Rio? What are some other fun Brazilian cities you've been to and why?

O. I haven't travelled as much as I would have liked, mainly because living in Rio requires most of my salary. I liked Petropolis, although there is probably only enough attractions to fill one day. The Serra dos Orgãos mountains are spectacular, and my favourite adventure has been the Petropolis-Teresopolis travessia.


P. Have you experienced any discrimination being in Brazil? Or been offended by comments made by locals?

O. In my opinion, the word 'gringo' has negative connotations, bordering on racist. I often hear it, especially when I am with a few other foreign friends. This maybe because I have light skin and hair. I have spoken to Brazilians about it, and the definition of a gringo varies from person to person, but almost all of the characteristics are negative, such as naive, clumsy, sunburnt, perverted or gullible.

As for within Brazil, traditional gender roles still seem strong, and men tend to be sexually aggressive (so my female friends tell me). There is also a relatively conservative view of homosexuality. On the plus side, racism is very uncommon here.

P. Finally, do you have any advice for those planning on moving to Brazil and Rio de Janeiro in particular?

O. My advice is to start a blog, join CouchSurfing (as it is very active for Rio), try some volunteer work and learn how to dance samba and forró. If you are interested, writing for the Rio Times is a great option as well.

There are ex-pat societies for individual countries, such as the American Society, British and Commonwealth Society or the International Society for internationalists, although these tend to be popular amongst older ex-pats. Also, try to bring essential electronic items with you - anything imported is expensive in Brazil. My cost of living is around R$3000 per month, so that doesn't leave much disposable income, even on a reasonable salary.

---

Thanks Oliver!! You guys should check out his blog at Geonaut Brasil where he has all sorts of interesting advice on how to get around in Rio and more :-)

Does anyone have any other questions for him?

ps - photos were also stolen from his blog!

No One is Illegal Campaign in the UK

How awesome/funny/creative is this campaign in the UK?

(coincidentally, I was listening to Sweet Disposition, by The Temper Trap as I was watching this video. It makes for great background music, just so you know...)

If you want more information, here's the site: No One Is Illegal, where they claim to be for the total abolition of immigration controls.

You all already know my opinion, what do you think of the campaign? Is there anyone out there reading from the UK and would like to comment on the immigration situation there?!

Cheers! :-)

Gente Diferenciada

This past week has been a crazy one for me and in São Paulo or Brazil in general.

Last weekend I went to a Rodeo and ran in a 5k in less than 24 hours (not the best idea in the world). My Cruzeiro lost (boo). Homosexual marriages are recognized in Brazil legally (yayee!). Palmeiras beat Coritiba. Avaí beat São Paulo (both unlikely wins, btdubs). Work has been busy/unmotivating/interesting/blah.

... and something strange happened in SP. A neighborhood association asked that a long awaited metro station in a central neighborhood, not be built in there, & THEY WON. WTF, right?

But there's a catch! It's a wealthy neighborhood. Politicians (former president Fernando Henrique Cardoso), big business gurus, and actors live there. And a lot of retired and well off folk overall.

There are comments all over the internet talking about how it's ridiculous and only in São Paulo, would people not want a metro in their neighborhood. There are also news stories where people are interviewed and it's almost disgusting how ignorant some of these people who live in the neighborhood are treating the situation. They're saying, "pessoas diferenciadas" are going to "invade" the neighborhood, and the neighborhood is too "traditional" to become "popularized."

Afee.

One person started a great initiative on Facebook that had great repercussion. He started an event that is to take place tomorrow. A cookout in front of the mall in the neighborhood near where the metro stop was supposed to be! Over 50,000 people confirmed they were going, and because of the repercussion, the police stepped in and asked it not be held because of the mess it would make and whatnot.

I still can't see why having a metro in a traffic ridden neighborhood with poor public transportation would be an impediment. Unfortunately, this to me, is yet another example of the minority Brazilian upper-middle class getting their way in an initiative that would benefit the majority.

Watch this clip (in Portuguese, sorry!), and tell me... what do you think?

How Osama Bin Laden's Death will Affect Immigration

Disclosure - If you get easily offended with the war in Iraq, 9/11, etc. I suggest you steer away from this post and read Fox News or something. If you are an open minded individual, I suggest you continue.

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Osama's Dead. Big f*&@in' whoop. Yeah I said it. For all of you who are cheering away, why?!

Last night, my cousin, American born to Brazilian parentes and Political Science/Pre-Law major at Rutgers, posted a piece of Obama's speech on his Facebook wall and finished with:

He concludes by eloquently stating -"Let us remember that we can do these things not just because of wealth or power, but because of who we are: one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

How can you not come to admire and respect a nation with such principles?

To which I replied "principles of vengeance?" To which he got angry over (our Ferreira blood is keen to short tempers) and said "We seek justice not vengeance!"

I'll spare you the rest of the debate, but overall, he kept contradicting himself (using big words unknowingly, and saying afterwards that justice is not well defined in politics, that the US is #1 in numerous 'things', and that persistence upon building freedom in the US is unheard of anywhere else) and in the end, agreed with me when I reminded him of peaceful ends to dictatorships and national terrors.

My respect for Obama went down a notch yesterday, when all I could really imagine after his speech on Monday was that it was essentially this:

All day yesterday I was already a little peeved with the overall screams and shouts of joy of people celebrating another human being's death, disregarding that fact that Al Quaeda (or however you spell it) is not a one-man operation, and violence and terror have not been 'killed.' My cousin's comment was the tip of the iceberg considering he's family!!!

You'll find comments on myriad blogs and news sources discussing Bin Laden's death and opinions range from "It's not Over," to Hipocrisy, to So What?, and VICTORY - but I'm not here to discuss that since you're probably tired of this already.

Why is this important to my family or an immigrant family in the US at all?

Osama's Death has been hailed by many political analysts in the past couple of days as an opportunity for Al Qaeda to retaliate. If any of you recall, right after 9/11, all immigration processes were literally stalled. Undocumented immigrants were banned from many resources and opportunities they were previoulsy privy to, including paths to citizenship, obtaining identity and a drivers' license, attending University sans visa, and barriers were put up everywhere, including consulates all over the world in countries that posed little to no threat to the US.

As a junior in high school at the time, 9/11 did not only kill many innocent US citizens and citizens of the world, or put mothers' in precarious situations sending their children off to war, it crushed mine and many other immigrant childrens' hopes of becoming "American" or being accepted as 1st class citizens any time soon (Not an exageration, I was 16, it was pretty frickin' dramatic back then!)

This weekend's sort of action set forth by the US government to slay a terrorist leader poses an even bigger threat than starting a war on a country that has nothing to do with the terrorist organization itself (the celebration only proves even further that the US went into the Middle East for Osama, not Iraq). Yeah, some may call it vengeance, some may call it justice, but I call it a distraction.

A distraction from putting my parents' paperwork through USCIS; a distraction from getting people to stop complaining about gas prices; a distraction from acting upon immigration law at any point in time any time soon; a distraction from passing the DREAM Act (ooh, but maybe we'll let you serve in our army and if you don't get killed, we'll give you citizenship?); a distraction from the Reform Immigration for America marches that went on this past weekend.

So what am I trying to say?

Those of you who are tired of waiting for Immigration Reform? Either be patient or go home.

It ain't over till the troops come home... which, unfortunately, shouldn't be happening soon.