tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84347683681457390402024-03-14T10:14:34.110-03:00Brazil in My EyesAn expat's view of life in Brazil Kris Brazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536404250677125262noreply@blogger.comBlogger392125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434768368145739040.post-6135100376410813962014-07-20T20:36:00.005-03:002014-07-20T20:36:43.400-03:00I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello - São Paulo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Warning: Sentimental post. All ITA graduates and sang-froids may want to give this one a pass.</span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I hate goodbyes. Even "so longs" are tough. I do my very best to avoid them and carefully did not arrange any goodbye parties here (though I did get surprised by one, and arranged a second small dinner with the "Fab 5"--don't ask).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm on my way back home--twenty-five years after leaving New England, I am heading back. My new <a href="http://whatcouldgo.blogspot.com.br/" target="_blank">blog</a> is live and should be in action shortly--it's all about finding out that repatriation is harder than ex-patriation. Or so everyone tells me. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I think I have explained in other blog posts that I am not <i>leaving</i> Brazil, but rather <i>going to</i> the USA. Why am I going? Not because of security worries, exchange rate problems or even the absolute horror of the thought of four more years of Dilma Rousseff. No. I am going for my kids. My kids are half-Brazilian and half-American. They are seven years old. We have lived here six years which means they have no idea what it means to be American. They can sing the Brazilian anthem; they don't know one word of the American. I want them to ride a yellow bus; I want them to be in public school. I want them to know that the USA is more than a Target store and Disney World. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">By no means do I think that the US is all right about everything and everything is better there. No, there are many things I will miss about Brazil and the recent days have made that conviction even more acute. The absolute warmth, humor and generosity of Brazil--as a country and as a people, well, they are unparalleled. I will truly, madly, deeply miss a number of friends here and their capability to make me laugh until I cry. I can only hope that we can carry the humor and love through skype and emails. We must. We have to.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Alemão</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This weekend we said goodbye to the Casa do Alemão, the German house, that we have rented for the last couple of years. It is the closest thing on Earth to paradise, in my opinion. If paradise has giant venomous spiders and cackling monkeys, that is (in the 7 year old twins' minds that is obvious). And though the leaving makes me sad, it also made me smile today.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the Alemão. Which never changes.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As I walked through the remnants of a trail we had cut two years ago for the twins to find some <i>pinhão</i> (pine "berries" from the araucaria trees--kind of like chestnuts. Delicious), I realized that Brazil was already adjusting to our departure. In fact, almost nothing remained of our trail but the memories. The trees and bushes had grown up through everything. Even the monkeys had wiped out the remains--all the pinhão had been eaten and the husks left in a silent mockery. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Life goes on. The Alemão will have new residents. The spiders, and hawks and monkeys and hummingbirds will have new admirers. The woods and trees have permanent protectors in our friends Rob and Pri. The house and its property will be there when we visit again in December. The trail will be gone, and our personal effects from the house, but the exquisite beauty will still be there.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new generation: Zoe, age 1 and 1/2</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cafu, age 12</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Life, and death, go on. On Friday we spread the ashes of our 14-year old labrador Caju in the ranch's beautiful lake. From whence he came.... Caju was a puppy at the fazenda when the fazenda was itself new to our friends. And as the wind ruffled the fur of his now-forlorn and decrepit best friend, 12-year-old German shepherd Cafu, three other young dogs raced by to chase the horses. And so it goes.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I will miss you, Brazil, but I realized this weekend that I leave you not. I am taking you with me. Every time I kiss a tight-lipped Yankee on the cheek to say hello, I take you with me. Every time I save a fuzzy spider that gives me the creeps, I take you with me. And every time I feel the warm wind blow (perhaps rare in Boston), you are with me. Shall we go?</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That's all she wrote.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closing the gate on this chapter.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Or is it?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">:)</span></span>Kris Brazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536404250677125262noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434768368145739040.post-6297165443124266952014-07-09T07:30:00.002-03:002014-07-09T07:30:58.902-03:00The Silence of the Lambs - São Paulo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">And so it was, Brazil's semi-final match against Germany last night, completely horrifying. I call it "horrifying"; my husband perhaps more rightly put it as "astonishing." I think most Brazilians would not have been surprised to have the national team lose to Germany (as one Brazilian friend put it crassly but directly "we poop our pants when we have to meet that team). </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">But how does a team in the World Cup semi-final lose 7-1? That's the score of a first round match when a small-country team meets a titan. Or not. The small-country team (Costa Rica) this year fell to the Netherlands in a penalty shoot-out in the quarterfinals.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now before I go on, I have to admit that I have not read a single newspaper story this morning in spite of my newsfeed and my house being full of them. I don't want to know. I do not want to know the superlatives, the mass beating on the chests, the wondering about whether this loss is the bringing down of a political system. Or at least Felipão, our coach, who seemed to have some kind of serious mental issue this time. How he could stick by two players who I will not name, who did nothing, during the whole Cup, I will just never know. As my kids would say: "brain fart." A blog full of farts and poop this is.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">You know and I know that I know nothing about soccer. I have said it again and again. As in most organized sports, I don't care who wins in any real sense. I do not go into mourning when the Oakland Raiders lose. Possibly because I only chose to cheer for the Raiders as a 12 year old to annoy my brother. I can't name a single player. I wouldn't be able to tell you which formation they use or who the coach is.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">After three weeks of the world cup, though, I can name every player on the Brazil team. I have heard, absorbed and read comments from friends, strangers and of course, BH. In this sense, I have come to care about them a bit. I will never ever forget the bewildered look the camera showed on Fernandinho's face as the fourth goal in seven minutes was scored on the team. I have no other word for how to describe the team: 'bewildered'. Most of us at the house where I watched the game were hoping for a blackout to end the game quickly. Just call it for Germany, and let these poor lost souls go home.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So, you won't find any game analysis here. Okay, I will sum it up like this: Brazil played neither offense nor defense. I don't know what they did. I literally could not watch from the second half onwards. It was 5-0 at the half, and quickly 7-0. If Oscar had not scored a last minute goal, the embarrassment would have been complete. And even then...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We stayed for a couple of hours after the game to chat with our friends to whom I will soon say goodbye as we leave two weeks from today for the USA. The women were much more positive than the men: one wife had been cheering the whole game for the bewildered Brazilians. The other wife came up with a list of four positives about losing as we did. One husband came up with only one positive: at least we didn't lose to Argentina.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">And BH? Well, BH was in shock for most of the game. Completely deafeningly quiet. There really was nothing to say. Nothing at all. At the end of the game, he came and sat at the table and listened a bit. Then he went to the kitchen and got a bottle of cachaça and a shot glass. He toasted us, and had a sip. Life goes on.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">And Brazil? The streets of this 11 1/2 million population town were quiet. So quiet. Not a single firework. It was if we had been obliterated by an 11-person bomb. And in some ways, we have been. In some ways, we haven't.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'll tell you how we haven't been. During the last 15 minutes of the game and far into the nights, Brazilians had come up with jokes and more jokes about the game. In the middle of "disaster" we were laughing. So many are "inside" jokes to Brazil that I won't bother sharing but this is my personal favorite, and the one that brought my husband to tears laughing after the game:</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I went to pee, a goal was scored, I flushed, another goal; washed my hands, another goal. I left the bathroom, goal. I sat on the sofa: goal. Can you imagine if I had had to poop? </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> 7-1. It's astonishing. That is all. </span></span><br />
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<br />Kris Brazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536404250677125262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434768368145739040.post-52637893454524770432014-07-04T08:29:00.000-03:002014-07-04T14:17:24.890-03:00A trickle runs through it - Piracicaba<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rocks once covered by a huge rushing river</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I am spending a couple of days in Piracicaba, a medium-sized town outside of São Paulo. I have <a href="http://brazilinmyeyes.blogspot.com.br/2014/01/road-trip-place-where-fish-stop-black.html" target="_blank">blogged</a> on it last year. The crown jewel of Piracicaba is its huge river--fast moving with a rocky bed covered with water. Or not.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoGRFZSLv0tP14feY0c1dZj4V9M1bmwRSw2Exmcvqi_TNij5Bi1R54F1v_xzFcga5fmqArup3oPS8pxCmWyol7cC4YMnNTWALMSWWKvNruUFsdAJ5zGK_vpyAhM6cuA-Ckl2zoFmCHeTmL/s1600/IMG_6077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoGRFZSLv0tP14feY0c1dZj4V9M1bmwRSw2Exmcvqi_TNij5Bi1R54F1v_xzFcga5fmqArup3oPS8pxCmWyol7cC4YMnNTWALMSWWKvNruUFsdAJ5zGK_vpyAhM6cuA-Ckl2zoFmCHeTmL/s1600/IMG_6077.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A beautiful old building with three aquariums and tubed-in water rushing over the window</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Yesterday I went with my sister-in-law and our combined three kids to the Museu de Agua or Water Museum. It's a tiny place, with no real explanation of what goes on in terms of treatment and pumps and whatever. The tiny pump house was practically taken over with three huge intake or outtake or missile tubes. It was hard to know. And some black and white photos of the good old days. Piracicaba has quite a history of firsts, including water treatment technology.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRLruAIcKm22jIdOLjH6oLf_gqtisVgpZqKRf756fRlt1zTXb8mXgbaNPjf7WJo97YkG7k-aW6sQ3pLRyYXWZd78myW5zIinlTHV-ZxpC6j6i0eZVEtURjkBjwzIXjel6jomLWiyIYLJp6/s1600/IMG_6085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRLruAIcKm22jIdOLjH6oLf_gqtisVgpZqKRf756fRlt1zTXb8mXgbaNPjf7WJo97YkG7k-aW6sQ3pLRyYXWZd78myW5zIinlTHV-ZxpC6j6i0eZVEtURjkBjwzIXjel6jomLWiyIYLJp6/s1600/IMG_6085.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First city with water tubes. I am really good at water terminology translations</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Museum now consists of two buildings--the pump station and a building that houses three large aquarium tanks (well, three foot long tanks--I am wondering what happens when one of the fish in there reaches its predicted length of 6 feet. On second thought, I'd rather not think about it). Water rushes in a man-made falls at the side of this building, and under your feet covered by a somewhat sketchy metal grill.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78pQRXN_EWqg86lByTXQyX8pK9kJR643bU7-cl3WsrmMdKf4IGxyurE4d4uKphFJi3c-NFTGhLbOcrd9NkPUDsV1aZfJg2E3SwWGFhJGRokZ_8ETIHvkTXWbozlETHaVCTqH0KxCXv6Kf/s1600/IMG_6082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78pQRXN_EWqg86lByTXQyX8pK9kJR643bU7-cl3WsrmMdKf4IGxyurE4d4uKphFJi3c-NFTGhLbOcrd9NkPUDsV1aZfJg2E3SwWGFhJGRokZ_8ETIHvkTXWbozlETHaVCTqH0KxCXv6Kf/s1600/IMG_6082.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the bright side, it's quite pretty not covered by water.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One of the best features of the museum is its view of the river. Or what was the river. There is a beautiful part of the river that rushes over a rock bed, splashing and jumping and zooming downhill. But not today. It is all dry. Instead, there is a tiny trickle on the far side, and a few lost-looking herons picking about looking for fish. I hope they found some.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After the museum, we went to the park where we played soccer on crunchy grass. The current drought is ugly. Yesterday there was finally an article in the newspaper that spelled out disaster. We are now trolling the "dead volume" of all of the water reservoirs in the São Paulo area. And its disappearing faster than expected because people are not taking this seriously enough. We are not going to have enough to through to September and some more rains. And of course this has a name: El Niño. I almost hate when this term comes up--it has another name which is Bad Planning. We are not prepared for drought in this state--there are too many people and not enough supply.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I miss the river. Hope it comes back soon.</span></span>Kris Brazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536404250677125262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434768368145739040.post-28463546280039304042014-06-30T09:31:00.002-03:002014-06-30T09:31:50.569-03:00National Treasures - São Paulo<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWGCGUaIuDH8lB0r5JWFXvgcO9TM2JXhtURk6CDXm3Ri6510oW1nQKd023XakQ8d-8m4wiUWmirpQ7f64o4iI0HPjGDJkWRfb5svJXr2D8bUrTFciHPT0ZE0IyExoikaxbKmIXHFz72IyE/s1600/IMG_5714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWGCGUaIuDH8lB0r5JWFXvgcO9TM2JXhtURk6CDXm3Ri6510oW1nQKd023XakQ8d-8m4wiUWmirpQ7f64o4iI0HPjGDJkWRfb5svJXr2D8bUrTFciHPT0ZE0IyExoikaxbKmIXHFz72IyE/s1600/IMG_5714.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painting by my 7 year old son.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Personally I think this painting is brilliant. One of my seven-year olds painted it during his last few weeks of school as we headed towards the world cup. However, it turns out that it (and other paintings) are causing me some major problems in leaving this country.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">When I got an estimate for our move almost two months ago, the moving company representative spent some time walking around the house and taking photos of art. Not only the large oil painting of the São Paulo coast that was a present to my husband five years ago and is worth some money. Not only the art created by my artist uncle--paintings, constructions.. Not only the acrylic paintings that my dad and I play around with--copies of Matisses and Tarsilas. Every single canvas. Including this Brazil flag by one son. Including scribbles of dragons and snakes and whatever else. Including a painting done by my stepson when he was ten--a self-portrait in the style of Miró with a signature of said painter at the bottom.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">These photos all go to a place called IPHAN. <i>Instituto do Patrimonio Historico e Artistico Nacional.</i> It's the National Heritage police. They make sure that no one is taking artwork of real cultural value out of the country, at least without paying taxes. That means that every single canvas in our house is being analyzed by the art police.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Normally it takes the art police 20 days to "liberate" your stuff. Unfortunately they decided to have a strike during the review period of my "art" and now the backlog is more than a little long. According to my movers, "maybe this week, maybe not". </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Keep your fingers crossed for no more strikes--remember that customs doesn't work on any Brazil game day...and I can think of more than a few other organizations who might be feeling the need for a strike too. </span></span>Kris Brazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536404250677125262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434768368145739040.post-92152360377284161662014-06-27T10:47:00.000-03:002014-06-27T10:47:01.507-03:00The universe will never be the same - São Paulo<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1V9WsygtjyavraH0EnJ9_Q6ZHYW4udWVPpd2ISqkI5G7wiXchRavnWGlEFn6hS6EwfDxqJgWNSHHGvW4aghQJGG4p4se2PbvnPaViOOLiLg94J3A3ZsYp2YGwjS_mUhUlYYZB1-r9ubY/s1600/IMG_6009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF1V9WsygtjyavraH0EnJ9_Q6ZHYW4udWVPpd2ISqkI5G7wiXchRavnWGlEFn6hS6EwfDxqJgWNSHHGvW4aghQJGG4p4se2PbvnPaViOOLiLg94J3A3ZsYp2YGwjS_mUhUlYYZB1-r9ubY/s1600/IMG_6009.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caravanning with the Argentinians - Belo Horizonte - Porto Alegre</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, as I have mentioned before, I am having a GREAT time with the World Cup. One of the reasons is that it turns out that I am really good at predictions. Let me tell you two examples:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1. At minute 85 (it's 90 minutes + injury time in a match for all those confused) of the Argentina-Iran game, the score was tied 0-0. My kid started crying because he wanted to see a Messi goal. I promised him that Messi would make a goal--I mean I <i>promised</i>...BOOM! At minute 91 (regulation time + 1 minute, are you following me Americans?), Messi got a goal. Even my kid was impressed with me (okay, he was more impressed with Messi, what can you do?)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2. At minute 70 of the Uruguay-Italy game, I was online with an Italian friend who was getting upset about the red carding of the Italian dude and I said "don't worry, game is not over, Suarez will probably bite someone." I'm not kidding--it's right there on my facebook page. And at around minute 80, Suarez did bite someone. Okay, so Italy lost but that's not the point.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, I'm feeling very chuffed with myself. Yeah, I didn't see Costa Rica coming and yeah, I've gotten most of the score predictions wrong but I am good with some of it. And I'm enjoying the heck out of the rest of it. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A few friends have sent me the link to Ann Coulter's deluded rant against soccer yesterday. Clearly she has never watched a game in her life. Does she have kids? God, I hope not. Anyway, she is as demented as Suarez but her bites don't hurt as much and pretty much we should all ignore her. The fact of the matter is the World Cup is so much fun. More fun than Nascar, the NBA finals or baseball which I think are the things she mentioned. Okay, minus Nascar. I've never been to a Nascar race so I'd better wipe that one off my complaints here.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Anyway, here's what's fun for the non-soccer person (that's me in spite of being a card-carrying Palmeiras "fan"):</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1. Soccer is bloodier than most sports. And it's crafty-bloody. As in, there is no instant replay for the refs to look and say "wow, he really did bite that guy" or "I think elbowing his nose out of joint is cause for a yellow card." I saw Cavani chuck a guy out of bounds while the ref wasn't looking, I've seen all kinds of "hugs" and kicks and smooshes. Some of it makes me cringe--like Jones and the other guy (sorry terrible with names) from the US crashing into each other--that was worse than a Raiders game. The gauging and cleats flying is also scary... So not sure that is "fun" but anyway, it's ummm, entertainment.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2. The fans. Oh, my gosh, the fans. First and foremost, let's talk about the South Americans who are here (non-Brazilians). The Argentinians are nuts. We saw converted buses traveling from Belo Horizonte on their way to the next stop in Porto Alegre, covered with blue and white flags. One had hung a real air conditioner out the back window--you know a regular size window air conditioner--and was going hells bells down the highway. This is fandom. The Argentinian fans are so far my favorites--they were polite and good-humored and singing all the time at the Iran game. Love.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Chileans are also here in force. I can hardly believe there are so many Chileans at all. A sea of red. I hope that if they win tomorrow against Brazil, there is not another type of sea of red. No, just kidding--this World Cup fandom is amazingly non-violent. There really are no fights between the fans--they can all sit in the stadium next to each other and no one dies like in club soccer. Love.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Even on TV, you have to be amused by how fans dress, how they cheer, everything. It is a giant party. Yeah, I know I forget to watch soccer when watching the fans but it's hard not to when they are dressed in diapers and whatever else.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLrDzrCAtbq4Xo7tty7K-zSRmz5x3dkpTqWWSQjk9mZ70EwL5cjQTVbLEwrvAnGLiuvhq2mbgZgkCXvYLvB9nd5FAxi-aQww7MJBdW9GkGsiqdHuqFiTFVnvKixTlgXVR9qEjE3FQ9Xmlf/s1600/torcedor-da-coreia-do-sul-vai-de-fralda-ao-beira-rio-e-arranca-risadas-de-colorado-presente-no-estadio-1403461098013_800x600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLrDzrCAtbq4Xo7tty7K-zSRmz5x3dkpTqWWSQjk9mZ70EwL5cjQTVbLEwrvAnGLiuvhq2mbgZgkCXvYLvB9nd5FAxi-aQww7MJBdW9GkGsiqdHuqFiTFVnvKixTlgXVR9qEjE3FQ9Xmlf/s1600/torcedor-da-coreia-do-sul-vai-de-fralda-ao-beira-rio-e-arranca-risadas-de-colorado-presente-no-estadio-1403461098013_800x600.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Korean fan in diapers. Not sure why. Maybe it's "why not?" Image credit: uol.com.br</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70rfU3SuackFrhxDeaxJpLXiU26GXcm38QXsy6cs9hUePuGaqn8-EFH8UngmFbaSEl290D-JHBlioTOE707BEHNLUXJunKIbL1TBWht8ohM98qrHzi-fwbZ6-aALAyPSSIvKrlnqEqY_0/s1600/torcedor-americano-adota-sunga-com-as-cores-dos-eua-para-acompanhar-a-estreia-na-copa-em-fan-fest-em-copacabana-1402963594934_956x500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70rfU3SuackFrhxDeaxJpLXiU26GXcm38QXsy6cs9hUePuGaqn8-EFH8UngmFbaSEl290D-JHBlioTOE707BEHNLUXJunKIbL1TBWht8ohM98qrHzi-fwbZ6-aALAyPSSIvKrlnqEqY_0/s1600/torcedor-americano-adota-sunga-com-as-cores-dos-eua-para-acompanhar-a-estreia-na-copa-em-fan-fest-em-copacabana-1402963594934_956x500.jpg" height="208" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And if you think the gringos are immune to "loucura", guess again.Image: uol.com.br</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqkk2u5R7xPwhsFLc-Wc_pVJxArEv1z6R_JKuqNivp1TWuy0JJVnRC7UVsdNqyGUTTgK2sJnXJkCOJDmuBdk6FPgTH5Xwcs9o1KPkUs92uEJTql2WHjOyWwns1QX4czfdchQo2vlFLNgR/s1600/14jun2014---torcedores-pintados-com-as-cores-do-japao-aguardam-o-inicio-do-jogo-contra-a-costa-do-marfim-1402793556291_956x500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqkk2u5R7xPwhsFLc-Wc_pVJxArEv1z6R_JKuqNivp1TWuy0JJVnRC7UVsdNqyGUTTgK2sJnXJkCOJDmuBdk6FPgTH5Xwcs9o1KPkUs92uEJTql2WHjOyWwns1QX4czfdchQo2vlFLNgR/s1600/14jun2014---torcedores-pintados-com-as-cores-do-japao-aguardam-o-inicio-do-jogo-contra-a-costa-do-marfim-1402793556291_956x500.jpg" height="208" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rising sun? Yes, of course! Credit again to uol.com.br</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There's an ad for McDonald's right now which I think sums it up pretty well. Here is the link in case it does not embed: http://youtu.be/uqpw8R-vqD8. The universe will never be the same...I'm glad you came:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/uqpw8R-vqD8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3. The stars. I mean the soccer stars. I love watching Messi, Muller, Robben, these guys who are living highlight reels. Yeah, if you hate soccer, you can catch the "real" highlights reel but you're missing the anticipation. And let's face it: soccer is all anticipation. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4. The joy. Imagine being one of these 11 players on the field and winning a World Cup match, 65,000 people watching you live, millions at home. It must be just incredible. I love watching the moments of joy, the teams streaming onto the field to hug and jump on and pretty much run over the goal-maker. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Today is a day completely without games. I'm not really sure what to do with my afternoon. Well, okay, so I'm heading to my favorite sushi restaurant with friends, picking up a shirt for my son, and bringing the kids to swimming but I mean besides that! Oh, real life. So it will go on after this? Yes, and I will move from Brazil on July 23 with the best possible memories. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm glad I stayed for this. Tem Copa!</span></span><br />
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<br />Kris Brazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536404250677125262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434768368145739040.post-35195126136557407322014-06-26T18:14:00.000-03:002014-06-26T18:14:00.644-03:00Possibly the worst Cup ad of all time - São Paulo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6Mo4n0Ej59-sjTtk9CjmT9_DWtmSd8zOjlyDigT8ZsEKp37LJ2iBsFglBKOnQlAH9ajGUcPN65ucWGurb4K8rOMU-kZNWffE-Pv7vVaiMF9Ck4zFgg_39Ot2943onXOyVsS7O2QUOVFT/s1600/IMG_6011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6Mo4n0Ej59-sjTtk9CjmT9_DWtmSd8zOjlyDigT8ZsEKp37LJ2iBsFglBKOnQlAH9ajGUcPN65ucWGurb4K8rOMU-kZNWffE-Pv7vVaiMF9Ck4zFgg_39Ot2943onXOyVsS7O2QUOVFT/s1600/IMG_6011.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This poster is on the side of a bus stop in the middle of Praça Panamericana, a heavily-traveled area in Pinheiros. I literally stopped in my tracks when I saw it. It reads "FIFA World Cup. It's where everyone wants to be." And it shows the four animals from the Madagascar movie. I loved the Madagascar movie--I want to move it, move it springs to mind numerous times in São Paulo traffic.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">But I'll say it here: this is the worst World Cup ad I have yet seen. Why do I think this? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">1. Madagascar is not on our continent. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">2. The four animals are looking terrified. Do they look as if they are wanting to be there? I assume that Visa was trying to make them look anxious about a goal being scored (on a beach? maybe not). Mostly they look like they're worried about a bus strike. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">3. Not really sure what four zoo animals have to do with a payment card. It's not a feel-good ad. It's not a branding ad. I don't get it.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Back to business school, marketing geniuses. This is not good.</span></span><br />
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<br />Kris Brazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536404250677125262noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434768368145739040.post-58242801829382655642014-06-23T07:30:00.000-03:002014-06-23T07:57:22.427-03:00Cheering for Iran - Belo Horizonte<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqwz5ldEdVDwhyVyPmc_PoBvurLImlkcIj-giU722znrfa3ESxPjrQs9x_6ye9qKQwlKC3VQ3VEZqN43ZjTX8_kOGCm-HGcTEsEYPx2SCsJ4XquGfjmIBiD13NdE2ijiN49JVBQBNJuZ0/s1600/uniforme_iran_efe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqwz5ldEdVDwhyVyPmc_PoBvurLImlkcIj-giU722znrfa3ESxPjrQs9x_6ye9qKQwlKC3VQ3VEZqN43ZjTX8_kOGCm-HGcTEsEYPx2SCsJ4XquGfjmIBiD13NdE2ijiN49JVBQBNJuZ0/s1600/uniforme_iran_efe.jpg" height="400" width="305" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here are the shirts they have to wear for the whole Cup</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So way back in November 2013, I entered the FIFA lottery under two names: my mother-in-law's and mine. We tried for four different cities, 2 x 4 people in each game. In one of those weird coincidences of life, the only tickets we won were 8 tickets for Belo Horizonte and the game on June 21. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Later we would find out that we would be watching Argentina play Iran--ironic on several levels since Argentina is Brazil's biggest rival, and Iran is the USA's nemesis. Both BH and I were wondering who in the world we would cheer for. No, actually I wasn't--Messi is one of the sons' favorite players, and I refuse to cheer for any country that treats women as second class citizens. So, BH was more of the one torn--while he likes Messi, no Brazilian can cheer for Argentina.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">As the game grew closer, it became clear that my mother-in-law would not be able to attend for health reasons. I tried several times to switch her ticket to my other son (the Messi fan was already going) but FIFA would not allow me to change the name on the ticket even to the grandson of the ticket buyer. There are some rules that are made to avoid scalping that are too general to allow any obvious exception. So we decided to take a risk and see if my son would be able to get in on my mother-in-law's discounted ticket (people over 60 and students are allowed half price tickets).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We spent the long Corpus Cristi weekend (also a happy coincidence of when we succeeded in getting tickets) in Ouro Preto, an hour and a half from Belo. On Saturday, we left at 8 am for the 1 pm game, knowing that we had an hour and a half drive in front of us. The night before I had scouted out a residential street to park on about a kilometer from the stadium. By 10 am we had parked the car and were snacking on sandwiches on this shady lakeside residential street. At 10:30, we started our walk to the stadium, picking up more and more Argentinian fans on the way. Most were dressed in sky blue and white soccer jerseys, many with Maradona or Messi written on the back. They carried flags, banners, signs and beer. They were generally well-behaved, though quite loud with a long playlist of Argentinian songs.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">My kids blended in with their Messi Argentine jerseys--one Brazilian fan was so convinced that the blond twin was Argentinian that he insisted on taking a photo with him even after being informed he was Brazilian, too. BH, his daughter and my brother in law were all wearing Brazil shirts and biting their tongues--the rivalry with Argentina runs deep. I was in white as was my father in law, my stepson in a neutral grey. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We ran into a few Iranian fans on the way wearing white, red and green. A couple had turbans, one had a crown, all were few and far between. In general, the walk up to the stadium was incredibly pleasant along the lakefront and in a giant centipede of fans. Finally we arrived at the long uphill leading to the stadium, called Mineirão. Mineirão was not built new for the Cup, but extensively renovated and was the first of the 12 to be completed last year. </span></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0EU2YO6tzyH7a9YRwO0Of9JM2z3qeXd6upFEDqCGVzbsB3yA2fdn4VGFg00Y3n2algspSO2riKVD60xJ84tzNTnB0_rDM9c9Ri8XiPL3PZ7imO6VGyknrMh5IfnWRYkak-FXQVCdvBoh/s1600/IMG_5986.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0EU2YO6tzyH7a9YRwO0Of9JM2z3qeXd6upFEDqCGVzbsB3yA2fdn4VGFg00Y3n2algspSO2riKVD60xJ84tzNTnB0_rDM9c9Ri8XiPL3PZ7imO6VGyknrMh5IfnWRYkak-FXQVCdvBoh/s1600/IMG_5986.jpg" height="383" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yikes!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We passed through three gates on this hill up to the stadium. The first just checked if we had tickets (we did), the second made us throw away any outside food or drink, the third checked inside purses and bags. Then we walked past the "Tropa de Choque" or shock troops all armed to the teeth with shields and automatic weapons. Even their horses wore plastic eye guards for possible germ warfare (?). We saw not a single altercation at the game--but then we know the Pope is Argentinian, his boss is Brazilian and the Iranians care nothing about any of that. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">At the top of the hill, we came into view of Mineirão which looked impressive (though you have to like 60s architecture, one must say) all decked out in FIFA flags. We got into the short security line and went through the metal detector all in about 5 minutes. Then we found our gate and my heart began to beat faster. There was still the possibility that my 7-year old son would not be able to use the ticket of his grandmother and we would both have to sit outside the stadium for the game.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnJBzE1FPg3bhUsSkEDsKecQ9QIW1romRkzsy3j6qxkZ-hKy4AB1rf1pVf8GISEXTiCAeIyiWGhgIbr4gNzCQd75_BkBFeBolNI0uiHoKrpTvy0ru1-imxJXMUcFF-blwqCKXUNMC283bg/s1600/IMG_5990.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnJBzE1FPg3bhUsSkEDsKecQ9QIW1romRkzsy3j6qxkZ-hKy4AB1rf1pVf8GISEXTiCAeIyiWGhgIbr4gNzCQd75_BkBFeBolNI0uiHoKrpTvy0ru1-imxJXMUcFF-blwqCKXUNMC283bg/s1600/IMG_5990.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Security line #4</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> We were sent to a special "preferential ticket holder" line for student and elderly ticket holders. My son passed through first, then the machine beeped asking for the document of the preferential ticket holder. My father in law handed over his. The ticket taker got a little confused about who had which ticket and in the end we all passed through. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I was completely impressed with the organization of the stadium--well-signed and filled with volunteer helpers. No line for the women's room (for once!!) and we found our seats with an hour to go before the game. We had really lucked out in our ticket lottery--we were at midfield, with a great view of the big monitors as well. BH went off in search of food while we took selfies and tried to make heads or tails of the Argentinian fan chants. I dunno but probably something about Maradona. Or matte tea. No idea really.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Uy9KDleQCsIIaAbO7tFdCsC1bee_0JX_ZKy9h2W81LFnvgVZqDfW-FH8xeRPiZUBLNaflpKJ5uYDm2dAYmHtnvQ1AxBPJO4JudYfsOvbZh6uVr6nWgVG3oSVzXG5uG45ZVwYH42MFsaj/s1600/IMG_5996.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Uy9KDleQCsIIaAbO7tFdCsC1bee_0JX_ZKy9h2W81LFnvgVZqDfW-FH8xeRPiZUBLNaflpKJ5uYDm2dAYmHtnvQ1AxBPJO4JudYfsOvbZh6uVr6nWgVG3oSVzXG5uG45ZVwYH42MFsaj/s1600/IMG_5996.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">BH found us some "Feijão Tropeiro" which is a wonderful Brazilian dish of pork loin, beans, farofa, kale and an egg. Warm, delicious-- a little hard to eat with only a plastic spoon. Apparently there are certain foods that different regions cannot live without (the acarajé in Bahia springs to mind) and this food is offered in their regional stadium in addition to the hotdogs and hamburgers. Loved it. Beer was served in souvenir cups as was water and sodas. I had beer. Cold, fizzy, delicious. Better than any in the US parks (oh, all right, SF Giants stadium wins but barely--it's too cold to have a beer there anyway). </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwdxdAwoMOccH4h88QzH0M0mL98rNLMRLJRj2ZN43Qzzmx1PxRu_MXL1Szeztdj5Ug_gv1ZkpsLgawdGFMZaXWoEjGTB7hXp2IESSNQDLEfb_9BQr8tggT84agYura8hTSoh7ajtz7j5_/s1600/IMG_5999.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwdxdAwoMOccH4h88QzH0M0mL98rNLMRLJRj2ZN43Qzzmx1PxRu_MXL1Szeztdj5Ug_gv1ZkpsLgawdGFMZaXWoEjGTB7hXp2IESSNQDLEfb_9BQr8tggT84agYura8hTSoh7ajtz7j5_/s1600/IMG_5999.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We ate and watched the teams warm up and the Argentinians swarm in. There were at least 25,000 Argentine fans, combined with around 20,000 Brazilian fans and then about 40 Iranian fans. Seriously. A sea of blue and white. I must say that Argentines are great fans--singing and dancing and jumping. And they were not getting into fights with the Brazilians even when the Brazilians started cheering for Iran.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Yes, the Brazilians cheered for Iran. Loudly. Every time Iran got close to the goal and missed, you would hear a collective "ooooh" of disappointment. When they did a good defense or pass you could hear half a stadium sing "Ole, ole, ole, ola, Iran, Iran." I don't think Iran is that popular even IN Iran. Brazilians are so nice: they won't boo you but they will cheer for your opponent.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I personally would never cheer for Iran. I do feel sorry for them and their whole one-shirt-for-the-whole-Cup thing (see this <a href="http://brazilinmyeyes.blogspot.com.br/2014/05/vai-ter-copa-sao-paulo.html" target="_blank">blog</a> post) but I make it a policy not to cheer for teams that won't let me into their home stadium. Because I am a woman. Not because I feel very sleepy during soccer games. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">By 85 minutes and no score, the Brazilians were getting louder and the Argentinians quieter. The "Iranians" (Brazilians) had started singing "1,000 goals (as in Pele) and Maradona snorts cocaine". It sounds better in a song. I don't know--they showed crabby Maradona in the stadium on the big screen and I would seriously hate to meet him in a dark alley. I was very quiet. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">My son whose hero is Messi started to cry that there would be no goal by the Argentinian striker. He sat and mulled his hot dog while the Argentinians rose up as one and shouted "gooooooooooal" as Messi got a goal at 91 minutes. We all jumped up and down. The Argentinians were still standing and singing 10 minutes after the game ended and we left the stadium. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Argentina 1 x Iran 0</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">A perfect game.</span></span>Kris Brazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536404250677125262noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434768368145739040.post-57123176913886191042014-06-20T18:45:00.001-03:002014-06-20T18:45:26.783-03:00Road trip! - Minas Gerais<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh95XI-yWpnyoqnEUxatbtWWTFx9q3u5W5Me_QPPHT3labDfI1eBkXRjiAQL7OxwRf4hVRKwbIa-Ddc3tJWdit1FSpPSVQJgEPUio97ctUUM241sLUDIrTIQDAIg7cV0-RGTZcgmysblk5m/s1600/IMG_5957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh95XI-yWpnyoqnEUxatbtWWTFx9q3u5W5Me_QPPHT3labDfI1eBkXRjiAQL7OxwRf4hVRKwbIa-Ddc3tJWdit1FSpPSVQJgEPUio97ctUUM241sLUDIrTIQDAIg7cV0-RGTZcgmysblk5m/s1600/IMG_5957.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A really blank gps screen...where are all the towns? Dunno.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On Thursday morning, on the holiday of Corpus Cristi (please don't ask me what this holiday is about--yes, body of Christ and all that, but what? Don't know), we loaded up the Beast (BH's Volvo SUV) with twin boys age 7, BH's 19 year old and 22 year old kids and me and BH. We took off on an 8-hour odyssey to Ouro Preto, Brazil. Why would we do such a thing? Well, the joy of a road trip, of course (and the avoidance of overpriced World Cup-era airline tickets).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When we entered the lottery for World Cup tickets, we entered it only for cities to which we could drive--Belo Horizonte was the farthest afield at about 8 hours from São Paulo. Our great fortune was winning 8 tickets to the same game (and weirdly we are all seated together in spite of entering in two different groups--max of 4 tickets per group), and winning the tickets to see Messi, one of my sons' favorite players. Never mind Iran which is the other half of that challenge. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When we won the tickets, I immediately got on the internet to look for hotel rooms. They were all incredibly expensive or even sold out, so I began to think about Ouro Preto, a beautiful colonial town about an hour and a half from the city of Belo Horizonte. And searching further netted us a lovely four-bedroom colonial mansion on one of the stone-paved roads leading away from the main square. Sold. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So my sister and brother in law and parents in law drove over from Piracicaba and we were meeting up with them from São Paulo. I cannot tell a lie: it is a very long drive. It was about 8 and a half hours, plus the stops for restrooms, food and organic strawberries sold roadside. Surprisingly, the 7 years olds behaved well (god bless Steve Jobs and the ipad) and it was only in the last hour that we all got fairly anxious to get here.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We skipped the part of Rodovia Fernão Dias (the highway that goes direct from São Paulo to Belo) that is closest to São Paulo. It's my least favorite highway ever in that hilly portion--if you want to read an old blog on it, you can see it <a href="http://brazilinmyeyes.blogspot.com.br/2013/11/driving-down-history-lane-sao-paulo.html" target="_blank">here</a>. We picked it up from Atibaia, and the first part of our trip was foggy and dripping. Not lovely. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But soon the sky opened up blue and poofy-clouded and we curved and climbed through the Serra de Mantiqueira, while avoiding the enormous trucks that chugged in the slow lanes. The Atibaia-Betim portion of Fernão Dias is in the running for the most beautiful highway I've been on here in Brazil--giving even Anhanguera close to Ribeirão Preto a run for its money. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipWP3ruD8-Lt41EWSvrPsq36l9Uovoz5_1zqyvWrdebBDLNRMqc5amD5V_JS1iTmP3JSwSA4aMhbV1-SHhWWyVcGjFisN-Qn1NV5Tlt4wahVhJUKOFuxP52QDmvvAP18NbswnGPNQ25TVq/s1600/IMG_5961.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipWP3ruD8-Lt41EWSvrPsq36l9Uovoz5_1zqyvWrdebBDLNRMqc5amD5V_JS1iTmP3JSwSA4aMhbV1-SHhWWyVcGjFisN-Qn1NV5Tlt4wahVhJUKOFuxP52QDmvvAP18NbswnGPNQ25TVq/s1600/IMG_5961.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roadside views</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Green hills, huge bamboo clumps by the roadside, colonial houses selling coffee for 20 cents, and all you can eat lunches for US$5, something that you find roughly never in the big city. Everyone was friendly, most of them completely nonplussed by the two kids conversing in English, especially the one with light-blond hair. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVDnjgdam7rW24J-cAtx-DRl-MZw9bo5SyYnLgRcixjeNEdiSx4mUWj3rM_YLALzm1x7BwAQAC_Hy-WlWvsXuuwrUmv-izFxgqTZgoS7MN-xGaBQPum3eab3vuOJZrog4P8Z1-v5ncKDR/s1600/IMG_5959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVDnjgdam7rW24J-cAtx-DRl-MZw9bo5SyYnLgRcixjeNEdiSx4mUWj3rM_YLALzm1x7BwAQAC_Hy-WlWvsXuuwrUmv-izFxgqTZgoS7MN-xGaBQPum3eab3vuOJZrog4P8Z1-v5ncKDR/s1600/IMG_5959.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coffee stop at a colonial house with flowering trees</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre-sweetened coffee in a glass, hot sauce and a meat pastel. It's what's for breakfast</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After taking an extremely ugly ring road around Belo Horizonte, we went back into the hills surrounding the colonial towns of Ouro Preto and Mariana. Absolutely gorgeous. Finally we were in Ouro Preto, the most beautiful of the colonial towns, and braking down the steep stone streets and in front of our rental house. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">More on Ouro Preto tomorrow. No, that's a lie. Tomorrow we head off to Belo Horizonte to watch Argentina take on Iran at 1 pm at the Mineirão stadium. Go Messi (oh, how BH suffers with us cheering for the Argentinians. Or rather, AN Argentinian). </span></span><br />
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<br />Kris Brazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536404250677125262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434768368145739040.post-43953668463185075852014-06-18T08:54:00.001-03:002014-06-18T08:54:11.091-03:00So much fun - São Paulo<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEjZ4qIdtubI4AaI50ym683bFCtK6aVG1kpKZvbalbC1uH2gJ7h-NejGx6mllUphGjD0OiqExE0TWICISPSsRT4e15urXeahU8A_dyxBaHvHoL_xPoJtAMenjHZoXanGssvLeRjIeMl6LD/s1600/IMG_5924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEjZ4qIdtubI4AaI50ym683bFCtK6aVG1kpKZvbalbC1uH2gJ7h-NejGx6mllUphGjD0OiqExE0TWICISPSsRT4e15urXeahU8A_dyxBaHvHoL_xPoJtAMenjHZoXanGssvLeRjIeMl6LD/s1600/IMG_5924.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My footwear for the World Cup</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So we are 6 days into the World Cup and I'm having a great time. I haven't been to a stadium and some of the games have been snoozers but it is way more fun that I had imagined. As I've mentioned before, I have been to one World Cup (South Africa-2010) and living near another one (San Francisco, USA-94) but there is nothing like being in the middle of Brazil during these days.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">One of the groups I joined first in moving here 6 years ago is the International Newcomers Club of São Paulo. I am no longer a newcomer, but I'm still part of the club. Most of my non-Brazilian friendships originated in INC and on Monday, I joined a Canadian, a Scot and some Germans at the Goethe Institute in Pinheiros. Goethe is a school and an institute and some other lofty things but the main joy for us on Monday: they have a bier garten. And TVs to show the game. And lots of tall blond people about.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7FPo1hNL9qhH5VgVNGXzeFhuFSYSBQjchIt8N1isDDW5MtP5bfjnwDSGMEtyiqAFXBcI8cW92gWdNuoFidGxlAAZQte7BTOOTheaWW5Tnv_qF6M7WzTw6WuyPwET3PDm3FkpViRnjvvKQ/s1600/IMG_5948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7FPo1hNL9qhH5VgVNGXzeFhuFSYSBQjchIt8N1isDDW5MtP5bfjnwDSGMEtyiqAFXBcI8cW92gWdNuoFidGxlAAZQte7BTOOTheaWW5Tnv_qF6M7WzTw6WuyPwET3PDm3FkpViRnjvvKQ/s1600/IMG_5948.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bier garten </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Scot and I showed up about 45 minutes before the game and most tables near the TVs were already taken. We then spread out to save seven spots for our arriving friends (I will say that traffic has been a lot worse than expected on game days). And drank our first beers. There was also food there: currywurst (?), a lunch buffet, french fries but we ended up not getting any ourselves.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHL-vZi130uqKTZfn2UceiSRfd_2yh2XW-fi-ZlIUnFf-kQZAOgs8XoP6JpjFfFCgUQipsvBS_ggC2NHR10GgBZgImyJktQfg1_6EfV5OA8zgLQRex2SEqgqThje4gK79smd_UmJCZUaO_/s1600/IMG_5949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHL-vZi130uqKTZfn2UceiSRfd_2yh2XW-fi-ZlIUnFf-kQZAOgs8XoP6JpjFfFCgUQipsvBS_ggC2NHR10GgBZgImyJktQfg1_6EfV5OA8zgLQRex2SEqgqThje4gK79smd_UmJCZUaO_/s1600/IMG_5949.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frankfurter...I love that word. So much more fun than a hot dog.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">There were a number of media outlets there interviewing Germans about their predictions for the Cup. I am not a Germany fan. I am not "against" Germany either--a genealogy test two years ago revealed that I'm about 35% German origin so blood says I need to be at least neutral. I was there because I wanted to see the fun of the "home" team. And maybe have a few beers.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Two media folks wished to interview me (and the Scot) -- I have dark blonde hair and blue eyes and that seemed to be a clear giveaway that I am German. One journalist asked if I would do an interview even after hearing that I am American. I respectfully declined, thinking that it would be better to just be neutral under the circumstances. I admit I did go get the free Germany-Brazil t-shirt at the front door so as to fit in like a chameleon. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I won't do a play-by-play of the match which was so kind as to provide lots of opportunities to jump up and down and yell "Deutschland vor!" I really love the sound of German but I quickly found myself incompetent at pronouncing anything. I even tried the language accelerator known as "more beer." Nicht. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I hope I'll be able to attend more games with the "home" teams--what fun! No, not the USA which I prefer to watch at home, and Brazil which of course is THE home team. I mean Cote d'Ivoire and Costa Rica and France, and some of the little teams. Where are those fans? Let me know. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Tomorrow we drive to Ouro Preto for the Corpus Cristi holiday (4 day weekend). On Saturday, we are in Belo Horizonte for the only game that we are seeing live--Argentina vs. Iran. BH will suffer. He cannot cheer for Argentina and Iran is not one to cheer for either. We'll go in neutral colors and take our two kids (age 7) in Messi shirts for camouflage. Messi is one of the twins' heroes so he is simply over the moon at the chance to see him play. The other twin is likely to nap during the game.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We'll deal with the 8 hours of driving, the long lines, the security checks and everything else so that the World Cup becomes real for our sons. And for BH's father, who at age 75 will see a World Cup game live for the very first time on home turf--he was only slightly older than the twins the last time the World Cup was in Brazil. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Good times. Vai Brasil!</span></span>Kris Brazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536404250677125262noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434768368145739040.post-81836760945107676612014-06-12T11:33:00.000-03:002014-06-12T11:33:51.248-03:00Surprise and Delight - São Paulo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In business school, I had a professor of marketing whose favorite refrain was "surprise and delight" your customer. Today, after a long US-based saga of travel, I was surprised and delighted here in Brazil. So much so, I have to sit down and write about it before I do anything else. But let me set the stage.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My last blog post was about the new Terminal 3 at Guarulhos International Airport in São Paulo. It is a lovely building. You can see it from the outside here--this is a photo taken from the ramp to the parking garage where I had left "the Beast" (BH's ginormous Volvo) on Saturday night. That post was the last happiness in air travel for this past five days...until this morning. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We flew United to Newark (delayed half an hour out of GRU, for no apparent reason), got stuck in an hour-long immigration line (because BH is B and not US, I had to go through the non-resident line. Not good.) and missed our connection to Boston by 20 minutes. The United helpers told us the rest of the day's flights were full to Boston but that we could fly to Providence instead. So off we went to Providence. Well, all of us except for one of our bags. And paid $200 more for the rental car because we were picking up in one airport and dropping off in another. I must say the PVD airport is very nice, though. I'm thinking about using that one more often.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">BH is staying in Boston until Saturday. So it was just me returning to the airport on Tuesday night. There were two brief downpours at 4 pm which meant that my flight was delayed and I would miss my connection in Washington DC. I decided to stay the night, leaving my bags to be sorted and sent to meet me in Newark the next day. All this is to say that I did not have nice flight experiences in the US. Though United personnel were surprisingly fun and happy.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, I was now taking a flight back on the eve of the World Cup start. Yes, it kicks off at 5 pm today. I was worried about lines at the airport, protests, traffic, everything. The plane was absolutely chock-a-block--Mexican fans, Spain, Costa Rica, Ecuador, US, you name it. As we landed (on time!), the flight attendant gave her usual announcements and then said she was cheering for Portugal. Then the PA was quiet for 30 seconds then the first officer came on and said "Go USA!"and then from somewhere, who knows where, 2 minutes later came "Viva Mexico" from the PA. Fun and funny.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We came into Terminal 3 again. Delightful. Still has a number of workers around doing last minute stuff (no holiday for the weary airport workers). There was zero line for Brazilians and residents (me). I literally walked up to the police and handed my passport over. There was a perhaps 20-minute line for foreigners but tons of windows open. Maybe less. By the time I had walked from the plane, spent 1 minute at immigration and walked to the baggage carrousel, all the bags were out. Unbelievable. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPpHVktLgN4lVgYxg3SaE-jcoV6a-SSqUorhCkc4cg3Or1xXDKqquyU78jBB4pLHJz9nTQsc1O4qU6zj-ztCpdfmNIKbi-ijMbgOKy-K17AQL2lvOfDX_6qC2hj8b-HG5RkOZke1ZlqI2T/s1600/IMG_5919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPpHVktLgN4lVgYxg3SaE-jcoV6a-SSqUorhCkc4cg3Or1xXDKqquyU78jBB4pLHJz9nTQsc1O4qU6zj-ztCpdfmNIKbi-ijMbgOKy-K17AQL2lvOfDX_6qC2hj8b-HG5RkOZke1ZlqI2T/s1600/IMG_5919.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This guy is thinking "what? I can't believe our bags are already here! wow!"</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">They ran everyone's bags through the x-ray machines, but all three lanes were open and efficient. Then I walked out to the garage from the walkway on the second floor, and put my key in the ignition exactly 39 minutes after stepping off the plane. An all-time record for days that I have had luggage (always, really). I did look down on the walkway and there was no line for taxis (a friend spent 2 hours in the taxi line on Monday). Tons of taxis. No traffic. Home an hour and fifteen minutes after landing. Spectacular.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So let me sum things up this way:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1. If you can fly any of the airlines that are currently assigned to Terminal 3, do so. These are: <span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.$end:0:$0:0">Air Canada, United, Lufthansa, Eithiad, Emirates, Turkish, Swiss, TAP. Do not be loyal to airlines if you are all "I'm an AA super-platinum all-star"--it doesn't count for crap if you come into the Terminal 1 or 2 mess. Fly the friendly skies. Trust me.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.$end:0:$0:0"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.$end:0:$0:0">2. If you are a resident of São Paulo and going for a short trip, do the math on leaving your car at the parking garage. It may be cheaper than taking the taxi back and forth. And no taxi line and you can use your sem-parar. It does not get easier than this. Yes, you have to hoof a 1/4 mile from the arrivals gate at Terminal 3 but it's pleasant and easy. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.$end:0:$0:0"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.$end:0:$0:0">3. If you do have to take a taxi and the line is ginormous at Terminals 1 or 2, you may want to ask the officials at Guarucoop if there are taxis at Terminal 3. Then walk there. It may be worth it.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.$end:0:$0:0"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.$end:0:$0:0">4. Might want to consider coming in on Brazil game days after all. No traffic. None. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.$end:0:$0:0"><br /></span></span></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-gv-T1n7an_chy7odgK9rUHfn-8hvK5UokffOxdl_YMpaxafngEu_L5CbNZXzekcM4heMFqLXRwkt6ToXGVdZ9qyhLH28y2nne-aot3k6RTwxsD2Wymd65lRkMME6xBcyQoqSwNfLVJQ/s1600/IMG_5922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-gv-T1n7an_chy7odgK9rUHfn-8hvK5UokffOxdl_YMpaxafngEu_L5CbNZXzekcM4heMFqLXRwkt6ToXGVdZ9qyhLH28y2nne-aot3k6RTwxsD2Wymd65lRkMME6xBcyQoqSwNfLVJQ/s1600/IMG_5922.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traffic on Marginal: Brazil flags and military police cars</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.$end:0:$0:0">5. Prepare for the worst, and celebrate the best. I was ready to spend hours in lines. I spent no times in any lines. Surprise and delight, professor Carpenter...I get it!</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.$end:0:$0:0"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".9.1:3:1:$comment10204048659407664_10204048842732247:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.$end:0:$0:0"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">6. Vai Brasil!</span></span></span></span></span>Kris Brazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536404250677125262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434768368145739040.post-49440320419377871852014-06-09T08:03:00.000-03:002014-06-09T08:03:11.589-03:00If you build it, they will come - São Paulo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZ1517XKQD9Bj4YFsvA50N5lS0Kv7C8klnGg_wSJaDVcYKNY80-cfmACU4X4kjYoieHlxA_J-5mVBWSj6TVg9jjfyEgqP3fHcBvakIToslgIf4t_NaT36yidhwkc9D5QJG_mRRQWI6QqU/s1600/IMG_5916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZ1517XKQD9Bj4YFsvA50N5lS0Kv7C8klnGg_wSJaDVcYKNY80-cfmACU4X4kjYoieHlxA_J-5mVBWSj6TVg9jjfyEgqP3fHcBvakIToslgIf4t_NaT36yidhwkc9D5QJG_mRRQWI6QqU/s1600/IMG_5916.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have been one of the ardent critics of São Paulo's Guarulhos International Airport, affectionately known as GRU, officially known as Cumbica. By the way, did you know that Cumbica means "fog" in the Tupi language? Now think about why you would put an airport for the world's fourth largest city in a region where flights are often delayed by fog. Yes, now you have figured out Brazil planning.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In any case, it's been years since my flight has faced a fog delay and been diverted for hours to dinky Campinas airport. Wow, I need to get over that, right? So, Cumbica until recently has been dark, dank and depressing. For you fellow Tri-Staters, think of the People's Express airport in New Jersey in the 1980s. Low ceilings, a couple of sad stores and a few places to get a stale pão de queijo. I try to spend as little time as possible in GRU, which is often not possible since I have more than once spent an hour or two or more in immigration (entering AND leaving), customs, federal police and airline check-in lines. Not a fan.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Recently the new Terminal 3 has opened at GRU, and I'm still trying to figure out why we have heard so little about it. The only thing I recall the media reporting was the hours-long delay to get luggage from the first flights and other doom and gloom. As far as I can recall from those first few reports, there was no "wow!" And guess what? There should be WOW! It is definitely WOW! (can we change the airport letters to WOW now?) </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It is, in word (or two), world-class. As my husband pulled up to drop me off with our huge piles luggage (repatriation is a bitch), you could already see we had entered a new era. I could already tell that I do not ever want to fly into Terminal 1 or 2 again. I am not loyal to an airline; I am loyal to a terminal.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you have ever been to Cape Town's airport (the new one, wise guys, the one built for <i>their</i> Cup), we have built Cape Town. Maybe a bigger Cape Town. Huge, airy, filled with windows and polished steel, awesome. I believe only six airlines have moved in so far, so there is plenty of wide open space for the guy who wants to shrink-wrap your bags to find you.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglFHgLIzqtXZcR5MgL7N1jAmbgTq6jmO8t0uuOngwN7dpdzPIg-iEHOt58uHT7IZZRFxQJY_xA_va3dZwo5xE3AyYLJAwnV_BUW2X7xmkV7OYYdFnCRzFarjyOMLbfVw6cErYtUTTJ2Lo7/s1600/Guraulhos-airport-pic-2-300x200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglFHgLIzqtXZcR5MgL7N1jAmbgTq6jmO8t0uuOngwN7dpdzPIg-iEHOt58uHT7IZZRFxQJY_xA_va3dZwo5xE3AyYLJAwnV_BUW2X7xmkV7OYYdFnCRzFarjyOMLbfVw6cErYtUTTJ2Lo7/s1600/Guraulhos-airport-pic-2-300x200.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">My actual check-in experience was not great--it took us over an hour to get through the winding line. But I can probably blame that on the Friendly Skies who were working with a canceled flight and limited check-in folks. Maybe they were learning to use new computers. But this I can safely say: your wait will be MUCH more pleasant than in the other terminals. It's pretty, this Terminal 3. Yes they put the flight-delay sign behind towering palm trees so you have to crane around the fronds to see if your flight is on time. Yes, the signage on the airlines leaves a lot to be desired. But all in all, HUGE thumbs-up.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Unless you're elderly or with mobility issues. Once you're past security (easy and empty this time) and the federal police immigration (actually emigration, but they don't listen to me), you have to walk, and walk and walk and walk. And here I'm going to compare again to a South African airport--this time Johannesburg. The inside shopping mall/gates set up IS the J'burg airport. But with more expensive shops and fewer elephant and giraffe doo-dads. More Michael Kors and Dudalina (what a horrible brand name) shops and Fuleco staring out of plastic wrap. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Keep walking. Oh, then stop for a refreshment at Bar 365 or something like that. Find that it costs $5 reais for a pão de queijo (yummy) and more for an empanada (yummy but they're out of hot sauce). Forget the teeny piece of chocolate unless you get a bank loan.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Keep walking. Wander in circles around silver giant boxes in the middle of the tundra, errr, terminal. Those are the bathrooms. You just can't find your way in. Why they didn't put entrances on both sides of the boxes, I will never know. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Keep walking. Oh, great, we're at the second gate, in spite of just walking 5 km. Plenty of place to sit does not mean that a single Brazilian WILL sit. No, they will get in line even though we board by group and they're in group 4,560. You will never change this about a Brazilian: they like lines. And Orlando. Someone has to-- so it's convenient that those two cultural things meet in one mousey place.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">All in all, I give high marks to the new GRU-WOW terminal. My major advice would be get there early--they're still working out the kinks. And now it's not get there early because customs and "emigration" will take forever. No, it's because you are going to be competing in the GRU-WOW 5 km sprint to your gate. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I am returning to GRU-WOW on Wednesday morning so I will test it again on the day before the opening of the World Cup. Weirdly, I can hardly wait. </span></span>Kris Brazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536404250677125262noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434768368145739040.post-27393375353011707122014-06-06T08:30:00.000-03:002014-06-06T08:30:15.255-03:00I like to move it, move it - São Paulo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4TbuNT83bsPCwXUnx4OgH88ElSdr7mivpNAfUE9dwy5MP54Y0hA1Z191JQihuseQkzpH1LF5jKuBgVpFO_lEnzuaCC7ZNP_IbFtov3cOaKJ3_Nxh1B79NM8ArrJT9Ox4KXOjiLlNp_YeS/s1600/index.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4TbuNT83bsPCwXUnx4OgH88ElSdr7mivpNAfUE9dwy5MP54Y0hA1Z191JQihuseQkzpH1LF5jKuBgVpFO_lEnzuaCC7ZNP_IbFtov3cOaKJ3_Nxh1B79NM8ArrJT9Ox4KXOjiLlNp_YeS/s1600/index.jpg" height="299" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">As São Paulo enters its second day of a metro strike, I feel compelled to give further recommendations for transportation for visitors. We have three lines right now with only partial (as in very limited service), two operating normally and two, I have no idea. I am pretty sure that the metro will not be striking during the World Cup as I imagine the court system will order them back to work on Sunday.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In any case, let's look at transportation options:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<u><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Bus</span></span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have to tell you I love the bus system in Rio de Janeiro. I found it extremely easy to get around, and I think we took taxis only twice. You can get change for the trip on board: in São Paulo, you get on in the front of the bus, and the ticket taker/change maker is about a third of the way back on the bus. You get off at the back of the bus. In Rio, the bus driver can also be the fare taker. You also get on in the front, and off in the back.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you are elderly (here that's over 60--no judgement!), or a small child, you may have special treatment or are free of charge. My seven year olds pay in São Paulo but are free in Rio de Janeiro. Ask. If you are a student, make sure you carry ID. Discounts may be based more on if you are a student than if you are under 18.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The main reason I find bus service easy is the use of Moovit, an application for your smartphone that tells you the best bus to take, how far you are from the stop, and when the bus will arrive. You can also follow your journey while on the bus and know exactly when to get off and how far you have to walk on the far side to get to your destination. It also gives you metro options. And if there is a transportation strike. Love it. If you don't have Moovit, be prepared to ask various people at each stop where the bus is going and which bus might be best. At least in São Paulo. Rio de Janeiro had some better signage but I wouldn't rely on it. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">According to its site, Moovit is available in the following cities in Brazil at this time: </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Bauru (SP), Belo Horizonte, Campinas (SP), Cuiabá, Curitiba,
Fortaleza, Goiânia, Itajaí (SC), João Pessoa, Manaus, Natal, Porto
Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília and São Paulo.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">If you have an Android or iphone, use it. If you don't, get one.</span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Metro</span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I find Rio and São Paulo's metro systems to be pretty good. Limited but good. Check out multiple trip passes for value. Each city feels differently about bus-metro interlink pricing so you're on your own there. Keep an eye on strike conditions--your hotel or host will know more. </span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Taxi</span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">While I rely heavily on local taxi stands, I am a local resident so I know the number to call and they know me. And my kids who like to spill yogurt on their back seats. Anyway, be prepared to be surprised by taxis in São Paulo (not so surprised by taxis in Rio who are nutty drivers and not particularly friendly). Taxi drivers in São Paulo are buttoned-up (button-down shirts, slacks not jeans), knowledgeable and many are quite friendly and helpful about recommendations for places. There are exceptions to every rule.</span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">When you get in a taxi, you may be asked "<i>qual caminho voce prefere</i>?" (which route do you prefer?). Apparently, all taxi drivers are trained to do this in the taxi course. That way, if the traffic is terrible on a route the client chose, they are not to blame. If you don't know the route (though I suggest a printout of your google-maps), you can leave it up to them. They know the best routes--and even if it seems they are taking you on a long ride (and some will, no doubt about it), it may be to avoid a tangle that the drivers know about, and you do not. Don't be too suspicious.</span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I've talked before about the pros and cons of Guarucoop and the airport taxis. The good news: set price. Bad news: people know you are coming from the international airport. Do what you want with that info. </span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Since I've already told you to carry that smartphone, make sure you also download 99Taxi, Tajijá or any of the other taxi service applications for your intended city. Here in São Paulo, I prefer 99Taxi because it is the only service that does not charge the driver for the use. </span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Walking</span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Yeah, why not? Ignore the holes in the pavement, the lack of politeness to pedestrians (run!) and the endless names on the street signs. I love walking. Enjoy! </span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Driving yourself</span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">There's always a few that want to rent a car. I wouldn't do it here if I were visiting, but if you have, you'll want to install waze on that smartphone and make sure you map out how you are getting somewhere. Waze will not warn you if you are going through an iffy side of town though so I suggest getting locals' recommendations of how to get somewhere. </span></span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">++++++++ </span></span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">These are my main recommendations for getting around, particularly in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Sorry, Americans visiting Natal, Manaus and Recife. I just don't know enough! Have fun! </span></span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">For a little more about security in public transportation, take a look <a href="http://brazilinmyeyes.blogspot.com.br/2013/09/safe-in-sao-paulo-part-iv-taxi-and.html" target="_blank">here</a>, from a prior blog. </span></span></span></span></h3>
Kris Brazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536404250677125262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434768368145739040.post-58137842513396438082014-06-04T17:01:00.001-03:002014-06-04T17:01:29.125-03:00Duro de Matar - São Paulo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYXabiQR8O6-mFT8xoauySTsaFZGbukFxDRtyfnzOcG9zUWOR7HMgZSfPLY1pFGZzvjDs4tZgaIt6z8tz19UdfiEIbENpmEQR6Xd830ggrgnOG3FrUDBXKKUAtxgZfiLZj-JK5MId7AT9/s1600/10262170_769020083117201_204663689689507022_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYXabiQR8O6-mFT8xoauySTsaFZGbukFxDRtyfnzOcG9zUWOR7HMgZSfPLY1pFGZzvjDs4tZgaIt6z8tz19UdfiEIbENpmEQR6Xd830ggrgnOG3FrUDBXKKUAtxgZfiLZj-JK5MId7AT9/s1600/10262170_769020083117201_204663689689507022_n.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My longer-term readers will have met my dog Caju. I wrote him a love note on March 3, his birthday. You can read it here. <a href="http://brazilinmyeyes.blogspot.com.br/2014/03/fourteen-joanopolis.html" target="_blank">Meet Caju</a>. He is fourteen years old and has had a roller coaster ride of great health and then near-death experiences, and back again. I would be naive to think that the warrior dog, as I call him, will continue to be able to fight everything. Because you can't win against one thing ever: age.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A month ago Caju had what I thought was a urinary tract infection. He was dripping urine everywhere and had a funny smell. Two exams later (fortunately our visiting vet came in for the tests), the results came back with no infection. The ultrasound came back with no issues. We put him on corticosteroids and he got acupuncture and miraculously he recovered.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On Sunday, it started again. But instead of the urine drip-dripping, it came out in jets. It's cold here now so he has been lying on any rug he can find and they are all covered in pee. And it smells awful. And he gets put outside, my wonderful companion dog, because no one can stand the smell or the clean-up. And he stares in the window.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A month ago I called the local vet/spa (the one who gives him baths and does in-house consults) and said that his time had come. The vet came over to my house and said that she didn't think it was time. She "wasn't judging me" but she wouldn't put him down if it was her. Then I called his vet who has cared for him since he was a puppy (and takes care of him when we go for long trips) and she said she also could not put him down, but for another reason. She was "too emotionally involved" to do it herself. Her husband, also a vet, would be the only one to do it.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Her husband came over a couple of days later and looked at Caju. Caju puts on a show when people visit, he walks, he wags, he smiles, and it seems that he is still okay. Folks, he is not okay. I have had this dog for 14 years: he is done. At least this vet told me that if I told him absolutely and finally that this was the time, he would help Caju go. But since Caju was a bit better again, I let it slide.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And now the incontinence is awful. Truly terrible. Caju walks around with a defeated look, with pee running down his legs, and he practically staggers on his already painfully arthritic legs. It is time to let him go. It is cruel to make this proud dog stay. But in fact, his nickname of "<i>Duro de Matar</i>" or Hard to Kill holds true again. Two vets have again refused to put him down. I cannot find the third--I guess he avoids me. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I wonder if this is cultural; this inability to let go. I am not in favor of the death penalty in the US but it is legal in some states. It is illegal here. Maybe that is how people feel about putting animals to death too. But to me, letting a dog suffer because YOU are not ready to let it go is as inhumane as starving a dog or leaving it on the street. Caju is done. The greatest gift I could give him for the fourteen happy years he's given me is to let him pass on. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yet I can't. No one will help me. I am not alone in this issue by the way. An expatriate friend is also trying to let her 14-year old in-pain husky go but she cannot find a single vet who will do it. No, she has found one who lives outside of São Paulo--if she pays his transportation costs, he will come. An imported doctor death.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, here it is, folks. Finally I find something that I truly, madly, deeply hate about Brazil. This is my dog, and my choice, but I am helpless. Brazil in My Eyes.</span></span>Kris Brazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536404250677125262noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434768368145739040.post-24356126125512576932014-05-29T11:53:00.002-03:002014-05-29T11:53:35.003-03:00Another reason to cheer - São Paulo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpPo_BvTZh_fxkM4_JQEs3zJ_Yb09uYL1H0PxGxbSkto9Jq2CR-0yNbHQ1mKwcf4ItPd-VYJWJHtAVOC5TahqNAzgbdYZKM_EqDyamilapicP1lZ7tPgI0yiEYSpmaWcpsbJSkyt8_y31S/s1600/brazilian-football-team.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpPo_BvTZh_fxkM4_JQEs3zJ_Yb09uYL1H0PxGxbSkto9Jq2CR-0yNbHQ1mKwcf4ItPd-VYJWJHtAVOC5TahqNAzgbdYZKM_EqDyamilapicP1lZ7tPgI0yiEYSpmaWcpsbJSkyt8_y31S/s1600/brazilian-football-team.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2002 World Cup Team. Cafu to the right in the back, Lucio number 3 next to him</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, today I was at my usual weekly Reading Mum volunteer role at my kids' English language school in São Paulo. The Year 1 students (all around 6 years old) read to me one at a time--a short book in English. I correct pronunciation or get them back on track when they get distracted by stroppy stepsisters. This morning, about five kids into the stack of books, the Year 1 classrooms started to explode with energy. I mean more than every other single day of the year. People kept saying "Lúcio, Lúcio" and I thought to myself, huh, that name sounds vaguely familiar. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There is a reason for that. Lúcio is a 36-year old Palmeiras player (he joined in January) and has played for seven teams total (I did not know this of course; he told us when questioned) including the Brazilian World Cup team of 2002. And that was a year that Brazil won (even I knew that one!). He had his World Cup medal with him, and a special World Cup replica trophy that only World Cup winners get from an Italian sculptor. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A World Cup trophy in amongst the plastic water bottles and ABCs</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I of course could not resist. When all the little kids filed into the classroom to meet Lúcio, I went too. I had some tiny bit of right to be there as I read with Lúcio's daughter last term. For obvious reasons, I will not be telling you her name, show her photo or mention which school she attends. All I can tell you is that this cute little girl just radiated happy pride and love when her father walked in. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lúcio, and all I'm going to show you of his daughter--with her hand on his leg.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Just like any other parent coming to tell about his/her career, Lúcio talked about his. He answered questions about how many soccer cleats he had owned in his life, who was the best player in the world, which was his favorite club team, how many times someone had kicked a goal over his head. He answered all the questions with a smile (and in Portuguese, by the way) and with quiet confidence. It is impossible not to like him. Seriously, I dare you.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lúcio had come from yesterday's loss 600 km away, flying in this morning, and coming directly to the school. I loved how he made his daughter a priority when he could. And what I mean by this is that if you think about these players, you think about how much money they make, how egotistical they are, how space alien-like they are (but I will stop talking about Cristiano Ronaldo soon). What you don't see behind them is their families.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now I don't know Lúcio but let's just imagine how his life is. Especially in the twilight of his playing career. He won a World Cup in 2002, he was the captain of the team in 2006, and played as well in 2010 for coach Dunga, his hero. And in between all this he played for several European teams as well as several here in Brazil. When approached to leave Brazil last year to play again in Europe, he refused. He wanted to stay in Brazil. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And when I watched his daughter, I understood it. His wife Dione was there too--together they have 3 kids. And these three kids and his wife get left behind when the team trains for the big games, for the travel all over the country and world and at the late night games, they are surely all asleep. I forget how many games these guys play in a year but it's unbelievable! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I sit with a kid to read, it doesn't occur to me what happens at their homes at night. Some go to bed without mom or dad around a lot of the time. And that makes me sad. And it must make the parent sad too.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now Lúcio is not going to the World Cup this year. Okay, he is probably going but he is not playing. He will watch his compatriots go for the gold--and I hope he watches those games from home with his wife and three kids. And he will know the cost to players and to their families of all of the training, all of the stress and all of millions of harsh words that are leveled at the players that they must ignore.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We can't forget in the middle of all this corruption and protests and FIFA-hating and Dilma-hating, there are 11 men on the field, and 12 more on the bench, who have lived entire lives for this World Cup. And they have sacrificed--even Cristiano Ronaldo who I love to hate has had to give up "normal" life for "national service" and his own dreams. And some of them are happy with that for a while...a long while... but I'm guessing that it weighs on all of them. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So cheer for the players. Especially the ones you have never heard of and who don't make 8000000 billion on sports ads and drinks. They are giving up some of themselves for us, the spectators. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Another reason to cheer. If not for Lúcio this time, for the others who come after.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah it's dark...but here's me and Lucio..</td></tr>
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<br />Kris Brazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536404250677125262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434768368145739040.post-82832576486999339282014-05-27T06:32:00.000-03:002014-05-27T07:11:29.019-03:00Vai ter Copa - São Paulo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I admit it; I'm excited for the World Cup. It's 16 days to go, I've got my Uruguay, Brazil and US shirts, my tickets to Argentina-Iran, and Shakira just released her video so I don't have to watch Pitbull and J-Lo anymore. It's time to look forward and not back at the $7000000000 zillion that was wasted.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As many of you who follow me know, I don't really like watching soccer--yeah, I liked playing it as a kid, and I'm pretty much <a href="http://brazilinmyeyes.blogspot.com.br/2013/12/party-rice-sao-paulo.html" target="_blank">party rice</a> at any Palmeiras game at Pacaembu but generally, nah. So, if I'm not watching it for the football, why am I so excited?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Well, I'll tell you. In a list. Here are my top 5 reasons for me to be excited about the World Cup. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In first place, I love the human stories. The teeny-tiny teams. The African teams. The also-rans. The ones without a hope of winning, but every bit excited about playing. My current top three:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1. Iran. Okay, so I'm American and a woman so you'd think that I wouldn't have much sympathy for these guys...but then came the "human interest story" earlier this month. The Iranian players are forbidden from trading their uniform shirts at the end of games because they don't have enough funds to buy tons of extra shirts (say, where is that oil money?) And there's a funny <a href="http://globoesporte.globo.com/futebol/copa-do-mundo/noticia/2014/05/falta-de-dinheiro-faz-ira-proibir-que-jogadores-troquem-camisas-com-rivais.html" target="_blank">story</a> about the goalie washing his own shirt and it shrinking. And then of course the jokes about the shirts being white and red and the chances of them being pink by the end: high. How can you not feel for them? I do. Well, okay, I don't want them to win, but I love that they are at the World Cup (I do realize they beat the US in 1998. S*** happens). </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dear players: wash those socks separately in cold water.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2. Cote d'Ivoire. The elephants. Well, of COURSE I like this team as their mascot and nickname is the Elephants. As I said, I am pre-disposed to love any of the African teams because of their David & Goliath nature next to the big teams. They have qualified for three consecutive World Cups--wouldn't it be fun if they made it out of the group stage? I think so too. A new house of orange. Plus with names like Boubacar Barry, or Sol Bamba or Yaya Touré, how can you not want to yell out your cheers? And I like Drogba. Not his name. But the captain is 36 years old. Love. 15 million population, a recent civil war, an agriculture-reliant economy; a good football campaign would be GREAT for them. Go, pachyderms!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3. Costa Rica. The Ticos (what this means, I dunno) Again, here is this tiny nation that has to fight against the US and Mexico in CONCACAF. And they are in one of the two groups of death this time around: seriously, the poor kids are against England, Uruguay and Italy in the group stage. Hello? The other three teams own seven world cups between them. I definitely cheer for them against Italy which I consider staffed heavily by big dramatic babies, and against England just because I am guaranteed to get the most comments from my Brit friends about this. Uruguay I cover later. Other tidbits about Costa Rica: it is the only Latin American country to have a democracy since before 1950, and in 1949, it abolished its army. This may not be good in case they win against Italy and the bambini invade. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Next, the team that makes Brazilians cringe almost as much as their Argentinian neighbors. The team that beat them on home turf in 1950. And no, it's not just about Diego Forlán (yay, another post where I get to put a gratuitous photo of my main soccer squeeze), but about the history and the fact that this soccer powerhouse IS teeny-tiny too.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4.Uruguay. La Celeste. This country is the king of cute. Literally. It has 3.25 million people (in São Paulo, that is roughly the number of people who commute from one side of the city to another on a daily basis). It is the smallest country to have won the world cup--it had 1.75 million people when it won in 1930. They knocked Brazil on its keister in 1950 when they came from behind to win--and the architect of the winning goal is still alive and coming for the World Cup. Yikes for him. Now, I admit I am not a big fan of the muncher named Luis Suarez but it looks like he may not make it anyway. Cavani is fun to watch and I think we don't need to review my Diego Forlán obsession. Listen, the man is 35 years old and won the golden boot in 2010 so it's not all a pretty face. Anyway, if you want to seem smart about football, know that Uruguay is bigger than it seems on paper. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And the most important reason of all: Those for whom the Cup has still the magic and joy.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5. The seniors and the kids. Yesterday I picked up my World Cup tickets from the distribution center in Ibirapuera. As we waited for the doors to open, I watched the 8 or so 70+ year old men in the priority line talk about watching World Cups since they were televised. Most only heard 1950's World Cup on the radio. They had stuff to say about Pele, about Garrincha, about everyone I never knew I knew--and their eyes sparkled with excitement to see the Cup in Brazil. Dear protestors: do not take the joy from these men. And possibly women though there were none there that day.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And of course, my sons. Especially the blond one whose favorite player is Lionel Messi from Argentina. My sons are seven years old. They think farts are funny, that the world revolves around them, and that soccer stars are gods. What great good fortune that they are able to be part of the magic of a live game. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So that's it. Those are my top five reasons that I am happy that there will be a World Cup here. <i>Vai ter Copa</i>. Vai. And I am pretty darned excited about it.</span></span><br />
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<br />Kris Brazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536404250677125262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434768368145739040.post-50101452759083402642014-05-26T17:58:00.000-03:002014-05-26T17:58:03.829-03:00Strike me! - São Paulo<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bCHBy61bjT09gxxrZRRjgiYxJlri_b4KX2P9EyNm5dpGRbABcj6zT-ZoyYO225KUZ_r2EHnynOzUW2T8iOz0Zj_5g0V5OKic4ETbQfqOqt1P2CQd39ffTodup5zvzSdHX0vbMfAB5Smd/s1600/IMG_5736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bCHBy61bjT09gxxrZRRjgiYxJlri_b4KX2P9EyNm5dpGRbABcj6zT-ZoyYO225KUZ_r2EHnynOzUW2T8iOz0Zj_5g0V5OKic4ETbQfqOqt1P2CQd39ffTodup5zvzSdHX0vbMfAB5Smd/s1600/IMG_5736.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My view of the stopped buses during last week's strike</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A friend of mine sent the following <a href="http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/cotidiano/2014/05/1460175-marronzinhos-prometem-fazer-paralisacao-nesta-terca-em-sp.shtml" target="_blank">link</a> to me this afternoon and it gave me the best laugh I've had all day (given it was a pretty dry day for laughter since I had to go fight with FIFA about my Cup tickets). The article talks about the strike planned by CET tomorrow--CET are the traffic cops who give tickets, direct traffic if the stoplight stops working (often) and probably do something else that I don't know what it is. They are affectionately (?) known as the <i>marronzinhos</i> or Little Brownies. No, zero girl scout cookies.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What made me laugh is how they are doing the strike. It is not a full-frontal assault--a work stoppage where people walk off the job. Nope. Much more crafty and fun: The CET workers are going to go <i>en masse</i> to donate blood. It's not because they are feeling community-minded, but because they get to take the rest of the day off after donating blood. Every blood center will provide donors with a "medical excuse" for the rest of the work day. I know this because I have also given blood here and was given the rest of the day off. Theoretically, since I don't have a boss. Sorry, BH, you do not count. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now I am wondering if I can just escape paying parking or make a run with my car that is not supposed to move tomorrow because of rodizio (rodizio explained <a href="http://brazilinmyeyes.blogspot.com.br/2013/05/pollution-rodizio-and-worlds-saddest.html" target="_blank">here</a>). Frankly, I am not too worried about CET taking the day--in fact, I encourage it. I find them most unhelpful in any case.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is all following on two weeks of strikes of buses, of metros, of trains, of professors and who knows who else. Of course all these unions are taking advantage of the fact that the world cup comes anon. The world is watching us right now. Last week was absolute chaos as bus drivers literally walked off buses and left them parked where they were in the middle of traffic. I know two people who had to walk home and it took them more than three hours. One lady interviewed on TV had walked home for 10 hours, fed her kids, then turned around and walked back to work the next day.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">All I know is that most of these strikes affect only the middle to lower class. Does anyone believe that the construction company executives and the politicians take the bus? Many don't even take a car--maybe the helicopter pilots and bodyguards should strike. The quantity and diversity of the groups striking is definitely making me laugh, especially as my favorite comic writer, Jose Simão talks about having to have rodizio (taking turns) of various groups, including headless Barbies (link <a href="http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/colunas/josesimao/2014/05/1458136-ueba-rodizio-de-protestos.shtml" target="_blank">here</a>). Maybe we should all have a strike on the same day and we can all just stop. And have a glass of wine.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I am pretty tired of having to plan out how I am going to get my kids at the end of the day. My only warning to the strikers (some of whom I sympathize with, and some I don't) is that if you get between me and my kids, the mama bear will go into action. The Blacky Blockies have nothing on me. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Anyway, enjoy double-parking at the blood donation center. Hey, and take the rest of the day off!</span></span>Kris Brazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536404250677125262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434768368145739040.post-85809252187320159322014-05-19T06:45:00.000-03:002014-05-19T12:30:27.316-03:00More Random Advice for Brazil Visitors - São Paulo<style>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">With just three weeks to go before the start of the World
Cup, I began to think about how people who have never been here before are
going to react to various places and occurrences. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I still remember setting foot here in Brazil for the first
time—back in 1995 when I was working for Visa risk management. We visited Rio
and São Paulo on a tour of banks that were facing large amounts of credit card
fraud. I don’t much remember the banks except
for Bradesco and its so-called City of God, the enormous bank campus in
Osasco. It seemed bigger than my
American college campus, and BH just told me that it is still growing. It was
my first introduction to Brazilian coffee in its tiny cups. I didn’t realize
how dangerous it was and every time the uniformed coffee lady came by the
meeting room, I accepted another tiny shot. I ended up with blurred vision, a
wildly-palpitating heart and a room full of very amused Brazilians.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I also remember moving here in 1998 just at the beginning of
the telecom privatization. It is hard to believe but people here used to pay
thousands of dollars for a phone line—they were listed as household
assets. I would not call cell phones
cheap here now but they don’t cost more than cars either. I fell in love with Brazil and my Brazilian
and look where that’s got me (just kidding, BH!!)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">During my first tour of duty here (1998-2001), my artist
uncle visited me. He is the closest brother to my mom, though not in distance.
He is the closest my family has to crazy-wonderful – he makes art out of found
objects, out of Styrofoam, out of paint and mylar and whatever. I am fortunate
to own a number of his pieces. James had
been invited here for an art show in Brasilia and stopped in for a few days in
São Paulo. I will never forget his visit because of the beauty he saw and the
beauty he shared. </span></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigUh6osybAx2-X0JvgvFyLQiY6t0zvVD7nTmEjB3HwBQRQlt4ojx2OoZCiFghsKvA-IJKDqxBCEly-97kE3VhP8AdLy41i5JWYZc5ITJUrzYjYGKhxOmO45UWEo0O3bcJoaCBDQ9IIOzt4/s1600/220px-1_rocinha_favela_closeup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigUh6osybAx2-X0JvgvFyLQiY6t0zvVD7nTmEjB3HwBQRQlt4ojx2OoZCiFghsKvA-IJKDqxBCEly-97kE3VhP8AdLy41i5JWYZc5ITJUrzYjYGKhxOmO45UWEo0O3bcJoaCBDQ9IIOzt4/s1600/220px-1_rocinha_favela_closeup.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is as close as you need to get to a favela. From wikipedia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What? Beauty in São Paulo, the mess of concrete, polluted
rivers and pothole-marked roads? Yes. Beauty. As I drove him from the airport, my
uncle exclaimed at the geometry of the brick, metal and laundry-hung favela shacks.
He marveled at the hives of electric wires, the boxy 70s buildings, and the
trees popping out of piles of rubbish, growing against all odds. And his
comments made me feel good about where I lived, and made me look at it with new
eyes. Eyes I forget to look out of sometimes when I am annoyed by the daily
life of a big city.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Based on James’ lesson to me about how to see Brazil, here
is how I would do Brazil if I were seeing it for the first time:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1.<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span>Expect the unexpected. Or don’t expect it--just
enjoy it happening. Say you get stuck in
a two-hour traffic jam. Look around. Don’t get on facebook and complain. Look
around at the geometry of that favela, the lady in the next car fixing her hair
and ignoring the kids climbing over the back seat. Watch the water rush out of
the many creeks and into the river. When the unexpected happens, take
advantage, not offense. And if someone starts talking to you at the local
bakery, participate. Be part of the country, don’t just visit it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2.<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span>Be positive. Brazilians will complain about
their country. A lot. My recommendation is to not jump on that band
wagon. It turns out that this will cause offense: while people from here may
say “the river is filled with garbage”, they don’t necessarily want the
tourists to agree with them. They want someone to say back “well, the trees on
the edge seem to like it—I noticed how many flowering trees were there.” Trust me, this is true. I have been here 6
years and I still sometimes step in the wrong place and people say “if you
don’t like it, why don’t you leave?” </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> And please be careful of politics if you
are American—the US, at the very least, does not have a sweet-smelling past
here. You may think they want you to
agree with their complaints about corruption, or Dilma or whatever, but then you might
find yourself on the receiving end of what the CIA did here during the military
dictatorship. My advice: smile and say “s*** happens everywhere.” Especially if you don't know what kind of democracy Brazil has or how justice works here. Listen, smile, and ask questions rather than
say statements. Keep those ears open and learn. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3.<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span>Brazil is more expensive than you think. The
pervasive thought about the developing world is that it is cheap. Yes, your
dollar and euro is valuable right now but it still will be fighting against an
immensely overpriced restaurant industry (São Paulo and Rio), the tax structure
of imported goods, and of course the inflation that accompanies the mega event.
I suggest keeping it to yourself if you find something very expensive…or very cheap.
Unless you are negotiating for a US$500 hammock. Then that is VERY EXPENSIVE
and you should complain. PS You are not
necessarily being taken advantage of at every moment. Brazilians pay for stuff
through the teeth.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4.<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span>Tip everyone. Okay, maybe not your friends you
are visiting. I remember talking about this with a Brazilian friend a couple of
years ago. Someone asked if you are supposed to tip the gas station guy for
checking the tires or the oil. My Brazilian friend was almost offended—‘of
course not! That is part of the service!’ But I always tip. I always go to the
same gas station where I have known the attendants for 6 years and I always
give them a $2 or a $5 for those services. And I get great service, usually a
fun conversation and people who know my car.
I also tip at the grocery store (not necessary), the taxi cab (not
necessary and not always—just if the guy has put up with evil twins on a bad
day), the waiter who has made my day. It works for me. And it’s not exactly
breaking the bank.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5.<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span>If you are going to use your high school Spanish
to get by here, make sure you let people know that you realize that Brazil
speaks Portuguese not Spanish. Also our capital is Brasilia not Buenos Aires or
Rio de Janeiro. Personally I would highly recommend a quick peruse of Wikipedia
to know our population, our president’s name, the size of the economy, and the
name of our most famous soccer player (it is not Maradona). Hint: the latter played
for the NY Cosmos but is not in fact American as I thought when I was 7 years
old.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">6.<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span>Skip the favela tour. I hate the favela tour.
Why in the world would you do it? They are not animals in cages.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">7.<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span>Laugh. As much as you can. Smile at people in
the street and say “bom dia” or “boa tarde.” Shrug and let things rolls off
you. Let Brazil into your heart.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My two cents. Call it my tip to you.</span></span></div>
Kris Brazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536404250677125262noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434768368145739040.post-28486907388613203172014-05-13T10:05:00.001-03:002014-05-13T10:05:04.010-03:00Crap Cake - São Paulo<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8sy9Z1LC4rDOKNzKvPCCve5AK2mQRs_JB42p0_rxn0LoISZyxEN7r4pxkVlVPDP5CZkPPxCrkBZuT-EJo8qjNbNJ9zH_44nBQ4MsBDpq-KTw6BVzKtzkFJ9hu7SNwcHxPLv47l80iAPKK/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8sy9Z1LC4rDOKNzKvPCCve5AK2mQRs_JB42p0_rxn0LoISZyxEN7r4pxkVlVPDP5CZkPPxCrkBZuT-EJo8qjNbNJ9zH_44nBQ4MsBDpq-KTw6BVzKtzkFJ9hu7SNwcHxPLv47l80iAPKK/s1600/photo.JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My mother's day present from one of the twins</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Today was a really crappy day. Yes, it is only 9:45 am but it's been crappy. Things are adding up from the stress of buying a house in the US, selling one here, moving countries and hemispheres, lots of work, guilt from yelling at my kids...and on and on. I don't think BH and I have slept well for at least a week with worry and with viruses (I have had a month-long bout of sinusitis and he has some other virus), my 14-year old labrador retriever is giving up on life but not one vet here will listen to me and they want him to keep carrying on, and I can't believe I have to fight to let my dog go. And soon I have to go fight with FIFA over a ticket issue, and also save an Argentinian from a screwed-up ticket deal and agh. Are you all still reading? Sheesh, I hope it makes your day look better.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This morning's cherry on the crap cake was reading mum being canceled (I found out after arriving there), the teachers telling me that my kids were not at school the day of the school pictures and will not appear in the yearbook and then as I am walking home I realize that I have forgotten my house keys. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I immediately call my husband with the 10% battery left on my phone (seriously, when there is crap cake, there is a lot of it) and he is about to go into a meeting. He says he'll call me right back. At this point I am half laughing and half-crying. I am clearly a lunatic and everyone in the street is avoiding me. Seriously, a little terrier stopped full stop and walked all the way around his owner and hid in a bush. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">BH calls me back and says he gave the keys to a taxi driver and that he told the driver to stop for a coffee and a chat first to torture me (BH was trying to make me laugh; it worked). He had also given the taxi driver R$50 to pay the fare, and our address. I had the taxi driver's name (Valter) and his license plate number. Would I ever do this in the US? Not dang likely. Note that BH got a taxi not from the street but from the established neighborhood taxi stand in front of his building.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After waiting about 10 minutes, up pulled the taxi. A spry older taxi driver jumped out of his seat, gave me the keys, the change and a receipt. And then we chatted for two minutes about nothing. And I resisted giving the cute man a hug as he got back in his car and told me not to spend the change (about US$10) all in one place. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And that, the whole human interaction that is Brazil at its friendliest and most helpful, is why I love it here. Look up from your phones, as they say. If you are coming for a visit, talk to the people. They are lovely.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Enough crap cake. Let's roll.</span></span><br />
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<br />Kris Brazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536404250677125262noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434768368145739040.post-51575293460243463582014-05-12T10:00:00.000-03:002014-05-31T07:37:39.255-03:00Personal Security at the World Cup - Brazil<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQu_E06UppmO8risfHEWXouUxejMLzlAvsbflhYU0GaNY5h75REakRy8loIyz0WkUgRl3H1mnJGmybqOjMEg15hLV6EBfQwTwIDy31npj4ZHF0LQxT9wPtTocNhKxKTUxrWGJh1Wjr4YM/s1600/corco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQu_E06UppmO8risfHEWXouUxejMLzlAvsbflhYU0GaNY5h75REakRy8loIyz0WkUgRl3H1mnJGmybqOjMEg15hLV6EBfQwTwIDy31npj4ZHF0LQxT9wPtTocNhKxKTUxrWGJh1Wjr4YM/s1600/corco.jpg" height="224" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As of today, there are thirty-one days left until the opening of the World Cup. However you feel about the money wasted, the terrible treatment of those less fortunate, or FIFA, the Cup comes anon. It won't be canceled by the recent dengue outbreak, by the demonstrations or by the lack of water. Who needs a shower anyway? This last input from my 7 year olds who are looking forward to the taps running dry.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmH8hxs8I71aobu2GB8vJf8l6OhLMYbBLqzaJvXGqd6seIxGPaM6xfHeWEX-6eITnbMLjcof4vnWEyBCltXiT465wbfnY7scbm-81oavAFj5Z1d1kmeujTk366x0LBNmVdjjLtyE1oRefj/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmH8hxs8I71aobu2GB8vJf8l6OhLMYbBLqzaJvXGqd6seIxGPaM6xfHeWEX-6eITnbMLjcof4vnWEyBCltXiT465wbfnY7scbm-81oavAFj5Z1d1kmeujTk366x0LBNmVdjjLtyE1oRefj/s1600/images.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This blog is specifically directed to those coming to Brazil for the first time for the Cup or for business related to the Cup, or because you are clearly insane since you have chosen to come here at a time when Brazil is least like Brazil. This is a mega-event and has little to do with the friendly, easy-going style that normally is around here (okay, not in São Paulo which is a stressed city).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, here we go. I am giving my personal advice on your security. I am not a security consultant but I've lived here for 9 years and I think I get it. I have been to World Cup games in South Africa and I've seen the madness southern hemisphere style. Please be aware that this blog post is not designed to scare you but only to give you some ideas of what MIGHT happen while you are here. How you choose to react is up to you.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Preparation</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My strong advice here is to leave nothing to chance. Don't arrive here without a hotel room or without an idea of where the official taxi stand is, or without a few words of Portuguese (please and thank you go a long way). Know the number to call the police (190) and your consulate in your area (up to you to research). </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Do not expect to use dollars here. This is not Argentina (cambio! cambio!). Do not carry wads of cash. Use an ATM in the airport to withdraw what you think you will need, but keep an eye out to see who is watching you use the ATM. (*Numerous reader comments are coming back that airport ATMs are NOT safe. I don't know what to say here--it's never happened to me. To be safe, head to a currency exchange there and do it that way). Separate cash into individual pockets. Do not be distracted. Do not chat with people in line. Do not tell them where you are staying, how you are getting there or take any offered rides (see Arrival below). </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Take more than one credit card. Keep one back at your hotel or in a different place. Be aware that there are places here that still take only Visa or only MasterCard. Amex is less accepted and forget Diner's and some of those others. Remember you are in a mostly cash society so have some on hand at all times.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Pack light. The less baggage you have to maintain control of, the happier you will be. I wouldn't necessarily attempt to dress like a Brazilian because everyone will know you are a gringo anyway--just don't dress flashy. Leave A&F home (or better yet, burn it), bring a few non-brand t-shirts and jeans and call it a day. Tevas and Crocs will identify you as gringo at 200 meters. Be very aware of the weather where you will be--it will be cold in Sao Paulo (most likely), warm in Salvador and hotter than an inferno in Manaus. Be aware that Sao Paulo is colder than it looks in print--there is no central heat in most places (not counting chic hotels) so bring a pullover, jumper, sweater or whatever you call it in your home country.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Do not carry a laptop case or a backpack that looks designed for a laptop. Be aware that there will be bad guys in the airport and they will probably be figuring out which taxi to follow. Sorry, but true. It's happened to a few of my friends. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Do not wear or bring any jewelry. Yes, I am authorizing your husbands to remove their wedding bands but not to go to the <i>putarias</i>. Don't carry a purse. Money belts are great. You will need to carry ID for many places in Brazil--museums, many buildings, stadiums. I don't know if FIFA will require an original document to get into the stadiums or if a photocopy will do. I suggest carrying copies, notarized preferably, for places OTHER THAN the stadiums. At the stadiums, go original and go money belt.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I used to suggest leaving smartphones at home but I've changed my mind--those are going to help you navigate the countryside here and make sure your taxi is not taking you to Zimbabwe before getting to your hotel. Note: sometimes the Zimbabwe rides are necessary to avoid traffic. The airport taxis are normally highly reliable--I mean Guarucoop here in São Paulo which has a fixed fee for rides and it is not in their interest to lollygag you about. On the reverse side, the name Guarucoop on the taxi door means you are coming from the international airport and you may become a target.You do the risk analysis.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the major warning side of smartphones: these allow you to become distracted. The more distracted you are, the more likely you will be the first victim of a robbery. If you must look at it while out and about, step into a doorway or a store where you can check it in peace. I can tell you from many conversations with the military police here in São Paulo, the bad guys select victims by who is paying the least amount of attention to what is going on around him/her. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Arrival</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On your arrival, expect big lines. Be patient. Bring a snack. Smile, you are in Brazil. What, your luggage is taking two hours? At least it's coming. Maybe. There should be official helpers around and you can trust those...I will post what they are wearing once I know it. You must have a visa to visit Brazil from the US and from Canada at least, not sure about other countries -- make sure you check that before you leave! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Once out in the arrival hall, you may want to hit the ATM or go directly to the taxi stand. I am guessing lines at the taxi stand will be terrible and you will think about accepting the offer of someone hanging around saying "taxi, taxi?". Don't do it. Wait in line at Guarucoop (in Sao Paulo) or the private taxi stand in Rio, or wherever you are. You do not tip taxis in Brazil though you can round up or if they were particularly good, giving a R$5 or R$10 bill (depending on distance) is always nice. Carry a google map printout of where you are going and let them know you know. Have the address written on a piece of paper and try to do the minimum of waving your iPhone around. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Do not hop into private vans unless you have contracted them through hotels or private agencies. Bad stuff has happened to American co-eds. They cannot be trusted. Buses in Rio and buses in São Paulo are fine (watch for pickpockets, of course, and the distract-and-grab is the most common). Try to stay as close to the money-taker as possible or away from the exit door. Always figure out your route before you go--I suggest Moovit for public transport which is available in Rio and in Sao Paulo, not sure about the other cities. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Getting to the stadium</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Go early. If you have a chance to go by official transfer, do it. If you can go by metro, do it. I can't imagine what traffic will be like near these stadiums but I'm willing to guess that it will be a parking lot LONG before you get near it. Taxis will overcharge, for sure, even if it is illegal. The earlier you go, the less stressed you will be about it. Enjoy the atmosphere. Eat some "churrasquinho de gato." </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Stadium gear. I realize that you are all coming because you support a country team. I suggest that if that country team is NOT Brazil, you be somewhat careful outside the stadium during the big games. If you cheer for say, Uruguay, and they are playing Brazil in the semi-final match, do not wear your Forlán shirt to the stadium. Put it on when you get inside, paint your face when you get inside, do your happy dance inside. If the "worst" happens and your team beats Brazil, get out of that team's shirt and wear black. I am not kidding. I have seen fans at a qualifying match verbally abuse the 10 Equadorians who were there cheering on their team. Things can get ugly. Especially when alcohol is involved. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">More information about security in taxis and public transportation is <a href="http://brazilinmyeyes.blogspot.com.br/2013/09/safe-in-sao-paulo-part-iv-taxi-and.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">BH brought to my attention this weekend that the security forces within and immediately outside the stadiums are actually privately contracted by FIFA. In a <a href="http://blogdojuca.uol.com.br/2014/05/quem-fara-seguranca-na-copa/" target="_blank">blog post</a> last week, Juca Kfouri, arguably the biggest expert on football in this country, pointed out that the federal police had yet to find out who these personal security forces are (20,000 officers, apparently). And Mr. Blatter of FIFA has now stated that FIFA is not responsible for any security issues within the stadiums. What? And what are the military and federal police doing--are they inside or outside or what? Confused? Me too. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The important part of this for you, the fan in the stadium, to be aware that there does not seem to be a great deal of the coordination between the private and the Brazilian security forces within the stadium. If you feel uncomfortable with something in the stadium, go with your gut and get out of the situation or area. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If the Worst Happens and you are held up</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Remember: bad guys here do not want to hurt you. They simply want your money because they are desperate. You are not. You are here because you care about goals and penalties. You care about your life. If you are held up at gunpoint, or threatened with a gun or knife or whatever, you need to follow these instructions from this <a href="http://brazilinmyeyes.blogspot.com.br/2013/08/security-in-sao-paulo-part-ii-street.html" target="_blank">past blog</a>. Do NOT resist. You are too important. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I hope and expect this will not happen to you, but it has happened to my husband, to other ex-patriates here so it CAN happen. Before all the Brazilians jump on me about talking negatively about their country, I do know it happens everywhere. But I don't want it to happen in Brazil because I care about it. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">All crime should be reported to the local police station. You will need to ask where that is, or call 190 from any phone. There are English-speaking attendants. The reason you want to report it is that then the police will be tracking crime concentrations and may put more men and women on the street there to stop the next crime from happening. Be part of the solution. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Health</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bring any medication you may need with you. Tough tummy? Bring that Immodium or Gas-X or whatever. You don't want to try to explain that to the pharmacist in English. Wait, just call me first because I think I'll enjoy that. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bring bug spray. Everywhere. There is a very serious dengue outbreak in a lot of Brazil. Prevention by covering yourself by bug spray is HIGHLY recommended. Bring sunblock if you are Canadian or as white as one. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you should get seriously ill, get yourself to the best private hospital you can find in your host city. In Sao Paulo, I recommend Albert Einstein or Sirio Libanese. Not only for the standard of care, but for the fact that there will be someone there who speaks English. Of course, if you do not speak English, what are you doing reading this blog anyway? Contact your consulate if you need more assistance. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Street smarts</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We've covered this in a prior blog here, but it's worth reviewing. Be aware, don't be paranoid. Be most aware of the distraction trick where someone seemingly nice wants to chat you up about the exchange visit they did to your fine country while their accomplice is making off with your unattended whatever. Happened to BH. Only has to happen once. Try to keep all your cash separated into different pockets and cards in your money belt. Always have some cash on hand--if you say you have nothing, you might piss someone off. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There will undoubtedly be protests when you are here. There was a lot of corruption and a lot of bad things that happened locally on our way to hosting the Cup. The anger is not directed against the tourists so I believe that you will be safe from that. But don't join any "parades" okay? And ask your hotel before leaving in the morning if they are aware of any pressure spots, so to speak.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In Sum. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I really don't want to scare anyone here. Brazil is filled with wonderful things to do: get out there and do them! Visit the parks, the museums (I can meet you at the spider and snake museum in SP any time!), the beach, the shopping centers, the historic downtown. Know where you are going when you leave your hotel, and know how you are going to get there. Don't read your smartphone. Go sit at the local bakery and watch the people go by. Find out where your country team fans hang out and hang out at the bar. Smile. Brazil does indeed welcome you. Unless you are Uruguay and then the ghost might just be too big.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cheer for Brazil! I don't mean just the team. </span></span><br />
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Kris Brazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536404250677125262noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434768368145739040.post-33044889567652230512014-05-11T07:38:00.001-03:002014-05-11T07:38:39.449-03:00Happy Mother's Day - Ribeirão Preto<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoTTfhRYPv-1vhKByKoAROf_K15sy21ap5Xx-EkjIufGLbVV7iaHIS1WZ9MD4QLOu3ptrk0MzVUj6j8X6Jhg60HT0Il6Gr4Pfqkga1SJOQ9hqW9JABzf1eEgonqeoeXWFDdpkzgsPhM-l1/s640/blogger-image--1139019841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoTTfhRYPv-1vhKByKoAROf_K15sy21ap5Xx-EkjIufGLbVV7iaHIS1WZ9MD4QLOu3ptrk0MzVUj6j8X6Jhg60HT0Il6Gr4Pfqkga1SJOQ9hqW9JABzf1eEgonqeoeXWFDdpkzgsPhM-l1/s640/blogger-image--1139019841.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Behind the ixora bush and the hibiscus tree is the chicken which was the first one to wish me a happy mother's day.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And so I pass on the ranch mother's day greeting to all you moms out there!</div>Kris Brazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536404250677125262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434768368145739040.post-77273839951429428282014-05-10T07:00:00.000-03:002014-05-10T07:21:10.541-03:00Brazil in My Eyes - São Paulo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjCsFeytjb8w2AU2VVtZRS29tZqvF4Jp7Lk5wvTBh6sLUyFOh0KBUS31qSjdbntRjCkrgYThT37LxtvARJRpZ44zpX8wfdgoDp2qi2dx0xUaR0rPhbDjZXhFBSiLhT1Sj92sA-aTbk-2n7/s1600/IMG_3209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjCsFeytjb8w2AU2VVtZRS29tZqvF4Jp7Lk5wvTBh6sLUyFOh0KBUS31qSjdbntRjCkrgYThT37LxtvARJRpZ44zpX8wfdgoDp2qi2dx0xUaR0rPhbDjZXhFBSiLhT1Sj92sA-aTbk-2n7/s1600/IMG_3209.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So here it is, my last post of the year of living dangerously. The year of daily posts. In all, there are 372 posts as I posted twice once in a while (okay just a few times). There are 36,000 pageviews in this year, and not all of them are my mom. Yes, the US likes me best, then Brazil, then Germany and the UK. Surprisingly it is Russia, Poland and China right after that. Go figure. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I am not ready yet to say goodbye to this blog and to this country. I will need a few days off, though they won't really be off since I have promised a blog post about World Cup security to the American Society here by next Wednesday. I have too much to say to shut up now. Especially about the World Cup sticker album stuff, the last news of the toucan and my expatriation from my adopted country of Brazil. So, carry on if you will, and keep reading. I'll post any new blogs on the facebook page and the email subscriptions will also let you know the post is up.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I really do appreciate the comments that have come in from all over. Mostly positive, sometimes questioning, sometimes correcting. It is nice to have readers. I don't know why you all are here but I sure am glad you are. In particular, I would like to thank BH (Brazilian husband) who faithfully reads these posts every day as they come to his inbox. He infrequently corrects me here in "print" but I usually hear feedback offline. Mostly positive, unerringly supportive. If I could give him a t-shirt for being my #1 fan reader, I would. Maybe I'll try an Argentina soccer jersey instead.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Carry on.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Kristin</span></span>Kris Brazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536404250677125262noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434768368145739040.post-81626886334745668932014-05-09T07:00:00.000-03:002014-05-09T07:00:05.755-03:00Change - São Paulo<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">On Wednesday morning, the for-sale sign went up on our house. It is an extremely strange feeling. My kids, while born in the US, have spent the last 6 years here. There are many memories, laughter and fun in this house. And more than a few scratches in the wood floor.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I will miss this country. It is one embedded deeply in my heart, and fortunately, being married to a Brazilian, I will always visit. Will I live here again? Who knows. There is lots unknown ahead of us: will repatriation really be harder than expatriation as everyone tells me? Will my friends in the US still be my friends when I get there? Will my friends in Brazil still be my friends when we visit for shorter periods of time in the future?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">One of the hardest parts is knowing that my kids will not grow up with their third-cousin, now a close friend living right across the river. They won't hear Julia, their first cousin, say her first word. They won't participate in club championships, maybe will give up ballet, capoeira or judo, will lose the "best" in best friend with their school friends...distance does that. Yes, they will always be friends but not like they were. We have experienced that already moving the kids from one school to another across São Paulo.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I worry about great-grandma, who will turn 95 in July. She is on a slow slide now. She lives three hours away now; soon to be 13 by plane. I worry about BH's parents--as much as I like to poke fun and "complain", they are wonderful grandparents full of fun and teachings. My kids will not be a weekend visit away.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I worry about the Portuguese. Fortunately, near Boston there will be many Brazilians. My kids will now have to take language classes to hold that Portuguese. This beautiful language will now become our home language, rather than English.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">What keeps me awake at night? Besides my current sinus infection that is... Here's what keeps me awake at night: change. What's that old saying that you can't steal second base while standing on first? (sorry, I may have to explain this to non-Americans). We have a great life here; we are looking to make it better. What if we get called out?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Scary times. And I don't mean the World Cup. I mean the next six months.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">And that's Brazil in My Eyes for today. </span></span>Kris Brazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536404250677125262noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434768368145739040.post-27914244377956858802014-05-08T12:28:00.000-03:002014-05-08T12:28:34.306-03:00Well, I'll be...competition - Ushuaia and El Calafate, Argentina<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> I subtitle this photo: Crazy-Beautiful</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As many of you know, I am from Connecticut. You may not know where that tiny state lies but I assure you it is inside New England. And one thing New England is known for is the fall colors. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I have lived in many parts of the country and when the residents of one place or other say "well, fall is beautiful here too", I tend to roll my eyes like any good New Englander and say 'you have no idea'. Yes, aspen trees are nice. So are golden hills, and a few red brambles. By the way, Brazil has a very nice fall but it has nothing to do with "my" fall: it is gorgeous colors--of flowering trees. Weird. To me. But in my opinion, New England is the champion of fall. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Or is it? When we planned our trip to Patagonia, I hadn't really been thinking about autumn. I was wondering how I was going to break it to the kids that they would not be having a snowball fight or skiing because that is only in June in the southern hemisphere. And therefore I got bowled over by Patagonian fall. I was gobsmacked. It is, in the real and </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">the southern California</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> meanings of the word: AWESOME.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Before I bore you with vacation photos, I will mention that the days are getting verrrrrrry short down there in Patagonia. In Ushuaia, it was sunrise at 9 am and sunset at 6. 9 am!! Weird. In El Calafate, it was sunrise at 8:45 am and around the same sunset--at the height of winter, the sun is up at 10 am and barely crosses the sky before setting around 6 pm. Let me tell you it is really hard to get up in the dark--I would consider doing an hour rollback of the clocks in the winter, but that's none of my beeswax. Maybe Cristina could do something useful with her time.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">9:30 am. The sun still attempting to come over the mountains.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I've got all the usual TripAdvisor stuff on TripAdvisor but let me tell you Patagonia rocks the beauty scales. Seriously. Get thee to the end of the world...</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of Ushuaia from the boat departure spot to the Beagle channel</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some sea lions catching the breeze. And some birdies.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did I mention that they are not over the Malvinas war? Ushuaia</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fall. There are only three types of trees in this park but they are the absolute right ones</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Train to the end of the world. Tracks originally built by prisoners. The prison was the whole reason Ushuaia got populated. Like Australia. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tomorrow I return to Brazil with two last daily posts on my life here. Mother's Day I am taking off and then we'll see how often I can post after that. Daily is tough. As Verissimo once said: "The deadline is my muse" which is why my posts are lame as often as they are good. Or more often, who knows? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And now, the money shot. Taken at 11 am on a beautiful day at Perito Moreno glacier in El Calafate. Priceless. Okay, no fall colors on this one but who cares? To say the obvious, Connecticut has competition. </span></span><br />
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<br />Kris Brazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536404250677125262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434768368145739040.post-25819682127435734642014-05-07T07:00:00.000-03:002014-05-07T07:00:01.550-03:00Argentina in My Eyes - Buenos Aires<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seriously, where does Argentina hide the sun?</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I have never ever visited Buenos Aires on a sunny day. I admit I have only been there four times, maybe five, but seriously I begin to wonder if it is ever sunny. It makes a difference you know--I suspect that my friends who love Buenos Aires get some sun in a nice city with a little of the European feel, great food, wide boulevards and ease of getting there. It's only a 2 1/2 hour flight from São Paulo.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Buenos Aires is an enticing city, even in the rain. Beautiful buildings. Great food. A lovely shopping center, an extraordinary opera house. And BA was the only place where the people understood my mangled Portugnol which I dragged out from my days as a Miami resident. Ushuaia and El Calafate residents only looked at me blankly. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Please no one ask me the name of this beautiful shopping center. I just don't know.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yet somehow Buenos Aires always makes me sad: is it the rain that always follows me? We had spectacular weather in Ushuaia and El Calafate but BA to me has always been grey.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It is a tough comparison between Argentina and Brazil. But I do think that Brazil wins on playfulness and fun and out-and-out joy. You want to have a beer with most Brazilians. Maybe not Argentinians. I always remember this debate on George W. vs Kerry. Who would you rather have a beer with? Of course W. is not having any beer but you get the point. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And Argentina has just wonderful wine, but isn't so hot on marketing it. I volunteer to single-handedly market the cute Saurus wine that was named for the Argentinasaurus they found while digging out the winery foundation. They can pay me in pinot noir.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now I know that Brazil is special on treatment of kids. Brazilians love kids. Kids can do no wrong. There is a good side to this and a bad side (the part where my kids think that they really do no wrong). I'm sticking to good. In Argentina, they got frowned at as they walked from side to side on sidewalks, got shushed in the glacier museum, and got no special treatment or smiles. One twin hit a shop window lightly with a glove and a woman came running out of the shop and yelled at him "NO! No puedes something-or-other." And I stared at her shocked and responded "no." And she looked at me as if I had another head and went back in. My kid was stunned into silence for a short while. Oh, okay, 30 seconds. I bought him an Argentina hat at the next shop. He loves Messi and that is why he will always love Argentina.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So here is my advice to Argentina: be more playful. Things are going to hell but you might as well "enjoy" it. We had one very positive interaction in Buenos Aires at a wonderful little restaurant near our hotel. I'll tripadvisor it and then post the link here. Il Fratello. The waiter was fun and asked us where we were visiting, and interacted with the kids and it was all lovely.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnZB4uF9Tsn4Qqm_PhRCyF51pORm-ZDs4rComt4Rq_cniYiuJvizJVq2Z3SSOstzogxm9zm5mvmGO00e8fhj02jOtS5gz7x6gigdPciqK9xvIUnOpbNmRbo5NqUEXPf5Stw5orHsVtaCq/s1600/IMG_5653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnZB4uF9Tsn4Qqm_PhRCyF51pORm-ZDs4rComt4Rq_cniYiuJvizJVq2Z3SSOstzogxm9zm5mvmGO00e8fhj02jOtS5gz7x6gigdPciqK9xvIUnOpbNmRbo5NqUEXPf5Stw5orHsVtaCq/s1600/IMG_5653.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Il Fratello. Decorated like a 50s joint, but great food and nice people.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The other really fun interaction was with Felipe. Felipe was a beautiful black and gold German Shepherd that I could just kick myself for not photographing. He hung out at the sushi place where we stopped at in Ushuaia. He let my kids hug the stuffing out of him. He had a lot of stuffing--it's cold there. Actually the friendliest Argentinians are the dogs--El Calafate has a serious stray dog issue as in there are tons of them. And all came up and greeted us and walked with us for a few blocks before giving up and trying another person. One twin of course wanted to adopt one. Or two. Or ten. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Some of my best friends are Argentinian. So I do like them. Maybe I like the ex-pat ones best. I don't know. I don't feel Argentina in my soul. They do have one hell of a beautiful Patagonia region though. More on that tomorrow.</span></span><br />
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<br />Kris Brazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536404250677125262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8434768368145739040.post-69226438232910371962014-05-06T07:27:00.000-03:002014-05-07T11:59:45.563-03:00Flying the Argentinian skies - Argentina<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmMhz9SVeMGm2m-kTLP0L8La23NrOkvxJrNJU5CmrASIONKwEIGRowlUF6LmFAdX1WJD0GP6SyH2HlcsXVYVOWYCVRAPe1pk04Lr6GXhLx1F_OU44TIlxlPpv7RngvWPNJsbl_0RlyV3rz/s1600/IMG_5676.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmMhz9SVeMGm2m-kTLP0L8La23NrOkvxJrNJU5CmrASIONKwEIGRowlUF6LmFAdX1WJD0GP6SyH2HlcsXVYVOWYCVRAPe1pk04Lr6GXhLx1F_OU44TIlxlPpv7RngvWPNJsbl_0RlyV3rz/s1600/IMG_5676.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for my plane in El Calafate</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So you might have noticed that I've been gone the last week. I admit to succumbing to a last hurrah around South America. Specifically the part frequently called "El Fin del Mundo" or end of the world. As a few t-shirts said, I prefer to think of it as the Beginning of the World--the wildly beautiful Patagonia including Ushuaia and El Calafate. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I will try to contain myself about the place as after all, this is a blog about Brazil. And I am in the last week (!!) of my year-long challenge of daily posts. Can hardly write it all about the land of Messi and Cristina, right? But of course, I will have to indulge in just a little bit of comparison with my adopted country of Brazil.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">First of all, Aerolineas Argentinas, their now nationalized airline is muuuuuch better than it used to be. I used to be afraid of getting on those old planes. Now, they have nicer planes than many US airlines (hello US ScAirways!). They don't have movies on the backs of seats (a huge disappointment to the 7 year olds) except on the Embraer 190s, one of which we took from São Paulo to Buenos Aires. That is a nice plane. I would like to congratulate all ITA graduates for being anyhow associated with that plane. BH will like that. He is an ITA graduate. He might have associated with someone who built that plane.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Second of all, still on the Aerolineas subject, there are two other quirks that made me laugh. One, if you are on a national flight, you had better get there two hours in advance, because if they have everyone there early, they simply take off early. Yes, true story. On Wednesday, we had a 5:25 am flight from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia and we were at the airport at 3:30 am. They loaded us on at 4:30 am and we were in the air by 4:45. Now that was an efficient boarding process--literally loaded on, sat down, and the plane pushed back. Love. Happened in Ushuaia and El Calafate too. So word to the wise: your actual flight time means nothing. Be early.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The other part of the Aerolineas subject is the clapping. When the plane landed in all national airports, the entire plane broke into loud and steady applause. My kids were craning their heads to see what had happened that everyone was so enthusiastic. Were people so surprised that they had landed another flight or is it like the good old days of flying when people were genuinely impressed and appreciative of the fact that a couple of regular guys had once again brought 240 people from 0 to 35,000 feet and then back again? I stopped to think about this one a bit. It is a truly amazing thing, this flying. I say "Yay Argentinians" for reminding me of this.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ushuaia-Argentine Malvinas airport. Yes, we get your point, Argentina</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">My final thoughts on the flying portion of my trip is that Wow! Does Argentina know how to build an airport! (also they need to get over the "loss" of the Malvinas, but that's a subject for another day). In Ushuaia, the gorgeous terminal was built (another one had existed on site) in 1995, and kicks the butt of any small airport (Ushuaia population: 70,000) anywhere. Seriously. And free wi-fi. And that's without throwing in the views from the airplane window (see below).</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">El Calafate International (I kid you not) Airport</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In El Calafate, things are even nicer: that airport was built only in year 2000 and designed by an Uruguayan. Is that relevant? Why not? El Calafate is a town of 6,000 residents, maybe 8,000 counting all the stray dogs now that the tourism there is taking off. Their airport was used by 400,000 people during 2007 (source: Wikipedia). Wow! Dear Argentina, please send your airport terminal engineers to Fortaleza where our World Cup visitors will experience a canvas terminal.Oh, all right, that is totally unfair: Fortaleza has about double the passengers and has a pretty nice main terminal. And a canvas one. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One more view of Ushuaia's airport - WOW!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Okay, so I've rambled on about the airline and airports long enough. If you all will give me license, I'm gonna yap more about Argentina tomorrow and maybe Thursday. Then I'm going to sum up my year of living daily posts. And then I'm taking Mother's Day off. And then I'll be back, but probably not daily. I've got a household to move and not enough time.</span></span><br />
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<br />Kris Brazilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536404250677125262noreply@blogger.com1