Hitting your head against rocks - SP Aquarium - São Paulo

Thunder, prisoner of the SP Aquarium forever.

Beware of rant. I am a little crabbed out this morning because of this article from Folha de São Paulo which just showed up in my email in-box. I missed it on its original publication date of August 4.  I'm so revved up I had to put aside my original post about a story on the military police academies this morning. And you know how much I like to talk about the police.

The title in the English version is: "Pills, Acupuncture, Live Rabbits: When Zoo Animals Need Psychotherapy." As I usually do because the English translations of Folha make me insane, I went over to the Brazilian Portuguese site and found this title: "Conheça as tristes histórias dos animais que moram no Aquário de SP" or "Get to know the sad stories of the animals who live in the SP Aquarium."  I have no idea why they changed the title except that they apparently use an online translation service (at least it's not google translate)--dear Folha, as a "respected" newspaper, do not use online translation services!! Get a professional (this professional would not be me, as how could I then make fun of their stories?).

Let's talk about the SP Aquarium. The SP Aquarium is a privately-held aquarium that charges R$40 for a visit (adult) and R$30 for children. That's around $17USD adult.  This puts it almost USD$10 more than the $8 admission price at the Shedd Aquarium, Chicago's private/public partnership aquarium. Private donations in the US are more common as part of the culture, so I understand the unfairness of comparing the Shedd with the SP Aquarium. I would suggest that a rich Brazilian would rather buy a fourth jet that support cultural institutions. In general, okay? Where are the Brazilian Marshall Fields (Field Museum, Chicago), or John Shedds? But I digress. 

Speaking of digression, anyone get to see the dinosaur exhibit with animatronic dinosaurs at the SP Aquarium? Classic. Very aquarium-oriented. This is sarcasm.

In spite of charging an astronomical price (remember Brazilian minimum wage just went up to R$675 (US$280) per month, which may or may not come out to R$4 (US$2) per hour depending on your math). So we've got ourselves a rich kids aquarium, right so it's pretty nice? Not really. Many of the exhibits are decrepit and explanations are rudimentary. I haven't been there in 5 years or so but I don't recall there being much in lessons learned. If these aquariums and zoos are supposed to provide educational resources for kids, I would like to see more lessons like Nickel in Chicago, a sea turtle ground up by propellers in open waters. She will be captive (since she is physically unable to care for herself) forever at the Shedd and all the exhibit is built to be a lesson in how humans affect the environment. 

Read on, if you can stand it. Thunder, a seal found on the Rio beach, got "saved" by humans and now can't go back to the wild because of "diseases" that it might have gotten from humans. Are you kidding me? I am no biologist, but how is it that dolphins who wash ashore in Florida, get rescued (by humans, not other seals, hello?) and then rehabilitated in Islamorada are then released with no worries of diseases to other dolphins? Is Rio particularly yucky? I don't get it. I am happy to hear from any ocean biologist who wants to tell me I am clueless. It won't be the first time.

But when I read that this "rescued" seal has scars and damage (and hence needs psychotherapy) from banging its head against rocks in its despair in being held captive, I start to get a little upset. As the biologist, Ms. Schwarz, says "Those born free do not get used to living inside walls." Perhaps euthanasia would be kinder, no?

Some of the stories from the Portuguese version don't make it into English. Maybe they exceeded word count on the online translation form. There are approximately 2000 words in the Brazilian one, and 1000 in English. Don't think about the stories you are missing. Except the sharks. Think about them. They have "trainers" who swim with them and teach them to stay, come and who knows what-all. I would like them to bite. Hard.

So what is my point with all of this? The less I know about private zoos and other animal jailhouses, the happier I am. Yes, they exist in the US. They exist everywhere. Some are ethical, some are not. Swim with dolphin programs, Sea World...yes, the US is rife with them. I can only hope the majority of these animals were born captive because the quote about those born free will haunt me for a long time.

Okay, back to happy military police stories tomorrow, okay?

Timber!! A Tree Execution - São Paulo

This was the scene on the roadway on my way to pick up my son from his capoeira lesson today. One lane of a big road was diverted as an old tipuana tree was being slowly cut down, branch by huge branch. It had finally invaded too much of the roadway and the electric wires, and was listing dangerously. There is a man on the middle of the final branches chainsawing the boughs and letting them fall to the roadway. The tree execution involved at least 20 people from the city crew, plus transit cops plus more than a few bystanders gaping open-mouthed.  A sad end to an old giant.

As I think I have mentioned in a previous blogs, roadside trees "belong" to the city. If you want to have them trimmed or cut down, you need to petition the city. You may then have to wait a long time to have the work done. When we had a request in to the city to trim a tree threatening our driveway, it took the city six months to show up, and then the crew waited two whole days, sitting and smoking and joking on the sidewalk curb, for the electric company to come and shut off power (required when near any electric wires--given the rat's nest of wires here, everything is). After all of the wait, the city crew left one decrepit old bough because they had found a bird's nest there--that's nice but of course they didn't come back to cut the rest when the birds had left the nest.  I await that bough's inopportune drop on my car any day.

By the way, the blue sign above the roadway is from the famous drive to report a robbery. It shows the 23rd Battalion of the Policia Militar - Headquarters. Do not attempt to report a crime of any kind there. Headquarters is not for us (which seriously makes me question why there is a sign!)

My 100th post! Patience - São Paulo

Stalking the pool cleaner: British Cultural Center

Here goes: post number 100 of my blog. Not all of them have been good, I admit, but let's go with the majority have been readable. That means 265 posts to go to fulfill my goal of a year of daily posts.

The above photo is from one of my favorite scenes ever witnessed in São Paulo. And it's from just a couple of days ago. The building behind the cat is the Brazilian British Center in Pinheiros--a place for events, exhibitions, an English language library and restaurant (thankfully Brazilian not British food). Also a pub called the Queen's Head. As I was walking past on my way to the kids' school, I caught this scene, or at least part of it.

The reflecting pool - minus the worker.

Off camera, there is a worker in fisherman wading gear with a skimmer and a broom. He is inside the huge front reflecting pool of the building--the water is pretty much up to his waist so it's pretty deep or he's pretty short. One of my failings as a blogger is that I am shy. The worker was looking right at me so I didn't take his photo--I really really wish I had. 

Anyway, this cat had positioned him or herself about 12 feet away and seems to be hopeful that the worker will pop out a fish for breakfast. I was there about five minutes and she made not a single move except a tiny swish-swish of the end of her tail. This is not a street cat--Patience, as I will call her-- was very chubby, very shiny, and wearing a collar. I wonder if she belongs to the BBC (that's not the network). She made my day.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Security in São Paulo - A Partnership with Born Again Brazilian

Starting this week, Born Again Brazilian and Brazil in My Eyes are going to take a closer look at security and how to protect yourself from "unwanted attention." Follow along!

São Paulo is not for the faint of heart in terms of security issues. If visiting a safe big city is on your list, you might want to skip over to some of the European or American metro areas. On a recent visit, Anthony Bourdain, acid-tongued celebrity chef, said “Try to have a friend in Sao Paulo before you come here. I don’t know how you’re going to do that…You want someone looking after you here. If you’re at the mercy of a concierge, you’re in a bad place.”

Since most of us visitors and residents do not have the luxury of a concierge (although we would really seriously like one now), we can provide much advice about protecting yourself, your family and your stuff. This is not tourism advice—please see Insider Guide: Best of São Paulo for some of the best places to see around town.

Over the past year we have attended a number of security presentations, and befriended a military police captain and attended neighborhood security committee meetings. We have had visitors robbed on buses and experienced the frustration of trying to report the crime at the local police. This information is based on these learnings, and is not comprehensive nor is it going to keep you out of all possible criminal situations. The idea is to make you, the visitor or resident of São Paulo or other locations in Brazil, safer and less likely to have a bad experience.

The fact is that there are people for whom robbing and stealing are the only choices they believe they have to survive in Brazil. We don’t have enough time or space to go through the hopelessness and poverty of some of these people’s lives. Lack of access to education and libraries and public health are all factors.

For these criminals, theft is their job. Full-time, every day. As expert as you get in avoiding crime, you have to remember that these folks spend every waking moment figuring out how to get money. They live it. But here’s the good news: the vast majority of the bad guys want your money or your stuff (as a way to get money) for drugs. They do not want YOU as a person. They do not want your kids. They don’t want to hurt you. They want money. Most of the crimes against individuals are crimes of the moment—they haven’t targeted you because you are blonde, or speaking English or carrying Hilfiger, or your husband works for a major European company. They are targeting you because you are distracted looking on your ipad, chatting on your cell phone, driving with your purse on the front seat, or leaving a bank, where there is some kind of probability that you are withdrawing large sums of money.

Starting this week, we are starting a series of posts about personal security and what you can do to be safe here in Brazil. Some of the advice is even pertinent to traveling anywhere outside your home country.

We are going to split up the posts into the following major subject headings:

1. Street smarts
2. Car smarts
3. School smarts
4. Home smarts
5. Security in specific places–foreigners
   1. Soccer games
   2. Shopping centers
   3. Feiras
   4. Rodoviaria/airport
   5. Parking
   6. Restaurants –arrastoes
6. Cool and scary stuff (tattoos, stats)
7. Kid smarts
8. Internet smarts
9. Elsewhere in Brazil, and other information

Ten years ago, São Paulo was the fourth most violent city in Brazil. As of April this year, it was the second LEAST violent city (source: Policia Militar). There are many cities of the northeast and coast that are more dangerous, and the reasons for this will come in our summary.

This is important information. If you are moving to, visiting or have family or friends visiting the country, please pass on these tips. We both are married to Brazilians and we want everyone to have a wonderful and safe sojourn in Brazil. Next post, we’ll take a look at street smarts.

Until then…. stay safe.

The Homicide Resurgence - São Paulo

On Tuesday night this week, an American friend and I went to a seminar titled "The Resurgence of Homicides." If you have followed my blog for any period of time, you know that the whole security theme interests me. Violent death, crime of any kind, and I am there. We were told about the seminar by a friend who mentioned that her friend, a Wall Street Journal reporter, would be on the panel. So it was about violence, involved a friend of a friend AND it was in a neighborhood where we could get a drink afterwards without possibly becoming one of the statistics. Complete win.

I arrived by taxi at the location. In the flyer, it said the seminar would be held in the Instituto Braudel. The address shown on the flyer was on a dark corner of a street with no sign of the Institute. All I could really see was huge heavy steel doors with a sign saying Fundaçao Armando Alvares Penteado*.  Ringing the bell, a little door opened up (picture Monty Python and the Holy Grail) with just the face of the guard showing and he of course says "pois não?" which means yes. No, he did not say "we don't want any" like in the movie. The door unlocks and creaks back. Two other security men in black with bullet-proof vests ask me a few pertinent questions and tell me to follow the person who was already down the drive in front of an old mansion. I am wondering if I should have brought my bullet-proof vest.

Just at that moment, my friend Megan came in and so we had our moments of cheek-kissing and chattering in English to the bafflement of the boys in black (the Black Block? The Blackie Blockie?). Finally we head up the driveway where there is not a single sign to show us where to go next. Well, the door of the mansion is open--let's go in. We stand around the pretty entryway then look up the spiral stairs and decide we'd better ask before parading around. We go back outside to the bemused glance of a fourth security guard who says pretty much "dopies, the event is down there in that over-the-garage kind of place." Okay, he was nicer but I know what he was thinking.

Yep the Institute is over the garage at this old mansion. We squish our way into a small entryway--it is now 5:55 pm with the event starting at 6 pm. We have plenty of time, we think, to grab some water, sign a book with fake names (just kidding!)  and head up the stairs talking loudly in English about our exciting lives.

At the top of the stairs is a single room. White plastic chairs are gathered around a square area with couches. The couches in turn surround on three sides a giant wooden lion in repose and an iffy "oriental" rug. Facing us is a table of 7 older men (okay, our friend's friend is younger than us) and it was complete silence as 30 people look at us. Clearly the meeting had started on time. Ooops. We were asked (in English) by the executive director, Norman Gall, (an American who has been here many years) to take a seat on one of the couches. We were more than a bit embarrassed at our gringo-style entry.

Unfortunately, with our late and loud arrival, I could not sneakily take a photo of the place. My favorite part, besides the giant lion, was the wooden armadillo placed on the head table in front of the master of ceremonies.  Fortunately it seems that the armadillo appears at all events because here is a photo of it at a past event, and the man in the middle is in fact the executive director of the Institute, Norman Gall. I might add that this director took a somewhat long nap during part of the seminar. Or rested his eyes. A lot.

And so it began with some statistics (the event was about São Paulo and the north of Brazil as well).  Some key takeaways were that homicides increase when there is a territorial battle, or as the speaker said, a "disequilibrio territorial." And then they just don't stop as a cycle of  revenge and honor killings is kicked off until finally an equilibrium is achieved again. That equilibrium is usually reached when there is one main player in the territory--that would be the PCC gang in São Paulo. Oh, and this is all because of drugs, right, you got that implicitly? Of course.

Next up was a self-described urbanist-architect named Fausto. He presented us with some facts of the urban "dream" that bring on violence:

1. Cities will always be filled with crime because the places are built for industry, not to respect nature. So the natural places to have recreation and fun are covered with asphalt and with no natural space to be neighborly, everyone retreats behind walls.
2. The rich elites tend to be less neighborly than the poor.
3. São Paulo was built without planning and there is an "inaccessibility of opportunity" now--the rich put the good stuff closer to them (libraries, good hospitals, etc) so that would increase the value of their land. The poor had to make do further afield.
4. Streets with three or four continuous blocks of walls without access to any kind of public space are the mostly likely to have crime take place.

He was a very interesting speaker. The only part I didn't understand was when he kept saying "aquelas coisas Chicago". Or those Chicago things. What was he talking about? Capone? No idea. Maybe I misheard him. 5 times.

The Recife security guy was next up. He said that there is a "mundo de guerra" or war world in the northeast of Brazil, except the city of Recife. The success in Recife has come from developing a list of "crime concentrations"--45% of the homicides were concentrated in 13 neighborhoods. Knowing that, the police could concentrate on those areas.  As they reduced current crime, they also created a new type of neighborhood gathering place. Six "Compaz" ("With Peace") locations were built--each of around 7000 sq meters with access to justice, leisure areas, mediation, and a mixture of other activities.

His final point is that we have to stop building "obra pobre" for "gente pobre".  Poor people need to have as much or better access to community services and recreation in order to stop the cycle. And he ended by saying that it made him sad that in schools there are campaigns to save whales and the environment or whatever, but there is no campaign to save people. And we need campaigns for that.

Then came the numbers guy from Estadão newspaper.  The news is good for all of us living in the southeast of Brazil. In 1996, there were 40 violent deaths per 100,000 people. Now there are 20. The numbers are now almost exactly opposite in the northeast. In fact if you leave São Paulo to live in Porto Seguro, Bahia, your risk of violent death increases 8 times. Guess I'll skip that vacation. He provided a link to a map with the risk of death in various places in Brazil but I didn't get it down. I will: it's on their site.

One of the next speakers talked about the cost of violence. The cost in cutting down young people. There is one area of Alagoas state where there are 1,000 deaths per 100,000 people in the 15-25 year old age range. That's a massacre.

After opening up the floor for questions, there were a couple of interesting moments. One man in the audience (and I will mention that he was black for no particular reason except he was one of only about three) got wound up by comments from a woman in the audience. She commented about the recent protests and violence around the country and how things were getting worse. The man then broke in, introduced himself as a university professor, and proceeded to tell us that the only reason it seems worse is that the violence and crime are now starting to affect the elite. That violence and death was always a part of the poor people's lives--his point was pretty much "welcome to our world" to the elites. He even started pointing a finger (literally) at us all. It was uncomfortable and emotional, and you could have heard a pin drop.

When the attention waned a bit from this, Megan and I decided we needed a drink. Two hours had passed and not a cocktail hour in sight. Clearly academics can chat all evening, and without applauding the flag (see my Conseg posts). We snuck out as best we could and refrained from chatting about our exciting lives until all the way out of the building. Then got out of the Black Block and down the street to a bar. Based on all of this scary stuff, I felt the need  to drink two caipirinhas too quickly and had a hangover for two days. I did, however, take a taxi.


*Note: Fundaçao Armando Alvares Penteado is shortened to FAAP and is a 12,000 student private university.

Flip-floppin' - São Paulo

Not just for the beach anymore...

Here's the scene in the chairs overlooking the pool at my kids' swim academy. Three of four of these women are nannies (the ones wearing white shirts) and the fourth is the helper of another family (she once explained to me the difference but I admit I don't get it). On everyone's feet are the ubiquitous, the marvelous, the iconic Havaianas. While Havaianas is a brand name here (meaning "Hawaiian" in case that is not obvious), most flip-flops are referred to as Havaianas regardless of brand, or "chinelos".

Flip-flops are for everything and just about everywhere (though I can't imagine someone going to meet Dilma in flip-flops unlike the US women's basketball team meeting Obama a couple of years ago). Hanging around the house in bare feet is not allowed here. My husband's grandmother (age 94) will yell at you if you attempt it. She will also tell you all the bugs and glass and whatever she found embedded in her daughters' feet 65 years ago so trust me, it's best to just toe the line. 

Flip-flops are the easiest shoes to put on and of course the easiest to clean up with their all-purpose rubber soles. You see them everywhere out and about on the streets in beach towns, somewhat more rarely in cities, and I've even seen young men wearing them to play soccer. They seem to be second skins to many wearers. While it is illegal to wear flip-flops while driving (there is an article in Brazilian law that says it is illegal to wear any shoes that do not stay "stuck" to the bottom of your feet. If caught you risk 4 points on the license and a $84 reais fine), I've seen motorcyclists on the coast using them. Note that it is not illegal to drive barefoot. Take that, grandma!

While flip-flops are the footwear of "every man", they have gone upscale over the last few years. Even Havaianas is in on it, opening up a flagship store on Oscar Freire, the chic (pronounced "shee-kee" in Portuguese) shopping street. You can get them printed with superheroes, or flowers or teams and have little charms embedded in the toe separator. 

Have a look at the pretty store on Oscar Freire. Those baskets to the left are filled with Havaianas...it's a pretty big space for selling flip-flops, no?

Vice-Flashlights - São Paulo

"São Paulo team loses for a tenth consecutive game and falls to vice-flashlight."

Okay, as I may or may not have mentioned, I am making a concerted effort to understand the teams and the game of football in Brazil. I pretty much have the general rundown of who are the typical fans of each team:

1. São Paulo: rich folks. Almost our entire club is São Paulo fans. And our club is not one of the nicest ones. They may be wealthy but they are not necessary polite. No further comment.
2. Corinthians: poor folks who may or may not like to fight, but all things equal, fighting is good. Tend to tattoo crap like "Fiel até morrer" or Loyal until Death on their arms. It's a game, kids. Lighten up, Francis.
3. Palmeiras: Italian descent people and folks from the interior. And people who like green. Because all the other teams around here are black and white and maybe some red. Of course you can't be a team named for a palm tree and wear blue. What's that you say, Vlad? They were the blue team until 40 years ago? Hunh.
4. Portuguesa: A team financially supported by the Portuguese. These guys are the Cubs of the 4 city teams of São Paulo. They don't win. No one cares. People still go. No one hate Portuguesa. This is a good play if you don't want to fight about the team for which you cheer.  Then you can just watch the Bambis fight with the Gaviões or the Porcos. Trust me; choose Portuguesa.

There is some other team called Santos and their nickname is the Peixe or fish, but they wear white and live on the coast. I haven't figured out their fans yet. Once Neymar moved to Barcelona, who really cares? Note: Pele does.

So now you're up to speed as far as I am. Now try to get the lingo. No, I am not going to have a swear dictionary here. If you want to learn palavrões, come out to a game any given Sunday. Or Saturday. No, I'm talking about things that my husband says the fellow fans on the bleachers: "So-and-so doesn't have a right foot to get on the bus." This means that the player cannot kick with his right foot. Or as us Raiders fans would say "he sucks with the other foot." When is the last time you think these well-paid players even got on a bus? Oh, team bus. Probably that day.

Another favorite is when your team thinks the other team is acting out a foul (oh, my tooooeeeeee, I will need it amputated!! Owwwwww!! Hmmm, what? Yellow card for the other guy? I feel so much better. I think I'll play now).  You yell "Timinho" (pronounced "Chee-mee-nho!") or you are a "tiny team". You are a tiny little man. You do not deserve to play with us big boys. Or something like that.

Then I opened up the newspaper for my studying today and I met the phrase that a team had fallen to "vice-lantern" or possibly "vice-flashlight" in the division. Huh? It means they are second to last. Why is the last one the lantern? Is it like the old trains that had a lantern swinging off the back platform? Or maybe the ones in last place need a flashlight to see the first place? Someone? Anyone?

More research into this soccer, errr futebol, thing to come...less than a year to the world cup!