Graffiti and Skyscrapers - WORK IN PROGRESS

 

When you enter the street of Sao Paulo for the first time, one of the very first things that you are likely to notice is the insane amounts of graffiti plastered everywhere. Every building, store front, wall, bridge, fence, and light post is filled with it. Personally, I think it's one of the greatest, most beautiful things about this city. Graffiti here is not just considered work of gangs of punk kids crying for attention. It's art. Sao Paulo is basically a giant public art gallery. Businesses and even the government will sometimes hire street artists to "graffiti" their walls.

Culture Lesson 1: Flaky, Flaky Brazilians

I would like to start out by saying that Brazilians are some of the nicest, most open, and welcoming people on this Earth...or at least compared to the people on this Earth that I've met. There are a billion things about their culture that I love. Adore even. One thing that I can't stand, however, is the flaky Brazilian.

What happens with Brazilians is this: you meet at a bar, at a party, at school, wherever and for that night/day you are best friends. You talk about your life, you exchange phone numbers, you talk about the things you will do in the future. And then, like any normal person, you call the next day to follow through on the plans that you previously made. Or possibly just try to set some plans with your new found friend. They answer, they sound excited, and they say yes. Good to go, right? No.

Besides the Brazilian's seemingly innate tendency to be late (a fairly contagious habit, by the way), the one thing you must realize about them is that until the Brazilian is actually sitting in front of you for said meeting, do not expect them to show. Brazilians are damn flaky.

It's not the fact that they don't like you or don't want to meet you. It's just...who they are. It's ingrained in them to be nice and accept an invitation even if they know that they won't or even can't make it.

Tonight, for example, I had plans to go to a bar to watch the USA-Brasil jogo de futebol with a friend that I met a few weeks ago. We have been talking online for the past few weeks, and a soccer game seemed like a nice neutral time to hang out. So we made plans. Set a time. Set a place to meet. The whole nine yards. And an hour and a half before, he called and said that he had to cancel. Something about work...não sei mas não importa.

The important thing here is not the fact that I got blown-off, but rather that it didn't bother me...mostly because after 7 months of living here you truly don't expect people to follow through with things. And you know that it's not personal.

It's just culture.

Gringa's Greetings.

I've now spent 7 months here in São Paulo, Brazil. I came here with every intention of setting up a blog to tell family and friends back home about my life here in Sampa (fun fact 1 - Sampa:São Paulo::Big Apple:New York). Unfortunately, life is life, and I have yet to really tell anyone about the what's been going on these past seven months.

That is what I hope this blog will be for.

I want not only my family and friends, but every person who randomly stumbles upon this (note the unrealistic hopes I have for readership) to be able to share what I see, what I experience, and how I feel about this place...the good and the just plain obnoxious Brazilian. I don't want to just chat about my life here, my gossip, my day to day news. I want those who read this to be able to get a feel for São Paulo--about the culture, the food, the overall vibe--and, really, about what it means to be a gringo in this concrete jungle of América do Sul.

NOTE: To the left over here, I've added a handy translation gadget preset to Portuguese and English so that when and if I use some gnarly Portuguese expression, you can easily figure out what I'm talking about. Please enjoy that. Let's practice. Beijos!!