Hipsters, Smog, Friends, and São Paulo

We have been in Brazil eleven days, and already so much has happened that my mind is reeling trying to articulate it.


São Paulo. Largest city in the southern hemisphere, a gargantuan 18-25 million people, depending on whom you ask. A true city of immigrants, with huge communities of Italians, Lebanese, and the largest population of Japanese outside of Japan. Walking the streets of São Paulo, you shatter whatever amazonian-National Geographic-Brazil perceptions you had coming here. A megalopolis with skyscrapers as far as the eye can see, São Paulo is indeed a jungle, but a concrete one at that.  My favorite traveling foodie, Anthony Bourdain has described São Paulo as feeling as though "L.A. threw up on New York." And it could not be more apt. A beautiful city it is not, however São Paulo has charms hidden behind closed doors, in removed oasises with fabulously welcoming people (even if their gated condo-complexes aren't).


Having reunited with the other Fulbright ETA's (English Teaching Assistants), and having met wonderful people from the Fulbright Commission in Brazil, we were ready to go out and experience "Brazil"!  Coming down here, I had fooled myself into believing that because I was coming to Brazil not knowing as much about the culture, that somehow, I was coming down without any preconceived notions.  While partially true (I was open to whatever was to happen, and any experience that should come my way), I was unaware of my perceptions of Brazil, due largely to my 1990's childhood cartoon indoctrination about saving the rainforest and mother earth. Imagine my surprise when we went out to a 'typical Brazilian bar' that was... full of hipsters. 


Let me paint this picture. We walk down the shiny gritty streets of sprawling São Paulo, in to what can only be described as an artsy alternative hipster bar. Piercings, sleeve tattoos, flannel and PBR equivalent beverages abounded in this establishment with indie-rock blaring and paintings of colorful men puking decorating the walls. Ah, it felt like home. Well, that is, if home was a place that looked and felt like the U.S., but spoke Portuguese, a language I am only nominally familiar with. Gotta work on that. 


It was hard to say goodbye to our fellow ETA's, but our journey, into the amazon, was about to begin.

Eating vegetarian food (!!!) at the Mercado Municipal

This is for you, Danny.

*Oh, I should say this - these thoughts and opinions are solely mine, and do not reflect the thoughts and opinions of the Fulbright Commission and it's programs.*