June 18, 2004

Curioso, Jorge. I'll be heading down to the Universidade de Campinas, in Campinas, Brazil (close to São Paulo) in about two weeks, for five weeks of mathematics research; after that, I'll be staying for three days on my own in São Paulo. I come to o filtro dos macacos for suggestions.

I have a limited command of Portuguese (the program will be conducted in English); I know enough to have general conversation with others, but not enough to hold my own in an argument. What I'd like to know is the following: - What should I know about living in Brazil, with respect to differences with living in the USA? Are the toilets weird? Are there any customs or protocol that I should be aware of so I don't accidentally offend anyone? How cheaply can one live? Should I worry too much about my own safety? - Is there any place around São Paulo that I should see as a tourist? Any local delicacies that I need to try? I've already heard high words spoken of the caipirinha. - Finally, I usually rummage around the local record store wherever I go. Are there any Brazilian artists in particular that I should keep an eye out for? Thanks in advance for your help, and if any monkey wants a post card, I'll be happy to send one.

posted by pmdboi 20 years ago
  • Bring me back a chupacubra.
  • Don't hitchhike there (dangerous!). And do let us know how it goes!
  • Way cool! No advice, but please, hoist a few pl
  • Oh wait! Portuguese, not Spanish? I'm confused. Ok then, my google-fu says you can have some of these--bananas: Portuguese names in Brazil are: banana maca, banana de Sao Tome', banana da Prata
  • I'm jealous!!! It's been (gasp!) 14 years since I lived there, so my information is kind of dated. I attended the Universidade de São Paulo for a year and had a great time. Brace yourself for the chill. It's the middle of winter, and yes, it is a tropical country, but it gets chilly in SP. Universties are much more politicized than they are in the US (at least when I was in school.) I don't know what your politics are, but be prepared to discuss them. Be prepared for a not entirely positive view of the US (duh.) btw, found a very interesting article on the Unicamp website you linked to- about how Brazil is portrayed in the New York Times. It might give your Portuguese a bit of a workout but I found it to be worth reading. The food is great. Brazilians bend over backwards to avoid giving offense, which is why they are so nice to be around. I can't think of any obvious cultural no-no's, but they probably won't show it if you have done something wrong, and they'll give you a lot of slack for being a foreigner, *especially* if you are making an effort to learn the right stuff. Cafezinho! It's the morning-after antidote to the caipirinha. If there is *any* possibility of staying longer and seeing more of the country, I urge you to consider it. Really. Feel free to email me if you want to follow up with more questions.
  • These might be of interest re SaoPao.
  • Fire on that. Try this one in place of the second link.
  • If you're not vegetarian, you have to try rodizio, tender cuts of every meat you can think of, straight from the sword they were roasted in. Waiter takes it to your seat for you to pick and choose to your liking. Heck, even if you're vegan, try it. I've heard the crime situation in Rio, like in most megalopolises, is quite scary, so remember to exercise double common sense. Ah, and don't try to be funny at customs.
  • You all rock. Thanks so much!
  • um... well, the guy i sit next to married a woman from venezuela... *got nothin'* we'll miss you! unless of course you have MoFi access, in that case we'll demand updates of your brazilian adventures. oh! here's something: i've heard it's the plastic surgery capital of the world. come back with a new... something! nice souvenir.
  • This site has good info on the various movements and styles in Brazilian music, past and present. No advice except have a safe and splendid trip!
  • Both as a way of meeting new people, and of getting out of the classroom I highly recommend taking some capoeira classes - a Brazilian martial art that is both very beautiful and very challenging. You should have no trouble finding local capoeristas to work with -- people are generally very friendly and love to share the form. Yes, there are schools all over the world, but how exciting to study it in Brazil! [see it in action! with flash and music]
  • [oops -- meant to say: that's actually a game, a la Street Fighter, except, Beach Fighter I guess. With possibly less clothing. But SFW]