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| Hello Stranger ! |
- Some lovely new friends, including Luiz, Gabriel, Hiroe and Janosch, all exuding a certain warmth and easiness that we might partly credit to the "climate" here.
- The weekend rodizio (fixed-price buffet) at Cachoeira Tropical and Bovinus.
- The new fishpond in my local park, Parque da Luz. Unlike the nearby train station, it wasn't built 100-plus years ago by the British. It's a small sign that this still slightly sleazy area is finally benefiting from some public investment.
- Did I mention my family ties ?
- And on that note, the way that strangers coo and fuss over my little prince in his buggy. The only strangers who did likewise on our recent, admittedly short, visit to Buenos Aires turned out to be Brazilian tourists ! In which other countries would a builder on a tea break alert you to the possible danger of your bebezinho not being properly protected from the sun or rain ? Certainly not in the UK.
- I must also quote my friend Luiz, a Sao Paulo native who returned here after living many years in New York. He says: "I hear your complaints from many people who come from abroad and other parts of Brazil. They hate it in the first year. But as they get to know this Pandora's Box better and to acquire more real friends they end up loving SP."
Hey there ~
ReplyDeleteDid you find a cafe to sit down for a bit in the end? I hope you did considering how frustrated you were. Haha.
Your blog is quite informative. I find your strong dissatisfaction with this city a good thing.. 'cos this city really has too many flaws.. but a lot of people just accept things as they are. And you gotta be angry enough to do something about a situation you dislike.. and of course you would also need an idea to start a change.. which is the hardest part. Hopefully all ur pointing out to the negative things will give us some insights for change?
Anyway, I hope too that you can find more good things about this city with time and eventually "fill" this page 'cos right this list is quite short. :P
Hi Me-a. Glad you remembered the name of my blog ! And thanks for helping a very fed-up stranger. We found a place in the end but then Sam's teething troubles began so it was just one of those days. Yes I would like to provide a longer list of things that impress me in Sao Paulo. Stay tuned or feel free to tell me what impresses you as a native. As I told you I would prefer to hear from Brazilians than from other gringoes like me ! Rob
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