Keep the sun off my son

How much ??!!

About £8.50

Death-wish pizza at San Remo, Bom Retiro

Mind the (bl##dy massive) gap at Lapa station !

Uptown girl

Went to Faria Lima this afternoon to babysit our son while P went for another job interview, with a well-known investment bank. The new metro line, the yellow one, took us some of the way. It reminds me a bit of the Jubilee Line extension in London but the stations, for all their modernity, are once again far too noisy. Why doesn't anyone pay attention to acoustics in this country of engineers ? I have been on some tube trains here which make it impossible to talk while moving, such is the raucous background din.

Savour the spice of life

Went today to Shopping Patio Higienopolis. US influence gave Brazil the ubiquitous term "shopping center", even though there are no such words "shopping" or "center" in native Portuguese. It was nice once again to use the free, deluxe baby changing facilities, sponsored I think by Johnson & Johnson.

We ate at McDonald's on the top floor. Since it is Mothers Day in Brazil I gave in to P's unhealthy craving. The fries were not just regular McD salty but Brazilian McD salty, or as a documentary maker might put it, Super-Salt Me ! It made me think again about how in English we talk of "savoury and sweet" but in other languages it is simply divided into "salty and sweet." Sadly, Brazil is this latter par excellence. I have eaten some wonderful food here, no question, but the general, default diet is depressingly, dangerously over-salted and over-sweetened.

Posh booze & street party

A cupcake, Jim, but not as we know it

Yesterday (Sunday) went with Luiz and his brother to a French-owned wine shop offering a few free sips of it's extremely expensive (ie probably extremely overpriced like other things here) French wines. Pleasant woman owner, clearly living a comfortable life here. Despite the problems she loves Sao Paulo and misses it when back in France. Then on to an annual street party in Jardin Europa. Well, not really a street party, more of a commercial event to promote the mainly interior design and furnishings shops there. Free Chandon (a local version of Moet Chandon) Champagne, cupcakes (pretty but tasted more like muffins), macaroons, nuts etc. Music, nice atmosphere. Reminded me of the endless functions I used to go to years ago as a journalist and how quickly you take for granted all the freebies Also made me realise again how the wealthy in Sao Paulo live in a different world. Price tags for tables, chairs and rugs were eye-popping, thousands of pounds. Still, it was fun to enjoy some crumbs from the feast.