My new home and the daily walk to work

Well, I am in Brazil now for 10 days and a lot has happened so far...

I moved my location from the hotel to a "Predio de apartamentos", where I stay with a very nice girl from AIESEC, her mother and sometimes their sympathic maid, who comes 2 times a week for cooking, washing, ironing and doing the necessary shoppings for the family.

The neigborhood is called Moema, which is characterized by fresh air (that's rare in Sao Paulo), rich people, a lot of bars which serve great food but not necessarily the best beer. Last but not least you see there apartment-blocks with big fences, barred windows (even on the 12th floor) and security personal who works 24/7.

However, it is peaceful here. Only the airplanes which seem to start and land approximatley all 30 minutes more or less directly above our apartment disrupt the sound of silence. But that's Sao Paulo... it's loud here and Brazilians like that. The louder the better. Meanwhile I have the most peaceful sleep of all times, because I got used to noise.

Each morning then I get up at around 7 o'clock and after the everyday routine take a walk to the company. It takes me around 40 minutes and is always an adventure. Since I am in Sao Paulo, I know why all major car companies have offices in this area of Brazil. Because there are cars everywhere... in front of you, in the back, beside and even under you, at least when you are on one of these endless bridges. You have to take care in Sao Paulo.. the streets here have special rules and if you want to avoid to get run over by a car, which could happen here everywhere and all the time, you better look twice..

By walking through the city one can observe a lot of things.. Sao Paulo is not one city, it is many cities. The first kilometer from Moema downwards you think you are in a typical neigborhood in middle Europe because it is green, it is safe and there are nearly no cars compared to the rest of the city. Only the always friendly security guys and the big fences all around are blurring this image...

Then you are on the "Avenida Jose Diniz", which is actually full of cars, buses and motorbikes. An endless stream of traffic, which never ends. Maybe on sundays for a few hours, but that's it.
When you are on a bigger freeway bridge, the sun is shining and there is no wind (luckily it's nearly always a little bit windy), you can feel the smog in your nostrils and throat. However a look from the bridge to the horizon, where you can see the impressive skyline of Sao Paulo and the giant flow of traffic beyond you, recover all bad feelings. You think you are in New York or Chicago...

The last part of my walk leads through a poorer neigbourhood of the city. You can see a lot of garbage on the street (not typical for Sao Paulo actually), which is in some way used by these people who partly sleep on the street.

Although you can find poor people like in Sao Paulo in all developing or semi-developed countries, the fascinating and scaring thing is that 40 metres away of this poor neighboorhoud and homeless people, there is a big white house with fence and security personal... It is the office of a lawyer....

I could write 50 more pages about my impressions so far, but I will them concentrate around some topics... Reading becomes easier then.. writing also...

In the next section, I will write something about the nightlife and food of Sao Paulo... :D Stay tuned...