Sunday 3 November 2013

Saturdays in São Paulo

My lovely friend Ana has wanted to take me to a cool shopping street for a lil while. Post pay day is always a good time!

We headed quite centrally to an area only open to the public on Saturday mornings. It is a crazy maze of streets and shops that were a cross of market stalls and Primark. They usually sell in bulk to stores here, but on a Saturday you can buy individual pieces....but trying on, if allowed, is generally on top of your clothes. It is hilarious and gets so busy as is so reasonable compared to the generally inflated shopping prices here. We snapped up a few bargains and then both some saw some pretty work dresses......but I can't buy before trying on...so, standing in front of a do not try on clothes sign (in Portuguese!) we very quickly unzipped, pulled down, made split second decisions and continued until we were of course told off, whilst in fits of giggles, and also exhausted from the drama of it all! It was a lush though exhausting morning!

Ana is doing an amazing job of showing me a very different side of São Paulo, one that is more local but also me, and one that I feel more comfortable in.

I miss Kenya terribly, but already I am starting to identify things here that I will miss when I go. Although the language is a huge barrier, a lot is fine, and São Paulo is very built up and developed so it is easy to get things.

Ana and I had a big talk about Brazil re the World Cup and Rio hosting the Olympics. There have been a lot of riots lately (none that I would know about however, if I didn't read the news, so do not worry, I'm in a very safe, and quiet neighbourhood) about corruption and the government, so it was interesting to get a Brazilian's point of view. Ana, like so many Brazilians I know will leave Brazil for the World Cup. The local inflation will really make it tough for normal Brazilians, and the volume of people expected on an already crowded public transport system, that is still not finished, and probably will not be, unless there is some serious money being put down is going to be a real issue. Although I am excited abut the atmosphere, I think I've made the right decision by vacating when it starts too!  As Ana put it, the rich will get richer, the poor poorer, and until the government changes that is how it will continue. It will be interesting to see how Brazil changes over the next 7 months....the opening game is not far off!

No comments:

Post a Comment