Good Friday

Adriel and I with our hosts

Sexta-feira Santa

               One of the benefits of doing the interviews of the different businesses was the amount of people we were able to meet. On one such occasion Adriel and I left an interview with an invite to eat lunch with a family on the Friday before Easter, which is called Good Friday. The family was the Aunt and Uncle of Stêffani, who is a friend of ours from the ERS.

                We left early in the morning knowing that there was quite a bit of travel ahead of us. We hopped on the subway and headed to our destination. It took about an hour and a half of straight travel, but as soon as we entered the house, I knew it had all been worth it. We were greeted at the door with chocolates and told that the food was almost ready. This was accompanied by a divine smell coming from the kitchen. When the table was prepared and the food ready, I surveyed the feast that lay in front of me. The main dish, and part of the Good Friday tradition, was baked Cod. Potatoes and onions adorned the tray with the fish. For side dishes: a heart of palm pie, rice, peppers, mashed potatoes, lentils, and salmon. The fish was great and the pie was made from the most amazing crust. After eating to the brim, the table was cleared and ice cream was served. With family and friends around the table, the atmosphere and conversation was pleasant, yet soon, one by one, people made their way to couches and beds as sleep set in. A few of us remained telling jokes and sharing experiences before it was time to go.

                I also was able to learn the importance of Good Friday and why it is a custom to eat fish. I learned that the Catholic Church started this tradition as a way to purify the body and respect flesh on the day that Christ died on the cross. Today, many people who do not follow the Catholic religion still are accustomed to eat fish on this day from the cultural custom.

Stêffani, Me, Adriel

Architecture on Paulista Avenue

ERS Office Building

Avenida Paulista

                The architecture on Avenida Paulista always impressed me as every time we traveled to the ERS office. With four lanes each way and towering skyscrapers on every side, it gave me the feeling that I was in New York City. The feeling was appropriate considering the financial importance that the avenue holds in São Paulo. Avenida Paulista was the commercial center for São Paulo and is the site for many headquarters for many of the largest banks in South America. The architecture on the avenue reflects the different eras of Brazil from old to modern. 

FIESP Headquarters

                The FIESP Headquarters is one building of particular interest. It displays a huge television on the outside. One night, as Adriel and I were heading home from teaching the career workshop, the whole building was turned into a massive video game. Tetris and Space Invaders were being played. I don’t think you can get a screen bigger than that. Some buildings seemed to have greek influence while others leaned to more futuristic style. Anywhere you looked, Avenida Paulista was never boring to look at.

Ipiranga Museum

Ipiranga Museum

                Another place on the list of places to visit for our class was Ipiranga Museum. The museum is entrance is called Independence Park. The place is beautiful. Directly in front there is a monument built in honor of the Brazilian’s independence. After passing the statues and bowl of fire, we walked up the huge sidewalk to see many people long boarding down the hill. I could tell they were serious just by looking at all the protective gear they were wearing. Continuing up the hill, the museum is in plain sight. It reminds me of a renaissance house with lush green gardens and reflection pools to greet you as you walk up to the front door. I would not mind having a house like that and I don’t think anyone would unless you had to clean it all alone. Behind the museum is a park for people to run under the shade of trees, along with small playgrounds for the children. Adriel and I walked up to the museum to enter when we received the information that it closed a little while before we arrived. I still consider the trip a success through the cool pictures we were able to take and the beauty we were able to see.

Our Last Career Workshop

O Último CASP

                Alas, we have taught our last Career Workshop this week. It was a night class held at the Employment Resource Center. Already with few people signed up, we knew that it would be a small turnout. Even with the rain that decided to show up the first night of class, four people held strong and came. This put an interesting twist on our game plan because Adriel and I usually use group activities needing about 7 to 9 people. With a few alterations, we were able to teach a good class. In fact, the students were so cooperative that we were able to finish a day early. 

Interview with the CEO of Baby.com.br

Meeting Davis Smith

                Adriel and I have continued doing some interviews with entrepreneurs over the past few weeks. Today we were able to meet a small celebrity to us who study at BYU; his name is Davis Smith. Davis studied at BYU for his undergrad and went abroad for various internships (including the ERS internship). He then started a business for selling custom-made pool tables online. The business grew to be the number one pool table seller in the country before he and his cousin sold it. He later went back to school and completed a MBA at Wharton University. In 2011, he once again stepped up to the plate to start baby.com.br which has become the most popular ecommerce company of baby products in all of Brazil. He has since moved to São Paulo with his family and occasionally visits the USA. Adriel was able to get in contact with Davis and set up an interview at a local bakery. I learned a ton about risk taking, idea generating and obstacle overcoming during that interview. I would say it was the most interesting interview we’ve done so far.

Missionary Activity

Once Again Working the White Field

                This last Sunday our Elder’s Quorum put together a missionary activity. Everyone was divided up into companionships and given materials in order to make street contacts. It brought me straight back to the two years I spent as a missionary. My group was a trio, and we walked quite a ways to get to a park within our designated area. We talked to a family cleaning their sidewalk, a few couples in the park, and some single moms with their kids. It was awesome to be able to feel that spirit again as I talked to people and bore testimony. The experience was even complete with a rain storm pelting us on the way home. The activity was a great reminder of the importance of missionary work.

Last Dance in Brazil

Institute and Dance

                Our first visit to institute was so great that we were determined to be repeat offenders. We arrived and had our choosing of joining the English or the Portuguese class. I was tempted at first to go English but realizing that this was close to our last week here in São Paulo, I had to take advantage of the language while I had it. Plus, the Portuguese class had a lot more girls, and they bring such a sweet spirit to any class.

                After institute, a dance was being held at the same building. Right from the start, I was excited for the dance. I kept seeing friends that I had made from my time here and was able to try out all those new dance moves that I have been learning from the classes. It ended up being a fun night and by the end of it all I was wiped out. One thing did puzzle me, the food served at the dance was hot dogs . . . yep, the bad-breath-generator to the max. I could just imagine hot dog breathe suffocating your dance partner and restrained myself from eating any.