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.

Embu

Art Shows

            Visiting Embu was suggested by our Sunday School teacher and a good suggestion at that. Embu is a neighboring city close to São Paulo that is known for their art fairs on the weekends and their honey. Adriel and I invited our friend Peter to come along and headed down there after our YSA breakfast. The place was really quite cool. There were little street shops set up with all kinds of things to buy. There were dragons made from paper, maps made leather, blankets, rugs, hammocks, little metal and wood figurines, hats, paintings, and honey. It reminded me of the Art shows that my mom would take me to every year on Mercer Island. After some looking around, we had an incredible lunch of seafood at a local restaurant. It was just a nice get-away from the busyness of São Paulo

Adriel and Peter

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YSA Activity

Festa dos Solteiros

                     Our ward planned a get-together for the YSAthis last Friday that was a lot of fun. We started out at the Ribes’ home. Adriel and I got there a little late but early according to Brazilian Standard Time, so hardly anyone else had arrived. The party was in that mood where everyone is a little hesitant to talk to other people and just keep to themselves or their close friends. Looking around the room, I wanted to change that, so Adriel and I got a group together and started playing Ninja Destruction (always a good warm-up game). Some people who knew the game jumped right in, but everyone else came over to watch. Just like that, the ice was broken. The game didn’t last too long but it broke that awkward barrier and other games soon started breaking out over the room. Pizza was later served, and so much of it that there were four entire boxes left over. The bishop then gave a spiritual thought and more games commenced. I have to mention that playing Charades is not easy with a more limited vocabulary. Although, it is pretty awkward when you shout out the right name to an alcoholic beverage before anyone else and get it right. Everyone tends to wonder after that. The next morning everyone met up for a great breakfast and Adriel impressed everyone with his crazy flips on the trampoline. The activity succeeded in its purpose and new friendships were made and old ones were strengthened.

Pátio do Colêgio

Detoxification

                We recently received notice that we had to leave the house in the afternoon. The Bug Control people were going to “toxify” the place. After a full morning of school work it was welcome news, and we decided to take advantage of the opportunity and visit one of the places on our list. The choice was made to check out the Pátio do Colêgio which is the place where São Paulo was founded. The building is a replica of an old church that was established by the Jesuits in 1554. By the time we arrived the museum had closed but we were able to visit the church which held some interesting treasures including: a leg bone of a Jesuit, old Jesuit robe, documents, and old scriptures. We  were able to visit the Cathedral again and walked around the neighborhood.