Business in Rio 1

The market here is fascinating, so I plan on updating this information as I learn more. Rio is notorious for having one of the largest wealth gaps in the world. Experiencing that first-hand is both interesting and depressing. Walking out of the chic mall in Leblon and looking at the favela on the hillside fills me with a strange mix of guilt and thankfulness.

The complete nonexistence of a middle class creates a market that is not yet saturated with a wide variety of products (not to mention the infamous Brazilian Bureaucracy that makes entering the market nearly impossible). However, many of the products that are in the market are priced as though they are being sold in Paris. The simplest way to think of the culture and market in Rio is that it is a mix of Portugal and Africa (and literally, those are the people that make up the population). Favelas actually have their own commercial system that is much cheaper, allowing the squatters to survive. Residents from outside the favelas wouldn't dare consume their products, because it is A) somewhat dangerous, but B) Brazilians have an obsession with wealth and beauty that does not allow them to subjugate themselves to inferior lifestyles.

Still, many normal products are cheaper here than in the U.S. I have not quite figured out the pattern. I am in a whole new world of supply and demand that takes time to analyze.

Brazilian food is perhaps the industry I have had the most contact with, since, obviously, I eat everyday. The cuisine here makes very little sense to me. In spite of the coastal climate, Cariocas eat less fish than people from St. Louis, Missouri.

More to come on this topic, but I need to go to a Carnaval party. Até logo.

Pre-Carnaval

The funny thing about blogging from another country is that each day I feel my English get worse and worse. I am always thinking in Portuguese (or French), so I am throwing eloquent English out the window. By the end of my journey this blog will be merely baby-talk.

Anyway

Everyone knows about Carnaval in Rio: the biggest party in the world! This party lasts even longer than the week designated for it. In fact, it began over a week ago even though it is not supposed to start until this Friday.

During the weeks leading up to Carnaval, parties can be found everywhere in Rio. They are called Blocos, and they are a blast! Some people dress up, but many just wear standard street clothes. Everyone dances and sings in the streets and drinks plenty of cervejas, caipirinhas and of course, agua.

Sunshine, alcohol, and a dense population full of beautiful people are a recipe for not only fun, but some violence as well. On Sunday, I was taking a bus to watch a samba rehearsal at Sambodromo (that's the big famous strip that people parade through in crazy costumes). A group of young people in the back of the bus seemed to be having a great time. Next thing I know, I hear a girl shriek and a couple of guys yell at each other. A fight started between 4 or 5 guys and quickly made its way to the front of the bus. I few punches were thrown, and fewer were landed. The bus driver pulled over as soon as possible, and the guys got off and chased each other. In the end, it is nothing but a good story for me to tell.

If you are coming to Rio anytime soon, use common sense. Don't speak English really loudly and don't flaunt your iPhone.

Stress

Adapting to a new environment is like temporarily lowering oneself on Maslow´s hierarchy of human needs. I mean that in the best way possible. Let me explain by contrasting what gives me stress at home vs. here:


AT HOME:

How will I make time to write that essay?
Am I ready to facilitate that meeting at work tomorrow?
Can I make it from work to class in exactly 25 minutes and grab lunch in between?
Will I be able to manage 4 classes and 3 meetings in one day?
What do I need to do to make myself a better leader on campus?
Should I pursue X career or Y?
Would my time be better spent chatting with my professor or attending a guest speaker?
If I stay up late to finish my homework, will I be able to give an effective campus tour in the morning?
Where do I stand on current events, social problems, etc?


ABROAD:

What will I eat for dinner?
How can I walk in such a way that will not make me sweat through my clothes?
If I do X, will I offend my host family?
Where can I go to the bathroom?
How can I ask where the bathroom is in the best Portuguese accent?
If I eat that will it make me sick?
Where can I find a cold water fountain?
Am I drinking enough water?
What should I do about my newly acquired sunburn?
Where can I buy dental floss?
What bus do I take to get home?
Should I go take my cold shower or stay dirty?
Which shoes should I wear to protect the blisters on my feet?

The "adaptation" phase I am currently going through is quite interesting. It is as if I have to re-learn how to take care of my basic necessities that have been second-nature for years. This may sound like a negative process, but it is really refreshing. It illuminates the pettiness of my daily U.S. grind. I am always the first to advocate for "getting out of your comfort zone." The more often I do that, the better I will become at adapting. Even if I live nos Estados Unidos for the rest of my life, the ability to evolve, readjust and even camouflage will prove invaluable.

Eu poderia estar em qualquer lugar, mas estou aqui.

Frustrations

By far the most frustrating aspect of getting settled has been my attempt to acquire a phone. Most of the other international students simply bought a local sim card and have a pre-paid phone plan with whatever cell phone they use back home. I have visited probably 12 different stores in an attempt to accomplish the same thing, but I have had a different problem everywhere I go. Since I use an iPhone 5, I need a special kind of sim card that took me a while to acquire. Now that I have it, I cannot seem to "unlock" my phone. Tomorrow I will attempt to buy a very cheap phone and use that instead. Apple products are worth about 3X as much in Brazil as they are in the states, and they say having an iPhone 5 on you is the best way to get jumped. It is probably for the best that I will be leaving my iPhone safely in my room for the duration of my semester. Also, visiting all the stores has been great portuguese practice for me.

In addition to the phone issue, life here is expensive! Transportation and food costs have been tough to swallow at times, not to mention the night life!

Tourist?

Two weeks into my life in Rio, I am struggling with the concept that this is not a vacation. I live here. While the locals may still treat me like a tourist, I must adopt the mentality of a true "Carioca."

Of course, I still have to make time to see all of the tourist sites.


EXCURSION TO ILHA GRANDE

During my first weekend here, I visited Ilha Grande with several other international students. I had the chance to see the famous Lopes Mendes beach. The fascinating thing I have found about beaches here, not just Lopes Mendes, is that they lack anything besides perfectly white sand. No shells, no seaweed, seemingly no living creatures. The only thing we did see on Lopes Mendes were these fairly large crabs with big eyes separate from their bodies that looked like they were from a cartoon. I have a video of me chasing one. They were incredibly fast.


FIRST WEEK OF CLASS

After the excursion, the first week of school began. I attended a ton of classes that I did not sign up for. The University has a fairly relaxed culture about dropping and adding classes. They act like there is plenty of space in any class we could want, so when the "drop/add" day comes in a few weeks I can potentially alter my entire schedule. I think I will ultimately take more hours than I intended, as class is perhaps the best way for me to make friends from all over the world and enhance my Portuguese skills.

I stumbled upon a row of houses on my campus that remind me of a typical collection of Greek houses you might see at an American university. These houses have no affiliation with Greek life, however. Instead, they are small clubs that are organized by major. I went into the "philosophy" house and found students playing Super Smash Bros on Nintendo 64. Alas! My chance to make the Brazilians worship me. I almost never lose in Super Smash Bros in the States. I walked in confidently and asked if I could play. In spite of the 7 controllers laying on the floor, only two functioned properly. When my new amigos found out I was American, they put me up against their stud: Omar.

I'll spare you the dirty details. Let's just say that Omar made me question my entire childhood. For those of you that have never played Super Smash Bros, consider this analogy: our match was like the Super Bowl, and Omar was the Seahawks.


CITY TOUR

Saturday morning I made it to the University by 8 a.m. to travel by bus around the city. I'll make a separate post with a simple list of what we saw combined with some pictures that will have to suffice for a description of the tour. Rio is a collection of every type of natural beauty I can think of. It is a city thrown between mountains, beaches, forests and even waterfalls.

Of course, Futebol is a huge part of Brazilian culture. I saw this Kaka sticker on a car on my street (Kaka is one of the all-time great Brazilian players, in case you didn't know).



 

































The most beautiful sunset in the world from the famous Arpoador at Ipanema. The audience gives a round of applause everyday when the sun finally sets.

Off in the horizon you can catch a glimpse of Christo Redentor

First Impressions

During my first week in Rio, my emotions have ranged from excitement to fear to culture shock to flat-out fatigue. Let me organize some thoughts for you so you can hunt-and-peck and read what you want. Then, I'll hopefully be able to post some eye candy from one of the most naturally beautiful areas in the world.

LANGUAGE:

While I came into the trip thinking I would completely lose my french skills, I have actually used more french than portuguese since arrival. A lot of the international students are french, so I have befriended a few and thus had the opportunity to practice french. For any type of store transaction or question asked on the streets, I do rely on portuguese. People here don't immediately speak english when they hear your accent like they do in some other parts of the world. My top priority for this next week is to make friends with a few brazilians. With classes not starting until today, I have not had the chance to interact with many local students. Hopefully that changes!

TIME:

One of the most obvious differences between Brazil and the U.S. is the perception of time. At orientation, we were told that "official time" and "social time" were two completely different things in Brazil; so far, I'm not sure I agree. It seems as though EVERYTHING, whether a social gathering or an official meeting, starts late. The same sense of urgency and drive for efficiency that we have in the States does not exist here. It is not necessarily a good or a bad thing, just an observation. 

HOMESTAY:

I essentially live on top of a mountain (but not a favela, it is a very safe and beautiful gated neighborhood). I have a host mother who has spent half of her life in Brazil and half in France, so I communicate with her in both portuguese and french. I have three roommates which has given me some immediate friends. They are from Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Germany. Overall my homestay has been a positive experience. The interesting thing I have noticed in many buildings, not just my house, is the lack of space compared to facilities in the United States. Bathroom stalls are tiny, as are desks in classrooms and offices. People are extremely cautious about wasting anything, whether it is space, food or a natural resource.

I'll post some pictures hopefully later today!