SP Night Market - Second Edition

The last SP Night Market was a success so we've decided to organise more! The next one is this Sunday 28th from 5-10pm, hosted by Plug N Work again (Av Nova Independencia 1061, Brooklin, just around the corner from Fogo de Chao

http://www.spnightmarket.com

entry fee is R20 per person

I'm really excited as we have confirmed Chez Pierre, the french pate / foie gras man and Deepali, the indian chef who is bringing her famous samosas and also testing out her new chicken biryani dish! Of course there will be cupcakes, sausages and beer as well as a group of new vendors who we have been sourcing over the past couple of weeks. Check out our website for more information.

Hope to see you all there!

In my head

Some stuff I've been thinking about this week:

Taxis
I was talking to my taxi driver who is from my local "ponto" and he lives all the way over in Sao Bernando do Campo. I guess as the crow flies, it's not really that far but the traffic! I asked him why he would choose to work so far away but he told me it's the Prefeitura (of the city) that allocates pontos to drivers so no one gets a choice. I guess the pro of this is that it is all fair and equal,  irregardless of where you live. But on the other hand, would the traffic-monitor-people not take into consideration 45,000 taxis driving back and forth to their pontos as unnecessary for an already very busy city? On second thought, maybe these traffic-monitor-people don't actually exist...

Empregada + Feiras
I took my empregada to the local feira for some fruit and vegetables. She was horrified by the prices compared to her local feira. We don't even live in a "bairro nobre" so god forbid if I take her to one in Jardins or Moema...  but I like to buy and eat good quality fruit and vegetables. If I want to pay R10 for a punnet of imported japanese strawberries, I don't want to feel guilty about it. Advice to self: don't take her shopping.


Garotas da Programa
Don't people here care that there are "girls" working right outside the school that their kids go to? I'm trying to imagine that outside my old primary school in Wellington.


Plastic Bags
Some of you may have noticed after all the hoopla of banning plastic bags from supermarkets earlier this year, they have quietly changed their minds and the plastic bags are back in. This wasn't because of some en-masse complaint from the public. I'm being sceptical here... but someone has made a LOT of money selling re-usable bags!

Number 9
As per the plastic bags... someone is making lots of money from apps that insert a "9" infront of all your 011 phone numbers. There is an uneasy history of easy money making -  I say uneasy because it's so obvious but easy because no one seems to care. I've heard of new (now old) laws where every car had to have a first aid kit and luckily there were a few companies that had already prepared the millions of first aid boxes needed, or how about the law that that require employees to sign in and out each day of the office? Again luckily, there were companies already producing fancy new fingerprint machines for people to clock in and out of. I need to figure out a way to pass a law that makes it illegal not to eat 1 cupcake a day.

My new salted caramel cupcake
I've had it for breakfast, lunch and dinner..
www.saopaulocupcakes.com

Chocolate Cupcake Tasting - Friday 1 June, 11am

Real Cupcakes in Sao Paulo

My new little baby is Sophie & Theo's Cupcakes. After months of R&E we have managed to replicate a real american cupcake here in Sao Paulo - either importing essential ingredients or finding the perfect substitute. If you're looking for cupcakes for children's parties, weddings or just to treat yourself drop us a line at contato@saopaulocupcakes.com.

Time flies when you're having fun

I don't know where time has gone these past few months. Here's a little of what we have been up to:

• Travelled to the UK for 2 weeks and my belief that Brazilians are the friendliest people in the world was reinforced...
• We launched our JAM Brazilian Portuguese flashcards: 99 verbs on Kindle.
• Set up a small home business with Nicole & Theo selling real american cupcakes - Sophie & Theo's Cupcakes. We have baked for St Paul's International Day, the INC vendor's fair and have 200 easter cupcakes to bake tomorrow for Tots & Teens! Become a facebook fan here!
• Discovered my new favourite restaurant Oba which has authentic Mexican dishes (and a few Thai ones too!)
• Attend INC playgroups every Thursday morning with a fab group of mummies and kids
• Went to our first Kindermusik demo session with Camille Miller who also put on a great gig a few weeks ago for us adults! Her sessions are hopefully going to be on a regular basis on Saturday nights in Jardins at Buchanan's Lounge.
• Saw this band Ailaika and their glo-in-the-dark hula hoop dancer at Quinta dos Infernos, a private house that opens it's bar downstairs on Thursdays, but not every Thursday.  One of the coolest bars I've found in SP so far.
• At the last CIS Board meeting we planned the rest of the years events. If you are Canadian, or not Canadian (like me), please feel free to come and join us. Any funds raised go directly to a variety of charities we support.
• Checked out Arte da Vila in Vila Madalena this weekend just gone and ended the day with our adopted Brazilian family at Boteca de Cesinah (Rua Delfina). It was our one year anniversary to the day of 'meeting' Vila Madalena. We visited it for the first time last year during the same art festival and we miss living there so much!
• Sat in traffic on the way back from 25 de Marco (stocking up for cupcake stuff) and watched 2 ladies washing their clothes on the street and some guys working out in an outdoor gym caged with chicken wire, and under a highway. It really made me thankful for everything I have.
• One of my best mates is heading out here for 2 weeks from Hong Kong and I can't wait to show her around!