What to do in Sao Paulo

The new food fair, Feirinha Gastronomica has started every Sunday in Vila Madalena, Rua Girassol 309 from 11am - 7pm. They have essentially set up a stands in an empty parking lot. There is a maximum of 230 people at a time and so, even though we arrived at 11:30am there was already a queue. It is the one good reason to take children so you can skip this queue...

I had a tostada from Oba Restaurant for R15, always delicious but trying to eat it one handed, hold my drink and look after a 3 year old was not easy! There was prawn ceviche from the Costa Ricans (R10) and disgusting cupcakes (of course I'm biaised, but even my daughter or dog wouldn't eat them) and our favourite Sabores da mi Tierra from Colombia, who also sold at our last beloved SP Night Market.

Don't expect to hang out and have a lazy lunch there. Today was hot and stifling, with nowhere to sit so I think we were in there for a maximum of 15 minutes.  As today was only their second edition, I would hope that once it becomes more "normal" rather than novelty it will be a much more pleasurable experience.

And for those of you who like a little bit of sunday dancing in the train, you have to go to soul.set festa. Great for people watching - the fabulous, the dancers, the other people-watchers. The venue was a business park near Lapa - a little bit of a pain to get to if you don't have a car. Very well organised event with valet, security, drink bar, temaki bar... and an outdoor DJ set. soul.set founder DJ Leonardo Ruas was fab today. The event runs from 3-10pm on a Sunday, once a month. Highly recommended. Earlier in the session at this venue would be ok for children as there are grassy areas for them to run around in.  Don't go if you don't like dancing!

SP Night Social - Wednesday 27th

Tomorrow night there is the Second Edition of SP Night Social. The first 2 hours are dedicated to women! From 8-10pm, women are invited to come and meet new friends and business acquaintances, Brasilerias and Expats. It's a great chance to meet other women here in Sao Paulo! We also have invited Priscila Gomide to showcase her beautiful new lingerie line, linha intensify.me. There is also an opportunity for us ladies to be styled by Priscila and have a photo taken, by Jana Davis Pearl! Come ready!!

Men are very welcome to come and join us from 10pm! 

rsvp@spnightmarket.com

On list: R20 entrada

At door: R40 entrada

Brazilian passport for you baby: Doing it yourself

I wrote a previous post about getting a brazilian passport for your Brazilian born baby. I cheated and used our fabulous agent Renata; honestly the last thing I wanted to do after just giving birth was going to Policia Federal again!

But now that I've had time to do it myself (the first passport expires after 1 year), the process is pretty simple (compared to other types of paperwork here...).

1. Fill in online form (click on the words: emissão do passaporte)
2. Once filled you will print off the Protocolo and it will also have a payment slip with a barcode
3. Pay for it at any bank R156,07 and make sure you keep the payment receipt
4. You do not need to make an appointment. With your baby you have prioridade so can just turn up and walk to the front of the line. I went to Shopping Ibirapuera, Piso Moema to the PEP (with Starbucks on your right walk ahead and turn right, think it's behind the Oi shop?). There is also a PEP Passport Application center in Shopping El Dorado.
5. They will check all your documents and you submit the application.
6. Passport is ready for you to pick up in 1 week. 

If you need the passport faster then I think there is a way to do it through the Policia Federal in Lapa.... ask Renata! 

Make sure you bring your own passport, RNE (or Protocolo), CPF. 
Make sure you bring babies birth certificate, RG, any previous passports, passport photo (5x7)
Make sure you bring Protocolo (application), payment slip.
If your spouse cannot go with you, you need to bring an authorisation letter which I have attached below. This has to be filled in and the signature must be cartorised. If you havent' done already then it's a good opportunity for you to register your signature with your local Cartorio. 

Delicari icecream and yoghurt

If you've been living in Sao Paulo over the last few years you will have noticed the rise and fall of frozen yoghurt shops. In their place, delicacy icecream shops have taken over!

My new favourite is Delicari, open by a fellow kiwi here (dono of the Leitissimo long-life brand - which you have to buy over any others, firstly because the milk comes from cows that live happily in fields and eat grass (look at the website, you want to take one of these cows home right?), and secondly, the packaging is super cute! I only use this milk for my cupcakes).

Delicari is all-natural (no added crap- sugar, additives, colouring) and everything is made on site. I had already tasted the icecream (polynesian vanilla is a firm favourite already in our household, just waiting for them to bring the NZ classic hokey pokey over) but had to go and try their new greek yoghurt. Greek yoghurt has arrived in the supermarkets here but it tastes awful. I think they add half whatever (they don't use milk apparently, some coconut subsitute) and sugar to get the yoghurt to culture whereas here at Delicari they let the yoghurt culture naturally.

So if you are a greek yoghurt freak then this is the only place to come and get it (aside from making it yourself). 3.75 reais for a pot of natural greek yoghurt.

R. Lourenço de Almeida, 819 - Vila Nova Conceição - Sul. Telefone: 3044-2624.

Our prayers and thoughts are with Santa Maria

My clubbing years are far behind me. Having to wake up with 2 small children every morning put a very abrupt end to that but my inner (younger) self is allowed to come out once a year. Last Friday was one of those occasions and ended up in one of the worst clubs I've been to in a while (the band was playing Elvis ... I'm an Elvis lover, but I was expecting something else at 2am). Anyhow, this blog is not about good or bad clubs in Sao Paulo because, honestly, I have too little experience but I remember thinking, why can't the doors open from the inside?? The bouncer on the inside had to knock on the door to get the bouncer on the other side to open the door... my normal self was taking note of the inefficiency of this system. I grew up in Hong Kong - inefficiency is not in my blood. 

So in light of the horrific tragedy in Santa Maria this weekend, I'm going to be that over-bearing, anally retentive motherly type that is going to be taking photos and mental notes of every unsigned Emergency Exit or Exit when I'm in a club, bar, restaurant, school, whatever in this country. Or maybe the next time I'll just stay at home. 

Carnaval in Sao Paulo!

Who said Sao Paulo is dead in January? Just weeks away to Carnaval means that the blocos and samba school rehearsals are already in full swing and there is a host of networking events already booked in the diary.

Sao Paulo's Birthday tomorrow - check out ways to celebrate on Time Out Sao Paulo, Chefs da Rua is our choice!
Every Tuesday, Thursday and Sundays are Samba School practices leading up to Carnaval. Vai Vai in Bela Vista, Perola Negra in Vila Madalena and the infamous Rosas de Ouro out on the Marginal do Tiête
Wednesday 30th January - Canadian International Society Pre-Carnaval drinks at Menys, Pinheiros (you don't have to be Canadian!), all proceeds go to a great cause
Thursday 31st January - Internations
Wednesday 6th February - SP Night Social, networking event in Vila Madalena

A group of friends are going to desfile at the SamBAdromo (heavy accent on that "BA") next Friday night with Escola Vai Vai and this is the costume, hysterical! We did it two years ago with Escola Tom Maior and it was a great experience but once is enough.... To participate with Vai Vai in this costume costs R550 (it's not much cheaper to just go and watch).

If you are looking for the "blocos"= street parties, check this link here, kindly posted on the INC Facebook page.

Anthony Bourdain - Layover Sao Paulo

We like to meet randoms and we pick them up everywhere. Husband was on his way back from a week work trip to New York last Saturday morning.  Text conversation goes something like this:

Husband: Just at immigration, bringing home a random
Me: A random what? Person?
Husband: yes, person
Me: OK
Husband: His friend didn't pick him up
Me: OK..
Husband: He's a chef from Brooklyn
Me: Awesome, is he cooking me breakfast!!

Of course I'm excited to have another foodie in the house but he hadn't read up on any of the food or restaurants here! He hadn't been planning on spending many days in Sao Paulo but I slowly changed his mind that he would need at least a week to eat his way through this city.

So not everyone is going to have a personal guided tour around the market by Alex Atala of D.O.M, or sit down for lunch with Rodrigo Oliveira from Mocotó or get to stay at Hotel Unique but it's a worthwhile watch by Bourdain, even if you're not a fan and especially if you have friends or family (or yourself even) who have no interest in actually visiting / living in this city. Here are some of my add-on's and there will always be more to add to this list:

- Embu das Artes, a little cobblestoned town about 45 minutes drive from the city with a weekend market and furniture
- Palmito pastels (forget the salted cod!)
- Brunch at the Sao Bento Monastery if you can time it as it's only once a month and you need to book in advance
- Samba club rehearsal weeks leading up to carnaval, most clubs run on a Thursday and Sunday evening
- Agree with lunch or dinner at Mocoto, you're more likely not to die of starvation waiting if you go on a weeknight
- A beer with Cesinha in Vila Madalena of course!

The show gives you a great ticklist of things to do with visitors, though maybe have a quiet night in instead of taking your parents to a Love Motel...

And just for laughs, 'An Idiot's Guide Abroad" Brazil version always gives me the giggles. Here's a short version: