I am totally in love with Sao Paulo (and with Brazil in general). I regret the
fact that not too many people in India know much about this beautiful country.
What I regret EVEN MORE is that they actually have several misconceptions about
it.
Based on conversations with some of my friends/acquaintances and based on the
questions that they ask me, I have felt that there are a few general
misconceptions that people have about this country (or maybe the people who
asked me these questions had exceptionally low general knowledge). Whatever it
was, based on their queries, these are the clarifications I want to make in the
beginning itself.
1) Dudes….you are all my adored amigos but puh-lease…….Brazil is NOT located in
Africa or Europe.
2) It is NOT an underdeveloped country. If you see the cities here, you will find
that they are really quite well organized, have good infrastructure, are VERY
clean, people are more sensitive and don’t particularly enjoy breaking the
law…..they respect the law and they respect general discipline which is why
cities automatically remain beautiful and very pleasant for your eyes.
3)General decency is prevalent here in almost all things – dressing, etiquette,
etc.
4) People here are very jolly and very friendly.
5) There is more to Brazil than just football and Samba.
If any of my dear friends is reading this, and you happen to make out that YOU
were one of the wise guys who asked me one of the questions, the answers to
which I have given above, please don’t bother justifying anything to me. I
don’t blame you.
Now coming back to Sao Paulo……(btw, you will also get reviews on a few other
cities of Brazil in the near future).
*Intro:
- *
Sao
Paulo is the largest city in Brazil. It is a really cool metropolitan city. It
is well known for its multitude of skyscrapers, its super helicopter fleet and
its traffic (man….its dense….but I love it). The people of Sao Paulo are known
as ‘paulista’ (awww….the cuties). The city has an area of 1523 square kms.
(approx) and a population of around 11 million making it the most populous city
in the Southern Hemisphere (and yet, you won’t feel that typical congestion in
this city). It is a VERY important financial center in Latin America. And the
city’s motto is, ”Non ducor, duco” which means, ”I am not led, I lead”.
Sao
Paulo is an amazing city. Soon as you hear the word ‘metro’, a typical picture
flashes through your mind - of a city with uncontrolled traffic, where nobody
has time for anybody else, where everybody is always in a rush…..you know that
metro-*ish* feel is what you get. Sao Paulo, however, is a little
different.
Though
people here are quite serious about their work, they aren’t the typical metro
people, as you would imagine. They work while they work, but then, they also
know how to relax and enjoy. In Brazil, in general, people are very jolly. Not
the ‘always in tension’ kinds. If you walk on the streets of Sao Paulo (SP, for
short), don’t be surprised if you find complete strangers greeting you with a
very jovial and smiley “Bom Dia” (Good Day) or an energetic “Oi” (Hi). Unlike
what you’d expect in a metro, they’ll talk to you as if you’re a friend and not
a stranger. They seem to be almost perpetually in a good mood. There is this
general feel of happiness all around. They wont hesitate to help a stranger or
someone in trouble. They’re very sensitive towards life.
The
discipline here is solid - in all respects. Traffic, for example. Though the city
has more than 1 crore cars, traffic is more organized. Yes, traffic jams DO
occur which is natural with such a high number of cars, but it’s never in a
situation of chaos. People themselves follow the basic road discipline. There
are no cops at every intersection and yet, people obey the signals dutifully.
There are cameras on main streets which can capture your vehicle’s number plate
when you exceed the speed limit or break any rules….and then, you are fined. At
many places in Brazil, you might find electronic sensors on roads which will
register your car’s speed….to make sure you aren’t exceeding the speed limits.
So, breaking rules is not particularly thrilling here. 99.99% of car drivers
here are very courteous and will patiently stop their car too allow pedestrians
to pass…..and they’ll be happy to do that……unlike in many other metros. Friday
nights are fun-nights for people. They go out with friends, have drinks, party
and have a general good time. So, if you are driving thru the streets of SP on
a Friday night, you’ll be able to make out the Friday atmosphere. It can be
felt all over the streets – like a festival. Sat-Sun are off here. They work
for 5 days a week.
Sao
Paulo has lots of skyscrapers…and lots of helipads. I once read somewhere that
the number of helipads in this city exceeds the number of helipads in New York
by many times. I don’t remember the exact figure, but I believe Sao Paulo
should easily have more than 170 helipads. There are lots of helicopters
buzzing around at any time of the day. At any point of time, if you stare out
into the sky, you will never have to wait for long to catch sight of a
helicopter or an aeroplane. It is also pretty usual to see 3 or 4
planes/helicopters at different ends of the sky at the same point of time.
Incredibly cute. Paradise for someone like me, who loves flying objects.
Almost
all buildings in this city have tight security. A security-man known as
‘portaria’ in Portuguese (yup, that’s the language they speak in Brazil) sits
in a cabin at the bottom of the building. There are metal gates outside all
buildings – which are locked. They are opened by the *portaria* only when
someone wants to enter. Rules for entry are also pretty strict. For residents
of the building, he will open the gate immediately. Others first have to
identify themselves at the gate via an intercom system (which is installed
outside the gate). The *portaria* doesn’t come outside his cabin. The gate
opening ceremony is all done from within his cabin (via button-o-logy ….pardon
me for inventing words). If he is satisfied with the visitors’ explanation, he
lets them in…otherwise, he calls you up via an intercom system and asks if he
should let the person at the gate enter into the building. Only when you
approve of the visitor, he lets him in. Also, all apartments have one TV
channel that transmits pictures from the *portaria*’s security system so
that you can see anytime who has entered your building, who is in the lift etc.
The
police here is fit and efficient. They are fast and alert….. and smart.
Systems and procedures are relatively smooth and designed to cause the minimum
level of inconvenience, be it any field. (contd. in comments section)