My marketing and recruitment trip to Brazil and Argentina started well. For an unknown reason, I was upgraded to Economy Plus which meant ample legroom, nobody sitting next to me and quick meal service on my way to Sao Paulo. That made a 9+ hour flight as pleasant as it can be.
I first spent three days in Sao Paulo, visiting Education USA offices (which are U.S. State Department initiatives to promote U.S. education abroad) and a private high school. Most students had never heard of the concept of liberal arts and the ones who had, didn’t really know what was meant by it. So I spent time breaking down the concept.
Besides work, I had a little time to walk the streets of Sao Paulo and observe the people of this diverse nation. One day, I was walking back from a meeting and was standing alone, waiting to cross the street at a busy intersection. I was wearing high heels and a skirt and kept attracting attention from the cars driving by, honks, whistles, smiles. Hmm, I thought to myself, it must be a good hair day and the dress is sharp. That is, until I happened to glance down to my feet. It was a windy day and not one but two very noticeable, featherlight, colorful plastic bags had tangled up in my ankles as I was standing there. I must have been quite the sight!
Buenos Aires was next and it is here where I am writing this post. I was fortunate to have a weekend here prior to the workweek. It is Sunday afternoon and I feel like singing the Johnny Cash song I’ve been Everywhere. This is my first time in Buenos Aires but the moment I saw the city from the airport shuttle’s window, I know this was a city for me. A city built on a grid system with wide avenues and smaller side streets, grand old buildings and architectural gems, sidewalk cafes, parks, people selling flowers on street corners, what more could I want. The best I can describe this city is that it is a mixture of New York and Paris but with its own beat. So I tried to see everything in two days.
The 12 blisters that I had acquired walking the streets of Sao Paulo in heels did not get much better over the last two days but I’ve been everywhere, man. One of my favorite spots was the grand and spooky Recoleta cemetery where Eva ‘Evita’ Perone is buried in a relatively modest mausoleum. This is a cemetery unlike any that I have ever seen. It is rows upon rows of tall mausoleums that form a sort of a maze. Everybody buried there is somebody. Some mausoleums are so grand that they look like small churches. And curiously, there are a lot of cats there, lots. I overheard a guide say people sometimes abandon cats there. Someone clearly takes care of them though, as they are friendly and tranquil, basking in the sun, not feral. As I get back home, I will upload some pictures.
The next week will include our partner university visit, more Education USA visits and my trip will conclude with a busy a student fair back in Sao Paulo.
I first spent three days in Sao Paulo, visiting Education USA offices (which are U.S. State Department initiatives to promote U.S. education abroad) and a private high school. Most students had never heard of the concept of liberal arts and the ones who had, didn’t really know what was meant by it. So I spent time breaking down the concept.
Besides work, I had a little time to walk the streets of Sao Paulo and observe the people of this diverse nation. One day, I was walking back from a meeting and was standing alone, waiting to cross the street at a busy intersection. I was wearing high heels and a skirt and kept attracting attention from the cars driving by, honks, whistles, smiles. Hmm, I thought to myself, it must be a good hair day and the dress is sharp. That is, until I happened to glance down to my feet. It was a windy day and not one but two very noticeable, featherlight, colorful plastic bags had tangled up in my ankles as I was standing there. I must have been quite the sight!
Buenos Aires was next and it is here where I am writing this post. I was fortunate to have a weekend here prior to the workweek. It is Sunday afternoon and I feel like singing the Johnny Cash song I’ve been Everywhere. This is my first time in Buenos Aires but the moment I saw the city from the airport shuttle’s window, I know this was a city for me. A city built on a grid system with wide avenues and smaller side streets, grand old buildings and architectural gems, sidewalk cafes, parks, people selling flowers on street corners, what more could I want. The best I can describe this city is that it is a mixture of New York and Paris but with its own beat. So I tried to see everything in two days.
The 12 blisters that I had acquired walking the streets of Sao Paulo in heels did not get much better over the last two days but I’ve been everywhere, man. One of my favorite spots was the grand and spooky Recoleta cemetery where Eva ‘Evita’ Perone is buried in a relatively modest mausoleum. This is a cemetery unlike any that I have ever seen. It is rows upon rows of tall mausoleums that form a sort of a maze. Everybody buried there is somebody. Some mausoleums are so grand that they look like small churches. And curiously, there are a lot of cats there, lots. I overheard a guide say people sometimes abandon cats there. Someone clearly takes care of them though, as they are friendly and tranquil, basking in the sun, not feral. As I get back home, I will upload some pictures.
The next week will include our partner university visit, more Education USA visits and my trip will conclude with a busy a student fair back in Sao Paulo.