Sao Paulo!

We have arrived in Brazil! There were a lot of flight delays and headaches, but we are here! We are equally exhausted and excited, and jumped right into our program with Campus b– our partner organization here in Brazil. Everyone with Campus b has been so amazing in supporting us all semester long in our online learning sessions–and João will be our coordinator for the duration of the trip. We are so excited to be working with him this week! 

We will be spending the first four days of our program in São Paulo, the most populous city in Brazil, the 4th largest city in the world, and the largest Portuguese speaking city in the world. 

Our hotel (Matiz Manhattan São Paulo) is just two blocks from Paulista Avenue, a 2.7km stretch that links the southern neighborhoods of Vila Mariana and Paraiso, the city center, and Sao Paulo’s western neighborhoods. Paulista Avenue is much like Chicago’s Michigan Avenue or New York’s Time Square, a bustling area for tourists and locals alike, it is the center of the city and full of life and energy! There are too many museums to count, shopping, restaurants, and spontaneous art, music, and street performance displays. 

We jumped right into our program today with a Capoeira workshop, a Brazilian martial art that combines the elements of dance, acrobatics, and music. It was fascinating to learn about the origins of the art–an Afro-Brazilian tradition practiced by enslaved Africans in Brazil at the beginning of the 16th century. We were treated to a performance and were able to learn a few moves ourselves.

We also took a tour of the Vila Madalena neighborhood, including a delicious traditional lunch and ending in Batman Alley–full of street art and graffiti that were awe inspiring. The alley of graffiti and art began in the 80s when a painting of Batman appeared–soon the area became a draw for art students and graffiti artists alike. The vibrant area was full of artists, musicians, art galleries, and so many amazing murals. 

The rest of our time in Sao Paulo time is busy–visits to Instituto Paulo Freire, The University of São Paulo, and Escola Concept–plus we get to meet the Brazilian college students we have been collaborating with all semester, which will definitely be a highlight of our trip! 

Students will be adding to the blog during the rest of our program–so check back daily to read about our adventures from their perspectives!