Monday, June 22
I am having a hard time remembering exactly what I did on Monday, even thought it was just a few days ago. I must have stayed home with Luciene and the kids in order to rest. In the last month, I have only spent three days at home in Nashville. We spent nearly three weeks in Utah with friends and family, before my trip to São Paulo. Whatever I ended up doing, it must have been restful, because I was ready to attack the city again the next day.
Tuesday, June 23
After breakfast and a leisurely morning, I headed out to see more sites downtown. I visited the Museu Pinacoteca do Estado, which is São Paulo’s museum of contemporary art. It is also right across the street from the Museu da Língua Portuguesa. Although the museum contains mainly the works of Brazilian artists, they had a cool Rodin exhibit going on. On the main level, they had a life-sized sculpture of a blue whale. It felt like it was made out of stiff foam and covered in a denim material. I ate lunch at the museum café, which consisted of a delicious sandwich and a guaraná. After my relaxing visit to the museum I strolled through the Parque da Luz and took a few pictures. I made my way over to the cathedral at Praça da Sé. Now, I have seen some pretty amazing cathedrals in Spain and Portugal, but I can say without reservation that Catedral Sé is just as beautiful and spectacular in its awe-inspiring grandeur. Sitting in a pew, I took it the cavernous space and followed the arches and lines that pulled my vision upward to a stunning cupola. On one hand, the religious nature of the building stirred within me a sense of awe and reverence for God. On the other hand, the architectural and aesthetic beauty of the cathedral gave me cause to reflect upon the creativity and resourcefulness of human beings. Regardless of any belief in God, this magnificent structure stands as a testament of humankind’s achievements in art and architecture.
Upon exiting the cathedral, I noticed that many Brazilians were taking pictures of the structure and the plaza. I decided it was safe enough to do the same. The plaza also serves as the Marco Zero of the city, the point from which all coordinates are drawn. I then made my way to the UNESP bookstore and perused the national literature and literary criticism sections. I even found an article in a book that will help me with my dissertation. I thought I would make my way back over to the Teatro Muncipal, and although I thought I had studied my map sufficiently to arrive directly, I found myself at the Largo de São Bento. I guess I mixed up my directions and headed north instead of west. My error proved serendipitous in its result. As I entered the chapel of the São Bento monastery, I realized the monks were getting ready to sing the “vésperas,” or evening prayers. Again, I was deeply impressed with man’s ability to create beauty, especially in the act of adoration. The twenty or thirty minutes that I spent in that chapel are one of the highlights of my trip. The style was similar to Gregorian chant, which the monks also sing on Sunday, in the fact that they sang in unison. The piercing voices floated through the immense cathedral, filling the space with solemn veneration. I wish I could have stayed the whole night, but alas, I had other errands to run.
I made my way back to Shopping Light, which is where Ana Paula and I had lunch the other day. There, I bought a white shirt and a few CDs and DVDs at Lojas Americanas. By the time I made my way to the metro, it was rush hour at the Sé interchange. Other than maybe a U2 concert, I have never seen so many people crowded together. The movement was at once exhilarating and unnerving. Bodies flowed into one another; great currents rushed into stairwells and escalators, spilling people onto the platform. As the subway doors opened, people crammed into the torpedo-shaped train cars, giving a vivid image of sardines packed in a tin can. Although I am glad I experienced the mad rush, I am not sure I could live it every day.
Wednesday, June 24
Today, I ended up taking care of some real-life responsibilities: paying bills, checking email, and even updating my blog. I watched a few episodes of Arrested Development, which I brought with me from home. I have found that I need brief periods of respite when traveling; otherwise, I get worn out and cranky. Now that I know I will be returning to São Paulo often, I do not feel I need to see everything in this trip. This past week has been exhilarating, exciting, relaxing, and eye-opening. Seven years ago, Aimee and I hardly saw any of the amazing cultural sites in this amazing city.
We went to a mall nearby because the kids needed new shoes. I spent most of my time ogling books at Saraiva. I also picked up a few CDs at Lojas Americanas. On our way back, we got some corn from a street vendor. For an American, it is a bit different that one can buy corn on the cob, as well as hot dogs, popcorn, churros, and other things you would expect to be able to buy out on the street.
Thursday, June 25
I am having a hard time remembering exactly what I did today. I think I stayed home all day since it was raining pretty hard. I did some reading and figured out how to get to USP.
Friday, June 26
Shortly after lunch, Ivan dropped me off at the metro. I took the Linha Verde all the way to the end of the line, Vila Madalena, where I caught a passenger van that took me the rest of the way to the Rio Pinheiros. There, I crossed over the river and entered USP campus. I have to take a moment and talk about the horrendous smell of the river. Imagine a mixture of diarrhea, vomit, and a really strong smell of chemicals that you sometimes smell in a salon. Oh, and add to that a tinge of wet dog. Disgusting.
After a few minutes of walking along the main road on the north side of campus, I found the Instituto de Estudos Brasileiros. I entered, approached the information desk, and introduced myself. Antônio, an elderly gentleman, explained to me that USP “estava em greve” [on strike]. Apparently, the students and then the professors went on strike at the beginning of May. I had no idea, and it would not have made much of a difference even if I had found out because I arranged my flight at the end of April. Antônio recommended I contact the director of the archives and he gave me her telephone number. When I returned home, I found her email and sent a note seeing if there was anything that could be done. She replied Saturday afternoon saying there was nothing she could do. In the end, I came all this way to read the correspondence between João Guimarães Rosa and Harriet de Onís only to find out it would not happen. In spite of disappointment, I feel my visit here has been a success. I have reconnected with old friends and have come to appreciate the great things São Paulo has to offer.
That night, we visited with Luciene’s parents who live in the northwestern part of the city. At least I got to experience the crazy rush-hour traffic. Ivan thought that if we left early, we would miss the worst part of the traffic. Unfortunately, we left late and got stuck smack dab in the middle of it… literally, at one point. Because of the inconsiderate nature of a few drivers, we actually got stuck in the middle of an intersection with cars all around us. It was fun. Just to give you an idea of the stop-and-go traffic of São Paulo, it took us over an hour and a half to get their house, but it only took twenty-five minutes to get home at 10:00 p.m.
I am having a hard time remembering exactly what I did on Monday, even thought it was just a few days ago. I must have stayed home with Luciene and the kids in order to rest. In the last month, I have only spent three days at home in Nashville. We spent nearly three weeks in Utah with friends and family, before my trip to São Paulo. Whatever I ended up doing, it must have been restful, because I was ready to attack the city again the next day.
Tuesday, June 23
After breakfast and a leisurely morning, I headed out to see more sites downtown. I visited the Museu Pinacoteca do Estado, which is São Paulo’s museum of contemporary art. It is also right across the street from the Museu da Língua Portuguesa. Although the museum contains mainly the works of Brazilian artists, they had a cool Rodin exhibit going on. On the main level, they had a life-sized sculpture of a blue whale. It felt like it was made out of stiff foam and covered in a denim material. I ate lunch at the museum café, which consisted of a delicious sandwich and a guaraná. After my relaxing visit to the museum I strolled through the Parque da Luz and took a few pictures. I made my way over to the cathedral at Praça da Sé. Now, I have seen some pretty amazing cathedrals in Spain and Portugal, but I can say without reservation that Catedral Sé is just as beautiful and spectacular in its awe-inspiring grandeur. Sitting in a pew, I took it the cavernous space and followed the arches and lines that pulled my vision upward to a stunning cupola. On one hand, the religious nature of the building stirred within me a sense of awe and reverence for God. On the other hand, the architectural and aesthetic beauty of the cathedral gave me cause to reflect upon the creativity and resourcefulness of human beings. Regardless of any belief in God, this magnificent structure stands as a testament of humankind’s achievements in art and architecture.
Upon exiting the cathedral, I noticed that many Brazilians were taking pictures of the structure and the plaza. I decided it was safe enough to do the same. The plaza also serves as the Marco Zero of the city, the point from which all coordinates are drawn. I then made my way to the UNESP bookstore and perused the national literature and literary criticism sections. I even found an article in a book that will help me with my dissertation. I thought I would make my way back over to the Teatro Muncipal, and although I thought I had studied my map sufficiently to arrive directly, I found myself at the Largo de São Bento. I guess I mixed up my directions and headed north instead of west. My error proved serendipitous in its result. As I entered the chapel of the São Bento monastery, I realized the monks were getting ready to sing the “vésperas,” or evening prayers. Again, I was deeply impressed with man’s ability to create beauty, especially in the act of adoration. The twenty or thirty minutes that I spent in that chapel are one of the highlights of my trip. The style was similar to Gregorian chant, which the monks also sing on Sunday, in the fact that they sang in unison. The piercing voices floated through the immense cathedral, filling the space with solemn veneration. I wish I could have stayed the whole night, but alas, I had other errands to run.
I made my way back to Shopping Light, which is where Ana Paula and I had lunch the other day. There, I bought a white shirt and a few CDs and DVDs at Lojas Americanas. By the time I made my way to the metro, it was rush hour at the Sé interchange. Other than maybe a U2 concert, I have never seen so many people crowded together. The movement was at once exhilarating and unnerving. Bodies flowed into one another; great currents rushed into stairwells and escalators, spilling people onto the platform. As the subway doors opened, people crammed into the torpedo-shaped train cars, giving a vivid image of sardines packed in a tin can. Although I am glad I experienced the mad rush, I am not sure I could live it every day.
Wednesday, June 24
Today, I ended up taking care of some real-life responsibilities: paying bills, checking email, and even updating my blog. I watched a few episodes of Arrested Development, which I brought with me from home. I have found that I need brief periods of respite when traveling; otherwise, I get worn out and cranky. Now that I know I will be returning to São Paulo often, I do not feel I need to see everything in this trip. This past week has been exhilarating, exciting, relaxing, and eye-opening. Seven years ago, Aimee and I hardly saw any of the amazing cultural sites in this amazing city.
We went to a mall nearby because the kids needed new shoes. I spent most of my time ogling books at Saraiva. I also picked up a few CDs at Lojas Americanas. On our way back, we got some corn from a street vendor. For an American, it is a bit different that one can buy corn on the cob, as well as hot dogs, popcorn, churros, and other things you would expect to be able to buy out on the street.
Thursday, June 25
I am having a hard time remembering exactly what I did today. I think I stayed home all day since it was raining pretty hard. I did some reading and figured out how to get to USP.
Friday, June 26
Shortly after lunch, Ivan dropped me off at the metro. I took the Linha Verde all the way to the end of the line, Vila Madalena, where I caught a passenger van that took me the rest of the way to the Rio Pinheiros. There, I crossed over the river and entered USP campus. I have to take a moment and talk about the horrendous smell of the river. Imagine a mixture of diarrhea, vomit, and a really strong smell of chemicals that you sometimes smell in a salon. Oh, and add to that a tinge of wet dog. Disgusting.
After a few minutes of walking along the main road on the north side of campus, I found the Instituto de Estudos Brasileiros. I entered, approached the information desk, and introduced myself. Antônio, an elderly gentleman, explained to me that USP “estava em greve” [on strike]. Apparently, the students and then the professors went on strike at the beginning of May. I had no idea, and it would not have made much of a difference even if I had found out because I arranged my flight at the end of April. Antônio recommended I contact the director of the archives and he gave me her telephone number. When I returned home, I found her email and sent a note seeing if there was anything that could be done. She replied Saturday afternoon saying there was nothing she could do. In the end, I came all this way to read the correspondence between João Guimarães Rosa and Harriet de Onís only to find out it would not happen. In spite of disappointment, I feel my visit here has been a success. I have reconnected with old friends and have come to appreciate the great things São Paulo has to offer.
That night, we visited with Luciene’s parents who live in the northwestern part of the city. At least I got to experience the crazy rush-hour traffic. Ivan thought that if we left early, we would miss the worst part of the traffic. Unfortunately, we left late and got stuck smack dab in the middle of it… literally, at one point. Because of the inconsiderate nature of a few drivers, we actually got stuck in the middle of an intersection with cars all around us. It was fun. Just to give you an idea of the stop-and-go traffic of São Paulo, it took us over an hour and a half to get their house, but it only took twenty-five minutes to get home at 10:00 p.m.
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