View of a Local in São Paulo, Brazil

Lexicographer Tony Galvez gives us a very frank insight into his adopted home town São Paulo in this fourth interview of our View of a Local series.

Briefly, please could you tell us a bit about yourself?

I am a Spanish lexicographer who swapped Scotland and Northern Ireland (where I lived for 7 years) for Brazil. The term culture shock comes to mind!

I came to São Paulo to co-ordinate a dictionary project, met on an adventure trip my future wife, and settled in São Paulo.

Workwise, my life hasn’t changed much since I moved to Brazil: I continue working on dictionaries and collaborating with lexicographers spread all over the world – thank the Internet for that!

I’ve taken up blogging recently, De viaje a Brasil, with handy info in Spanish for anyone with their minds set on a holiday in Brazil, an interest I try to make compatible with my other hobby, photography (www.pbase.com/capercaillie/brasil).

How long have you lived in São Paulo?

Since October 2001. My wife is a paulista (person from São Paulo), born and bred.

What do you like most about living in São Paulo?

Above all, I never felt a stranger in São Paulo. São Paulo is such a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic city that a foreign accent never raises an eyebrow.

Being awoken every day by birds singing is a wonderful and totally unexpected experience.

Finally, São Paulo is just a three-hours drive from some of the most beautiful beaches in Brazil (Ubatuba, Paraty).

Is there anything you do not like about living in São Paulo?

How much space do we have? Top of the list would have to come crime and violence. They have a very direct impact on the way you go about your life. Every time I travel to places like Argentina or Spain I realize how important public spaces are to me. In São Paulo there is no social interaction in public spaces. You have to be on guard the entire time. Stay behind fences, security guards.

Traffic and the way Brazilians drive come second on the list.

There’s corruption, at all levels.

Then I would list the utter disrespect for the environment shown both by the authorities and the population. It causes me dispair the way urban planning revolves around the car. A pedestrian in São Paulo is a moving target.

And last, but no least, buildings are not designed to cope with the cold. Of course it doesn’t snow in São Paulo, but when the temperature lowers to 7 degrees, and you have no insolation or heating at home, you do feel the cold.

Why should travellers visit São Paulo?

Often shunned by travellers, to me São Paulo, more than any other place, encapsulates the essence of Brazil: the melting pot, the chaos, the smile, the pain, the social divide.

I know São Paulo is not a welcoming place, in particular for those who have no local contacts to guide them around. The city is gigantic and public transportation is incredibly tourist-unfriendly. But you can still make the most of what is available to you. The limited underground network, for instance, is safe and reliable, and will take you to lots of interest places. Unless you come from a place like New York, the gigantic size of São Paulo and its ubiquitous skyscrapers will probably make a big impression on you.

And if good food is your thing, prepare yourself for a treat, as São Paulo excels when it comes to food and restaurants. At very affordable prices.

We all know Brazilians are a very friendly lot; many paulistas will go an extra mile to prove to you that the bad rap the city usually gets is not wholly deserved.

What do you wish travellers would do when they visit São Paulo?

Don’t be paranoid and expect to be mugged the moment you set foot on the street but don’t play it too casual either. Crime is a real problem in São Paulo. Use your common sense (lots of it!) and you will be fine. Pay particular attention while in the center of town.

São Paulo is a destination where having done your homework beforehand is advisable. Find out in advance what you want to see, which places you want to visit.

What do you wish travellers would stop doing when they visit São Paulo?

Think of a stay (or a stopover) in São Paulo as a necessary evil. They look for a hotel as close as possible to the airport and refuse to venture outside its boundaries. Try an experiment what life in the biggest Brazilian city is like.

If a visitor had time to do or see only one thing in São Paulo, what should it be?

I’d go to the Japanese quarter of Liberdade for a different (and alternative!) take on Brazilian culture. The biggest Japanese colony outside Japan lives in São Paulo.

Or, if you happened to be in town on a Saturday on the run-up to Christmas, a visit to the rua 25 de Março shopping area can also be a fascinating experience.

If a visitor had time for only one meal in São Paulo, which dish would you recommend?

Try a Japanese rodízio, in which you pay a fixed price and eat as much as you want. If sushi is not your thing (be aware that Japanese food is by no means restricted to sushi), then go for a churrascaria (restaurant specializing in grilled meat).

Do you have any other insider tips for visitors to São Paulo?

On a clear day, the Banespa building, a skyscrapper right in the center of town, offers breathtaking views of the metropolis from its top. Entrance is free.

After that, go to the Mercado Municipal nearby and marvel at all those exotic fruits on display. The market was recently restored and a mezzanine with bars built inside. You can eat delicious snacks at the bars: do not miss the celebrated pastel de bacalhao (cod pasty).

Finally, become a paulista and go for a walk at the Ibirapuera Park.

Note

Update - 19 March 2007: Tony has just started blogging about Brazil in English at this address: http://www.braziltravelblog.com/

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Our new View of a Local series consists of interviews with local people in various towns and cities in different countries.

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