AmSoc Forum March 2011 issue

Monthly NewsletterMarch 2011

www.amsoc.com.brForum

The Parenting Issue

Barbies and BrigadeiroPage 4: Been invited to your first Brazilian children’s birthday party and don’t know what to expect? Brace yourself!

Outsource parenting

Page 6: Surprised by seeing kids run around a restaurant at 10pm? Read one parent’s view on adapting her kids schedule.

Page 7: A personal account of growing up in both the US and Brazil. What do you say if people ask you where you are from?

TCK revisited

Volunteer Day April 9th

The American Society of São Paulo promotes friendship by organizing social, cultural and athletic events for its diverse membership; encourages integration with the Brazilian society; and supports the American traditions of education, philanthropy and volunteerism.

Our Mission

The Parenting Issue

How do you create the perfect Saturday in São Paulo? On April 9th, come spend a few hours playing games, swimming, cooking out, and sharing quality time with some of São Paulo’s most underprivileged children at the Second Annual Volunteer Day at the U.S. Consulate.

The Community Action Committee (CAC) of the American Society is looking for volunteers of all ages to make this year’s Volunteer Day a success. You can choose to participate in the activity you like the most: tennis, soccer, swimming, playing games, face painting, crafts, cooking lunch, etc. Families can participate together, and kids are welcome to come and help.

The children who will come to play on Volunteer Day do not have access to safe, green space to run around, or clean swimming pools to cool off on these hot summer days. The joy they receive from getting exercise outdoors in a safe environment with their friends is priceless. They will have a chance to relax and let down their guard for a while,

and you as a volunteer can help give them that important down time that they need.

If you have been thinking about how you can become more involved in your local community here in São Paulo, you are like most of us. We all want to do our part to make a positive impact during our time in Brazil. Finding our niche and reaching a bit beyond our everyday routines can be challenging. During Volunteer Day, we will have information on the ten locations where the American Society is doing non-profit work, and most importantly how you can become involved.

You can sign up for Volunteer Day shifts from 10:30-1:30 and from 1:00-4:00 by contacting the CAC’s new Volunteer Coordinator Guadalupe Alas (phone and email here). We also need donations of snacks, drinks, hamburgers, hotdogs, and baked goods, or you can sponsor lunch for a child for just R$10.

Thank you in advance for your involvement. We are looking forward to fabulous day!

St. Patrick’s Day Happy HourCome join fellow Amsoc

members and friends for an evening of music and fun to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

When: Thursday, March 17thWhere: All Black Irish Pub - Rua Oscar Freire, 163, Jardins

Get there before 8:00 p.m. and enjoy the Amsoc special R$ 25,00 cover charge (regular price that night will be R$ 35,00 for women and R$ 60,00 for men) which includes a welcome drink, the music of 3 Irish bands and plenty of fun!

Save the dateSave the dateUpcoming AmSoc eventsMarch 17th - St. Patricks Happy HourApril 17th - Easter Party for childrenMay 5th - 2011 Annual General MeetingMay 14th - AMSOC Team Tennis TournamentJuly 2nd - 4th of July celebration

See page 9

The President’s CornerA few years

ago, a friend of mine asked me i f I had ever c o n s i d e r e d joining the Board of Governors of The American Society of São P a u l o . S h e encouraged me

to think about it and then to enthusiastically jump in! “It will be fun”, she said. Well, turns out she was right. The past few years as a member of the Board have been fun and beneficial in unexpected ways. From working with Little League, to playing softball, helping with Angel Party, relaxing at a happy hour, to celebrating Fourth of July parties; American Society is an organization that gives a lot to those who join in.

As I write to you now, I’m in the middle of a house scattered with cardboard boxes, wrapping paper, suitcases and people packing up all our life’s possessions into one 40 foot shipping container. In March, we will be moving out of our home in Brazil and back to the USA. Brazil has been our home for the past four and a half years and here we will leave some of our heart and take many beautiful memories. Mostly we will miss the richness and diversity of the community of people in which we lived.

By Tim Scott, AmSoc president

Forum March2

My move has come some months earlier than expected. The normal term as president of The American Society continues until May, when we host our Annual General Meeting. Thus for the remaining two months of my term, the current vice-president, Joe Sherman, will assume the presidency. I welcome Joe and thank him for his willingness to step into the job and for his past two years of support and help as a fellow officer with me. I would also like to thank all the Board Members and Celina Sampio, our office manger, for their work and support. I also like to express thanks from Amsoc to the team at the US Consulate in São Paulo; whose ongoing support has been so important to Amsoc.

As always, if you have questions or comments on American Society, or would like to join us as a Board member, please contact me or any of our officers. We have various social, philanthropic and sports activities that would benefit from your involvement. Plus, while your support as a volunteer makes a difference in the lives of those in our community, your support also makes a difference in your own life.

Abraços, Tim

Lynn Cordeiro, editor and layoutChanntal Fleischfresser,

staff writer

Forum is printed by EGB.(http://www.egb.com.br)

Views expressed in Forum do not necessarily reflect those of the American Society board of governors, members, or staff.

Forum reserves the right to edit content for brevity and/or clarity.

The American Society of São Paulo

Rua da Paz, 1431 04713-001 São Paulo, SPTel: (11) 5182-2074 Fax: (11) 5182-9155

[email protected]

Forum is published monthly, with the exception of January and July, by

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The American Societyof São Paulo

Forum 32011

Welcome to our new membersPlease welcome the following New Members who joined us at the end of 2010 and beginning of 2011. We are very grateful for their support, and that of all our members! WELCOME TO THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF SÃO PAULO!Your Membership Committee

NAME MEMBERSHIP TYPE CITIZENSHIP COMPANY OR PROFESSION

Suzanne & Adriano FERREIRA Family American

Bryan D. & Fabiana GORAK Family American General Motors

L. John & Jean D. GRIFFITH Family Patron American Graham Packaging

Maureen K. & Vinicius J. ALVES Family Patron American

Erik & Vivian JOSPA Family Patron American Sitron

Michelle MARRELLO Junior American Graded School

Devin P. WARD Patron American Aon

Erica & Brian WINTER Family American

The Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) moratorium is finally over! The Department of State has totally revamped the look of the CRBA that we issue to our youngest American citizens. The following long-awaited improvements include advanced security features which will significantly lessen the possibility of fraud and stolen identities.

As of February 09, 2011, ACS São Paulo will continue to authenticate the citizenship of children born overseas to U.S. citizen parents, but the CRBAs will be printed at our passport agencies in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and New Orleans, Louisiana.

CRBA processing will be much like

that of passport processing. CRBAs will arrive at your residence approximately 10- 12 days after your visit to the ACS office. By centralizing production and eliminating the distribution of controlled blank CRBA Certificate stock throughout the world, we expect to ensure uniform quality and lessen the possibility of fraud.

Unfortunately, American Citizen Services in São Paulo will no longer be able to provide same day service, since the CRBA will now be printed in the United States. We believe this will not significantly inconvenience our customers, since the CRBA Certificate is an optional citizenship document, not a travel document, and the benefits

of the new security features outweigh any minor inconvenience caused by the longer processing time. CRBA applicants with urgent travel needs do not need to wait to receive their CRBA to apply for a passport. Applicants with urgent travel needs will be issued emergency passports at our Embassies and Consulates.

We will no longer issue the DS-1350 Certification of Report of Birth Abroad. Instead, the Department will simply provide new FS-240s in response to requests for additional, replacement, or amended CRBAs.In case you have specific inquiries about your case, please email us at [email protected]

Consular Report of Birth Abroad Certificate (CRBA)

2011Forum ForumMarch4 5

Barbies and BrigadeiroBy Megan Farrell

Having children in São Paulo means you will probably be exposed to a social circuit that you may not have expected – the Brazilian children’s birthday party. Even if you do not have children, you will most likely at some point be invited to one of these events. If this invitation does materialize, you should be ready, for it may be much different than what you are accustomed to.

There are three ways a child’s birthday is orchestrated here in São Paulo.

1. A company is hired to put it on at the parents’ choice of location. This can range from a team of five or six to play music, games and pass out hot dogs, cheese balls, cheese bread, cheese puffs, cheese on a stick, etc., to a team of twenty plus with w a l k i e - t a l k i e headsets that will organize the multi-room activities of your mansion and provide valet parking.

2. It is held at one of the hundreds of locations specifically designed for children’s birthday parties, known as “buffet infantils.”

3. You do the whole thing yourself. This was my choice for my 3-year-old daughter’s party. This option is only possible if you have Brazilian relatives and/or friends to help you. And right off the bat, they will tell you that the shady excuses for birthday parties you’ve produced thus far will not fly in their country.

Regardless of how the event is

conducted, there are obligations that MUST be abided by.

In planning my daughter’s party, I attempted to side step a few of these. I received reactions such as “Well, alright, if you don’t want to have a beautiful party for your daughter, that might work,” as well as the straight forward, “That’s not how we do it

here in Brazil.” My responses included various versions of “But why can’t I have an American birthday party?”

Finally, my Brazilian husband put it in terms that I could understand. Expectations. He explained that people expected certain things at a child’s birthday party, and if these things weren’t there, then the guests would be unhappy. They might even stuff their gifts back into their Gucci bags and slip out the back before the cake was cut. Being a firm believer that managing expectations is the key to making practically anything successful, I gave in.

The following outlines what to expect when you attend (or if you are brave enough to conduct) a child’s birthday party in São Paulo.

1. Sweet TableThe design of the Sweet Table is on

the same level of importance for the birthday party as is the set design for a Broadway performance. It consists of hundreds of sweets, strategically placed around the other decorations. But most importantly NO ONE TOUCHES the sweet table until after the birthday candles have been blown out. No one.

That means you. An interesting objective when you have fifty or more little children running around wild and free.

Two critical components of the party exist on the Sweet Table for the extent of the event:

2. BrigadeiroA Brigadeiro is a

condensed milk based, chocolate candy found at each and every birthday party. There are often other sweets on the table as well, like Beijinho de Coco (also condensed milk based) and Flor de

Moça (also condensed milk based) and Copinho de Moça (also condensed milk based). However, apparently, if Brazilian guests walk into your party and see that there are no Brigadeiro on that Sweet Table… well, forget it. They walk right back out without even an “Ola.” (And you as a foreigner should feel obliged to do the same.)

3. DollsDo not be alarmed when you

encounter, standing amongst the sweets, the large collection of Barbie-style dolls staring at you (for boys birthdays it’s foam creatures). I have witnessed first-hand, as well as in pictures, scenes with armies of dolls covering birthday Sweet Tables that would make a child’s head spin. Sometimes it can be overkill.



But alas, it is an important element in completing whatever the birthday party theme is for the child.

Aside from the Sweet Table, there are a few more prerequisites that ensure a birthday party doesn’t disappoint.

4. EquipmentThe Brazilian birthday party

doesn’t rely on the children to be amused by a simple Piñata or by smacking each other in the face with balloons and blowouts. Nope. It involves providing some type of physical-activity equipment. Jumpy castles, ball pits, trampolines… If you have children, this is most excellent because by the time your child has spent an entire evening jumping and eating sugar, he or she will instantly fall into a 10 to 12 hour coma the minute his or her little head hits the pillow. Buffet infantils are even better as it often includes multi-levels of child entertainment. An invitation to one of these parties means your kid will sleep well for nights to come.

5. EntertainersIn a country where couples rarely

entertain their children at home on their own, why would they want to do so at a party? While the nannies are off eating hot dogs and drinking Guarana, the party entertainers guarantee that the kids, the ones not risking their lives on jumping apparatus, remain occupied.

6. Mini Hot DogsIf you haven’t acquired a taste for

mini hot dogs yet, you may want to stop for a bite before you arrive at your party destination. This is such a critical element of the party, I shudder to think what might happen if mini hot dogs are not an option on the menu. The movie Children of the Corn comes to mind.

With all of this activity, you may be wondering, “How on earth do these productions end?” The finale involves the child being paraded around, in a costume, as everyone chants a Brazilian, ritualistic sounding version of Happy Birthday. He or she is then dropped behind the cake, with parents in tow, bearing the wide, terrified eyes of someone about to be sacrificed. He or she is coaxed into blowing out the candles and everyone makes a mad dash to grab… you guessed it… Brigadeiro.

So when the time comes, go out and get yourself an overpriced toy, warm up your appetite for sugar and cheese, and have a great time knowing you are well prepared for what you will find.

Megan Farrell-Fuchsloch relocated to São Paulo in July of 2010 with her husband and daughter Sophia. Most recently, Megan was a Senior Director with the Merrill Lynch Global Research and Economics group in New York City. Currently, Megan keeps busy with her daughter and documenting her Brazilian adventures on her website Born Again Brazilian (www.bornagainbrazilian.com).

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Visit our website at www.amsoc.com.br and fill in our on-line formor call the AmSoc office at 5182-2074

Forum ForumMarch6 7

The Brazilian Outsource Parenting model

There is something about child-rearing in Brazil that intrigues an American expat like myself. Having moved here from L.A., where the only thing organic about raising children is the food, I couldn’t believe the freedom children have here. I had been living in L.A. only a couple of years and had subscribed to the strict regimens and schedules often imposed by schedule wielding moms. A typical day for a school-aged child in L.A. would be:

- Wake up no later than 7 a.m.

- School by 8 a.m., home by 2:30 or 3 p.m.

- Sports activity or gym until 5 p.m.

- Dinner by 5:30 p.m.

- Homework immediately following dinner

- Bath immediately after homework

- Bed

This schedule is rigid, except for scheduled play dates or therapy sessions.

It is exhausting to run on this schedule, but having adopted some form of it as an L.A. mom, I developed the endurance to manage two children with little help. I conformed to it because it’s what the seemingly successful moms did and what society seemed to expect of me. Even if you had help, in the United States, or at least in L.A., you only had it if you worked full-time, or needed the extra help to keep up with your children’s hectic schedules. There was always the implied judgment that if you were a stay-at-home mom, that was your job and having help of any kind meant that you weren’t doing your job properly.

When we moved here about 18 months ago, I was appalled by the lack of discipline and boundaries children

appeared to have. Our baba thought it was strange I put my children to bed by 7 p.m. every night. While some children were having snacks, mine were sitting down to dinner. I refused to let them participate in some activities that might throw off their schedule. My two-year-old daughter would get invited to birthday parties that went from 6 to 10 p.m. I couldn’t comprehend why something as simple as a set bedtime seemed incomprehensible to Brazilian parents.

While I remain a firm believer in being there for your children, now having been in Brazil for a year and a half, having the extra help has made me a much more sane parent. Rather than have to track every waking moment in my children’s lives (and yes, they only get busier as they get older), I can outsource some of the more tedious tasks that were reserved for me in my not-so-distant life in L.A. While I hear the complaints about how some expats feel that this level of outsourced parenting only adds to the untamed behavior of many Brazilian children who do not understand the word “no”, at least my children have never really like the word anyhow. Besides, what I have observed about Brazilian babas is how kindly they speak to treat the children. While “no” may rarely be used, they have other ways of saying it that I find is more compassionate and kind than the harsh “no’s” we are accustomed to in America.

There is also something to be said for how Brazilian society as a whole treats children compared to U.S. society. Whenever we travel to back to the United States, inevitably there is an incident that affirms why I’d rather be in Brazil with my children. It never ceases to disappoint me how poorly children are often treated in the United States. Usually they are completely ignored in restaurants, or literally walked over by people who do not bother to see them. It has been a pleasant change to be in a country where children are seen as real

beings with personalities and opinions. One of my greatest teachers once said that you can determine the state of a country by how it treats its children. I can’t help but agree with her.

What every child wants and needs is unconditional love and acceptance. Parenting styles differ from country to country, person to person. It’s up to us as parents to determine how we can give this to our children and what values we want to share most with them. I’m grateful for my time here in Brazil. While I may still be a bit of a disciplinarian with my children when it comes to sleep schedules, adapting to the Brazilian culture has made me less neurotic about scheduling and sleep than I used to be.

When I look at my friends in L.A., I can see how the deep need to schedule our children is in part a by-product of the fear we experience as parents. We care so much about being able to provide a happy and safe environment for our children in all areas of their lives. But this can be almost self-defeating if we’re imposing rather than listening to our children. Being here in Brazil has taught me to connect better with my children, being attuned to their needs and their rhythms. I feel we have the benefit of taking all the positives of each culture and broadening the perspectives of our children, making them well-rounded and self-governing individuals.

Elizabeth Hayes currently resides in São Paulo with her lawyer husband and two small children. She is a seasoned expat and spiritual adviser practicing Soul Memory Discovery, a spiritual healing modality that uses the power of words to identify and release issues that limit our lives. She has clients all over the world. She has recently launched her blog, “Spiritual Heeling” (www.spiritualheeling.com), where she shares her experiences as a new-age spiritual advisor, seasoned expat and shoe lover.

By Elizabeth Hayes



Growing up as TCK: a personal view

Back in September, Jami Mabile Oakley wrote an article about Third Culture Kids (TCK) and the challenge of living in a culture that is different from where you or your parents grew up. As a Third Culture Kid myself, I thought I’d share some of my experiences – both good and bad – of growing up in a country that was not my own.

I was born in São Paulo to Brazilian parents, and while I grew up speaking both English and Portuguese, I was well on my way to becoming a regular Brazilian like everyone else. When I was seven and a half, my dad’s job transferred him to New York, so my mother, father, grandmother, brother and I moved to Scarsdale, NY, a few miles outside of Manhattan. We were English speakers, but culturally very much Brazilian.

Naturally, we missed many social cues, and some cultural do’s and don’ts had to be learned the hard way. My first summer in Scarsdale, I took a walk with my grandmother. It was hot, so of course, I took my shirt off. Within hours the gossip had spread like wildfire, and we heard that the little foreign girl had been walking around town half-naked. (Years later, my older, culturally-assimilated self would remember the incident with a mortified cringe.)

My brother Chris, a year younger than me, was invited to a birthday party shortly after we arrived in Scarsdale. He showed up in a bowtie and suspenders. My mother thought he looked adorable. Later that night, Chris meekly asked my mother if he could wear something else to his next party.

But we were kids, and we adapted quickly. Within a year I had no accent in English (still a source of confusion for people I meet even today). Soon my brother, who was six when we moved, barely spoke Portuguese – he interacted with my Portuguese-speaking grandmother only in “yesses” and “nos.” From that day on, my parents started speaking Portuguese to us instead of English.

After a few years, when people asked my parents where we were from, the standard answer was not “we are Brazilian,” but the more remote “we are originally from Brazil.” As our two-year stay stretched to three, then five, then eight, the possibility of us ever returning to Brazil was entirely off my radar, and my connection to the country disappeared accordingly.

But then, the summer I turned sixteen, my family moved back to Brazil. (Note: this is an unfortunate age to move.) By then, I was your average American teenager. In more than eight years I had been back to Brazil only twice for short visits. I had adopted American notions of privacy, personal space, and political correctness. Having spoken Portuguese only to my parents for most of my life, my vocabulary was littered with 1980s slang, something my classmates did not let me forget.

Upon ‘re-entry’ I once again missed many social cues. In one of my life’s more embarrassing moments, I showed up to a fifteen-year-old girl’s birthday party in a wetsuit. In my defense, I (clearly) mistook the ‘under-the-sea’ theme for a costume party. So I wore a costume. My mistake became evident when my classmates showed up in floor-length gowns – with seashells embroidered into the lining.

I finished high school here in São Paulo, but at 18 I once again switched continents and went back to the East Coast for college – where I fit in immediately. Even though there were plenty of Brazilians at my school, my closest friends to this day are American and lived on my freshman year hall.

After college, I remained close with my friends but never stayed in the same place for too long. Following an unsuccessful two-month stint in Durango, CO, I lived in Boston for two years and New York for another two and a half. Since none of these places were ‘home,’ I had nothing holding me down in any of them.

I moved back to São Paulo after

nearly 10 years away in December 2009. I’d always felt a desire to come back to Brazil. Although I spent well over half my life in the U.S., my whole family was here, and I had never felt entirely at home in the States. I was tired of feeling uprooted and finally wanted to live somewhere I could really call home.

But even now, having been back for more than a year, often I still feel like an American with a Brazilian passport. Sometimes I wish I had an accent in English, if only to avoid confusion when English speakers refuse to believe that I am actually Brazilian.

Back in the U.S., I was the go-to person for trivia and pop culture references. I was a walking Internet Movie Database. Now I always lose at trivia. I don’t recognize the people staring up at me in Caras magazine. I had an hour-long conversation about journalism with a famous Brazilian news anchor and only later found out who he was. And when I go to karaoke, it’s only fun when they play American songs, because most of the Brazilian ones are lost on me.

My brother and I are very aware to this day that although this is our country, we don’t quite fit in. He came back at 14 and never left, while I spent another 10 years in the U.S. after High School. Yet English still comes easier to him than Portuguese, and his entire lexicon of childhood cultural references comes from American cartoons, songs, and TV shows. We don’t know the old songs that everyone else knows, and when conversations turn to “you remember when we used to…” it usually means that no, we won’t remember.

I can speak for most Third Culture Kids in saying that we will most likely never feel completely at home in any one country. But on the flip side, we have two countries to call our own, and that’s more than most people can say. How can that be a bad thing?

By Channtal Fleischfresser, staff writer


The Community Action Committee needs your help!How can you help?The orphanages, day care centers and educational programs that the American Society sponsors have similar general needs. These are on-going and require a dedicated time every week or every month, but getting to know these kids makes it all worth while. Some of the general things a volunteer could do include:

- Teaching English on a regular basis to children and teenagers.- Giving one-on-one classes to kids struggling in different subjects in school.- Volunteering your skills as a psychologist to help at-risk youth.- Teaching life skills (sewing on buttons, balancing a checkbook, using a computer, cooking) to teenagers.- Offering an internship or entry-

level job to kids graduating from the orphanages and moving out on their own.- Caring for babies and toddlers.- Taking children on outings.

If you’d like more information on volunteering at one of the institutions that the American Society helps support, contact Guadalupe Alas at [email protected]

Specific needs change every month. This month, our institutions urgently need these things:

Associação Maria Helen Drexel Baby clothes, blankets, milk and accessories for six newly arrived babies.

SPACE Donations towards school uniforms for the new school year at

R$120 per child

Mission ABBA Interior paint to cover 70 square meters (or four bedrooms). Masculine colors or white preferred.Vivenda da Criança: Exterior paint for use in the remodeling of the professional center; 15 new computers for the computer center.

Casa Limiar Perishable food: meat, fruit and vegetables on a one-time or regular basis.

Projeto Sol Industrial freezer; industrial dishwasher; tables and benches for children to use at meals; art supplies (paper, colored pencils and such).

If you can help with any of these specific needs, contact Eileen Tasso at [email protected]

The American Society would like to thank everyone who donated milk in December to help the new babies at Casa Limiar, one of the organizations that the Community Action Committee helps support. Our goal was to send Casa Limiar 100 cans of milk, enough to feed the babies for two months. When the campaign ended, we were able to donate 190 cans of milk, diapers, baby clothes and enough cash to buy milk for two more months when the stock ran out. Our community went above and beyond the call of duty, yet again. Thank you!Our current campaign, set to close March 3, will donate “baby stuff” for the six new babies at Associação Maria Helen Drexel. If you have new or used baby clothes, blankets, sheets, strollers and car seats or would like to go shopping for soap, shampoo, NAN baby formula, bottles, pacifiers or other items, please contact Sue Banman Sileci at [email protected] for information on drop off points.

CAC thanks....

Nadia Venezian, Eileen Tasso and one of Casa Limiar’s new babies



May 14th - AMSOC Team Tennis Tournament

The 2011 AmSoc Tennis tournament will be open to any players of all levels. The format of the competition is a team format and we will have a BBQ lunch as well as prizes.

Entry deadline: May 6th. You will need to submit your name, address, telephone, email, estimated tennis level, avg. # of times you play per month, and shirt size. There will be no need to form your own teams. We will do that based on the entries received. Price and location have yet to be determined. Should last most of the day on Saturday.

July 2nd - 4th of July celebration

One of our favorite annual events is the July 4th celebration. If we were in the United States we’d probably have burgers and dogs, with some fun and games maybe a few fireworks at night just to lighten things up a bit. WELL, you’re in luck; AMSOC will host our Independence Day Celebration this year on July 2nd (because the 4th is Monday).

This is a “MEMBERS ONLY” event for all families and singles. YES, we’ll have Burgers and Dogs, Rock N Roll music, jumping games for the kids, live auction for the adults, FREE beer and great Carparinhas provide by our U.S. Marines for sale. So, plan to attend, set the date aside for an afternoon filled with great Friends, Food and Fun. The location will be announced in our May issue of the FORUM, so be on the look out. OH Yes, each families entrance fee is a dish to pass that complements Burgers & Dogs or a dessert to die for… which will you bring?

Save the date!

May 5th - 2011 Annual General Meeting

Save the date to our Annual General Meeting that will happen on May 5th from 8pm to 10pm at the Consuls Residence.

We will have the opportunity to celebrate our achievements, present the plans for the coming year and socialize.

Remember, this is an event catered only for members so if you have a guest you would like to introduce to our community, this would be a wonderful occasion to invite them to join in our club.

In order to better serve and for security reasons we ask you to call the office 5182 2074 by April 5th to reserve your invitation. We apologise in advance that no exceptions to this can be made. If you have not registered previously you will not be allowed to join the event for security reasons.

Trouble with our newsletter?

We have been getting reports that some members are not receiving our email newsletter. If this is happening to you please check your spam box and mark the newsletter as ‘safe’. If you have done this and you are still not receiving the newsletter please contact the AmSoc office for help.

11.30am - 1.30pm at Chapel School. There will be sandwiches, soft drinks & water, and cupcakes and Easter egg hunting in the yard

April 17th - Easter Party for children

INC Gala April 16th

Come and celebrate the International Newcomers Club 50th Anniversary.

To mark this ‘golden chapter’ of INC, and to celebrate all the friendships forged during their first 50 years in São Paulo, INC is hosting a 50th Anniversary Gala Event and would like to invite all Amsoc members and their friends.

“Light up the Golden Night” is the theme for the event which will take place at the beautifully peaceful and leafy Hípico Club in Santo Amaro.

Situated in the bustling zona sul of São Paulo, the Hípico Club’s unique landscape of tranquil gardens and woodland is an unexpected delight. Founded in 1935 as an exclusive equestrian club, the beautifully restored buildings blend in harmoniously with the rainforest landscape which is also home to many birds.

A must-see for any ex-pats living in São Paulo, the peaceful setting of the Hípico Club has earned it a reputation as very ‘chic’ amongst local Paulistas. As a much sought-after and popular venue, it plays host to many weddings and special events. “Light Up the Golden Night” offers the chance to dress up, dine and dance with friends and colleagues in a famous São Paulo location. And a perfect opportunity to make new friends from all over the world too.

Save the date of 16th April 2011 in your calendars now.

Tickets can be purchased individually or in tables of 8. Prices and further details will be released shortly.

INC hopes you and your friends and colleagues can join what will be a very fun and memorable evening at one of São Paulo’s most beautiful locations.

Please contact [email protected] for more information.


The AmSoc Abacaxi Bowl 2011 resultsfrom the desk of John Kennedy, Director of AMSOC Athletics

Fellowship Community ChurchThe Welcome Place since 1921

Phone (11) 3253-7609 www.fellowship.com.br

Sunday’s09:00 am - Walking in Faith Classes (English and Portuguese)

10:30 am – Worship Service (English only)

06:00 pm – Culto em português

Conveniently located on Rua Carlos Sampaio, 107 – Bela VistaJust a block and a half from the Brigadeiro Metro station on the Avenida Paulista

On February 5th at the Graded School in Morumbi, the American Society hosted its 13th annual Abacaxi Bowl. Nine teams participated and approximately 200 players and spectators enjoyed the activities, which started at 10am and ended at 5pm. The Cougars defended their crown and became the third multiple winner along with PACA school’s six championships and Chapel school’s two.

This year our format was different than in the past because we first had 3 groups of 3 teams play each other. Then only the first and second place teams of each group advanced, with the first

two seeds getting byes and the other four teams playing in a Wild Card round.

A n d unique to past Abacaxi B o w l s , this year saw a TV crew from Bandsports on the field filming the games and conducting interviews.

Led by their US football color commentator, Silvio Santos, his intention was to have three minutes of the Abacaxi Bowl as a special highlight during the Super Bowl the following day, depicting how the American community in Sa Paulo celebrates the Super Bowl. But at the last minute the 3 minutes got squeezed out and was eventually aired on the following Tuesday night at 845pm.

The surprise of the tournament this year was another first time entry of a Brazilian team, the Carcamanos. They played the Cougars twice, first in the round robin losing be 2 points, and

then in the finals losing by 7 points. The Carcamanos also were impressive and convincing in their victories over 6-time Champions PACA and a very strong US Consulate team to get to the finals.

But the star performances again were with a well-schooled and athletic Cougar team, led by Chris Harshberger, their long-time captain who always seems to find a way to be in final, whether it be a football, softball, and basketball tournament. This year’s tournament MVP was divided between Cougar newcomer Adam Seale and regular Mike Miller.

Results w - l

1. Cougars 5 - 0

2. Carcamanos 4 - 2

3. Palmeiras Locomotives 2 – 1

4. US Consulate 2 – 1

5. PACA 1 – 2

6. Devilz 1 – 2

7. AMSOC 0 - 2

8. Graded 0 – 2

9. GM 0 – 2



Kids activities in and around SP

São Paulo may sometimes seem like not the most child-friendly of places, but in and around this sprawling city, there is truly something for everyone. If you are looking for new and exciting activities for your family, here are some options that are worth checking out.

At the Zôo Safari, formerly known as Simba Safari, you can drive your car through a wildlife reserve that is home to 380 animals and 42 different species. Fun for children and adults, it is the only safari of its kind in Latin America. The zoo is located at Avenida do Cursino, 6338 in Ipiranga, and it is open Tuesdays thru Sundays.

For slightly older kids, the Playcenter, located along Marginal do Tietê, is an accessible amusement park with in the city limits. The park is open Friday thru Sunday and features 35 rides. Through April 10, tickets purchased online receive a 30% discount.

The Museu Catavento is a great place for kids to learn about science and society, with interactive activities recommended for children ages 6 and up. Located at Parque Dom Pedro II in the Centro, the museum displays

allow children to interact with science: in one section, they can turn a handle to illuminate a miniature city with the help of a miniature hydroelectric plant. The Museu Catavento is open Tuesday thru Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

If you are looking to get out of the city for the day, Bichomania, in Cotia, is a great weekend option. A few minutes outside of São Paulo, kids can ride carriages, horses, and greet a variety of animals, including sheep, parrots, owls, monkeys, deer, and alpacas. Bichomania is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

Also near Cotia, the Cidade das Abelhas teaches kids aged 2 thru 8 all

about bees. Kids can crawl into a tunnel shaped like a giant bee, travel through tubes, slides, trampolines, swings, and other attractions. The park also has several installations that teach young kids about apiculture. The Cidade das

Abelhas is located on the Estrada da Ressaca, km7, near Embu das Artes and Cotia, and is open from 8:30 a.m. thru 5 p.m. from Tuesday thru Sunday.

If your kids are interested in the theatre, Sampa Online’s Guia Cultural Infantil has a section dedicated to plays and musicals for children. Thru July 23, Little Red Riding Hood is playing at the Teatro Ruth Escobar on Saturdays at 4 p.m. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is showing thru July 24, at the Teatro Maria Della Costa on Sundays at 5:40 p.m. And parents and

kids can enjoy a musical version of the Three Little Pigs at the Teatro Bibi Ferreira (Saturdays and Sundays at 3 p.m.) until June 30.

For more information on these and other child-friendly activities, the Guia Quatro Rodas publishes a guide to traveling with your kids, called “Viagens com as Crianças,” with suggestions of more than 200 places to take your family.

By Channtal Fleischfresser, staff writer


Are you looking for a fun and relaxing family getaway? Or maybe a place to go on a romantic trip?Picking the right place to holiday with the family is always a tricky thing. The parents foot the bill and make the bookings, but there is a strong little lobby group prancing around the house and driving us crazy with demands such as a swimming pool, a nearby beach, etc.

A place for a romantic weekend is also quite difficult to find. Usually you can find romantic packages offered by hotels, but nothing really stands out about their location. So it is always difficult to find a place that is suitable for all purposes. A place that offers fun and relaxing activities for all ages. A place where parents can keep their sanity while on vacation with the little ones and where couples can keep the love in the air.

Keeping all this in mind, as well as the fact that, sometimes, all you have is a short break such as a four-day window, I suggest you go to Poços de Caldas, in Minas Gerais State. Poços de Caldas is a city in south-western Minas Gerais state, with thermal waters, a variety of touristic attractions and lots of history.

The story of Poços de Caldas began to be written from the discovery of its primary fountains and wellsprings in the seventeenth century, found at the bottom of a volcano from 85 million years ago. The rare water with healing powers was responsible for the prosperity of the city.

The ban on gambling in 1946, and the invention of antibiotics had a strong impact on tourism in the county. Hydrotherapy was no longer the most effective way to treat diseases for which it was indicated. And the casinos were closed. The economy suffered a great shock, but soon found its way back when it joined the “ciclo da lua-de-mel” (honeymoon route), in the 1950s, when it became fashionable to spend the honeymoon in the city. A romantic

status that is kept until nowadays. In 2006, the municipality invested to increase the flow of tourists, exploring other beautiful attractions available in the area, for people of all ages and tastes, such as eco-tourism, romantic, cultural and adventurous activities and extreme sports.

A considerable part of economic activities in the city revolves around tourism, thanks to the fame of its mineral water springs used in various therapies. Being about 260 km from the city of São Paulo and 169 km from Campinas, 468 km from Belo Horizonte and 470 km from the city of Rio de Janeiro, the flow of tourists from these centers is significant, and it helps move local businesses and even the production of handmade candies and decorative objects in fused glass, similar (not only in appearance but in quality as well) to the ones from Murano, Italy.

The city is very well taken care of, with several green areas, among parks, squares, gardens and São Domingos Mountain, which has trails for walking. The sulphurous water is the main attraction and can be consumed in several fountains and at the Thermas Antônio Carlos. There is an aerial tram to get to the Statue of Christ the Redeemer (1,686 mts.). At the top of the mountain there is a great view of the city and the nearby mountains as well as a group of professional paragliders that can take you flying above the natural beauties of the area. The city also offers options such as a Japanese tea garden, a theme park, museums, theaters, and other cultural events, the most important being the yearly Music in the Mountains Festival that happens in July (Festival Música nas Montanhas) http://www.festivalmusicanasmontanhas.com.br

The city was Beija-Flor’ samba theme of the 2006 Carnaval, from Rio de Janeiro. One of the cultural attractions of Poços de Caldas is the Banda Municipal Maestro Azevedo, listed in 2005 as artistic and cultural

patrimony of the city, the band performs on Sundays in the square bandstand since 1914 and couples dance all over the square. Other cultural events also attract tourists, especially the Symphony of the Waters, Festa UAI, National Book Fair, Flipoços, Julho Fest, Jazz & Blues Festival and Enaf.

The city and its surroundings offer great hotels and resorts but I suggest you stay at the Palace Hotel. Opened in 1929 and recently restored by the Carlton Plaza Group. Important for its history, participated in Brazil’s history in the Old Republic and the New State. Hosted and still hosts great names of Brazilian society and history, such as Rui Barbosa, Santos Dumont, Olavo Bilac, Carmem Miranda and former President Juscelino Kubitschek, as well as distinguished heads of state from various countries. The Palace Hotel, Thermas Antonio Carlos and Palace Casino are surrounded by parks, gardens and historic landmarks.

The Palace Hotel stands out as a special attraction to visitors of Poços de Caldas, because of its tradition, elegance, grandeur and architectural beauty.

Two seasons are typically more defined: winter from April to September, with lower temperatures and lower rainfall (average temperature 15°C and total rainfall of 315mm) and summer from October to March with higher temperatures and increased precipitation (average temperature 21°C and total rainfall of 1430mm). The average annual rainfall is 1.695mm and the average temperature is 17.6°C. The absolute minimum and maximum temperatures recorded were -6°C and 35°C, respectively.

More info at:

http://www.pocosdecaldas.mg.gov.br

http://www.brasilturismo.com/mg/pocosdecaldas/

Travel in Brazil: Poços de CaldasBy Melissa Sabella Harkin, AmSoc member



Things we missed: Music classes in EnglishWhat we were missing: Music classes for children in English

What we found: Kindermusik

Kindermusik is a method of early childhood education in music and movement. It combines the early learning music methods of Carl Orff, Zoltan Kodaly and Suzuki method with early childhood development research. The Kindermusik philosophy is founded on the following fundamental beliefs: every parent is the child’s most important teacher, every child is musical, the home is the most important learning environment, music nurtures a child’s cognitive, emotional, social, language, and physical development.

What to expect:-Variety of music. Musical diversity

builds strong neural networks in a baby’s forming mind, which is why each Kindermusik semester contains an array of styles, sounds, and genres.

-Instrument play. Age-appropriate e x p e r i e n c e s w i t h c h i l d - s a f e instruments enhances a sense of rhythm and steady beat, develops a keen awareness of the distinguishing qualities of sound, and encourages spontaneity and creativity.

-Dance. A classroom full of baby and adult pairs dancing together helps a little body develop the muscle

strength needed to crawl and walk and helps a little heart to fall in love with the sheer joy of responding to music.

-Together time. A Kindermusik class is truly the essence of “quality time,” offering you a place to create special memories with your child, gain new insights into your child’s development, and nurture your child’s natural love of music.

-Expert advice. A Kindermusik educator explains “what-to-watch-for” every step of the way and how each activity enhances your child’s complete development

Classes are 30-45 minutes once a week and run from 4wks to 16 wks depending on the time of year. Prices range from 40-50 R per class with Home materials included.

F o r m o r e i n f o c o n t a c t ww.singspeakmove.com

‘Things we missed’ introduces products and services that are new or were hard to find in Brazil. If you have an idea for a product or service that could be featured please write to [email protected]

Please note that Forum is not endorsing these products and services and does not take any responsibility for quality and/or performance or lack thereof.

levels, including but not limited to the IB, IGCSE, SAT-I & II, AP and Brazil-ian vestibular. Elementary and middle school students are also welcome (all subjects). Call Fernando Knijnik at (11) 9134-6700.

Psychotherapist for Ex-Pats

Serving Adults, Children, and Fami-lies (also couples) struggling with all adjustment issues. Specializing in is-sues of divorce, separation, and recon-ciliation. Many years experience with drug/ alcohol issues. USA licensed as MFT. Jungian Analyst experienced in Sandtray, Dreamwork (groups also), and Cognitive/ Behavioral therapy. Please call/ email Matthew: 7734 5793 or [email protected] for a free initial consultation.

American-Licensed Expat Psychologist

Richard Morhaime, Psy.D., offers skilled psychotherapy for children and adults. He also provides complete di-agnostic evaluations in English for children with academic or behavioral difficulties, featuring individualized recommendations for school and home. For more information, contact Dr. Morhaime at 5538-0099 or 9669-8057 or visit www.expatpsychologist.com.

American Psychologist Services for Expats

Sukie Miller Ph.D. early director of Esalen, former Board Member Jung Institute San Francisco, 35 years ex-perience private practice as coach, psycho-therapist with adults and cou-ples in eclectic approach to personal/professional growth, woman’s’ issues, adjustment to São Paulo, goal setting, dream work, anxiety. Call Dr. Miller at 11- 9823-8730 email [email protected].

American-Licensed Psychotherapist

In this busy and ever-changing world, people often feel stressed and over-whelmed with no place to turn. Psycho-therapy/counseling can provide a safe place to receive professional guidance and support. Brief or longer-term ther-apy offered depending on your needs, goals and expectations. Services: indi-

Luxury Home in Cidade Jardim

At just 10 minutes from Av. Faria Lima, with total area of 905m², 03 floors.,12 car garage, 4 deposits and 3 maid rooms. Elevator, air conditioning in-stalled, fitted kitchen installed, 4 suites with dressing room and full bath, mas-ter suite with dressing rooms and with separate Mr. and Mrs. bathrooms. High quality materials, project by renowned architect. Call at 7404-4122

Personal Trainer

I will come to your home, office, or workout facility and create an exercise/fitness program tailored to your health concerns, fitness goals, and schedule. For adults and children, individuals or groups. Sessions in English, Spanish, or Portuguese. For more information please contact Daniela Franco at (11) 9739-6191 or [email protected].

Selling Up

Go with a pro! We have been selling household goods for families, indi-viduals, and companies for more than 20 years in São Paulo and Brasilia for embassies. We have hundreds of pre-selected clients wanting to buy from you, safe and sound! Send an e-mail to [email protected] or [email protected] or call (11) 5908-1144 or (11) 7997-8808. Ask for Ms. Zaquie Meredith.

Argos Dog Kennel Traveling? What about your dog? Ar-gos Kennel Hotel could be his second home in the country. Food, water, and shelter with lots of love and personal care. No lonely kennel for him, but our home and the freedom of a spacious garden. Fetch and carry service. Eng-lish and French spoken. Call Jean or Christiane at (11) 4661-1430 or (11) 7143-0837 or send an e-mail to [email protected]. Embu Guaçu, SP.

Math and Science Tutor

Former Graded and Chapel teacher, with 25-years experience, tutors Math, Physics, Chemistry, and Science for all

ClASSifiEdS

Forum March14

Housing

Elegant furnished house in Tamboré

Beautiful recently professionally deco-rated furnished house for rent. 600 m² with 2,000 m² of land. Heated swim-ming pool. Nice barbecue area and outdoor porch. 4 suites, family room, living, dinning, large kitchen, maids room and 3 car garage. The House is complete ready to live in for high level executive. To see photos, visit www.suzimoniz.com.br – Avenida Marília,105. To visit the house, call (11) 8179-3131.

Taylor Real Estate

Luxury spacious houses, apartments and penthouses. Sales and rentals. Ten years experience with expatriates. Fur-nished and unfurnished. Trilingual Real Estate agents. References from consul-ates and multinationals. Photos sent by email. Relocation Service. Consult the site: www.taylorimoveis.com. Email - [email protected]. Phone: 5511 3079 8888 and 5511 8774 5100 (Maria Elisa).

Looking for Apartments

Looking for furnished, fully equipped apartments in São Paulo. Offer man-agement, promotion, purchasing, re-modeling and decoration services for your property. We will rent your flat to foreign tourists & executives visit-ing the city looking for alternative ac-commodations. Highly experienced specialized international group. Con-tact: Paola B. de Estrada 9210-2201, [email protected] or www.apartmentssp.com

Luxury Home in Morumbi

Next to the luxurious Shop. Cidade Jardim, with total area of 785m², 03 floors, 12 car garage, 3 deposits and 2 maid rooms. Elevator, air condition-ing installed, fitted kitchen installed, 4 suites with dressing room and full bath, master suite with dressing rooms and with separate Mr. and Mrs. bathrooms. High quality materials, project by re-nowned architect. Call at 7404-4122

Services


2011 Forum 15

CAlEndAr

Learn more about this month’s AmSoc events (highlighted) at www.amsoc.com.br.Important Dates: 5-8 CarnIval (Br), 9 ash WeDnesDay (Br), 8 Int. Women’s Day, 17 saInt patrICk’s DayMarch 2011

A classified of up to 350 characters costs R$45 for AmSoc members and R$80 for non-members. To place a classified please call (11) 5182-2074 from 8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m., or send an e-mail to [email protected].

Plac

e a

Clas

sified

Forum does not check all of the advertisers appearing in this newsletter. We urge you to use these services; however, thoroughly check prices and services prior to finalizing any service or purchase agreement.

A No

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2 WednesdayINC Monthly Coffee & Vendors Day

The first big bazaar of the year. Open to everybody with a large variety. It will be at the Scandinavian Church. For more information contact Birgit at [email protected]

5 Saturday INC São Paulo Carnival ParadeThe cost of this Carnival trip is $R600 per person. It includes ticket for seats in section C which is the tourist section with English speaking guides and transportation from meeting spot to the Sambodromo. More details in www.newcomers-sp.com.br

14 Monday Scottish Country Dancing Club 1st Monday of every month at Drake’s Pub, in Brazilian British Centre at 8 pm. Please visit http://www.standrews.com.br for more details.

16 Wednesday INC Red Rose For more information contact Birgit at [email protected]

17 Thursday St. Patrick’s Happy Hour See front page

19 Saturday INC Family Event For more information contact Birgit at [email protected]

30 Wednesday INC Monthly Luncheon For more information please contact [email protected] or visit www.newcomers-sp.com.br

vidual, couples, child/adolescent. Cer-tified to conduct Adoption Home Study for American Citizens. Contact: Pame-la Wax, MSW/LCSW at 5051-5988 or 9656-2106. Located in Moema.

American-Licensed Clinical Psy-chologist

Heloisa Garman, Psy.D. U.S.-licensed Clinical Psychologist (covered by U.S. health insurance). Bilingual, with ex-tensive private practice in Chicago and former therapist at the Family Institute at Northwestern Uni. Treats individu-als, couples, and families. Specialized in anxiety, depression, cultural issues, and adjustment disorders. Call Dr. Gar-man at (11)7179-9723 or 3898-2330 or send an e-mail to [email protected].

Piano Class

Beginning music classes for piano or keyboard. Special method for children 4 years and older, teenagers, adults and senior citizens. Classes in Portuguese or English. Contact: Suely Azevedo, 8456-5365 – 49 year old music teacher with 30+ years of successful experience!

Class is your house in Morumbi and South Area. R$95 (reais) per class (50 minutes)

Certified Portuguese Professor

Private lessons or translations. Experi-ence with beginners through proficient speakers. Bachelors in Portuguese and 5 years of experience teaching foreign-ers at a certified language school in São Paulo. Available for home or office visits and during nights and weekends. References from clients of various nationalities and levels. Call or email Adonis Borges at (11) 7623-8005 or [email protected]

Need English Tutor

Eliza, my sister (4), and I would like to use our English with a native speaker. I would also like to learn how to read and write in English. If you are interested in tutoring once a week in Higienóp-olis, please e-mail Joana, my Mom, at [email protected]. Thanks, Thomas (6).

Chrysler Caravan for Sale

For sale by owner: 1998/99 caravan with 106k KM. Great shape, power windows, locks, mirrors, etc. Every-thing works. 4x4 (AWD). New tires. V6 engine. R$25k negotiable, also accept U$D payable to US account. Please send e-mail to Veronica Kirk [email protected] for more pictures or detailes.

For Sale

Senhora, your baby is freezing to death

BECOMinG BrAZiliAn

In Brazil it is very common for total strangers to advise you that your child is dying of discomfort, hunger, or some other woeful act of motherly negligence. And top on the list of the Brazilian busy-body’s preoccupations is whether or not your child is cold.

Most conversations of this kind start with lavish praise for your infant: “What a cutie”, “The most beautiful thing in the world”, “Is it your first?”. You nod and smile with pride. Then, “He needs socks on!”

Usually, it isn’t malicious. It derives from a very sincere adoration and concern that Brazilians have for children. (In what other country could you take a toddler to a smart restaurant for dinner and let him wander the floor chatting to all the other diners without generating a single bad vibe?)

Sometimes however, it oversteps the mark. On one 18 degree day, a man informed me that the supermarket vegetable aisle was not the place for my poor cold baby. (Said baby was fully clothed, socks aside, and gurgling.) I politely replied ‘I think he’s OK’ and inched the pushchair closer to the overpriced imported grapes. At this point the man started screaming at me in disgust. He had been a pediatrician for 20 years and apparently had never witnessed such irresponsible parenting.

My stock reply in such situation is “Where I come from, this temperature would be mid-summer”. Gives me the upper hand, don’t you agree?

In my opinion, there is no circumstance which disqualifies a day from the ice-cream or lolly-consuming calendar. Here in Brazil, you do not eat ice cream, let alone go out to the park, if it rains. You certainly do not eat ice cream if you have a cold for you will surely catch pneumonia and probably die. You don’t give your children iced drinks or let them hang around the house naked or let them swim in months without ‘r’ in the name, all for the same reason. I have witnessed more cross-cultural couples bickering over these matters than anything else.

During winter time at temperatures of around 23-degrees celsius people here are donning their novelty jumpers and gloves. My children are still going to the

beach to play in the sand, drinking apple juice on the rocks and watching TV in their birthday suits.

One weekend last winter I let them swim in a pool. Admittedly, they were in wetsuits, but still, it was cold. On the Monday, Little Bear got a temperature. By Tuesday it was really high. He didn’t go to school for the whole week. On Saturday he was diagnosed at the hospital with bronchial pneumonia, and I’m wondering if maybe the Brazilians know something after all.

He didn’t eat for 5 days, the poor little mite. Finally, today he got his appetite back, and what did he want? An Ice Lolly. And did he get it? Of course he did. Just don’t tell anyone.

Babies, bumps and queue-jumps

It’s about time I got another baby. Not because I adore the sticky lickle munchkins, but because I need a legit way to barge queues.

In Brazil, if you are pregnant or with a small child, you do not have to wait in line. Not for anything, anywhere, ever. At the post-office, the supermarket or passing through customs, checking-in, checking-out or cashing a cheque. You can simply waltz straight to the front of the line, or, in many places, to the dedicated express desk exclusively for priority citizens.

And it’s not like this is just some kind of unwritten rule in a chivalrous society. This is a fully blown “priority law” that is posted on sign-posts everywhere, and which also applies to the elderly, the sick and the handicapped. Accordingly, for the past four years, I have pretty much skipped to the front of every line I have encountered.

It takes some getting used to. I didn’t dare skip any queues until I was visibly pregnant with my first born, even although it’s during those first few invisible weeks when you really need the ‘get out of here without throwing-up’ card. But once I’d done it a few times I became quite confident. So confident, in fact, that over the past few years I have had quite a few near fist-fights while asserting my legal rights.

With my second baby I started jumping

to the front right from the start of the pregnancy, and more than a few times I was challenged by check-out girls. One told me I had to be 5 months pregnant to get priority, which is simply not true. Another told me I needed to carry proof of pregnancy. Really? She wants me to hand over a positive pee-stick with a credit card? There is also a general belief that people have to be on their own to benefit from the priority pass, which is also not the case. (I’m talking about the legal standpoint not the ethical one!)

But the real altercations occur within the blessed ranks of priority citizens themselves. You see, the law doesn’t make it very clear who gets priority if there is an old woman, a pregnant woman and a handicapped woman in the same line; “Hey I”m dying” “Out of my way, my waters just broke” “Can’t you see, I have no legs?”

Once, swear to god, I was hit by an old lady during one of these type of ridiculous arguments, and I was holding a 2 month old infant. Of course I think the living dead are the clear winners in the priority stakes, but I also think that whoever is skipping the queue should at least offer a vaguely apologetic smile at the other people waiting. On this particular occasion I was waiting to change the baby’s nappy in an aircraft loo when a Brazilian granny pushed past, head down to avoid eye contact, and slammed the door in my face. When she came out and I commented on her rudeness, she started screaming and hitting me. Goes to show that you can legislate, but you can’t force good manners on anyone.

Anyway, my Little Dove is almost two, going on sixteen, and I definitely can’t consider her a ‘crianca de colo’ (‘lap baby’) anymore. Suddenly she’s lost her value as an expediator of tedious chores like the post-office, bank and federal police. But I love the sticky lickle munchkin anyway.

Natasha is a freelance writer and has her own blog about the trials and tribulations of adapting to life in Brazil http://becomebrazilian.blogspot.com/

By Natasha de Carvalho

Documents

AmSoc Forum March 2011 issue