The Rio Olympics brought back to me memories of my brief visit to Brazil, though not in Rio but in another major city that is Sao Paulo. By divine favor coursed through the support of family, friends, and an organization, I was able to attend an international publishing conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2006. Actually, that was my first time to travel overseas. I was a bit nervous but definitely excited to learn new things. Here are the things I discovered about this biggest country in South America.
Brazil does not require a visa from Philippine passport holders. Yes, if you're a Filipino you can tour any part of Brazil without a visa for a maximum of 90 days. When I handed my passport to the immigration officer, I remembered being asked only one question and then was allowed to pass through.
Brazilians who can afford the cost beat traffic with the helicopter. Because Sao Paulo is such a huge city (in fact, it is the biggest city in Brazil) and traffic is always a problem, helicopters are alternative means of transportation. I recently found out (through Google, of course) that Sao Paulo is the first city in the world where commuters can avail the services of Uber helicopters.
Brazilians love coffee. In fact, it is the largest coffee producer in the world. When we went to a supermarket near Atibaia in Sao Paulo, coffee was served for free.
When in Brazil, you say "Oi" and "Obrigada". That's "Hi" and "Thank you" respectively in Portuguese. Yes, the official language of this year's Olympic host is Portuguese although most of her neighbors in the continent speak Spanish. Brazilians would spell their country as Brasil because that's the way it's spelled in Portuguese. Want to learn Portuguese? Check this site.
I didn't have much time to explore Sao Paulo when I was in Brazil and my one-week stay was limited to the conference venue and surrounding areas to buy souvenirs. I bought coffee to give to family and friends, but for myself, I brought home two ref magnets. I still have the ref magnets and they remind me constantly of how God made a way for me to to travel across the globe to learn more about writing and publishing in the company of colleagues from all over the world. If favored once again, yes, I would love to say, "Bring me back to Brazil!"
Brazil does not require a visa from Philippine passport holders. Yes, if you're a Filipino you can tour any part of Brazil without a visa for a maximum of 90 days. When I handed my passport to the immigration officer, I remembered being asked only one question and then was allowed to pass through.
Brazilians who can afford the cost beat traffic with the helicopter. Because Sao Paulo is such a huge city (in fact, it is the biggest city in Brazil) and traffic is always a problem, helicopters are alternative means of transportation. I recently found out (through Google, of course) that Sao Paulo is the first city in the world where commuters can avail the services of Uber helicopters.
Brazilians love coffee. In fact, it is the largest coffee producer in the world. When we went to a supermarket near Atibaia in Sao Paulo, coffee was served for free.
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| Free coffee at the supermarket |
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| A sumptuous Brazilian meal of rice, churrasco sausage and lots of vegetables |
When in Brazil, you say "Oi" and "Obrigada". That's "Hi" and "Thank you" respectively in Portuguese. Yes, the official language of this year's Olympic host is Portuguese although most of her neighbors in the continent speak Spanish. Brazilians would spell their country as Brasil because that's the way it's spelled in Portuguese. Want to learn Portuguese? Check this site.
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| At Guarulhos International Airport, Sao Paulo |
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