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Voices of ACES Blog

IBIP Day 1 | Our First International Immersion

Outlook of the skyline in Sao Paulo, Brazil

“When we wake up in the morning, we will be in Brazil,” seemed to be said by multiple people in the group last night as we waited for the 11 hour plane ride to start. We were all anxious and extremely excited for our journey to begin. Once the plane took off, it seemed like no time until we were waking up the next morning to a voice saying that we would be landing in Brazil in an hour. Okay, so it wasn’t actually that simple. The plane ride seemed long to many of our group members that couldn’t seem to fall asleep. Eventually, we did land safely in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

After getting off the plane, we were greeted by Pedro, a University of Illinois staff member, and our tour guides, Renato and Andre. They welcomed us with lunch at a local Brazilian restaurant! The food was awesome! Following the meal, we got to experience Paulista Avenida on a Sunday afternoon. Paulista Avenida is the Sao Paulo equivalent to New York’s 5th Avenue. One of the differences, though, is that Paulista Avenue is closed to cars on Sundays. It opens up to vendors, artists, and entertainers to fill the street sides. We got to be a part of the multiple people that were walking along the street checking everything out. We witnessed afro-brasileira dancing, a nice hangout spot for concerts, and a park that is in the middle of the city which contains animal species originating from that area of Brazil. It was great to start off being immersed in the culture.

Next, we had time to break off in smaller groups for the rest afternoon before heading to the Brazilian Steakhouse for dinner. Some decided to take naps while others went shopping and touring the avenue once again. Once we were at the steakhouse (churrascaria), we did what Andre said and, “ate until we exploded.” The steak was amazing along with all of the delicious side dishes. We finished the night off by hanging out with the group and reflecting on the day.

Collectively, we decided there were three main things that the group took away from today. First, we learned that Brazilians are very friendly and laid-back. It was also surprising that the locals encourage you to speak the little Portuguese you may know. They really provide a friendly atmosphere. We also learned that the price of a package listed on the shelf is the price of one unit in that package. So our 12 pack of water ended up costing 12 times the price on the shelf! The first day we were able to learn so much about the culture. We are looking forward to our first business visit on Monday!

Boa noite, Sao Paulo.