Veronica's "New Year's Eve in Sao Paulo, Brazil"

About Sao Paulo, Brazil

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 01:10:19 +0500

Sao Paulo is a large city in Brazil but has been overshadowed by its neighboring city of Rio de Janeiro. Sao Paulo is the largest city in Brazil and the world's 7th largest metropolitan area. It is the capital of the state of Sao Paulo, the most populous Brazilian state. And, it is the richest city in Brazil.

Sao Paulo was named to honor Saint Paul. Renowned landmarks in the region include the Museu Paulista do Ipiranga, the gothic Metropolitan Se Cathedral, the Sao Paulo Museum of Art (MASP), the Bandeirantes monument and Niemeyer's Ibirapuera complex Bienal, planetarium, and museums; and more recently the Estaiada bridge in the South Side. Paulista Avenue, in Midtown is the most important financial center in the country and South America. Sao Paulo has also been home to several of the tallest buildings in Brazil, including the Mirante do Vale Building and Italy Building.

People from the city of São Paulo are known as paulistanos, while paulistas designates anyone from the whole of São Paulo state, including the paulistanos. The city's Latin motto, which it has shared with the battleship and the aircraft carrier named after it, is Non ducor, duco, which translates as "I am not led, I lead." A famous nickname for the city is "Sampa." São Paulo is also known for its unreliable weather, the size of its helicopter fleet, architecture, gastronomy, and multitude of skyscrapers. The Sao Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport operates many domestic and international flights.

Climate for Sao Paulo, Brazil

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 03:01:08 +0500

São Paulo has a humid subtropical climate. Temperatures seldom reach 30 °C (86 °F) during summer, while temperatures below 0°C are rare in the winter. The All-time record temperatures for Sao Paulo are 37.3 °C (99.1 °F) on February 15, 1985 and −2.1 °C (28 °F) on August 2, 1955. Because of its elevation, São Paulo enjoys a distinctly temperate climate all year round.

Rainfall is abundant in Sao Paulo and amounts to an annual average of 1,317 millimetres (51.9 in). Rain is especially common during the warmer months and somewhat less common during the months of June to August.

During late winter, especially August, the city experiences the phenomenon known as "veranico" (Little summer), which consists of a bout of unusually hot and dry weather, sometimes reaching temperatures well above 28 °C (82 °F). On the other hand, relatively cool days during summer are fairly common when persistent winds blow from the ocean.

Touring Sao Paulo, Brazil

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 03:07:34 +0500

Sao Paulo is a major cultural centre and becoming a tourism destination for visitors from around the world. The city has an ethnically diverse metropolitan area, with heavy Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, Japanese, among other influences. The city is known for its varied and sophisticated cuisine, ranging from Chinese to French, from fast food chains to five star restaurants. In fact, there are over 62 different types of cuisines in Sao Paulo, and more than 12,000 restaurants to cater to just about any taste or cuisine you might be looking for. And, with such a large population, Sao Paulo also has a vibrant nightlife scene that includes venues such as bars, pubs, lounges and discos catering to a variety of music tastes.

There are several fairly notable landmarks in Sao Paulo. The most popular and well known is the Sao Paulo Museum of Art (MASP). Th Sao Paulo museum of art (MSAP) was dedicated by Queen Elizabeth II in the first half of the XX century and has become a popular destination for visitors. Sao Paulo also has the "Pinacoteca do Estado" art museums, a symphonic orchestra (São Paulo State Symphony (OSESP - based in the Sala São Paulo theatre in the gorgeous Julio Prestes train station), and a Formula One Grand Prix racing circuit (Interlagos).

Other notable landmarks include:

Paulista Avenue (one of the most important thoroughfares of the city and the site of many cultural centers and museums, such as the MASP and Centro Cultural Itaú).

Brooklin (a financial district of São Paulo).

Banespa Building (skyscraper with observation deck and museum designed after the Empire State building).

Catedral da Sé (the metropolitan cathedral, a symbol of the city).

Edifício Copan, designed by Oscar Niemeyer, in the Centro neighbourhood. Built between 1951 and 1966, its wavy shape gives the building an impression of movement, and the integration of small businesses and residential flats are of innovative urbanism.

Italy Building "Edifício Itália," homage to the Italian immigration to Brazil.

Edifício Itália (skyscraper with observation deck).

Estação da Luz (historical railway station built 1895-1901).

Ibirapuera Park (the second largest park of the city (Parque do Carmo is the biggest), is also home to several museums. It is known for its buildings designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, such as the Oca and the new Ibirapuera Auditorium).

Mooca (Italian district of São Paulo).

Liberdade (Asian district of São Paulo).

Mercado Municipal (historical market place in São Paulo).

Municipal Theatre of São Paulo (magnificent opera house built in the early 20th century.)

Museu de Arte Sacra (museum of religious art located in a colonial convent).

Museu do Ipiranga (museum built where the Independence of Brazil was proclaimed in 1822).

Museum of the Portuguese Language (located inside Estação da Luz).

Pátio do Colégio (founding site of the city, former Jesuit mission-school to convert the natives to Catholicism).

Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo (important museum of Brazilian art).

Praça da Sé (large square next to the São Paulo Cathedral. Official centre of the city).

Shopping Malls Center Leste Aricanduva, Iguatemi, Ibirapuera, Morumbi, Eldorado, Pátio Higienópolis, Anália Franco, Bourbon, Cidade Jardim, and many others.

Museums in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 03:09:44 +0500

Sao Paulo is a major center for culture and has the museums to prove it. Love to walk around a good museum? These are just a few of the museums around Sao Paulo that you may want to check out.

Museu do Ipiranga
The first monument especially built to preserve the memory of the Independence of Brazil, was opened on September 7, 1895, with the name of Museu de Ciências Naturais (Natural Science Museum). In 1919, it became once again a historic museum. Its collection, with approximately 100,000 pieces, comprises works of art, furniture, clothing, and appliances that once belonged to famous people who took part in Brazilian history, such as explorers and emperors, and revolutionists. Its facilities are also home to a library with 100,000 books and the "Centro de Documentação Histórica," Historic Documentation Center, with 40,000 manuscripts.

Memorial da América Latina
Stretching over 78,000 square meters, Memorial da América Latina (Latin America's Memorial) was conceived to be a place for the integration of Latin American countries and their roots and cultures. Memorial is home to the headquarters of Parlamento Latino-Americano - Parlatino (Latin American Parliament). Designed by the architect Oscar Niemeyer, Memorial has an exhibition pavilion, where there is a permanent exhibition of the continent's craftwork production; a library with books, newspapers, magazines, videos, films and records about the history of Latin America; and an auditorium with capacity for 1,679 people.

Memorial of the Immigrant, "Memorial do Imigrante."
Hospedaria do Imigrante (Immigrant's Hostel) was built in 1886 and opened in 1887, when the first immigrants were housed there. The Immigrant's Hostel was built in Brás to welcome the immigrants who arrived in Brazil through the Port of Santos, quarantining those who were sick and helping new arrivals to find work in coffee plantations in Western, Northern, and Southwestern São Paulo State and Northern Paraná State. From 1882 to 1978, 2.5 million immigrants of more than 60 nationalities and ethnicities were guests there,[85] all of them duly registered in the museum's books and lists. The hostel used to serve approximately 3,000 people on average, but under special circumstances, this number reached 8,000. The hostel received the last immigrants in 1978.

In 1998 the Hostel became a museum, and it preserves the documentation, memory and objects of the immigrants that came to Brazil in search of hope and wealth. Located in one of the few centennarian buildings left in the city of São Paulo, the museum occupies part of the former Hostel. Aside from bringing the immigrants' history to the public, the museum also restores wooden train wagons from the former São Paulo Railway. There are two restored wagons in the museum. One of them dates from 1914, and another one a second class passenger car, dates from 1931. The Memorial do Imigrante pays homage to the ancestors of millions of Brazilians who arrived through the port of Santos and had São Paulo as a gateway to Brazil. It is possible to find in the museum the names of all immigrants who were hosted there from 1888 to 1978.

Museu de Zoologia da USP
Occupying an area of 700 square meters, the animals shown in the museum are samples of the country's tropical fauna and were prepared (embalmed) more than 50 years ago. In the entrance hall, there is information about the main activities carried out by USP's staff and by the museum's researchers. The animals are grouped together according to their classification: fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, and some invertebrates such as reefs, crustaceans and mollusks. The library, specialized in zoology, has modern facilities and equipment and serve both the scientific community and the public in general. It has 73,850 works, of which 8,473 are books and 2,364 are newspapers, in addition to theses and maps.

São Paulo Museum of Art, "Museu de Arte de São Paulo" in Downtown São Paulo. (MASP)
The museum was founded by the journalist Assis Chateaubriand and by Pietro Maria Bardi. Its current headquarters, opened in 1968, were designed by the architect Lina Bo Bardi. Two enormous colonnades support the 9,2 thousand ton building, forming a 74-meter free space. MASP has one of Latin America's most important collections of European art, including works of art by distinguished artists such as Degas, Renoir, Modigliani and Bonnard, among others.

Acervo do Palácio dos Bandeirantes
The headquarters of the State Government has an important collection of works of art by Brazilian artists, such as Portinari, Aldo Bonadei, Djanira, Almeida Júnior, Victor Brecheret, Ernesto de Fiori and Aleijadinho. Additionally, it also gathers colonial furniture, leather and silver artefacts, and European tapestry. In eclectic style, its walls are covered with panels describing the history of São Paulo.

Museu da Imagem e do Som
Opened in May, 1990, the main aim of Museu da Imagem e do Som (Image and Sound Museum) is to keep and preserve manifestations in the music, cinema, photography, and graphical arts areas, as well as any other manifestation related to the Brazilian contemporary life. MIS has a collection of more than 200,000 images, distributed in thematic collections of diverse content. It has more than 1,600 fiction videotapes, documentaries and music, and 12,750 titles recorded in Super 8 and 16 mm. Additionally, MIS organizes concerts, cinema and video festivals, and photography and graphical arts exhibitions.

New Year's Eve in São Paulo, Brazil

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 03:20:59 +0500

What does New Years Eve mean to you and how do you normally celebrate it? New Years Eve is also known as old years night and is on December 31 of the Gregorian calendar. It’s the last day of the year and the day before the new year officially begins.

Do you create your own gatherings or find a nice place to watch the fireworks? People celebrate New Years eve in a variety of different ways. For most people, New Years Eve is a great time to find that amazing New Years Eve bash to ring in the New Year in style. New Years Eve parties come in all shapes and sizes and you can probably find a pretty good one near you relatively easily. Many cultures also use fireworks and other forms of noise-makers in order to create a more festive atmosphere for New Years Eve.

The Ano Novo (New Year in portuguese) celebration, also know in Brazilian Portuguese by the French word Reveillon, is one of the country's main holidays, and officially marks the beginning of the summer holidays, that usually end by Carnival (analogous to Memorial Day and Labor Day in the United States). This period of time in Brazil (and especially Sao Paulo) i usually the busiest time for tourism.

The beach of Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro, is considered by many to be the location of the best fireworks show in the world. Brazilians usually have a copious meal with family or friends at home, in restaurants or private clubs, and consume alcoholic beverages. They usually dress in white, to bring good luck into the new year. Fireworks, offerings to African-Brazilian deities, eating grapes or lentils are some of the customs associated with the holiday.

The city of São Paulo also has a famous worldwide event: the Saint Silvester Marathon (Corrida de São Silvestre), which traverses streets between Paulista Avenue and the downtown area. It is contested by athletes of many countries, including such Olympic stars as the Kenyan runner Paul Tergat, who won it five times.

''As it is said all the countries without exception celebrate the New Year's Eve and eventually the New year. this is an event that concerns everyone and it is obvious that it is well celebrated! All the countries of the world celebrate in its own manner and the more spectacular it is, the better it is for the eyes of other countries."

Also in Paulista Avenue is a great New Year's Eve, with large fires burning in the midnight. Famous singers in Brazil are in the party. In moving from 2008 to 2009, 1 million people attended the party in Sao Paulo. It's definitely a New Year's Party that rivals some of the most extravagant New Year's Parties around.

Even if you’re unable to travel to Sao Paulo, Brazil to celebrate New Year’s Eve, there are plenty of great New Year’s Eve events and New Year’s Eve Parties that are themed around the idea of having a passport around the world. Find a party near you and have a Happy New Year!