Remember waay back in January 08 when I got to travel to Brazil for work? Well, the project continued and due to some changes they needed my help again. So, despite the overwhelming desire to stay back in the ever darker and colder Wisconsin, I traveled to S�o Paulo again with Nisha from the finance area of GE Healthcare. There we met up with project members from India, Brazil and another from the US. We worked hard and also enjoyed the great food of the city! IMG_3439 The SP (S�o Paulo) flight always departs from here so I guess that's why they have this sign? Otherwise it's actually a domestic United terminal at O'Hare. IMG_3442 Look - a real live PLANT! IMG_3441 More nice colorful plants IMG_3443 A pretty nice bathroom IMG_3445 Not a bad view IMG_3446 Note to self - put a really big tree in my "yard" if I ever own a penthouse...it looks cool IMG_3447 Trusty air conditioner...if only we could figure out a way to take warm air from Brazil and pipe it to Wisconsin in exchange for cold air that would be an idea... IMG_3451 Nice room/bed (although TV isn't exactly in a logical position within that chest of drawers) IMG_3453 What to order while in Brazil - Barbecue steak sandwich and Guarana soft drink (made from berries in the amazon rainforest...has lots of caffine but the "natural" type...which supposedly is better?) IMG_3455 A recycling bin (MADE our of cardboard!) provided by GE Volunteers at the GE Healthcare offices IMG_3457 Not a good idea to drink tap water in Brazil, so we always got little water packages from the hotel at breakfast IMG_3458 Old GE Healthcare planning/financial system...bad! IMG_3459 New GE Healthcare system - GOOD! IMG_3462 Talking with end users about new system - GOOD! IMG_3466 It's also good that there's a shopping center (El Dorado Shopping) right across from the new GE/GE Healthcare building. However, the walkway isn't entirely covered so when it rains it isn't too functional... IMG_3468 A nice Thai restaurant we went to IMG_3475,br> Nisha, Sanju, myself, and Prakash enjoy the food IMG_3478 IMG_3480 A well decorated entryway is key to a well decorated restaurant! IMG_3484 Every night the hotel would leave me a chocolate to make me an even fatter American than I felt walking around amongst the superhuman beautiful people of Brazil IMG_3485 The main reception for the GE area of the building - name of the various GE businesses along the right hand side IMG_3488 A gas station was right across from the hotel - I think it was Petrobras (state owned oil company) which would explain this BR but I'm not 100% certain IMG_3490 Nisha's secret horde of water in her purse! You don't want to run into anybody and have your purse start leaking though... IMG_3492 Japanese was a good choice as well - Brazil has the largest population of Japanese people outside Japan! IMG_3493 Nisha's favorite desert was the Petite Gateau - basically a chocolate filled brownie with vanilla ice cream IMG_3499 Helicopters are quite plentiful in SP to get around the terrible traffic IMG_3506 What would I have to enjoy without Brazillian television? Certainly the most caricatured of any television I've watched in this case relating it appears to gender issues? Of course, maybe it was a children's show...you never know... IMG_3507 There was a wedding at our hotel on the weekend! IMG_3511 Tati works at the GE Healthcare office in SP on our project and was kind enough to take us to Bolinha, a very nice and traditionally Brazilian restaurant named after the owner who was a short fat guy that evidently resembled a bouncing ball. IMG_3513 They gave us a lemon-flavored drink that had the same alcohol in it as is used in Caipirinha (the most wonderful local drink with lots of sugar in it) and was very strong! IMG_3515_pano On the weekend we also went to Ibirapuera Park which is kind of like SP's Central Park IMG_3521 A green Nisha and Tati IMG_3524 Jay and Tati IMG_3527 We stopped by the Japanese Pavilion where for a couple Reals (The Brazillian currency is BRL or Braillian Reals, currently around 2 per US Dollar) we got to walk around, see some artwork I couldn't take photos of and some fancy Japanese carp. Here's a windsock thingy outside with carp on it. IMG_3535 IMG_3539 Oh Carp! IMG_3547 Hungry, Hungry Carp IMG_3548 Little carp in a big pond IMG_3555 A pretty Japanese carp IMG_3560 Feeding Frenzy IMG_3563 A nice bell hanging from the main structure with some Japanese text on it IMG_3565 IMG_3570 I can speak Portugese! IMG_3574 Return to Features