Parque Ibirapuera

There was a serious lack of green space in Mumbai, so one reason I picked this neighborhood to live it was because it was so close to the biggest park in Sao Paulo - Parque Ibirapuera.

Trash cans and recycling!!

Yoga classes

art on the bathroom

art on the bathroom

art on the bathroom

The streets to the park are quiet and clean :)

Settling in to Sao Paulo

It has been a busy 2 weeks!!!

I think I am going to love working at Graded School and living in Sao Paulo!  The leadership team has done a great job of giving us a crash lesson in life here.  The first day, they picked us up from the airport and took us straight to school where we got our medical forms filled out, phone sim card switched, our computers, etc.  They also had a "store" set up where we could pick out the kinds of food we might need to get started - eggs, bread, cheese, ham, oranges, apples, peanut butter, jelly, sugar, pasta and sauce, etc.  It was awesome!  They took us to our apartments which had a bed, couch, table and chairs, a washer, dishes, a few pans, a couple rolls of TP, etc.  We had many dinners together and a few shopping trips.  One afternoon, the PTA moms took us to a HUGE grocery story and helped us pick things out - it is very overwhelming to shop when nothing is in English!
On the first Saturday, I went with the Superintendent and his wife to some big stores (some other newbies met us there)  it was so helpful to start off on a good foot!

The school is MUCH bigger than my school in Mumbai and it is all outside - which is nice right now, because it is "winter".  

Student center - PTA picnic for new families and teachers

goodie bag the PTA gave us

courtyard

My classroom door

My hallway

They provided a van to take us to school and events.  We really bond with the people on our bus because we debrief with them everyday and we spend a LOT of time in the van!  
My van consisted of: Tim who worked at my school in Mumbai, but I didn't know him until I got here, Shannon who just spent 7 years in Columbia, and Carrie who has been in Sao Paulo for 7 years working at another school - she has been a wealth of information on where to shop and she speaks Portuguese!!  

Carrie has a maid that she has had for a while and now Shannon and I are getting her too.  I will probably never meet her!  She comes on Mondays while I am work.  I leave her notes in Portuguese because she speaks NO English.  She did a great job the first day and this is what I came home to.

My 2nd room - there are no closets so I don't call it a bedroom.

My room is pretty tiny - I have to scooch around to the closet and windows, but Mr. Ducky seems happy!

My dining nook

Kitchen - tiny but functional

I have a washer that I can actually use and it is not in my Kitchen like it was in India! !
It is hooked up to sink - that is where the water goes so that is kind of weird.
No dryer, but I have a drying rack to the left of the washer. 

My living room - with my Buccees pillow!!  

view from my bedroom window

I need a bookcase so I can put up my pictures and stuff, but that can wait.  

I live in the area of vila nova conceição - it is a SUPER nice area and people were surprised that I found a place within my allowance.  It is a really safe area which is a concern in Sao Paulo.  

A lot of people move from here to Morumbi,  which is near where the school is, due to the travel time from my area.  So far it is taking about 30 minutes to get to school and 45 to get home.  Traffic is bad.  Starting this week, I will be taking the school bus with the kids in the morning - it might take awhile, but it is free!  There are a few busses in the afternoon, but the 4:15 bus will probably have no room for me due to the number of kids on the bus, so I am considering running around the school track and taking the 6pm bus.  Again, it is free!  and Uber is $10 each way to school - so $100 a week. I'd rather save it for cool trips! 

I live by a HUGE park and I will show pictures of that later and some of my neighborhood.