The Gringo and the Bank Account

We are now at a bit over two weeks in Brazil and our experience has been wonderful: great food; a fantastic home; and warm, friendly, and accommodating Brazilian people. But one of the peculiar things about Brazil is the banks. Brazilians do far more at banks than Americans. Yes, they deposit and withdraw money from banks, but in addition they pay all of their bills through the bank. This is different than American bill paying services that are a pass-through, Brazilians actually take their bills (electric, water, school, etc.) to the bank to pay them. In addition, all government processes start at the bank - obtaining a CPF (a Brazilian Social Security Number), registering with the police, etc. - start with a visit to the bank to pick up and fill out forms and pay necessary fees before going to the government agencies to complete the process. And a visit to the bank is a classic tale of bureaucracy gone wild. Our tale begins over a week ago when we tried to open a bank account.

My host had suggested we use Banco do Brasil, so on Wednesday (8/17) we visited a branch of Banco do Brasil in Barao Geraldo. Having heard of the difficulty one can run into when opening a bank account, we had done our research and had all of the necessary forms in hand (or so we thought). At the Banco do Brazil in Barao Geraldo we presented our forms - my CPF, passport, and a statement from the grant agency through which I am being funded confirming that I would be earning income (this in and of itself surprised me, I needed to verify with the Bank that I was actively earning income to open an account - the desire to deposit money was not enough). The Barao Geraldo branch reviewed my forms and said that they could not open an account for me, I needed an RNE - a document verifying that I had a local address. However, they said that the branch of the bank on campus of the University could assist me. So, off I went to the University branch. But no luck. The University branch informed me that in addition to the statement verifying my funding, I needed an original, signed letter from the University confirming this funding. Further, they said that I need my host to document that we had a local address and I would need to get this document notarized.

I bit frustrated, I turned to my host to assist. She graciously took us to a branch of the bank that she uses and asked her banker to help. Her banker said that she could not open my account at her branch, but she would call the University branch to speed things along, which she did. She made a phone call and instructed us to see Pedro at the University branch. By this time it was late on Friday (two days spent at various bank branches) and we did not have time to return to the University branch.

One of our many Banco do Brasil ticket numbers.

On Monday, we returned to the University branch of the bank (I say we as I had to drag Amy along as my translator to each of these visits). We now had the original signed letter from the University, and a notarized copy of our house lease (Brazilians love official stamps as you can see in Amy's previous post). When you enter a bank in Brazil, you have to take a number - a bit like a supermarket deli-counter in the States. We informed the "number giver" that we needed to see Pedro. He informed us that our number would allow us to see a banker, to whom we could ask to see Pedro. And so we began. We took our first number and waited in the waiting area. When it was called, we asked to see Pedro. This banker gave us a new number that would allow us to speak with Pedro and so we returned to the waiting area. Our second number was called and we spoke with Pedro who recalled his colleague's phone call about our situation. Pedro graciously offered us a new number that allowed us to wait for the person who opens new bank accounts. And so we returned to the waiting area. Our new number was called and we were allowed to speak with the person who opens accounts. Once this paperwork was complete, this banker graciously gave us another number which would allow us to see the banker who hands out passwords for new accounts. And so we returned to the waiting area. Our new number was called and we selected a password. Now that we had an account and a password we needed to deposit my first paycheck, and so the password-banker graciously offered us a new number that would allow us to see the banker who makes deposits. And so we returned to the waiting area. Our new number was called, and we were finally able to make a deposit. And so it was, 5 or so bank visits and a dozen or so numbers later, we have a bank account and it has money in it. Now, if only we could make a withdrawal...

Bemvindo a nossa casa!

(Let me preface this long post by saying that this painful story has a happy ending. If you wish to skip all the drama, jump down to the bottom to see the final result)

Welcome to our house! Yes, that means we actually have a house. Just as we were starting to wonder what we'd gotten ourselves into and how quickly we could buy a plane ticket to Canada to finish out the sabbatical, a stroke of great fortune.

To back up a moment, we had no pre-arranged living situation when we left the U.S. Our plan was, more or less, to 'wing it'. I had contacted a Brazilian living in Campinas, Simone, who specializes in helping foreigners relocate and settle in. She quickly became our closest friend as we spent several long days with her viewing possibilities, mostly to find that they were not in fact possibilities. In Brazil, it is very unusual to rent for less than thirty months AND it is even more unusual to rent a place furnished. And in Brazil, an unfurnished apartment does not even come with a stove or refrigerator. Yet here we were looking for five months, completely furnished, in a safe neighborhood and oh - maybe a pool and a few fruit trees in the backyard for the kids. Simone had the patience of an angel and the perseverance of a New Yorker but the best we could do was a tiny, overpriced executive flat in a high-rise (with shared pool) in a busy downtown neighborhood. It was teeny tiny and the rent was about $3,500 - but it was in the center of the city (and therefore didn't require a car to get everywhere - except for the kids school and Anthony's work) and oh - did I mention it had a pool?

So, we applied. But in Brazil, it seems, nothing is ever that easy. And just because you have money to pay the rent doesn't mean you can rent it. The agency sent us a contract that was 34 page long - no joke. As we desperately tried to translate it (thank you Google!), we stopped over at the University's international relations office and - strangely enough (because we had asked them several times in the past via email) they knew of a condo available in the very neighborhood where the university and our hotel are located. In Barao Geraldo - the neighborhood we were already starting to think of as home.

We saw it and loved it, but we were feeling frustrated and deeply suspicious at this point. We didn't want to get our hopes up and we definitely didn't want to lose the apartment contract that was still in play. But Denilson realty, who handled the condo contract, immediately put us at ease. The father/son team greeted us warmly, soothing the adults with coffee and the kids with candy. The pair looked as if they were always enjoying a great joke between them, and their answer to all our questions was 'no problem'. No, we didn't need a guarantor; no, we didn't need to prepay many months of rent; no, we wouldn't have to re-paint the whole house after only four months of living. And the contract was only three pages long! What a difference. The next day, the owner drove up from Sao Paulo - a lovely older woman...kind and gracious...loves Americans (and especially Italian-Americans), loves Hollywood, loves English...happy to have us as tenants. We drank cafezinhos, we signed the contract, we got the keys. (Ok, so it wasn't that easy of course. The contract had to be notarized at the public cartorio, with three official signed and sealed copies, prior to which Anthony's signature first had to be registered at the cartorio. All in all, two trips to the cartorio and about three hours time spent - not too bad)

This all happened on Friday and we spent the weekend moving in, buying a few necessities (a ~$700 shopping spree at the Brazilian Walmart) and getting comfortable. We absolutely love it. It's small by our standards but it feels like a palace. We have a little backyard for fresh air and hanging the laundry, three bedrooms to spread out in and great showers. It is a gated community with a doorman at the entrance - the kids can literally run throughout the neighborhood on their own. And it's full of other children, plus there's a communal playground and, best of all, a really nice pool and churrascaria (bbq) area. The location couldn't be better - Barao Geraldo is it's own little neighborhood with stores and markets in walking distance - yet easy on and off the highway to get to downtown Campinas and the kid's school. And Anthony can walk to the university.

So, a very stressful process but our determination paid off and we wound up getting really lucky. Now, if we could just get the Internet and phone set up....

Rock Climbing

So, what have we been up to? Our days have been long and full and we promise to post more details soon. In the meantime, I wanted to quickly share with you John's latest adventure and obsession. Here at the University hotel (yes, we're still at the hotel...more on that later) we are just down the road from the physical education building which features an outdoor climbing wall. Over the last few nights we've noticed that a crowd gathers to climb under the lights and it always looks like a good time. Last night after dinner we walked over to watch and the friendly group invited us to have a try.

While Anthony happily drifted back to his climbing days at Cornell, John roped up as fast as he could. With no hesitation, he started up.

He made it about three quarters of the way up before looking around and deciding that was "high enough for now". The whole walk home was spent planning how high he would climb the next night and begging for rock-climbing lessons. This morning he told me he dreamed he was climbing. All in all, a fun adventure.

Feliz Dia dos Pais

Today is father's day in Brazil. How perfectly fitting that Anthony should be honored twice this year. Book reader, snuggler, championship wrestler, disciplinarian, adventurer, patient dinosaur storyteller; he is devoted to them in so many ways.

Some day I know they will recognize how lucky they are to have such a loving, involved Dad - and I hope it will help them to be better parents in their turn. In the meantime, I'm planning for Anthony to enjoy a well-deserved caipirinha tonight. Feliz Dia - we love you!

A bit of normalcy

We are starting to find some moments of normalcy, like this one when the kids were playing on a swingset in a playground. We now have a rental car, so have been able to venture outside of the hotel. And we have an application in on an apartment, so we hope to put down temporary "roots" soon.

A friend just sent me a link to NY Times article describing Brazil as the "...Land of the $35 Martini." A lot has changed since we last visited the country in 1997, a Coco Gelado (chilled coconut water straight from the shell) was R$1 back then, it is R$3.50 now and the real has appreciated in relation to the dollar as well. But we have found the people to be wonderfully helpful and inviting. So many people have gone out of their way to help us adjust and get settled here that it has been made it a much easier transition.

They have ice cream in Brazil!

We are about 80 hours into our adventure and the kids are enjoying the sweet Brazilian lifestyle. Lot's of fruit, sweet breads at breakfast, and even ice cream! Campinas is a bit more expensive than we thought, so the apartment search has been an eye opener. We haven't seen this kind of apartment market since we rented in Manhattan many moons ago. But we now have two good prospects. We'll be deciding on a place tomorrow and hopefully we can move out of our hotel room next week.

The weather has been great, mid-70's in the day and 60's in the eve. And the food has also been terrific so far - lot's of fresh veggies, tons of fruit, rice, beans, and assorted other delights. We are starting to feel a bit claustrophobic in our hotel as it is isolated from the city by the rest of the University campus. But we hope to rent a car soon and see more of the area. A friend of mine from Grad school has very graciously been showing us around and pointing out the do's and don'ts of Brazil.

Saude
Ant

We're Here

Our last minutes in the US were spent hauling the 42 suitcases into our airport van - we captured a little departing family moment before we left (Johnny is waving a Brazilian flag). Our overnight flight was a bit long and cramped, but the kids were troopers. They watched some cartoons on the plane and then passed out for most of the ride. We arrived in Sao Paulo yesterday AM and were prepared for 2+ hours in customs given the stories we had heard, but we whizzed through in a half hour or so thanks to the kids. It seems that having young children allows you to "jump" the line in most places in Brazil (yea kids).

Personally, my first South American reorientation came yesterday when I realized that everything is literally "backwards" here. I kept getting our directions wrong- I had a distinct feeling we were driving south when we were going north, etc. Finally it hit me, we were south of the equator so the sun is to the north not the south (duh!). Simple little adjustment, but weird.

We have been trying to get oriented and look for apartments, a car, etc. Getting a sense of the area is a bit tough though, the maps we have found leave a bit to the imagination. This is one we were handed at the hotel we are staying at. If you can figure it out, please let us know, we haven't been able to.

-Ant

Almost Ready

It is the thick of August here...cicadas screaming; soupy, hot and humid. Not my favorite month. We've spent the last week or so hunkered down inside with the air conditioning putting away, paring down and packing, packing, packing. It is so freeing to get rid of years worth of accumulated detritus. With every bag I haul to the dump, with every freecycle pickup, my soul literally feels lighter. There's an echo in our rooms now.

It's been a long time since I've been possession-less enough to feel truly mobile. In fact, I've spent the last fifteen years or so in the the pursuit of accumulation - accumulating the things that have come to define me. It's really exciting to set those things aside and just get on the plane.

Ok, reality check - I'm now looking at seven packed (70 lbs allowed per bag - that's huge!) with more to go. So, we're not exactly traveling light. Still, it's exciting.

The kids have been a big help. Carina helped me empty the entire fridge out, washing and recycling all those little glass bottles of curry paste, pickles and jam. They've been watching a little more tv than is probably good for them but that's just how it goes sometimes. Besides, John and his dinosaurs aren't complaining.

56 hours left.....