A Day in the Life: Brazil edition

Rebecca G-K  -  University of Michigan Ross School of Business and Medical School

I was inspired by Chris Owen's Day in the Life post in Madurai. Here is a photo diary of a typical day here in Brazil. 

7:30am: leave my apartment.

7:45am: Fruit vendors in the street

The Sao Paulo metro gets packed at rush hour, but trains come every 90 seconds and monitors in the station include a chart estimating the capacity of each car.

The crowded commute was one of the biggest adjustments for me. It is a far cry from my commute last year- walking down State Street in Ann Arbor!

After the metro, I get on the commuter train.

8:20am: arrive in the neighborhood Morumbi, where the Plan offices are located.

8:30am: Time to get to work! 

10am: Essential Brazilian snack: pão de queijo! This is a type of bread made of cassava flour and a particular type of Brazilian cheese from the state of Minas Gerais. 

I have participated in several workshops on gender equality with Plan over the summer. In this one, we were brainstorming ways Plan could adapt its policies to accommodate its diverse employees.

1pm: Walking to a lunch buffet spot with a coworker. No matter how busy, Brazilians always take time for lunch! They usually break for at least 1 hour and have a full meal of rice, beans, and meat. They are horrified when I want to eat a sandwich in front of my computer.

2pm: Take a taxi to the Plan program office on the outskirts of Sao Paulo in order to interview participants in Plan programs.

One of the many posters at the Plan office: this one explains gender identify.

Defining misogyny: posters that teenagers in a Plan program made.

5:20pm: Crowded transfer on the commute back home. Go with the flow!

7pm: Most nights I make beans and rice for dinner, but occasionally will go out to try a restaurant. These are chilean empanadas from a famous cafe called La Guapa.

7:30: Evening walk. Sao Paulo is not a conventionally beautiful city, but there is wonderful street art like this mural

8pm: Concentrating hard on the beat! Here I am taking a Brazilian drum lesson.

9pm: After my lesson, it's time for the professionals to play samba!