If you're moving to Sao Paulo, I highly recommend that you send your application to the Graded (www.graded.br/) as soon as you hear about the possibility of moving to Sao Paulo. Also apply to other schools, to be on the safe side.
There are many expats moving to Brazil right now and, even tough americans have priority on the wait list, the Graded is completely packed right now and the wait list is huge! I mean, HUGE! But don't hate Lisa, she is awesome and I know that if she could she would find a way to accommodate everybody.
The other options:
There is the Chapel School (http://www.chapelschool.com/), a catholic school in Alto da Boa Vista. In my opinion is not as good as the Graded but it would be my second option.
Then there's PACA (http://www.paca.com.br/), a christian school. PACA was never an option for me. From what I've heard they are not accredited but still academically strong - the kids bring home lots of homework.
Other then this, there are the British Schools:
St. Francis (http://www.stfrancis.com.br/) would be my first option out of the british schools. It is more low key than Saint Paul's and has more students who are native english speakers.
Last but not least, St. Paul's (http://www.stpauls.br/). This school has extremely rich brazilians as the vast majority of their students. Some are more equal than others there. The brazilians don't really mingle with the foreigners, plus parental involvement is discouraged.
I wouldn't overlook the Swiss School (http://www.esbsp.com.br/). Actually, when we were about to move this was our third option.
There are some bilingual schools. They are an option if your children speak portuguese or are young enough to learn it without impairing their learning.
As for the schools in Mexico, I still would rather not go there. Same old issues but more american parents and teachers complaining about it.
Good luck!!
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
TCK Video
I came across this video and just had to share it. When I asked my kids where's home they answered that they hope it will be here. Hope you enjoy it! Where's home?
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Schools Reviewed By Parents
Once again I need to recommend a website that I just found. It has parents reviews to many american and international schools around the world. Hope you enjoy it.
International Schools Review
International Schools Review
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Mea Culpa
It's been over a year since we started something that we thought would be our craziest idea ever, the super commute. And it's working so much better then we predicted.
After my last visit to Mexico we both realized that we just wouldn't have been happier with me and the kids living there. I would be complaining about all the things you already know, would be frustrated and driving my husband crazy with all the drama because, let's face it, no husband can stand an unhappy wife complaining all the time. It would also not have been that easy on the kids. Here they are at a good school and practicing sports at a different level than what I've seen in Mexico City. My husband really enjoys going to the beach every weekend, breathing fresh air, not having to fight traffic. And the flights are not too bad at all. He spends less time flying then he would spend driving, so we end up spending more time with him. And quality time, which is more important.
So I need to make a mea culpa and say thank you to HR and the relocation company. Their F--k up was the best thing that happened to us. It wasn't easy to fix everything and to get to this point. But things are working out. It's not the ideal situation but we know it will end soon. We can't wait to be together again as a family, but in the mean time we're enjoying life as it is.
After my last visit to Mexico we both realized that we just wouldn't have been happier with me and the kids living there. I would be complaining about all the things you already know, would be frustrated and driving my husband crazy with all the drama because, let's face it, no husband can stand an unhappy wife complaining all the time. It would also not have been that easy on the kids. Here they are at a good school and practicing sports at a different level than what I've seen in Mexico City. My husband really enjoys going to the beach every weekend, breathing fresh air, not having to fight traffic. And the flights are not too bad at all. He spends less time flying then he would spend driving, so we end up spending more time with him. And quality time, which is more important.
So I need to make a mea culpa and say thank you to HR and the relocation company. Their F--k up was the best thing that happened to us. It wasn't easy to fix everything and to get to this point. But things are working out. It's not the ideal situation but we know it will end soon. We can't wait to be together again as a family, but in the mean time we're enjoying life as it is.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Repatriation
I've already talked about repatriation on my "Life After Expat" post. Once again I came across a great article that I felt like sharing with you.
Here is the link:
Global HR
Here is the link:
Global HR
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Eternal Traveler Syndrome
I just read this 2 articles and felt the need to share it with you. One is in spanish and the other one is in english. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Raven.Org
Mutilingual Living
Raven.Org
Mutilingual Living
Thursday, January 12, 2012
My "Happy Place" in Mexico City
On our second day there, the kids and I decided to take it easy and go to the Santa Fe Mall. They went to Kidzania, or Ciudad de Los Ninos. The driver stayed with them so I could go get my nails done at the Palacio de Hierro. They have a spa there. The spa wan't very nice, I was expecting a nicer place judging by all the nice boutiques they have inside the store, but the manicure did a good job. Palacio de Hierro tries to be the mexican version of Saks 5th Avenue. There is a Saks at the Santa Fe Mall, and that was my "happy place" during my Mexico stay. Just being somewhere familiar with my cup of starbucks latte made my day better.
The kids had a great time at Kidzania. And having the driver there to translate for them was a good idea. On that day the place wasn't very crowded so they had enough time to do all the activities they wanted. Here are some pictures of Kidzania:
After the mall we went to the supermarket, Superama, to buy some food and water. if you, like me, loves salad, you're in trouble. The vegetables in Mexico City are not the best. During our whole stay I did not have a decent salad. The lettuce was always a little bit brown. So we bought bread, peanut butter, jelly, bagels, cream cheese, yogurt, things that we couldn't go wrong with.
We still did go out to eat. We went to Izote, a modern mexican restaurant in Polanco that was excellent! I had chicken with an almond mole that was delicious, the kids had the chicken without the mole and my husband had ceviche as an appetizer and another fish as his main course and he also enjoyed his meal. The deserts were very good too. It was really nice to end the day in such a high note.
The kids had a great time at Kidzania. And having the driver there to translate for them was a good idea. On that day the place wasn't very crowded so they had enough time to do all the activities they wanted. Here are some pictures of Kidzania:
After the mall we went to the supermarket, Superama, to buy some food and water. if you, like me, loves salad, you're in trouble. The vegetables in Mexico City are not the best. During our whole stay I did not have a decent salad. The lettuce was always a little bit brown. So we bought bread, peanut butter, jelly, bagels, cream cheese, yogurt, things that we couldn't go wrong with.
We still did go out to eat. We went to Izote, a modern mexican restaurant in Polanco that was excellent! I had chicken with an almond mole that was delicious, the kids had the chicken without the mole and my husband had ceviche as an appetizer and another fish as his main course and he also enjoyed his meal. The deserts were very good too. It was really nice to end the day in such a high note.
Monday, January 2, 2012
The Basilica and the Pyramid
On our first day of vacation, we decided to go to the Pyramids. I always wanted to go there, but did not have time on the other trips. I also mentioned to the driver that I would like to go to the Virgin de Guadalupe Church and he suggested we went to see both on the same day since the "Basilica" is on the way to the pyramids. And so we did, the kids, the driver and I. it took about 40 minutes to get there.
The neighborhood where the churches are is a little rough. I say the churches because there are several churches at the same site. All of them have been home to the image of the Virgin. Well, we couldn't park at the churches parking lot because many streets were closed. We parked a few blocks away and had to walk thru a street market to get there. I did not feel very safe walking around with the kids and I won't bring them back if I have to return there. We visited 4 churches but decided not to climb the mountain. We had to save some energy for the pyramids. I thought we would see a statue of the virgin but all we saw was a painting.
After visiting the churches we headed to the Pyramids. It took us about an hour to get there and the drive wasn't so bad. We decided not to hire a guide, I had studied some history before the trip to explain things to the kids and we wanted the freedom to go wherever and whenever we wanted to- the guides were charging 500 pesos to foreigners and 200 pesos to locals but you can negotiate the local price but they only spoke spanish.
The pyramids were impressive. We were told by a local that we had to climb them in a zig zag pattern not to upset the Gods. And so we did not to take any chances. We got to the top tired. The kids had to take a couple of breaks, but we were glad we climbed. Going down was much easier. We also visited the museum. Then it was time to have lunch and go back to Mexico City and try to avoid traffic.
I just got back From Mexico City
My husband had to work during Christmas week, so we decided to spend Christmas and New year in Mexico City. I'll be posting more pictures soon and I'll also let you know how I kept the kids and myself entertained for 2 weeks.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Globalization and Adaptation
I've been discussing a bit about globalization and how to adapt to a new culture, recently. Basically there are two point of views. One is to try to completely integrate and assimilate the new culture and the other is to mix two or more cultures as a way to adapt.
Lots of times HR for multinational companies will have people coming to talk about how people should adapt to different cultures. They preach that you not only need to learn the language but also try to assimilate as much of the new culture as you possibly can. They say: when in Rome, do as the romans do. This way you'll be more effective and get everything done easier.
From a wife point of view, I beg to differ. I believe that we do need to learn the new language - for practical reasons and for having the chance to do so. But I loved learning different languages since I was a child. Learning the language of the country you chose to move to will make your life easier. And even tough I ended up not moving to Mexico I am now fluent in spanish. About assimilating the culture, there are certain aspects that you will have to assimilate and some that you don't. My family likes brazilian and mexican food, but we would still bring lots of maple syrup and cereal back home. We also had to adapt to the time concept - what's considered late here in not considered late in other places. Lunch and dinner times are also different. It is not a good or a bad thing. it's different. And if you want to have a social life you need to adapt. But I would keep some traditions, like celebrating halloween throwing a big party. I trust the dentists in the US better. I will not drink coffee at night. I can adapt and assimilate a bit, but I also need to keep my sense of self.
From a professional point of view, I don't agree when they tell expats to act as locals at work. To me this is a big mistake. First of all, they couldn't find a local to do that specific job. Hint bringing an expat to get the job done. Second, most companies who send expats abroad are american companies. So how about speaking english at the meetings until the expat has had the chance to learn the local language? Many times english is the official language of the companies but many people will refuse to speak english. Third, in places like Sao Paulo, for example, people would work until the wee hours. If you value your family time and are used to work from 8 to 5, leaving at 6 is ok but leaving at 8 is unthinkable. How about holding more efficient meetings and saving time? Many times people on the local operations forget that they need to report to the home office. That the home office is the entity who allows them to exist and funds them. They don't call the shots, the home office does and also implement the changes. If the locals don't like it they should work for a local company.
As a dear friend once put it, he's not an exchange student. He's an expat who was relocated to get a job done. He needs to understand the country and how they operate so he can fix the problems and get the job the home office wants done, done. If he does things the way they were being done before there would be no need for him to have been sent there in the first place. So take the good out of the country and operation and discard the bad. There's always a lot of good.
Lots of times HR for multinational companies will have people coming to talk about how people should adapt to different cultures. They preach that you not only need to learn the language but also try to assimilate as much of the new culture as you possibly can. They say: when in Rome, do as the romans do. This way you'll be more effective and get everything done easier.
From a wife point of view, I beg to differ. I believe that we do need to learn the new language - for practical reasons and for having the chance to do so. But I loved learning different languages since I was a child. Learning the language of the country you chose to move to will make your life easier. And even tough I ended up not moving to Mexico I am now fluent in spanish. About assimilating the culture, there are certain aspects that you will have to assimilate and some that you don't. My family likes brazilian and mexican food, but we would still bring lots of maple syrup and cereal back home. We also had to adapt to the time concept - what's considered late here in not considered late in other places. Lunch and dinner times are also different. It is not a good or a bad thing. it's different. And if you want to have a social life you need to adapt. But I would keep some traditions, like celebrating halloween throwing a big party. I trust the dentists in the US better. I will not drink coffee at night. I can adapt and assimilate a bit, but I also need to keep my sense of self.
From a professional point of view, I don't agree when they tell expats to act as locals at work. To me this is a big mistake. First of all, they couldn't find a local to do that specific job. Hint bringing an expat to get the job done. Second, most companies who send expats abroad are american companies. So how about speaking english at the meetings until the expat has had the chance to learn the local language? Many times english is the official language of the companies but many people will refuse to speak english. Third, in places like Sao Paulo, for example, people would work until the wee hours. If you value your family time and are used to work from 8 to 5, leaving at 6 is ok but leaving at 8 is unthinkable. How about holding more efficient meetings and saving time? Many times people on the local operations forget that they need to report to the home office. That the home office is the entity who allows them to exist and funds them. They don't call the shots, the home office does and also implement the changes. If the locals don't like it they should work for a local company.
As a dear friend once put it, he's not an exchange student. He's an expat who was relocated to get a job done. He needs to understand the country and how they operate so he can fix the problems and get the job the home office wants done, done. If he does things the way they were being done before there would be no need for him to have been sent there in the first place. So take the good out of the country and operation and discard the bad. There's always a lot of good.
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