“But why São Paulo? Couldn’t you get the same things in any big city?” – I was asked by a young guy dancing next to me, and, needless to say, a dance floor is not necessarily the best place to reflect on anything else than the quality of music. But somehow I did. I was at a lovely Palestinian restaurant (that turns into a cool dance place, it seems!), dancing with my awesome housemate to some funky beats and even to some Calle 13, enjoying those small glasses of beer that anyone who has been to Brazil must know. Suddenly, in an unnecessarily dramatic way, more aspects of my life in SP flashed before my eyes, and I knew the answer to that question that was just shouted out to me.

“You know what? I don’t think I could!”

São Paulo has definitely been a huge discovery for me last year, and I’ve even written about it before (it doesn’t make sense to insert a hyperlink here coz you can simply scroll down and see that post, if you’re not too lazy and are in the mood to continue your procrastination). And even with all the annoying things that the time spent here has revealed to me (for example, that people don’t know how to freakin’ walk on sidewalks, which, you would think, shouldn’t seem that complicated!), it is still one cool place to live.

Buying cheap veggies and fruits from a local street market (I feel I should google what happens if one overdoses pineapple…), being able to get some exercise outdoors most of the time (note the difference between “getting some exercise…” and “being able to get some exercise…”), enjoying all those free events, definitely abusing catuaba (see the photo on the left) at street parties, and being able to sometimes escape the city to go to a beautiful beach in the same state: you can’t get that in any city.  Other megacities might have more, but not the combination described, which is a combination I happen to enjoy greatly.

I have mentioned many times throughout this blog that I am from a tiny village in Lithuania, and, although I have spent a considerable part of my life in what could be described as cities or at least towns, I have never considered myself a city person (whatever that means). When I came to Brazil, I had zero interest in even visiting São Paulo. That is why it is still so surprising to me that when I came here, for work, I felt that I could…I could live here, and, well, I do now.

..it is so surprising that I just can’t shut up writing about it, I know. I guess I’m secretly testing what is needed to alienate an already small blog audience.

On a similar note – thank you, that small audience!