Forum
Monthly Newsletter
In This Issue
TCKs
Page 4: An in-depth view at the
challenges of bringing up Third
Culture Kids - and tips on how to
ease transitions.
AmSoc Athletics
Page 6: Highlights and the full
schedule of the upcoming AmSoc
athletic events including a Charity
Softball Invitational.
Bexiga Fleamarket
Page 7: Looking for something to
do this Sunday? Read this article
on what can be found when
antiquing in Bexiga.
September events
Pages 10 & 11: Get the full
overview on what is happening in
São Paulo this month, including
exhibitions and fun tours!
Our Mission
The American Society of São Paulo
promotes friendship by organizing
social, cultural and athletic events for
its diverse membership; encourages
integration with the Brazilian society;
and supports the American traditions
of education, philanthropy and
volunteerism.
See improv theater at its best
São Paulo’s Playback Theatre will be
performing your story on October 24 at
Graded School.
What is Playback Theatre? It’s a
group of professional actors who have
no specific story
to tell at any given
performance.
Their leader,
Antonio Ferrara,
will ask you, if you
raise your hand, to
come on stage and
tell a story from your life. He elicits
details as you explain exactly what
happened and why the story is important
to you. And then you sit down to the side
of the stage and watch.
The actors, without rehearsal or
discussion, act out your story, complete
with props and musical accompaniment.
In the process, a simple outing,
misadventure in traffic, family conflict
or reunion with an old friend becomes
Can you be an Angel?
With two months left till the American
Society Angel Party, there’s still a lot of
work to do. We need you!
The Angel Party is a Christmas party
held each year, this year on November 6,
for over 220 children in day care centers,
orphanages and educational programs, all
funded in part by the American Society
and people like you. The party is held at
Chapel School and the kids have a great
day of food, games and fun. At the end of
the party, Santa Claus comes and gives
each child a special gift bag with presents
for just that child.
We’re in desperate need of people to
help Santa by shopping for all the items
in one child’s bag. The list looks like this:
tennis shoes, a backpack, a toy, pants
and a shirt, socks, underwear, a coat or
September 2010
www.amsoc.com.br
a theatrical production that an entire
theater full of people can enjoy. It’s
an astounding and often emotional
experience watching your, or someone
else’s story, come to life.
Ferrara is
Brazilian but he
and his actors speak
English. And once
the actors start
performing, few
words are spoken
in any language.
Don’t let your lack of perfect Portuguese
keep you away. You won’t need much
in the way of Portuguese or English to
understand what’s going on and have a
great time.
All proceeds from this event will go
to the American Society’s Community
Action Committee. This money will then
be dispersed to the orphanages, day care
centers and educational programs that it
supports. (For details see page 11)
sweatshirt and some candy.
And then we need plenty of help with
organizing the party, from rounding
up sponsors, donors, prizes and cash to
helping on the day of the party. There’s
a lot of work to be done. But it’s a great
way to meet new people, lose weight and
save the world all at the same time. Come
help make the eleventh Angel Party the
best party yet.
Please contact Eileen Tasso
(eileentasso@gmail.com) or Sue Banman
Sileci (sue@sileci.com) if you would like
to help.
Read more on page 9 about the impact the
Angel Party makes on the participating
children.

The President’s Corner
Recently I
made a visit
over to the US
Consulate in São
Paulo where I had
the chance to meet
São Paulo’s new
Consul General,
Thomas Kelly
and several of
By Tim Scott, AmSoc president the staff. It was a
pleasure to meet Mr. Kelly and the team
and learn more about the work they
do in our city; dedicatedly serving the
American community, serving many
Brazilian citizens and giving leadership
to numerous Brazil - U.S. issues. The
Consulate has recently made significant
investments in facilities, processes and
people to accelerate the visa process.
Turning to another American Society
topic, here is something I’d like us all
to ask: Where can I apply my Helping
Hands? “My what?” you are saying.
Helping Hands in the American Society
is first of all a class of membership that
applies 50% of your membership fee
to help make a lasting difference in
the lives of children in our carefully
screened orphanages. Secondly, Helping
Hands is part of our American Society’s
mission, encouraging you and me to
support our philanthropic work as led
by our Community Action Committee.
Finally, Helping Hands is the attitude of
volunteerism that helps make Amsoc a
great organization.
Where else could I apply my Helping
Forum is published monthly, with
the exception of January and July, by
About Forum
The American Society of São Paulo
Rua da Paz, 1431 04713-001 São Paulo, SP
Tel: (11) 5182-2074 Fax: (11) 5182-9155
forum@amsoc.com.br
2 Forum
Hands? Well, how about coaching
the Little League? Or, how about
helping with our Cultural or Social
Committees? The American Society
regularly hosts social and cultural
activities. We have enthusiastic
committee chairmen in place, but
do need your Helping Hands for
support, working to create quality
events for the enjoyment of our
Society. We are also recruiting a few
additional American Society Board
Members to help manage our new
web blogs, web site updates and
marketing.
The American Society is
working to better connect with our
younger generations. We have a
new membership class for 30 and
under called Junior, offering Amsoc
benefits at a greatly reduced price.
Coming up soon on the American
Society agenda are Friday evening
happy hour events, targeting young
professionals; as well as those of us
young at heart.
The American Society seeks to
engage our membership in quality
events and philanthropic work
that builds a spirit of community,
friendship and support. We count
on your Helping Hands to join in
with the activities I’ve listed above.
Let us know of your interests by
contacting the American Society
office or me.
Abraços, Tim
Lynn Cordeiro, editor and layout
Simon Tharby, staff writer
Forum is printed by EGB.
(http://www.egb.com.br)
Views expressed in Forum do
not necessarily reflect those of
the American Society board of
governors, members, or staff.
Forum reserves the right to edit
content for brevity and/or clarity.
Newcomer
profile
Name: Jennifer
Showers
Origin, time here: I
was born in Germany
and raised in upstate
New York. After
university, I moved
to France to teach
English (and to
ski!). I went to law
school in London
and, after 5 years
abroad, returned to the States and worked
in two fantastic cities - New York and San
Francisco.
Why São Paulo?: São Paulo chose me, or
rather a Paulista chose me. We met in San
Francisco and he imported me and our dog
Piper to São Paulo two months ago.
Best things so far: São Paulo is full of
the best of “big city” life including career
opportunities, talented people, fabulous
restaurants, art, and dance, to name a few. In
the midst of all of this Brazilians still manage
to place great emphasis on the importance
of family. It makes me wonder if this might
be the perfect place to find a healthy balance
between having a career and a family. Time
will tell!
Early frustrations: Moving to a new country
is a challenge and the most difficult moments
for me have related to paperwork and
bureaucracy. As a multi-national couple, at
least one of us will always be “living abroad”
and administrative demands will always be
a part of our lives.
Have ‘saudade’ for anything back home?:
Cranberries!!! and unsweetened juice, neither
of which Customs allows me to bring in to
Brazil.
Progress with Portuguese: I would say
that after two months of lessons my level
of Portuguese is roughly akin to a very
polite, smiling Tarzan. Luckily, the desire
to communicate is a strong motivator and I
have a great Portuguese teacher. I’ll always
have an accent but I look forward to achieving
competency!
Favorite place to hang out: In addition to
great restaurants, Vila Madelena is packed
with excellent yoga and modern dance
schools, hair salons, and art studios, all of
which appeal to my bohemian side.
September
 The American Society
of São Paulo

Welcome new members from July

While many of us were on vacation, New Members were joining our association in Brazil. Congratulations to
the following members, who joined us in July, 2010! See you all at our Halloween Party if not sooner!!!
Your Membership committee

Name Membership Type Citizenship Company or Profession

Robert & Miriam Mueller Family American Mirosh Ltda.

Charles McNaughton Single Brasilian Gaudencio, McNaughton &

Prado Advogados

Robert Shoe & Daniela Fazoli Family Patron American BAND Idiomas & Traduções

Jose & Marcela Lizarraga Family Patron American Hotels.com

Marybeth Lynch Single American

Todd & Melissa Harkin Family Patron American Outback Steak House (YUM!)

Guilherme & Cheryl De Oliveira Family Patron American

Teresa Murtaugh Junior American

Fellowship Community Church

The Welcome Place since 1921
Phone (11) 3253-7609 www.fellowship.com.br

09:00 am - Walking in Faith Classes (English and Portuguese)

Sunday’s 10:30 am – Worship Service (English only)

06:00 pm – Culto em português

Conveniently located on Rua Carlos Sampaio, 107 – Bela Vista

Just a block and a half from the Brigadeiro Metro station on the Avenida Paulista

2010 Forum 3
 The challenges of bringing up Third Culture Kids
by Jami Mabile Oakley, AmSoc Member
When a family with children decides
to live away from one or both of the
parents’ home countries, how the
move will affect the kids is one of
the most important factors taken into
consideration. Whether the move is
long- or short-term, these kids become
part of a group that is growing larger and
more acknowledged every day – Third
Culture Kids, commonly referred to as
“TCKs.” Perhaps today’s most famous
example of a classic TCK is U.S.
President Barak Obama, who was born
in Hawaii to an American mother and
a Kenyan father and spent part of his
childhood in Indonesia. Much has been
made of the fact that he filled many of
his cabinet positions with other TCKs,
bringing to light the idea that TCKs
are known to have many of the same
personality traits, interpersonal skills
and problem-solving methods. So what
is the difference between someone who
simply lives for a time as an expat and
a true TCK? And what does it mean for
kids and parents of those kids?
A TCK is generally defined as
someone who grows up in a culture
that is not the home culture of one
or both of their parents and is not
their own “passport country.” In São
Paulo a true TCK will not only learn
to speak Portuguese, but will learn
to think Brazilian. They absorb the
cultures and worldviews of the country
they are living in and mesh them with
the cultures and worldviews of their
passport country to form a unique
cultural identity. Technically, TCKs
are not the kids who live out of their
home country for a year or two, in our
case soaking in the Brazilian beaches
and São Paulo traffic while attending
an international school and eating a
lifetime’s share of feijao e arroz, then
returning to the states for the duration
of adolescence. That distinction aside,
many identical challenges and benefits
are shared by TCKs and short-term
expats, who may feel many of the same
effects, though perhaps to a lesser
degree.
4 Forum
In the mid 80’s one of the earlier
researchers on the subject, sociologist
Dr. Ted Ward of Michigan State
University, called TCKs, “the prototype
citizens of the future.” So what makes
TCKs different than those who grow up
mono-culturally? Statistics say that they
are more likely to graduate from college
and less likely to divorce, though they
will graduate from college and marry
years later than average Americans, and
are more likely to live internationally as
adults. More than anything, TCKs tend
to share a set of characteristics assumed
to be formed as a result of the globally
nomadic lifestyle. Being multi-lingual,
having a real-life global education
outside of social studies class and
natural mediation skills resulting from
a lifetime of cultural navigation make
these kids seem destined for success.
The personal growth a child or
adolescent (or anyone for that matter)
goes through during an international
living experience is of such magnitude
that its very often not moving and
adjusting to a new culture that hits the
hardest – it’s the returning home to
their passport countries to assimilate
(or re-assimilate) there.
Studies show that large percentages
of American TCKs report never really
feeling like they fit in after moving
“home” to the United States, having
missed a part of adolescence that forms
among a shared culture and having
experienced in its place something so
profound that they have difficulty truly
relating to those friends back at home
who haven’t shared in their discoveries
of the world and of themselves. Of
course it’s very possible and likely
that TCKs can thrive as a result of
their larger cultural identity instead of
feeling the negative effects of a cultural
identity crisis.
In general, an opportunity to live
abroad is considered a great way for a
child to get ahead in life, to grow and
learn years beyond what they would
in a similar period at home. The expat
experience can make families grow
closer, afford excellent educational
opportunities and travel options beyond
most people’s wildest dreams. Kids
will have a wealth of experiences to
draw from, which, without having left
the comfort of home, would only be
glimpsed through books and television.
One hopes that for the rest of their
lives goals will be more far-reaching,
horizons expanded and boundaries
eradicated. As the globally nomadic
life takes your family to one place or
another or keeps you rooted for years
in a particular “third culture,” there are
simply a different set of issues to be
aware of as parents.
Just as you and your counterparts
back home are facing the common
battles of instilling good values in
your kids, hoping that they make nice
friends and trying as best you can
to assist with emotional and social
development, there is an additional and
very particular set of challenges to help
your TCK navigate adolescence and the
world at large. And all this, while your
kids are growing by leaps and bounds,
deftly penetrating the ins and outs of
Brazilian popular culture and probably
mastering an accent that you will work
hours in class to emulate.
Much research points to a fairly
consistent set of “good” and “bad” traits
that are the hallmarks of TCKs, but it
seems many of these can be perceived
as two sides of the same coin. For
example, a traditionally listed “good”
characteristic of a TCK is a close
relationship with parents and siblings;
a traditional “bad” characteristic is too
much dependency on parents and a
prolonged adolescence.
Advantageous side effects of living
a multi-cultural lifestyle often include
the ability to get along with most
anyone, regardless of race, nationality
or ethnicity; to see more than one
“right” solution to a problem; to have a
deeper knowledge of and empathy for
the different cultures of the world and
different worldviews.
September
 The American Society
of São Paulo

The reality is that all kids are
different, and will likely experience
the many challenges of being a TCK
somewhere along the spectrum –
from turning a particular aspect of the
lifestyle into a positive to be employed
throughout adulthood to struggling
with an issue that becomes a lifelong
challenge.
Some of the common challenges
facing TCKs can easily have negative
side effects. An indisputable truth
of the mobile nature of international
lifestyle is the transience of friends and
acquaintances. This allows problems to
simply “disappear” and “move on” as
opposed to being resolved, potentially
leading to a tendency to not follow
through on interpersonal problems and
disagreements. Being involved in a
world filled with many things that the
average child does not experience may
lead to an erratic maturity level that is
frustrating for both parents and kids
to read. For example, a typical TCK
may be well-versed in travel and even
world politics, yet remain extremely
dependent on parents and experience a
prolonged adolescence.
On that note, having a stable family
life is of above-average importance
when raising TCKs, lest they feel
particularly insecure in the world
without the safe harbor of their family
to follow wherever the expat life may
take them. This puts extra pressure
on couples to keep their marital
relationship and their relationships
with their children strong and healthy.
“Problems between parents usually
affect children emotionally and
behaviorally regardless of location,
but when there are marital conflicts
abroad, children feel doubly insecure
in their new setting,” says São Paulo-
based psychotherapist Pam Wax, who
is married to a Brazilian and is raising
three TCKs.
TIPS
Communication and Sensitivity are
Key
Communicate, about the good
and the bad and what YOU are
feeling as well. “Children can benefit
from hearing their parents express
their emotional reactions, both the
positives and the not-so-easy sides to
moving internationally. Be sensitive
to your kids’ needs. Emphasizing
only the new and exciting activities
and new friendships to be made is a
mistake. Encourage them to express
their feelings, including their sadness
and/or anxiety about saying goodbye
to friends and places,” says Wax.
Encourage the Grieving Process
Help kids to have closure and/or
to continue relationships with friends
who move on or as your family moves
on. Wax suggests that parents “assist
kids in seeing that friendships can
be maintained after parting. “Good-
byes” are a way of life for many
TCKs and parents can do a lot to help
their children through the partings
and to value the process, even when
it’s painful.” This goes for the initial
move from the home country and
subsequent moves as well – let your
kids grieve for places and former
homes instead of being too insistently
perky about “new experiences.”
Keep Things Consistent When You
Can
Give them chunks of consistency,
no matter where in the world you are.
This can include daily routines and
holiday rituals incorporating home
and host countries, or even just a
traditional vacation spot that never
changes.
support just as they provide cultural
training when leaving the U.S. Take
advantage of this and other resources
so that you are not surprised when it
comes time for the opposite of what
we’ve all already been through –
reverse culture shock can be worse.
“I probably don’t have to tell you that
coming back into the home culture
is usually more difficult than going
through culture shock overseas. We
think we should feel at home in “our”
culture, but that is often not the case,”
says Wax.
Find a True Peer Group for TCKs
Help them to connect with other
TCKs and TCK groups. This is easy
via the internet, and many groups have
physical chapters in cities around the
world. Wax recommends the book
Third Culture Kids: The Experience
of Growing Up Among Worlds, by
Ruth van Recken and David Pollock,
as well as their website community
www.tckworld.com. It might also
be beneficial to connect with an
Adult TCK group as well, for some
personal insight and to learn how
similar families react to the challenge
and adventure of international life.

Of course, like all kids to every
situation, every TCK is going to react
differently to the adventure of living in
multiple countries and cultures. Some
ways to help your kids to adjust can
be useful whether you are a short-term
expat or are raising a “citizen of the
future” who has yet to live in his or her
passport country.
Don’t Oversimplify the Move Back
“Home”
Seek out additional support upon
moving back to your home country
and/or when a teen leaves for college.
Many companies and the U.S.
Government now provide re-entry

2010 Forum 5
 AmSoc Athletics Adult Sports schedule
Commentary from the desk of John Kennedy, Director of AMSOC Athletics
Softball:

8/21
other days marked on the calendar Chapel School – noon til 5pm
are afternoons at either the Graded or Pick-up games
Chapel School´s fields for all players 8/28
to get together for a pick-up game or Graded School – noon til 5pm
a practice. pick-up games
9/11
Golf: the big event will be the 5th Chapel School – noon til 5pm – pick-
Challenge Golf Cup, which the Scots Pick-up games
will organize this year. They have 9/25
said it will most likley be on Nov. Graded School – noon til 5pm
26 at San Fernando Golf Club. This Pick-up games1
team golf match is now tied at 2-2. 10/16
Chapel School – 9am til 5pm
Football: the big event will be the Pick-up games
Abacaxi bowl on Feb. 5th of next year, 10-23 & 24
but we plan to have some organized IBUINA Park– AMSOC Softball
pick-up games after the softball season Tourney - preliminaries
is over Nov. 6 so teams and players 11/7
can start preparing for the grueling IBUINA Park – AMSOC softball
1-day Abacaxi Bowl on Feb. 5. We tourney –semi-finals & finals
Softball: the big event will be an have reserved 3 Saturdays at the end
Open Tournament co-hosted with of this year, 2010, and hopefully we´ll Tennis:
the Brazilian Beisbol Confederation have 2 more Saturdays in January to Date and location to be determined,
on Oct23-24 and then the finals on offer players who want to practice so most likely in mid November
Nov. 7. All games will be at Ibuina more before the Abacaxi bowl!
Park, a bit past Cotia on the Raposo Golf:
Tavares. We expect to have up to 16 Tennis: we hope to have an Open 11/26
teams entering, multiple teams from Team Tennis tournament before 5th Challenge Golf Cup
the Americans, Brazilians, Japanese December, where teams of 4 players San Fernando Golf Club
and Korean communities. There will will play in a round robin event and Team golf (US vs. Scots)
be a Homerun hitting contest too. The enjoy a BBQ during the day.
Flag Football:
11/13
Graded School – noon til 5pm
CHARITY SOFTBALL INVITATIONAL Pick-up games
October 24-25 & November 7, 10am 11/27
Chapel School – noon til 5pm
At Ibuina, home of Brazil´s national Baseball team. Pick-up games
3-Day Tournament: 16 teams 12/11
(R$40 for members and R$60 for non-members) Chapel School – 9am til 5pm
Pick-up games
Fundraising: Funds will be matched by the AMSOC Charity Matching 1/22/2011
Fund, serving over 1,700 children in the greater SP area. 9am til 5pm
Pick-up games to be scheduled
Food & Drinks: 1/29/2011
BBQ: offering burgers, hot dogs, soft drinks and beer on the FIRST 9am til 5pm
WEEKEND, drinks on the SECOND Saturday. Pick-up games to be scheduled
2/5/2011
Reserve your spot asap, first come serve basis! Call/email AMSOC to Abacaxi Bowl – 9am til 5pm
pay and reserve now for DEADLINE is Sept. 30 !! Location to be determined

6 Forum September

Antiquing in São Paulo: The Bixiga Fleamarket
By Stephanie Rudloe, edited by Antonio Regalado
A clay bowl filled with rock salt, garlic
and an amethyst crystal guards a pile of
sequin gowns on the sidewalk. A set of
1960’s Jacaranda chairs with damaged
cane seats lean against a rusty VW van.
Lace linens, fake jewels and cafezinho
cups. This is the Bixiga flea
market on a Sunday afternoon
in São Paulo, Brazil. Sifting
through the piles of junk and
antiques, an American living
in São Paulo, with a stylist’s
eye, can discover, or even
gradually acquire, a collection
of furnishing and objects that
speak of Brazil’s history of
decorative arts.
Looking for something
to do on a Sunday in São
Paulo? Exploring the Bixiga
flea market is entertaining
and free unless you decide
to buy. Don’t let the peddlers
with their dirty brick-a-brack
covered cloths deter you in a quest for
remembrances of Brazil’s past. The flea
market is on Sundays from 9:00 to 3:00
on Plaza Praca Dom Orione in Bixiga,
the Old Italian neighborhood in Boa
Vista is not the Porte de Clignancourt
flea market in Paris but here you can
find junk merchants and antique shops
selling wares that express a particular
essence of old Brazil back to the days
when Avenida Paulista was lined with
grand mansions built by the coffee
kings or when Brazil was a frontier of
futurist design.
Did you ever notice those men
caning chairs on the street corner in
Jardins? Just try getting a chair caned
in Hamptons. Let’s take advantage
of what São Paulo has to offer, and
scour the market for battered or broken
cane chairs at a discount. Brazilian
caned furniture originates from the
Portuguese Court’s artistic exchange
with the India in the 17th century when
India’s art of weaving cane was adapted
by Portuguese furniture makers and
exported to the colonies Keep your
eye out for colonial antique, modernist
cane chairs and canapé benches. For the
2010
most beautiful look, restore the cane
seats with the real rattan straw (ask for
‘palha’), imported from India, without
stain or paint. Do not use the plastic
substitute, even though the lower price
might be tempting.
Mid-century modern Brazilian
furniture is another flea-market
treasure. A movement called Tropical
Modernism emerged in Brazil in the
mid-20th century among visionary
Italian immigrants who created futurist
furniture for the domestic market. The
glossy dark wood of the Jacaranda tree,
native to Brazil, is often combined with
woven cane or leather seats. In Bixiga,
you may find modernist couches,
chairs, tables and consoles by unknown
artisans or pieces by well known
designers like Sergio Rodrigues, who
in 1961 created the ‘Mole’ couch and
chair out of slouchy saddle leather and
Jacaranda wood.
Tropical Modernism includes one-
of-a-kind tables and chairs carved out
of tree trunks. This furniture is often
created by unknown wood sculptors,
but occasionally you may find a chair
sculpted by Jose Zannine Caldas,
a Brazilian designer, who made a
collection of furniture out of discarded
trees from the rainforest.
The Bixiga flea market can take
more than an hour to troll through, so
stop for an agua de coco and a kibbe
The American Society
of São Paulo
from a street vendor, or a cafezinho at
the Italian restaurants.
Then start checking out small stuff
like ceramic parrots, tropical botanical
books, and the hand-blown glass by
artisans who immigrated to Brazil
from Murano, Italy in early
20th century. The Murano
style vases with swirls of hot
color and flecks of gold leaf
are perfect vessels for your
orchids from CEASP’s flower
market. Hand-carved quartz
crystal teardrops shimmer in
a dusty bin. As you rummage
through grand chandelier
pieces it is easy to imagine
how great a real rock crystal
chandelier would look over a
tropical modernist table. São
Paulo’s flea markets also have
everything you will ever need
for a formal Brazilian table
setting.
In Bixiga you can find handmade
antique lace tablecloths from the
Northeast region or the Canary Islands
as well as silver candelabras, Limoges
plates, elaborate fruitiers, cake stands
and silver coffee services which
include a tray, a coffee pot, a creamer
and a sugar bowl. Coffee culture is an
important part of Brazil’s history. Why
don’t you start a collection of vintage
demitasse cups for serving cafezinho?
Don’t forget to look for hand-blown
shot glasses to serve sparkling water.
Now rest a moment in a tattered
reproduction of a Louis XV chair.
Brazil has a passion for French style.
There are many variations of this
classic design-- wide seat, slightly
curved back and carved wooden arms-
--floating around the antique shops. If
you decided to buy a pair, give your
Louis XV’s a second life with fresh
upholstery and be sure to stuff the seat
cushions with real goose down.
Stephanie Rudloe is an interior stylist.
For more information about her
services email stephanie@shringara.
net
Forum 7
 Vivenda da Criança thanks AmSoc
By Maria Stiehm, AmSoc member

Over 20 members of the American

Society attended a brunch hosted
by Vivenda da Criança community
center in Parelheiros, São Paulo on
Saturday, August 14th, 2010. The
brunch showcased freshly baked goods
produced in Vivenda’s onsite bakery,
including a delicious pao de queijo,
breads, and a chocolate cake. Everything
was prepared by a local youth who was
trained as a baker at the center.
The brunch provided Vivenda an
opportunity to thank the American
Society for its on-going support during
the past decade. In particular, Vivenda
was a beneficiary of the American
Society’s 60th Anniversary party in
May, which yielded R$40,000 in
donations for Vivenda. The funds will
be applied towards helping the bakery
reach its goal of self-sustainability.
The bakery, built entirely from private
funding, was launched a few months
ago as part of a “social entrepreneurial”
project. The bakery project has two
primary goals. The first is to provide American society members enjoy the brunch served by Vivenda
bakery training and employment
opportunities for local youths. The a small foster home for boys into a supported the institution with funds,
second is to generate funds towards the community center and professional volunteers, and in-kind donations.
center’s self-sustainability. training center. It currently serves As part of the brunch, Vivenda
Originally founded over 20 years 1200 families in the surrounding area. dedicated the library in its professional
ago by a tireless Franciscan nun, Sister During that time, the American Society center to the American society. Tim
Ivonne, Vivenda has evolved from has partnered with Vivenda and has Scott, American Society President,
and Marlene Rubeiz, chair of the
American Society’s 60th Anniversary
party committee, spoke on behalf of the
American Society during the library’s
dedication. A plaque with an inscription
on Vivenda’s library entrance sums up
the relationship:
“We dedicate this space, frequented
by people seeking to acquire more
knowledge, to the longstanding
partnership between Vivenda da Criança
and American Society, with the certainty
that real opportunities are to provide
access to learning and constant flow
of ideas – free and unprejudiced. São
Paulo, August 7th 2010. “
If you are interested in visiting
the bakery, please contact Deborah
Rebouças, Vivenda da Criança manager,
11 5920-8492 .

8 Forum September

Being an Angel
By Simon Tharby, staff writer
With this year’s Angel Party fast ap-
proaching, (planned for November 6th),
have you ever wondered what it might
be like to be a guest at this event? Well,
The Forum has been lucky enough to
find out. Josenilson, now 18 years old,
was kind enough to talk to us about his
experiences attending the event.
Living in a
foster home
in Parelheir-
os, called
Vivenda da
Crianca, he
was first in-
vited to the
Angel Party
in 2004,
when he was
13 years old.
At this time
he had been
at Vivenda
for 9 months, and described himself as,
“still very angry with many things in
my life.”
The party was a welcome surprise
and one of the moments he remembers
when people cared about him, “The
first party you never forget, right!” It
clearly made a strong impression on
Josenilson;
“I loved the first party because I
could not imagine anything close to
what I saw there. Lots of delicious food,
nice treats and games, and the best part;
I received a pair of jeans, a really cool
shirt, a skate board and a complete set
of clothing! I will never forget that.”
Come and volunteer for the
Halloween party!
Volunteers are needed to help
prepare the annual Halloween Party.
Come and be a kid again. Whether to
bring back candy from USA on your
next business trip or to help decorate
or to make cupcakes, we need you!
2010
He attended the the following
three Angel Parties, up until 2007.
Thinking back on these experienc-
es, Josenilson said, “What I learned
is that you need to help people to be
helped. I was very young and in a
very bad place.
Nowadays, I see how important
these parties
were for me,
because I in São Paulo. Even the emporiums and
saw so many
people help-
ing me and
other kids,
so we could
have the
party and the
gifts.”
And final-
ly, Josenil-
son, wanted
to speak
directly to those who have worked
at, or contributed to, the Angel Par-
ties; “If I could be face to face with
everyone who gave me the presents
and worked as a volunteer in the
party, I would say two things:
1. God bless you and thank you for
all your work.
2. Kids like me need more than
gifts. They need coaching. So if you
can, be a tutor for a kid that does not
have someone to guide him or her.
Thank you !”
Organizational meetings will be
held at the home of Ruth Hollard
on Wednesday September 8th
and Wednesday September 22nd.
Ruthhollard@hotmail.com or 9405-
6424.
The American Society
of São Paulo
Things we
missed
What Mark Abrams missed: Good
Mexican Salsa and Plain Corn Chips
What he found: Dippa Doritos Chips
and Dippas tomato dips (cheese and
tomato). I always try to incorporate
enough time to my international trips to
be able to purchase delicious salsa to take
back to Brazil. Rarely can one find it on
the shelves of any of the supermarkets
specialty stores don’t seem to stock it.
Now, however, thanks to the wonderful
folks at PepsiCo’s Elma Chips we have
those great plain corn chips that even
come in a large bag (approximately R$
3,75 for a 170 grams). Thankfully the
days are gone when we could only find
Doritos Nacho flavored chips here.
Now for the salsa: The best way I’ve
found to improvise an easy to make
salsa-like dip as an appetizer for say
8 to 10 people is to take 2 cans of the
Dippa tomato dip (approximately R$
4,85 per 170 gram can), half an onion,
half a green bell pepper, a small tomato,
lime and Tabasco sauce. I dice the onion,
tomato and green pepper together, add
to the Dippa tomato dip base, squeeze in
the juice from a wedge of lime and add
around 1/8 fl.oz or 3.7 ml. of Tobasco
sauce because we like it HOT! I’ve
also found that some people like a little
sugar added to reduce the acidity of
the tomatoes. The amount of Tobasco
really depends on your preference for
hot, medium or mild so experiment
continuously as you add a little Tobasco
at a time to get it to the spiciness you
like.
‘Things we missed’ is a new column that
introduces products and services that
are new or were hard to find in Brazil. If
you have an idea for a product or service
that could be featured please write to
forum@amsoc.com.br
Please note that Forum is not
endorsing these products and services
and does not take any responsibility
for quality and/or performance or lack
thereof.
Forum 9
 Mark your calendars!
71st Annual Flower Show
Where: The Brazilian British Center is
located at Rua Ferreira Araújo, 741, in
Pinheiros.
When: September Sat 11 & Sun 12
By kind permission of the Cultura
Inglesa, the São Paulo Garden Club
will present its 71st Anual Flower
Show this coming Sept 11 and 12.
The theme this year is “BRAZIL
FROM NORTH TO SOUTH”, and
exhibitors will show, with flowers,
their interpretation of the Amazon
rainforest, the Pantanal, Brasília-
50 years, the influence of Italian
immigrants and carnival and many
more.
Relaxation of chronically overused
muscles and use of unused muscles
enhance circulation and bring the body
into better balance.
Scandinavium – Campo Belo -
Wednesday, September 15th from
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Coffee and Petit Fours
Investment: R$ 25,00
Register at 11 99889974. With
Marianne Asmussen Aguirre
Horseback riding & Sunset
Where: Itu (92 km or 57miles from
São Paulo)
Picnic in Jardim Botânico
Where: São Paulo
When: Tuesday September 28, 2010
Meeting point: American Society
lobby.
Price: R$ 90.00/person includes:
transport, Jardim Botânico entrance
ticket, lunch
RSVP by Monday, September 20
For more details contact Luciana (11
8393 7779 concierge@expat.com.br)

The exhibition will open to the When: Saturday, September 18,

public Saturday, Sept. 11, from 10a.m.
to 6.30p.m. and Sunday, Sept 12, from
10a.m. to 5 p.m.
The admission is free.
Lunch and tea will be served on
Saturday and Sunday.
2010, 1:15PM - 11pm
Meeting point: American Society
parking lot.
Price: R$ 225.00/person includes:
transport, farm entrance ticket, horse,
dinner, drink vouchers (R$ 15.00) and
sun set!

Better Health for your RSVP by Monday, September 13

Body and Vision – Seminar For more details contact Luciana (11
with Marianne Asmussen Aguirre 8393 7779 concierge@expat.com.br)

Come and participate in a sample class

of exercises using the Meir Schneider
Self-Healing Method.

We will work on body and vision –

they are interrelated. You can create
profound changes in your body through
gentle movement, breath work, self-
massage, visualization and vision
improvement.
Working on your vision and body
in a group setting is fun, effective and
empowering, as people around you
experience improvements in their own
needs. Unbalanced, poor visual habits
and accumulated eyestrain compromise
the health and function of the eyes.
Relaxation of the eyes and proper use
will improve vision.

10 Forum September

Upcoming cultural events
JULY 31st - SEPTEMBER 5th
KEITH HARING
Caixa Cultural
Av. Paulista 2083
A wonderful exhibit of 94 selected
works of art, photographs and videos
of American Pop artist and icon, Keith
Haring. An amazing exhibit not to be
missed!
THURSDAY - SEPTEMBER 9th
EXCLUSIVE JEWELRY DESIGN
TOUR
An exclusive tour specially organized
by Flavia Liz of unique in SP.
This is a unique opportunity for
a private visit with internationally
rewarded jewelry designers in their
ateliers! Have a coffee, informative
and personal chat, and learn from the
designers how they create their pieces
of jewelry!
9am meeting point American Society
parking lot. Cost depends on number
of persons. RSVP Kim Corcoran
kimcores@yahoo.com or call 3071-
1685. To learn more about Flavia Liz
and her tours visit www.uniqueinsp.
com
AUGUST 14th - SEPTEMBER 4th
EXHIBIT NAIVE ARTIST ISABEL
DE JESUS
Galeria Jacques Ardies
This gallery is known for it collection
of Brazilian naive artists. Located in
a charming converted house, it is a
wonderful place to see the colorful
work of artist Isabel de Jesus.
For more information visit www.ardies.
com
WEDNESDAY - SEPTEMBER 29th
BAKING CLASS AND BRUNCH AT
VIVENDA DE CRIANCA
2010
9am depart from AMSOC parking lot,
return 2pm
Vivenda will have a van to take people
Rua da Paz 1431, Santo Amaro
RSVP Kim Corcoran kimcores@
yahoo.com or call 3071-1685
Cost R$ 150,00 per person (which is a
donation to Vivenda da Criança).
For more info on Vivenda visit www.
vivendadacrianca.com.br
This is a special opportunity to
visit with one of AMSOC community
assistance programs, Vivenda da
Criança’s newly inaugurated bakery!
We will have an exclusive class
given by the students on how to make
their delicious Pao de Queijo and
more! Afterwards a wonderful brunch
will be served. Will be exciting for
all! Imagine learning how to make the
Brazilian treats from a young group of
Bakers!
THURSDAY - OCTOBER 7th
UNIQUE STREET ART TOUR
9am meeting point to be determined
cost depends of number of persons
RSVP Kim Corcoran kimcores@
yahoo.com or call 3071-1685
This is an unusual and fascinating
tour exclusively organized by Flavia
Liz of Unique in SP.
A look at the urban interventions
of world-renowned Brazilian artists
that re-draw the personality of the
metropolis. The tour may include a
chat with an artist, a visit to a street art
gallery or to an important social project.
Truly a one of a kind opportunity to see
a different side of São Paulo!
SUNDAY - OCTOBER 24th
PLAYBACK THEATER
5.30pm
Graded School
Av. Pres. Giovanni Gronchi 4710
An interactive Theater Group that
improvises a story or situation from a
The American Society
of São Paulo
volunteer in the audience.
Brilliant, creative and lots of fun!
Not to be missed!
Tickets: R$30,00 (call the American
Society to purchase your ticket). 100%
of ticket sales go towards AMSOC
Community Assistance programs.
Each ticket will provide the holder
admission to the performance and a
chance to win an outstanding raffle
prize. Not recommended for children
under 12yrs of age
THURSDAY - NOVEMBER 4th
CHARITY EVENT
Brazilian Contemporary Art Auction
Cocktail 7pm to 9pm
Auction 9pm to 11pm
Mube
Museu Brasileiro da Escultura
Av. Europa 218
Many of Brazil´s most well known
contemporary artists will be donating
works to be auctioned in support of
Associação Vida Jovem and ILADH
(Latin American Human Rights
Institute). Over 100 outstanding works
of art and 15 truly unique items (resorts,
restaurants, sports related memorabilia)
will be auctioned.
A private guided tour is planned
for AMSOC members on the day of
the auction by renowned art critic
Paul Klein. This will be a wonderful
opportunity to see the artwork and
learn more about the artists!
THURSDAY - NOVEMBER 11th
São PAULO FASHION TOUR
9am meeting point to be determined,
cost depends of number of persons.
RSVP Kim Corcoran kimcores@
yahoo.com or call 3071-1685
Designed especially by Flavia Liz,
another most unique tour! Imagine
having the opportunity and access
to Brazil’s creative and important
designers, all a part of the avant-garde
fashion world!
Forum 11
 Corporate Sponsors - Without
YOU where would we be?
By Richard Wegman, AmSoc Board member
In today’s world Social
Responsibility is becoming a
corporate direction which helps put a
good face to the public. Well, that’s
not all bad, because over the last sixty
years the American Society of São
Paulo has been providing a place for
many charities to receive the financial
support and personal commitment
to make their communities a better
place to live. In addition, AMSOC
provides training for these charities to
support sustainability and continued
expansion of services.
Some of these services come with
technology, some with old fashion
work and personal involvement and
some through generous financial
contributions. All of these areas
are necessary to have an impact
on “making a difference” in our
communities.
Last month many of us at AMSOC
took advantage of an opportunity to
visit one of the charities we support.
We were extremely impressed by the
commitment of the people within
the organization and the level of
professionalism with which they
conducted their activities for children
and the community at large.
They have combined technology
and personal activities to build an
entire community center which
12 Forum
includes training for the children to
become active members of society.
Many financial contributions have
allowed them to install and operate
a bakery, a hair salon, a school, a
library, and an organic garden, all of
which are used to provide the children
with skills that are necessary to earn
a living and provide for the future
(theirs and their future children).
This was an amazing visit and
a BIG eye opener about what can
be accomplished when vision,
personal commitment and financial
contributions come together for the
greater good of others.
So, THANK YOU to all of our
corporate sponsors, for your continued
support, truly, without you our impact
on the community would be only a
fraction of what is happening.
A very special thanks goes to
Mangels Industrial S.A., both
personally and professional. Robert
and Sandra have supported AMSOC
for many years, not only financially,
but by hosting our annual Egg Nog
party and other events as well. Many
Thanks again for your continued
support.
Your Corporate Sponsorship
Committee
Individual or Groups
Course WHERE
English Company
Spanish Home
Portuguese University
ANY TIME !
www.englishintheoffice.com.br
relationship@englishintheoffice.com.br
Phone: 011 – 50443859
September

2010 Caledonian ball
The St. Andrew Society of
the State of São Paulo will hold
its annual Caledonian Ball on
Saturday, September 18, 2010 at
the Rosa Rosarum in the Pinheiros
neighbourhood of São Paulo.
For those of you who are new to
São Paulo, the Caledonian Ball is one
of São Paulo´s most popular black tie
events, and it is a wonderful Scottish
evening with something for everyone.
The cocktail reception will begin at
8:00 pm followed by a four-course
dinner with fine wines, whiskys and
other beverages. Throughout the
evening, there will be Scottish bagpipe
music provided by the St. Andrew
Society Pipes and
Drums, as well as
Scottish country
dancing. For
those who enjoy
a bit of pop or
disco, additional
music will also
be provided by a
DJ. Ticket prices
are R$ 240 per
person (R$180
for teachers and anyone under the
age of thirty), and can be purchased
individually or for tables of eight
to ten. As always, profits from this
event are donated to charities for
2010
impoverished and underprivileged
children in the state of São Paulo.
For those who would like to polish
their Scottish dancing skills before
the ball, the Society will be hosting
Scottish dance practices for the
Caledonian Ball on the following
evenings at 8:00 pm at the Brazilian
British Centre, Rua Ferreira de
Araujo, 741: August 9th (in the foyer)
September 8th (on the first floor) and
September 13th (in the foyer). These
evenings are always great fun and are
free of charge and open to everyone,
even those who don´t intend to go to
the Caledonian Ball. So please come
and join us.
For further
information
about the ball,
or to make
reservations
and purchase
tickets, please
contact Marcia
Furlani at:
5502-6875 or by
email marcia.
furlani@
lloydstsb.com.br. As always, a very
large turnout is expected for the ball.
Space will be limited, so everyone
is urged to book tickets as early as
possible.
The American Society
of São Paulo
Members tip
SweetCarolina, “The Art of Cake”
by Paola Puchetti
Recommended by Marcia and
Matthew Smith
SweetCarolina is an exclusive
boutique pastry shop in São Paulo
that offers unique and delicious
design cakes and cupcakes. With her
Italian background and American
education Paola brings exquisite
Italian and American recipes to the
finest Brazilian audience.
After an MBA in Finance and a
subsequent career on Wall Street,
Paola decided to follow her passion
by attending pastry classes with the
famous Colette Peters in the US and
then opening her own pastry shop in
São Paulo.
At SweetCarolina all the cakes
and cupcakes are made to order and
tailored to cater for every type of
event. Only the finest ingredients
are used to guarantee delicious
rich flavors. Paola’s decorating
techniques achieve beautiful and
delicately designed sweet works of
art.
She has in the past catered parties
for a number of AmSoc members
who vouch for her quality and
wholeheartedly recommend her
services to Forum readers.
www.sweetcarolina.com.br
contato@sweetcarolina.com.br
Tel (11) 8787 3050
Follow us on Twitter @
SweetCarolCakes and Facebook!
Forum 13

H ousing
Elegant furnished house in
Tamboré
Beautiful recently professionally deco-
rated furnished house for rent. 600 m²
with 2,000 m² of land. Heated swim-
ming pool. Nice barbecue area and out-
door porch. 4 suites, family room, liv-
ing, dinning, large kitchen, maids room
and 3 car garage. The House is complete
ready to live in for high level execu-
tive. To see photos, visit www.suzimo-
niz.com.br – Avenida Marília,105. To
visit the house, call (11) 8179-3131.
Furnished Apartment for Rent
Vila Nova Conceição. São Paulo’s best
place to live. Near Ibirapuera Park.
Modern building with sports facilities,
heated swimming pool, three bedrooms
(one suite), a living room with terrace,
complete kitchen, maid’s bedroom and
bathroom, big service area, two park-
ing spaces. Fully furnished with all
appliances. Telephone included. Call
Alex or Eliane at (11) 3849-7085 or
(11) 8635-7788, or send an e-mail to
alex@caboverde.com.br.
Moving
For Sale - American King Bed & Ma-
tress and matching night stands. Please
call: Duncan 5548.2828 or randalld@
globo.com
Taylor Real Estate
Luxury spacious houses, apartments
and penthouses. Sales and rentals. Ten
years experience with expatriates. Fur-
nished and unfurnished. Trilingual Real
Estate agents. References from consul-
ates and multinationals. Photos sent by
email. Relocation Service. Consult the
site: www.taylorimoveis.com. Email
- taylor@taylorimoveis.com. Phone:
5511 3079 8888 and 5511 8774 5100
(Maria Elisa).
14 Forum
S ervices
Cognitive Psychologist -
Adults/Teenagers
Beatriz Paes, CRP 06/73973 - As a psy-
chotherapist, I am committed to helping
clients develop greater personal insight
and behavioral change. Psychotherapy
can end self-criticism, and improve re-
lationships. My approach is relaxed,
and collaborative. Portuguese and
English - Home visits available. Eve-
ning and weekend appointments also.
Contact: (11) 7642-0552 / mbmpaes@
terra.com.br / http://sites.google.com/
site/therapybr
Portuguese classes
Experienced teacher, graduated from
the Catholic University of São Paulo,
in Portuguese and
English. You can improve your spoken
Portuguese, and your reading and writ-
ing skills. Get in touch with tips about
social and professional life in Brazil,
and learn local expressions. Classes
are tailored according to your needs.
Contact Bia at (11) 5051-2838 or mb-
mpaes@hotmail.com.
Psychotherapist for Ex-Pats
Serving Adults, Children, and Fami-
lies (also couples) struggling with all
adjustment issues. Specializing in is-
sues of divorce, separation, and recon-
ciliation. Many years experience with
drug/ alcohol issues. USA licensed as
MFT. Jungian Analyst experienced in
Sandtray, Dreamwork (groups also),
and Cognitive/ Behavioral therapy.
Please call/ email Matthew: 7734 5793
or mvanlokeren@yahoo.com for a free
initial consultation.
American-Licensed Expat
Psychologist
Richard Morhaime, Psy.D., offers
skilled psychotherapy for children and
adults. He also provides complete di-
agnostic evaluations in English for
children with academic or behavioral
difficulties, featuring individualized
recommendations for school and home.
For more information, contact Dr.
Morhaime at 5538-0099 or 9669-8057
or visit www.expatpsychologist.com.
classifieds
American Psychologist
Services for Expats
Sukie Miller Ph.D. early director of
Esalen, former Board Member Jung
Institute San Francisco, 35 years ex-
perience private practice as coach,
psycho-therapist with adults and cou-
ples in eclectic approach to personal/
professional growth, woman’s’ issues,
adjustment to São Paulo, goal setting,
dream work, anxiety. Call Dr. Miller
at 11- 9823-8730 email sukiemiller@
gmail.com.
American-Licensed
Psychotherapist
In this busy and ever-changing world,
people often feel stressed and over-
whelmed with no place to turn. Psy-
chotherapy/counseling can provide a
safe place to receive professional guid-
ance and support. Brief or longer-term
therapy offered depending on your
needs, goals and expectations. Ser-
vices: individual, couples, child/ado-
lescent. Certified to conduct Adoption
Home Study for American Citizens.
Contact: Pamela Wax, MSW/LCSW at
5051-5988 or 9656-2106. Located in
Moema.
Argos Dog Kennel
Traveling? What about your dog? Ar-
gos Kennel Hotel could be his second
home in the country. Food, water, and
shelter with lots of love and personal
care. No lonely kennel for him, but our
home and the freedom of a spacious
garden. Fetch and carry service. Eng-
lish and French spoken. Call Jean or
Christiane at (11) 4661-1430 or (11)
7143-0837 or send an e-mail to jean.
chris@uol.com.br. Embu Guaçu, SP.
Math and Science Tutor
Former Graded and Chapel teacher,
with 20-years experience, tutors Math,
Physics, Chemistry, and Science for all
levels, including but not limited to the
IB, IGCSE, SAT-I & II, AP and Brazil-
ian vestibular. Elementary and middle
school students are also welcome (all
subjects). Call Fernando Knijnik at
(11) 2533-3965 or 9134-6700.
September
 The American Society
calendar of São Paulo

Learn more about this month’s AmSoc events (highlighted) at www.amsoc.com.br.

September 2010 Important Dates: 6 Labor Day (US) / 7 Independence Day (BR)

6 Monday Scottish Country Dancing St. Andrew’s Scottish Dancing at the BBC – 8 pm Further information at 5502-
6875.
7 Tuesday Lauryn Hill Concert in Sao Paulo! Where: Credicard Hall at 9:30 pm Tickets range from R$100 to R$ 250. For
more information visit www.ticketmaster.com.br
9 Thursday Jewelry Design Tour See page 11

11 Saturday Little League Bring your kids to Chapel School for lots of fun and enjoyment! From 9 am
until 12 pm. Visit www.amsoc.com.br to know more!
11 Saturday Softball Games Pick-up games to be held at Chapel School from noon to 5 pm. Please contact
John Kennedy at jw_kennedy@hotmail.com for more information.
11/12 Saturday / 71th Plant and Art Floral Exibition by São From 10am to 5:30 pm at the British Center, Rua Ferreira de Araújo
Sunday Paulo Garden Club
15 Wednesday Self Healing Seminar with Marianne Aguirre See page 10

16 Thursday Cultural / Corporate Sponsor Cocktail Corporate Sponsor, Patron and Helping Hands Cocktail. More information to
come!
17 Friday Happy Hour Social starting at 8:30pm at A Lanterna in Vila Madalena.
Contact Cristina Celaya at cristina.celaya@graded.br for more information.
18 Saturday Horseback Riding & Sunset See page 10

18 Saturday Music at Fellowship Church Starting at 4 pm / Free entrance. More info at 3253 7609

18 Saturday Caledonian Ball See page 13

25 Saturday Little League To be held at Graded School from 9 am until 12 pm. Visit www.amsoc.com.
br to know more!
25 Saturday Softball Games To be held at Graded. Please contact John Kennedy at jw_kennedy@hotmail.
com for more information.
28 Tuesday Picnic in Jardim Botanico See page 10

Community Action Committee meeting from 1 to 3pm. Open to all AmSoc

28 Tuesday Amsoc’s CAC Monthly Meeting members interested in contributing to our philanthropic efforts. Please
contact Kelly Maurice kellymaurice@mac.com
29 Wednesday Bakery Class and Brunch at Vivenda da
Crianca
30 Thursday Pantanal & Chapada dos Guimaraes Trip From 9/30 to 10/5 with Hanna & Louise from Scan-Suisse Tours. Further
information at 5531-7100 or louise@scan-suisse.com.br

Personal Trainer
I will come to your home, office, or
workout facility and create an exercise/
fitness program tailored to your health
concerns, fitness goals, and schedule.
For adults and children, individuals or
groups. Sessions in English, Spanish,
ronment with interesting work. Conve-
nient Avenida Paulista subway location.
Requirements: Grammatically correct
English, moderately fluent Portuguese;
appropriate degree, some relevant ex-
perience, working documents. Spanish
desirable. Résumé with salary history:
“RESEARCHER”, to AG8@AbacoRe-
music teacher with 30+ years of suc-
cessful experience! Class in your house
in Morumbi and South Area.
A classified of up to 50 words costs R$45
for AmSoc members and R$80 for non-
Classified
Place a

or Portuguese. For more information search.com. members. To place a classified please

please contact Daniela Franco at (11)
9739-6191 or dsf29@hotmail.com.
Research Assistant
call (11) 5182-2074 from 8:30 a.m. until
Piano Class 1 p.m., or send an e-mail to amsoc1@
americansociety.com.br.
Beginning and advanced music classes
for piano or keyboard. Special method Forum does not check all of the advertisers
Our Readers

ÁBACO Marketing Research, founded for children 4 years and older, teenag- appearing in this newsletter. We urge you
A Note to

1975, offers growth opportunity for ers, adults and senior citizens. Classes to use these services; however, thoroughly
in Portuguese or English. Contact: Sue- check prices and services prior to finalizing
bilingual Research Assistant in Inter- any service or purchase agreement.
national Department. Friendly envi- ly Azevedo, 8456-5365 – 48 year old

2010 Forum 15

Do you GoGirl?
I’m turning
50 in September
and I love it.
My cronehood
is starting. It’s
liberating to tell
litterers what I
really think. It’s
liberating to
walk the dogs
By Sue Banman Sileci, in my pajamas.
AmSoc member And, because of
a new product I
discovered, it’s liberating to use public
toilets – anywhere, any time and just the
way they are, without worry. At 50, a new
me is being born.
The product I’m talking about is the
GoGirl Female Urinary Device. “Don’t
take life sitting down,” the package says.
“GoGirl allows women to urinate standing
up. It’s hygienic, portable, discreet and
reusable.”
Well yeah!
See, I have some complaints about
public toilets in general. They’re just
plain gross and getting grosser as I move
towards 50. How do women handle dirty
toilet seats? Many don’t sit on them at
all; they balance themselves above. Do
I have muscles that can hold me long
enough? Yes. Do my muscles hold one
part of me but release another part at the
same time? No. I have to sit. There are
often tissue paper covers you can put over
a questionably clean toilet seat, but I’ve
never possessed the stealth and cunning
to lay it down, turn around and sit before
the paper has floated away or slipped into
the toilet itself.
And so when I saw the GoGirl online,
I ordered a 12-pack (sure that everyone I
knew would want one) and picked them
up at my mother’s home in the U.S. when I
visited her in April. I didn’t have a chance
to use mine till my return trip home when
I had an eight-hour wait in Terminal C of
the Newark Airport. And that’s when I
became hooked.
The GoGirl is basically a specially-
shaped funnel made of Barbie pink
medical grade silicone. Knowing I had
eight hours in the airport plus a ten hour
flight to Brazil, I was really hoping it
would keep me feeling daisy fresh through
the long day and night. When the first
opportunity arose, I locked myself into a
bathroom stall, fussed with my clothing
just so and then put the GoGirl against my
body, standing facing the toilet like a man.
I’d been on a three-hour flight and drunk
an entire bottle of water so I was nervous.
The spout didn’t look terribly big.
It worked fine. There was no backsplash,
no overflow and no mess. I finished the
job, put the GoGirl aside, buckled up and
walked out to the sink to wash both my
hands and my new device. No one looked
my way, no one gaped or gawked and
no one asked to inspect it. (I was almost
disappointed.) I then rolled it up, put it
into the handy carrying tube it came in,
stuck it in my purse and went back to my
home base at Gate 24, a new woman. I
half expected people to notice the new
me. They didn’t.
That wait in Terminal C was long, but
I boarded the plane feeling daisy fresh.
(At least, till I decided to get a massage
halfway through the day and got oil in
my hair. Suddenly unfresh in a way I
hadn’t anticipated, I washed my hair in
the bathroom sink using hand soap. This
time I didn’t look up to see if people
were staring as I crouched with my head
under the power hand drier, looking like
a NASA pilot doing G-Force tests.) I used
my funnel on the plane, I used it in the
Guarulhos airport and I wanted to keep
using it at home. But that was overkill, I
realized.
There were a few startling moments,
of course, as I stopped taking life sitting
down. One was the noise level. I stood like
a man and suddenly sounded like a man
as the flow came from higher than I was
used to. And, the moment of doing just
what GoGirl says to do, which is to go,
didn’t come easily. That first moment of
Flipside
letting loose and trusting my pink funnel
was a big one.
I was so excited about my new find that
I even told my 70-year-old stepmother
about it. She looked perplexed and said,
“But I’ve been using one of those for
years. It’s great for camping.” I practically
shouted, “Why didn’t you tell me?” She
looked surprised. “You hate camping,” she
replied. I do, but I can see why it would
work great in the woods. I even have
fantasies about writing my name in the
snow. (Which I maybe could if there were
snow – and privacy – nearby.)
Since my return from Terminal C,
I’ve used my GoGirl here in São Paulo
at a hole-in-the-wall bathroom at a Thai
restaurant in Liberdade, at the port-a-
potties during a Corinthians game, at
the Jardim Sul shopping mall and in the
bathrooms at the Consolação Cemetery.
Its usefulness is unlimited. Perfect for city
and country!
So, as a new semester starts and we
all strive to stay sane, out of traffic and
most of all, daisy fresh, consider this
not a product endorsement but rather a
public service announcement. I sold my
first box of 12 within three minutes after
a simulated demonstration for a group of
friends. I have a new box of 12 so let me
know if you’re interested. I’m not out to
make money, only to keep us all feeling
our very best!