Meet Flavio, one of our awesome Portuguese teachers from Brazil!

Hi, I’m Flávio, Brazilian, from São Paulo-SP the biggest city of Latin America. I’m 30 and my life has been as intense as this ruge city I’m from. Since my childhood I love exploring new places, have new expriences and meet people. With this spirit I decided to study geography at college, at Universidade de São Paulo.  And then I start to work at the most pleasant profession of the world, teacher!

As a good geography student, always was a travel fiend. I have been exploring remote places in Brazil. Most of people used to go on a trip to popular touristic places like Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, etc. These are really good places but Brazil is bigger and more diverse than this. The state of São Paulo, for exemple is a known just for the capital, São Paulo. But unfortunately (or not), tourists don’t know we have here in São Paulo state amazing beaches with a very conserved nature. In Ubatuba you can hear the sound of the sea and the singing of the birds at the same time.

Minas Gerais... Have you ever heard about this state in Brazil? It’s a treasure, with mountains, waterfalls and... The best Brazilian food (it’s almost a consensus). Do you like cheese? In Minas we have many options. Fruits? In a big supermarket you can find 3 or 4 kinds of banana, mango or orange in a popular price. Meat? You can find fresh beef and free range chicken and pork.

Although I love nature, I still enjoy a lot living in São Paulo. I feel I never stop to discover new places in this city. Not only new places, but new people,  new cultures and so. In this city you can find things happen all the time, every day.

Downtown, on 25 de março street you can find everything to sell. Guys, I’m not kiding, this zone is considered the center of the commerce even for countries around like Paraguay and Uruguay. I can bet everybody find something never seen in 25 de Março street. Also downtown you can have food from all parts of the world. In “Mercado municipal” prepare your mouth to taste fruits, cheeses and meets you’ve never tasted before. Near there you have “Liberdade” a neighbourhod specialized in Eastern food. São Paulo is the biggest “Japanese city” out of Japan. And not just food, in “Liberdade” you see original elements of Japanese culture. Riding no more than 3km you get in “Bixiga” a Italian neighbourhod with many “cantinas” places where you can taste a original “pasta”.

The border of the city (where I live) also is a very lively place.  Beyond the stereotypes related to “favelas”, a tourist is gonna find here more than specific places, he is going to find a way of life. Our people here hold on many structures problems like, bad conditions to commute, abscense of health care, culture and educations services, bad conditions of living and among other challenges. Nevertheless, here you are going to find solutions for all these problems. We organize ourselfs and create with our on hands the conditions for a better life. Examples of this are the parties  “Rodas de Samba”, the NGO’s in educaion and health areas, the soccer fields called “várzeas” where families get together to practice and watch one of the Brazilians passions: soccer!