Happy Halloween!

Today, the United States celebrates Halloween. Although adults do not get the day off of work and children do not get the day off from school, it is perhaps the second most important holiday in the U.S. for children, topped only by Christmas. On CCN International last night, they spotlighted retail sales of Candy in the United States, noting that candy sales topped the $2B mark for the holiday, accounting for approximately 1/3 of all candy sales during the year.

Since I am in a different country where Halloween is not celebrated, I have tried to explain exactly what the "holiday" represents. I start off by saying it is a variation from Latin festivals "Day of the Dead" and most likely has an original in the Roman "All Souls Day" from ancient times. However, I have no idea how to explain the large amounts of candy, the elaborate parties at bars and other adult establishments, and of course, those crazy costumes. I guess I would say that it should be chalked up to American commercialization of, well, just about everything. See a couple of photos from this past weekend of my friends in action. (Kudos to their wives for putting them on Facebook where I could steal them for my blog!)

Stolly and Ellis as Alan and Stu from "The Hangover"

Travis Rockey as "Teen Wolf"

Social Responsibility Spotlight: Earthwatch

The perfect example of being Socially Responsible is the one of our very own in Columbus, Mr. Dominick Brook. Dom not only preaches a sustainable lifestyle but also lives one. He recycles all of his aluminum cans and plastic bottles in the office as well as uses two monitors to help reduce the paper he prints. Ironically enough, Dom works in our Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS) service line, providing services to clients who want to make sustainable changes in their businesses. Dom was selected to the the Ernst & Young Volunteer Wall of Fame and also participated in another E&Y Corporate Responsibility Program: Earthwach. I've talked with Dom and gathered some information for all of you. If you don't enjoy reading the post, try reading it keeping in mind that Dom is British and has a great accent. That will make it much more enjoyable than just reading it as if I were saying it.


Dom in a field in Costa Rica as part of Earthwatch

Video of the Week: Week 4

This week's video of the week is one of the best things I have witnessed here in Sao Paulo. As you can imagine, just like any big city, real estate costs a lot of money, and sometimes even if you have a lot of money, there just isn't any more room to buy the space you need. Take for instance a Burger King I pass here everyday on my way to and from work. They have a drivethru, but no place for the cars to actually make the turn into the drivethru. A Creative solution? A Giro-car! Apparently kids here go to Burger King just to drive through this fun and effective method to solve the problem. The only issue is, sometimes they don't even order any food before leaving out the back side. Enjoy!

Professional Futebol Match

When you visit a country its always best to see what would be considered the best national attraction, what they do for entertainment. In Spain, I went to a bull fight, in Italy, I drank a lot of wine, so in Brazil, I went to a professional soccer match. The game was between local favorite, Corinthians, versus Avai. Corinthians (pronounced cor-in-chins) is said to represent the common man of Sao Paulo, as it was founded in 1910 by a group of blue collar laborers. It is estimated that there are 30 million Corinthians fans which is embraced by the team and the large fan section under the scoreboard.

No that's not Raider nation, those are Sports Club Corinthians Paulista fans

Week #3 Poll Results:

This week's poll was "What is your favorite sport?".

Despite not voting in the poll myself, Basketball won in a landslide. I apologize to the two people that selected "Other" for not including your sports in the list of options. It appears I should have put some additional sports and left out Rugby and Hockey which received no votes!

This week's poll: "What is your favorite fruit?"

A Wild Saturday Night

No, I was not a Halloween party in Sao Paulo, but rather had a night of College Football, UFC, and plenty of food and wine. My original plan was to head to O'Malleys for the viewing of the Ohio State vs Wisconsin game last night, but I was invited by Valerio to come to his home and watch the UFC 137: BJ Penn vs Nick Diaz. Of course I could not go without the Ohio State game, so I attempted to stream it live on the Internet at Valerio's using my ESPN3 online account. However, I was notified that the account does not work in the local country, which is obviously Brazil. Instead I pulled up the ESPN GameCast to track the game and a few streaming plays of the videos while we watched the UFC event live. I now had everything I needed as the host had an assortment of meats, cheeses, pizza, and not to mention a bottle of Argentinian wine to enjoy. Besides, I never had the privilege of watching MMA with two Brazilians. Remember my assumption (joke) that all Brazilian males over the age of 13 knew MMA?

An Adventure in Ibirapuera Park

Today Ryan and I went on an adventure to Ibirapuera park, Sao Paulo's version of Central Park. I will admit that I have not spent much time in Central Park, mostly because my three trips to NYC were during the winter months, but Ibirapuera is a great park. Despite not being able to draw comparisons to our famous park in the U.S., I was able to enjoy the park, the museums, and the sites and sounds that come with them.

Today, I came, I saw, I conquered Ibirapuera Park. (and this lion)

It's Friday!

I knew today was going to be special from the minute I woke up and turned the television on. It was set to ESPN International and I was treated to a very intense match of Chinese Competitive Ping Pong. This is not just something you see in the movie, Forrest Gump, but it is actually real. They stretch between serves, give intimidation stare downs, and bring their "a" game.

And this was all before I even got in any taxi's.

Edeavor Brasil and Ernst & Young Terco, CEO Summit 2011.

Yesterday, Time Irado had the privilege to attend the 2011 Ernst & Young Terco and Endeavor Brasil (that's right they actually spell it with an "s" in Brazil)  CEO Summit in Sao Paulo, Brazil. According to the invite"

The CEO Summit is an event that gathers major entrepreneurs, investors, and top executives to share their innovation and discuss challenges and best management practices for high growth businesses."

Just like other large events that E&Y hosts back in the United States, it was a full production from start to finish. The event was largely planned by Endeavor and the SGM team here in Sao Paulo and they did a fantastic job. The event was held at the Unique Hotel which is truly a great name for this place, as it is Unique.

Hotel Unique at night in Sao Paulo

Spotlight on Social Responsibility: Kiva, Changing Lives $25 at a time

In honor of October being the 6th anniversary of the founding of the 501(c)(3) not-for-profit Kiva, I thought it would be fitting that I tell about my story and how I became involved with Kiva.

I come across many things each day that I would like to know more about. One of those recent items, crossed my path during the kickoff meetings to the Corporate Responsibility Fellows program in New York. Included in our packets was a large amount of our travel information, health advisories detailing the vaccinations we would need, economic climates in Latin America, and other pertinent information for our two month sabbatical. One thing that was included, was a 5 x 7 card that included a $25 voucher for a micro-loan to an organization called Kiva.

Kiva is an organization that, similar to Endeavor Global, aims to create jobs, end poverty, and create sustainable companies in emerging markets. The difference between the two can be found in the focus of the two organizations. Endeavor tends to focus more on businesses that are moving toward the strategic growth markets and in need of technical expertise and assistance, whereas KIVA focuses on, alleviating poverty through entrepreneurship. Both organizations are great examples of ways that those fortune enough to "have" can help the "have nots". In September of 2008, Ernst & Young announced a donation of up to a million dollars in "in-kind" resources (our people's professional services) to Kiva. In addition, Ernst & Young is working to engage its people by distributing Kiva gift certificates and using local events to increase personal lending to the Ernst & Young lending circle on the Kiva site.

Happy Hump Day: Wednesday October 26, 2011

Just like every Wednesday, today is "Hump Day". If you are not familiar with the term "Hump Day" you might be a little caught off guard at the slang term, but according to UrbanDictionary.com, the proper definition is "The middle of a work week (Wednesday); used in the context of climbing a proverbial hill to get through a tough week."

Taxi Cab Confessions

I know you are hoping for the HBO classic, Taxi Cab Confessions, however my stories will not be quite that "interesting" nor will you get any sort of visual confessions. However, during "Spotlight on Social Responsibility Week" here at Time Irado, there have been some classic taxi rides I just had to share.

Spotlight on Social Responsibility: Lions Clubs

“You can delegate authority, but not responsibility.”             Stephen W. Comiskey

Lions Clubs? No, that is not a misspelling for Lion Cubs, something you may see at a local zoo. So which type of Lion am I referring too? I am referring to someone that is a member of Lions Clubs International. These people share a common bond for community service and lending a helping hand to humanity all over the world. These Lions have been around since 1917 when Melvin Jones, a Chicago area businessman, was inspired to expand the scope of his local businesmen's club. Melvin expanded the club's  purpose to activities to improve conditions in his community and the world at large.


These billboards, like Lionism, are worldwide.

Today, Lions Clubs and their International organization are also involved in youth programs, community betterment projects, diabetes education, hearing programs and other activities for the betterment of mankind. Through their foundation Lions are able to provide disaster relief in the United States and around the world including donating millions as a result of recent natural disasters including most recently, Japan.

Spotlight on Social Responsibility: Do you "Live United"

Friday October 14, 2011 marked the end of the one week 2011 Ernst & Young Columbus Office "United Way Campaign". I'm sure almost all of you, at least those of you in the U.S., have seen a commercial on television. The United Way has done a great job of branding itself over the past few years which has helped further its cause including forming a strategic collaboration with  the National Football League ("NFL" ,and yes that's Football Americano to my Brazilian friends) to create "Play 60". However the most important collaboration they created was with everyday people like you and me through the "Live United" campaign. The "Live United" campaign was launched in 2008, shifting the focus back to the communities' where people live rather than only focusing on donations from the larger groups for time and money. One of the strategic elements of the campaign included featuring local residents on promotional materials to tell the story of how they "Live United". It had a similar effect that the Miller High Life Commercials had when they were filmed in real convenience stores. Despite their bad tasting beer, people still bought it because of great marketing right?

Reader Mail Bag: "Why did you bring your Yoga mat to Sao Paulo?"

A curious reader wanted to know "Why did I bring my Yoga Mat with me to Brazil as one of my must have items?". The answer is simple. Because I needed to get back to the basics with my exercise.

Spotlight on Social Responsibility

First and foremost, happy 10th Birthday to the iPod, the technology that changed the way we bought, shared, and listened to music.

After last week's impromptu series of "How it's made", I've decided, I really like the theme approach.  Therefore, I decided that this week will be the "Spotlight on Social Responsibility" week. It also fits nicely because I am working in the office this week and not at factories or construction sites. If you are reading this blog, that means that you are already aware that I am in Sao Paulo, Brazil participating in a special program that is Corporate Social Responsibility Inspired. The program is the Ernst & Young Corporate Responsibility Fellowship Program that links some of the best E&Y professionals to high impact Entrepreneurs in emerging markets in Latin America. I have previously highlighted the program in two blogs and also devoted a special page to the program on this blog so I will not go into many details in this post. I have also highlighted the collaboration with Endeavor and described Endeavor's cause. If you would like to explore Endeavor's cause again, please use the link to the right hand side of this blog that will take you to the Endeavor Global website.

Each day this week, I will highlight another area of Social Responsibility that either Ernst & Young, or myself (or Both) is involved in. I will also provide the details for you to get involved if you want to as well. Congratulations, you are now a part of my self proclaimed, "Social Responsibility Week". It's not Shark Week, but it will have a greater impact on the greater good!

Photo of the Week

Photo Credit to Mr. Ryan Kyle (Katie's fiance).

This week's photo of the week is this guy. A landscaping worker who fell asleep with a Machete in his lap while laying in the bed of the truck. This photo was taken right after he was awakened by the passing dog. One person commented to Ryan, "Thankfully he does not suffer from restless leg syndrome". 

That's a pretty big Machete eh?

The Match: Corinthians vs Internacional (through my eyes)

I will be the first to admit, that I am not a huge European Football (or Soccer) fan, but I do enjoy watching games of interest. I enjoy the World Cup, the Olympics, and also some European and Latin American league games. Mostly, because I find the skill level to be much better which to me, makes the games more interesting. Since watching my friends play in college, I have not attended many soccer games other than a few Columbus Crew (MLS) games, which I attended mostly to drink a few beers.

Parque da Independencia, Museu do Ipiranga, and Liberdade

Today, Time Irado was back at what we do best. No, not helping local entrepreneurs improve their businesses, but we are really good at that too. The correct answer is.... Being Tourists! Today was the perfect day for it, as the weather was about 80 degrees and pure sun. We started by taking a taxi over to Parque da Independencia, which translates to Independence Park. Independence park is the located at Ipiranga Hill, next to the creek Ipiranga where D. Pedro declared the country independent from Portugal in 1822. The park houses the Museu do Ipriranga also known as Paulista Museum.

That's a good looking... museum

Week #3 Poll Results:

In a tribute to Time Irado's recent visit to the Sao Paulo Zoo, the week #2 poll question was "Which is your favorite Zoo animal? It is glaringly ironic that after I decided what my poll question would be and voting was 3 days old, the incident in my home state of Ohio with the exotic animals roaming outside of a wildlife preserve happened. It was like it was the stars aligning of sorts to say, it was the perfect week for discussion. Despite the terrible ending in Ohio, we had 10 voters in this weeks poll. Unfortunately we had a two way tie for first with Giraffes and Monkey's both claiming the top spot with 3 votes. This is where I have to decide what my tiebreaker is going to be. I started with the fact that I voted for Monkeys. This could be approached one of two ways. The First, since I voted for Monkeys, the Monkeys win because, well, this is my blog. The Second, is that since I voted for Monkeys, technically only 2 other readers voted for Monkeys, therefore Giraffes should win. My solution?

A Big Day in Sports

For most of the world, basically everyone except for the United States (Yes, for you New Englanders, I know you claim to have great rugby), today was a huge day for sport. The 2011 Rugby World Cup was played very early this morning between France and the "All Blacks" from the host country New Zealand. After seeing the Rugby "B" league championship for Brazil yesterday, I woke up early to tune in to see what the craze was all about. I pulled up the rules on the Internet and tried to figure it out. Despite the game actually being televised in English, and having some of the Rugby Basics open in my Internet browser, I still had no idea what was going on. The All Blacks went on to the Championship beating France 8-7. Unlike yesterday, there was a nice trophy involved. Below is the All Blacks Famous Pre Match Haka War Chant.

Today is also a big day in sports at Tecno Logys. Valerio's favorite football (soccer) club, Internacional squares off against what seems like the rest of Tecno Logys' favorite football team, Corinthians. Internacional is a team from the south of Brazil where Valerio is originally from, and the Corinthians are one of the teams here locally in Sao Paulo. I have yet to determine which soccer team I would root for here in Brazil's top league, mostly because I don't know anything about it. (maybe I just pick the winner of today's game!). The game is set for a 4pm start time here in Brazil, therefore I will find out about 630pm who will have the bragging rights tomorrow at work, because I am sure that it will get brought up. More than once.

A Saturday filled with Futebol and Rugby

If you know anything about Brazilian Soccer, you know Pele, Garrincha, Romario, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Robinho, Kaka, and maybe even the 19 year old national star Neymar. But most of you probably have not heard of the local footballer (soccer player) "Bernardino". Like the greats before him, he only needs one name. And for a special effect, add the O at the end of his real name, Bernard. Today I was invited by Valerio (the Entrepreneur I am working with) to watch his son play soccer at the SPAC. Most of you are probably thinking that SPAC is the guy from the Star Trek series, but in fact it stands for Sao Paulo Athletic Club. SPAC was founded in 1888 by Charles Miller, the guy who brought the English game of football/soccer to Brazil. The tradition runs deep at the club as the walls of the clubhouse are lined with trophies, pictures, and other memorabilia that detail the history of the club.

Sao Paulo Athletic Club

Video of the Week: Week 3

The end of Week 3 here in Sao Paulo, brings another Video of the Week. This week's video is inspired by the Sao Paulo traffic and my childhood. I figured why not mix the two and bring to you the memories of the original Nintendo hit, Excite Bike. It was perhaps the greatest game of all time, including the original, create your own experience, with its version of "create your own race track". In my taxi each morning and each night, I envision I am in a game of Mario Kart crossed with the motorcyclists playing Excite Bike. Its truly an entertaining experience.

Business as usual

Today was business as usual in Sao Paulo. I was back in the office for the day after being on the road visiting factories and building sites for much of the week. This week I continued to expand my understanding of the construction industry and the Tecno Logys business. Just like everyday, the day began with breakfast and a taxi ride. One minor variation I had today was that today, I picked up my laundry from the laundromat across the street. Do you know what $66BRL of laundry looks like? I do. And now you do too.

My Block of Laundry

Tyler Schleich, Featured Author.

I've been called many things in my life, some good, some bad. I have previously written an Introduction to Business Course that was used by eSchool Consultants, to provide high school and technical students an overview of business topics. I have also authored a few posts here and there on facebook and this blogsite. However, one of the thing that I have not been called before is a featured author. Until now.

How It's Made: A Factory

Continuing with my theme this week for "How It's Made" named after the American (or Canadian) television that shows how certain products we use in everyday life are made. Earlier this week, I posted "How It's Made: Ceramic Blocks" and "How It's Made: High Rise Residential Buildings". Today, I am adding "How It's Made: A Factory". Normally, a factory is the place where the products are being produced, and its rare that you get to see a Factory being built so this was a unique opportunity, at least for me.

How It's Made: High Rise Residential Buildings

Today I ventured outside the office with the Sales Manager, Rodrigo, to see two of the projects that Tecno Logys is currently working on. Unfortunately I do not have the insight into the entire construction project like yesterday's post of How its made: Ceramic Blocks. The design of the buildings and the creation of the buildings structure was already completed (which takes many weeks to create), but I was going to get to see how the exterior and interior walls were constructed.

Before leaving the office it was suggested that I wear boots to the construction site and there was immediately a pause. "What size shoe do you wear" was asked to me and I immediately thought, I have no idea what size I would wear here in Brazil since they use a different measure system. In the U.S., I wear a size 14 which is obviously a bit larger than the average foot size in America, let alone here in Brazil. There was a quick scramble to look at a sizing chart by Mariana, one of the HR Analysts who handles the supplies for the workers. The chart went up to a U.S. men's size 9 1/2. Again, somewhat of a language barrier here, but I said I wear a 14 in the U.S. which translated to 40 in Brazil sizes, but that seemed small. I quickly ran back to my computer to do a quick Internet "g" search (remember I cannot mention any of E&Y's clients by name in my posts) and found a size conversion. If you wear a size 14 in the US size chart, you wear a size 46 shoe in Brazil. I pulled up another chart just to make sure and it was in deed a size 46. Emerging from a supply room, Mariana brought back a large pair of boots that Rodrigo and I were both surprised they had in stock. I put the boots on and they fit like a charm. Out the door we went, but not before grabbing a helmet, or what we refer to as a hard hat!

Hometown Spotlight: The Circleville Pumpkin Show

Despite that I am in Sao Paulo, Brazil experiencing the Spring season, the Fall season has quickly fallen upon Central Ohio. The third week in October marks the annual Circleville Pumpkin Show, which is famous for being the "Greatest Free Free on Earth". For the record, I will call Williamsport, Ohio my hometown until I'm six feet under. But for all intents and purposes, Circleville, Ohio is my hometown, because that is the only place within 20 miles we could go to the grocery store, find shopping centers, or find fast food restaurant.  My take on it is, I'm not sure it can claim to be free, when parking costs $10, and I almost always spend a lot of money on pumpkin flavored foods and beer. Not to mention the world famous Lindsey's Bakery pumpkin donuts that are so good, people stand in line for 4-6 hours just to buy a dozen of them.

Almost a half million visitors will attend the Greatest Free Show on Earth from Wednesday to Saturday to eat great food, watch some of the best marching bands perform, ride rides, play carnival games, and my favorite, to eat pumpkin pie. A town of less than 15,000 people will see a huge rise in business that often times gets the local businesses through their year until the next annual event. On Wednesday afternoon, there is the great pumpkin weight in that would make Charlie Brown jealous. Most of the winning pumpkins surpass the 1,600LB mark, with this year's winner, a local optometrist, weighed in at a whopping 1,436LBS. Given that the weather and growing conditions were not ideal for pumpkins this year (the farmer in me), that is an impressive number. On Wednesday evening, the 2011 Miss Pumpkin Show Queen will be crowned, to reign supreme over the four day festivities.

Just think how many pumpkin pies you could make!

If you ever pass through Ohio during the third week of October, be sure to stop in and say hello. Just like Motel 6, We'll leave the light on for you.

Wild Animals Everywhere.... Not in the Sao Paulo Zoo but in Ohio Farmland

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My! You may have noticed that I included this in a post regarding Time Irado's visit to the Sao Paulo Zoo one week ago today. Now, I am using this to weigh in on some events very close to home, literally. Yesterday about 5pm, a man who owned a wildlife preserve about an hour east of Columbus, Ohio decided it would be a good idea to release the animals and kill himself. Deputies and authorities from the Columbus Zoo shot and killed many of the animals as they posed an immediate threat to nearby residents, homes, and farms. Its a truly sad story, but people do need to understand that the authorities acted with reason and had just cause.

How It's Made: Ceramic Blocks

Today was like an episode of the American (and Canadian) Television show "How it's made". The only difference, was that I was not in America and I was actually in the episode! Today, Valerio (The CEO and Founder of Tecno Logys) and I headed west to the town of Jundai (or at least I think that is what it was) to visit two manufacturing plants. This was also the first time I left Sao Paulo, which seemingly extends beyond as far as the eye can see. I can share some of the details as there is not a top secret formula for turning clay into blocks but for confidentiality and good business purpose I wont disclose the name of the factory or any of its employees. We drove about an hour west and arrived at the factory at approximately 10am. We were greeted at the front gate by one of Valerio's business connections, given "Visitante" badges, and headed inside.



The Legend of the Chair.... (continues to grow)

And week three continues with the legend of the chair growing. This afternoon, I was able to meet Marcelo Nakagawa, a professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and also the man who authored the article in the Brazilian Economist, "Menos e Mais". This article included the story of my office chair here in Sao Paulo (if you are completely lost you need to read my posts"Tyler Schleich and the Three Chairs" and "15 Seconds of Brazilian Fame", and "Menos e Mais"" for the background).

The article was about Entrepreneurship and it began with a story about Marcelo's description of his living conditions in a Boston area dorm room during a visit to the U.S. for a summer course. The Entrepreneur that I am teamed with here in Sao Paulo, Valerio Dornelles of Tecno Logys, shared a story of not having any chairs big enough for his skill based volunteer from Ernst & Young, who was nearly two meters tall (that's my 6'6'' height for my American friends not on the metric scale). Like any good Entrepreneur he found a solution, which happened to include buying me a nice big chair for me. (many thanks Valerio and Vanessa!)

I was able to capture a picture of Marcelo in the famous chair.

The Americano Taxi Heist...

Today was the start of week 3 here in Sao Paulo and I have settled in quite nicely due to wonderful Southern Hospitality and supporting cast. I know the term of Southern Hospitality is normally reserved to described how those of us that live north of the Mason Dixon line are treated in the Southern United States (excluding Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana). What Time Irado has experienced from the Paulistas goes above and beyond what was expected. The staff at the Company I am working at have been awesome, the hotel has been great, and other than the taxi rides I would say Sao Paulo is very similar to American cities. I'm even learning crazy Portuguese words like Paralelepipido (a shape made of parallelegrams) and Inconstitucionalissiamamente (unconstitionally) from Mariana and Janaina at work, which obviously can be used in everyday conversations.

There I was getting into my taxi to head home, thinking that I did not have anything to write about on my blog. And then it happened. I should have known that the taxi ride would not let me down. I was just in a conversation at lunch with Catia and Rodrigo about taxi rides and comparing taxi's from Brazil and the U.S. There I was leaving the building, looking around at the neighborhood enjoying the new daylight (thanks to Brazil's Daylight Savings Time!). I look up and see a cab right in front of the building. Normally, you are suppose to walk to the taxi stand to get a taxi, however, the taxi stand was only about 50 feet away. I gave a little wave and the driver acknowledged me. I hopped in and handed the driver my hotel address. He rattled off some Portuguese which I promptly met with a smile and the words " não falo Português", which means "I don't speak Portuguese". He said something again, followed by my hotel name and I said "sim". Away we went. This taxi ride would be special and I knew it from the start. As we pulled away I heard the lyrics "You're a Heartbreaker, Dream Maker, Love Taker, Don't you mess around with me!, You're a Heartbreaker, Dream Maker, Love Taker, Don't you mess around - NO NO NO!" and I was living large. Pat Benatar! You can rarely hear a Pat Benatar song in the U.S. these days so again I knew it was a special ride.

Sao Paulo Taxi's

A Lazy Sunday in Sao Paulo

Today was an easy day for Time Irado. As posted earlier, there was a time change where we adjusted to the Brazilian Day Light Savings schedule to "Spring Forward". Given the time change and another rainy day, Time Irado decided to take a lazy day. Being a tourist on the weekends and experiencing new cultures can be surprising exhausting.

This afternoon, Time Irado headed to the local American Friendly O'Malley's pub for a late lunch, NFL games, and of course some beers. We were celebrating Katie's fiance, Ryan's, birthday. This birthday did not include any star sitings such as running into Vince Young or Jesse Palmer like Ryan may be use to, but his team, The New York Football Giants, pulled off a late game win versus Buffalo Bills. For lunch I had another great meal consisting or a double cheeseburger with chili and fried egg, of course accompanied by fries and coleslaw. After the game it was back to get a much needed workout in and stretch the back out by doing some Yoga. On tap for tonight is a movie to get rested for the week three in Sao Paulo.

In honor of Ryan's birthday, I have included the words to the traditional Brazilian Happy Birthday Song that we have heard on several occasions at local establishments.

Parabéns pra você, (Congratulations to you)
Nesta data querida. (On this dear date)
Muitas felicidades, (Much Happiness)
Muitos anos de vida. (Many years of Life)

Hoje é dia de festa, (Today is a day for parties)
Cantam as nossas almas. (Singing from our souls)
Para o/a menino/a Ryan, (To the child Ryan, "Im not sure if this changes as you become an adult or not?")
Uma salva de palmas. (A round of applause)

Good Night Sao Paulo

Video of the Week: Week 2

Last week's video of the week was the first to get the series started. Because I did not have much Brazil background to go on at the time, so I chose the classic "David after Dentist". This video starred a child still feeling the effects of anesthesia from his trip to the dentist. This week, I wanted to start the focus on Brazil in the video of the week.

Spring Forward with a Flashback?

Last night. Paulistas changed their clocks to reflect the start of daylight savings time. That means Time Irado has completed the "spring forward" operation to be in accordance with local standards, are we are now 2 hours ahead of our beloved Eastern Standard Time. Note that on Sunday, November 6th at 2am, The US will "fall back" an hour to mark the end of our daylight savings time. We will then be 3 hours ahead so please plan emails, phone calls, and Skype sessions accordingly!

To commemorate this Spring forward here in Brazil, Time Irado provides you with a flashback to the 80's, to a photo of the Original Time Irado, the cast from "Three's Company". Do you see the comparisons? We sure do, and in fact the eight seasons that "Three's Company" aired, represent the 8 weeks (ish) we are in Sao Paulo, Brazil.



The Original "Time Irado" - The Cast from Three's Company
(Katie, Tyler, and Jamie)

Week #2 Poll Results:

What would you rather eat? The week two poll results went to the food category as a lot of my experience here in Sao Paulo is best served at the dinner table. The options to vote? Sushi, Pizza, a Burger, Tacos, or Chocolate. I did not think this was even going to be a fair fight throwing chocolate into the mix, but I felt that I needed some very different categories to chose from. I decided to go with Japanese, Pizza, Red Meat, Mexican, and the global favorite, Chocolate.

Chocolate is a food (is it even a food?) that helps cure depression, can even boost a metabolism and have healthy effects in moderation, and the US Military has used it to prove to local citizens in foreign countries that we are friendly. Somehow this universal champion went down in in a nail biter, losing to Pizza 5-4. This weeks poll received 14 votes, down from last week's effort so lets step it up folks. The remaining votes going to Sushi in Third Place with three votes, and a tie for Fourth Place with a Burger and Tacos each receiving one vote.

Week 3 Poll: What is your favorite zoo animal? Let the voting begin.

Museu do Futebol "GOL"

This morning, Time Irado set out to tour the heart and soul of Sao Paulo (actually all of Brazil). We took a taxi over to the Museu do Futebol, which in English is the Soccer Museum. Let me preface the blog post by saying that I have been to various Hall of Fame museums for U.S. sports including the National Football League (NFL) located in nearby Canton, Ohio, and this museum puts it to shame. From start to finish the museum was impressive containing innovative and interactive technology that engaged each visitor. That included us, despite not understanding Portuguese, which most of the exhibit media was in. The overall feeling of the museum left me wanting to take up Soccer despite having no real interest in the sport since the age of 10.

Estadio Municipal, home of the Museu do Futebol

Reader Mailbag: We want more pictures

I have had a couple requests for more pictures and I wanted to draw your attention to a couple things so you can see more pictures!

1) I actually am working down here (5 days a week) and I dont think you want to see pictures of me sitting at a computer on the fifth floor of an office building (....or maybe you do?)

and

2) There are multiple ways you can look at pictures from this blog. There is a separate page of the blog devoted to pictures, including links to pictures of both my pictures (the volume perspective), and Jamie Schafer's (the quality perspective). I have also added a Flickr photostream at the top right of the page (currently over 150 pictures of the Zoo Museums, Parks, etc). And, since I am such a nice guy, for your convienence, I have added the links below.

Also, You will notice that for the first time ever, the world preimer of Katie's photos are included in a link below

ENJOY!

Tyler's Pictures

Jamie's Pictures

Katie's Pictures

Time Irado, meet Ryan. Ryan meet Time Irado.

Tonight, as Disney would say, we gained another "cast member". Time Irado gained Katie's fiance Ryan, who flew down from New York to join us. This called for the perfect celebration at a local brewery that we have walked past a couple of times. Time Irado headed what I believe is south, on Bela Cintra here in Paulista Jardins to the local microbrewery, Devassa. (Click "Read more" to continue this story.....)

2 Weeks and 2,000 blog hits.

TimeIrado's journey in Sao Paulo, Brazil has now reached the two week mark and the blog has surpassed the 2,000 visitors mark which is something that I had not thought of as 1) something I would have guessed or 2) something that I even looked at. This magical add on to the blog that counts the visitors (technically site visits because Im assuming several people have come back more than once, including the 1,000 views from my mother alone) has provided me a sense of excited each night when I log in to see how many times it was read before I add the next round of nonsense and random facts. I hope you are enjoying the blog, I know I am having fun living in Sao Paulo and writing this thing.

This photo was taken from a taxi heading south from the famous Paulista Ave on Augusta, near our Mecure Hotel.  This is our view for the two months in Sao Paulo, Brazil, a city that stretches as far as the eye can see in every direction.

I was emailed this article (The Economist Article about Sao Paulo) from a fellow E&Y'er who is doing a 3 month audit rotation down here in Sao Paulo. It is an outsiders view of Sao Paulo and hits a lot of things on the head with respect to how its changing and still growing. However, from my short time here, I think it sells the city short on a few things. Sao Paulo is a great experience and look forward to finding another way for E&Y to pay for me to come back!

"When we get too caught up in the business of the world we lose connection with one another and ourselves." - Jack Kornfield

Is it Monday, or Thursday? Either way, I just had the best meal ever, twice.

Today began rather early for me as I was up at 6am Brazil time (5am Eastern) so that I could get to work early for the monthly management meeting. It was another rainy day here in Sao Paulo and I still do not have an umbrella, so thankfully I am taking taxi's almost everywhere. Traffic is a lot lighter at 7am than it is at 8am so my commute was rather smooth. I was even able to see a few people get a "taxi" splash as they walked down the sidewalk and the taxi hit large puddles of water.. After having the day off for a Brazilian national holiday yesterday, this had the feeling of a "Monday". Except one minor detail, that tomorrow is not Tuesday, but Friday! I am all for proposing that the U.S. move to a M,Tu,Th,F work week, thus giving workers more time to connect with their "families"(maybe it would help the divorce rate and juvenile crime). Employers may not approve but I have a suspicion that we could pass that on a general election ballot! Thankfully I am one of the fortunate that like their job.

National Holiday? Find a zoo.

As today was a national holiday here in Brazil, TimeIrado set off for the Zoologio de Sao Paulo, or the Sao Paulo Zoo. Given that it was a religious holiday where many people attend mass and then head to cookouts, we figured it would be the perfect day to see the sights and sounds of the exotic animals at the zoo. One small problem, in my earlier post about the holiday, I also stated that it was "Children's Day". As a result, one of the Brazilian banks was sponsoring a discounted admission for account holders and their children.

Our Lady of Aparecida and Children's Day

Today, Wednesday October 12, 2011 is a National Holiday for Brazil which is called "Nossa Senhora Aparecida" or Our Lady of Aparecida day, based in the Roman Catholic faith. Brazil is the largest Roman Catholic country in the world with approximately three-fourths (75%) of its 192 million people observing the faith.

The holiday is a celebration of an event which occurred in October 1717. In anticipation of a visit from a prominent figure, villagers planned a large feast. Three fishermen were tasked with supplying the main course for the feast, during a time/season that was not ideal for catching fish.  The fishermen asked God to help them with their catch after being unable to catch any fish for several hours, until eventually pulling in their nets and discovering they hauled in a statue of the "Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception". Legend has it that after the discovery of the statue, they continued to fish bringing in an abundant catch before returning to the harbor.

Reader Mailbag: Why don't you write more about food?

Why don't I write more about the food? That is a great question. Since landing in Sao Paulo 10 days ago, its been quite the whirlwind to get acquainted to my new home in Sao Paulo, Brazil. One of the easiest things to get adjusted to, the food. The food here is absolutely phenomenal and I cannot speak enough praise about the variety and the overall quality from top to bottom of each restaurant we have eaten at.  

My most important accessories in Sao Paulo



15 Seconds of Brazilian Fame.

For those that already read my earlier blog "Tyler Schleich and the Three Chairs", you have the necessary background to continue reading this post. (I would recommend reading that post if you have not already)

This post is an update to that post, by letting you know that as a result of the new chair, I made the Brazilian version of the Economist, or at least a reference to me. The article titled "Menos e mais" was written by Marcelo Nakagawa, an Entrepreneurship and Innovation Professor (as well as a Venture Capitalist) here in Brazil. (Note: That link goes to the article, but it is in Portuguese).

The key message in the whole article is not about the chair, but rather the closing sentences in the article:

"When we reach a situation of comfort we only worry about the search for more comfort. The simple becomes complex, the useful becomes futile and we included the "no" at the beginning of sentences. I can not, can not, will not give, is not in the budget, was not foreseen."

PS. A special thanks goes out to Vanessa de Paula De Fazzio for the help with the chair shopping! Who knew there were so many options (not many for someone two meters tall)? And the way, the chair is really comfortable.

Columbus Day in Sao Paulo.....

Today is the Columbus Day holiday in the United States (also celebrated in many Latin American countries and Spain) which is a "celebration" of Christopher Columbus' voyage to the America's on August 3rd in 1492. (You remember the jingle "1492, when Columbus Sailed the ocean blue" right?). I learned at a young age that that Christopher Columbus set sail from Spain with his three ships, the Santa Maria, the Nina, and the Pinta, to discover the world. However, this holiday was always been a bit confusing to me. As a child growing up just south of Columbus, Ohio (where I call home now), I thought we were celebrating our city, which is somewhat true. However there are much bigger things to consider regarding Christopher Columbus' westward voyage.  

The Santa Maria replica (non sailing) located in Columbus, Ohio



Visit to the Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP)

Just as I suspected, despite the Buckeyes collapse last night, the sun did come up over Sao Paulo, Brazil. Today, TimeIrado set out to see the acclaimed Museu de Arte de São Paulo which is also known locally as the "MASP". The MASP, located on the famous Paulista Avenue, is an interesting work of art in itself, as the building is essentially on stilts and is home to a local antiques market on Sundays.

I see Red people......

Im sure you have heard the quote "I see dead people" spoken by the cute kid from the movie, The Sixth Sense, right? Well that is how I was left after a second half collaspe from the Ohio State (Varsity?) Football Team tonight. Tonight was suppose to be a night of enjoyment and despite the Buckeyes attempt to derail my plans, it was still what I would consider a good night. TimeIrado headed to the local "gringo" bar called O'Malleys for some dinner and beers.

Sao Paulo, A City Founded on Faith

Today TimeIrado set out to explore Sao Paulo and see some of the long standing traditions of the city. The day began with a stroll around the Jardins area to better acclimate ourselves with our new neighborhood for the next 6 weeks until we return to the United States (Hard to believe one week is already over with). After exploring shops, cafes, and some streets lined with estates, we taxied over to the Centre of Sao Paulo home to many landmarks.

Video of the Week

I've been asked to be more creative in the ways that I share media on this site. Most of the requests have been for more pictures and I admire those desires and will satisfy those soon enough. But for now, I leave you with what I call, TimeIrado's Video of the Week.

7 days without a cell....

The title alone has already become a terrifying thought for many of you. 7 days without a cell.... must be hell, is what you were thinking right? Today marks one week that I have been without my blackberry. Back in the good ole' United States of America, the Blackberry Tour is never further than an arms reach away. I use the blackberry for just about everything.

Week #1 Poll Results:

Where would you rather travel to? This poll kicked off the 2011 Ernst & Young Corporate Responsibility Fellowship. We had fellows saying goodbye to their home cities and heading to Mexico City, Mexico; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Santiago, Chile; and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Tyler Schleich and the Three Chairs.....

Now you have all heard of the Story of "Goldie Locks and the Three Bears" right? If you haven't, you are either reading this blog because you are from Sao Paulo and did not read that as a child, or you have been living in the United States, but under a rock. Its a story about a girl who wanders into a small cabin where three bears live and she tries out three chairs, three bowls of porridge, and three beds. Even if you don't know the story, you can understand the concepts of "everything bad happens in 3's" or perhaps "the third time is the charm"?

The Nebraska Blues......

Nebraska? How on earth can Nebraska make its way into a blog about Sao Paulo, but if you give me a few moments I will clarify. So back to my story, it's now day 6 in Sao Paulo and I'm getting entrenched in the culture full steam. I'm putting together full phrases at times rather than just one word wonders. Breakfast was solid again today and I hoped into the taxi to see what could become of my adventurous trip to and from work each day. Today's taxi was a special one.

Steve Jobs heads to iHeaven.

For the man who revolutionized the way we buy music, store music, listen to music, and interact with other humans, this day was not unexpected. Steve Jobs, (1955-2011) Apple co-founder and mastermind, had one of the best outlooks on products, but had a better outlook on life. Check out the video below from the Stanford commencement speech.

Enjoy iHeaven.

My day visiting Ernst & Young Terco

Taxi issues to start the day? Not for this guy. I was headed to the E&Y office on Avenida Juscelino Kubitschek which is a very large office building with several towers of offices in it. However, along the way sitting in the backseat of the taxi, I saw one of the funniest things of my life. Stopped at a red light it was perfect time for "People Watching", one of my favorite pastimes. I saw a girl smoking a cigarette leaning against a wall while waiting for a bus. The top of the wall was adorned with flowers and plants in pots, which flowed down the other side of the wall to a nice shop. There was a gardener watering the flowers in the flower beds on the ground. What happened next?

Reader Mailbag: What is the hardest thing you have had to do so far?

One of the fans of this blog wanted me to post on what was the hardest thing I have had to do in my 5 days here in Sao Paulo. I first want to say that nothing is "hard" unless you allow it to be, however certain things can challenge you and if you are not challenged each and every day then chances are you are not making any progress in any aspect of your life. Now that I've clarify my stance on "hard", I can analyze a couple things that have been challenging.

Sao Paulo loves Lil Wayne and ..... Huey Lewis?

Today, the second day on the job in Sao Paulo (4th day in the city overall) started similar to the first. wake up, get ready, and head down for the continental breakfast at the Mercure Jardins Hotel. The breakfast spread is rather good including the daily staples of Sucrilhos (seriously you have to visit that website so click the link) eggs, deli cheese and meats (that's right just like Europe), yogurt, bread, scones, and a lavish spread of fruit. The hotel also changes up some of the offerings which have thus included bacon, sausage, waffles, and today the "spicy sausage".

Other Fellows Blogs

For those of you not satisfied with my blog, I am here to inform you that you are in luck!

Jamie Schafer, one of the others Fellows here in Sao Paulo also has a blog. Jamie will have a lot more (and better pictures than I, as she has a passion for photography and abtract art. Most of you know I also like those things, Im just not any good at it, so we are all in luck.

You can read the blog and see the photos here at "With Love from Brazil"

In addition, there is a Corporate Responsibility Fellow in Mexco City writing a blog. Brendan Maher, is writing at "del Maher" , for quick photos and blogs on his location click on the link.

My first day on the job and Sao Paulo's Traffic

Today was like my first day of first grade all over again. I had my clothes laid out the night before and my backpack was stuffed with the things that all great accountants carry (note: I use a backpack rather than a computer bag as suggested by many who said its an easy way to not draw attention that you have a computer). Supplies included a ten key, calculator, multiple flash drives, a notebook, a few pens and pencils, and the ever dependable Dell Lattitude E6410 with privacy screen.

Becoming a Paulista

Today was exploration and discovery. After a much needed full night of sleep, today was the first full day in Sao Paulo. It started with a continental breakfast here at the hotel about 9am and then we set out to find some essentials that we needed to make our stay more enjoyable. Most store in Sao Paulo are closed on Sundays, similar to many US stores, so it was quite the challenge.

Links and Shortcuts

Just as a quick update, the orange links within my posts are actually links to other sites with more information. I cannot figure out how to open the links in a new page so just keep the address of the blog handy http://www.timeirado.blogspot.com/ and you can get back here in no time at all.

enjoy!

Brasil a gosto and Caiprinhas

Today was my first day in Sao Paulo, and it was rather uneventful. Worn out from the trip and getting to the hotel, I was ready to relax as much as possible. We are staying at the Mercue Jardins Sao Paulo which is a nice place, even if they do not have an iron or an alarm clock in the room. Wood floors and an awesome rainfall shower head make up for the iron and alarm clock. These confines should work nicely for the next few weeks despite the internet connection being less than impressive.

Room at the Mercure Jardins

Wheels Down... Sao Paulo Style

Some quick thoughts, a geography lesson, and minor comedy from my travels to Sao Paulo.

Continental Flight 31 from Newark to Sao Paulo got a late start after being delayed about 40 minutes (1040p take off time), however landed safely this morning just before 9am local time. Thankfully Katie (Sao Paulo CR Fellow from New York) had Continental Elite Access which allowed her early boarding and access to the overhead storage bins. Me, being her "travel companion", since we are both CR Fellows and all, was able to board early as well, and the large duffel bag and my backpack full of goodies were able to find a home before the mad rush to claim space began. I sat down in my seat, buckled in, and watched the melee we call stowing your carryons. I was also able to be a good Samaritan and "pay forward" Katie's good deed by switching seats with a young couple, not once, but twice in an effort for them to sit next to each other. I was still afforded an aisle seat which is a necessity after four knee surgeries (not to mention tweaking my back just days before takeoff).