December 2018 FORUM

December2018/January2019
ChristmasShoppinginBrazil
ByJessicaJurkowski
It’s the most wonderful time of the
year…for shopping! If you’re like me,
the expat lifestyle usually means one
thingthistimeofyear—theneedtofind
‘exotic’ gifts for family and friends that
represent the Brazilian culture we
experienceonadailybasis.Thefirstyear
is always easy—you hop in your car or
taxi and head to Oscar Freire to the
flagship Havaianas store. Three hours
later everyone on your list from age 1 to
100 has the coolest style of flip flops
known to man. (Who cares if they are
currently battling snow in the Midwest?
You get to nonchalantly remind them
you are enjoying on the
beach!) But what happens when you’ve
exhausted the Havaianas option? Here
are some additional ideas for people on
yourgiftlist.
Nothing represents Brazil more than a
handmadehammock.(1)Fromhomesof
the rich or poor, riverboats to the beach,
the hammock can be found anywhere
people want to enjoy the laid-back
Brazilianlifestyle.Becauseofthis,itisnot
difficult to find one. However, I say make
a day of it and travel to the historic
cobblestone streets of Embu das Artes
(less than an hour outside of the city of
SãoPaulo).Duringtheweekend,youcan
enjoy the lively arts and crafts market
and find numerous vendors selling
hammocksatgreatpricesandinamyriad
of colors and designs. Most even come
with pouches that double as a great
substitute for wrapping paper.Tie a bow
on the drawstring bag and you’ve got a
Christmas present that Santa and his
hardworkingelveswillbejealousof.
willrejoiceatthesimplistic,yetromantic
notion of it. Combine it will a bag of
flavorful Brazilian coffee (2) and your
loved one will be singing Fa-la-la-la-la
fromtherooftops.Irecommendenjoying
some and an espresso of
your own as you shop at Lá daVenda (R.
Harmonia, 161, Vila Madalena; www.
ladavenda.com.br). The charming cafe
and specialty store boasts a delightful
mix of arts and household goods,
includingthepopularcoffeepotset,and
has a menu created by Le Cordon Bleu
trainedchefandauthorHeloisaBarcellar.
If specialty stores are up your alley, then
you will also want to check out Ponto
Solidario(R.JoséMariaLisboa,838,Jardim
Paulista; www.pontosolidario.org.br). This
store has an amazing sampling of
indigenous and sustainable gifts, at
remarkable prices. It is quite possible to
findtheperfectgiftforeveryoneonyour
list,allinonestop(andIdareyoutoleave
without rewarding your good behavior
as well).Too lazy to venture out into the
hustle and bustle of the holidays? You
caneasilyshopfromthecomfortofyour
homeviatheironlinestore.
Fortheluckyladiesonyourlist,youcan’t
gowrongwithatraditional (beach
sarong). These traditional wraps scream
“I’m ready for the beach”but can also be
usedtodecorateandlivenupahomeas
well. I recommend hitting the hectic
streets of Rua 25 de Março. Smile as you
soak up the craziness of shoppers
navigating the narrow streets and
overloaded stores. Several carry cangas,
sotakeyourtimefindingtheperfectone.
Foraddedgiftappeal,rollthecanga,tieit
withfestiveribbon,andattacha‘Howto’
guide to tying techniques for different
wearing options. (Google ‘how to tie a
sarong’andprintoutyourfavorite.)
Brazil sells the best. A great location to
find a large variety of brands is Mercado
Municipal (R. Da Cantareira, 306, Centro;
www.oportaldomercadao.com.br).
Combine the bottle with a
recipe book from a local bookstore and
he will be toasting you the entire
holidayseason.
But, what about you? After all that
shopping for others, you deserve to
brighten your own holidays - with some
flowers!ABeladoDia(R.MouratoCoelho,
1003, Pinheiros; www.abeladodia.com)
delivers beautiful bouquets by bike in
several neighborhoods. The mission
behindtheuniqueandcharmingbusiness
is to bring the beauty of flowers to your
home on a daily basis—not just special
occasions. However, I can’t think of a
betteroccasionthantotreatyourself!
1
2
3
Another favorite gift that represents
traditional Brazil is the countrysideinspired
coffee pot set. Caffeine lovers
Doyouhaveapickyfellaonyourlist?Well,
Ihaven’tmetagentlemanyetthatdoesn’t
enjoy a good bottle of (3), and
HappyShoppingandHappyHolidays!§
TheAmericanSocietyofSãoPauloFORUMNewsletter 7