Its a crazy place, a loud place well as loud as you’d expect a city of 22 million passionate yet cynical inhabitants to be.
Likewise the city is a cultural melting pot where people from all corners of the globe have come and made their own.
Uniquely and as a result, its colorful. Not a bag of skittles colorful but the kind of colorful that makes Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat seems like an old black and white broadcast in contrast. There’s bold graffiti seemingly on every wall and building. Some commissioned some… Well, not.
Hop on the metro a few times a week and you are bound to see office workers in green suites or with purple shoes. Ultimately Sao Paulo is diverse. Amazingly in an age of social media, instant information and always on cameras it remains and unpredictable mystery.
When most people outside of Brazil think of Sao Paulo the first and many times only vision that comes to mind is of dangerous Favelas or a political system rife with corruption that’s almost exclusively highlight by international news outlets.
Although, it is true that the political system needs an overhaul but the city, the charming, fast paced glorious city is far more then just favelas and football.
Sao Paulo is the most racially and curturally diverse city in the western world. Yes, I hear you screaming what about New York at the top of your lungs in a Bensonhurst accent. Due to its insanley huge media market and influence it is very easy to mistake the Big Apple for being the West’s cultural melting pot even though Sao Paulo boast of; the worlds largest population of people of African descent outside of Africa, the largest population of people of Japanese descent outside of Japan, the largest population of people of Italian descent outside of Italy, the largest population of people of Portuguese descent outside of Portugal, the largest population of people of Lebanese descent outside of Lebanon and huge populations of people of Spanish and German descent as well as recently booming Chinese population.
Did I mention color? Owning to Sao Paulos extensive mix of culture and long complicated history the modern city often collides into the old traditions resulting in a burst of color as bright as the birth of a super nova. In contrast to many modern metropolises Sao Paulo doesn`t hide its passion or emotion underneath boring black, gray and navy blue two button suits. In the style of Britto the city expresses itself in everything from classic pastels to futuristic neons that will surely provoke a reaction. It wears its passion and creativity on its sleeve. There is always something vibrant to view just around the next corner and your eyes will never feel more alive.
