Hello to Dean! A very interesting traveling salesman!

I just love this job!! I am looking for a place to park myself in the Business Club Lounge in the Sao Paulo Airport and Dean (obviously a gentleman) moves some things so I can work if I need. Well, who is going to work when the 3rd sentence out of his mouth is, "I sell Bull Semen!" Now how can you not want to find out more!!

Of course I told Dean I would have to put this on my blog! Then of course I asked who collected it and he said it wasn't him but he had tons of pictures on his computer if I were interested....nah, think I'll pass on that.

And talk about a small world...he is from the North Woods of Wisconsin (after growing up in Chicago). I spent many weeks in Medford, WI, where one of our pizza manufacturing plants is. Now if either of us could remember the name of the couple that owns the restaurant where it is like eating in her home...well, it is eating in her home....they have a bar when you enter and then you go to eat in a room behind the bar. She cooks everything and she even gives you the recipes. She comes out and tells you about the food and what came from her garden, etc. What were their names, Dean!!

So Dean now has the address for the website! Feel free to comment as you see fit Dean! Thanks for the company.

still not the most interesting version of the tree.

Araucaria Trees

I have a favorite tree...it is the Araucaria Tree here in Brazil. It is only in the southern part of Brazil. It is so cool. Our driver stopped this morning along the side of the road to let me take pictures. These aren't the best examples...but they are very tall and only have branches at the top. They look like an umbrella.

Sao Paulo - landing was fine

I have no idea who told me about landing there, but it wasn't a problem at all. Now finding my way through the airport to get to the right airline to go to Curitiba was a bit sketchy...but I got here fine.

I love having to communicate without knowing the other's language...seriously I do. I had all kinds of help by looking confused and saying "english" and then the sign language begins. Not really sure what I had for dinner tonight. I just went to an Italian place that let you pick out the ingredients as they prepared it. I just pointed to things and said some things in English, German and then Spanish if i happen to know it in Spanish. I had Penne with broccoli, peas, and a lot of other things I am not sure what they were....it tasted good!!

My driver doesn't speak any English...he called someone at the plant talked to her, handed the phone to me, i talked to her and then I gave the phone back to him. Then at the hotel, he said something to the front desk person and Bruno (the front desk person) said your driver will be back in the morning at 7:30 AM to pick you up.

So no pictures yet but will get some in the next day or 2...probably mostly of my team here. Maybe some site seeing on Friday before I leave. So they put me on an ALL WOMAN'S floor in the Sheraton...has anyone ever heard of that....okay who called them to warn them about me!!! I guess I feel safer.

Met a guy in the gym tonight that lives in the area and speaks English really well. The hotel supplements the cost by allowing locals join. He said that Curitiba is the most beautiful city in Brazil....I'll let you know.

That is all for now.

Visa and Passport in hand

Passport came back yesterday. Never had a real fear of flying, but landing in Sao Paulo makes me a little nervous. It is in a valley and the runway is almost too short. Last year a plane ran off the runway due to weather conditions. The plane needs to clear the mountains and then descend and then be sure they hit the very front end of the run way in order to have enough stopping distance.

I'll let you know how it goes on Tuesday!

Off to Brazil in 4 days

So I am off to Brazil on Monday. I will be in Curitiba, it is winter there now!! I need to think about what I am going to wear!!

A visa is required to travel to Brazil, my passport is somewhere between NYC and work. The visa was granted, I just need to get the passport back in the next 2 days!

The cool part of the work I am doing right now is I have to go to almost all of the confections plants we have....my favorite so far is the one in Athens, Greece. The folks there are great and I love, love, love their dark chocolate. It is the best dark chocolate I have had.