The Mall

Well, no such luck with the zoo, so we did what all Paulistanos do when it rains...we went to the mall. First lesson learned, the malls do not operate on set hours and all retailers open when they choose. In addition, Sunday hours do not begin until 2pm. Since we arrived around 12, for the first time in my life, I was a "mall walker". It allowed us to explore what the mall, Villa Lobos, had to offer.

Basically you could go to the mall for almost everything. They have banks, travel agencies, dry cleaners, drug stores, beauty salons, photo shops, hardware stores, electronics, appliances, toys,and of course FASHION. David has already warned me not to spend too much time shopping when I'm bored. The prices are outrageous. Although most are Brazilian brands, I made note of some popular American ones. Here are some examples: Levis $190, Reeboks $200, Nike exercise cami $120. My new kindle was $500. On the other hand, swim wear is reasonable. I noticed many bikinis under $50, although this may be due to small amount of fabric needed in construction. We will be setting some shopping time and money aside for our next trip to the USA.

One other major difference in the mall was the lack of anchor department stores. The whole mall was specialty shops. There are several malls a short distance from the apartment, one being very upscale with many international designers like Prada, Chanel, Tiffany, Ralph Lauren. Although I've never been a mall goer, it's a very safe place to spend time when there's nothing else to do (or you want Burger King, McDonalds, or Subway, all which can be found in the fancy food court.)

Today the kids and I will spend the day at the apartment, while David experiences his first day at the office. It looks like the sun might peek out and we'll be able to swim and relax by the pool. Although every day here has felt like an episode of the "Amazing Race", everyday we've gotten more comfortable in our surroundings. If things got no better, I could easily drive to the grocer, the gas station, the mall, 100's of restaurants and shops, and feel relatively safe. This small neighborhood we chose is ten times bigger with more to offer, than the small city we left behind. We ventured out for Mexican last night and it was the best I've had in years, and we had thirteen mexican restaurants to choose from within 5 miles of the apartment. I'm waiting for the reality to set in and the panic to take over, but right now I think I was made to be a city girl. I'm going to enjoy it before the walls start closing in.