I think that one of the best experiences of this journey is being able to meet the citizens of Brazil. Emily and Brandi had the opportunity to sit next to Mrs. Amstalden on the plane to Rio and have a great conversation.
Day 2 was another incredible experience for us all. We had the opportunity to visit RSM and listen to Paulo Melo, a tax partner. Paulo explained to us the history of the government of Brazil. Paulo has also worked in Houston, so he told us the differences between working in the United States versus Brazil. Paulo said that Americans work long and hard hours; whereas, in Brazil they don't live for work. They strive to have a good work life balance. He also explained that if you ask Brazilians who the most evil people in the world were they would respond with Americans, but if you asked where they would visit next their response would be the United States. It was an eye-opening experience to hear someone else's opinion about our home. It allowed all of us to grow and have a different outlook on our own government.
The next company that we visited was JLL. Ricardo Hirata gave us a very informative presentation about JLL and the real estate in Brazil. We discussed how foreign investment isn't a big thing in Sao Paulo due to the corrupt government which makes investing very risky. The real estate market is highly volatile and tenant representation is the main service provided. Providing real estate representation for the many businesses located in Sao Paulo is the majority of what JLL does. Sao Paulo has more corporate headquarters than any other place in Brazil, making the market a prime location for real estate brokers and tenant representers. The difference between the buildings built in the 90's and the recently built buildings has been very evident. The older ones are very repetitive, almost cookie cutter looking (very bland to be honest). The newer ones are almost all high rise, sky-scraper looking buildings, covered in glass. The infrastructure in Brazil is extremely poor, which makes real estate investment and development highly difficult. The industrial market in Sao Paulo is the biggest market, but the lacking of infrastructure restrains the potential that the city has. Also, when a lease is formed, the tenant is protected by the government and can break the lease agreement at any point in time - another reason why capital is not invested here. Another thing we learned: the city government provides spray paint to people who want to graffiti the city. It is highly encouraged.
After the company visits we went to lunch and then to the airport to fly to Rio! I think that one of the best experiences of this journey is being able to meet the citizens of Brazil. Emily and Brandi had the opportunity to sit next to Mrs. Amstalden on the plane to Rio and have a great conversation. She was from a surrounding town outside of Sao Paulo and was traveling to work in a hospital in London for a month. She studied in Missouri when she was 17 and then moved on to become a doctor. Of course like every proud mother, she showed us her family pictures from her daughter's wedding and shared her story with us. I know that we will always cherish that conversation and the opportunity to meet such a wonderful woman.
Upon arrival to Rio, the group split into two and went to dinner. One group had seafood while the other went to a Brazilian Steakhouse. I can only speak on the Brazilian Steakhouse, but everyone of us left way to full and just had the best meal of our lives! So far, Rio has been a wonderful experience, and we can't wait to share with you all of the events we endure tomorrow!