More Thoughts of an American Living in Brazil

Is there a better feeling in the world than getting pulled over late at night at a check point and being dead sober? I don't think so. I have been pulled over twice at night time during my time in Brazil and, as luck would have it, both times I have been sober as a nun. I just ooze confidence when this happens. I start talking to the police officers like I'm Eddie Murphy or something...making jokes, laughing outrageously, etc. Really, I feel invincible during this time (although not quite as much as Charles Barkley apparently....but close).

Well, it took me 10 months but I finally learned what the word "carona" means. Carona, which is pronounced exactly like Corona (the famous Mexican beer), means "lift" or "ride" as in "can you give me a lift?" Now, to all of my Brazilian friends, I could have used a little help on this one a few months ago. People have been asking me for "caronas" for awhile now and I always thought it was strange....I was constantly thinking to myself, "Do I look like someone who drinks a lot or walks around with a few extra Coronas to spare?" It always perplexed me, and typically my answer was no. But, finally, after many months of unknowingly seeming like an asshole, I am now giving free caronas left and right so if you see a grey Ford Fiesta with a surf rack cruising on by, just throw out the thumb and I'll get you where you need to be. And if you're lucky, I might even have a beer for you!

Speaking of hitchhiking, as I've mentioned before, hitchhiking is much more commonplace here in Brazil (at least Floripa) than in the U.S. (those serial killer stories apparently never affected the people down here). In fact, I have even heard several stories of guys meeting their future girlfriends for the first time while picking them up for a ride (nothing seems to surprise me anymore). But honestly, I'm all for this and who wouldn't be? It's like speed dating but in the comfort of your own car, and you always have the option to drop them off at any destination you choose or perhaps you can keep driving if things are going well. Therefore, I would suggest you forget Match.com and yoga classes. If you're looking for a girl, I recommend that you start doing laps around the Lagoa...trust me, it beats the hell out of Facebook stalking.

People keep telling me that I should buy a scooter or motorcycle to avoid the traffic. After much deliberation, I decided that I would rather ride a tricycle on the New Jersey Turnpike than ride a motorcycle in Brazil.

It seems that all of my thoughts these days are based around driving and that's because with the traffic that I have encountered during the summer here, you are literally taking life into your own hands. The people on the side of the street selling water and beer (think about that for a second - selling beer to drivers!) must be making a killing. However, based on what I've seen, if I just set up a first aid tent down on the main road and charge to help those injured in traffic accidents, I might be able to retire in about six months.

If you own a house and end up renting the house to a few guys from New York who tell you that they met some "crazy girls from Rio" over the holidays, do you just burn the sheets or do you do the whole thing and burn the beds and start all over?

I have eaten more sushi in the past month than I have eaten in my entire life. It seems that I have convinced myself that Mercury poisoning is non-existent south of the equator. Literally, not one Brazilian (at least not one that I have met) has any idea what Mercury poisoning is. Let's just say that the government hasn't exactly done its job in getting the word out. Therefore, if I start to experience skin discoloration, swelling, or burning of the skin, don't worry. I own a sushi lounge, and this is the price I must pay.

If a Brazilian girl tells you that she doesn't like to have her picture taken, don't trust this girl because she is a liar!

It's 90 degrees every day and the water feels incredible (at least for a Californian). However, the majority of the Brazilian surfers wear wetsuits every day. For a culture that is known for its machismo, this is about as macho as me wearing a thong on the beach. Unfortunately, I witnessed a dude doing just this last week (fully shaved legs and all). The nightmares I'm having at night should come as no surprise.

In the U.S. I used to have an X5 yet here in Brazil I drive a car that requires me to turn off the air conditioning to make it up steep hills. It's funny how things change, yet I wouldn't change it in a million years.

The days keep passing and the speeding tickets keep coming. I swear to God that I basically drive like a grandmother now so I don't know what the hell is happening. If this is some kind of candid camera prank, it's not funny!

Tan lines - I swear at this point I don't know if I could live without them.

In Brazil, the most popular restaurants are buffet style (pick your food and weigh it). Seriously, how did this concept not work on the U.S.? You get to pick exactly what you want to eat and you know essentially how much you are going to pay for it. It must be the white trash stigma or maybe it's because the food in the buffets here is just so much better and healthier. However, if I ever move back to the U.S., I'm growing a mullet and rockin' the wife beater because I just can't live without the buffet!

Of the many things I am learning in the restaurant business, one of the most prevalent is how to deal with employee issues. It's funny because we used to joke about how our investment team at Merrill Lynch was just a human resources department due to the fact that we had a big team and it always seemed like we were dealing with some sort of ridiculous issue. Now, I'm facing these these issues every day, and I'm thankful to Shotty for all that I learned in this department during my years there. However, I would argue that the H.R. rules are a little different down here than at Merrill Lynch. For instance, I'm currently looking for a waitress and I'm not going to say that the interview process involves a runway buuuuuuutttt..........

It blows my mind how little what goes on in the rest of the world affects the place I live (at least on a day to day basis). I easily could go through each day and not hear a single word on what is happening across the globe, and on many days I do. Obviously, you could argue this as a good thing or a bad thing (certainly, I don't want to lose touch). However, for now while the world is in the shape that it's in, I'm going to argue that it's a good thing. Life is simple here and why not? Who wants to hear about terrorism, oil prices, investment pryamid schemes, etc., etc. I, on the other hand, am looking forward to the big decision of tomorrow: blonde or brunette for the open waitress position????

Lastly, check out these two recent articles on Floripa:
http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/01/11/travel/11party.html
http://www.jcreport.com/blog/120109/florianopolis-ibiza-south-america

Summer Insanity

After a week and a half straight of partying, I finally got some sleep last night. I woke up to some serious rain and decided that finally it was ok to sleep in. I rented out my house for the past 10 days, and I have been crashing on my friend's couch after my other apartment rental fell through. In the end though, it probably saved me money since I have basically used this place just to sleep (average bed time has been around 7AM) and shower. When people had explained to me what happens when the crowd arrives in Floripa, I was expecting a lot. However, I could never have anticipated this. There are literally people everywhere. You wouldn't even believe it. Unfortunately, with any crowd comes traffic....and I mean serious traffic. I have tried to avoid it at all costs and have been somewhat successful thus far. However, a few times I have been caught up in it and I'm having flashbacks to my days in LA on the 405 (I have, however, long forgotten road rage because at least here I can stare at chicks in bikinis while I'm stuck in traffic). I can't complain though. This has been one of the most fun weeks of my entire life. Every night is an adventure, and almost every night brings another great story. One of my favorite days of all time was this last Saturday (December 27th). My friend and I went to Cafe de la Musique (super model central), P12, Tatsuya, Pacha, and Posh all it one day. From a partying perspective, it probably doesn't get any better than this. Every place is going absolutely off, and I'm doing my best to take advantage of it because how many times in life do we get experiences like this? I've managed to meet some great people along the way from all across the world, and all anyone can say is that this is the best place in the world. I couldn't agree more, and I absolutely love it when other people agree. As for New Year's, it was, as expected, one of the best parties of my life. We went through probably 70 bottles of champagne and literally tore the roof off of the place. It was a great way to end the most exciting year of my life. After the party, I kept getting the feeling that the craziness was about to end, however, I couldn't be more wrong. It's January 3rd and the summer insanity has only just begun...

As for an update on Tatsuya, I'm happy to report that things are going great. I feel lucky to have what I call a "high class problem," which is that we are so busy that we are working very hard to keep up. People really love the concept, and I feel extremely gratified every night. As for the mayhem, the 30rd had to be the topper. One of our three sushi guys (we now have four thank God) hurt his hand and couldn't come to work. On top of that, our system went down right before we opened. We had a completely full house with people waiting outside, and we were running around like maniacs (imagine every single order being written down on a piece of paper and having to add it by hand to close out a bill). I was the barback, the dishwasher guy, and pretty much everything else. It was pure craziness and definitely a crash course in restaurant management. I felt bad for the sushi guys as only two of them were making food for about 80 people. We had a few complaints on the time it took to make the food (just being honest!) but overall it was a great night (even though I was definitely happy when the doors finally closed). There is certainly still a lot to learn, but I think all of the pieces are coming into place to make Tatsuya a long term success...

I finally get to move back into my house tonight. As happy as I am to have rented my house (thank you fellas - you absolutely rocked!), I'm really excited to get settled back in. Living out of my car and sleeping on a couch has been fun but I miss Casa 13 and Praia Mole. And hopefully now I can return all of the phone calls I missed and catch up on everyone's holiday stories. I do want to wish everyone the very best in 2009. 2008 was a very trying year all across the world but if I have learned anything, it's this: don't ever be afraid to take a chance and do something you never thought possible. You never know what might happen. A year ago yesterday I went to Merrill Lynch and told them I was walking away from a great job (and especially great colleagues!), a wonderful city, incredible friends and family and moving to Brazil. It was a chance I took and one filled with a lot of risk. However, there is no looking back now because life is just too damn short and the experiences I have had can never be replaced. Nobody knows what tomorrow may bring so you might as well live every day to the max.....and I plan on doing just that in 2009 here on the Island of Magic....

The Summer Time Dream

The inauguration party came and went in the blink of an eye. We were cranking at max capacity to make sure that everything was perfect. The party started on Thursday at 9PM and the last piece of glass and the last piece of stickers (for the windows) were still going up at exactly 9PM. Even with all of the craziness, everything was totally done there wasn't a single thing missing (I don't think any of us really believed that we did this all in 5 weeks). As for the party, it was fantastic. After all of the work that I put into the place, all I really hoped for was that everyone else liked it as much as me. The overall feedback was that people were shocked. Everyone really, really likes the place. I had several people tell me that they felt like they were in Manhattan, and, honestly, I can't think of a better compliment than that. The party itself is never really that enjoyable for the owners, because we have to make sure to say hi to everyone and to make sure everyone is totally happy. Of course, the rough part was the TV interview. My partner, Val, hates the spotlight and my other partner, Dave, is still in the early learning phases of Portuguese. Therefore, the interview was laid squarely on my shoulders. However, once it got started, it was fine. The interviewer made it really easy. Unfortunately, it ran on Sunday and I missed it but I'm probably better off not having seen it. Otherwise, I would probably realize that I need to enroll in some intense Portuguese classes ASAP and God knows I don't have time for that. Anyway, here are the pics from the party. Enjoy: http://picasaweb.google.com/cpackard11/TatsuyaSushiLoungeInaugurationParty.

As for everything else, it feels really good to have life somewhat back to normal. I no longer have to wake up and go straight to the restaurant. I'm enjoying my days at the beach and trying to get back into shape. Summer time is definitely here. It is SUPER hot, and the action is really start to happen all around the island. Come Christmas time, the population on the island is going to triple. I don't know if I'm prepared for what is about to happen, but I know that I couldn't be more excited. I have been at the restaurant every night just having a blast. Fortunately, we have been full every night we have been open, and there is nothing more satisfying that watching people have a good time at your place. And now there will even be more people to entertain, and I'll do everything I can to make sure they have a good time.....make sure to stop by if you're headed this way!

I wish everyone happy holidays and a very healthy new year. If you don't hear from me until January, don't worry, I'm probably just sitting on the deck of Tatsuya having a cocktail and living the summer time dream....

24

I just wanted to give a quick update now that I finally have two seconds to sit down. It looks like we are a "go" for the opening tomorrow. It has been one hell of a stressful week. We are getting down to the wire and things are definitely tight. We all sat down this weekend to decide if Thursday was still going to work for the opening party, and I didn't want to waver one bit. In my opinion, all that does is allow people to delay their work even more. If you tell someone that it needs to be done on Friday, they will get it done by Friday. If you tell that same person that it has to be done by Saturday, they will get it done by Saturday and act like it couldn't have been done a minute sooner. It's so funny how that works. Anyone who has ever opened a restaurant can tell you that it's ALWAYS like this. I have heard the word "tomorrow" about 10,000 times and all I can do is laugh when I hear it. I just try my hardest to keep a positive attitude and keep people moving forward so that we're always making progress. The crazy thing about being in Brazil is that I have a whole different set of problems to deal with that I never would have thought of. For instance, at night we have to take the light bulbs out of our lights in the garden because people steal them. And if you can believe this, someone stole a piece of wood today that was on our deck and nailed in (that one even shocked the Brazilians - definitely a desparate move). Anyway, today was the big day for sure. I was at the restaurant yesterday for 21 hours straight (sleep has definitely gone out the window - didn't I come here to relax?), and if you looked at it when I left this morning you would say that there was no way that we could be open by Thursday. However, I just left tonight (it's 3AM here) and things really came together today. We have to rig a few things. For instance, a piece of black glass has yet to come in so our plan B was to paint that wall black for now (I don't think we had another choice). This was a perplexing one. Yesterday a piece of the black glass broke and so they had to redo it. It will be ready by tomorrow. Yet, one of the main pieces on the bar has still yet to show up and they don't think it will by tomorrow. Therefore, I asked the glass guy how they could make an entire piece in one day yet not make the bar piece in three weeks. My answer was a blank face. Those of you who have visited Brazil might recall that face. One of the other hilarious things is seeing how people work with the guest list on this type of party. Everyone has an opinion and everyone says that you have to invite such and such because he/she is the "most influential person in Floripa!" Based on everyone I have talked to, apparently there are about 25 different "most influential people in Floripa." I'm less concerned about some person I don't know who may get offended if I don't invite them and more concerned with everyone just having a good time. That's what this is all about right? And the end, I think it's going to be great. Invitations have been sent out, and it's going to be one hell of a party. The photographers will be there so I will make sure to post plenty of pics. Surely, there is still a lot of work to do, but the next 24 hours is going to be one hell of an experience....

Clean Living

For those of you concerned about me, I didn't drown in the floods, I didn't die of liver cancer, and wasn't thrown in jail. It's just that it seems each day gets busier and busier. I would, however, say that life continues to be great. The rain finally stopped (if you can believe it, it rained for 15 weeks straight!), and summer has officially arrived. The last few weeks have been full of parties, beaches, and great times. I have had one friend here for almost three weeks (he has since decided that he is moving to Floripa) and, in the meanwhile, I also had three other friends visit me. Unfortunately, those three had a nightmare travel experience thanks to the rain but once they arrived, we did as expected and I don't think we could have had more fun. I would say that the entertaining of friends can be cumbersome in a world where they don't speak the language, but nothing makes me happier than seeing a smile on their faces. Now, after three straight weeks of partying (more like 8 months for me!), the hour has arrived for a brief time out and some good, clean living.

As for the stories for when the guys were here, there is not much to say other than it was fantastic. I had the second of my crazy house parties, and this one was even better than the first. There were over 200 people at this one. I had to have a guest list, hire security, etc. The pictures of the party even made the front page one of Floripa's most known event websites (that was trippy). The best part was that the cops actually showed up, which in Brazil is pretty damn difficult to accomplish. You typically need a 10-car wreck and a fire for them to show up. I went outside to talk to them and they basically told me, "Man, we could care less. We're just required to show up so no worries and have fun." It was pretty epic. I'm sure the neighbors hate me but since their dog wakes me up literally seven days a week, I could care less. Until that thing goes away, it's going to be a summer of parties and I hope they at least like the music...

The craziest night of the past month was a night at Confraria with Steve Aoki. For those of you who have seen him play you know what I'm talking about. Of all the DJ's I have seen in my life, he is by far the best. No one puts on a show like him. He is basically throwing one hell of a party and you better be on board. He was literally hanging from the stereo speakers, pouring vodka down the crowd's throat, and just overall killing the place. It was unbelievable but it didn't stop there. He actually went to high school with some friends of friends so we chatted him up before he started his show. Once his show was over, we decided to throw an after party at my house. We asked Steve if he wanted to come over and he was like, "Of course." Therefore, basically the rest of the club just came to my house (keep in mind that this was around 6AM). I threw on my iPod and let the party start. Steve came up to me and asked if I would mind if he played his laptop. I was like, "Ahhh, yeah, sure." When one of the best DJ's in the world wants to play some jams at your after party your only answer should be "Let's do this! Can I get you something to drink?" We rocked it until about 9AM when everyone finally got a little tired. I have said it before and I will say it again....this shit only happens in Floripa. It literally never ceases to amaze me.

The gang and I also threw a party to help those people who have been devastated by the rain. We brought in a big semi-truck and sent out the word to everyone to come donate as much as they could before the party. It was very rewarding because the next day everything was delivered to a small village who had yet to receive any aid following the rain. Several families called to give thanks and many of them were crying tears of joy. If there is something more rewarding than that, let me know because I'm all ears....

Lastly, Tatsuya Sushi Lounge is scheduled to open December 18th. It's an incredible feeling to look at what I am creating but at the same time very nerve racking. I LOVE the place, love the food, and just love the concept but at the end of the day, other people still have to share that same opinion and show up. I am trying to do everything perfect (decor, food, press, etc.) and if they don't come, I can say that I tried my best. But I do have a lot of confidence that it is going to be great. There is nothing about the place that I don't absolutely love. I've really enjoyed watching the transformation over the past few weeks as things are getting built and the buzz goes around town. It's amazing to see everything that we had on a piece of paper just a few weeks ago come to life. It's been very rewarding. The next 10 days are going to be intense but once all the ducks are in line, all I can do is sit back, watch, and enjoy. It's going to be one hell of an experience, and I can't wait to see how it goes....

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

My head is officially ready to explode. Whereas a month ago, I made about three decisions during the course of the day (where to surf, where to eat, and where to go out), I'm now making about 200 per day. The decisions are all across the board also: what kind of fabric do you want to use on the sofas, what kind of soap do you want to use in the bathroom, how many shelves do you want in the kitchen. It is literally unbelievable the amount of things that you have to consider in this business. I now have a great deal more respect for people who run successful restaurants, bars, clubs, etc. because I can see how much work it involves. I have a consultant who is with me literally all day long, and I thank the Lord each day that she is alive. Without her, I would be screwed. I'm laying the groundwork to hire her permanently, but it isn't going to be easy. As I've always said, everything is for sale. It just depends on the price, and this would unquestionably be the best money I've ever spent. To make things more complicated, I have four friends coming into town this weekend to visit me. I'm very interested to see how I will be able to coordinate the beach, the surfing, the parties while all the meanwhile continuing on with this monster project. If I think that I am not sleeping enough now, then next week should be quite an adventure....

The good news is that I'm still having a ton of fun. I'm creating my own little baby (hopefully this is just the beginning!), and I'm doing it in one of the most fun places in the world. We officially shut down on Friday and will be cranking away for six solid weeks to get ready for a December 18th opening. The trick is trying to coordinate the 100 different people involved in the reformation to make sure that they all do their part in time. If one goes astray, then the whole thing falls apart. Of course, the fact that I'm dealing with Brazilians is making it more complicated, but I have faith and right now that faith is holding me together.

With this new endeavor, one of the most important things to do is to be out there marketing. Luckily for me, this is what I love to do. Everyone here knows my plans, but I still take every opportunity to talk about it as I can. The most hilarious part of this was the opening of Pacha (one of the most famous clubs in the world) in Floripa this past Thursday where I was asked to give an interview to a famous journalist. Imagine trying to give an interview in the middle of a packed club with a bright shining light on your face while the music is blaring and their people all around. Oh yeah, and it's in Portuguese. I tried to warn them that I wasn't fluent in Portuguese but they assured me that it would be fine. Well, it went ok at best. I will spare you the details but I will say that it was very, very funny. I would be deathly afraid to see a recording. Undoubtedly it was a good experience and at the very least, hopefully I gave the reporter a good laugh.....

I also had my first house party of the summer. I had been wanting to throw a party at my house for some time and I finally had a reason....actually, I didn't have a reason but that's beside the point. It was an incredible party. The lights in all of Praia Mole went out for at least an hour around 3AM (we joked that the neighbors were trying to stop the party) but nobody left. The party started again and everyone had an absolute plast. Summer Party #2 at Praia Mole will be next Tuesday with the whole gang in town. If the house gets burned to the ground, I would not be even remotely surprised....

Getting Loose

Well, it's official. After eight months of surfing, beaches, and parties, I am returning to the working class. The only difference is that I am still going to be very much focused on surfing, beaches, and parties (otherwise, what am I doing here?). I spent the first eight months of my time really trying to figure out what I wanted to do. I was all over the map during my research with ideas ranging from importing sandals to the U.S. to starting a Brazilian real estate fund. What I settled on was buying a Japanese restaurant.

Let me start by saying that Floripa is an interesting place. The people here (and this might relate to all of Brazil but that's tough for me to say) are very particular about what they want and how they want it. In my opinion, it's a mentality that I would say isn't exactly so open to new ideas. Entrepreneurialism isn't embraced like it is in the U.S. (unfortunately, this is one of the reasons why I think Brazil struggles so much to advance as a country). For instance, you can't just come down here, open a business, and expect it to work. You have to have patience, make sure you meet the right people, and do the right things. For anyone trying to do something in Brazil, I would strongly urge patience to get a feel for a community. The best business decision I have made since moving here has been to do nothing. It has allowed me to really understand Floripa, meet some great people, and really get a feel for what people here like.

Anywyay, how did buying a Japanese restaurant come about? I have asked myself that question many times. While buying a restaurant was never one of my intentions, sometimes life just works in strange ways.I met a really nice girl when I first moved here (strictly friends!). We stayed in touch and hung out every now and then. After not seeing her for a few months, I ran into her at a party. She told me that she was selling her restaurant. I had never been there so didn't know much about it. To make a long story short, she had lent money to a friend of a friend to start the restaurant. After building the restaurant, the guy basically walked away. Therefore, with no experience whatsoever, she was stuck with a restaurant. It hasn't been a fun experience for her as she has spent the last two months cleaning up this guy's mess and, therefore, she decided to sell it. I was a little curious so I went there with a friend to have dinner. We both really liked the place a lot (the food is very good and the location is killer). A few days later I told her that I ate at the restaurant, and she asked me if we went upstairs. I didn't even know there was an upstairs so obviously I didn't see it. I went back to check it out and immediately realized the potential of the place. While I never wanted to own a restaurant, I have always been interested in owning a nightlife spot. I knew that with a little work this could be a fantastic place. One thing led to another and I started getting serious about buying the place. She had started to tell people that she was selling the restaurant, and all of her friends told her she was crazy. They said that she was sitting on an unbelievable spot and she had done so much work that she would be crazy to sell now. Her biggest problem is that she never marketed the restaurant at all so it's been a struggle for her. Also, she has never wanted to be the "face" of the restaurant, and it's very important in Floripa for the customers to know the owner. This where I came in. Again, to make a long story short, we decided to move forward as 50/50 partners. I couldn't be more excited. I now have a great project to work on, and I look forward to it each day. I tell people that the restaurant is like a great canvas painting only the artist never put it in a frame and hung it on the wall. My goal is to create a very fun, Japanese restaurant with an amazing lounge. The Japanese restaurants in Floripa are very, very boring and nothing at all like the Japanese restaurants we are used to in the U.S. The sushi is also very basic in these restaurants so I'm going to fly down a friend of mine who is an unbelievable sushi chef to create a killer menu. As I said, you don't want to totally change the concept and scare everyone off, but I am confident that a place like I imagine could be very successful. Every day I am meeting with architects, interior designers, and everyone else under the sun. For better and for worse, I'm busy again but I'm also working on something that I am passionate about. My friends have told me a hundred times over the past few months that I would be crazy not to do something involved in the nightlife because I love being out, meeting new people, and just having a great time. So, here we are. The name of the restaurant is Hikari, which means "Loose" in Japanese (for those of you who know me well, was this not fate?), so the next time you are in Floripa make sure to stop by!

As I said, I love meeting new people. It's one of the great things I am looking forward to in my new business. The best part is that Floripa is a special place, and I have had the opportunity to meet some very amazing people. Last week, I had dinner with a few friends to talk a little business and a little pleasure. Of course, one of the guys is married to a super model (Fernanda Motta) and she joined us for dinner. Never in a million years do I imagine this happening in the U.S., however, it seems like this stuff happens here all the time. It was a very, very enjoyable night. They even put our picture in the newspaper. What can I say? Does it getter better than life in Floripa????