Here I am again flying from Dallas back to good old San Francisco. I have a nice coating of flight slime as I have been in an airplane for the last 10 hours and now I have another 3 hours before I get home. This past week was a whirlwind of flights, fights, and lots of meat. My first trip to Brazil opened my eyes and heart in many new ways. Although the trip was work related and I had very little time to sleep let alone go sight seeing or shopping, I did manage to snap a few pictures and enjoy some local sights and flavors. The Portuguese settled Brazil so the language is variation of Portuguese but with some aspects of Spanish thrown in to make it extra confusing to an outsider. Hey I knew enough to figure out the hot and cold faucets in my room. Q for hot and F for cold? This is vital information in a country that has badais. Hmmm...
I seem to remember from high school French that cold is froid and since Portuguese is a romance language I took a shot I got it right. I don’t know how Q got to be hot but at least I broke the code. Well at least I can clean myself. Personal hygiene concerns were now addressed so at least I can keep my suave metro-sexual image in tact while on the edge of the rain forest.
The flight to Brazil is almost 10 hours then I switched
planes for another 3-hour flight to get to my first stop Manaus. This city
was carved out of the rainforest and there are no roads connecting it to the
other large metropolitan areas of Brazil. You either fly in or take a river
cruise. The Rio Negro and Amazon rivers meet here and in recent year this
area has become home to a number of companies seeking cheap labor and
special tax considerations. 
At first it seemed odd to have a personal
electronics device
manufacturing plant in this area, it was explained that this area was
designated a free
trade zone. Plus creating these jobs here gives the locals something
other to do than rip up the rain forest and sell what ever they can. There
is still a lot of destruction visible. As we took a crazy cab, more on that
later, to work each morning you could see the big gouges that have been cut
out of the rain forest. Piles of wood everywhere. The gouges grow deeper
each day and now I think I understand why some many people are concerned.
Once this resource is destroyed it can never be replaced.
By
allowing big companies to set up factories here they give the locals another
way to make a living. Both companies and rainforest benefit from this
arrangement. The factory gets a cheap and devoted labor force and the
locals raise their standard of living. Manaus is a fine example of this
formula. To most Americans it still looks poor and very underdeveloped.
While that is somewhat true I did have the opportunity to work with some
very articulate and dedicated individuals. I was so impressed with the
quality of their work and their enthusiasm, more than a few Americans could
take a lesson. The Brazilians I worked with on this trip made me want to
come back. Professional and friendly to boot, the team I work with was
treated to more than a few feasts, and best of all they all paid attention
and really participated in what we were doing there. I would build a
factory there (Brazil) before I built one here, that’s for sure. Now the arrangement
works both ways, the large company I am consulting for treats the Brazilians
with respect and they also provide extra benefits. Lunch is free and really
good, fresh fruits and veggies, rice, a choice of meats and even dessert.
The cafeteria is also home to snack time each day at 5:30. Everyone who
works, visits, or even manages at the facility wears clean smart looking
smocks. At first I didn’t like the idea but after I saw how this partial
uniform made the employees feel less conscious about their own clothes and
more focused on their job I was sold. It also makes everyone approachable
from upper management to line worker. I have many new friends as well as
professional contacts as a result.
The hotel I stayed in while working in Manaus is “THE”
premier resort for the area. Please take that in context for where I was.
The Tropical has a very old world look and feel. Rich dark woods and rooms
that open up to patios, balconies, or in my case the mini-zoo. 
That one
took me by surprise, the first time I opened my big windows I was screamed
at by some monkeys that did not appreciate my skinny white toast face.
Sorry to leave you hanging guys but my battery is giving out, so come back
for part 2.
Peace,
Sean