Tuesday morning. Reflections from the bus (6/17).

Another sunny, beautiful day. We’re on our way again. To my right spreads the early morning beach. Sounds are chattering people humming along to Brazilian sounds. Good morning world. Welcome to Rio...












Yesterday was a full day – that combining fantastic educational and recreational time. Our first appointment was a 9:30 at the United States Commercial Service

http://www2.focusbrazil.org.br/siteuse.index.htm

After passing through security (sans cell phones, computers, zip dives and high heels, of course..) we entered the consulate. Camille Richardson, Principal Communications Office and impressive and knowledgeable international relations professional briefed us for 2 hours on the Brazil’s potential for investment and business development. It was a great start for our trip: she outlined the opportunities and also the challenges for investors who might be interested in starting a business in Brazil. Since our class teams will be performing just such an analysis as our course project, this presentation and discussion were invaluable to us. Also, our lively conversation with Camille and her colleague, the Director of the AMCHAM Rio, Ricardo Mayer, helped us to gain a better understanding of some of the economic, political, social, and cultural aspects of Brazil.





After our meeting at the consulate, we took a walking tour of downtown Rio and lunched as the beautiful Cafeteria Columbo. The lunch was a large buffet, and we were able to sample many of the tastes of the city.


Then on to our next appointment at Petrobras, one of world’s largest and most successful international oil companies. Rafaela Monteiro, an economist, gave an excellent presentation in which she provided an outstanding overview of the oil and energy industries in Brazil and worldwide. Needless to say, her interactive presentation and our conversation with Ms. Monteiro outlined the significant challenges and opportunities for finding creative and commercially successful solutions to the world’s energy needs.

We left Petrobras to enjoy a few free hours and to prepare for the evening’s main event, dinner and Samba show at the Plazaforma.

We had a great evening, and these pictures speak for themselves:






After the show, we returned to the hotel, smiling and exhausted. Some of us slept, while others saw a bit more of the city’s nightlife.