A Casual Dinner with the Prince of Saudi Arabia

So there I was standing at the bus stop Tuesday afternoon after a chaotic day of work when my phone rang. Looking down at the screen and seeing the unknown number I got a little nervous. Needless to say, after a few caipirinhas on the weekends you never really know who you are giving your number to. Putting my doubts aside, I answered and was happy to hear a women's voice on the other end.  

        "Hi Elley, it's Isabela from the abroad office. I was calling because we would like to invite you to a dinner on Thursday with the Prince of Saudi Arabia." Ummmmmmm.

          "He is here visiting Brazil and the FAAP [My university] has organized a dinner for him and you are invited." Ummmmmmmmmmmmm. 

           "It is going to be a really nice event at the President of the University's house, you know the casa rosada (pink house) that sits on the hill above the FAAP. We think you would enjoy it.... Elley are you there?"

            "Uh, um, oh, uh yeah sorry wait so dinner with a prince? and did you say Saudi Arabia? I thought it was just Prince Harry that was the only prince candidate these days?" 

            "Yes, the Prince of Saudi Arabia. Can we confirm that you are going?"

             "But what do I wear? Is it formal? I have class that night. Oh wait, I will skip it duh, its dinner with a prince. Should I bring anything?"Yeah, Elley, bring a salad. The Prince is taking care of dessert and the Brazilian ambassador of France, don't worry, he is taking care of the main dish. Okay, so yeah dumb question. I can hear Isabela laughing on the other end. 

              "No you do not need to bring anything. But yes, it is pretty formal so make sure to dress in something nice. Please arrive at 8:30. I will send you the address via email."  

And just like that I was invited to dinner with the Prince of Saudi Arabia. I feel bad his name is actually Badr Al Saud but for dramatic purposes I am going to keep referring to him as the Prince. 

Thursday came in what felt like an hour after my phone conversation with Isabela on Tuesday afternoon. On the metro home after work I realized I hadn't even thought about what I was going to wear. This is very unlike me- to be unprepared fashion wise. But with work pretty much any brain activity that does not relate to understanding the financial industry in Portuguese has been put on the back burner. Anyways, to save the day who came through? My Fairy Godmother? No. My real Mother! Arriving home the door man handed me a package that she sent with some new clothes for work from the one and only Marshalls. Among the new items (that all fit perfectly)was an adorable navy blue skirt that I was able to combine with a cream colored blouse and my favorite shawl I got at Goodwill for $2. My black leather pumps that I bought for my interview at DB finished off the outfit. 

Wanting to get more done up than usual, I decided to put on some of my roommate's bronzer. Bad idea. For those of you who don't know, I do not understand how to use any kind of makeup that goes beyond your classic Cover Girl mascara. The few times I have gone above and beyond, I have a professional (aka my SLU roommate Taylor Capuano) help me. But I was feeling confident and like I knew what I was doing so I got the fluffy, soft brush and started applying bronzer all over my face. Within about three seconds I actually looked like a leather bag. No, a pleather bag, because leather looks nice. Like, Snookie from Jersey Shore had nothing on me. Panicked, and with a good 7 minutes before I had to leave, I scoured the bathroom medicine cabinet for something to help normalize my face. Reverting to good old soap and water, I was able to wash off the caked on mess. Sorry Prince, no bronzer for you. I hope Cover Girl mascara is enough. 

In the taxi ride over the whole event that was about to happen hit me. I am about to go and have dinner with a prince. Not only that, I actually know absolutely no one at this party. Okay, don't freak out just grab the first glass of wine you see. Plus, even though it might only be in the eyes of your dad, you have always been a princess. This is just a dinner between one Royal Highness to the next. 

After giving my name to the security guards at the gate, I walked up the long drive way to the grand entrance of the Pink House. Now, I want you to imagine the scene in the movie Princess Diaries when she has to attend her first dinner party with all the royals and important people. That is how I felt walking through the stately archway to be greeted by the President of the FAAP along with the Brazilian Ambassador to France. The walls of the house are dripping with famous art pieces, the ceilings of chandeliers, the halls of elaborate statues. I make my way into what seems to be the first of three different living rooms filled with velvet couches to see the Prince standing there. Oh hello Prince. I had greeted everyone else with a kiss but does he get a handshake? Crap did you really just trip on the rug. Recover from the stumble. Damn high heals. 

The photographer is waiting there to take our picture as I stick out my hand to introduce myself. "Hi, I'm Elley. Such a pleasure to meet you."We smile, click, woah flash, and I continue down the line of important people. 

After making my way around the room I find two girls that look my age (thank god) and immediately introduce myself. We instantly bond over the fact that "holy s*** were having dinner with a prince." A minute into our conversation a waiter appears with a nice chilled glass of Moët & Chandon (thank god, again) and the night is off to a good start. 

As we mingled, delicious Brazilian appetizers were brought around: mini pastels (remember these doughy pockets of yumminess?), fried cheese balls (a delicacy), stuffed mushrooms, pigs in a blanket. Yes, fried cheese balls and pigs in a blanket are not exactly what I would think to serve a prince either, but these were surprisingly gourmet. Tip for future dinner parties: easy on the champagne during the hors d'oeuvre hour. Second tip for future dinner parties: Always check chin for hanging pieces of cheese after biting into fried cheese ball. It is unclassy to have piece of cheese dangling from chin while talking to Brazilian ambassador. 

The American Diplomat at the party was coincidentally from Bedford, New Hampshire!  I just about hugged her when we made the connection. I think she was happy too because being fellow New Hampshirans (I made this up) we both know how NO ONE knows where tiny, dinky Live Free or Die is on the map. You either say you are from Boston, or forget it. Anyways, it was a funny small-world coincidence us both being there with the Prince. I am of course, forgetting her name. I tried googling it. Please if anyone knows, comment below! 

THEN ALL THE SUDDEN a brass quartet came out to announce that dinner was served. Okay just kidding it was just the chef. But that would of really made it like a Disney movie! 

Yes, the moment I was waiting for: Dinner for Royals (note plural, I'm including myself). Entering the dinning room there is a table the size of a mini swimming pool lined with silver platters and trays full of, well, incredibleness. Taking my white china plate I approach the princely buffet and request to be served a taste of everything. As my plate makes its way around the line it is filled with sauteed palmitos, filet mignon in a red wine sauce, warmed dolmades with an egg lemon sauce, farofa with fried banana, lamb stew, roasted carrots, wild rice with pine nuts and apricots. It was the kind of food that makes you hungrier as you eat because it is so good. I went back for seconds. Then thirds. Okay and then maybe I just went back for a few more dolmades... and lamb stew. Dessert was a combination of coconut flan (never tasted anything like it, mom please learn how to make this for my birthday), warmed figs, chocolate and pecan gelato, and the most magnificent plate of fresh fruit you have ever seen. It really was something of of Ancient Roman times. 

Just as I am finishing my coconut flan and sliced persimmons, a friend of the prince who I had met earlier that evening asks if I would like to join them on their night out on the town. 

        "Oh, I really appreciate the invite, but I actually have to work tomorrow super early."

         "So, you're joining us then?" Confused, I realize how ridiculous I am being. Duh I'm joining them. When else in my life time will I have the opportunity to go out clubbing with a Prince? 

         "Yes, I will be."And ten minutes later I was whisked away in the Prince's bullet proof SUV followed by a SWAT van. Not exactly the white Stallions we think of as prince's transportation but hey. 

Arriving at the club, we had to enter through a special side door that the body guards arranged before hand. This is when I started to feel like Beyonce. We then were led to a special VIP table where endless cocktails awaited us. Okay, this is sweet. To top the night off, who else did we see at the club? Oh no big deal just Paul Walker. You know the extremely good looking blond guy from the Fast and Furious movies? I just about fainted. He is actually more beautiful in person than in the movies if that is even possible. But I digress, back to the Prince!

The whole evening was a blast. I arrived knowing no one and left on a complete high from all the magnificent people I got to meet. I also felt much more connected to the FAAP community which is important for me coming from Concord and SLU, where community has always been a huge part of my life. 

Okay I am tired of writing. Here are some pics because I know that most of you just scrolled down to the bottom without reading ;) 

 Some of the numerous dishes I indulged in: salad, meat quiche, dalmades, farofa with fried banana and lamb stew.

 Grilled palmitos, filet mignon, Israeli couscous 

 The Prince and I. La deeee daaaaaaaaaa

My two new friends Amanda and Isabel and I with the President of the FAAP. Maybe one of the nicest men I have ever met, also very funny.  He enjoys a nice cigar after dinner. 

           

Things on the side

So don't think that just because I sleep a good 6 hours on average every night that that means when the weekend comes I just go to bed until Sunday. Oh no. I am still fully taking advantage of the spectacular night life scene here in São Paulo along with the multitude of gastronomic opportunities and do not plan on changing that. Anyways, here are some pics/videos from the last few weeks that I have been meaning to share with you all. 

 Last weekend some friends and I went to the Mercado Municipal, a ginormous covered market place in the center of São Paulo with gorgeous stain-glass windows, where you can find any spice, meat, fruit, nut, cheese along with famous Brazilian delicacies. The best part is all the free samples. Every stand wants your business so how to do they entice you? By giving you a taste of what ever your heart desires. You literally can get a full meal just walking through the place. Its like Costco, but better! . 

 One of the many fruit stands with endless samples. 

Here are some sausages with spices above. Have you ever seen so many? 

You can't go to the Mercado Municipal without trying the infamous Mortadella sandwich: slices of Mortadella meat (aka Bologna) with melted cheese and a hint of sun-dried tomato between french bread. The meat is the main part of the meal as you can see by the thickness. Is it good? Um, sort of. A little too heavy for me to be honest. Does it sop up a hangover? Without a doubt. Will I eat it again? Probably not, but everyone MUST try it. 

I have moved on from the classic lemon caipirinha to a strawberry/kiwi one. Let me tell you folks, this is it: the world's best cocktail. I am literally counting down the days until I get home and can make these for everyone. Get ready people.  

An unbelievable feijoada meal a few Saturdays ago at the gorgeous Como Assim restaurant. You walk down a set of stairs and are suddenly in a tropical garden with live samba music and melt-in-your-mouth eats. Feijoada, a bean stew that on average contains 5-6 different types of beef and pork, is a typical dish eaten here for lunch on Saturdays, accompanied by rice, farofa, couve, and fried pieces of pork. We also ordered a side of Calabresa (type of sausage) that came with sauteed onions, toasted baguette slices and an unbelievable green, garlic mayonnaise to make little sandwiches. We ate and we ate. And then we took a nap. If you think Thanksgiving dinner is hard to handle, try feijoada. 

Here is a bunch of us infront of the famous Teatro Municipal after spending the afternoon at yet another Cervejada (kegger sponsored by the University). 

Cervejada. This one was at a bar right across the street from our university so it made it easier to go to class afterwards.....yeah....

Our University put on a White and Glow party where everyone had to wear white so you could glow on the dance floor. There was special face paint and an open bar! 

This pic was taken of my friend Elsa and I at a water slide darty (day party) I went to a few weekends ago. It was an absolute blast. I copy and pasted two links to youtube videos of all of us doing the water slide so you can get a better idea. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HQeYPW1Bws&feature=youtu.be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfS1o1Tdi8c&feature=youtu.be

Thats all for now! Hope you all have a good week and we will talk soon! Beijossss

Internship has begun!

Oi Pessoal! It has been two months since I arrived in São Paulo and here I am, living in an apartment, going to school and doing my internship (with a few caipirinhas on the side). Yes, my internship at Deutsche bank has begun and the days are flying. To give you an idea of the 360 degree turn that my daily routine has gone through I am going to compare the two below.

Before Internship:
11:30: Open eyes to the bright sun streaming into my room accompanied by the chaotic noises of the hustle and bustle on the city streets below. Roll over.
12:00: Acknowledge that it is 12:00 and that I should get up. Roll over.
12:30: Dream about food.
12:33: Wake up very hungry.
12:34: Go into kitchen in search for breakfast.
12:35: Put on water for tea, start slicing and dicing fresh papaya, persimmons, and banana to put with my greek yogurt and granola.
12:40: Sit down to a delicious breakfast alongside a soothing cup of English breakfast tea with a spoonful of honey and a splash of milk.
12:47: Finish breakfast. Move from table to couch where I proceed to spend a ridiculous amount of time Facebook stalking.
1:15: Contemplate if it is too soon to eat all the leftovers in the fridge.
1:15:30: Eat all left overs in fridge.
1:23: Okay now what?
1:24: Hum de dum
1:27: Twiddle my thumbs
1:28: Look at the daily photos my parents have emailed me of our dogs Dwight and Riley.
1:30: Go through all my tagged Facebook pictures starting from Sophomore year in High School.
1:30-4:30: Combination of nothing, eating, doing random things on computer, eating, nothing, blogging, etc.
4:30: Get up from couch, head rush.
4:31: Stare out the window.
4:32: Walk into room to get out clothes for gym.
4:33: Consider not going to the gym.
4:34: Remind myself of my uncontrollable gluttonous behaviors
4:35: Change for gym, get books ready for class
5:00: Saunter out of my apartment building to be greeted by the typical smells of car exhaust, grilled meat and burnt rubber.
5:30-10:30: Gym, shower, class
10:30: Take bus home. Feel oddly protected by the prostitutes I pass on my two block walk home from the bus stop.
10:45: Make dinner with my roommate Domi.
11:00: While eating, catch up on the Brazilian soap opera "Salve Jorge"
11:30: Check what I have missed on Facebook. Nothing
11:30-1:30:Spend next two hours doing god knows what
1:30: Write in journal.
1:45: Drift off to the eerie sounds of the dark streets below.

***Side note: Okay so yes this was my typical day. But I did do some minor things on the side, the best being my excursion to the Museu da Lingua Portuguesa (Portuguese Language Museum). Yes, one of few museums in the whole world dedicated solely to the origin and development of a language. It is incredible how many words in Portuguese come from Indigenous tribes such as the Tupi that were here before Brazil was colonized. And then how many words have African roots due to the immense Brazilian slave trade that lasted almost 3 centuries. Also, did you know that Portuguese is spoken on every continent? That Portuguese Navy sure was busy. And that the word Saudade in Portuguese is classified as one of the most difficult words to translate into other languages especially English. Now I bet you want to know what it means. Well go Google it. Because if I just gave you one word that kind of alludes to its meaning, well that would defeat the purpose of me telling you that it is one of the most difficult words to translate.
               Another great thing about the museum is that it really appeals to the student budget since it only costs a mere $1.50. Great. Also, I think that museums are a good thing to do by yourself. Normally I like to have a companion when I go out to explore, but museums are different. You can go at your own pace. You don't have to worry if you are taking to long. Or the opposite, you don't have to awkwardly stand and wait while the other person reads every last word, including the exit signs. Anyways, I felt like a very good exchange student doing this mini trip and also really learned a lot. I think it will be fun to go back two or three more times as my Portuguese gets increasingly better so I can get even more out of the museum.
               
Okay, now moving on to my new daily routine!

Internship: 
5:50: First alarm goes off. Snooze
6:00: Second alarm goes off: Snooze
6:10: Third alarm goes off: Snooze
6:12: Wake up panicked from a deep sleep: "CRAP, what time is it. Did I oversleep?"
6:13: Turn on water for coffee (yes, English Breakfast just doesn't do the trick at 6:15 in the morning). Get out fruit and yogurt for morning breakfast.
6:15: Sit down for breakfast while reading up on the daily news. Pictures of dogs from parents have not been sent yet.
6:20: Contemplate if wearing my pink flowery shirt on the first day of work is too El Woods from Legally Blond.
6:21: Decide to go with navy blue skirt and white blouse to be on the safe side. (Don't worry pink shirt was worn the next day. #ElWoodsismygirl)
6:25-7: Get ready for work, organize materials for class, put together gym bag-don't forget socks
7:00: Select snacks to bring to work: banana granola bar, figs, apple, really yummy mini cake with chocolate filling.
7:15: Leave apartment to make the 7:35 bus to the office.
7:35-7:55: Crowded, sweaty bus ride with grumpy Paulistans.
7:55-7:58: Make a pit stop in McDonald's next to my office to take a bath in their sink after sweating through my clothes. Thanks for the free paper towels.
8:00: Begin my day.
9:00: Brazilian Market opens. The next four hours pass without even looking at the clock.
1:30: Lunch time. Lunch time in the office is really quite an experience. One where soggy tuna sandwiches brought from home in a Tupperware are unheard of, and pieces of steak hanging over the plate with rice, beans and french fries are the norm. Its hard to go out to lunch because when the market is open its go time. There is no lunch break. Especially because you are not dealing with just the Brazilian Market. You have London and NYC too which are on different time zones. Not to worry though, because around 11:30 a very nice guy (whose name I am forgetting but will fill in) comes around with the equivalent of an Oxford Dictionary full of different menus that include every food group/category from every region in the world. I could probably spend a good three hours going through the whole thing.  Where do you even start when there is salmon with a maracujá sauce; filet mignon; slowly roasted chicken over a coal five; seared tuna; nioki in a garlic cream sauce; thin crust pizza with prosciutto, arugula and slivers of parmesan cheese; every salad you could imagine salad; veal; risotto; a whole Brazilian Churrasco; sushi; cheese plates; duck. Its like okay, first day of work you are trying to get a grip on how the market operates, all the different systems, bonds, currencies, interest rates, central banks, the phones don't stop ringing, some random bell keeps going off, the office is a mixture of Portuguese, Spanish, English. Your head is about to explode. And then you are supposed to choose between salmon, filet mignon and a wild mushroom risotto for lunch? I mean this really almost put me over the top. I'm thinking, yeah i'll have one of every thing, a tasting menu if you will. Do interns get to do that? No? Crap. After what seemed like the most difficult decision of my life,  I went with the salmon in a maracujá sauce over a bed of mixed greens with tomatoes, artichoke hearts, sauteed zucchini,  some unbelievable cheese and avocado for my first lunch as an Intern at Deutsche Bank. It was delicious. But my relationship with the these meals is very touch and go. As soon as I'm finished I am ready to try the next best thing. Think of any college male, like that, but with food.
2:30: Lunch time winds down and the office picks back up. Phones, bells, chats, emails, speakers, videos. And me? Well I am a deer in the headlights. My brain is a sponge that is quickly begining to get heavier and heavier. Swaps, spots, outrights, forwards, options. Oh sorry, is that jiberish?
3:15: The afternoon sun streams through the gigantic glass windows. I feel like I am in the sky as I sit and gaze out at the view of the concrete jungle from our fourteenth floor office. A helicopter comes and lands on top of the building across the street. Woah. Thats when you know you are really high up.
3:17: Coffee. It is important for the bank not to have all their employees take a nap on their keyboards after eating such a ginormous lunch. How do they hedge this risk? (new bank lingo). Well, how would you like a delicious café com leite in an adorable pocka dotted cup with just the push of a button? Or an espresso from the fancy Nespresso machine that George Clooney uses? I don't consider myself an avid coffee drinker. I really do prefer tea in terms of a stimulant. However, the coffee from these machines is really something remarkable. And having such fun little cups to drink it out of makes it all the better.
3:30-5:30: In general, the office in the afternoon slows down. The London Market is closed at this point, the market in NYC has calmed down, everyone gets to take a deep breath. I like this period because I can ask a lot of questions and clarify things that have gone on during the day.
5:30: Run out of the office to get the bus to school.
5:35-6:25: Another hot, not as sweaty bus ride, with grumpy Paulistans to the FAAP (my university).
7-10:30: Class, gym, shower
10:30: Take bus home. Again, feel oddly protected by prostitutes on the street. With two or three on every corner, no one pays attention to me as I scurry by in the shadows behind them.
10:45: Make dinner with Domi.
11:00: While eating, look at daily pictures my parents have sent of our dogs.
11:10: Check out what I have missed on Facebook. Nothing.
11:20: Barely keeping my eyes open, change into my PJs and brush my teeth.
11:30: Dead to the world.

So as you can you can see everyone, things have really picked up down here in São Paulo! And I will have you know, that I absolutely love my internship. I like to think of my college studies as a puzzle and this internship is the last piece: The first piece is International Economics that then attaches to Spanish. My Caribbean and Latin American studies minor slides in below. My Portuguese is the next piece. Then comes my study abroad experience here in São Paulo with my different classes in finance/international relations. And then to bring it all together into one big melting pot is my internship. That is how perfect it is. I am speaking English, Portuguese and Spanish. Our region is the Caribbean and Latin America so all day I am researching and reading up about everything that is going on regarding the economy and politics. But then the coolest part is that I get to see how these political and economic factors/changes affect the market. And it is right there in front of me! I watch it happen. It is seriously so cool. Sometimes I get goosebumps. Am I a total nerd? Furthermore, the team I work with could not be more supportive and patient in terms of getting me on board, explaining concepts I dont understand, including me in conference calls/emails. Finance is not rocket science. It just takes your brain and twists it in ways your brain has never been twisted before. I think if I were to have a cat scan right now my brain would look like a towel being wrung out to dry. You know that motion of squeezing and scrunching?

My brilliant Mother, before my first day of work, told me not to think of it all as some big scary beast that is impossible to conquer, but rather to compare it to working in a restaurant. You arrive on your first day barely knowing anything. You recognize you're dealing with food but you don't know how all the different ingredients mix together to make bacon carbonara, seafood scampi or tomato bruschetta. It is all very fast paced because people are hungry and don't want to wait around. There is so much to learn and at some points you doubt your ability to master it all. But then you make a little breakthrough that leads to another baby step. Someone asks you a question and you know the answer. Soon enough everything is clicking. You can explain the differences between the bacon carbonara and seafood scampi without thinking twice. People are coming to you for help. And before you know it, you have grasped every last detail about the restaurant.

Yes, these wise words from my Moma really helped get my mentality properly situated as I walked through the big glass door that first Monday morning. And now, two weeks later, I am still in the making-baby-steps stage. Little tiny ones. But things are sinking in. Instead of learning pasta dishes, its learning to differentiate between a spot trade and a swap. Yes, okay a bit less appetizing but hey, at least I get to gnaw on a big piece of steak as the figures and stats settle in. It is all very surreal but I am happy and feel like I am finally beginning to fit into this Paulistan metropolis as I bustle through the streets in my work clothes and Brazilian leather flats.

P.S. If you want to see the street view of my office building go ahead and copy the address into
https://maps.google.com/

Deutsche Bank - Av. Brg. Faria Lima, 3900 - São Paulo, Brazil

Oh and yes there is a helicopter pad on top of the building. And yes my goal is to land on it.