Forum
Monthly Newsletter
The Holiday Issue
New staff writer
Page 2: Read a profile of our
new staff writer Channtal
Fleischfresser.
Christmas wine
Page 6: A guide to South
American wines in various price
ranges that make wonderful
Christmas presents.
Christmas cookies
Page 7: Still unsure which
cookies to bring to the Eggnog
party? Have a look at our top
three recipe ideas.
Christmas presents
Page 10: An exploration of
Brazilian music. What makes a
great present and which albums
should not be missing in your
home collection.
Our Mission
The American Society of São Paulo
promotes friendship by organizing
social, cultural and athletic events for
its diverse membership; encourages
integration with the Brazilian society;
and supports the American traditions
of education, philanthropy and
volunteerism.
Eggnog party
This is the time of year you want to
be gathering with friends, celebrate your
achievements, plan future adventures
and simply relax sipping a delicious rich
vanilla bourbon eggnog. Our Traditional
Eggnog Party is the perfect setting for that.
Come join us for a delightful
evening cocktail and Christmas
caroling at one of our dearests
members’ gorgeous residence
on Wednesday December, 8th
from 8pm to 10pm. The ticket
is R$45,00 and the address
will be revealed when you
call the office at 5182 2074 to
make your reservation. Please
remember that only reserved
members will be allowed into
the gated community.
Please bring a dozen home
AmSoc wins back Softball
Championship
From the desk of John Kennedy, Director of AMSOC Athletics
Over two weekends in October and
November, AmSoc hosted their annual
softball championships. For the second
year in a row, the championships were
held at the sporting complex CT Yakult, in
Ibuina, on the beautiful athletic fields of
the Brazilian Confederation of Baseball
and Softball. And for the first time, the
championship was converted into a
charity event to raise funds for AmSoc´s
Community Action Committee Fund.
To the surprise of many, the US major
league baseball team Tampa Bay Rays
lead a group of three corporate sponsors
with donations, which combined with the
players contributions to approach a total
net proceeds of approximately R$ 8,000.
The two weekends of softball and
BBQs turned out to be very different
December 2010
www.amsoc.com.br
made cookies in a serving container with
your name and recipe attached to be
shared amongst the guests in the sweetest
holiday spirit.
For cookie ideas and Marlene’s famous
Eggnog recipe, please see page 7.
in their make-up. The first weekend of
October 23-24 was marred with gusty
winds and light rains, while five out of
eight teams nearly equaled each other.
Then for the finals Sunday on November
7, the weather was absolutely beautiful,
lots of cool dry sunshine to go with the
better teams distancing themselves from
the pack, by quality fielding and lots of
runs!
Eight teams participated with 97
players in total, while another 20-25
spectators enjoyed the 3 days of activities,
with each day having 3 games per team
and a BBQ that started at 1 pm. Then to
add some new color to the event, on the
Finals Sunday during the lunch break,
AmSoc conducted its first ever Home
Run Derby whereby (continued on page 12)

The President’s Corner
December is
here, again! It is
around this time
of the year that
we reflect, take
stock of what
happened in the
year, and think
about what didn’t
happen. There is
often increasing
By Tim Scott, AmSoc president
pressure at this
time to finish up projects, close deals,
keep the budget in check and plan for
next year. Time is in short supply, or at
least it feels that way. To my children
though, time is running at a different
pace, and they tell me it is some long
long weeks before school lets out.
Well, it is refreshing to remember that
this is summer, things will slow down
over Christmas, traffic will be better,
and the beach is near.
If you are spending your Christmas
away from home, do plan to connect
with friends. Plan to help someone in
need. Be thankful for your blessings in
life. Create a new tradition, and above
all, do connect with the real meaning
of Christmas.
I write this shortly after the annual
American Society Christmas Angel
Party. The event was truly outstanding.
The impact on the children involved
was evident from their giant smiles
and spontaneous expressions of
gratitude. It is humbling to see such
genuine thankfulness. The American
Forum is published monthly, with
the exception of January and July, by
About Forum
The American Society of São Paulo
Rua da Paz, 1431 04713-001 São Paulo, SP
Tel: (11) 5182-2074 Fax: (11) 5182-9155
forum@amsoc.com.br
2 Forum
Society in turn thanks the volunteers
who made it happen and generously
gave of their time, smiles, money,
hugs, patience and kindness. It is an
event that makes me proud to be a part
of such a great team.
The American Society is seeking
some new people to work in our
volunteer Board of Governors. We
work and play hard, supporting and
leading the many and varied activities
of the American Society. Besides our
charity work, you could also choose to
help with Little League. On Saturday
mornings during the school year, the
American Society sponsors children’s
sports (baseball, basketball, soccer).
We also organize flag football, softball
and golf events. Or, how about helping
with our Cultural or Social Committees
for one of our many events? We have
enthusiastic committee chairmen
in place, but do need your Helping
Hands for support, working to create
quality events for the enjoyment of
our Society.
The mixed feelings of December and
the beauty of an event like the Angel
Party; both are powerful reminders
that life is wonderful and time is
passing. So, as you and I finish out
2010, a reminder from Abe Lincoln,
“And in the end, it’s not the years in
your life that count. It’s the life in
your years.”
Abraços, Tim
Lynn Cordeiro, editor and layout
Channtal Fleischfresser,
staff writer
Forum is printed by EGB.
(http://www.egb.com.br)
Views expressed in Forum do
not necessarily reflect those of
the American Society board of
governors, members, or staff.
Forum reserves the right to edit
content for brevity and/or clarity.
New staff
writer profile
Channtal Fleischfresser
I was born
in São Paulo
and studied
at St. Paul’s
School, before
moving to
Scarsdale, NY,
for 8 years.
After a brief
stint back in
Brazil, where
I completed
high school,
I returned to the U.S. to study History
at the University of Pennsylvania.
Having spent 10 years living up and
down the East Coast and receiving a
Master’s in Journalism from Columbia
University in New York, I moved home
in December of last year.
Since then I’ve been working as
a freelance multimedia journalist,
producing stories for foreign news
outlets including the Associated Press,
Al Jazeera English, and the Wall Street
Journal. Overall I am happy to be back
in Brazil, but there are plenty of things
about New York that I miss. A random
sample: Central Park in the fall; free
wi-fi; New York bagels; $20 rush
tickets for the Metropolitan Opera;
making your way around the entire city
without setting foot in a car; Netflix;
the Brooklyn Bridge at sunset.
Here in São Paulo, I enjoy listening
to live music with friends in Vila
Madalena, going for a run in Ibirapuera
Park, and great Japanese food - probably
the best you can find outside of Japan.
Indeed, São Paulo is likely one of the
few cities in the world where you can
enjoy high fashion, cuisine, and culture,
and all just a modest drive away from
stunning natural beauty, both along the
countryside and the coastline.
Now, as I sit in bumper-to-bumper
traffic, dodging the crazy motoqueiros,
I enjoy the sunshine and dream of the
weekend, when I can escape to Ubatuba
– where my favorite beach in the world
lies only a couple of hours away.
December
 The American Society
of São Paulo

Welcome to our new members

Please welcome the following New Members who joined us in October 2010. We are very grateful for their support, and
that of all our members!See you at our Eggnog Party if not sooner!!! WELCOME TO THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF
SÃO PAULO!Your Membership Committee

NAME MEMBERSHIP TYPE CITIZENSHIP COMPANY OR PROFESSION

Sarina & John VETTERLI Family American

Jason DYETT & Joana CANEDO Family American Harvard University

Amelia & Chris LEWIS Family Patron American

John BELCHER Patron Canadian Globaleye

Liz MILLER Member American Globaleye

Michael PEREZ Member American USMC

Nathan DIEZMAN Member American USMC

Kent M. MAUPIN Member American USMC

Garin M. BLAIR Member American USMC

Jeffrey L. TORRES Member American USMC

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turbine, reservoir, stream. Solar Heating. Satellite/Sky/Internet.
Full details: joao.andre@bluewin.ch

2010 Forum 3
 2010 Erik Poliak Award Winner: Sister Angela
By Channtal Fleischfresser, staff writer

People often speak of helping others, Eventually, Sister Angela decided to recognized for her efforts with Projeto
and giving back to a community. But tackle the problem at its root. Based in Sol. In 1994, she received the “Prêmio
rarely do we hear of someone who the Favela 20 da Cidade Dutra, she set Criança” from the Abrinq Foundation
has committed her entire life to a up a support center for children aimed in the area of Culture and Education.
cause in the way Sister Angela has at keeping young kids from getting She was also named an honorary citizen
done. Through tireless dedication and involved with drugs. With the help of of the city of São Paulo in 1998.
hard work, the American-born nun Luis Carlos dos Santos, one of the young This year, the American Society
has improved the lives of hundreds of people from the previous community honors Sister Angela with the Eric
young people living in an area of São she worked in, she developed activities, Poliak award. Eric Poliak was a U.S.
Paulo where opportunities are hard to such as ballet or soccer lessons, for the citizen living in São Paulo, who was
come by. an exemplary
Born in member of the
Indiana, Sister community
Angela first and showed
came to Brazil in exceptional
1965 and taught dedication
at the Colégio to volunteer
Santa Cruz, work. The Eric
a traditional Poliak award
Catholic School was created
in São Paulo. following his
She saw the vast death in 1985,
socio-economic and celebrates
gap that exists the work of
in the city, and an American
realized that citizen in São
young people Paulo who
in poorer, extends Poliak’s
underdeveloped legacy of
areas of the city volunteerism.
were much more S i s t e r
likely to turn A n g e l a ’s
to drugs than contribution
their wealthier to the Favela
counterparts. Many of the communities neighborhood children. The project 20 community has been more than
on the outskirts of the city lack grew into a community center that just volunteer work; she lives in the
community infrastructure programs to served the local neighborhood and community, and she works every day,
provide extracurricular activities for provided extracurricular activities and including holidays and weekends.
children. Without outlets for developing support to its children. Kids could She has had a tangible effect on the
skills and interests, many of these kids come after school and participate in neighborhood: six teachers at Projeto
begin using drugs as they get older. sports, art, and educational activities, Sol attended the center as children, and
In 1976, she left a comfortable and through their involvement, stay off went on to complete school and earn
position at a prestigious school and the streets. degrees as educators. Today, 20% of
took on a new challenge: she wanted The center was officially recognized the kids at the center are the children of
to rehabilitate delinquent young in 1997 as Projeto Sol. Today, the people who themselves grew up with
people in the outskirts of São Paulo. project has expanded and is very Projeto Sol. Sister Angela’s contribution
She spent a few years working with well organized. In addition to extra- to the lives of this community will last
these youths, but after a few years curricular and academic support, well after these children have grown
became discouraged that after their children also receive meals and snacks up. Her accomplishment is proof that
rehabilitation process, the kids would at the center, which they may not through hard work and commitment,
return to the same environment, and always receive at home. change is possible even in the most
would fall back into their old ways. Sister Angela has been widely unlikely situations.

4 Forum December
 The American Society
of São Paulo

Member’s tip
Great Gift for the U.S. Summer
won´t find the same styles as on Rua
Do you have to buy a dozen or so small Oscar Freire, but this distributor has
Christmas presents or gifts for your dozens of sizes, styles and colors.
next trip back home? The problem is The distributor is Wilson Calçados
that you don´t want to forget anyone, on Rua Cavalheiro, 286 in Braz and if
but you also don´t want anything you´re lucky you´ll get a spot to park
bulky that takes up a lot of room in on the street with Zona Azul. This
your suitcase. Of course, it has to be street is near a very large avenue in
something with a Brazilian touch. Braz called Avenida Rangel Pestana.
Well, if you haven´t guessed If you´re coming from Avenida do
yet, we´re talking about colorful, Estado you stay on Rangel Pestana
decorated Havaiana scuffs. You might until you pass
also know R u a
them by Joaquim
o t h e r Nabuco
n a m e s and then
such as take a right
flip-flops, on Rua
b e a c h Brigadeiro
sandals, 7 Machado
vidas, etc. and another
My wife r i g h t
Rosita is onto Rua
constantly Cavalheiro.
taking It´s easy!
friends and I t ´ s
relatives common
who live overseas on big shopping to find havaiana´s there for about
sprees and a must stop is the footwear 1/3 of the price you would normally
district in Braz. Hundreds of stores pay at your favorite boutique shop
selling every type of shoe you can or shopping mall. It´s an experience
imagine, but unless you own a retail worth spending a few hours seeing,
shop and are buying wholesale where your favorite stores often buy
volumes, don´t waste your time the items that you rave about in the
trying to convince them to sell you a malls. Wear or buy comfortable
couple of pairs. HOWEVER, Rosita shoes…
found a distributor for Havaiana´s
who DOES sell retail quantities. You Rosita & Alan Blau

Fellowship Community Church

The Welcome Place since 1921
Phone (11) 3253-7609 www.fellowship.com.br

09:00 am - Walking in Faith Classes (English and Portuguese)

Sunday’s 10:30 am – Worship Service (English only)

06:00 pm – Culto em português

Conveniently located on Rua Carlos Sampaio, 107 – Bela Vista

Just a block and a half from the Brigadeiro Metro station on the Avenida Paulista

2010 Forum 5
 The perfect Christmas wine
By Karsten McNulty
With the holidays approaching, it’s
hard not to start thinking about gifts to
give friends and family, or simply what
kind of food and drink you will serve
for holiday entertaining. This year,
I’ve been inspired by a recent vacation
to the Argentine and Chilean wine
country. We visited the Uco and Maipú
Valleys around Mendoza, Argentina,
and the Colchagua Valley around Santa
Cruz in Chile.
The two countries’ wine-producing
areas each had incredible wines, and of
course, share the magnificent backdrop
of the Andes. In both countries, there
was an interesting dichotomy of
winemakers who had been around for
many, many decades, contrasted with
several wineries that had a new and
modern feel to them.
Between the two countries we were
lucky to see twelve vineyards and bring
back 19 different wines. In the event
that you can’t fit in a trip to Chile or
Argentina before the holidays, here are
some helpful ideas for finding wines
locally that are appropriate for the
holidays.
High End Wines
Casa L’Apostolle is a premium
winery in Chile’s Colchagua Valley.
Their very first vintage of Clos Apalta
(2005), won wine of the year from
Wine Spectator in 2008. L’Apostolle
makes very small-run wines (less than
5,000 cases per year), thereby giving
them the ability to pick each grape
for their blends literally one-by-one.
Their winemaking process begins in
a beautiful building atop a hill and
burrows several layers into the solid
rock underground. They use gravity
to move the wine gently through each
painstaking step from level to level.
Because of the premium nature
of the wine’s development, they are
at the upper end of the spectrum and
depending on vintage, you would pay
around R$ 380 for the Clos Apalta or
R$270 for L’Apostolle’s Borobo blend.
With the Clos Apalta, expect a very
6 Forum
velvety red with lots of berry accents
and with the Borobo, you’ll taste more
plum and licorice tones.
Mid-Priced Wines
If L’Apostolle’s wines are out of
reach for your giving, then there are a
host of great wines that we loved in the
R$60-R$100 range. Starting with the
Chilean powerhouse, Concha y Toro
in Pirque, we enjoyed their Marques
de Casa Merlot and also the Terrunyo
Carmenère. You should be able to track
both down for R$90 - 100.
From Chile’s Colchagua Valley,
Montes Alpha Carmenère will taste
a bit like toast with raspberry jam. It
is widely available here in São Paulo,
and a bottle will generally cost around
R$75. If you do ever have the chance
to visit the Viñas Montes winery in
person, they have a lovely tour where
you are transported up the hillside to a
spectacular vantage point from which
the entire valley is in view.
By far, our favorite Chilean wines
were from Viña Montgras. At this
tasting, we were especially lucky
because they had just finished a big
event for several importers and we
got to try a few of the premium wines
that otherwise were not usually open.
They had two blends that we loved: the
Quatro and the “200” (made in honor
of Chile’s recent Bicentennial). Each
will be around R$80 here.
Not to be left out, Bodegas Salentein
in Argentina’s Uco Valley, was another
of our favorite stops. Its vineyards are
nestled in a setting that cannot be topped
for ambiance and beauty. You can find
their Numina for R$100 or their tasty
Pinot Noir for R$60. For the Numina
look for accents of fig and coffee with
a nice spicy finish, and with the Pinot,
you’ll get a lovely light-bodied wine
with woodsy flavors.
Value Wines
My experience in Brazil all too
often is that it is hard to find well-
priced wines without compromising
taste pretty significantly. Many of the
bottles in the mid-range category here
are available in the US for significantly
less. For example, the Montgras Quatro
averages US$15, even less if you buy a
full case! If you happen to have a trip
home planned, check out the many
wine-oriented websites where you can
order in advance and bring them back
with you. You are allowed up to one
case of wine per person, according to
the Brazilian customs card. (Do verify
this yourself so that you don’t have any
unexpected surprises.)
Finding the Perfect Wine
Now that you have some ideas for
a wine, it’s off to the stores. Below
are a few resources for finding wines
in São Paulo. You won’t find one-
stop shopping for the wines in this
article, but search around and you can
eventually find them all. Enjoy!
Store and Online Ordering:
Bacco’s: Rua Sergipe, 568 -
Higienópolis (11) 3661-7898 www.
baccos.com.br
Vinhos Zahil: R. Manuel Guedes,
294 – Itaim (11) 3071-2900 www.
vinhoszahil.com.br
Rei dos Whiskeys y Vinhos: Rua
Inhambú, 402 – Moema (11) 3488-
2199 www.reidoswhiskys.com.br
Online only:
www.mistral.com.br
Store only:
Emporio Santa Maria: A. Cidade
Jardim, 790 – Jd. Paulistano (11) 3706-
5211 www.emporiosantamaria.com.br
Karsten McNulty has been living in São
Paulo for two years. She writes a blog
about her life in the city and her travels
at www.sampasimpatico.wordpress.
com.
December
 The American Society
of São Paulo

The perfect Christmas cookies Marlene’s

One Bowl Brownies not-so-secret-
Ingredients
* 4 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened
chocolate
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C
2. Microwave chocolate and butter
anymore
* 3/4 cup butter
* 2 cups white sugar
* 3 eggs
or margarine in large bowl at HIGH for
2 minutes or until butter or margarine
is melted.
Eggnog recipe
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3. Stir until chocolate is melted. Stir
* 1 cup all-purpose flour in sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Stir Ingredients:
* 1 cup chopped walnuts in flour and nuts.
4. Spread in greased 13 x 9 inch * 24 eggs, separated
Makes 2 dozen. pan. Bake for 35 minutes (do not * 2 cups sugar
overbake). * 1 quart bourbon (1 liter)
* ½ liter brandy
* 1 quart heavy cream
Pecan Sandies * 2 quarts milk (2 liters)
* 1quart vanilla ice cream (1 liter)
Ingredients Directions
1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees C Directions:
* 1 cup margarine, softened 2. In a large bowl, cream together the
* 1 cup vegetable oil margarine, vegetable oil, 1 cup white Beat the egg yolks and sugar until
* 1 cup white sugar sugar and confectioners’ sugar until thick. Add bourbon and brandy and
* 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, stir thoroughly. The liquor “cooks”
* 2 eggs then stir in the vanilla. Combine the the eggs. Add the cream and milk
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and and continue whipping. Break up
* 4 cups all-purpose flour salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix the ice cream and add. Beat the egg
* 1 teaspoon baking soda in the pecans. Roll dough into 1 inch whites until stiff and fold in.
* 1 teaspoon cream of tartar balls and roll each ball in remaining Refrigerate for 30 minutes before
* 1 teaspoon salt white sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches serving. Sprinkle lightly with
* 2 cups chopped pecans apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. nutmeg. This is drinkable , not too
* 1/2 cup white sugar for decoration 3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the thick, but speaks with authority.
preheated oven, or until the edges are
Makes 8 dozen golden. Remove from cookie sheets to This quantity serves 30 people.
cool on wire racks.

Soft Gingersnaps
Ingredients Directions
* 1 1/2 cups butter (no substitutes), 1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter
softened and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time,
* 2 cups sugar beating well after each addition. Beat
* 2 eggs in molasses. Combine the flour, baking
* 1/2 cup molasses soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt
* 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and nutmeg; gradually add to creamed
* 3 teaspoons baking soda mixture. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon dough is easy to handle.
* 1 teaspoon ground ginger 2. Roll into 1-in. balls; roll in sugar.
* 1 teaspoon ground cloves Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking
* 1/2 teaspoon salt sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-12
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg minutes or until puffy and lightly
* Additional sugar browned. Cool for 1 minute before
removing to wire racks.

2010 Forum 7
 Angel Party 2010 - The Big thank you page
The Angel Party happens because so
many people and so many companies
are so amazingly generous. Here are
some of this year’s incredible donors:
· Gerson & Grey, our newest
partner, which transported and safely
stored our gift bags before the party.
Moving? Call Gerson & Grey at (11)
3817-4787.
· Chapel School has gorgeous
facilities. We used every inch they lent
us and loved it. Thank you Chapel, yet
again. http://www.chapelschool.com/
· McDonald’s! Another
incredible effort, they donated lunch
for all the children and sent Allegro Art
and Ronald McDonald to entertain our
guests with singing, coloring sheets,
magic and plenty of fun.
· All the children wore bright
and beautiful new T-shirts to the party.
A huge thanks to the recruiting firm
Michael Page for funding this.
www.michaelpage.com.br.
· General Mills donated nearly
500 Nature Valley granola bars and
that same number of scoops of Häagen-
Dazs ice cream. Our desserts have
never been more delicious.
· Thanks to General Brands do
Brasil for 500 boxes of juice for our
guests. They loved it!
· Sheila Moura of Oficina de
8 Forum
Festas helped turn Chapel School · Curumim Animação e
into a balloon party land. www. Eventos sent the greatest team in town
oficinadefestas.com.br or 11-4992- - happy helpers and inflatable toys. (11)
8009. 5181-9399.
· Thanks to the Chapel PTA · Thank you to the amazing
for the use of their wonderful popcorn Olímpia Escola de Futebol, not only
machine! for helping the kids as they played at
the party but also for offering several
· Huge thanks to PepsiCo do scholarships to promising athletes in our
Brasil which supplied us with soft instituions. http://www.olimpiafutebol.
drinks. com.br/olimpiafutebol.html.
· Raquel Beolchi, Steve Barry, · General Motors do Brasil
Robin Bregman and Andrea Estrada donated 250 caps and water bottles and
took hundreds of gorgeous pictures at sturdy cloth bags for kids to carry their
this year’s party. prizes in. No lost toys this year!
· Cipolatti donated a tropical · Malu Felsberg donated
rain forest themed Christmas tree and beautiful trays of brigadeiros and
two red thrones for our Santas. www. enough water to keep us hydrated all
cipolatti. day.
com.br.
· Thank you to The Asian
· Ladies Club, who donated hundreds
Habib’s of disposable cups and napkins. http://
donated www.asianladiesclub.com.
80 pizzas
and not a · Alcoa made a generous cash
slice was donation, enough to buy the hundreds
left over. of radios, princess wands, key chains,
Popular yo-yos and sunglasses given away as
stuff! Order prizes.
Habib’s at
5696-2828.
December

· Huge thanks to White &
Case LLP, which donated enough
to cover the six buses we rented to
transport most of the children to
and from the party.
· Editora IPEP again
donated 250 fun books so that the
children enrich their minds over
the coming vacation. Thank you!
http://www.ibep-nacional.com.br.
· The Graded Cubs and
Boy Scouts and members of the
the Chapel confirmation class
patrolled the grounds and threw
away every scrap of trash they
found. A thankless job but thanks!
· We love our two Santas
and Santa Helpers. Thank you Alan
Blau, Ricardo Rubeiz, Mariana
Mantoan and Julia Bandeira!
· The gift bags received at the
end of the party were the finishing
touch. We thank all the 240 gift
bag sponsors and cash donors for
the much needed financial support,
clothes, shoes, toys, candy and
most of all…love.
· Thank you to the 210
amazing volunteers who worked
all day in the drizzle, near drizzle
and rain, each wearing a red T-shirt
and a huge smile.
· Finally, the Angel Party
Planning Team was incredible:
Eileen Tasso, Guadalupe Alas,
Jean Griffith, Jami Mabile-
Oakley, Feriale El-Khouri, Pete
and Shannon Lawlis, Vera Hill,
Kristin Snider, Simone Carneiro,
IaremaAraújo, Claudia Spangaro
and Sue Banman Sileci.
Join up, we’re already planning
for 2011!
Turn to the back page to see
more pictures from this amazing
event!
2010
Ever heard of FUMCAD?
By Channtal Fleischfresser, staff writer
The holidays will soon be upon us,
and this year, in addition to buying
gifts for friends and family, we have an
opportunity to provide meaningful help
to underprivileged children in some of
the poorest areas of São Paulo. Among
Brazil’s many, frequently confusing
tax laws is a tax incentive worth taking
note of. Known as FUMCAD (Fundo
Municipal da Criança e do Adolescente),
the fund was created in 1990 to provide a
way for companies as well as individuals
to set aside a portion of their income
tax payment as a donation to Non-
Governmental Organizations (NGOs)
that benefit underprivileged children
and adolescents.
Companies are permitted to donate up
to 1% of their income tax to FUMCAD
projects, while individuals may choose
to set aside up to 6%. NGOs who
specifically work with children and
adolescents and who have applied to
receive FUMCAD funding may receive
these income tax donations through the
FUMCAD website.
Of the 10 charities that receive
support from the American Society,
four of them have registered to receive
funding through FUMCAD. Criança
Brasil was created in 1987 and provides
day care and educational activities
for children and adolescents in a low-
income community of São Paulo while
their parents are at work. Associação
Maria Helen Drexel gives protection
and social, educational, and health
assistance to youths whose basic rights
have been violated. Vida Jovem, of
which American Society Secretary
Mark Abrams is a Director, provides
educational, psychological, medical
and cultural support to at-risk children.
Projeto Sol, which was founded by this
year’s Erik Poliak award recipient Sister
Angela, creates an environment for low-
income youths where sports, cultural
and educational activities function as a
way of keeping them off the streets.
Many of these associations have
specific projects that require funding,
so depending on your particular interest,
The American Society
of São Paulo
you can choose to donate to a particular
NGO or to a specific project for which
an organization is raising funds. By
going on to the FUMCAD website (the
site is the first result of a google search
for FUMCAD), you can browse through
the different organizations and projects,
and decide which organization(s) you’d
like to donate to.
This is a great way to give back to
the community and at virtually no cost,
since the donation is tax-deductible.
There is, however, one hitch: in order
for the NGOs and their projects to be
able to use the funds in the next calendar
year, all donations must be made by the
end of December 2010. So companies
and individuals planning to contribute
to FUMCAD programs must make their
donations ahead of time, based on an
estimate of how much they will owe on
their income tax, to be filed next April.
The process may sound complicated,
but it’s relatively simple. If you are an
individual or the owner of a company and
are interested in making a donation, have
a conversation with your accountant in
the next couple of weeks, and he or she
can give you an estimate of how much
you will owe on next year’s tax return.
Let’s suppose you calculate that as
an individual, you will owe R$10,000
on next year’s tax return. You would be
able to donate up to R$600 of that (or
6%) to the FUMCAD-affiliated NGO
of your choice. Once the donation is
made online, you must print out and
keep both the donation receipt and an
additional document certifying that the
donation was made in the name of a
specific organization. Next April, when
tax season comes around, you will be
able to indicate on your tax return that
you made a donation to that charity,
and the amount of your donation will
be deducted from the amount of tax
you owe.
Since the holiday season often
begins in mid-December in Brazil, it is
recommended that donations be made
early, to ensure that they are received
before the deadline.
Forum 9
 The sounds of summer in winter
By Natasha de Carvalho
As a long-term expatriate, I’ve
programmed myself to be adaptable,
pragmatic and pretty much immune to
the pointless sentimentality of missing
home…most of the time.
There’s nothing like the holiday
season, though, to turn you into one big
wet blanket, weeping for your mum. It
seems that whatever you celebrate, the
rituals involved are so much part of our
personal hard-drive that changing them
in adulthood leads to an emotional
short-circuit.
What gets me the most is the
traditional music on my Christmas play-
list. Being reminded that somebody
somewhere has “chestnuts roasting on
an open fire” while snow falls “snow
on snow”, when I am clad in a bikini,
just feels plain wrong.
With that in mind, I have decided
to give my music collection a cultural
readjustment and get myself some
music that is an appropriate soundtrack
for a long, hot summer (or is it winter
or is it summer?) Either way, that
means a whole lot of Brazilian music,
of course.
It struck me that I could share my
music wish-list to inspire those of you
sending gifts back home to friends and
family this holiday season. Let’s face
10 Forum
it; you’ve probably already given them
more pairs of Havaianas than they can
ever hope to wear in their Northern-
hemisphere-bound lifetimes. Isn’t it
about time you gave them something
from Brazil that made them
dream, instead of giving
them blisters?
Music is as inextricable
from Brazilian cultural
identity as a real fir tree
is with my concept of
the festive season, and
although I already have a
lot of Brazilian music in my
collection, I’ve never really
‘studied’ it as such. And so I
asked a couple of friends of
mine in the music industry
to share their must-have
recommendations for anyone
desiring an introduction to
Brazil’s musical history.
Mauricio owns Tratore, a
music distribution company
and Adi is a marketing guy
over at Sony Records. So here goes:
Probably the musical genre that
is most famously associated with
Brazil, and especially Rio de Janeiro,
is Samba. Although derived from a
mash of ancient African music styles,
it originated in Rio in the early 1900s.
Initially exclusive to the official Samba
schools that parade during carnaval, it
quickly spread into mainstream
consciousness and widespread
popularity. Mauricio suggests
anything by Paulinho da Viola;
“Bebedosamba” or a “Greatest
Hits compilation. Failing
that, “Nome Sagrado” by Beth
Carvalho, a beautiful singer
performing songs by ace samba
composer Nelson Cavaquinho.
Send one of these back home
with a feathery sequined mask,
the type you find from party
shops in 25 de março, and
there’ll be a whole different
style of dancing around the
tree this year.
Samba’s cooler cousin,
Bossa Nova, emerged in the 1950s,
with a softer, swaying, jazz-vibe. The
obvious pick here is the album that
started a Bossa Nova craze around the
world and featured the original version
of the iconic “Girl from Ipanema”.
Entitled “Getz/Gilberto” it brought
together American jazz saxophonist
Stan Getz, the Brazilian guitarist João
Gilberto, and composer and musician
Antonio Carlos Jobim. These artist’s
names come up again and again on
the lists: For his part Mauricio also
recommends a João Gilberto’s “Joao
Voz E Violao” and another masterpiece
featuring Antonio Carlos Jobim entitled
“Elis & Tom” by Elis Regina. Adi
also adds Jobim’s “Matita Pere”.
The next album appeared on both
my consultants’ lists, validating its
stature as a true Brazilian classic: “Os
Mutantes” by Os Mutantes. This was
the debut album of a band that was
one of the pioneers of the Tropicalia
movement, a vibrant, experimental
visual arts movement of 1960s Brazil.
Other founders of the movement
include legendary Caetano Veloso
and Gilberto Gil, both of whom were
imprisoned and then exiled by the
military dictatorship due to the political
nature of their work.
Tropicalia’s influence on music
around the world was far-reaching and
long-lasting, and those artists who were
December

Elis Regina
there at the beginning have had long,
successful careers. (having eventually
returned to Brazil) The personal
favorites of Mauricio and Adi include
Caetano Veloso’s “Joia”, “Bicho” and
Gilberto Gil’s “MTV Unplugged.”
One of the best albums to come
out of the seventies (and for many
the best Brazilian album ever created)
was, according to both my experts,
“Africa Brasil” by Jorge Ben. An
indispensable part of the collection
for any soul/funk fans, this is another
classic that redefined Brazilian music
and permeated its influence far and
wide. Another universally adored
album from the seventies that both
experts agree on is “Clube da Esquina”
by Milton Nascimento.
In contrast to the seventies
highlights, the eighties was a low-
point for Brazilian music. Mauricio
gave me clear instructions written in
caps, just to be sure: NO BRAZILIAN
80s MUSIC, which brings us to the
more recent musical history. Brazilian
interpretations of hip-hop, including
the ‘mangue beat’ of albums like
2010
The American Society
of São Paulo
“Da Lama Ao Caos” by Chico
Science and electronica of Otto’s
“Samba pra Burro” represent a more
contemporary Brazilian vibe.
Of course this list only scratches
the surface of the many different
artists and styles of the Brazilian
music tradition. I haven’t touched
on MPB (Brazil’s contemporary
popular music scene), instrumental
chorinho, Rio’s infamous Funk
Carioca or Brazil’s answer to country
music, sertinejo. But if you, like me,
are looking for a Brazilian music
education, take this list to a CD shop
or online and get started. This is just
the beginning.
Tips for your playlist:
“Bebedosamba” Paulinho da Viola
“Nome Sagrado”, Beth Carvalho
“Joao Voz E Violao”, João Gilberto
“Elis & Tom”, Elis Regina
“Getz/Gilberto”, Stan Getz, Joao
Gilberto, Tom Jobim
“Bicho”, Caetano Veloso
“Os Mutantes”,Os Mutantes
“MTV Unplugged”, Gilberto Gil
“Matita Pere”, Tom Jobim
“Africa Brasil”, Jorge Ben
“Da Lama Ao Caos” Chico Science
“Samba Pra Burro” Otto
Natasha and her British-Brazilian
husband are life-long ex-pats, clocking
up well over 30 different homes in over
a dozen different countries. Together
they have lived in Paris, Philadelphia
and São Paulo. They have finally
settled in Rio de Janeiro with their
two young children, where Natasha
is a freelance writer and has her own
blog about the trials and tribulations
of adapting to life in Brazil http://
becomebrazilian.blogspot.com/
Forum 11
 AmSoc wins back Softball Championship
From the desk of John Kennedy, Director of AMSOC Athletics

Middle School Principal, Jim Urquhart team with 4, followed by Adriano with
and Amir Masliyah of the US Consulate 3, then Alex and Alfredo Milera with 2.
who both had 4 HRs after their first And due to the strong winds and light
10 swings. We congratulate Jim, “the rain during the first weekend, all these
Canadian Clubber”, our first AmSoc HRs came in the 3 games on the final
HR King. Sunday. Finally, Jeff and Alfredo were
The AmSoc team had a significant voted the championship´s co-MVPs.
contribution from the Chapel Congratulations to the AmSoc team
School, which included captain Matt for being Champions 3 out of the last
Cavanaugh (a former teacher), pitcher- 5 years!
administrator Dan Forbes, and teacher-
outfielders Jeff
Mayer and Maggie
A s c h e n b r e n n e r,
who made many
running grabs in
right field, some
on the shoe-string!
And some were
saying that the
AmSoc batting
towering
(continued from front page) line-up brought to
shots. To hit the ball over the home mind comparisons
run fence, each batter had 10 swings with the famous
at “meatballs” thrown by the pitcher Yankee “Bronx
of their choice. The 2010 HR King Bombers” with
was ultimately determined in a tense their HR hitters,
5-swing run-off between Graded´s because Jeff led the

Softball Chanmpionship HR Derby

Team W L PF PA Net Pos. Batter Team HRs Pos.

AmSoc 4 2 73 36 37 1 Jim Urquhart Graded 5 1

SMAB 4 2 69 37 32 2 Amir US Consulate 4 2

US Consulate 4 1 56 36 20 3 Alex AmSoc 3 3

Cougars 4 2 63 53 10 4 Adriano AmSoc 2 4

Graded School 3 3 62 54 8 5 Silvio SMAB 2 4

Indios 2 3 58 39 19 6 Gary Indios 2 4

GM Athleticos 1 4 24 56 -32 7 Blair Graded 2 4

Alphaville 0 5 23 105 -82 8 Jeff AmSoc 1 5

Rich Cougars 1 5

12 Forum December
 The American Society
of São Paulo

Review: VIP Cocktail Party at

the David Dalmau Studio
The American
Society’s Cocktail
Party for Patron
and Helping
Hands members
went down as one
of the most fun
and fashionable
events of 2010.
The artist, David
Dalmau, kindly
opened his studio
to American
Society’s Patron
and Helping Hands membership status, please contact
members, as well as our corporate the AMSOC office. Don’t miss this
sponsors and the US Consul General, event next year- it’s sure to delight!
Mr. Thomas Kelly. For more information on the artist
The lively artwork combined with David Dalmau please contact:
everyone’s willingness to have a good
time to make for an unforgettable Rua Groenlândia 1943
evening of celebration, art admiration, Jardim América
and of course, appreciation for our São Paulo
Patron and Helping Hands members. Tel. 11-3063.5813
If you would like to upgrade your www.dalmaustudio.com

Work by David Dalmau

2010 Forum 13

H ousing
House for Rent – Jd. Europa
Beautiful Gardens, 4 bedrooms, 1 suite,
family room, living and dining rooms,
terrace, 2 maid bedrooms, service area,
garage, 4 parking spaces. Contact Lyd-
ia at (011) 9121-8067.
Elegant furnished house in
Tamboré
Beautiful recently professionally deco-
rated furnished house for rent. 600 m²
with 2,000 m² of land. Heated swim-
ming pool. Nice barbecue area and out-
door porch. 4 suites, family room, liv-
ing, dinning, large kitchen, maids room
and 3 car garage. The House is complete
ready to live in for high level execu-
tive. To see photos, visit www.suzimo-
niz.com.br – Avenida Marília,105. To
visit the house, call (11) 8179-3131.
Furnished Apartment for Rent
Vila Nova Conceição. São Paulo’s best
place to live. Near Ibirapuera Park.
Modern building with sports facilities,
heated swimming pool, three bedrooms
(one suite), a living room with terrace,
complete kitchen, maid’s bedroom and
bathroom, big service area, two park-
ing spaces. Fully furnished with all
appliances. Call Alex or Eliane at (11)
3849-7085 or (11) 8635-7788, or send
an e-mail to alex@caboverde.com.br.
Taylor Real Estate
Luxury spacious houses, apartments
and penthouses. Sales and rentals. Ten
years experience with expatriates. Fur-
nished and unfurnished. Trilingual Real
Estate agents. References from consul-
ates and multinationals. Photos sent by
email. Relocation Service. Consult the
site: www.taylorimoveis.com. Email
- taylor@taylorimoveis.com. Phone:
5511 3079 8888 and 5511 8774 5100
(Maria Elisa).
14 Forum
S ervices
Selling Up
Go with a pro! We have been selling
household goods for families, indi-
viduals, and companies for more than
20 years in São Paulo and Brasilia for
embassies. We have hundreds of pre-
selected clients wanting to buy from
you, safe and sound! Send an e-mail
to meredithsales@zaquie.com or za-
quie@zaquie.com or call (11) 5908-
1144 or (11) 7997-8808. Ask for Ms.
Zaquie Meredith.
Argos Dog Kennel
Traveling? What about your dog? Ar-
gos Kennel Hotel could be his second
home in the country. Food, water, and
shelter with lots of love and personal
care. No lonely kennel for him, but our
home and the freedom of a spacious
garden. Fetch and carry service. Eng-
lish and French spoken. Call Jean or
Christiane at (11) 4661-1430 or (11)
7143-0837 or send an e-mail to jean.
chris@uol.com.br. Embu Guaçu, SP.
Math and Science Tutor
Former Graded and Chapel teacher,
with 20-years experience, tutors Math,
Physics, Chemistry, and Science for all
levels, including but not limited to the
IB, IGCSE, SAT-I & II, AP and Brazil-
ian vestibular. Elementary and middle
school students are also welcome (all
subjects). Call Fernando Knijnik at
(11) 2533-3965 or 9134-6700.
Psychotherapist for Ex-Pats
Serving Adults, Children, and Fami-
lies (also couples) struggling with all
adjustment issues. Specializing in is-
sues of divorce, separation, and recon-
ciliation. Many years experience with
drug/ alcohol issues. USA licensed as
MFT. Jungian Analyst experienced in
Sandtray, Dreamwork (groups also),
and Cognitive/ Behavioral therapy.
Please call/ email Matthew: 7734 5793
or mvanlokeren@yahoo.com for a free
initial consultation.
classifieds
American-Licensed Expat
Psychologist
Richard Morhaime, Psy.D., offers
skilled psychotherapy for children and
adults. He also provides complete di-
agnostic evaluations in English for
children with academic or behavioral
difficulties, featuring individualized
recommendations for school and home.
For more information, contact Dr.
Morhaime at 5538-0099 or 9669-8057
or visit www.expatpsychologist.com.
American Psychologist
Services for Expats
Sukie Miller Ph.D. early director of
Esalen, former Board Member Jung
Institute San Francisco, 35 years ex-
perience private practice as coach,
psycho-therapist with adults and cou-
ples in eclectic approach to personal/
professional growth, woman’s’ issues,
adjustment to São Paulo, goal setting,
dream work, anxiety. Call Dr. Miller
at 11- 9823-8730 email sukiemiller@
gmail.com.
American-Licensed
Psychotherapist
In this busy and ever-changing world,
people often feel stressed and over-
whelmed with no place to turn. Psycho-
therapy/counseling can provide a safe
place to receive professional guidance
and support. Brief or longer-term ther-
apy offered depending on your needs,
goals and expectations. Services: indi-
vidual, couples, child/adolescent. Cer-
tified to conduct Adoption Home Study
for American Citizens. Contact: Pame-
la Wax, MSW/LCSW at 5051-5988 or
9656-2106. Located in Moema.
Personal Trainer
I will come to your home, office, or
workout facility and create an exercise/
fitness program tailored to your health
concerns, fitness goals, and schedule.
For adults and children, individuals or
groups. Sessions in English, Spanish,
or Portuguese. For more information
please contact Daniela Franco at (11)
9739-6191 or dsf29@hotmail.com.
December
 The American Society
calendar of São Paulo

Learn more about this month’s AmSoc events (highlighted) at www.amsoc.com.br.

December 2010 Important Dates: 25 Christmas

Wednes- INC Monthly Coffee & Starting at 9 am at the Scandinavian Church. Further information at
1 day Vendor’s Day vpevents@newcomers-sp.com.br

Wednes- International Wives Starting at 3 pm. For further information please contact Naomi at
1 day of Brazilians’ Cookies naomi.linguist@gmail.com
Exchange

1-4 Mamma Mia! Brazilian version of the Broadway show to be held at Teatro Abril. For more
information and tickets visit www.ticketmaster.com.br

1-12 29th Arts Biennial At Fundação Bienal de São Paulo in Ibirapuera Park. More information at
www.fbsp.org.br

4 Saturday Anglican Cathedral For more information contact Micheal Moran at mmoran@terra.com.br
Christmas Bazaar

4 Saturday INC Annual Holiday Party RSVP and details at vpevents@newcomers.com.br

8-19 The Nutcracker Ballet Performed by Cisne Negro Cia. de Dança at Teatro Alfa. More information at
www.teatroalfa.com.br

8 Wednes- AmSoc Eggnog Party See front page

day

Pick-up games to be held at Chapel School from 9 am to 5 pm. Please contact

11 Saturday Flag Football Games John Kennedy at john@kennedy-partners.com or visit www.amsoc.com.br for
more details.

11 Saturday Little League BBQ Little League Award Ceremony & Closing BBQ!!! From 9 am until 12 pm at
Chapel!

A classified of up to 350 characters costs

R$45 for AmSoc members and R$80 for
Classified
Place a

non-members. To place a classified please

call (11) 5182-2074 from 8:30 a.m. until
1 p.m., or send an e-mail to amsoc1@
americansociety.com.br.

Forum does not check all of the advertisers

Our Readers

appearing in this newsletter. We urge you

A Note to

to use these services; however, thoroughly

check prices and services prior to finalizing
any service or purchase agreement.

2010 Forum 15
Angel Party 2010 - The Big picture page
Here are just a few of the hundreds of
pictures snapped on November 6 during
the 2010 American Society Angel Party.
The day included 240 children from
10 different institutions, 500 scoops of
ice cream, 800 slices of pizza, 300 Happy
Meals, 15 buses and vans, 25 different
games and sports to play, 2 shows, 210
volunteers, hundreds of balloons, 3000
prizes, 250 prize bags with caps and
water bottles, 2 Santa Clauses and their
wives, 500 boxes of juice, 1 Christmas
tree, 240 gift bags worth R$350 each, one
large moving van and storage box, 300
bright and beautiful T-shirts, 9 different
areas of Chapel School, a little bit of rain,
some sunshine, a few meltdowns from
emotional volunteers and most of all, lots
and lots of fun.
Thank you to everyone who made this
happen. You made a difference. Happy
Holidays!