Jaime Lerner Instituto

So I will here take up my week experiences - which have been exciting, fulfilling and just great!

Monday - rainy weather and horribly cold! I was told that the days around that weekend, where I arrived to Curitiba, were some of the coldest of the year. Nice... Anyway, I had an appointment at Jaime Lerner's office for 3 p.m. The first part of the day was basically find money to pay my rent to Manuel (which I didn't because my card did not work - panic... it works now though), find a jumper because obviously I had decided that only one light woolen jumper would be enough and get pastils for my sore throat (in portuguese, not speaking portuguese - but I did it!)

Due to my inexperience in the Curitibanese transport system, I managed to arrive thirty minutes late at Jaime's. This bus system is of course very efficient and planned cleverly - obviously, it is the Curitibanese example of urban mass transportation and transit! But you can get in one ride far, far, far away from your destination. So here I am at 3 p.m. at the Center Civico, not that far from the office but still too far to walk. I hop into a cab - with gestures and three portuguese words I get him to the adress: Rua Bom Jesus 76 (to be pronounced '(h)ua bon jézus') I only pay 10 reals instead of 14, he gives me the number of his taxi driver son, who speaks apparently fluent English - sooo nice and helpful, again! I just keep getting touched by the people's generosity here. Despite their reputation to be as cold and unwelcoming as their weather, I have only seen their warm side.

Jaime Lerner Instituto is located in his old house, built when he finished his architecture studies. Today he has moved to an appartment in the next door building, an extension has been built to the house which now hosts his office. The first room I am introduced to is the kitchen - 'where we come when we don't want to work...' to use Jaime's words. This homy little room holds indeed much of the spirit of the place: there is always some one sitting reading the paper, drinking coffee or eating a snack, or Linda (the house responsible) who prepares coffes or food. Then I am shown around in the building and presented to each and every one of the colleagues and partners. I am introduced to the projects of the office and the methodology - Jaime explains in great lines some of the projects, among which I am likely to work on one especially.

Then the private secretary comes: 'Christina, come...cake!' It is Paulo's birthday (one of the partners) and there is hot dogs, cake and champagne! Food and a glass of something is of course always a good way to get to talk with others... The journey turns home then, not by bus - one of the other stagiaires gives me a lift.