Some initial views

My street and some views from the apartment, overlooking Parque Farroupilha, the Bom Fim neighborhood and the skyline of downtown.

Since arriving in Porto Alegre we've focused on getting the basics of our life here established and slowly exploring neighborhoods. With the help of a generous landlord, university colleagues, a social network of ex-pats, and other contacts from the States, the transition has been smooth. For the most part the logistics of living here are very similar to those in the States or Europe (probably closer to Europe), though with some different types of foods, etc., that require trial-and-error experimentation, like new kinds of milks, yogurts, and cheeses. We were surprised, however, to find that many goods and utilities are more expensive than in the U.S. at a much lower quality. We have yet to learn why this is; our current guess is protectionist trade policies. These minor complaints aside, all is well. Besides, here in gaúcho land, beef is cheap.