Introduction & Monday – 3/1/04

Business trip to Sao Paulo was confirmed about 10 days before departure day and I scrambled to solidify the tentative travel logistics and business agenda with local staff (let’s call him Tony) along with other offices in Brazil. I also did confirm with Juliana that she firmed up her plan to take a week off from her work and she would hang out with me while staying in SP. This would be 4th time for her to stay with me during my visits to SP over last 12 months or so. This might be a good place to introduce Juliana.

About Juliana,

I met Juliana in Café Photo on one Saturday of November, 2002. She was then about 1.67m and 47kg and 27 or 28 years old. She has almost perfect body, well… at least met 100% of my garota body shape requirement. She still maintains same figures. She has light dark and silky skin. Face fits into the definition of ‘cute’ in my book. All in all she usually draws fair amount of attention with her look and shape when we go out for dinner or shopping.

In any case, a good friend of mine (Brazilian) did negotiation and interpretation, and Juliana and I agreed to spend a night together. My buddy drove me to the hotel and Juliana followed us in a brand Peugeot 206 which is sub-compact but also very nice one in Brazilian standards. We mutually had great time (twice) until early next morning. Between the sessions, I was able to communicate with Juliana with sign language, via writing on paper pad, using broken Spanish and plenty of guess and imagination. I was able to get her telephone number and real name. I gave her my email address and my name. I gave her money and she left in the morning.

I learned later that Juliana had a fulltime job and worked at Café Photo weekends only. Money she made at there was for car payment and shopping.

Several month elapsed and Juliana was in archive section of my memory. Then one day, I received email from Juliana Email was to say hi and wonder when I would return to SP. I called her but it was next to impossible to communicate with her over the phone. I conference one of local staff in Brazil into the call as translator. He was one of two guys who had introduced me to mongering scenes in Brazil and therefore it was his pleasure to be the translator.

He coordinated my rendezvous with Juliana on my next trip to SP in May 2003 and since then continued the coordination duty until now. So Juliana and I owe him a few favors and I always make sure to take care of him when I’m in SP.

Juliana timed her vacation schedules with my three business trips to SP since May 2003 and spent her vacation time with me. She usually came out to airport to pick me up and we checked in the hotel (Hilton Morumbi) together like a couple would do. She usually gets kick out of it. Most of the hotel staff (especially at Executive Lounge) knows her as my girlfriend.

I genuinely treat Juliana like my girlfriend and she appreciates it sincerely. Her appreciation reflects through her affection and attention towards me. As she likes perfumes and imported brands are very expensive in Brazil, I bring the perfumes that she likes to have.

Juliana claimed in August 2003 that she had retired from part-time job at Café Photo and told me during this visit that she has been considering to go back to her part-time job due to cash flow problem. As I was not in the position to remediate the problem so I did not take any hard position even though I wish she would not go back there.

Why am I sharing this story with you? I believe that how I got Juliana is a classic case that you would never know how you would be rewarded if you treated your girl of the night or week with a little bit of respect and care.

Continuation of 3/1/04

Six days before the trip, I was told that all BusinessFirst class seats were sold out so I had to settle with a seat in Economy class – a.k.a. cattle cage. I booked 19K seat (Exit Row) with a bit more of legroom. It is the best within cattle cage class and I was happy about it - thanks to Godfather’s tip on www.seatgruru.com website. I learned through this travel that the exit row is reserved for Platinum Elite members until 30 hours prior to flight time.

I checked in President’s Club and relaxed a little bit and get on the Internet using the Club’s new complementary Wireless network. It was fast and excellent signal quality and strength. I use Dell Latitude D600 laptop which has built-in wireless interface.

It was about 90 minutes before the departure time which means dinner time. I went to one of bar/restaurants at the airport and had reasonable meal. Now I would not have to deal with the meal given out by impersonal stewardess or stewards serving the cattle cage class. I would not call them flight attendants, as they do not attend anyone really.

Services and food in BusinessFirst cabin are elegant, attentive, personable and nice which even though substantially have been degraded since 9/11. When stewards/ess change work location from BF cabin to Economy cabin, these change their behavior and attitude of those who have been suffering constipation for at least one week without any indication of bowl movement. It was total turn off for me.

In any case, it was over-sold and full capacity flight but non-eventful flight.