I know I've written about SESC before, but at least this is a different one and I added pictures! Hey!

Also, I know just a little bit more about the history. SESC was formed in 1946 as a Social Service provider for Commercial workers, at the same time as SESI, a Social Service provider for Industrial workers. They were established by the central government, I believe, and funded by a 2% payroll tax levied on employers.

They have their roots in Brasil's corporatist past, but I do not understand how corporatism worked in Brasil. If you are like me, you will need to go the dictionary to look up that word, so I'll do it for you.

According to Merriam Webster, corporatism is "the organization of a society into industrial and professional corporations serving as organs of political representation and exercising control over persons and activities within their jurisdiction." Ok, if that doesn't make it as wonderfully clear as you might like, you can go to Wikipedia and get thoroughly confused. With luck, one of my Brazilian friends will read this and do a better job of explaining it.

Apparently anybody now can pay the annual fee and become a member of SESC. They let me in, after all. I know commercial workers still have preference for some things, as for example the gym is available at certain hours solely for their use. Probably there are other examples that I haven't encountered.

There are 15-20 SESC facilities scattered around the city of São Paulo. They are community cultural and recreational centers. As far as I know, they all have gymnasiums, swimming pools, and indoor courts for sports like soccer, basketball and volleyball. They all have spaces for the performing and visual arts. They all offer classes in a wide variety of subjects. I could sign up for origami class this month, or maybe a class about the art of Japanese tea preparation and presentation. At least some SESC sites have computers available for use; when we were without internet after moving into our new house, I finally realized a little late that all I had to do was use the ones at SESC when I was done in the gym. Rather than try to make an exhaustive list, I will end with the fact that they all have restaurants with very reasonably-priced lunches.

Before our move I used the gym at the downtown SESC. Now, I go to the SESC pictured here, SESC Belenzinho. It is only about one year old and is, on the surface at least, a more desirable facility. Certainly it is many times bigger, with an outdoor pool and an immense restaurant area. It takes me maybe 5 or 6 minutes longer to walk to this one than it used to take me downtown, but that's insignificant. I could take a bus if I wanted to. Still, for all its advantages, I haven't made myself at home in it yet. It is more sterile and the people who use it are, dare I say it? more boring. I think it must be a universal rule: city centers have more interesting people than suburbia. There is a comment section on this site for anyone who thinks that is too broad a generalization. Please, somebody, fight with me about it.

I'm doing my best to make the adjustment. I go to this SESC four times per week to use the gym, eat lunch, and sit around and read. There is no denying it is better than fighting people on rhe Red Line to go downtown three times per week. I just wish I could like it more.

As Heitor would say....ah, life.