The Blue Pub: an authentic pub in Sao Paulo

Great beers can be found at The Blue Pub

The Blue Pub is an interesting place to have a good beer in São Paulo. Among the options of beverage, there are plenty of beers and also special drinks prepared by trained bartenders. Located just two blocks from Paulista Avenue, this pub is a great option for those looking for a place to watch a soccer game, have a huge hamburger, play some billiard and spend some time.

The biggest feature of the bar is the downstairs level. There you can find the billiards table, in front the bar counter and a dart table. The place is ideal to discuss very important issues regarding life, relationship and suspicious investments.

Keep checking the website to find out the best deal for drinks during the week. The most economic days to have a beer are Monday and Tuesday.

Service
What: The Blue Pub

Where: Alameda Ribeirão Preto, 384
When: Sunday to Wednesday: 4 pm till 1 am; Thursday to Saturday: 4 pm till 2 am
Price: It's free to get in from Sunday to Tuesday. From Wednesday to Saturday, R$ 20 consumption.
Phone: +55 (11) 3284-8338
Website: www.thebluepub.com.br

An average Saturday in Sao Paulo

Recently I've been invited to write a post for the mTrip Guides blog. The idea was to write something about Sao Paulo and I chose a route that I always take anyone I know that is visiting Sao Paulo during an average Saturday. According to my advices, you will have a great day of sightseeing, which includes a flea market, feijoada for lunch (a traditional Brazilian stew), a samba presentation and a sample of great caipirinhas (Brazil’s national drink).

It was an immense pleasure and I would like you to invite you to read it at the mTrip Blog and leave a comment if you already had the chance to visit some of these places.

Keep reading...

A banda mais bonita da cidade

A Banda Mais Bonita da Cidade which can been translated as "The Most Beautiful Band of the City", quintet of Curitiba, will play at the Studio SP on June 7, at 10 pm.

The group gained notoriety after reach 3 million views on YouTube with the video for the song "Oração". The show is for free. You can't miss this chance.

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What: A banda mais bonita da cidade
Where: Studio SP
When: June 7th at 9 pm 
Price: For free
Phone: +55 (11) 3129-7040
E-mail: studiosp@studiosp.org
Website: www.studiosp.org/

Regent Park Suite Hotel is located on Oscar Freire Street

This stylish hotel offers a range of superior suites, along with breakfast and parking. Children under five can stay for free.

Service
What: Regent Park Suite Hotel
Where: Rua Oscar Freire, 533
Price: From R$ 280 to R$ 296
Phone: +55 (11) 3065-5555
Email: hotel@regent.com.br
Website: www.regent.com.br/

Pousada dos Franceses is a traditional Brazilian style Inn near Avenida Paulista

 

Pousada dos Franceses is a pousada, or a traditional inn / bed and breakfast in Sao Paulo. It's close to the Brigadeiro metro station. There are several restaurants nearby, along with a 24-hour supermarket, pharmacies, and many bars. Breakfast is included in the daily rate. There is a fully equipped kitchen and a large BBQ area for guests. Prices are per person.
Service
What: Pousada dos Franceses
Where: Rua dos Franceses, 100
Price: R$ 39 to R$ 69 for the single room and R$ 200 for the triple room
Phone: +55 (11) 3288-1592
Website: www.pousadadosfranceses.com.br/
 

British music in town: DJ Alan McGee at StudioSP and DJ Glen Matlock at Beco 203

As we previously announced, this week, Sao Paulo is hosting the 15th Cultura Inglesa Festival. There are many kind of activities behind held around the city, including movies, music, dance, exhibitions, and much more. Here some suggestions for the two first nights, a perfect music selection for the week end.

DJ Alan McGee will be at StudioSP on May 27th. He knows British music better than anyone else, as the author of the blog McGee on Music on the Guardian’s website. He is also a musician himself, as well as the former manager of the Libertines and founder of Creation Records, which discovered the band Oasis.

The Club Beco 203 will host DJ Glen Matlock on Saturday, May 28th. Glen Matlock was the original bassist of the Sex Pistols. In 1976, he left the band after differnces with singer Johnny Rotten. But after the band’s reunion in 1996, he rejoined the group. Glen arrives in Brazil to put on a show at the Beco 203, which is on Augusta Street. It’s a must-see for fans of the English punk band, or for anyone interested in a lively night.

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What: 15th Cultura Inglesa Festival
When: May 27 to June 12
Price: For free
Website: http://festival.culturainglesasp.com.br/

The Bad Plus Performs in Sao Paulo

The Bad Plus, an American jazz trio, will have three concerts in Sao Paulo this week. On Wednesday, May 25th, they will be at the Bourbon Street Music Club, while on Thursday the 26th and Friday the 27th, the group is the highlight of the Jazz na Fabrica Festival at SESC Pompeia.

The band is most known for playing classic rock in jazzy way, covering songs like "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana, "Heart of Glass" by Blondie, and "Tom Sawyer" by Rush.

Service
What: Bad Plus
Where: Bourbon Street Music Club and Sesc Pompéia 
When: May 25th to 27th 
Price: R$ 95 at Bourbon Street and R$ 16 at Sesc Pompéia 
Website: www.bourbonstreet.com.br/ and www.sescsp.org.br

Lady Gaga said on twitter: THE BORN THIS WAY BALL will come to Brazil in 2012

Last Sunday (22/5/2011), Lady Gaga announced on her Twitter page that she will come to Brazil in 2012. She said: "THE BORN THIS WAY BALL will come to Brazil. It is SO important to me to see my Brazilian monsters. I cherish you!".

She was answering some questions about her brand new album on twitter when talked about Brazil. Certainly, one of her concerts will be in Sao Paulo. Let's see!

Lady Gaga's page on twitter

Kataklò in Sao Paulo tonight

The Italian dance company Kataklò Athletic Dance Theatre brings to São Paulo its new choreography, "Light ". The presentation takes place today, Monday 23, at the Teatro Alfa.

Formed by ex-athletes, the group combines dance and acrobatics. In this show, light is the main character.

This is the fourth time the group comes to Brazil. Before they brought to the country "Fair Play " (2004), "Livingston"(2005) and "Play " (2008).

Service  
What: Kataklò Athletic Dance Theatre
Where: Teatro Alfa, Rua Bento Branco de Andrade Filho, 722 - Sao Paulo
When: May 23, 9 pm
Price: R$ 30 to 60
Phone: +55 (11)  5693-4000
Website: http://www.kataklo.com/eng/home.html

Flight tickets departing from Brazil are getting cheaper

Flight tickets are getting cheaper

If you are an oversea living in Sao Paulo and wants to visit you country, the prices are getting better. Since the beginning of the year, international airlines have offered many international tickets with aggressive discounting. Recently, the German Air Company, Condor is offering a roundtrip ticket from Recife to Frankfurt for R$ 470. The value is lower than a bus ride departing from Recife to Sao Paulo. The low demand for travel departing from European countries and the United States is the reason of low prices, according to market experts.

Price and technology
The ticket price ranges between available seats and demand. The number of seats offered at cheap prices is determined in this manner. The use of new technologies allows to estimate more accurately the periods of demand, so more airlines can offer promotions during low seasons, for example. If the selling forecast won't be good in a certain period, the rates automatically go down in price, aiming to fill up the airplane, which will take off anyway.

Apart from deals, cheap dollar exchange rates are crucial for low travel fares. Brazil to USA for less than R$ 600 round trip. Brazil to Europe around R$ 450.

Search for the lowest price
Finding the best rate is not an easy task. As the number of seats on offer is restricted, the more flexible the traveler is for dates and times, the easier it is to find the best price. Especialy because sometimes it's not possible to get straight flight to your desired destination.

To further enhance the value of the tickets this year, Brazil has signed an agreement "Céus Abertos" with the USA. Europe is the next to sign up too. Another positive factor was the liberalization of fares by the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), during last year.

[source: glauber gonçalves/o estado de s.paulo]

Willi Willie Bar: the best pub to practice archery

Willi Willie is a bar and archery club in Moema. The pub is one of the only bars in São Paulo where you can practice the sport. It opened in 1978.

The Willi Willie has a bar on the ground floor, with wooden tables and televisions showing music videos. The archery area is separated from the bar by a glass wall, and there are instructors teaching beginners how to play the sport.

The first floor has a stage for live performances, and the second floor is a lounge with couches and a terrace. Live bands take turns playing classic rock, pop-rock and blues. The audience is mixed, but it's mostly just a lot of other people who are curious about archery or feel like learning something different on their Saturday night.

Service  
Where: Alameda dos Pamaris, 30 - São Paulo 
When: Wednesday to Saturday, from 8h30 pm till 5 am. Sunday, from 7h30 pm till 1 am. 
Price: Around R$ 30
Phone: +55 (11) 5533-0020 
Website: www.williwillie.com.br/

Protest brings together people in favor of a subway station in the Higienopolis neighborhood

On Saturday, May 14th, there was a demonstration to support the construction of a metro station at the intersection of Avenida Angelica and Sergipe Street in bairro Higienópolis, a wealthy neighborhood in the city of Sao Paulo. The event happened because the neighborhood’s residential association opposes the chosen location of the new station, and they had previously produced a petition with 3,500 names to insist that the new station be built near Pacaembu Stadium.

When questioned on the subject, Higienópolis resident Guiomar Ferreira 56, declared she was against the station being built in her neighborhood. She said the station would detract from the “tradition” of the neighborhood, and would attract "drug addicts, beggars, and 'a different kind of people'." The offensive way she described poor people (gente diferenciada) became a hit on Facebook, and became the name of a barbecue organized by Daniel Saraiva to raise awareness on the discrimination being seen in this debate. This protest in support of the new station was held in front of one of the high-end malls in São Paulo.

The Protest Barbecue
The barbecue garnered a large and peaceful crowd. The 700-1000 people who attended expressed their views peacefully and creatively. People came on their bicycles, others came dressed up as clowns, and there was even a short stand-up comedy skit (check out the video in Portuguese) mocking the prejudiced views of Higienópolis residents who are against the new metro station’s location.

One goal of the barbecue was to show the peaceful nature of poor residents of the region. An actual barbecue grill was placed on a corner of the intersection where the underground train station is set to be built. The protest did not cause any damage or turmoil and was considered a success.

Tips for Italians visiting Sao Paulo 2/2

Brazilian Mortadela sandwich

After talking about pizza tradition in Sao Paulo, here we are with new tips for Italians (or others!) visiting Sao Paulo who want to enjoy the Italian food in the city and who want to avoid any surprises.

Let’s talk today about Mortadella (only one L in Portuguese). According to Wikipedia, it's “a large Italian sausage or cold cut made of finely hashed/ground heat-cured pork sausage which incorporates at least 15% small cubes of pork fat (principally the hard fat from the neck of the pig). It's delicately flavored with spices, including whole or ground black pepper, myrtle berries, nutmeg, coriander, pistachios, jalapeños and/or olives.” It's similar to American bologna.

Italian Mortadella sandwich

Mortadella originated in Bologna and in Italy is sliced very very thin and served simply with bread, usually with rosetta or with pizza bianca.

Mortadella is now famous in Sao Paulo, too. The most well-known place to eat a mortadella sandwich is the Mercado Municipal (the large farmer's market in Sao Paulo), but many Italians know some of the best ways to serve it. It is definitely more mortadella than bread, often with up to 250 grams of mortadella in just one sandwich. Most places add cheese and mustard, and offer the option of having cooked mortadella. In the picture, you can see the difference.

Add caption

Both styles of mortadella sandwiches are very good, but each country has its own sort of national taste. In Italy, a sandwich with mortadella is just bread and mortadella, as a sandwich with prosciutto is usually just bread with ham. According to Italians, it's not a good idea to cover the flavor of the meat with sauces. Also, a sandwich is almost never considered a lunch or dinner, but just a snack, so it must be kept light. In Brazil, you can have lunch with a mortadella sandwich and probably you won’t be hungry for dinner either. In Brazil, the sauce and cheese are more important in the sandwich,. Also, because of their size, you may want to share one if you're not too hungry. The most important advice about a Brazilian mortadella sandwich is to try the one sold at the Mercado Municipal. This is the place where you can eat the sandwich Brazilian style, or the way it's eaten in any market in Bologna, the sandwich's “hometown” in Italy.

A new and special club in Sao Paulo: She Rocks

Brand new club in Sao Paulo

This new club is meant to please a female audience, with just the right decorations, drinks and concerts. Designed with great charm and comfort, She Rocks opened on April 27 and brings something new to the nightlife of Sao Paulo.

The focus of this club is its live music. They will have special evenings with bands and DJs playing different genres of music, from hip hop to pop-rock to dance music, with hits to sing along and dance to.

Service  
What: She Rocks
Where: Rua Tabapuã, 1470 
When: From Tuesday to Saturday, from 11 pm 
Phone: +55 (11)  3044 7699 
Website: sherocks.com.br/

Exhibition brings posters of the Brazilian cinema to the public

Few people know that on top of painting their famous works, artists like Di Cavalcanti, Ziraldo and Caribé,also created posters for Brazilian movies. True works of art, these posters often go unnoticed by fans and admirers of the arts.

Between May 7 and June 26, the Catavento Cultural e Educacional will be hosting an exhibition called “Cartazes do Cinema Brasileiro” (Posters from Brazilian Cinema). The exhibition includes 52 posters. The curator is Máximo Barro.

Service  
What:Cartazes do Cinema Brasileiro
Where: Catavento - Avenida Mercúrio
When: May 7 to June 26, from 9 am to 5 pm, close on Monday
Price: R$ 6
Website: http://www.cataventocultural.org.br/home.asp

Alberta #3 is a trendy pub in the centre of Sao Paulo

Alberta #3 front door

This club is named in tribute to Bob Dylan's songs Alberta # 1 and # 2, released in the 70s. Located downtown in the Conjunto Zarvos, the club is astonishing interesting. The people that usually attend the bar are very cool and trendy.

Alberta #3 hosts rock shows from Tuesday to Saturday. There is also a 6 pm happy hour with no cover charge.Once you are there, try out some Cachaça Organica, produced by Ypióca. Strong and interesting drink.

Service
What: Alberta #3
Where: Avenida São Luis, 272
When: Tuesday to Saturday, from 6 pm till 4 am
Entrance: From R$ 15 to R$ 30. It's free if you get in before 10 pm.
Phone: +55 (11) 3151-5299
Website: www.alberta3.com.br/blog

3 Dogs Hostel is a new option of accommodation in Sao Paulo

3dogs front door

The 3Dogs hostel São Paulo has a large garden. It's also equipped with beanbags, hammocks, hummingbirds, and WiFi internet. Breakfast is offered for the visitors, and the highlight of the meal is the hostel's famous home-made cake.

Located 2 minutes from the Ana Rosa metro station, this hostel can be easily accessed by all airports and bus terminals in São Paulo. Ibirapuera Park is a 15-minute walk away, and you'll be 10 minutes from Avenida Paulista. The hostel h as its own bar, but there are also bars and restaurants close by, as well as a 24-hour supermarket. The meal prices on restaurants around the hostel range from R$ 7 to R$ 40.

Features
The bar of the hostel offers cold bottles of beer and caipirinha-making lessons. The rooms are wide and equipped with extra large bunk beds (2 meter long mattresses). The private rooms with double beds are located upstairs, romantically close to the stars!

Service
What: 3Dogs Hostel
Where: Rua Cel. Artur Godoí, 51
Price: From R$ 32,50 to R$ 136,50 (click here to check the rates)
Phone: +55 (11) 2359-8222
Email: info@3dogshostel.com.br
Website: www.3dogshostel.com.br

American website ranks São Paulo on its Top 29 cities to visit

HotHot nightclub

AskMen, an interesting lifestyle site for men, has announced their editors’ picks for the Top 29 Cities to Visit. Dedicated to helping readers with advice and articles about fashion, health, dating, careers, fine living, and entertainment, the website has created a list for 2011 of the best cities to visit. The rank shows an ultimate guide for single men looking for adventure in new places. Sao Paulo placed 11th on the list.

How it works
The Top cities rank was based on quantitative data, including weather, average cost of a pint of beer and a cab ride, accommodations, the culinary scene, sports, culture, nightlife and of course, the availability of single women. Another factor considered is the city's "explorability,” which they define with qualitative research to determine a city’s “buzz.”

But the common denominator tying this year’s list together is the idea that single men are looking for non-traditional experiences. With its women, culture and beaches, São Paulo offers potential for a new kind of adventure when compared to tourist favorites like New York or Paris. This city brings opportunity for real discovery experiences.

Avenida Paulista on the sunset

Top 29 Cities to Visit
1. Barcelona
2. Buenos Aires
3. Miami
4. New York City
5. London
6. Seoul
7. Paris
8. Melbourne
9. Bangkok
10. Las Vegas

11. Sao Paulo

12. San Sebastian
13. Tel Aviv
14. Cagliari/Sardinia
15. Berlin
16. Tangier
17. San Francisco
18. Naples/Amalfi Coast
19. Mexico City
20. Punta del Este
21. Lisbon
22. Beijing
23. Tallinn
24. Istanbul
25. Wellington
26. Montreal
27. Mumbai
28. Sydney
29. Amsterdam

Blue Tree Towers Hotel at Faria Lima Avenue

Located in an upscale region of São Paulo, the Blue Tree Premium Faria Lima is surrounded by malls, bars, restaurants and nightclubs. It is also close to several large companies and only 6.7 km from the Congonhas Airport.

This hotel offers sophisticated services and is fully equipped for leisure, business, social or corporate events. Check the website for pricing .

Service
What: Blue Tree Towers Faria Lima
Where: Avenida Brigadeiro Faria Lima, 3989
Price: Around R$ 330 and R$ 370
Phone: +55 (11) 3896-7545
Website: http://www.bluetree.com.br/

Whisky Festival in Sao Paulo

The Whisky Festival began last on Sunday (May 1st) and runs until the end of June. The organizers of the event selected 54 bars in the city of São Paulo to participate. All of them included a new snack harmonizing with whiskey in their menu. All at promotional price!

Check a list of 15 pubs which are taking part in the event:

• Astor
• La Tapa
• Bar Aurora
• Bar Brahma
• Bar Praça
• Bottagallo
• Desembargador
• Hooters
• Jordão Bar
• Melograno
• Murimarelo
• The Blue Pub
• The Joy
• Zé Bonito

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What: Whisky Festival
Where: Many pubs in the city
When: May 1 - June 30
Website: www.whiskyfestival.com.br

Saci Hostel: A cheap option for your stay in Sao Paulo!

The Saci Hostel (pronounced sah-SEE) is a relaxed hostel that offers cable TV, WiFi, musical instruments, a fully equipped kitchen, a washing machine, a computer with free internet access, and space for artistic activities.

This well-organized and welcoming hostel is extremely clean. A five-minute walk from the Sumaré metro station, this is a perfect budget option for students, backpackers and other visitors.

Service
What: Saci Hostel
Where: Rua Veríssimo Glori, 86
Price: From R$ 29 to R$ 45 (prices are per person per night)
Phone: +55 (11) 3862-5792
Email: sacihostel@sacihostel.com
Website: www.sacihostel.com/

Jamie Lidell in Sao Paulo tonight

Jamie Lidell had is last show in Brazil in 2005, since then he received the award for Best Pop Album of the Independent Music Awards in 2008 for the album JIM. Lidell is known for the quality of his songs. This show is part of the tour for his fourth album: Compass. It was recorded in Los Angeles, New York and Canada and released in May 2010. The repertoire was composed byLidell in no longer than a month.

Service  

What: Jamie Lidell

Where: Clash, Rua Barra Funda, 969 - Sao Paulo

When: May 5 at 10.30 pm

Price: R$ 90

Website: http://www.clashclub.com.br/

More than 60 British events in Sao Paulo

From May 27 to June 12 the city of Sao Paulo will host many British events with the15º Cultura Inglesa Festival.

The festival brings together more than 60 Brazilian and British attractions of various categories such as music and cinema. The section Music in the Park (Música no Parque) will host concerts in the Independence Park (Parque da Independencia) with bands like the Gang of Four, the bassist of the first training of Sex Pistols, DJs AlanMcGee and Glen Matlock.

Within the film program, the festival has a space just for science fiction films, including "2001 Space Odyssey" of Stanley Kubrick and "1984" by Michael Radford.
Inside Sao Paulo will keep you update with the attractions of this mega event.

Service  
What: Cultura Inglesa Festival
Where: Everywhere around
When: May 27 to June 12
Price: For free
Website: http://festival.culturainglesasp.com.br/

Heavy rain in Sao Paulo causes serious problems for the Brazilian Formula Indy Race

Scott Dixon, trying to keep the car on (a wet) track [photo: guilherme lara campos / fotoarena]

The rain that hit the city of Sao Paulo on Sunday (May 1st) changed the Sao Paulo F-Indy race to Monday (May 2nd). The decision was agreed upon at a meeting between CET (Traffic Engineering Company) representatives and the Formula Indy Organization. This isn't the first time that the rain has caused problems for the circuit at the Sambadrome. Last year, the track had to be rebuilt because of drainage problems. This year, one of the reasons the race date was moved to May was because of possible problems with rain. Unfortunately, the rain started few laps after the race did.

According to the mayor of São Paulo, Gilberto Kassab, the possibility of changing the racetrack is ruled out for next year. The mayor said that the current circuit set is considered the most appropriate place for the race. "It is the more appropriate [place], and therefore, its contract has been set for ten years", said Kassab.

Bia Figueiredo, who left the race at the end, reminded the media that she has faced more serious problems than a rainy day in other circuits. "In a race in Kansas, we got a tornado warning and did not know what to do. In Japan, there are earthquakes. If we get worried about what might happen everywhere we go, the race will never happen. We must be proud of the Sao Paulo race track."

Check out the final classification
1. Will Power (AUS / Penske) 2h00min51s
2. Graham Rahal (USA / Ganassi), 4s672
3. Ryan Briscoe (AUS / Penske), 7s903
4. Dario Franchitti (ESC / Ganassi), 10s147
5. Oriol Servia (ESP / Newman-Haas), 15s818
6. Mike Conway (ING / Andretti Autosport), 16s677
7. Justin Wilson (ENG / Dreyer & Reinbold), 20s013
8. Takuma Sato (JAP / KV), 23s068
9. James Hinchcliffe (CAN / Newman-Haas), 25s292
10. JR Hildebrand (USA / Panther), 31s317
11. Sebastian Saavedra (COL / Conquest), 36s426
12. Scott Dixon (NZL / Ganassi), 42s197
13. Ernesto Viso (VEN / KV), 45s826
14. Marco Andretti (USA / Andretti Autosport), 1min14s563
15. James Jakes (ING / Dale Coyne), 1min16s278
16. Charlie Kimball (USA / Ganassi) 1 lap
17. Vitor Meira (BRA / Foyt), 2 laps
18. Ryan Hunter-Reay (USA / Andretti Autosport), 5 laps
19. Alex Tagliani (CAN / Sam Schmidt), 7 laps
20. Simona De Silvestro (SUI / HVM), 9 laps
21. Helio Castroneves (BRA / Penske), 9 laps
22. Tony Kanaan (BRA / KV), 9 laps
23. Danica Patrick (USA / Andretti Autosport), 9 laps
24. Bia Figueiredo (BRA / Dreyer & Reinbold), left the race
25. Raphael Matos (BRA / AFS), left the race

Hotel Mercure São Paulo - Vila Olímpia

The Mercure Sao Paulo Vila Olimpia has 282 rooms and provides easy access to important roads, including Marginal Pinheiros, Avenida Faria Lima, and Juscelino Kubitschek. It's in the Vila Olimpia bairro (neighborhood). It's located an the corner of Rua Santa Justin and Rua João Cachoeira, an area which is known for its variety of shops. The hotel is also close to several restaurants and bars, as well as the famous Ibirapuera Park. Parents can have one child free of charge per room. The hotel offers a restaurant, bar, swimming pool, sauna, and fitness center, as well as nine meeting rooms. Hotel staff are fluent in three languages (English, Spanish and Portuguese) and are happy to offer tourist information.

Security is in effect 24 hours a day, and utilizes a modern video system. The business area offers computer rentals, Internet connections, fax, photocopies, and printers, as well as translation and interpretation services.

Service
What: Mercure São Paulo Vila Olímpia
Where: Rua Santa Justin, 210
Price: From R$ 250 to R$ 270. Check the website to learn more about pricing and offers.
Email: h3206-re@accor.com.br
Phone: +55 (11) 3089-6243
Website: www.mercure.com.br/ (On the left side bar of the site, choose "Sao Paulo" and then " Itaim / Vila Olimpia" for this specific hotel.)