That day I could not solve the problem on my phone. Finally I found an old man in the mall who spoke English and was kind enough to translate for me. Yes, I am walking through a Brazilian mall and found someone who can translate this for me. It turns out that in order to activate a mobile phone purchased in Brazil, Brazil needs the same identification number as the US Social Security number when purchasing a mobile phone. Formal processing is required, and if you are a foreigner and do not work for a Brazilian company, you will be screwed up (unless you ask a friend to register the phone in his name). It is clear that I have no Brazilian friends. Almost 4 hours after arriving, I left the mall, paid too much for the phone, which was still unavailable, and got lost on my way home. Today is my first day in Sao Paulo. And to say that this is rare these days would be a lie. It doesn't happen often, but it's a joke.