Day 87 - Soul Brasileiro

How would I define a Brazilian?

Generous, proud of their country, always trying to help, talkative, friendly, big-hearted, food loving, always happy, always humming or singing, always smiling...

It is so appropriate that the souvenir that I got myself from Brazil is a new smile!!! (Yes, my teeth are finally done!:))


Brazilians and Money. One very peculiar quality I have noticed about the Brazilians is that they always add services to the original price they quote. So you really end up getting much more for your money. For example, my dentist ended up not only putting the new crowns in (which is what I originally came for), but also repairing two cavities and doing general cleaning, all for the same price. Another example, we stopped on the road from Petropolis to Rio to get some sugarcane juice (which by the way is extremely delicious and surprisingly light), and the old lady who made it for us, forced us to drink the first one and then poured another glass for each of us and absolutely refused to even take a tip for her generosity.

Brazilians and Talking. I don't know if this is being talkative or being super-helpful, but the Brazilians do seem to talk a lot. It is very amusing especially with getting directions. To the question "How do I get to this bank?" that could be simply answered by "Turn to the right and then after 2 blocks make another right", you will get something of this sort, "You can turn to the right and after 2 blocks (by the way, look to your left - there will be a very beautiful building over there) make another right. However, you could also potentially go to the left now, and then make another left (then you'll see a church on the corner, it was built in 1822), then you can have a juice at the stand on your right, and turn right over there. But wait, why do you even want to go to that particular bank? If you walk just one more block, you can get to the other bank, the lines are usually much better there, and you get better service. Anyway, good luck and have a gorgeous day! May God be with you! Oh, by the way, it's supposed to rain tomorrow, don't forget your umbrella!" I actually witnessed once a girl giving directions to somebody for a good 5 minutes, and then when the person left, she lingered in contemplation for a couple of seconds, apparently checking if the solution she suggested was the most optimal one, and then she ran after the guy and they ended up spending another couple of minutes discussing the new option. This is truly fascinating. And I have to admit I like this style a lot better than the Cozumelanian (people from Cozumel for some reason think that it is impolite to not provide some kind of answer to your question, so even if they have no idea where this bank is, they will never admit it, but instead will give you directions to the best of their abilities).

Brazilians and Music. It is not surprising that every Brazilian lives to some soundtrack. Music is everywhere. Any time, day or night, you hear different rythms played live in concert halls, samba clubs, bars, restaurants, outside in the streets, on the beach... Everybody is dancing where appropriate, or semi-dancing where not so appropriate but music is played in the vicinity. Walking around is very festive. While driving you always pop a CD in. Even in long distance buses they ask the passengers if they want to listen to music.

Besides the well known all over the world Samba and Bossa Nova, there are so many more Brazilian rhythms. I now very much like Chorinho ("little cry"); in spite of the name, the style often has a fast and happy rhythm and sounds pretty fiery. Another interesting style is Capoeira, which is an Afro-Brazilian art form combining martial arts, music, and dance. It is believed to have been practiced by slaves in preparation for rebellions and escape: they would get together and learn the fight under the disguise of dancing, so that their masters don't suspect anything.

Brazilians and Dressing Up. I don't enjoy the cultures that require you to dress up. I think it should be a free choice. And it looks like this is exactly how it is here. Everybody is dressed nicely but casually. Even at night in Samba clubs you see girls dressed as if they just stepped in from the beach (which very well could be the case by the way): summer dress, flip-flops, no make-up whatsoever. Oh yeah, that's another thing - nobody wears make-up. Brazilian women don't feel the need to hide their "imperfections" behind make-up, and this open beauty is very appealing.

Brazilians and Happiness. Judging by the way everybody is smiling here, it looks like the Brazilians have figured out what happiness is and are living it on a daily basis. And really, what is there not to be happy about? The weather is always warm, the food is delicious, the drinks are strong, the music is beautiful, the soccer players are world-famous, and now even the economy is booming. Carnaval is, of course, the ultimate expression of the Brazilian festive nature, but even without witnessing this grand event you can tell that every day in Brazil is treated as a Carnival rehearsal.