Impressions of Brazil
Here are some impressions that have developed thus far... It's hard to know what applies to brazilians as a whole, to the region, or just to the people I've been with over the past 2 weeks, but for now, I'm gonna let my experience shape my impression of 'Brazilians' in general:
- Brazilians are a very welcoming people. They are hosting the world right now, and they seem to really enjoy it, and want visitors to enjoy brazil.
- They eat a lot of cheese. Cheese with every meal.
- Their meat is quite good but, man, do they like their meat salty! Saaalty!
- Light on veggies, other than onions.
- Fruits are good.
- Food is expensive. Dining out seems common (i.e. daily) and I can eat cheaper in Honolulu. How do they pay for living?
- They eat often. It feels we just move from one meal to the next without a whole lot in between.
- When do these people work? Is the World Cup just one big fat national holiday?
- Beer is light and uninspired (lagers) -- no big surprise, standard for South American countries.
- They love air conditioning. They are a windows-closed, air-on kinna people. (Average temp the past few weeks has been maybe... 75-80?)
- While I feel much less a gringo here than other parts of South America, something still marks me as an obvious extrangeiro. Actually, more specifically, obviously American. I've looked around me, and Americans do have a way of sticking out like a sore thumb. For many, it's the shoes. Or the American flag cape. But also, I've noticed that generally, the in-shape, active-looking women are distinctly American. We work out.
- If a Brazilian knows a part of the US, it's Florida. Most likely Miami. (This was also true in other parts of South America)
- Sharks here eat people. "Danger of shark: Avoid sea bath."
- Cell phone etiquette is different. Countless times I have looked around at an entire table at a bar or restaurant, and all but perhaps one or two people are fixated on their tiny screens... The one or two probably ran out of battery.
Man on beach with a horse
Posted by Whitney 06/25/2014