We had an assignment in Portuguese class this week and it was to complete a letter to tell your friends a little bit about Brazil...and I thought it would make a great post! So here it is, my letter to you all. You'll see that some words are linked. Click on them and you'll be taken to YouTube where you'll witness firsthand all the things I am experiencing here as well. Enjoy!
Dear Friends,
Finally, I arrived in Brazil and I'm enjoying it very much. It's a little different than what my friends told me about it. Many told me that Brazilians speak Spanish and the truth is that they don't...they speak Portuguese. They also told me that the capital of Brasil was Rio de Janeiro (see below). It's not! It's Brasilia. I, on the other hand, am living in a concrete jungle called Sao Paulo (see below). Rio is famous for Brazilian Carnival and its natural beauty! But it doesn't last all year, only four days in the beginning of March.
They have beautiful music here as well. A famous type is called "chorinho". You have to listen to it! There's also lots of "samba" and MPB (popular brazilian music). I adore "bossa-nova" and of course, the famous Brazilian song about Ipanema!
Another friend of mine said that Brazilians dance mambo. Well, they really dance "samba", famous all over the world. Brazilians are also complete fanatics about soccer...or here called...futebol! Pele or Neymar are the two most famous players of all time. Futebol is a religion here and they even call the best players angels! And when Brazil is playing...everyone wears green and yellow and cheers like crazy!
Brazilians drink lots of coffee but unlike the US, here coffees are very small and always have lots of milk and sugar. The typical Brazilian plate is feijoada and generally, this is accompanied with a very strong drink called a caipirinha, which is made with an alcohol pronounced "cashassa" and has lime and sugar in it. When it's not made with lime, you can usually find it with other fruits and even made with sake or vodka too. The dessert of choice is called brigadeiro...one of the most delicious things ever. If you're just looking for a quick snack, then they eat salgados, which are breaded pockets with stuffing of cheese or meat or hearts of palm or other things.
Another interesting thing is that Brazilians always say hello and goodbye with a kiss on the cheek. And when you end a conversation on the phone...it's always a goodbye with "beijos" (kisses) or "abracos" (pronounced "abrassos") (hugs). Depending on where you are in the country, you can expect anywhere from one to three kisses!
Brazilians also have an interesting sense of time. It's normal to be about 15 minutes late and when you go to a Brazilian party, at least 30 minutes late but not rare to be 2+ hours late.
Brazilians are also very superstitious. Women do not put their purses on the floor EVER and when someone says something bad, everyone knocks on wood three times. For New Years, everyone wears white, which symbolizes peace. Every other color signifies something different; for example, pink means you're looking for love, yellow means you want money, blue for good health, and green for hope. And the clothing is always new to bring about good luck. And when they go to the beach, they jump seven waves for: health, love, luck, money, hope, peace, and happiness.
Well friends, that is all for now. I hope you enjoyed learning a little bit about Brazil!
Your friend,
Kyle
This was fascinating. Enjoyed learning and knowing what you are doing at the same time. Sounds like a wonderful opportunity, and oh, so many tall buildings. Unbelievable.
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