10 Reasons I Love Brazil

Before I start, I’ll qualify this post by saying that I have never lived in Brazil, I haven’t spent more than four weeks at a time there, this is simply about what I have observed being around Brazilians (whether in Brazil, the UK or the USA), what I have experienced in my trips to Brazil (admittedly trips to the Southeast and Southern regions) and watching Brazilian tv.  These are generalisations and I know that not everyone is friendly, not everyone is helpful, not everywhere is beautiful, but the same can be said about anywhere; nowhere is perfect.  So here’s my list:

1.     The People

No, my wife didn’t tell me to write this and no, that isn’t a gun pressed against my head... really...  On the whole, Brazilians are very friendly, curious and helpful.  Obviously there are exceptions to every rule, but Brazilians have really impressed me. 

Brazilian Football Fans

Brazilians can never have too many friends and once you are friends with someone, it won’t be long before you are friends with their friends, their family, their neighbours...  And it’s genuine too; they’re usually not trying to network or thinking about what you can do for them, but showing an interest in you as a person.  They will invite you round to their house where you will be treated like family, you will be fed and watered (sometimes to the point of insisting that you should eat more, you look hungry!) and invite you to parties and events.  Even if you don’t know anyone else, you will soon end up chatting with everyone, with language barriers being the only potential obstacle.

Which brings me on nicely to...

2.     The Language

The first time I heard Brazilian Portuguese, I found it perplexing.  Very similar to Spanish, but also very different, I never thought I would learn the language!  As I started to learn Portuguese, I have grown very fond of the language.  I find it’s a very flexible and expressive language with many phrases that I use even when speaking English as they get across exactly what I mean.  I should add that this is usually with my wife; we have developed a kind of Portu-glish for everyday use.  This sometimes baffles fellow Brits and bilingual Brazilians find it funny when I drop Portuguese words into the middle of a sentence. 

Brazilians are aware that Portuguese is not the most obvious language for foreigners to learn – after all, the majority of countries in South America speak Spanish – so they are generally impressed when they meet a foreigner that can speak Portuguese, or even one brave enough to give it a try.  I would strongly encourage anyone visiting Brazil to learn a few phrases – it is invaluable if you stray away from the big cities, but it will also ingratiate you with your hosts.  This is where Brazilian helpfulness comes in again, they will be happy to help you learn more.

3.     The Food

I like my food and I love Brazilian food!  Before I went to Brazil for the first time, I asked about the food and got back a three word answer that didn’t particularly inspire me: “rice and beans.”  Growing up in Britain, my experience of beans was, more often than not, baked beans.  Going through university and living on cheap supermarket baked beans inspired an aversion to the orange slop that I can’t escape and the thought of spending a fortnight munching on rice and beans filled me with dread!  Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the black beans that can form an accompaniment to anything, or a meal in their own right.  After a few years of marriage, there is nothing more natural than throwing together a quick meal of steak, rice and beans!

Feijoada

The most well known beans dish is feijoada, a kind of stew consisting of pork, black beans and herbs.  This traditional dish dates back to the era of slavery when the masters would eat the good parts of the pig, leaving the less desirable parts of the animal to the slaves.  Feijoada was an effort to make something edible and tasty from this undesirable meat and results in a dish that looks an unappealing purplish-grey with random chunks of meat floating in it.  The first time I saw feijoada, I was really not impressed, but as my friends were so keen, I thought “oh well”, closed my eyes, thought of England and... was pleasantly surprised!  The second time I saw feijoada, I was again unimpressed and not particularly sure I wanted to get involved; but this time, it was all we ordered so I got stuck in and was once again impressed.  It wasn’t until the fourth or fifth time that I was able to look at feijoada and think “that looks good.”

Costelinha (ribs) on the barbecue

Then there’s churrasco, or barbecue.  The first time I went to a churrascaria, or barbecue restaurant, I was in love!  The meat is brought to the tables on skewers where the waiter slices off as much or little meat as you like and it is always hot and fresh.  This style of restaurant is becoming more popular in other countries and I have been to several in Britain and the US, but none compare to the real thing!

I could go on and on about the food, but maybe that should be left for another day!

4.     Snacks

Coxinhas

Ok, I said I wouldn’t go on about food, but Brazilian snacks deserve a special mention.  Pasteis (pastry filled with meat or cheese and fried) and coxinhas (pointed balls of dough, stuffed with chicken and fried) are just two examples that start my mouth watering just to think of them.  And then wash it down with some Guarana!  Ok, I’ll behave.

5.     Chocolates

I lied, but I don’t think this needs any explanation.  Next...

6.     Football

It should come as no surprise that Brazil loves football; any country with five World Cup wins is bound to have some measure of affection for the game.  It does not take long for the subject of football to appear in a conversation, with obligatory questions about the team you support.  The quality of club football in Brazil is, again unsurprisingly, of a very high level.  The games are marked by high speed, skilful play and very passionate fans, although this passion can often lead to the more ugly side of the game with fights and riots not uncommon. 

Aside from watching the pros, the amateur game is very much alive in Brazil with groups of friends regularly meeting up for a game, followed by a barbecue and a beer or few. 

7.     Music

I started listening to Brazilian music as a way of improving my Portuguese and just got hooked!  I starting listening to Bossa Nova by artists such as Vinicius de Moraes and Toquinho and gradually learned the lyrics, which in turn helped me to remember some of the rules of the language, such as conjugating verbs in the past tense (much more enjoyable than sitting down with a textbook!)  I was then introduced to more contemporary music (I particularly like rock music) which has also improved my language skills, especially becoming familiar with common expressions.  For anyone interested, I highly recommend Charlie Brown Jr, Skank and CPM 22.

8.     The Landscape

Waterfall in Serra da Canastra, Minas Gerais

Everyone knows that Brazil has very beautiful beaches, but there is so much more to the country.  The majority of my visits to Brazil have been to the south, which is where my wife is from (Pato Branco, a small city in Southwest Paraná that is closer to Argentina than the beach) so I have not seen all that the country has to offer, although I intend to put that right.  But those places I have seen, have taken my breath away.  From hiking in Serra da Canastra in Mias Gerais, to abseiling down waterfalls in Paraná, enjoying a refreshing drink of coconut water in Parque Ibirapuera, São Paulo to exploring the forests and beaches of Ilha do Mel, Paraná, it is impossible not to be enchanted with the place.  I’m sure I’ll add to this once I have been to the other places on the list: lençois maranhenses, Olinda, Pantanal, Serra Gaúcha...

9.     The Cities

It’s easy to be negative about cities and to come up with lazy generalisations but if you look beneath the surface, there is usually a lot hidden below.  A lot of people I have spoken to dismiss São Paulo is big, busy and ugly.  While I have to agree that it is big – well, only the largest city in South America, busy – I refer you to my previous point, and parts of it are ugly, there is a lot more to it.  I was surprised to find the calm of the botanical gardens and the relaxation of a walk in Parque Ibirapuera (even though half the city seemed to be there as well.)  There are beautiful building like the Paulista Museum and Vila de São Paulo and then more modern buildings such as the Banespa Building and the São Paulo Museum of Modern Art.  These aren’t for everyone, but I like them! 

Museu do Olho, Curitiba

But my favourite city has to be Curitiba, the capital of Paraná.  The city is beautiful, with colourful buildings, parks and interesting architecture.  It is easy to pass several hours in the botanical gardens and marvelling at the Museu do Oscar Niemayer, or Museu do Olho (eye museum) as it is affectionately known.  The city is well thought out, with dedicated bus lanes and an efficient public transport system that makes it easy to get around.  It is a city that I could easily see myself living in.

10.                       Political Awareness

Protesters around Brazil

No country is perfect and of course Brazil is included in that.  One of the biggest problems that the country faces is gross corruption.  For many years, Brazilians complained about corruption but threw their hands up in the air: “what can we do about it?”  In 2013, O gigante acordou – the giant awoke.  The people saw money being taken away from schools and hospitals and finally took to the streets to protest.  Brazilian expats around the world also held protests, with a trending twitter hashtag of #changebrazil, the world sat up and took notice – after all, they were protesting during a major football competition, so it MUST have been serious.  During this time, many of my friends spoke of their pride of being Brazilian and in the people trying to change their country for the better.  This ultimately leads me back to my first point; it is the people that make Brazil so special.