The #19 thing that I love about Brazil is.........


Festas de aniversario. Birthday parties in Brazil might be the coolest thing ever. Its funny that I am having to write about this but I recently read on another expat blog about how the person hated the parties here because this person thought there was too much candy and violent games.(Her child played a video game where he got to kill some zombies, it might be better if he never meets the Todovermelho family then. We aren't afraid to get a little rough) Parties here might be a little over the top though, but hey it only happens once every year. The family will usually decorate a table and wall with a theme, something along the preferences of the child. It is usually a theme regarding some superhero, barbie, Ben10 and etc. Then the family will usually invite around 100 children. If its a family that doesn't go to the same church as I do then usually and this it doesn't matter if this is a child's party, there will be alcohol. The party will start probably around 6 or 7pm. And will go until the wee hours of the night, or should I say morning? Now these parties are double edged swords mind you, if your not invited to your neighbor's party, make sure you have plans to simply leave the neighborhood for around the next 5 hours. Believe me, these parties are LOUD! But I guess that's what makes it so fun, people just let loose and have fun, even the happy birthday song in Portuguese is LOUD! But if you compare the English happy birthday song to the Portuguese birthday song the English one is too slow, almost depressing. Also, at these parties there is usually an infinite supply of brigadeiro, which is the best dessert ever invented. One of the best parts though is that gift giving at parties is not required, people usually buy a small gift, but it is not frowned upon if you show up with no gift ready to eat. So if you get a chance, be sure to experience this event, I promise you wont ever forget it. Até logo e um abraço.

The #18 thing that I love about Brazil is...

The Hammock, Hammocks are not super popular here in the south of Brazil, although you may see them in homes that are farther outside the city, they are more popular in the northeast. It is very common for a home not to have a bed, rather every member of the family sleeps in a hammock. In the poorest areas of the northeast where there are no cemeteries it is common to carry the dead in a hammock to the place of burial. This practice inspired the painting "Enterro na Rede" by  Candido Portinari. 

For the two years that I lived in Ceará I slept in a hammock. I haven't slept better since. If anyone is interested here is the history behind the hammock. It's kinda interesting. Até logo e um abraço.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammock

The #17 thing I love about Brazil is....

Guaraná. I think this post has been a long time coming. It should be higher up on this list but then again, this list is in noway in any particular order. Guaraná might be the best Soda Pop ever invented. It might even be on a higher level then Coca-Cola. Which if you know my family, it is taboo to put another soda pop on the same level as Coke. Guaraná is the official Soft Drink of Brazil. It's best if you drink it ice cold with an orange wedge to go with it. 
  Guaraná Antarctica was first sold in 1921 and their current sloganis É o que é. Which means, it is what it is. Guaraná is currently imported world wide and is a drink that everyone can appreciate. So if you are not in Brazil at the moment, find the nearest Brazilian store and buy yourself an ice cold Guaraná. Cheers! Até logo e um abraço.

Thanks guys for all your support. Today I broke 1k views on the blog. The blog has been viewed now in many countries all over the world now, I think the total is now somewhere around 20 countries. Make sure that you post a link to this blog on your twitter, facebook, orkut and anyother social networking sites out there. I am trying to get the blog ranked so that it pops up on the google search engines. Thanks for your help.


                                                         Sincerely, Mr. Todovermelho

The #16 thing I love about Brazil is.....

Padarias. Padarias or bakeries in Brazil rock. If you leave early enough or if you are in a city that is way out in the boondocks it is easy to smell fresh bread coming out of the ovens. It's enough to make the mouth water. Besides selling bread they sell all sorts of really good pastries such as sonhos. A "sonho" (or a dream) is this wonderful dessert like a creme filled doughnut, but much better. They make my beloved coxinha and other types of "salgadinhos." The bakery has one pitfall though, its usually more expensive than most in-store bakeries. But if your in a pinch, the bakery will always have a bag of flour or sugar to sell, just at a price that has been marked up 400%. Still, I do love bakeries and the entire atmosphere of them. They are usually family owned and operated. They have been around since the oldest person in the neighborhood can remember. They usually are open from around 5 to 5:30am until around 11pm. For the most part they are ALWAYS packed with people wanting a breakfast of hot fresh bread with butter and hot chocolate or coffee. Around lunch they may have a few options like paulista virada which is a traditional plate in São Paulo that consists of rice, beans, french fries, beef and a fried egg. There are a few other variations, but those are the primary ingrediants. At night there is almost always a soccer game on the big tv at the front of the store and there are lots of men eating pizza, drinking and watching the game. On the weekends they sell roasted rotary chicken. Then to top all that off they almost always sell my beloved Guaraná. So if your in need of some food and you got nowhere to go, just remember, there is a padaria on almost every street corner in Brazil. And don't forget to call me up so I can get some good eats too. Até logo e um abraço.

                                                                         the "sonho"

The #15 thing that I love about Brazil is..........

O Abraço Brasileiro.(The Brazilian hug)


Growing up in the USA the only male people I hugged were my family. Hugging outside those parameters is generally not manly. On the other hand in Brazil there is the Abraço which is okay, it is not the same thing. For men to "Abraçar" or to hug other men its okay as long as there is hip separation. There might be an occasional belly bump or chest contact but it is okay to hug. You will also notice that at the end of my posts I always say "até logo e um abraço." Well that means see you later and a hug. It is totally okay and even polite for men to finish a phone conversation or an email and send a hug. Sometimes even us big fellows can be sentimental and we need a hug. In the US I wouldn't even dare admit that I got sentimental, my brothers would never let me hear the end of it. I once told my family that I wanted to start learning Kung Fu and they laughed at me. But here in Brazil we men can be more comfortable with our sexuality. I am not saying that we have to go join the gay parade or wear a speed-o to the beach,(I told my wife to put me outta my misery if I ever wore a speed-o) all I am saying is that it is more than okay to be hugged and to hug someone back. So if you're ever in Brazil, don't get all weirded out if someone tries to hug you. Até logo e um abraço.

The #14 thing that I love about Brazil is....

Nap time. In Brazil its much more common to take naps, especially if you are in the Nordeste. I love this practice. Sunday afternoons are the best time to go lay down and take a nap. I mean it has been scientifically proven to be better for health to take a nap everyday. What could be more better than laying in a hammock on a warm day with a cool breeze blowing and you swinging gently underneath two coconut trees? So if its around 3pm on a weekend, please don`t call me. Bons sonhos, até logo e um abraço.