If you have read some of my postings of late you may have noticed a sudden interest in Brazil. What is going on? There are two reasons: one is simple but the other one even I do not fully understand.
The simple reason is that sometimes my interests snowball: I learn about something and that makes me want to know more. And finding out more makes me want to know still more. And so on. When I was eight it was dinosaurs; when I was nine it was ants. Now it is Brazil. I am like that. And I can read just enough Portuguese that I am dangerous.
The other reason is a cloud of mystery, but let me try to put it into words as much as I can.
Even though I have never been to Brazil I feel like it is where I should have been born and, even now, where I should live. Strange, I know. I do not understand it myself.
I live in America but I have always felt out of place. Few of my friends are native-born Americans. New York is the only place I feel at home. Everywhere else I feel like a fish out of water, like I am always wearing new shoes, like I am on a different wavelength. If America were all I knew of the world I would think there was something wrong with me.
Of course Brazil may be no different or even worse. I cannot even speak Portuguese, though I can mostly read it.
America is richer, safer and more comfortable than Brazil and English is my native tongue. Most of my family is here too. So I stay. But it is not a hand-in-glove fit for me. Not even close.
I am Catholic and so, in a Hilaire Belloc and Thomas Merton sort of way, I feel that Latin roots are the true roots of the West, its true heart – not the Barbie dolls, Wal-Marts and dead smiles of Anglo-America.
I think I would feel more at home in a place that was black and Catholic with Latin roots – and a language that comes from Latin. One where family and love and even faith and prayer are more important than money and having a big house and a big car. Where living is an art not a race, something to be tasted and enjoyed not rushed through like a Happy Meal at McDonald’s. Where the people are not made of cardboard and small hearts.
I doubt any place is like that – it is just a strange dream I have. And no doubt Brazil is picking up all the worst things about America daily and going to the dogs, just like Jamaica is. But from what I know Brazil is still more like this than America. At least it would be a step in the right direction.
See also:
I know exactly what you mean. I moved here about 2 years ago and go back and forth to NY. However, I long for this simple life with idlyic weather and nice people.
I know what you mean.
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Thanks for that! Now I do not feel like I am completely out of my head.
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[…] My thing for BrazilIf you have read some of my postings of late you may have noticed a sudden interest in Brazil. What is going on? There are two reasons: one is simple but the other one even I do not fully understand. The simple reason is that sometimes … […]
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Thanks for the link!
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i’ve lived in brazil for almost a year now, and i have really enjoyed it. generally, the culture is warm and inviting, and the people are very upbeat and relaxed. but it is definitely different here. there is racism here. it’s very discreet, though, so it becomes hard to pinpoint if you are not observant. however, prejudices here mainly exist between rich people and poor people. i notice that people begin to treat you differently, though, once they discover you are american. sometimes it’s good, and sometimes it’s not so good, but they seem to respect you more if you speak more portuguese (because then, i guess you seem less like a sex tourist). i am here as an exchange student, so i cannot say my experience is genuine or typical. there are many things about the culture that i have adapted to, others that i have completely embraced, and some that have just frustrated me to the point that i choose to ignore them. but i definitely encourage you to come to brasil and witness everything first-hand. one thing is for sure: you definitely won’t believe your eyes…
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Hi!
I am swiss…. so, i am living in one of the richest countries in this world…. so why do I want to go away….? that’s what I used to ask myself when I was dreaming about Brazil. My wish is to live there and to run a charity for children. What you wrote about your dreams about Brazil, living in the States, I absolutely share…. I have never been there, but something tells me I have to go there…. it’s very strange, but I absolutely know what you mean….. it’s good to know that am not alone with that feeling!
Greetings, Bettina from Switzerland
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Same here – it is nice to know I am not alone in feeling that way.
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You really should make it down to Brazil. Like you, I am a huge Brazilophile. I love the music, the culture, the language, the mix of people, the food, the land, and of course the girls….oooooh those Brazilian girls! Brazil just captured my imagination long before I ever set foot there.
I just went there last spring for the first time while backpacking across S. America for a few months. It lived up to my expectations, which were high and I think about the place frequently and how much I’d love to either live there or visit more frequently. Most my time was spent in Rio and that’s just a small sliver of what there is to experience in such a huge and diverse country. I cannot wait to go back. If I had a job there for me, I’d move in a second.
The only drawback is the crime which is pretty bad, but not enough to stop me, and also how expensive it is compared to other Latin American countries.
What are you waiting for man? If you dig Brazil, hurry up and go before the Dollar slips even further against the Real. Brazil was getting expensive even when I was there earlier in the year, now it’s even more expensive as the Dollar keeps falling. Keep waiting and it’s going to be as pricey as Europe.
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So what about those Brazilian girls, Tulio?
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Just sayin’. Chilling at posto 9 on Ipanema Beach had my head turning so much I’m surprised I didn’t get whiplash.
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Yeah, man. But Posto 9 on Ipanema is hardly Brazil: it’s one of the most toney and expensive beaches in the country. Judging Brazilian women based on what you see around Posto 9 is like judging American women based on who you see hanging out on the beach at Malibu.
Next time you’re down here, let me take you out to São Gonçalo or Duque de Caxias and you can get a gander at what most Brazilians look like.
Our national dishes are roasted meat and pig’s-knee and black bean soup, washed down by cheap beer and sugarcane brandy. A fit people we aren’t. Though not as bad as Americans, on average, we are definitely getting there.
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Yeah, point taken. Though Ipanema blows away Malibu even on a good day. Brazilian women are pretty well known to be beautiful. I didn’t get to explore the N. Zone or really anywhere outside of Rio period, I just didn’t have time. I was stuck for a few days in Foz do Iguaçu and that’s about it. It would take many months minimum to explore the country properly.
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@ Tulio –
I know this thread is a bit dated, but thought I’d chime in. I’d definitely like to hear more about your experiences. I think that is awesome that you did some backpacking. Hopefully you got to get into the small towns, the fishing villages along the coast, etc… I fear that eventually, everything will become ‘touristville’. There are still places you can get to and avoid the ‘foreign tourists’. In some cases, even the Brazilian tourists. Were you able to hit Salvador? Whet your appetite: http://www.bahia-online.net/TheBeachScene.htm
As for Rio, I spent my younger days just across Guanabara Bay in Niteroi. My Portuguese is spoken with a mix of Carioca/Bahian accent. (Since my wife is from Salvador, Bahia.) My “American” accent is so subtle, most Native Portuguese speakers take me for Brazilian unless we get into long conversations where it starts to become apparent that I “may not” be Brazilian.
One thing is for certain, if my wife and I could live in Brazil, we would. Its all about the jobs though! ! !
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Everyone always talks about the beauty of brazillian women, but not lets forget about the men. The ones I’ve seen have been extremely attractive.
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“Even though I have never been to Brazil I feel like it is where I should have been born and, even now, where I should live. Strange, I know. I do not understand it myself.”
@ Abagond That is how feel.
For the longest time, I too, had an intense yearning, not only to visit Brazil, but to be born there. I have always felt like I was born in the wrong country. I have actively fought against this feeling for many years but the intensity of feeling can seize at any time. I simply cannot listen to Brazilian music or read anything pertaining to that country before I go into a state. Although I would love to explore the Amazon and the Pantanal, and also travel overland through South America (I have imagined so many routes –from the Caribbean to Tierra Del Fuego), it is the Afro Brazilian culture in Salvador that makes my heart soar.
Even as a person without religious belief, I am drawn to and fascinated by Candomble . I am very aware that racism is rife and the huge disparity of wealth between Black and white in South Africa is similar to that of Brazil. I would have to learn Xhosa before I learn Portuguese. The idea of speaking three colonial language does not excite me. Also as a vegan, Brazil presents a challenge.
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correction: that is how I feel
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