Brasil: Lesson Learned

Spending most of February in Rio amounted to a month long party. And the party doesn't stop in Rio, it goes throughout the entire country, and it doesn't stop in February- it goes all year round. Though I had had enough by the time I left, this party life-style is just one faucet through which the Brasilian attitude emanates... You can get hints of it on the roads, where street signs are merely suggestions. You can see it at the beach by way of sungas and bikinis, or even walking down the street where sarongs, shorts and sandals are the dress code; bras and tee-shirts optional- even at work. You can see it on the faces of those in the slums and the favelas, and in the eyes of the folks asking for your empty beers to recycle. You can see it in children swimming in dirty water amongst plastic water bottles and wrappers. You can hear it in the Brasilian accent, and relaxed speech.

This attitude is so prevalent that it emanates from every aspect of the Brasilian character and life-style. It doesn't have to be spoken- it is felt, and understood. In a few days one realises that there is something different about Brasil- something spectacular. In under a week it becomes clear what exactly is going on.

Since leaving, I have continued to meet a plethora of Brasilians. Many in their young twenties study abroad, where higher education is more affordable. In these folks, too, is their attitude omnipresent- it is the Brasilian character. It's simple, serene, and accepting. It doesn't matter what one looks like, where they live, if they missed their bus, or how they'll find their next meal- to be Brasilian is to accept life, and enjoy it- to be able not just to say, but to believe, "Don't worry..."