1-The official language in Brazil is Portuguese, not Spanish. Assuming that we speak Spanish like majority of South America is a common mistake but knowing the correct answer will surely earn you some points (wink, wink).
Although I've been traveling for many years, I've never lost my sexy Brazilian accent.
2-When Brazilians meet on social events, they greet each other with kisses on the cheek. Depending on which part of Brazil you are in or are from, you give 2 or 3 kisses, Yes, it means that if you are meeting a group of 10 people you are expected to kiss all of them when you arrive and then again on your way out.
Girls kiss both genders and guys usually kiss the ladies but shake hands with other males. When I first came to the US, the advice I got more frequently prior to my trip was: “Do not kiss people when introduced to them. They will get the wrong impression of you”.
3-We are very affectionate people we like to touch…on appropriate areas. Brazil has a warm, touchy culture. Our sense of personal space is a lot smaller than North Americans or even some Europeans. It’s quite acceptable to touch your friend’s arms, shoulders, hair or hands while talking to them just because you like them. That might be one of the reasons I seem to be so good & affectionate at GFE dates.
4-We do lots of PDA (Public Display of Affection). It’s common to see couples holding hands, hugging, kissing, snogging and even seating in each other’s laps in public. We are not clingy. We just don’t feel that we need to “get a room”, unless we actually need one…
5-Everything is a good excuse for a party. If I gather with friends, the odds are pretty good that it will turn into a party, someone will bring a guitar or put some music on, bottles are open and the fun is endless. Friends will bring other friends because it’s a party and the more the merrier. We are warm people indeed.
6-We normally eat late in South America as well as some Latin European countries, we have dinner at home between 7:00 and 8:30 pm and if we are eating out, it might be 10:00/ 11:00 pm or even later if the restaurant is connected to a nightclub. When I go home to visit friends, they make fun of me because I want to go to dinner early, like 10:00 pm.
7-Although topless is not that common or even legal in all beaches in Brazil, thongs and tiny bikinis are. We like our delicious buns nice and brown…
When I used to live in a Condo in Las Vegas, I once got a note from administration advising me that my Brazilian bikini was not family friendly and requiring me to “cover myself appropriately” when using the community pool. That was a big incentive for me to get my own house with private pool where I sunbathe naked and skinny dip with my friends.
8-Brazilians are proud to produce the world’s best coffee and we grow up drinking it. At Breakfast time usually coffee is served with milk. Kids get more milk than coffee and adults usually drink it darker. Black coffee is served again after lunch and sometimes dinner. That explains out addiction and appreciation to this cup of happiness. Decaf coffee never really made it there and meeting someone for a coffee is not seen as a date. I can say that I run basically on caffeine and inappropriate thoughts. There’s nothing like waking up to strong coffee and hot sex
9-Caipirinha, the famous Brazilian drink is made of cachaca (a kind of rum made of sugar cane), lime and sugar. It tastes sweet and quite innocent, but don’t be fooled. Cachaca’s alcohol content is quite high and you can easily get drunk with just a couple of glasses. We love to experiment with drinks, so it’s quite common to have bars and restaurants offering several drinks mixing tropical fruits with cachaca, vodka or sake.
10-Our national dish is Feijoada, a delicious black bean & pork meat stew served over rice with slices of orange and a kind of cabbage on the side. It’s delicious and quite fulfilling. Saturday is the official feijoada day, when majority of the restaurants include it in the lunch menu. The idea is that as many people don’t work on Saturdays, that’s the perfect day to eat such a heavy dish and then nap the rest of the afternoon. I absolutely love it!! Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.
11 -Not all Brazilians like soccer (or football as we call it) and samba, but I would say that we love at least one of them. I love samba. Carnaval is my favorite time of the year to visit Brazil, but couldn’t care less for soccer unless it’s the World Cup. Although the TV channels show Rio’s carnaval usually focusing on the small outfits and open sexuality, the party happens all over the country and you can find options from family friendly to flirty all the way to super-duper naughty. I try to go back to Brazil for carnaval at least every other year. I’ve participated in the parade in Sao Paulo wearing a tiny outfit dancing in one of the floats as well as Rio de Janeiro.
12- Although vegetarian and even vegan restaurants can be found in some of Brazil’s largest cities, Brazilians, as South Americans in general, usually love meat. It’s part of our culture and everyday eating habits. Living in the US , I absolutely adore going to Brazilian steak houses from time to time and delighting myself with the juicy meats and vast salad bar.
Would you like to know more Brazilian facts? Spend some time with me and you’ll become an expert…