The question: what is Brazil, can’t be answered but at
the same time can be answered in many different ways. Nevertheless, there is no
right response.
I could write about race, music, regions, economy, food,
history, fútbol, etc., in attempting to answer this complex question. However, I
find it more interesting to talk about my personal experiences that have
allowed me to determine why Brazilians’ heart beat for the green, yellow and
blue.
As the historian Sergio Buarque de Holanda stated,
Brazilians are "cordial", which means
that they think mostly with the heart and are more feeling-oriented when it
comes to making decisions. The concept of “personalismo” is very
important when analyzing Brazilian society. The historian suggests that Brazilians
consider relationships and the values that come with them very powerful and
important. He also states that Brazilians hold this cultural trait, where they
value personal relationships over institutional relationships, status and
material gain. Everywhere we went, Brazilians irradiated positive energy. Just
today, when we arrived to Morretes, a simple and humble man selling chips and
water greeted us to his town in the kindest way. Being senselessly happy and
upbeat is an admiring characteristic Brazilians have
The song “Garota de Ipanema”, the
second-most recorded song in history, is another important cultural element for
Brazilians which we were able to appreciate and sing to it during our
Portuguese class with Marilia. It was even sung by Frank Sinatra and Dionne
Warwick, and represents the appreciation for the simple things in life. It
describes an utterly unobtainable girl walking to the sea while men melted when
looking at her. Brazil, and South America in general were not given much
thought during the 1960’s, however that changed once people heard the exotic
and relaxed melody of the song. It put Brazil’s most traditional genre, bossa
nova, on the map.
Brazil is not only about beaches and the
amazon. Many times in our trip the legendary architect Oscar Niemeyer was
mentioned. The “Memorial da América Latina” we visited had the architect’s
design influence .He was an important figure in the development of modern and
futuristic architecture. Brasilia, contains several masterpieces designed by
the architect, giving the city, and the country a modern voice. His concrete
designed buildings are a must on a visitor’s itinerary when traveling to
Brazil.
When talking about Brazil, it is important
not to mention fútbol. It is not only the most popular sport, but also it is a
sport where one can see Brazilian culture in miniature. Fútbol clubs represent different
social identities and have their own history behind them. As an example,
Corinthians are know to be the team of the poor, or the “People’s Club”.
However, today it is the team with the most amount of supporters in São Paulo. When
we went to see Curitiba play against Flamengo, the fans acted as if it was the
World Cup’s final. Thirty-year-old men jumped and cheered like kids when the
corner was being kicked, cursed and flipped off when the referee gave one of
the players a yellow card. Fútbol is more than a game; it is an element that
includes creativity, joy, offensiveness, “ginga”, drible and natural ability. The
game acts as a connector between different races and social classes, and across
different spheres of Brazilian life. No matter how much money one has, where
one comes from or the skin color, they all sit next to each other in the
bleachers and cheer for the same team.
Another important characteristic when
talking about Brazil is how it has become a dominant country in the energy
industry. It has become a leader in renewable energy and its on way its on way
in becoming energy independent. We didn’t talk much about Brazil’s economy in
class, however this trip still allowed me to understand up close not only
Brazil’s potential in the energy sector, but only the reason why it is
considered to be part of BRIC. If I was Brazilian, I would definitely be proud
of my country for not depending on anyone for energy production. It is a great
accomplishment Brazil has achieved, which has allowed it to become an energy-wise
threat to the world.
Brazil has a remarkable creative diversity. The
population is racially mixed, but are said to be colorblind when asked about
their origin. Often in the US, people answer this question by naming the origin
of their ancestors, rather than their own. When Brazilians are asked where are
you from, they will always say proudly: “From Brazil”. The question is why. Brazilians
stand proud regardless of disappointing leaders, corruption, and violence. They
have left aside the unhealthy individualistic and
competitive view of the world, which is crucial to achieve happiness.
Coming to Brazil has been a very enriching experience
different from any other. It is a playground for anyone searching to travel. It
is the perfect destination for the party traveler, the chiller, the budgeter,
the group and solo traveler, the travelers trying to find themselves and many
others. Similar to its Rodizio restaurants, Brazil has thousands of options to
choose from depending on each person’s taste.
If one is looking to party, well there are infinite
options. Nightlife in Brazil is an experience different from any other. Nightclubs
are both abundant and lively. From samba to heavy hip- hop, funk to bossa nova, you can hear it
played loud and often live. The chillers have no plans. Cities in Brazil are
perfect to just go with the flow and see where to end up every day. The Eat, Pray, Love type travelers are
always trying to find themselves, which better way to do so than sipping
Caipirinhas in Copacabana or reading a book in Ibirapuera park. No matter what
type of travel one wants to have, Brazil is always the perfect destination.
The only reason why traveling in Brazil may be
dangerous is because one might decide to stay and never leave. No matter which
traveler we think we are, we will always arrive to Brazil, the question is,
then what?
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