All the tourists and coworkers that i have encountered from Brasil are great people, warm , funny, and very willing to expand my knowledge about their homeland and of course their football. Also, I like Vasco da Gama and they all seem to laugh in disbelief, but they don't bust my balls to hard, what's cool about this though is, I have gotten shirts from Sao Paulo, Gremio, and Selection shirt.
The music. I'm so enamored by bossa nova that it has lead to a) loving the football team b) learning a bit about the crazy political history of Brazil and c) longing to go to Rio. Plus the women are HAWT! I use to date a half-Brazilian girl and every time she spoke Portuegeuse my left eye would shut halfway down and flutter. Here's some of the musicians I've gotten into, pretty much this is what I like to listen to. If anyone knows something I should check out, don't hide it, supply it!! (PM me) Antonio Carlos Jobim Os Mutantes (what a shock) Elis Regina Joao Gilberto Luis Bonfa Baden Powell Astrud Gilberto Sylvia Telles Caetano Veloso D'Angelo Os Cariocas Jorge Benjor
Cachaça!! Good ole' sugar liquor. The music... to add to os_mutanta's list.. —Bebel Gilberto (popular in the States, but not the best) —Cesaria Evora —Daniela Mercury —Fernanda Porto —João Bosco —Ivan Lins —Lisa Ono —Marissa Monte, and Tribalistas —Tom and Joyce, or just Joyce is good and my mom..... i like her too.
Maybe I was being too subtle above, but anyone who frequents this board and has even a passing interest in Brazilian music should do themselves the favor of checking out the one-man zine that is Alex_1's "Musica Do Brasil" thread in the Movies, TV, and Music Forum. https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=108332
I live Atlantic Canada. I have been to Brazil 4 times. Last time I bought Brazil Airpass and went to Manaus, Santram and Belem. I loved my visit to Northern Brazil. I met two wonderful people in Manaus and Belem. My guide to Amazon trip was so good! He made sure that I enjoy myself. My taxi driver in Belem became my friend. He wanted to invite me to his house. Unfortunately, I did not have the time. I am sure I'll be back to visit those two cities. And of course, Brazilian soccer and women! I went to Maracana and Marumbi every time I was in Brazil. Now I am planning my next trip, hopefully in 2005, if not 2006 for sure. By the way, my last trip was in October 2003.
My girlfriend. The warmth, friendliness, and hospitality of the people. The inter-ethnic/racial harmony and intermingling (at least in Rio Grande do Sul). The McDonalds still serve the deep-fried apples pies. Yummmm! (In the U.S. they discontinued them about 15 years ago and went to baked ones.) And my girlfriend!!!
Brasilian people Brasilian women Caipirinha Chimarrão Music I sincerely hope to see Brasil fulfill it's potential to be one of the richest countries in the world one day. Peace to all our brazilian brothers.
The Music, The Women ,The Beaches and for what it seems looking in from the outside... the laissez-faire LifeStyle.
The enamoration that I had for the language has crossbred into my fascination and appreciation for Brasil. When I went to Santos last year, I learned so much about life and what really is important. Here in the U.S., we are so caught up with work and money that a lot of us don't take time to appreciate what we have and how fortunate we really are. As a society, we are very temperamental and have a short fuse. In Brasil, the people love life no matter how well off they are. It seemed to me that their main focus was to enjoy life and not to worry about the little things that are usually meaningless. Another thing that I love about Brasil is that every Brasilian I have met here in the U.S. has been very friendly to me. I think it might be the fact that I am a white American who can speak their language fairly well and appreciates where they came from. They are always willing to talk to me and give me tips and suggestions about many things in Brasil. Also, the music of Brasil is amazing. Carlinhos Brown has become my musical god in the past two years. Chico Science (r.i.p.) and Nacao Zumbi were a revolutionary partnership that was ended too soon. I also got the chance to see Jorge Ben Jor in concert last June in Washington, D.C. What an experience that was!! And last but not least, I love Brasil for my best friend Luciana. In the two-plus years I've known her, she has gone from being my Portuguese professor to my main source of inspiration. As a person, she has taught me so much about who I am and what friendships and relationships are all about. I would never have been able to go to Brasil without her and none of this message would have been possible without her.
Ah yes....... THE WOMEN!!!!, Muito bonito garotas em Brasil!!!. My goodness, how the hell can one country have so many beautiful women? Like flocks of them, neverending, all colours, and virtually no fat women. The tanlines on their bodies, the bundas. Gosh only 2 more months until I return to Salvador da Bahia for carnival .
What do you mean? And I know this is for foreigneirs, but what I like about Brazil is our ability to make friends easier (see how Orkut is growing, and any Brazilian in real life is expansive) and our ability to get things done by diplomacy, and our anti-war spirit (94% of the population was against the Iraq war, for example). Too bad we also have many character failures.
Some great posts..... A few thoughts...please excuse any spelling errors...long time since i have written some of these words..... Music...all the above and I would add (if not already listed) Gilberto Gil, Caetano Velosa and Chico Buarque. Tropicalismo as a whole. Opera do malandro. Carnaval in the North. Vila Lobos Food......I think Brasilian food is some of the best in the world. Farofa....beans and rice.......frango a passarinho.....churascarias......moqueca.....anything from Minas....pao de queixo.....sucos (in particular acerola)....brigadeiros.....an ice cold chopp after a day at the beach...pizza on sunday night with friends in Sao Paulo....best damn coffee...pasteis Places.....(in no particular order) Sampa, the interior of the state of sao Paulo, Rio, both City and state, minas, Goiania, Fortaleza, Bahia, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, fernando de naronha (sp)...and I am surely leaving out a lot of great places I have visited Women.....their curves......their smiles......the fact that when a Brasilain woman wants you, you know it and there is no pressure from society about this. It is natural for men and women to be attracted to each other and there is much less concern from women in Brasil about "what will people say" probably because no one will pass judgement. The fact that Brasilan women are so feminine.......you have no doubt that they are 100% women..... Men.....open and kind hearted......first iinclination is to like you and be friendly until proven otherwise...the sense of loyalty to a friend and how frinedships are deep, not just acquintances. How they are proud of their country and want you to see everything and to show you everythingabout it. Sense of humor...ther are more characteers/personaghes per capita than any place I have ever been People in general....the willingness to help outsiders. The fact that in the darkest possible moments, they can see the good in any situation (the glass is always half full). The ability to keep going on against adversity and just find a way to get it done, even if that means taking an unorthodox route To the Brasilians here, thank you very much for everything from my time in Brasil. I learned a great deal and am a much better human being for the time I spent in your country
Very good and interesting post Gremista! Of course i have to stick my nose in with the music! Then I will leave everyone alone. Tom and Joyce - are you saying Thomas Naim and Joyce Hoze? They are a French act on the Yellow label - on compilations like Bossa Tres... Jazz and their feature album was titled "Partir" as an import, or just "Tom and Joyce" as domestic released in 2002. Their big cut was "Vai Minha Tristeza". Tom is a great guitarist and Joyce sings in Portuguese - even though she had never been to Brasil! Funny though, my favorite singer is the Joyce born in Rio ("Feminina", two daughters, one named Clara Moreno) and that is actually who Joyce Hoze was named after. And there is the composer Antonio Carlos Jobim, often called "Tom" too. Just wanted to make the distinction. Tom Y Joyce are relatively young, ACJ/Joyce are the legends.
Re: What do you most like about Brasil? (besides that we play good football) Hello~ i technically don't count as a "foreigner" because i was born in that beautiful country, right? Although i didn't there as long as i should have, i have fond memories of visiting Rio as a wee little lad Well... after Brasil was crowned as Pentacampeão in 2002, a friend's mom took me out to get some churrascarria. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOH... i honestly can say that i actually remembered the rich and hearty tastes of Brasil after biting into all the food i ate there. Feijoada is one of my favourites; i can't get enough of it! Prior to 2002, i did go to a churrascarria in Brasil, but that was far too long ago and i was too young to enjoy it! And of course, who can't forget Guaraná? Love that drink! i still got like 4 cans at home hehe Of course... nothing beats a fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine Brasilian woman speaking Português..... Guapísima!!!
Culture, as a Surinamese citizen the culture of Brasil, particularly the northern part has a lot in common with that of my ancestors. The festival of the harvest is very much similar to what we do in Suriname. The architecture particularly Oscar Niemeyer and Lucio Costa. One main thing though is the spirit of friendship that I have experienced whenever i encounter Brasilians. At the lecture series I attended I ended up chatting for 45minutes with a noted Tax Attorney from Sao Paolo. It's tough to get that sort of one on one interaction with american attorneys, well unless you're being billed hourly, lol. Another thing that no one mentioned, probably because it's a sports board hehe, is the fashion. As someone with an avid interest in fashion the Rio/Sao Paolo fashion week are fascinating to me. The trends, the designs, and above all the imagination that is shown is very inspiring to me. I think that Brasil can be to South America, what the US is to North America. That is a big country prospering and by prospering raising the entire continent along with it. As a student of Int'l Relations I have had the pleasure to hear lectures by Corporate Attorneys, Environmental Ministers, as well as Envoys to the UN from Brasil and I have no doubt that Brasil will be a major player in the next 10 yrs. As a proud surinamese I hold on to the ambition of helping develop a closer bond economically and culturally between our two countries. It's my way of giving back to the rich culture that is Suriname. Sorry for the long post.