This book should be used in history classes in Brazil and Portugal mainly because it doesn’t make history sound like a class. It’s also full of details which give us reasons and explanations to understand how both countries have developed. As a carioca I also loved to get to know what transformations the city has undergone during the colonial times. You can also get it in Portuguese, Império à Deriva.
Rio de Janeiro
I have always found orchids wonderful but I didn’t believe I’d have the patience to take care of them. One day, however, I got one from someone visiting us. I thanked them for the present of course, but deep inside I wasn’t sure I wanted to keep it. I did though, and after this one, there came another (also a gift), and I ended up enjoying them and buying more.
In Rio, you can see them on the streets, different types and colors, growing on trees. Such a hectic city, chaotic traffic, crowds of people, contrasting with the sensitive orchids. Looks like two different worlds.
I find it a bit hard to translate the title of the book written by Andreas Wunn, ZDF‘s South America correspondent, without having to explain it. Anyway, it’s something like no need for so many textiles/”clothes” in Brazil. It sounds more like a play on words. At first, maybe because of the samba dancer on the cover, I thought it would focus on the skimpy carnival costumes and bikinis. But while reading the book, I got the feeling that he actually meant more than carnival and beaches, but the general lack of formality of the “dress code” in Rio.
I found the book interesting because it has a bit of almost everything, from funny situations to romance with a touch of adventure. I can clearly understand his “cultural shock” because I’ve got to deal with it, but in Germany. We seem to have inverted positions: he’s a German who lives in Rio while I’m a carioca (born and raised in Rio) who lives in Germany.
In general he shows a very optimistic image of Rio and you can feel he likes living there. However, I felt some parts show he hasn’t been there long enough to find out more about the city and its inhabitants and go beyond some stereotypes. He pictures the north part of the city, the North Zone (Rio is divided in Zones: North, South, West and Center/Downtown) as the place where the “simple” people live (einfache Leute). How “simple”? Simple can mean different things: easy, uneducated, ignorant, unsophisticated, naive, not important or significant, etc. Well, there are many people who live in large houses or apartments in Méier, Tijuca, Olaria, Vila da Penha, Madureira, etc (all suburbs in the North Zone) and also have a holiday place on the beach or in the mountains, but there are the ones who live in cramped apartments in Copacabana (South Zone). There are lots people who live in the North Zone and have already been abroad several times, people who have university degrees and speak other languages. How simple are those people, then?
I do hope Andreas Wunn gets the chance of getting to know more about the “simple people” of Rio. It seems he has already started doing it by going to Grajaú (a suburb in the North Zone) to meet his girlfriend’s relatives. 😉
Brazilian bikinis differ a lot from European bikinis. It’s not only the size but the cut which makes the difference. European bikinis are cut to really cover all the butt while the Brazilian models never cover everything, even the ones considered “big”. The range of bikini models in Brazil is huge and there are hundreds of shops which only sell beachwear. The good brands in Brazil can be very expensive, but they deliver extremely high quality to satisfy almost every taste, from miniscule panties to more “discreet” ones. It is for sure a big market in such a tropical country and a growing one outside Brazil. Kate Middleton, Jennifer Aniston and Penelope Cruz are among the celebrities who have adopted the Brazilian style.
When comparing European and Brazilian bikini bottoms you can realize that the former have too much fabric. That’s what in Brazil people call “coador de café” (coffee filter) because the extra fabric hangs a bit and it looks like a filter (maybe for sand, not coffee!). 😉
To make the basic difference clearer here are some pictures.
I’m watching Fast and Furious Five on TV right now and I’ve just seen a scene where two characters (Mia and Brian) get to a favela and are served a very typical Brazilian meal: black bean stew and rice. It has made my mouth water! Although I love and miss lots of Brazilian dishes, I hardly ever try to cook them here. It’s just that I think a country’s specialties taste better in that special environment. It’s not only buying the right ingredients (which can be problematic and demand improvisation when you’re in a foreign country) but also combining factors such as the right weather and atmosphere which add to the taste and make it all feel right.
The picture below was taken last year during my holidays in Brazil. That was the dish I ordered at a restaurant at the beach in Niterói. It consists of black bean stew on top of rice with farofa, collard greens a bit hidden underneath the fried egg and carne seca (in English it would be translated as dehydrated beef although this one was definitely not dry). Would you like to give it a try? 😉
I had read that Will.I.Am, singer of the Black Eyed Peas, seems to like Rio very much and feels very comfortable whenever he’s in town. Well, it seems to be true. He has even picked Rio as the setting for his video clip of Great Times, his new single. His relationship with Brazil, and more deeply with Rio, has already generated some other songs/videos such as Mas Que Nada, I Got It From My Mama and a role in the film Rio as Pedro. The Black Eyed Peas have also sung for a huge crowd at a New Year’s show on the beach in Rio. I hope his new song will be very good marketing for the city.
Here are three articles where you can also read about his interest for the country and watch his new video clip of Great Times. Enjoy!
I enjoy going to farmer’s markets even if I don’t have to buy anything. It’s not only a place where you can learn about people’s habits, but it’s also fun and colorful. I’ve already written about the farmer’s market in Paderborn, which takes place every Wednesday and Saturday. I remember going there with my classmates and German teacher to learn some new vocabulary right at the beginning of our language course. And I can also remember going to the market with my mom when I was a child, getting to know a variety of vegetables and fruit, their different shapes and smells. Markets can definitely be a very enriching experience, a place every tourist should visit.
Europeans can also see lots of different, or as they usually say, ‘exotic’ things at a Brazilian farmer’s market. In Rio, these markets take place weekly in almost all neighborhoods, and you can buy not only fresh fruit and vegetables, but also fish, flowers, cookies, some kitchen tools, clothes and spices. They look very much like the markets in Germany, except for some more exotic species such as guava (goiaba), chayote (chuchu), manioc (mandioca or aipim), maxixe and the scarlet eggplant (jiló).
One of the things I really miss is the variety of fresh fruit we have in Brazil almost all year-long. I buy mangos here, for example, but they’re never ripe and lots of times never get there. And the taste of almost all tropical fruit that get here can’t be compared to how they taste in Brazil. Last summer I bought papaya-guava yogurt at a supermarket chain, but it was a seasonal product. I looked for it while shopping yesterday, but they don’t have it anymore. Well, summer’s over. 😦 Fortunately I still have one in my fridge waiting for me! 😉
Only because it looks good!
Going to the beach is always fun. No matter how old you are, you’ll always find something to do, and the range of activities can vary from something totally quiet like sitting and looking at the ocean to doing sports. There’s little you need to enjoy yourself on the beach. A book, a ball, the newspaper or any other simple object will do. That makes the beach one of the cheapest places to enjoy the whole day with the family or friends (except for Germany where you have to pay a fee to go to the beach).
The beach is the most democratic place I know, where people from different classes mix and no one can really tell them apart. It doesn’t matter where you live, what car you drive or what job you have, we’re all “the same” on the beach and that’s really amazing!
I’ve been to some very nice beaches in the USA and Europe but the experience can’t be compared to going to the beach in Brazil. Beauty is not the criterion here (although beaches in Brazil are beautiful), but the service you can get. Brazilian beaches are dotted with vendors selling a huge variety of products. They definitely help to make a day on the beach special. First because they make the beach a more comfortable place by walking around and catering to everybody’s needs. So don’t worry if you have forgotten to bring the sunscreen, your sunglasses or something to eat and drink, or even if you’re not happy with your bikini, because you can get all that and much more without going anywhere. On some beaches you can even get fresh meals served as if you were in a restaurant.
Some of the specialties you should try while on the beach in Rio are Biscoitos Globo, a very traditional snack cariocas can’t resist, and coconut water. Just don’t throw the coconut away after the water is over. Ask the vendor to open it and you can eat its flesh. Some people might think it looks a bit “disgusting” but it’s simply delicious! Leaving Rio without trying them is almost like not visiting the Corcovado.
Are you tired of your routine, stressed at work or just feel like going somewhere in the middle of nowhere but with a paradisiacal landscape? Try Ilha Grande.
If you’re into ecotourism, you’ll feel at home there. The island is protected and there are no cars, so to get to different beaches, people have to either walk through the forest or take a boat. The main village on the island, Vila do Abraão, is definitely tiny, but lovely with its little church, souvenir shops and rather rustic restaurants. That’s where everybody who comes to the island disembark and also where most of the pousadas (small hotels) are. But even if you’re not the “nature lover” type, you’ll fall in love with the place anyway (just don’t plan a very long stay!). I myself love the hectic pace of big cities but felt surprisingly fine there, I had the feeling of going back in time and landing in paradise.