10 Ways to Be More Brazilian

There is something magical about Brazilians, that I still cannot wrap my mind about it.

Whether they’re waiting in line at the bank, buying groceries or hanging out with friends, there is a distinctly Brazilian flavor that they bring to these interactions.

So, if you have ever seen Brazilians and had wondered what you can do to be more like them, HERE is a short list of ways you can start to behave a little like them.

1. Strong eye contact

The stronger, the better *wink wink*

Brazilians have a hard time trusting and relating to someone who doesn’t hold their gaze during conversation. They might take it personally and think that you don’t care about them if you don’t look them in the eye.

(N.B : If you’re an introvert and not used to people looking at you this way, it might strike you as overwhelming at first. Just keep in mind that Brazilians are curious people and they look at you so intensely because they want to know you better)

2. Greet people warmly

Brazilians take relationships very seriously, and a warm greeting is an essential part of it. If you meet someone for the first time you have to greet them with a friendly hug, or a kiss on the cheek.

(In most places in Brazil you only need to do one kiss on the right cheek. In Rio de Janeiro and a few other cities it is two kisses.)

3. Offer the first bite of food to everyone around you

When food comes into your hands the first thing you should do is offer the first bite to everyone around you.

If you’re at a restaurant and everyone around you has a plate of food, you don’t need to do this. In all other cases, whether you are eating a snack, a candy bar, a bottle of water or juice, you should offer the first bite or sip to those around you.

4. Offer guests that arrived from travel to take a shower

Brazilians are very hygienic and take SEVERAL showers a day.

If you’re receiving guests into your home, one of the first things you should ask them is if they want to take a shower. As I have said before, they're very hygienic and they several showers a day; They might take up to 3 showers a day, ask my roommate *hiding behing my laptop*

5. Hold hands when you walk with your partner or your mom

Holding hands is a sign of affection in Brazil -90% of my Brazilian friends are either married or in a serious relationship- and holding hands is one of the things I have seen them frequently doing. Therefore, if you date a Brazilian, HOLD HIS HAND.

Moreover, Sunday is a day for family (and alos, churrasco) . If you walk around a Brazilian town on a Sunday you will see families walking around and enjoying each other’s company. You’ll also see girls holding hands with their moms and grandmas as they walk around. Physical affection is a must for them. They're very open about their feelings and they'd like to show it to the whole WORLD.

6. Eat rice and beans every day

If you plan to live in Brazil and you don’t like eating rice and beans, consider yourself d.e.a.d. Good luck finding a restaurant that doesn't serve rice and beans, because, *as I have seen online, because I'm such a great blogger* 94% of Brazilians eat rice and beans every day.

Brazilians don’t believe that it’s a complete meal if it doesn’t include rice and beans. It’s not unheard of to see someone asking for rice and beans after eating a rodizio (all you can eat) of pizza, complaining that they don’t feel full unless they get their rice and beans.

7. Ask for things in a roundabout way

Don't be too bold with them. One thing I have learned in Brazil, that I should ask for things the indirect way. They are more indirect in their communication. They will often talk in circles without speaking directly to what they want to say. They will leave a lot of flexibility in their communication, and will approach things from a side angle, in a very diplomatic way.

If you try to get feedback from a Brazilian they will never say exactly what they think. The first thing they will say is that it’s interesting. From there they will cautiously proceed in a roundabout way to comment on something related the situation, instead of directly stating how they feel.

8. Everyone is your friend

Brazilians are very warm. If a friend introduces you to their friend, you are now their friend.

This makes it easy when you show up to a party where you only know one person. Because if you’re friends with one person then you'll be friends with e.v.e.r.y.b.o.d.y.

9. Show up 2 hours after the scheduled start time of a party

If a party is scheduled to go on for more than 4 hours (probaby after midnight) you might show up 2 hours to be safe.

Brazilians like to get ready with "passion"

Here are some steps on how they get ready for an 8 PM party;

Step zero : They'll start getting ready at 7:30 thinking they can manage to do everything in 30 mins.

• 7:30 PM shower

• 8 PM : Hair treatment

• 8:30 PM : dinner

• 9 PM : Makeup + Clothes (If the person likes to wear make up then he needs to put some makeup on.)

• 10 PM : Checking on family, calling friends to see where they are now

• 10:30 PM arrive to the party.

Whatever you do don’t show up on time or you will greet a flabbergasted host running around to get things ready for the party, uncomfortable with the fact that they now have to entertain a guest when they needed to prepare for the party .

10. Include everybody in conversation

Maintaining a strong group energy is very important to Brazilians. They go out of their way to accommodate everybody. If a group of people are talking and someone wants to join, people will automatically open up the circle to let that person in.

If the group is talking about a topic that excludes members of the group, they’ll quickly switch over to a new topic that can include everybody.

There you go, my job is done here! Until we meet next time! tchauzinho !