“Not good, not bad, just different”

This has been another motto of ours this trip. We are learning that things here in Brazil are not necessarily good or bad; they are just different. I wanted to share just a few differences that we have encountered here! For the record, WE LOVE BRAZIL.

§  Rule #1: Don’t flush the toilet paper.

Toilet paper here goes in the trash! This has been quite an adjustment for us, and a funny one at that.

§  Rule #2: When you meet someone, get ready for a kiss!

We have really loved this “rule!” We are so used to formal handshakes, but now we get kisses on the cheek! It was awkward the first few times, but now we are really used to it! We’ve decided to bring this tradition back home with us :)

§  Rule #3: Pedestrians DON’T have the right of way.

I don’t know about you, but I am 100% guilty of “jaywalking.” If you do that here in Curitiba, there is a 99% chance that you will get hit! The cars and buses do NOT slow down.

§  Rule #4: “Sharing is caring.”

Everyone shares in Brazil! When you go to a restaurant, you are probably going to get a big plate of food and share it among your group. Same thing with drinks! You might order one 2-Liter Coca Cola and share it with your group.

§  Rule #5: Pizza is a little different here.

We ordered pizza to our hotel last week! We were excited to taste a little bit of home! We ordered cheese, pepperoni, and a veggie pizza. When it arrived, we were noticed that it wasn’t cut into slices and there wasn’t any sauce on the pizza! Some people really liked the difference, others were hoping for Domino’s! :)

§  Rule #6: The price isn’t always right.

We’ve noticed something very different about the way prices work here. If a pair of shoes has a really low price advertised, you should probably look again! This usually means that there are a few payments of that price. It always makes me think of infomercials when they say, “Only 5 easy payments of $19.99!”

§  Rule #7: Samba, Samba, Samba!

Samba is the dance of choice here. We have loved learning the moves! It is such a fun dance, but it is very different than my favorite type of dancing, shagging!

These are just a few differences that we encounter everyday. There are several more: the lightbulbs in our hotel room don’t have covers on them, there are three beds in our hotel room, room service here does not mean that food will be brought to your room, you should always drink soda from a glass and always drink through a straw, all the teachers I’ve seen here wear vests to work, and if you say you are from America most people will respond by saying that Brazil is in America (South America, that is).