World Cup: Bend it like a Brasileiro

Shobhan Saxena | Jun 9, 2014, 07.04 PM IST

Countries and cliches go hand in hand. In the eyes of the world, Brazil means football and samba. Even in the remotest 'corners of the world, they know about Selecao, the Brazilian team, and their "jogo bonito" (beautiful game). But Brazil is about much more than World Cups and Carnival. Neymar and Gisele Bundchen may be the bestknown Brazilian faces, but it's not just the land of tricky legs, pretty faces and drug gangs. It's one of the few countries in the world that manufactures passenger jets. Take a look at what makes Brazil a unique country, beyond stereotypes and myths: 

BIG COUNTRY, BIG NUMBERS 

It's the fifth biggest country in the world (almost three times the size of India) with the fifth biggest population (200 million) and four time zones. It's the world's seventh economy (bigger than Russia and India). Home of the world's largest ecosystem (the Amazon), it has almost 20% of the world's fresh water. It's the world's largest Catholic country. Brazil is also known as the social media capital of the world as 97% of internet users are on social media platforms (in the US, it's 67%). It's one of the most urbanized countries in the world (85%). Sao Paulo, the financial capital, is a metropolis of 21 million people, making it the biggest city in South America and the entire southern hemisphere. But it also has one of the highest gun-related deaths (36,000 in 2012). 

MELTING POT 

Nobody gets a second glance here because of their skin colour or shape of eyes. Since 1500, when the Portuguese landed here, so much mixing between races has happened here that anyone on this planet can pass off as a Brazilian. When the Europeans arrived here, it was a land of indigenous tribes like the Tupi Guarani who lived by picking fruits from trees. They were subdued by brute force and disease. Then the African slaves were brought in. As the Portuguese mostly came without their women, they mixed with the indigenous and black people. Today, it has the largest black population outside Africa (40%). A little more than 50% are whites, many of them descendants of Italian and Spanish immigrants who came here in the late 19th or early 20th century. The immigration has continued. Today, Brazil has more Lebanese people than Lebanon. The biggest Japanese diaspora in the world is in Brazil. Despite such diversity, there's no visible racism. The Brazilians proudly call their country a "racial democracy". 

MONEY MATTERS 

Even First World visitors are shocked by prices in this country. A cup of coffee in a trendy cafe may cost as much as $5 or more. As it ranks with UK and France in the list of world's biggest economies, prices in cities like Sao Paulo compete with London and Paris. The Brazilian currency Real is one of the strongest in the world (US$1 = 2.2 reals). What makes Brazil a vibrant economy is not its purchasing power parity, but the fact that between 2003 and 2013, more than 45 million people were pulled out of poverty and joined the middle class. Another 13 million will do the same in 2014, making it a poverty-free country. Today, it's officially a middle-class country, though it still remains one of the most unequal societies in terms of income and wealth. 

DISHY STUFF 

Though the cuisine varies from state to state, rice and beans is the staple diet. Feijoada is the national dish. Developed by the slaves, it is a stew of pork, smoked ribs and beef jerky cooked slowly with black beans and garlic. At the weekend lunch, it's a national ritual for families to have rice with feijoada with farofa (roasted manioc flour with onions and bits of bacon). They say the best feijoada is made in small joints in the favelas (slums). When it comes to drinks, beer is the national beverage. Cachaca (white rum made of sugarcane) comes a close second. Whisky is the preserve of the upper crust. But coffee cuts across the classes. The Brazilians are such consummate drinkers of coffee that the term for breakfast is cafe da manha (the morning coffee). The Brazilians always have time for a cafezinho (a single shot of coffee). A cup of good tea is hard to come by. 

NOT JUST SAMBA 

The world may believe that every Brazilian is a born samba dancer, but their choice of music rather depends on where they come from. Samba, with its roots in African music, thrives in the slums and poorer areas. One can see the best samba during the Carnival parade, which is completely managed by the slum resident. In the upscale beachside neighbourhoods, people are more likely to listen to Bossa Nova, a fusion of jazz with slower samba beats. For the masses, Brazilian Popular Music or MPB that mixes a variety of Brazilian rhythms is the main source of entertainment. And then there is something called Funk Carioca, which originated in the favelas of Rio in the 1980s. It's a mixture of hip-hop, rap, samba and electronic music, with explicit lyrics and sexual dance moves. 

ROMANCE IN RIO 

Those who have watched Blame it on Rio too many times hope to find love on Brazil's lovely beaches as soon as they land there. It's not that easy. Dating and loving is serious business in this country, where there is a strong sense of family and even the extended family is important. Most children live with their parents until they get married. But despite this closeness, the families are not as intrusive as they can be in countries like India. The source of tension in families is not the saas-bahu relationship but the relationship between married men and their mothers-in-law. 

JEITINHO, BRAZILIAN JUGAAD 

Jeitinho is basically an alternative way of doing something or making do when something is not available. But, like jugaad, it's also used to get a seat when all the places are booked or travelling with more luggage than is allowed, or successfully ordering something that is not on restaurant menu. Even in legal matters, if a Brazilian wants something that is not permitted, he or she will try to figure out a loophole. 

How to be a Brasileiro 

Being Brazilian is an art form. But for Indians, it's not too difficult as we share many social and personal traits. A few light-hearted tips on what to do to fit in: 

You should know how to go the beach during office hours, knock off a beer and come back to work without your boss noticing it. Be careful that you don't bump into your boss at the beachside bar 

You should be able to carry off a tee, shorts and havaianas at official meetings 

You're crazy if you arrive for an appointment in time. And don't worry about excuses; since the others will probably arrive later than you Learn to say "yes" when you actually mean "no" 

Have long conversations on the phone, even if it's a wrong number. Also sign off your phone conversation with abraco (hugs) and beijos (kisses) 

Be updated about the match results when you get into a cab because the taxista (cabbie) will discuss the jogo (game). Otherwise, be ready for a lecture on the state of the nation as long as the ride lasts

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