I’ll try to explain some of the “European behavior” that usually Brazilians use to spot an European – or non-Brazilians, from the northern hemisphere…
– Why do Europeans walk like robots, looking down and all uptight?
I noticed this days that, when walking, I tend to “bury” my chin in my scarf to avoid the wind, which tries to get inside through any opening between my skin and my cloths. I put my hands inside my pockets when it is possible, so the wind won’t go through my woolen gloves and make my finger freeze. I put my arms as close as I can to my body, so I can be a ball of heat and feel a bit more comfortable.
– Why people hardly smile when they cross someone (and stare at this someone)? So, why they seem so serious?
To move your face, even to talk, during a winter wind is terrible! I tried. Did you ever try that? Your face freezes, literally!
– Then why do people need plastic surgery when the could do the job quite well?
Well, even though they live most of the time in winter, winter doesn’t last forever. It does go away eventually, so surgery or botox are a great way to keep that effect even during “the Brazilian winter”. And during the winter your face doesn’t look happy, only paralyzed.
– Why Europeans – or foreigners in general -, cannot naturally dance?
I’m afraid I’m not ready to answer this question. I still got my moves… But I know that Norwegians are born with a pair of skies on their foot, though. Estonians… I don’t know yet.
From the Brazilian side…
We walk as if we were the owners of the street, as my brother-in-law says. But the thing is, yes we do walk as if we were the owners of the street, because this is about imposing respect. But we also walk like that because it’s hot! We sweat all the time, so we try to keep our arms at a good distance from our bodies. We seem to walk relaxed and slowly, but in fact, the heat takes all our energy from our pores, so no wonder why we walk slowly. We seem relaxed because we are relaxed! We can hardly think, even less worry. Our brains are cooked, but it still works! Slowly…
Brazilians are happy. We smile all the time, with reason. It’s not everyone that has the constant faith that their lives will suddenly change, that they will get rich and spit on their bosses face and open the same kind of business next to his door! Life cannot be so unfair, there must be something for us hidden somewhere, inside God’s closet. Seriously… I don’t think I can answer that. Maybe we smile because we like to show our beautiful shining white tooth, or, if not, we just like the feeling of smiling and being happy, even when we have all reasons to cry.
Brazilians take plastic surgery. More than Europeans. But for aesthetic reas0ns: to have a beautiful huge “hump” or a beautiful huge ” balloons”, mostly. Well, the Brazilian ideal of beauty has nothing to do with Gisele Bündchen – even though she’s Brazilian and we can be nationalists when it comes to football and beautiful women – but we prefer pin-ups. Thick thighs, a lot of meat… let’s stop this topic here. Oh, but the suntan is obligatory and natural!
Brazilians dance… because we are born dancing – as my husband says. I cannot explain this one either. It’s just so natural, we just “samba”. Of course some brazilians are not so good dancing – specially if they come from São Paulo, ooops! Sorry paulistas, you are good people also. But this is part of our culture. To “glue” sweat bodies and go on moving together untill the end of the night…
Ok, ok, this post is partly a joke… don’t take it so seriously! But some Estonian could volunteer and say how they see their own “gestures”, habits and culture. Anyone?
Daily life in Estonia 