Recently, I had the pleasure of traveling to the city of Porto Alegre in Brazil with my best friend who happens to be from there. When I returned home, I proceeded with excitement to tell anyone who would listen the tales of my travels.
What intrigued me most was the differences between our countries and our cultures. Here are a few of my observations.
First, the cars were small much like the ones we all owned in the seventies. No gas guzzling SUV's. One day we traveled nearly 200 miles and the gas guage in our very small car barely moved. The biggest vehicle I was in all week was a Honda CRV. The largest vehicle seen was a Toyota 4 Runner. People had a choice of gas, ethanol, and natural gas for their vehicles depending on the model of their vehicle. And when one goes to fill up their tank, there is an attendant at every pump to fill er up as we use to say in the south. They take full service to another level.
Second, service at restaurants is second to none. Whether one is at a restaurant or in the mall, the people of Brazil take service to another level compared to the U.S.A. Even in the mall, they bring the fast food to you on glass plates and give you glass cups when you order coffee. None of the paper cups that we are so addicted to at Starbucks.
Third, is the people of Brazil enjoy life. They have a saying, "If you want to make money, go to the U.S., if you want to live life, stay in Brazil." I think they may be right. The people of Brazil were as friendly as anyone I have met in my travels to Costa Rica, France, Italy or anywhere in the United States. The people seem to enjoy and value fellowship and friendship in a different way from the way we do in America. Don't get me wrong. I love the U.S.A. but the sense of hospitality and inclusiveness felt in Brazil is second to none here in the states. I think they may be on to something and the saying may just be true.
The Bar B Q is awesome. Meat, meat, and more meat. All cooked on churrasco grills which cook the meat over wood coals but heat the meat as if in an oven. The taste is very different than here and the seasoning consists primarily of salt.
The worst part of Brazil is the divide. The great divide between the haves and the have nots. Don't get me wrong. The poor in the United States enjoy many things and take for granted a lot of things that come with being middle class in Brazil. Many of the poor in the U.S. have cars, air conditioning, and several tvs in their homes. Many of the middle class in Brazil have one car, no air conditioning, and no hot water. But the poor in Brazil are very poor compared to the U.S. Many live in shacks and conditions which would be unacceptable to anyone in the United States.
When visiting other countries and cultures, I have learned one thing. You can either complain about the difference between the U.S. and other cultures or you can embrace the differences and enjoy them. I have always chose the latter.
While expressing what I viewed as the differences between Brazil and America, someone said, "Wow, Brazil must make you really appreciate all that you have here in America." I paused and thought for a second, and then responded, "No, it makes me realize that a lot of the things we have and love here in America, we really don't need."
