When people move to a new place, or even just visit, they start off in "the honeymoon phase." This magical time is filled with the thought that, like a teeneager in a fresh romance, all of these new things are amazing.
It is only natural that a person is going to like some things during this phase so much that they will think, "Why don't I do it like that?" With that idea in mind, I want to offer you five things that have only furthered my fascination of and appreciation for the Brazilian way.
1. Don't worry about the "itis"
In the US, many people are familiar with this term "the itis." We use it to refer to the super lazy feeling we get after we eat a lot of food, and you can think of it like a sleep inducing food hangover. With much appreciation for the Chapelle Show skit, we can definitely get this feeling from more than just ribs.
This sluggish feeling often crawls into our lives after we have a large meal, and is a recipe for making everything harder to do. Personally, I feel that I am less productive for about an hour after lunch due to the itis. A sloth-like quality is definitely not a way to describe a high functioning human.
Brazilians have a little custom which follows lunch that knocks the itis out: the cafezinho (little coffee). This is a free, small coffee that you can enjoy at the end of a meal in a restaurant. Not only do I love this custom because I enjoy coffee, but also because it helps pump me up at a time that, without it, I might be struck by the itis.
No doubt the normality of the cafezinho is influenced by the fact that Brazil has, historically, maintained coffee as a major export. Regardless, I'll take it!
No doubt the normality of the cafezinho is influenced by the fact that Brazil has, historically, maintained coffee as a major export. Regardless, I'll take it!
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| Pausa para um cafezinho - Pause for a little coffee |
2. Don't fear the scale
This is something unique to Brazil, and actually where I had my first cafezinho. These restaurants weigh your food by the kilogram to determine the price you pay, simple as that. You come in, load up a plate, then slide your plate onto a scale. It's fantastic!
The buffet is like a high quality cafeteria lunch line with way more options. Once the plate of food is weighed, you commonly get a ticket indicating how much your plate costs. Getting a ticket rather than paying immediately is a great part of this system because it allows you to go back for seconds, should you not get your fill.
Not satisfied with that idea? Want to eat as much as you want? Well, they have the livre price, too, which is the Brazilian version of all-you-can-eat. This way, you pay one price and take unlimited trips until you feel like you'll burst.
The buffet is like a high quality cafeteria lunch line with way more options. Once the plate of food is weighed, you commonly get a ticket indicating how much your plate costs. Getting a ticket rather than paying immediately is a great part of this system because it allows you to go back for seconds, should you not get your fill.
Not satisfied with that idea? Want to eat as much as you want? Well, they have the livre price, too, which is the Brazilian version of all-you-can-eat. This way, you pay one price and take unlimited trips until you feel like you'll burst.
At a kilo, you're never caught in the dilemma of choosing between two options, or not getting what you want because it is more than you want to spend.
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| R$13.90 for lunch is currently about US$3.61 |
3. Who got what, and how much was it?
In the States, isn't it annoying when you go to a restaurant and a table of eight has to figure out how much to pay on one bill? As a waiter or bartender, isn't it a bit annoying to split up bills, or take multiple cards? Forget that there are apps for that, Brazil has a solution!
No more, "Well I had this meal and this drink, and she had that meal, only drank water, but got dessert. How much do we owe?" or sitting around like a herd of geometry students tapping away at a calculator to divide the bill, tax and tip.
Separate tickets that you get when you enter the bar or sit at a table in a restaurant prevent this hassle from ever occurring. This way everything is split in advance. When you want to pay for your date, it is quite easy to add two tickets together.
No more, "Well I had this meal and this drink, and she had that meal, only drank water, but got dessert. How much do we owe?" or sitting around like a herd of geometry students tapping away at a calculator to divide the bill, tax and tip.
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| When everyone at the table has one, splitting is easy |
4. Reading braille with your feet
I know we have the unique and progressive system of using guide dogs in the US, but that is not universal, unfortunately. Brazil has a really cool approach to assisting the visually impaired and blind.
Just about everywhere you go, there are texture parts of the sidewalks and pathways that are aimed at guiding the visually impaired as they navigate the landscape. There are different textures of these tiles so the walker knows when the end of a path is approaching or changing directions.
I know other countries do this, too, so it's not just Brazil that has implemented this helpful urban feature. However, I don't think I have ever noticed on quite the scale that I have seen it here in Floripa.
Just about everywhere you go, there are texture parts of the sidewalks and pathways that are aimed at guiding the visually impaired as they navigate the landscape. There are different textures of these tiles so the walker knows when the end of a path is approaching or changing directions.
I know other countries do this, too, so it's not just Brazil that has implemented this helpful urban feature. However, I don't think I have ever noticed on quite the scale that I have seen it here in Floripa.
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| Notice that texture indicates an upcoming change |
5. Bring the bottle back before buying
Cash Redemption Value (CRV) is fee that you pay upfront and are supposed to get back if you return the bottle. How many people do you know that actually use this system? If you or someone you know does use it, I would guess the method is to stock up on glass, then take a load to in and cash out.
Here in Brazil, there is a system like CRV built into the bar or market. You don't go to the recycling center with all of your glass, get a voucher, then exchange it for money. In Brazil you can return to a bar or market with a bottle and get a redemption value discount when you buy another. They even have machine that facilitate the exchange!
Here in Brazil, there is a system like CRV built into the bar or market. You don't go to the recycling center with all of your glass, get a voucher, then exchange it for money. In Brazil you can return to a bar or market with a bottle and get a redemption value discount when you buy another. They even have machine that facilitate the exchange!
Brazil does this because they sterilize and reuse bottles. This system is something that I also experienced in Laos, and I really appreciated it because recycling glass is of the least energy and economically efficient processes. However, in Laos, you don't get a discount when you return the bottle. In this way, I think Brazil has them beat.
These five things are simple things that have grabbed my attention only because they are generally routine parts of life here in Brazil. Adapting to a new place is one of the aspects of the adventure that I find most intriguing. This makes me seek out the ways to make my day-to-day more like my hosts, rather than trying to make my routine abroad like it was in States.
Our habits are a great influence on our lives, so I believe it is a great privilege to have exposure to other countries so I may pick and choose habits from these places that influence me. Next time I go back to the US, you can be sure that I am going to be bringing some things with me, just don't expect them to be material possessions.
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| Garrafas reaproveitadas, or reused bottled being prepped for nectar |
Our habits are a great influence on our lives, so I believe it is a great privilege to have exposure to other countries so I may pick and choose habits from these places that influence me. Next time I go back to the US, you can be sure that I am going to be bringing some things with me, just don't expect them to be material possessions.
Wouldn't it be great if the five best practices of every country were shared in a yearly convention and then implemented by others? :)
ReplyDeleteOr we could have a summit about how every country in the world has done stupid, messed up stuff over the past year, and all countries could make a pact to never do any of that stupid, messed up stuff again.
DeleteWhich would be more effective? haha. I think your idea is better :)