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- Herausgeber: Xenophobe's Guides
- Kategorie: Lebensstil
- Sprache: Englisch
- Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018
What makes Brazilians BRAZILIAN: A witty guide to the beliefs and behaviour that define the Brazilians.
Das E-Book The Xenophobe's Guide to the Brazilians wird angeboten von Xenophobe's Guides und wurde mit folgenden Begriffen kategorisiert:
Brazil, Brazilians
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Xenophobe’s® guide to the
BRAZILIANS
Paulo Barauna
Contents
The Brazilian population is 207million, compared with 326 million Americans, 124 million Mexicans, 44 million Argentinians, and 10.5 million Portuguese.
Brazil is bigger than the United States of America minus Alaska.
Nationalism & Identity
A country of the future
“To live abroad is good, but it’s shit. To live in Brazil is shit, but it’s good”, used to joke Tom Jobim, composer of the famous song Girl from Ipanema, a man whose love for his country is mirrored in his music. His statement sums up the split mind about their own identity that Brazilians typically express.
“Pounding their chests with their fists, they proudly proclaim “We are the lungs of the world” in reference to the Amazon Forest.”
On the one hand they will be quick to quip, ‘God is Brazilian’ (‘Deus é brasileiro!’), and thus they are justified in believing theirs is a land that has been blessed with a multitude of marvels that simulate the notion of Paradise on earth. They are proud to tell you that the tropical weather is fabulous, the earth fertile for every type of crop, the natural waters abundant and fresh, and that all this is contained within a vast territory with plenty of space and possibilities for development and growth. Pounding their chests with their fists, they proudly proclaim, “We are the lungs of the world”, in reference to the Amazon Rainforest.
On the other hand, Brazilians are acutely aware that, despite all those geographical blessings bestowed on them, the territory is inhabited and managed by Brazilians, and this may be precisely where things go awry. As the very same Jobim commented, “Brazil is not for beginners.”
Deep down they despair at their inability to make the most of their ideal geographical situation, and not infrequently one of them will throw his arms in air, as though giving up on life, and lament, “This could only happen in Brazil”. However, despair of this sort is compensated for by an unrivalled conviction that things will magically improve in the future.
“Children are told again and again in school that “Brazil is the country of the future!””
With every new government comes a fresh promise that the country will really take off. Wearied by previous such announcements, the loyal citizens have learned to fasten their seat belts very tight, all too aware they may experience more turbulence on their journey to ‘order and progress’ (the words on the Brazilian flag).
Children are told again and again in school that “Brazil is the country of the future!”, a motto famously reinforced by politicians. The trouble is, it has been the country of the future since its discovery by the Portuguese in the 16th century. Some 500 years later, Brazilians cannot help but feel that this blissful future appears to be taking its time to arrive.
