Continuing the series of posts about what we love about our home towns, I've decided to list some of the things I love about my home country: Brazil!
- Tropical Fruits: If you've ever been to any tropical country, you're probably already familiar with all the 'weird-shape-but-oh-boy-what-is-this' kind of fruits. My favorites are acerola (pictured) and carambola, which I have no idea how to translate, but boy, do they taste good.
- Padarias: aka bakeries, they are literally in every corner. You can buy a huge assortment of breads, obviously, but I personally like to get my lunch fix: a nice big plate of rice, beans, salad and a steak. In a B-a-k-e-r-y.
- Beaches: We have a huge coast facing the Atlantic Ocean, so finding a breathtaking beach to rest your mind and get a tan is not so hard and hugely recommended.
- Public displays of affection: you find people holding hands and giving nice and sincere hugs just everywhere. Bus stops, restaurants, schools, at work. It’s best if given to someone you know (or else it’s a bit awkward!) but we just love to spread the love!
- Corinthians, my football team: the best in Brazil. Simple as that.
- Brazilian music: it's everywhere and we can be so creative. You probably heard about Bossa Nova, the Girl From Ipanema and Tom Jobim. What about something more contemporary such as Seu Jorge, CSS or most recently Michel Telo? As you can see, we do more than samba, even though old school samba is really unique.
- Fauna: from the pretty animals to the inconvenient bugs, you'll find a lot of them everywhere. Annoying mosquitoes, lovely hummingbirds, bem-te-vi birds, and even monkeys - if you're lucky - can be found in your backyard.
- Multi-cultural heritage: The country has been embracing immigrants from all over the world and that gave us an impressive mix of cultures. Europeans, Africans, Asians, Latin Americans… Mix well for over 500 years and the result is a Brazilian!
- Iced mate: I couldn't leave our very-own tea out of the list. Ice cold yerba mixed with pineapple juice, acai berry, lime juice, passionfruit… You name it, we'll blend it!
