Having a blast in Rio!

 Philip and Julie Smith have been living in Rio for two years and two months. Currently Phillip is getting his Masters degree in Social Sciences at PUC-Rio. He is also a Major in the US Air Force and will start flying professionally again when he comes back to the U.S. Julie just finished her studies in Human Resources Management. Before going to Brazil, she was an administrative assistant at the Spanish Embassy in the U.S.

Luso - So, let’s begin: Julie and Phil, you have been in Rio for 2 years 2 months. In your opinion, which are the main differences between the lifestyle of the “cariocas” and the American way of life? For those who don’t know what the word “cariocas” means, “cariocas” are the people who live in the city of Rio.

Julie:  Cariocas are very laid back people.  Any excuse is good to get together with friends and have fun.  Cariocas are very nice and friendly people.  They love to spend hours under the sun to get the perfect tan. They are happy people. The main difference is that cariocas “take it easy” almost all the time.  To be on time is not one of their best qualities.  I actually think that they don’t expect people to be on time.  Also “personal space” is not a big issue here as well.  Brazilians in general hug, kiss, and touch a lot!  For an American it is a totally different experience ;).  Cariocas, especially women like to be “pretty”, they work out, and they do whatever they can to improve their looks.  They love to be in shape and to show it ;).  I have to say that there are very pretty people down here.  Although their physical appearance is very important, at the beach it doesn’t matter what size you are.. everybody wears bikinis and nobody will critique if you are a little over on the pounds.  Another thing, Cariocas like to go out to eat, but they usually do so very late compared to the States.

Phil: I agree with Julie, cariocas seem to be much more easy going. For example, when a red light turns green there is a longer delayed reaction before the cars begin to move. In the U.S., we would be honking our horns while here they just slowly start driving forward. Another difference is that cariocas take lunch very seriously, in that they eat a homestyle cooked mean (even at restaurants) every day. No fast food or sandwiches, but what we would call "home cookin": beans, rice, a meat, salad and vegetables!

Luso - I saw very nice pictures on your facebook profiles; Wow! You two have been traveling a lot! What places have you visited in Brazil? While visiting those places, did you notice any language or cultural differences among the regions?

Julie:  Yes, we have traveled a lot in Brazil.  It is a beautiful country!  Very very diverse.  I did notice differences in language – especially in the accent; the northeastern accent, for example, was very hard to understand.  Culture wise, there are differences as well.  People in the sertao, for example are more quiet and not as loud.
Phil: We have visited: Minas Gerais, the Northeast, the sertâo, the Amazon region, Brasilia and the Pantanal. With the exception of the sertão, I actually found the Portuguese easier to understand than here in the city of Rio! More clearly pronounced and less "ssshhh" sounds! Each place that we visited seemed to have its own cultural peculiarities. But one thing was constant: manioc as a base ingredient in food!

Luso - Phil, you mentioned that you are studying in a Brazilian University called PUC – Rio. How has this experience been?

Phil: It's been great. Walking around the city you get the impression that everyone is always at leisure. However, in the university I've been able to see just how hard cariocas can work! But they do so in a manner that seems much slower the people in the U.S. do. Don't let that fool you, cariocas are very diligent.

Luso - Julie, how do you spend your days? Have you found a favorite spot in Rio yet?

Julie:  I have been taking some : Portuguese classes, dancing classes and French classes.  Also, I’ve made some friends and we get together periodically for lunch or for “cafezinho”. We have also enjoyed time at the beach.  Besides the beaches, one of my favorite places in Rio is at the top of Pedra Bonita in Sao Conrado, it has the best view!!!   

Luso - This is for both of you: Rio is known for its night life. What is your favorite place? How about museums?

Julie: Lapa is a great place to dance, enjoy samba and drink caipirinhas.   There are a lot of cool places with life music!  
Phil: I'm not much of a late night partier, but I agree with Julie. Lapa has the largest concentration of live music and clubs. My favorite museum is the Casa do Pontal, in Recreio dos Bandeirantes: largest collection of folk art in Brazil!
 Museums:  We visited the Niteroi Contemporary Art Museum which is a UFO like structure designed by the famous Architect Oscar Niemeyer.  It has interesting art exhibitions and it also has a beautiful view of the Sugar Loaf and the Guanabara Bay!

Luso- Have you visited Sítio Burle Marx yet? In my opinion, this place has one of the most beautiful parks and gardens on the planet. I remember I once read an article about Architecture, where some of the architects interviewed, compared Sítio Burle Marx to the gardens in Paris and in Germany.

Julie:  We did visit Sitio Burle Marx.  I was very impressed with the gardens and the amazing collection of plants they have.  The house, chapel, paintings and pottery collection is beautiful as well.  It is definitely worth the visit.
Phil: I agree...it is a beautiful place. The city of Rio could learn some lessons from the Sítio in its preparations for the Olymics.

Luso - You have been living in Rio for two years two months_ I am going to repeat this question because one of the biggest concerns of my students is the violence published often in the major Brazilian media. What is your perception about this problem?

Julie:  True.  Sometimes it seems that all what you can watch on TV here is news about violence.   I’m not going to lie, some of the things that I hear really scare me, but I think it is very important to use common sense and take care of yourself like you would do in every big city.  Don’t wear flashy jewelry or carry expensive items and don’t go to places known for their violence.  We have been lucky, so far (knock on wood) we haven’t had any problems. 
 

Phil: My opinion is this: the crime/violence is bad enough to be taken seriously (by taking the precautions that Julie mentions) but definitely not bad enough to prevent you from having a blast here!

Luso - You both have been in Sampa( São Paulo). What are the main differences between these two major cities - Rio and Sampa? Ok, I know, in Sampa, we don't have beaches :)

Julie:  I only spent a couple of days in Sampa, but my perception is that Sampa is a huge skyscraper business city, fast paced people, constant traffic jams, good food, and good night life.  Rio on the other hand is a huge space of nature, a city of contrasts where rich and poor live shoulder to shoulder, people are more laid back, and where the beach plays an important role on people’s life ;).  I liked Sampa, but I have to admit that Rio has stolen my heart.
 

Phil: In addition to what Julie says, I see Sampa as a place to work and Rio as the place to play. It seems like there are many more business opportunities than here in Rio. Rio is more laid back than Sampa, but Sampa is definitely more laid back than say, New York City.

Luso - Time for an obvious question: As almost everyone knows - Rio is famous for its amazing beaches. Have you been going to the beach? I am sure the answer is YES or “SIM”. Which one is your favorite and why?

Julie:  I like Reserva Beach in Barra.  It is very clean and it does not get as crowded as the beaches in Zona Sul. 

Phil: Praia da Macumba in Recreio: clean water, beautiful mountain scenery and surfing waves for all abilities almost every day!!! If you want to learn to surf, Recreio is the place...Don’t let anyone tell you to learn in Arpoador (Zona Sul)!!

Luso - Everyone loves to talk about food. What about the traditional Brazilian dishes? Have you tried something really good or interesting yet?

Julie: Feijão (black beans here in Rio), of course is part of our daily meals now ;)  We also eat couve, farofa, we love açaí, aipim, and bolo de milho!  In our trips we have also tried exotic fruits and food.  I liked carne seca, Amazonian fish is great!

Phil: My favorite is the Amazonian food made with an herb called jambú. When eaten it produces a mild numbing effect in the mouth that combines with the flavors of the food in an incredible way!  Example foods are: tacacá (soup made with dried shrimp) and pato no tucupi (duck with tucupi sauce).

 

Luso – Space open for you input.

Julie & Phil:  Thank you for letting us brag about Brazil! 

EP - Querida Julie and Querido Phil thank YOU for taking the time to be Luso interviewees. Beijos.  By the way, queridos readers, the pic above was taken by Richard Frisbie at Sitio Burle Marx.