1. Hygiene is essential. Have you showered today? If not, do so immediately. Did you shower before you ate breakfast, lunch and dinner? Did you shower before you left the house and upon your return? If not, start incorporating these methods into your daily routine. By looking good and smelling good at all times, your confidence will rise. You’ll start to develop the Brazilian gait you’ve always wanted. You’ll start to get looks in the street by men and women alike. Looking good equals feeling good in Brazil, and you must take your mission of cleanliness seriously.
2. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat what you want. Eat what you don’t want. Just eat. If necessary, eat faster so that you can finish your plate. Snacking is encouraged. Breakfast can be small. Lunch must be big. Dinner can also be small. Don’t forget to eat. Really, if you’re hungry, just eat. If you’re not hungry, go ahead and sit down and eat anyway.
3. Be friendly. That’s right. Talk to your neighbors. Invite them over. Share things with them. Tell your life story to the person sitting next to you on the bus and thank them on the way out for listening. Get ready to talk. If there’s someone around and they have ears, it is implied that you two will have a conversation. Sometimes these conversations can be perceived as superficial, but most of the time they are anything but. Imagine each encounter as an opportunity to make a new friend that you can call up on occasion or remember fondly. It’s important to ask important questions. Good topics to touch on are O Copo Mundial, the city, and of course, family. Which brings me to the next essential.
4. Take care of your family. A Brazilian family has the ability to unite like no other. It’s not uncommon to live at your parents’ house until you marry. This may mean moving out in your early twenties or even in your early thirties. Your parents will take care of you until the day they die. Your sisters will always make sure that you look good. Your brothers will defend you until the end of the Earth. But it doesn’t end there. There are primos, sobrinhos, tios, and padrinhos that will bend over backwards for you. Remember, as long as you contribute to the family, whether it be in money, chores, or great conversation, you are always welcome.
5. Lastly, enjoy life. Take things a little slower than you normally would. Stop to smell the roses, or more realistically, the street food. Come home in the middle of the day to eat lunch with your entire family. Hang out in common rooms instead of shutting your door when you are tired. Focus on things that make you happy and share them with others. Take time to understand yourself better and do something you love each day. When you’re unhappy, let the people around you know. They will do everything in their power to get you back on the right track. Fica á vontade, make yourself at home. Sinta-se em casa, feel at home. Take your happiness with you and try and show others what they’re missing. Live in the way you want to live. E pronto. Você é brasileiro.
