Finally we come out with a new episode! This was recorded back in December when I was still hoarse from my cold, so please excuse the rawness of my voice. Also, there's a break in the audio at the very beginning, but after that it's smooth sailing soundwise.
In this episode we basically talk about all the crap in Brazil and some of my frustrations living here. I sincerely hope this episode doesn't offend, as that was not our intent.
Word of the Week: covarde
The intro was by Nuchtchas from NIMLAS.org, and the promo was for the Brain Science Podcast.
I have to say something regarding milton's prcaria to english people showering. I also think just like Kinsey that alot of people shower at least once or twice a day and everyday of the week here in america. Unless they are poor and cant afford to shower everyday. Or unless they are rednecks and are to lazy to get out of the chair and put the beer down to go take a shower. It should be very uncommon that you come around a person and they stink in america. but there is always that one in a million chance you will. If you dont want to be around these people you can pick them out of a crowd pretty easy most of the time by looking at them lol. I know that sounds bad and mean but sometimes its the truth.
I have had a few bad experiences at work with people stinking and it is very very disgusting. Could you just imagine being in a factory and it is hot as hell and smelling a guy next to you on the assembly line that is reaking like ass. Its Pathetic.
I also wondered myself if brazilians did get to shower everyday and if they were OCD on thier hygine. I am glad milton cleared that up for us. but im sure not everybody is like that just like here in america.
Thanks for the podcast guys and I was wondering if there was going to be a show soon and im glad you guys put one out.
Posted by: Chris | March 09, 2009 at 03:22 PM
Chris,
The showering in Brazil tends to be excessive. Recently I saw an episode of the Brazilian version of Super Nanny. The mother had several kids, and getting them all showered was total chaos. Nevertheless, she insisted on going through the process at least twice a day every single day. It was almost a bigger priority for her than feeding them!
Posted by: Kinsey | March 10, 2009 at 11:21 PM
Oh and to add to Milton's news on the 2014 World Cup In Brazil...on June 18th 2009 Brazil will play the United States in South Africa at the Fifa Confederation's Cup.
LETS GO BRAZIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Chris | March 11, 2009 at 05:29 PM
I don't know where you've been buying cheese over there, but just to letting you know you can find good and tasty cheese in Brasil.
And you do not need to go to an Imported food store.
I really think this podcast is a very interesting opportunity to show people from America or wherever how the experience of living in another country could be.
So, there are many other things to talk about other than the "cheese" . I am Brazilian, living in Chicago (Il) for 2 years and have been experienced -maybe- not as many frustrations as you have... but the last thing Im worrying about is the food .
Please, I really enjoy listening these podcasts(even getting upset with the 10000 non-sense jokes) but i think you could cover so many other interesting topics and actually contribute with the Brazilian culture expansion.
Thank you very much.
Daniele.
Posted by: Daniele | March 24, 2009 at 02:38 PM
I have some questions on traveling to brazil. Americans coming to brazil need passports and a visa. In order to get our visas we need to go to a brazilian consulate and I read somebody that maybe our application for a visa would have to be translated in portuguese or something like this for the power of attorney to read it. it also said if it wasnt in portuguese it it would be sent to brazil to be translated in portuguese. I may be confused but a little help may be needed kinsey hahaha. Also i have never been to an airport is there anything speical you need to do when arriving in brazil. Do the customs people speak english because that can cause some problems for people that do not know alot of portuguese and do you have to get a yellow fever shot or something like that when coming to brazil. I heard you had to see a certian person and show them some papers in your visa that you have been givin the shot. I am a person that likes to know what i am going to have to do before i do anything like what do i need to do at the airport in america and in brazil and etc etc. if you can help kinsey or somebody I would like that alot.
Posted by: Chris | March 24, 2009 at 04:22 PM
Daniele,
No argument from me about there being tasty cheeses in Brazil. I'm a huge fan of catupiry!
Feel free to suggest interesting topics that you'd like us to cover.
Chris,
I'll try to answer your questions from personal experience, but things often change, so be sure to double check everything with the Brazilian consulate, which I think for Kentucky is the one in DC. Its phone number is (202) 461-3000.
Yes, you do need a visa and passport to go to Brazil. (Brazil may be the only country in Latin America that requires US citizens to get visas in advance before coming.) I'm pretty sure that the visa application does not need to be translated. The consulate should have an English one for you to fill out, which I think they have you do online.
I'm scratching my head on the power of attorney thing. Unless you are giving someone the legal right to sign documents and checks (and visa applications) on your behalf, then that doesn't apply at all.
The consulates require the visas to be picked up in person, as they will not do it by mail. That person need not be you, though. There are various agencies that you can send your passport and paperwork to that will take it to the consulate, pick it up, and send it all back to you for a fee. They may even help to advise you on the application process.
The customs people should speak English. I don't think language will be a problem.
The airport in Rio has an interesting security screening system. Each passenger steps up to a panel with two lights on it, which are red and green. If the green light comes on, you can pass, but if you get a red light, you have to get checked by security. (I don't remember if this is for arriving or departing passengers.)
Shots aren't necessary unless you will be traveling to certain risky places, like the Pantanal or the Amazon.
Posted by: Kinsey | March 26, 2009 at 02:09 PM
I am sorry. I live in the USA for three years now and just can't get over the fact that you guys have fake cheese. I mean wtf ? Sorry but seems that you are the porcaria ;)
Posted by: Liz | March 27, 2009 at 10:06 PM
and btw, how the hell do you know how vaseline tastes like ? lol
Posted by: Liz | March 27, 2009 at 10:07 PM
well thanks kinsey for the help....about the visa i thought they would send it in the mail to you ?...ooo another question i need help on how i will carry money with me...Im smart enough to know not to carry a whole load of cash on you in rio...its just asking to get mugged and get the hell beat out of you so some kids can go buy them some food. but i want to know how can i get my money exchanged and i dont want to get it all in cash like can i use a debit card and get a little each time in cash you know so i can keep as little money on me as possible...? im thinking of asking my bank about this...but im afriad they might not deal with things like this in brasil.....and its almost scary to have to carry cash on me because of my bank not being able to work with this. it would just be nice to go to an atm and get a little money out and leave without being noticed by a street kid. lol
Posted by: Chris | March 27, 2009 at 10:50 PM
I wonder why you want to go to Brazil if you think the place sucks that bad ?
Posted by: Liz | March 28, 2009 at 07:30 PM
Chris,
Cash is a bit risky, but it's easier to exchange, and you can get a better rate. I don't know about ATM cards, but credit cards can be used all over the place, even at McDonald's. Visa and Mastercard are the most widespread. And you can use them to get cash advances. Be sure to know your PIN numbers before you go. Also, some credit card companies will flag your card if they see it suddenly making purchases overseas. It can help to call the companies in advance to tell them where you will be going and when. It's nearly impossible to reactivate a card from another country, since they want you to call from your home phone number, that they have on file, and they won't let you do it online unless you're in the US. Traveler's checks are a good secure way to take money with you. Just be sure to copy the numbers in a separate place and maybe leave a copy with a friend in the US. If you lose them and can't document them, it's as bad as losing cash.
Posted by: Kinsey | March 28, 2009 at 11:06 PM
So what would be the best way....my credit card does not have a whole lot of money on it...im just buliding my credit now. it just dosent have near as much money as i have saved up to come to brasil. So Travelers Checks it is, so when you say cop the numbers in a separate place...are you meaning copy the check numbers in a diffferent area of where your at, im confused lol...and are you saying leave a copy of the numbers with a friend...
and Liz i assume your talking about me...I never said Brasil sucks...nor do i think it sucks.
Posted by: Chris | March 29, 2009 at 06:53 PM
Chris,
Yes, with traveler's checks, you should keep the checks separate from the receipts with the serial numbers. I like to keep my checks in my carry on and the receipts in a checked bag. That way if I lose a bag, I'll still have one or the other. I also like to scan (or xerox) the receipts and leave copies with my parents in the US, so if I lose everything, I can still call them and get the numbers.
Posted by: Kinsey | April 03, 2009 at 01:45 AM
ooo okay i get what you are saying....thanks for the advice...it was helpful
Posted by: Chris | April 03, 2009 at 08:25 PM
Hi Kinsey? I'm not sure if that's the name of the guy on the podcast, if it's not, then I'm very sorry.
Okay, so I was born in Brazil but I came to New Jersey when I was only about 7 years old. I'm now 21 and currently a college student in Manhattan.
I consider myself just as much Brazilian as I am American, so I thought I would give you my point of view on some of the "porcaria" in mention. I didn't finish listening to it but I'll respond to what I heard.
Okay: PAPERTOWELS really DO suck in Brazil, and it's absolutely inexcusable! Seriously, everytime my grandmother comes visit us in NJ, she always brings back almost a suitcase full of papertowels, because they are so much better in the US. BUT to be fair, I do remember seeing Bounty in the local supermarket by my grandmother's house in Minas Gerais, but I'm sure it's ridiculously expensive.
ELECTRONICS: I wouldn't trust any electronic being sold at a fair in Brazil, I agree that they're most likely cheap rip-offs. But you can find good gadgets at regular electronic stores, although they are much more expensive.. and also to be fair: the thing I always find so intriguing about Brazil is that you can buy almost anything in installments! Even shoesss!!
What else:
CHEESE: hmm... I'd have to beg to differ... queijo minas is one of my favorite cheeses.. and requeijao is sooo delicious.. as well as catupiry... but I can understand why you would get frustrated, most of the cheese sold in Brazil, are Brazilian... there aren't many options if you want something French or American.
CHOCOLATE: WOW! I can't believe you don't like Brazilian chocolate. My American friends LOVE bom bom Garoto!! And Prestigio is about the tastiest chocolate bar I've ever had... alot like Almond Joy... except better and without nuts! lol but American chocolate is also very good... I think they're just very different.
BREAD: Okay.... this I definitely diasgree with.. I have never had good bread in America... most of them are packed with preservatives and you can almost never buy hot bread. In Brazil, it's hot bread alll the timmee and it's all organic! I LOVE IT! yummy...
BATTERIES: YES! Very bad in Brazil! It's ridiculous!
HOT WATER/TAP WATER: I live in New Jersey and I don't trust the tap water here either... I think tap water in Brazil is just as bad as America and I don't ever remember getting sick from drinking tap water in Brazil. Now, I DO miss hot showers when I'm there.. but then again... it's always so HOTT over there that I rarely ever WANT to take a hot shower... but when I do... it's very sad. :/
Well that's it... give Brazil a chance, there's a lot of porcaria everywhere in the world, but there's also a lot of beauty!! And the beaches don't hurt either! hahaha
Posted by: Ana Isabel | April 06, 2009 at 12:11 AM
For anyone traveling to Brazil (rio), be completely ready to have your credit cards cloned. Know the numbers you need to call to cancel cards and get new ones. The chances are very high that this will happen. I know people that only used their Visa card in an ATM inside a bank and had their card cloned. I met a brazilian woman with a credit card (for years) that went to rio for two days. Her card was cloned and is still trying to straighten it out.
Also, what do you need to do in the airport? Hold on to everything!
One other oddity in airports, if you have a connecting flight, you can't go through customs and go to your next plane. You will need to leave the airport system and go stand in line again at the ticket counter as if you are beginning your trip again to obtain some airport bar code. If not, they won't let you go to your gate.
Spankster
Posted by: spankster | April 06, 2009 at 01:13 PM
what are you meaning hold on to everything when your in the airport ?....and about getting on your flight...what about a round trip will you have to do that thing all over again you was mentioning...and about the credit card....dont the credit card company stop the card if it get a crazy amount of money spent on it than it normally does or it maxes out ?....so if you have trouble they will be contacting you right ?...to see why it has been maxed out ?...
Posted by: Chris | April 09, 2009 at 10:04 PM
Ana Isabel,
Yes, my name is Kinsey. (The other guy is Milton.)
The cheese situation is like you said. There are some truly unique and tasty Brazilian cheeses. I just really miss cheddar (and a few other cheeses) which I can't find around here at any price.
As for chocolate, my parents recently visited me here and brought me some oreos and dark chocolate M&Ms. My wife gave me some Easter chocolates from the very pricey Cacau Show, and I can't even eat them now after being so recently exposed to the good stuff.
Tap water in Brazil is probably just as safe as in the US. I've never heard of a single case of a Brazilian getting sick from the water. But everyone says not to drink it, so I don't.
Chris,
Airports are great places for separating people from their bags. Take a look at this. And that's just laptops! When you're hurried, stressed, distracted, and sleep-deprived, you can easily lose track of your stuff, especially when you're being herded through the metal detectors.
Posted by: Kinsey | April 10, 2009 at 02:57 AM
Kinsey,
Oh yes! OREO cookies are really delicious! I think I might go buy some now! hahaha
Posted by: Ana Isabek | April 12, 2009 at 12:19 PM
Daniele,
As a Brazilian who lives in Chicago, could you please suggest a Brazilian restauarant other than Fogo de Chao and Brazzaz?
http://www.fogodechao.com/locations/chicagoIL.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAOSG1m92Dc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJcRgyIhxNU
http://www.brazzaz.com/
Posted by: Peter in Chicago | April 18, 2009 at 06:06 AM
I found this site and i completey failed to even think of it...but its information on traveling to brasil and everything you need to know bascially about visiting brasil. It talks about everything. What you shouldnt do etc etc etc. I think they make it sound worse than it acutally is but i believe they are just warning americans really.
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1072.html
Posted by: Chris | April 28, 2009 at 09:05 PM
Hi.. My name is Lance I am American. I am traveling to Brazil in 2 weeks. I am visiting Foz do Iguaçu, Belo Horizonte, Salvador, and Rio. I have done some traveling in Peru and Chile for the past 2 years (But i Know Brazil is very different). I have heard that Brazil is the best place to go in South America. A lot of Americans are telling me that it is dangerous especially for blonde headed people. I was wondering if I should be worried about anything? I am on a tour in all the cities except Belo Horizonte and in BH I have a friend who is traveling me around.
Posted by: Lance | April 28, 2009 at 10:17 PM
I have never heard this...but im going to brasil...in december...and i have had all sorts of people tell me its real dangerous...i would say forget that...they prolly just trying to scare you. although some parts are dangerous from what i have heard. but the whole country isnt you know. so just enjoy your self and ignore narrow minded americans that prolly dont know a whole alot about brasil. just what they have seen in moives. regarding the blonde headed people i have no clue where they got this. There is ALOT of blonde people in the South...like Santa Catarina, Curtitba etc etc... it prolly would be nothing people of brasil will pay any attention to. now if your talking like dangerous as in the girls wanting you hahah then yes i would prolly yes to that.
Posted by: Chris | April 29, 2009 at 05:11 PM
I meant Parana not Curtitba lol. Curtitba is a city in the state of Parana
Posted by: Chris | April 29, 2009 at 05:38 PM
I'm a bit behind on comments due to an upcoming trip to Brasilia. I'll tackle them in a couple of days. I also have quite a few episodes I need to put out. Sorry for all the delay, folks.
Posted by: Kinsey | April 29, 2009 at 07:48 PM
also when you go to brasil...lance see what they are doing about the swine flu thing...see if they are checking anybody out...i also dont want to that nasty flu ruining my trip
Posted by: Chris | April 29, 2009 at 08:39 PM
I have some questions about airlines...what are the best airlines to take that are cheaper than others...i know this seems kinda of a crazy question...but i have never flown before and I didnt realize that prices are more expensive during December than during the summer like June through august. I dont see what I figure they might be the same considering people also travel in the summer alot to. the prices i came up with in total in december were like freaking 1500 dollars....and in the summer it was going to be just about 980, 990....this was with american airlines...so does anybody else know any other good airlines to take to Rio De Janeiro...that are cheaper than 1500 dollars..and let me remind you this was on the econ super saver lol. what arline do you use kinsey ?
Posted by: Chris | April 30, 2009 at 03:24 PM
Chris,
Yes, those State Department travel advisories really do make visiting other countries sound scary. It's good to read them, but I think travel guides, such as Lonely Planet, provide better information on what to watch out for.
I don't have a specific airline preference. I just go for whatever is cheapest. The last time I went to the US I flew Air Canada. The prices tend to vary more by month than by airline. The cheapest month for travel to Brazil is in March. You should easily be able to find something under $1000 if you can travel then.
Lance,
I expect the tours will keep you pretty safe. It's not really hair color that is a problem. Some people visiting Brazil tend to stick out as very obviously foreign for a variety of reasons. They are more likely to be mugged, especially if they wander into a more dangerous area, but it's just a matter of degree.
Posted by: Kinsey | May 04, 2009 at 11:53 AM
Come on man, requeijao is the best! Maybe you are not used to it. I was in shock when I realized that you guys don't have requeijao in the USA. I miss it so much!
Anyways, I enjoyed this episode even though I don't agree with you in almost everything.
Posted by: Eduardo | May 04, 2009 at 10:00 PM
Chocolate...COME ON! It is just expensive in Brasil. That's all!
Maybe it should not be so expensive since we grow cacao.
Bread.....totally disagree with you. I miss Brazilian bread so much! It is always fresh, it is not like the French bread from Walmart or Kroger, which sucks so much! The bread here is so nasty. Seriously!
Electronics.....agree with you! PORCARIA! You should buy electronics in stores. But there is no reason to be so expensive in the stores.
p.s.: I am a Brazilian student in Dallas, Tx for almost 6 years.
Posted by: Eduardo | May 04, 2009 at 10:22 PM
would flights be somewhat cheap closer to your date of leaving or higher ?...I really dont know if i should go ahead and by my ticket 7 months ahead of time...considering i dont have my visa and i guess you cant really predict on how quick they can get your visa to you from the embassy because if you buy your ticket and you send in all your information for the visa and you dont get your visa before you date of leaving you pretty much screwed.
Posted by: Chris | May 07, 2009 at 04:59 PM
Eduardo,
Yes, there is definitely some nasty bread in the US. I've never bought bread (or much of anything else) from Walmart, but I don't doubt that it must be awful. Just about everyone seems to disagree with my opinion on chocolate. I keep thinking I may be wrong about it, so I buy the expensive stuff from Kopenhagen and Cacau Show and just end up being disappointed. I'm glad you're still enjoy the show, though. Milton and I aren't always right about everything, including the things we're sure of. :)
Chris,
Generally speaking, airfare goes up the closer you buy to the departure date. The best deals are usually available well in advance. I don't think you have much to worry about in terms of getting a visa. Once you turn in your paperwork and passport to the Brazilian consulate, you should have it back within a week. Tourist visas are pretty easy to get.
Posted by: Kinsey | May 10, 2009 at 10:20 PM
Spanky very very disappointed.
Posted by: spanky | May 29, 2009 at 11:11 AM
Hey Spanky,
Are you disappointed in the episode or because of the delay between episodes? More are coming. I promise. I'll post something about the hiatus soon.
Posted by: Kinsey | May 29, 2009 at 09:17 PM
Just got back from a week in brazil, sao paulo and ubatuba to be specicific. Drove around in a fiat doblo rental car like a madman. I had been listening to the podcast for a month or so before my visit. Top three pocaria things for me in brazil was:
1. The Brazilian drivers are all assholes in a hurry. I think the drivers in the U.S. are nicer because of the easy access to lawyers if someone is injured by a car. I never thought that was a good thing until I went to brazil. Downtown Sao Paolo on paulista av had storm drains that were missing bars and jagged rusty foot traps. In the U. S. some one would make a killing on such a thing if they were injured, so cities are careful to maintain such safety hazards.
2.Food, hotels, clothes, pretty much everything was waaay overpriced and typicaly of lower quality than the comparable thing in the u.s. 2.50 reals each for a can of light pilsner in the grocery store? I can get a sixer of beer here of similar quality for 3.49 dollars. We spent around 20-30 reals per person for lousy buffet food(Por Kilo, etc) our hotel in ubatuba was 120R. per night. Tiny tv,no trash cans except one in the bathroom, no chairs in the room to sit, no shampoo in bathroom, no screens, the equivalant 60 dollar a night hotel in the us would be better. What I dont understand is that as far as I know people are paid less for equiv. work in brazil. So why is everything so expensive?
I was there to visit my wifes family, lets just say I wont be going back unless someone dies.
3.
Posted by: Nathan | June 02, 2009 at 08:37 PM
Nathan,
Those are good ones.
1. Also, I have never seen or heard of the police ever pulling anyone over for speeding or any other violation. Reckless driving is only risky in terms of the danger of having an accident. There is no risk of getting ticketed.
The open storm drains are a huge problem. It is very common for small children to fall into them when there is heavy rain and drown. That's something that happens all the time in Brazil.
2. The high prices have to do with with the strength of the Brazilian real as a currency. It wasn't always like that. Nowadays it costs me about a dollar to ride the bus. That same bus ride cost me about a nickel in 1990. But to Brazilians, the buses cost about the same as they always have.
3. What was the third thing?
Posted by: Kinsey | June 02, 2009 at 10:54 PM
Nathan,
what was you expecting...high luxory stuff in Brasil. lol...but i have seen aparments in Rio that you can rent that looked pretty nice..if you do go back try to find some aparments to stay in..they would prolly look alot better and make you feel more comfortbale than a hote room...the way you talk about them I wouldnt want to stay in a hotel in brasil. I can barley stand to stay in a hotel here in the USA. lol
One thing that has been bothering me here latley I guess this would be my Porcaria on some Brasilians personal opinon on USA goverment and etc etc...the people have been speaking to over the internet...they act like they know so much about the american goverment and they dont even live here..also they claim to say that alot of us Americans are rude and nasty...i find this a bit racial if you ask me...because these brasilians and others that might think like this havent met EVERY AMERICAN. We are not all bad...but in my personal opinon I have no clue why some Brasilians want to bash the USA Goverment when i think the Brasilian goverment and Brasil may have more problems than we do...I seriously hope not all brasilians seem to think like this about USA...because they should be aware that we allow them to come here so they should somewhat like the USA goverment. and its people..because it would be almost impossible for a brasilan to come to america and not interact with an american..I dont want the brasilians acting like the mexicans we have here in america thats for sure lol.
Posted by: Chris | June 04, 2009 at 10:28 PM
Chris, the US government doesn't just let Brazilians enter the US. They have to go through a lot of hoops to get their visas. The first time my wife visited the US she had to travel all the way to Rio to stand in a very long line at five in the morning for a few hours just to get into the US consulate. And even then, there was no guarantee she would be given a visa.
Posted by: Kinsey | June 13, 2009 at 11:34 PM
yeah I hear alot of brasilians have problems coming to the USA, like proving alot of things, marriage if you have kids all sorts of things, Things I thought wouldnt even make a difference and didnt matter. but what do i know about giving brasilians visas which you already made shown me lol. but i think what bothers me is where these people are speaking of our last president, the war and etc etc. Im pretty sure what brasilians are hearing about the war in Iraq is only what they hear on the news. The News is nothing but crap when it comes to telling you about the war. I for one have seen many many documentaries about the war in Iraq and I think the news seems to make the war seem what it isnt. We are acutally helping people in Iraq. but it isnt easy to do. It takes time. It was bugging me to hear this from these certian brasilians and I didnt know how to handle this. It almost made me just want to say Look, your not from the USA dont worry about it. hahaha but I didnt. So I was just thinking not all Brasilians have a politcial attitude like i was hearing from these people. Because if they did it would sure get annoying, to me anyhow.
Posted by: Chris | June 14, 2009 at 07:24 PM
Chris, yes, I think most of the world feels that way, not just Brazilians. The Iraq situation is complicated, but my impression is that most people like Obama and want him to succeed. I'm hoping that most of the anti-Americanism sentiment will soon start fading away.
Posted by: Kinsey | June 19, 2009 at 12:17 AM
It's either a regional thing, or Kinsey and I have different tastes, but I liked the bread in Brazil. I didn't buy much bread, but nearly every morning I'd stop by the padaria and pick up a few cacetinhos (that might be a regional name for it). I love those things, and I wish I could find anything close to it here in the States. Of course, that could be the exception to the rule of bad bread in Brazil.
I also didn't buy much clothing there, but I did get some shoes in Novo Hamburgo (shoe capital of Brazil) which served me well for some time. That was also a good place to get shoes resoled. A friend of mine got his shoes resoled with tire rubber. We joked that it was guaranteed for 5 years or 20,000 miles. Very good stuff. I also bought a pair of socks that are still in good condition, 10 years later. I just wore them the other day. So, while I can't attest to all the clothing, there is good quality available.
You are right about the electronics. There were so many knockoffs there. I bought a pair of Somy brand headphones (lasted about two years, but they only cost R$1), and someone tried to sell my friend a Bitizen watch.
I was pleasantly surprised about some things though. I met and became friends with a guy who brought things from Paraguay to sell in Brazil. Just before I left Brazil, he gave me a cheap umbrella that he would normally sell for R$3. There is now a small tear in one edge, and one corner has come off the post, but it is still serviceable. Best umbrella I've ever had. I've spent much more on umbrellas that broke after two or three uses.
I recall that there were other things about Brazil that I didn't like, but most of the bad has faded in my memory, leaving just what I liked about it.
Posted by: Mark | June 27, 2009 at 02:20 PM
Mark, it may be regional, like you said. I've never been to the South, but it's quite possible they have a lot less tolerance for porcaria down there. Given the European influence, I wouldn't be surprised if they make fantastic bread.
Posted by: Kinsey | June 30, 2009 at 02:14 PM
I usually don't listen to podcasts, but Nathan recommended that I listen to this one regarding "porcarias". I'm brazilian, but I've been living in the US for about 9 years.
There are a lot of items Kinsey classified as "porcaria" that cannot be argued by the co-host (since he has no way to establish a comparison to anything in the US - cheddar, American neighborhoods, etc).
While it is true that a lot of things available in Brasil are indeed substandard when compared to what is available in the US, one must keep in mind that in Brasil there is a huge economical gap that favors functionality versus quality. But you live there, so of course you know that.
My list of porcarias:
#1 - toilet paper
Does the job, but doesn't have the cushy fluffiness of a gazilion-triple-thick-ply like they do in the US
#2 - silverware
They bend very easily: a fake psychokinesisit's dream.
#3 - ice-cream (the gallon kind)
Very expensive, not very flavorful, not worth the price.
Posted by: MonicaG | July 08, 2009 at 03:46 AM
MonicaG,
It's interesting getting different takes on the whole porcaria thing. Before coming to Brazil, I actually owned and proudly used bendy silverware all the time, so it definitely exists in the US. (I got mine at a dollar store.) And I think Brazil has the good kind as well.
There's lots of cheap ice cream in the US that is just as bad.
I totally agree with you on toilet paper. I would even go further and say that it doesn't really do the job. (But that's why Brazil has bidets.) :)
Posted by: Kinsey | July 09, 2009 at 03:25 AM
thoughts on brazilian cheese... i cook a lot and have come to realize that it is because american cheese is made with higher percentages of butter-fat and salt. here the cheeses are waxier and have a stronger rubbery/plastic flavor rather than creamy with salty taste. it's nothing "wrong"-just difference in taste. i will wholeheartedly reject the idea of catupiry. i hate to be immature, but do you realize what it looks like? i can't think about eating it due to it's uncanny resemblence to something gross. it is truly vile, but i would say that of velveeta in the US..you see, neither one of those is technically CHEESE-they are processed foods..neither is requeijao-that is a processed food spread-NOT CHEESE. it may have cheese flavor, but it is not cheese in the true sense. not having the cheese i like here is a bother, but brazil has such amazing food beyond cheese that it's easy to cope. as for the comments on chocolate...and same with ice cream: the american palate is used to more butter fat-our chocolates are creamier, richer, and our ice creams are not as watery/icy as the ones here.
i'd like to hear comments about why Victoria Secrets $8/bottle products AND the bags from the store are so OVERVALUED and OVERUSED HERE?? sure, some may smell good, fine. but seriously, do you have to "show off" the bag from the store? oh, YOU'VE been the US...congrats! big deal! why do i smell vicsec scents EVERYWHERE i go when there is not a SINGLE store in this country? why the obsession? please enlighten me. i can't chalk everything up to US cultural imperialism, even though i'd like to...
Posted by: Sharon Mangle | October 31, 2009 at 02:49 PM
Sharon, thanks for the info. I agree that some of the cheeses here have a kind of rubbery consistency that squeaks on my teeth in a way that I actually find pleasant. I don't agree about the cheeses in Brazil having less salt, though. Queijo minas contains almost lethal quantities of salt, even after it has been rinsed off, and the cheap mozzarella here is way too salty. I really like catupiry. Fortunately, it doesn't remind me of anything. :) I wonder if the lack of fat is the explanation for my perceived difference in the quality. That would make a lot of sense.
My wife agrees that Victoria's Secret products are very common where she works. She says that the women there use the creams all the time.
Posted by: Kinsey | November 01, 2009 at 07:23 PM
Sharon, Who shows off a bag from a store ?...Why would somebody do that for ?..If I go to a store called Hollister and buy something and they give me one of those big bags to put my clothes in I throw it away when I get home.
Posted by: Chris | November 03, 2009 at 03:02 PM