Episode 34: Miscellaneous Brazilian Cultural Traits

Milton and I talk about some unusual characteristics of Brazilian culture.

Phrase of the Day: Pois é.

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Comments

[Mark]

I still find myself using "pois é" even when speaking English. But I never noticed the "so what" context--it always seemed more of a "good point" or "that's true" comment. I'll have to ask some of my Brazilian friends--maybe I've been using it wrong all these years.

Another Brazilian (or at least, Southern Brazilian) trait I remember is whenever a guest would leave someone's home, if they were welcome back, the host would open the door for them to leave. If the guest were not welcome back, or did not intend to come back as a friend, they would open the door themselves. It was a little strange having to wait to be let out, and I think I offended some people before I finally figured it out. I am fairly certain this is a regional practice, as the Mineiro acquaintance I mentioned in an earlier post always commented to me that it was strange and he hated it. He even went so far as to tell people that it was a ridiculous tradition. He was kind of a jerk.

They also had a strange (to me) superstition about shaking hands. If two people were shaking hands, it was not okay for two other people to reach across the two arms to shake hands. I don't think I ever learned the reason that crossing arms to shake hands was bad luck, but apparently it is.

And then they always talked over each other. They seemed to be able to have entire conversations with each person involved all talking at the same time. It took me a long time to get to the point where I could follow a conversation like that.

Good episode. Now I'm feeling nostalgic.

[Kinsey]

Mark,

I don't know if we have that custom of opening the door for people to feel welcome to come back or not here in Minas Gerais. I've always been confused by the idea that seeing someone to the door is somehow meaningful. Even in the US, I think it means something, but I've never quite understood it. It seems to me that if someone is leaving a person's house, the host would normally accompany them to the door, so they can lock it. Especially in Brazil, you don't want to leave your door unlocked for any significant period of time.

Once, someone I was tutoring invited me to a party at his parents' house. We left to go buy some drinks for it and then came back. My student let me back in through a secondary door (since it was the closest to the car and opened up nearer to the kitchen). He actually apologized and said that it is considered rude not to let a guest in through the main door, but since I had already entered officially through the correct door when I arrived the first time, this time didn't count.

Strangely, I've never had much of a problem following those crazy conversations where everyone is talking at the same time, but participating in them is impossible. After all, I don't want to be rude and interrupt. :)