Brazil!

I just came back from a business trip to Brazil, and I managed to sneak in a trip to Rio de Janeiro too.

Rio is so beautiful!

Some things I learnt about Brazil

• The people are very hospitable and generous. The Controller there took us out to meals, made sure our car rides were arranged and even got his staff to go around Rio with us to make sure we were OK

• There are many immigrants here. Our contacts had Italian last names, Japanese last names, etc.
• The food was equally diverse as well
• The fresh fruits and juices reminds me so much of Malaysia
• And those little cheese balls are delectable!
• And so were the desserts. My favorite is an ice cream/cake mix. So… good….. I think I know where my 4 pounds of weight I gained came from
• Brazilian likes their grilled meats plain, so that the meat can speak for itself.
• I love grilled chicken hearts. So good…
• Caiprinihas is the Brazilian drink. And it is usually made out of Cachasa, a very strong liquor. I can only take ½ a glass before I act silly.
• They speak Portuguese, and English is not taught in school. So even my co-workers from Brazil take night classes still
• Brazil labor laws are strict and pro-employees. There is a compulsory 13^th month salary (i.e. 1 month bonus), a minimum wage increment every year (about 7%), and a minimum 30 days vacation given.
• The chocolate is good….
• Brazilians are very comfortable in their own skin. Hence the teeny-tiny bikinis and small Speedos on all shapes and sizes ;)
• Safety is still an issue here. My co-worker got mugged and another lady in Rio got her necklace snatched from her as she was walking down Copacabana
• Traffic in Sao Paulo is bad. We saw a policeman hanging out of a speeding police car window with his gun ready. He brandished it at our van because our driver didn’t make way for the an ambulance the police car was following. I don’t think that can happen here in the US
• I like Latino Pop!
• Went Salsa dancing at a Salsa for the first time