Brazil

It has been five days since I have returned to Brazil and I can without question say that I miss it a lot more than I thought it would, partly because it is an incredible country and partly because I now have to return back to the real world.  None the less, I learned way more from the trip than I anticipated.  Here are some of my observations:

1. Advertising- As strange as this may seems, the political ads were really fascinating for me because they are so different from the political posters and signs we see in the U.S.  In the U.S., you never see the actual candidate's face, always just the their last name in bold print, what office they are running for, and sometimes a creative slogan or graphic.  In Brazil, you always see the person's face along side their name and number.  I think this speaks to how important being personal and having a face to face connection with someone is in Brazil.  Also, there is a larger percentage of people in Brazil who do not watch/own a television, so they rely more on street ads rather than TV ads to decide who to vote for.

2. Culture- Music and art seem to be a lot more prevalent in Brazilian culture.  Music was everywhere: Going to capoeira lessons, the Pracatum School, the concert, the school in the rural community.  They choose instruments that reflect the ones their ancestors used and play music that originated in various places.  I admire how open they are towards incorporating various ethnicities and religions into their culture.

3. Food- Food says more about a country than most people give it credit for.  Many of the foods that are native to the country like coconut were a part of every meal.  I still find it strange that a country that finds so much pride in  their traditional dishes has taken such a strong liking for an American fast-food chain like McDonalds.  Every time we went, there was a line, and the food was not cheap either.

4. Art- I think every facet of Salvador has art incorporated into it in some way; even the side walks have patterns on them.  Businesses use art to advertise their products, buildings are painted bright colors, the architecture is a mix of Portugese and African designs.  The art serves as an excellent example as to how the cultures all blend together in Brazil.