Brazilians
Hacking Brazilian Culture: Magically Transform Your Dear Brazilians into Prompt, Respectful People
Why do Brazilians act the way they do? We don’t know either. But over our decades of dealing with them, we have discovered some strategies for turning our favorite Brazilians into (slightly) more respectful, prompt, and reliable people. We’re not going to claim that you can wave your hands over your favorite Brazilians and turn …
A Great Video of Samba de Gafieira
Samba de gafieira — Brazil’s groovy answer to tango — is a flashy, complicated dance that lends itself to spectacle. There are many videos of performances by outrageously talented professionals online, but this is not one of them. These dancers are talented, but this is not a formal performance with all of the flashy silliness that …
An English Translation of the Samba Rock Classic “Segura a Nega” — “Hang on to Your Girl”
This is Bebeto‘s “Segura a Nega” performed by Clube do Balanço. It is one of the greatest samba rock songs ever performed, and if you have a less-than-perfect command of spoken Brazilian Portuguese, you may be wondering what the hell the lyrics are about. I offer here my translation; the emphasis here is on accuracy in meaning and achieving a …
The Orthodox Caipirinha: The Only Correct Caipirinha Recipe Ever Published on the Internet
The caipirinha is a religion. We hold as articles of faith how the limes should be chopped, how the ice should be crushed, etc., and these beliefs are handed down from one believer to the next, from reveler to reveler, generation to generation. There are denominations and sub-denominations, lapsed believers and absolutists. What has been missing until now …
Tango in the Nude and Liters of Lube: Feminist Debauchery Hackers Upend Sex Parties in Brazil
How can sex parties be organized to better prioritize women’s pleasure and comfort?
The Myth of a Hypersexual Brazil
Brazil tends to get pegged as a land of sluts and hedonists. That’s an understandable assumption, but simply not true.
“Sex is a Jungle of Epileptics” — Inside Rita Lee’s Anthem on Love and Sex
Former Os Mutantes singer Rita Lee‘s “Amor e Sexo” is famous enough in Brazil that everyone can sing along, and it’s lovely to see it sung by a crowd — and see how a catchy melody and screwy metaphors can cause a kind of (momentary) mass, chanted acceptance of love- and sex-positivity . I was reminded of the 2003 hit from the “queen …
Cloyingly juiced: Revealing upper-class Brazilian girls’ ultimate cocktail
The ultra-sweet caipiroska de abacaxi
How do Brazilians “take beer in the ass”? And, more importantly, is it tasty?
The expression tomar a cerveja na bundinha can be translated as “to drink the beer by its bottom” or, more literally, “to take the beer in the little ass”. It is a challenge for certain young Brazilians to say the expression without giggling; in fact, the drink is probably propagated mainly for the opportunity to ambiguously …
How is samba danced in Brazil’s business capital, São Paulo?
Pauistanos (folks from São Paulo city) are known for being all about stress, fine eating and money. Their street carnival takes a bit of a back seat. The Tipsy editorial board, however, loves to rock the backseat. We took a jaunt down to Sampa during its carnaval, and a few locals showed us their moves.
Kissing Brazilians is different: A guide to wet, sloppy romance
The beijo, or Brazilian kiss, is a full-on facial and salival assault. It is used to express attraction, make nearby exes jealous, and to find out if a complete stranger has something stuck in his teeth. It is very frequently performed; in fact, if you spend a night out dancing or in bars and you …
What is beer etiquette in Brazil?
Brazilians hardly consider themselves to be a polite people, but they do love to lecture each other on manners anyhow, especially when drinking. The following are the standard rules for correct consumption of Brazilian beer. 1. A man should pour beer for the ladies. I learned the intricacies of this while drinking with several cariocas …
Brazilian beer is awful. Should I attempt to drink it anyway?
Yes. The major Brazilian beers may be offensively devoid of character, and served estupidamente gelada (extremely, “stupidly” chilled) in the hopes you won’t notice, but drinking beer is an important Brazilian social event with lots of fun rules. How should you choose what to drink? Since all of your options are terrible, the only important …
Brazilian wine is awful. Should I attempt to drink it anyway?
Easy answer: No. Ff you’re in Brazil, you can’t even drink the stuff imported from proper wine countries like Chile or Argentina; upon crossing the Brazilian border it undergoes a mysterious process wherein it is rendered undrinkable (presumably, customs procedure involves leaving the bottles out to bake for a few years in the sun). Opt …