What I Love About Brazil

• Climate. The climate is very nice. Right now it's fall (the seasons are reversed in the Southern Hemisphere). It's generally pretty hot and muggy, 'round 85° F, but it's sunny almost every day. On those hot days a late afternoon shower rolls in quickly, rains for a while, and then leaves and takes the heat with it. Since it's a tropical climate, the plant life is spectacular; strange, beautiful plants and flowers grow everywhere.
  
• Women. Brazilian girls are hot. Really hot. Most all of them are brunettes with some in-between racial tone that doesn't exist in the U.S. They also have big, awesome asses. Not overflowing, lumpy, I-could-put-my-drink-on-that-shelf-you-call-an-ass asses, but certainly larger and rounder than the average American ass. Tan and round, A+. For those who are curious, their boobs are about the same size I would guess, if somewhat smaller.

Here's Miss Brazil. You're welcome.

• Hospitality. I've written about this before, but Brazilian hospitality is incredible. People always go out of their way to help me, and I'm constantly being invited places.
  
• Gringo Love. I think some of the Brazilian hospitality might stem from gringophilia, which is cool with me. Hopefully this will help me with said hot Brazilian women (Brazilians tell me it will).
  
• Food. If you've spent time with me recently, you probably know about my crazy food alergies (gluten & dairy). Brazil is awesome for people with these alergies because I can eat the Brazilian staples: beans, rice, meat, vegetables, and fruits. I can actually eat out in Brazil, something that's nearly impossible for me in the U.S.

I can eat all this!

• Language. Of course the language is huge for me -- I get off big time on speaking a foreign language every day. It's easier for me this time around with Portuguese instead of French despite the fact that I had studied French for a lot longer when I went to France. I've got the Romance language conceptual framework set up, so I pick things up much easier and faster, though I'm still struggling with the pronunciation. Speaking of which, I love the way the language sounds. It's a very pretty, sing-songy, open-mouthed kind of language. Like Brazil, it is strange and beautiful.

Mad Southern Hospitality

Brazilians are the most warm, friendly people I have ever met. I am in awe of their hospitality. After getting picked up at the airport by a bunch of friendly Brazilians I thought maybe it was just because this is part of the AIESEC duties for them to go out of their way for me. But every person I meet is consistently EXTREMELY nice to me. A few examples:

• I was invited to 3 parties yesterday within 5 hours of arriving in Brazil.
• My roommates are very, very cool and nice. Every one of them has been nothing but funny and refreshing. They frequently remind me to take whatever I want in the house. They are very patient with my lack of Portuguese and are thrilled when I say little things correctly. I have so far borrowed a laptop and an alarm clock from them. I have been offered food too.
  
• My roommate Leo took me to a party at UNICAMP last night. Of course he gave me the option of where to go, and we went to the party of my choosing. At the party, he introduced me to tons of hot girls as well as his guy friends. We then stopped off at a second party where we met more people and more hot girls. I spoke alternately in broken Portuguese, English, and even French with this French girl I met. He broke down the party and girl scene in Campinas for me all the while.
• This morning I went to work for the first time. An AIESECer, Renan, took me to the bus stop this morning at 7:15 (the bus comes early); the dude got up that early just to walk me to the damn bus stop. WTF.
  
• The head of a department at Ci&T (I forget which one) took me out to lunch at a churrascaria with a bunch of other people for work and PAID. The same guy gave me his business card and told me to call him on his cell any time, even on the weekend.
• One of my coworkers I met today takes the same bus as me. He walked me home in the opposite direction from my house because I wasn't sure of my address (I would've gotten there just fine for the record).
  

I think this sort of hospitality comes from a combination of me being an English-speaking American gringo and Brazilians just being extremely nice people. It's nuts -- they just seem to love helping people. Moreover, BRAZIL is nuts: beautiful weather, sweet job, great people, beautiful language, beautiful house. What more could I want?