We know there is nothing better than arriving in a new country knowing a little bit about its culture, the people, about places and music. Am I right? Therefore we made this small “travel kit” so you guys can learn a little bit more about Brazil’s culture and of course, some great places that you can go.

2. Hello,
And welcome to our 'How To Survive In Brazil' Manual!
We know there is nothing better than arriving in a new country
knowing a little bit about its culture, the people, about places and
music. Am I right?
Therefore we made this small “travel kit” so you guys can learn a
little bit more about Brazil’s culture and of course, some great places
that you can go.

3.  Ways to Piss Off a Brazilian
 Facts About Brazil and
Brazilian
 Social Customs
 Brazilian Currency
 Laws & Legal Issues
 Health Issues
 Weather
 Dictionary
 Brazilian Food & Drinks
 Places
Now, these are important topics of the things you should
know about Brazil and brazilian people just to make sure you’ll
survive here.

4. Ways to Piss off a Brazilian

5. There are a lot misconceptions about Brazil, so
here's a few thing you should know.
- Brazil is NOT one big
rainforest! Most of the major cities
are in fact quite far from the
rainforest. Even though we have lots
of forests, we do not live in the
middle of the jungle..
- We don't have a big carnival
all the time. Carnival actually
happens for a week each year in
February or March, though you can
see some samba school rehearsals
during other parts of the year.

6. - Prostitution is a problem here,
partially due to its legality, partially due to
the demand. HOWEVER, Brazilian women
are not sluts, despite the fact that people
here are much more comfortable making
out with strangers than gringos
(foreigners) may be. Don't go to Brazil
expecting to get laid, because you may be
in for an unpleasant surprise.
- We DO NOT speak Spanish!
Because there are some similarities
between Spanish and Portuguese and
because both languages originated on the
Iberian peninsula and are both Romance
languages, many erroneously believe that
Portuguese is merely a dialect of Spanish.
Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Brazilians speak Portuguese and
Portuguese is not a dialect of Spanish or
any other language, but rather a separate
and individual language all its own.

7. Facts about Brazil and Brazilian
- To Brazilians, any foreigner in
Brazil is a gringo (females are gringas).
It doesn't matter where you hail from or
your ability (or inability) to speak
Portuguese. To Brazilians, if you are a
foreigner in Brazil, you are a gringo.
Period. Don't take it personally because
it's not considered derogatory in Brazil
as it often is elsewhere.
- Yes, we do have some
problems with violence and crimes
in big cities like São Paulo and Rio
de Janeiro. But the probability of
something happen to you is the
same as in any big city in North
America. Therefore, as long as you
don’t walk around exhibiting cash in
your hands, we are sure you’ll be
ok.

8. - Brazilians are known the
world over as some of the kindest,
sweetest, most gentle people on the
face of the planet.
- In spite of what you may
envision if you've never traveled to
Brazil, Brazilians are very clean
people and most practice a very high
level of personal hygiene—often
taking numerous showers throughout
the day, especially when it's hot.

9. - Brazilians are fanatical about futebol (called soccer in the US and football
elsewhere). It approaches the status of a national "religion." For example, imagine
taking all the fans in the United States who avidly follow (American) football, baseball,
basketball, soccer and ice hockey and combining their passions into a single sport.
Only then can you begin to understand what futebol really is in Brazil. That's not to say
that Brazilians don't follow other sports. They do, but nothing even comes close to
futebol.

10. - Much of the life of any
Brazilian revolves around family—both
immediate and extended. Brazilians
like parties and will use almost excuse
(or invent one) to have one.
Most love music and dancing.
Brazilian men (and many women) are
beer drinkers and love nothing better
than a cold chopp (draft beer) or bottle
of beer well chilled. Brazil has
numerous brands of beer including
Bohemia, Antártica, Skol,Brahma,
Itaipava, Bavaria, Xingu, Kaiser and
more.
Try them yourself so you can tell
Brazilians your favorite. You should
also try a caipirinha while you're in
Brazil.

11. Social Customs
Generally, because Brazilian culture is
European based, most common European
social customs are observed in Brazil. In both
business and social situations, shaking hands
upon meeting or taking leave is customary.
But Brazilians are also very warm and caring
people. Brazilian women may kiss one (or
both) cheeks of other women upon meeting
them and, often, kiss men in a similar
manner.
In some social situations, a man or
woman may shake hands upon meeting a
Brazilian woman and receive a kiss from
them on one (or both) cheeks when taking
leave. But don't presuppose anything. Let
your Brazilian hostess lead they way. Men
will often both shake hands and pat the
shoulder of another man upon meeting or
taking leave. This is just a simple
indication of caring. Again, let your
Brazilian host lead the way.

12. Like most places elsewhere in
the world, smoking has become
increasingly restricted in Brazil.
Government health agencies
throughout Brazil have totally banned
smoking in all public places including
airports, post offices, government
offices, rest rooms, banks, hospitals,
supermarkets and other food stores,
shoppings (shopping centers/malls) as
well as restaurants and bars.
In essence, all public places.
Social Customs

13. Brazilian Currency
Brazil's currency unit is the real (plural = reais) and is made up of 100
centavos. Prices are written in reais using the symbol R$.
It's best to carry nothing larger than 10 or 20 reais bank notes. This
will make it easier to make small purchases as well as easier for small
vendors, stores and restaurants to provide you with change. Also, because
the 1 centavo coin is almost never seen these days, many establishments
will round off your purchase to the nearest 5 centavos.
Don't consider this a big thing because there is nothing that can be
bought for only a few centavos anyway.

14. Laws & Legal Issues
It doesn't matter that you may
witness others disobeying laws or are
cajoled into going along with the crowd; as
a foreigner, you should always obey all
laws.
A good "rule of thumb" is to
remember that if some thing or some
action is illegal in either the United States,
Canada, the UK or Australia, it's probably
more than likely that it's also illegal in
Brazil.

15. Laws & Legal Issues
Even as a visitor and a citizen of
another country, when you are in Brazil you
are subject to all Brazilian laws.
During your travels in Brazil, you may
encounter Federal Military Police, Federal
Highway Police, Customs Agents, Tax
Revenue Agents and other law enforcement
agents, and in cities, Civil Police and Traffic
Police.
Always obey any order any police
officer or agent gives you and always show
them both courtesy and respect.

16. Health Issues
Because Brazil is a tropical country, it's very easy to quickly become
dehydrated. Brazilian doctors recommend drinking at least two liters of water per day.
You should also consider drinking coconut water which is readily available at many
beaches and in cities from street vendors as well as restaurants and lanchonetes
(snack bars). Coconut water is a natural isotonic beverage with the same electrolytic
level as human blood. It contains no cholesterol, is naturally sterile and is full of natural
sugars, salts and vitamins to ward off fatigue. It's nature's own 'sports drink' and far
better for you than any commercially produced product.
If your travel plans include time at the
beach, limit your exposure to the sun to
recommended time limits and use a sun
block with a rating of 30 or more. More
than a few North American and European
tourists have been almost (literally) fried
on Brazilian beaches. Numerous brands
of sun block are available at most drug
stores.

17. Weather
Remember that Brazil is a tropical country straddling the Equator but,
because of its sheer size, the climate can often vary considerably from north to
south even during the same season. Because it lies in the Southern Hemisphere,
seasons in Brazil are exactly the opposite of those in North America and Europe:
Usually you can expect temperatures in the mid to high 30s°C (85 to
95+°F). Shorts, light cotton t-shirts and sandals are perfect for almost anywhere
in Brazil. You may only need pants and a light jacket or sweatshirt if the air
conditioning in some places becomes too intense.
Winter Spring Summer Autuum
06/22 to 09/22 09/22 to 12/21 12/22 to 03/21 03/22 to 06/21

18. Dictionary
Here are a few words and expressions you should learn in Portuguese!
Portuguese English
Vocês são demais! You guys are awesome!
Estão Se Divertindo? Are You Guys Having Fun?
Muito obrigado! Thank You So Much!
Nós Voltaremos We Will Be Back
Nós vemos da próxima vez! See You Next Time!
Vocês São Muito Loucos!
Amo isso!
You Guys Are Fucking Crazy!
I Love it!
Quem veio festejar? Who Came to Party?
To Use In Concerts

19. Portuguese English
Mais alto! Lauder!
Cantem! Sing!
Essa é minha música
favorita...
This Is My Favorite Song...
Essa é a última música. This Is The Last Song
Essa é uma música antiga
chamada...
This is an older song called…
A próxima música se
chama...
The next song is...
Basic
Portuguese English
Oi/Olá Hi/Hello
Olá, tudo bem? Hi, How Are You?
Prazer em te conhecer Nice To Meet You
Qual o seu nome? What’s Your Name?
Claro Sure/Bright

20. Portuguese English
Obrigado Thank You
De Nada You're Welcome
Bom Dia Good Morning
Boa Tarde Good Afternoon
Boa Noite Good Evening/Good Night
Tchau Bye
Pessoas lindas Good Looking People
Garotas Lindas! Beautiful Girls
Namorado/Namorada Boyfriend/Girlfriend
Dinheiro Money
Menino/Homem Boy/Man
Menina/Mulher Girl/Woman
Foto Picture/Photo
Celular/Telefone Cellphone/Telephone

21. Brazilian Food & Drinks
“Farofa” is a delicious accompaniment to
many Brazilian dishes, especially the classic
black bean stew “feijoada”; And everything
goes well with Brazilian-style rice, which is
prepared with tomatoes, onions and garlic.
“Arroz e Feijão” is the most famous and
traditional of all Brazilian main courses.
“Arroz e Feijão” is made of rice and
beans.
“Feijoada” is probably the most famous and
traditional of all Brazilian main courses.
"Feijoada" is made of black beans. Brazilians
eat "feijoada" all year round. Many restaurants
have at least a "Feijoada" day" per week.

22. Brazilian Food & Drinks
“Bolinho de chuva” is a traditional food in
Brazil. It is made with flour and deep fried.
You can prepare it either sweet or salty.
“Churrasco” known as Brazilian
barbecue, chunks of beef are cooked on
a metal skewer over hot coals.
“Pastéis” small pastries that are shaped like
squares or half-moons and are filled with many
different things..

23. Brazilian Food & Drinks
"Brigadeiro" is a typical Brazilian sweet,
which is served at every Brazilian birthday
party. People love "brigadeiro" and I am
sure you will love it too if you haven't tried
it yet.
"Pão de queijo" is typical Brazilian and it's a
delicious snack, which can be found at every
"lanchonete" in Brazil.
“Quindin” are also delicious little coconut
flans that are fairly simple to make.

24. Brazilian Food & Drinks
“Guaraná” is a refreshing soft drink
made from the caffeine-rich small red
fruit of the same name, with a taste
similar to cream soda
“Açaí” is very popular in Brazil as a
desert, meal or energetic source for
athletes.
"Caipirinha" is Brazil's national drink made
of cachaca, lime, sugar and ice. If you
don’t have cachaca, you can use vodka
instead. Nowadays you can find
"caipirinha" at many hip bars.

25. São Paulo
Sao Paulo is the biggest city in South America and the third one in the world. It
is the economic capital of Brazil. Sao Paulo is the economical center of Brazil in the
same time is a very important cultural center too, with several museums and touristic
attractions.
We think that you will spend your time in São Paulo so... we made a São
Paulo guide with places you can visit here.
Food in Sao Paulo is the best in the country and rivals that of any major capital
in the world. The pizzas are also extremely tasteful and a must eat. You can find it
from a wide range of restaurants from the simplest delivery place to fine expensive
ones.
Automotive traffic in São Paulo is complicated, specially in main routes, all
along the day during weeks and gets worse at rush hours (from 8 am to 10 am and
from 6 pm to 8 pm). In the weekends the traffic is better with some complications in
places where there are bars, shopping's or other public attractions.
Time & Code The time in Sao Paulo is GMT - 3 hours and they operate an
October to February time shift to make it GMT - 2 hours. The international dialing code
for Brazil is 55.

26. The Parque do Ibirapuera is São Paulo’s foremost green space. It offers a
large Sports Center, a contemporary art museum, a planetarium, bike circuits,
walking circuits, and much, much more. Ideal for letting a chilled hour or two turn
into a chilled day…
The Mercado Central is a famous place for two reasons; its building and its
food. The market is housed in a massive Neo-Gothic hall with impressive stained-
glass windows. The food is just as phenomenal – a wide array of fresh produce that
can be purchased cheaply and enjoyed on the spot!
Caixa Cultural is located about 10 minutes walk from Museu Padre Anchieta
and it’s definitely worth passing by if you're on the way! Caixa Cultural boasts cool art
galleries and art works, but the best thing about this place is the regular dance shows
and performances such as the amazing underwater performance by SereiaLab.
Places

27. São Paulo's nightlife scene is also quite spread out, with little entertainment
clusters in neighborhoods all over town. Vila Olímpia is where the 18 to 30 years olds
go for nightlife, with a number of large dance clubs located and some of the city's
best bars . Vila Madalena is more in vogue with the 25 to 45 years olds who enjoy
bars and restaurants more than dance clubs.
Sao Paulo has it all. And, if by chance, you hear someone telling that old
fashioned joke about no beaches in this town, you don’t need to worry. All you have
to do is go to Santos Beach, at the Atlantic coast, just one hour drive from Sao Paulo.
There you find a wonderful white sand beach to spend the weekend, as so many of
the Paulistas (who are born in São Paulo) do, and will be able to tell you friends that
you had it all on your trip to Sao Paulo. Even a beach!
Places

28. Santos
It’s partially located on the island of São
Vicente which harbors both the city of Santos and the
city of São Vicente, and partially on the mainland. It’s
the main and largest city in Paulista Coast.
Santos is also joined with Brazil’s first founded
town, Sao Vicente. Santos has the biggest seaport in
Latin America; is a significant tourist center; has large
industrial complexes and shipping centers.
Not only the sea and the climate attracts, but
also the beautiful beach park / promenade, which is
very pleasant to walk along. Here people exercise
cycling, jogging or just sit down and drink some
coconut water at one of many beach kiosks.

29. Today, Santos is proud of having the largest
beach garden in the world: 5.3 km (3.3 mi) along
the shore. Here one can relax and enjoy the
atmosphere of a seaside city, biking, jogging or just
walk along the beautiful beach promenade. With a
wider avenue instead of the beach park, with lighter
colored sand. Santos is like Rio de Janeiro City.
The port is also used for sailing luxurious
cruiser ships that frequent Santos and the Brazilian
coast. There are also urban outings, such as
museums, historical constructions, churches, and
many others; attracting tourists from all over the
country and the world.

30. Walk on the XV de Novembro Street. Located in the
center of Santos, the street used to be where the office s of
Coffee Lords were located. The interesting colonial
architecture and the many bars and Cafes around make it a
pleasant walk in the ending afternoon.
Bicycles are by far the best way to move
around the town, but unfortunately there are not many
places where you can rent one (but plenty where you
can buy). There are some "ciclovias" (bikelanes),
specially a well-signed one in front of the beach.
People from Sao Paulo often go to Santos to lie
down under the sun and enjoy the beach. Santos
beaches are not the most beautiful in the Paulista
Coast, but they are still popular and a good place for a
walk. Once there, you may try some coconuts (R$ 3.00)
or buy handicrafts. If you can't find the vendors, don't
worry, they will find you.

31. Well... that's all.
We hope you enjoyed this survival kit and enjoy the time you spend
here in our country and we hope see you all very soon!
Xoxo
Isabelle, Ellisa & Letícia
If you wish to know more about Brazilian music we recommend:
http://www.justbrazil.org/brazil/brazil-music.asp
and
http://www.vagalume.com.br
Sorry for our mistakes in english, cause we're learning yet...