What's Important in Brazil?

So, the week is almost run and the hedonism of a weekend lies ahead; for those who have Saturday and Sunday as their weekend.  Thanks a million fro popping in on the last day of the traditional working week.  You are most welcome.

Here we go with the impossible; and, perhaps, presumptuous.  I want to try to give you a flavour for what 'floats people's boats' here in Aracaju, NE Brazil, for the things that are important to people as, in that, you will get a little more insight into the nature of the society and culture.  I do, of course, realise that with everyone being different and individuals having conflicting likes and dislikes I shall have to roll out sweeping generalisations....but I hope you will accept that such generalisations are usually based on a fair degree of truth and that I am only speaking to what I have witnessed myself amongst friends and family and within the communities around us.

I feel it apposite to begin with the one item that I believe would be new on anyone's list of things important to Brazilians.  It joined the list in late June and is, of course, political engagement and the drive for political change.  When I say this is a newcomer to the what's important list, that is not to say that people here didn't care about quality of life issues, corruption and political reform prior to June.  They most certainly did....but, for the first six years of my time here family and friends would hold forth on such subjects, then shrug and order another beer.  Social and political change and an end to the endemic corruption, these things were someone else's responsibility, not mine and not yours and, in any case, if we tried to take action nothing would happen.  Such was the stance of everyone I met from hairdresser to doctor, flight attendant to bank manager, policeman to judge.  It was the classic, laissez fair, laid back (to the point of falling over) Brazilian approach to life....until June.  In that amazing two plus weeks one felt a sense of, and hoped for, a change in the dynamics of democracy here as ordinary people took to the streets in their hundreds of thousands, not at the behest of the trades unions or political activist groups but in a bottom up, issues driven surge of public angst.

Sadly, one also has to note that the surge tide ebbed pretty swiftly.  As we moved into July the hundreds of thousands dwindled to thousands and then hundreds.  That said, President Dilma Rousseff had moved with impressive alacrity, met with leaders of the disparate protesting elements and announced a swathe of responses to the legitimate grievances that had been raised.  As a result, if feeling generous, one could say that many had reason to think 'job done' and return home.  I did note, however, that when reports began to surface of what appeared to be deceitful, duplicitous delays and backtracking by many political leaders (from which I would exempt the President, who seemed to be wholly genuine in her desire to meet the needs expressed by the people) and Congress in particular, they were met with bursts of anger....but only as the hand was held out for that next beer and the discussion closed with 'nothing will ever happen'.  Status quo returned?  I think not, not as such.  Smaller protest action has continued, some of it quite vociferous, though now tending to be area or subject specific and, behind that, anyone who forgets June, who relegates it to a one off would be myopic.  There is still justifiable anger on the streets in relation to many issues, particularly relating to social services, quality of life and corruption and I get a sense that it would take only one catalyst issue or event to light the fire under the population again....and next year we have the eyes of the world on us with the soccer World Cup and then a general election.  Political engagement may be new on the list, but I think it is here to stay.

Next, we have to turn to soccer!  At a national level we might recall our discussions, in previous posts, about Brazil and the rest of the world.  We noted that, for many years, much of the globe saw Brazil as more or less irrelevant, saw little potential or achievement in the country.  During this time, soccer might be seen as a way in which Brazil could stick its finger up/stick up its fingers (depending on where you live) to the rest of the world and display not just competence but dominance.  Soccer was a source of pride for a population that desperately wanted to be proud of their country.  When people are disdainful toward you, when they are supercilious in their dealings with you it is worth its weight in gold to have something that allows you to throw it back in their faces.  For the man on the street in Aracaju, and across Brazil, soccer filled that role.  I might mention the importance of rugby to my nation, Wales, where it has a similar role in affording the nation real pride.

Taking it down a notch, to individual level, soccer may be seen both as a temporary escape from often very hard times and as a route to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  In a nation wherein tens of millions live in poverty, soccer is both something to take you out of yourself for an hour or so after work or school each day, to lose yourself in, and is also seen by many as a possible route out of the favelas and arid rural villages and into a world of wealth and fame.  One can flag up the world famous Pelé as the archetype here and follow that right through to the current darling of the national game, Neymar, who rose from humble beginnings to become the highest paid player in Brazil.  A dream, yes, but many have had them, held them tight, leaned hard on them in difficult times and always, in the back of the mind, thought......maybe?!

A great deal of Neymar´s staggering personal wealth, at the ripe old age of 21, has come from sponsorship deals and the like, with adverts fixating on his hair and his body.  If you log onto his personal web site, the first photos to greet you are of him with open shirt or stripped to the waist.  Looks are very important in Brazil and particularly so in Aracaju on the NE coast, where even in winter the temperature can hit 32C/90F and doesn´t drop below the 20sC/70sF and people, particularly the youth, are often clad in the minimum necessary to protect one's modesty.  You can find that in seaside/ocean side communities around the world,of course, but here it goes to the point of plastic surgery being almost a national passion.  We know people in their 20s who have had plastic surgery after the discovery of what they see as the first 'crow's feet' appearing from the corner of an eye; you may remember that in a previous post we discussed the fact that the population is so much more sexually aware and open here, from the very start of teenage years.  Across the country, plastic surgery is surprisingly cheap, so, combine the factors and you explain its prevalence and popularity.  As they get older, by which I mean into the 30s (!) or even 40s, we know various people who have had surgery to reduce stomach size....the problem being, in each case, that this has been seen as a solution in and of itself, with no change in lifestyle.  All of which is good news for the plastic surgeon who will see the same people banging on his door again surprisingly quickly.  I have found the passion with looks at all costs and the horror at signs of ageing, any signs of ageing to be somewhat disturbing....much as it is with many in the gay community, of course!

For women in the NE, I am told that muscular buttocks and thighs are as important as breasts may be further South in the country.  Many aspire to at least 1m girth around the buttocks, leading down to strong thighs.  I know that men, whether gay or str8, are attracted to different body types/shapes but, in the NE, a set of muscular buttocks and powerful thighs frantically shaking out a samba or forro seem to be a guaranteed route to happiness for str8 guys and girls.  This might, of course, seem a trivial observation, were it not for the importance of dance and of sexual attraction here.  When it comes to the bodies of lads and men, I see much the same as I am used to elsewhere but also note a greater desire to develop buttocks and legs; indeed, the London type gym bunny with powerful arms, ripped pecs and a defined six pack will still elicit laughter from a Brazilian man from the NE if he removes his trousers to display sparrow type legs.

Freedom.  At least in the NE there is a craving to be free of obligations, work or social, of all commitments.  The reason for existing is to enjoy oneself, just have fun.  It does mark out the NE as being different from much of the rest of the country, so I am told, and the Region takes a good deal of stick as a result of it.  The society is noticeably more easy, chilled and hedonistic than one finds in most European or N American areas and, as a result, times, dates, details for meetings mean much less. You may see this as maddening, or quite liberating; and it reminds me of parts of Ireland and many parts of the Arab world - thought from different origins, I would contend.  I have to balanced, however, and note that in this burgeoning City things are changing and we boast tens of millionaires and, apparently, a couple of billionaires.  Wealth is breaking out in parts of the City and within certain social groups and, therein, hedonism gives way to, or at least shares front row with money making.

Toys.  Toys are very important here; by which I mean the so called big boys toys, but extending that concept across both sexes.  The latest cell phone, a smart, pimped out car, a shiny new watch, the newest laptop or even the most recent Nike training shoes (very expensive here).  Possessions, things are important here in a way which is slightly different from that which I have seen in most other places.  We all like to own 'nice things' and all like to look good; before I met my husband all my jeans were Evisu and T shirts were Armani, Ted Baker, D & G, A & F etc topped with a Versace jean jacket.  But here in Aracaju, I think one sees an importance over and above the standard meaning of looks.  This Region has been and, outside Aracaju, still is poor.  It seems that this results in a need to counter that reality, to prove the lie to it by displaying possessions, ´bling´.  We know many friends who will rather own a 'hot' car and the other items above than invest in their own home; not just young guys but across the ages.  You can see new, four wheel drive SUV vehicles parked outside the sometimes very poor housing in which their owners live.  The car and other accessories are seen by many more people, of course, so have greater utility in conveying pretended wealth; particularly as your social group is likely to be built upon your place of work or your sports club etc and not your area of residence, as we have discussed previously.  It is an element of looks, you could say, but not so much to say 'I look good' as it to say I have good things, I am not poor. That seems to be very important here and I dare say can be seen in areas with similar socio-economic profiles around the world.

I could go on and on, listing observations about what is important to people here....but am sure you would rather I didn't.  At this point I shall close the rather eclectic, top of head collection of things that are important to people here.  I often precis such assessments down to soccer, sex, sun, sand and beer....the order changing depending on who is playing, who/what's on offer and how much you've drunk.

The next post will be on Monday.  I am most grateful to you for looking in on this one and I do hope you have a great weekend.

Stay safe.

Dave