The Kindest People in the World

A kind Brazilian man that gave me a free piece of pineapple. 

I am skipping to the next “Open Topic” to write about my spring break in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I traveled with two of my friends, Becky and Akeesh. Our week was full of stressful mishaps that evolved into hilarious adventures and in the end, despite our last minute plans and numerous semi-disasters, we came out alive and with memories to cherish.

I loved Brazil because I loved the Brazilians! There are many special things about Brazilians. For example, they are notoriously preoccupied with beauty, they tend to drink their coffee with more sugar than coffee, and the boys roam the streets in speedos. Still, what I found most unique about Brazilians was their kindness. Brazilians must be the kindest, friendliest people in the world. Whether I was walking along the beach, the streets of Rio, or the less fortunate favelas (slums) of the city, it seemed as if everyone was smiling. Happy eyes, toothy grins and carefree mannerisms all welcomed me to Brazil. Perhaps Rio de Janeiro—with its abundant sun, beautiful beaches, breathtaking landscapes, delicious tropical fruits and constant live music—is simply something to smile about.

Yet the Brazilians that we met in Rio were so ridiculously kind that at first, my friends and I had trouble deciphering and accepting their overly friendly behavior. For example, one day we were riding the bus to “Santa Teresa”, which is a specific area within Rio. We were having trouble navigating the bus system in Portuguese when the kindest Brazilian chica quickly stepped in to help us out. To us, it was kind of her to direct us, and even kinder of her to amiably welcome us to Brazil with her conversation throughout the rest of the bus ride. But to our surprise, when we arrived at our bus stop, the girl insisted on exiting the bus with us. She proceeded to take us to her apartment where she gave us her umbrella for the rainy weather, and then she personally guided us throughout the city to our destination. I must emphasize that this was no easy destination; she took us on a trek up a mountain, in the rain, in the dark, to Santa Teresa. My friends and I could not grasp why this girl was willing to entirely rid her day plans to help three Americans. Naturally, as Americans, the three of us were convinced that the girl had a team of killers at the top of the mountain waiting to pounce. Since we rarely encounter people exhibiting kindness without incentive, we were convinced that she had ulterior motives. As we followed the girl, we shot each other desperate glances that read “WHAT are we getting ourselves into????”
When we finally arrived at Santa Teresa, the girl refused to leave us. Despite our sly attempts to abandon her, she simply wasn’t going anywhere. She preferred to show us around all evening and was, in her own words, “treating herself to our company”. Thus, we decided that this girl’s fatal flaw was her kindness; kindness to the point of annoyance!

The rest of our trip was full of characters similar to the previous girl. The people in Brazil were not hesitant to make conversation and they refused to let the language barrier stop them from attempting to communicate with us. Although we only spent a week in Brazil, my friends and I managed to become regulars at a few burger joints and juice bars near our hostel. The employees at these places were so kind that we couldn’t resist returning. The employees would recognize us, greet us, and then we would smile and compulsively wave at each other as we couldn’t communicate any other way. (Understanding Spanish will not help your comprehension of Portuguese).

One last encounter seems to sum up what I learned about Brazilians during my visit:
My friends and I were at a restaurant when a lady asked us if she could join our table. She said that she had overheard us speaking in English and that she spoke English as well. Apparently, for her this was enough reason to desire our friendship. Before she even sat down, she offered to buy all of us a round of caparinhas (a Brazilian drink). She said: “I know this is weird to you, but in Brazil this is what we do. We make friends!”