Inception.

This blog post is about my trip to Rio from 6th Feb to 10th Feb 2012. Generally, blogs which describe a trip are supposed to be informative and detailed.. I, on the other hand, am going to make this one more to the philosophical side.

Rio De Janeiro. Three beautiful words. In portuguese they mean ' The River of January'. I always had, not exactly a dream but, an attraction towards this place. Mainly because of the statue of Christ. I went there by plane.. the first time I laid my eyes on this city, I was fascinated. Fascinated by the sheer beauty Rio offers.. It was a sunny day, the sun beaming on the blue waters of the sea.. Amazing. We checked into our hotel and after the general 'Getting to know each other' session, we went to have dinner. We were back in our hotel by night and then we went to the roof of the hotel where they had a swimming pool. We met some Dutch tourists there and after a cultural and intellectual exchange (about football) it was time to go to bed. Here, I HAVE to mention that from the roof, you could see the Christ. Just the Christ in clear white light. That is one of the best sights in the world. The son of God with his hands spread wide looking over the city of Rio de Janerio, protecting the people. Watching the statue gave me a sense of motivation, a sense of security and the best of all, the feeling of a dream coming true with every passing moment. Then, I was off to sleep before I knew it. I was sleeping in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.. That is a feeling to savour.
   The morning was a lazy one.. We had to change our hotels. So, after doing all that, our group was off to the beach. The Copacabana beach. The most famous beach in the world. It meant a lot more to me just because of the fact that I love the beach in general. My first step on the white sands was an unforgettable one. I took off my slippers and I let my foot just sink in. *Chup* Beautiful. Just Perfect. I walked towards the water just to discover that it was really really cold! Many people had doubts whether to get in or not. I had my mind fixed. Cold or warm, I don't care.. I'm going in. The water stopped being cold after a while and then it was wonderful. Imagine a light blue horizon in front, white sands behind you, calm yet strong waves crashing into you and you just breathe, one breath after the other, your heart beating a bit faster than normal, close your eyes and let Rio win you over. I, have experienced serenity. Peace of mind. Peace of body and peace of soul. After all this soul searching and feeling serene, I went to enjoy. Swimming with friends, taking pictures, eating french fries and taking a walk till the end of the Copacabana beach helped me pass the time. We arrived at mid-day and it was already four by now. I decided to indulge myseld in a game of football with some strangers until half past four when it was time to leave. I left Copacabana in happiness, hoping to return some day. We got cleaned up after frolicking in the sands and the immense amount of salt the sea posseses. I slept for a while, until it was time to go have dinner. We were supposed to go to have a Samba class but that got cancelled for some reason. So, we went shopping to a little market-place near the beach. The day ended with a good-nights sleep.

Third day in Rio already. Todays schedule was a trip to the centre of the city. The first place we went to was a place with called the Selaron stairs. It was filled with various tiles from all over the world. India had representatives too. Tiles with pictures of the Ramayana and some other tiles with Sai Baba, Durga and Shiva were also there. That place was filled with colours and diversity and some unforgettable idioms. Next, we went walking towards the Theatre of the city.. We passed by a statue of Mahatma Gandhi and Mahatma Gandhi Square. The statue and the name because some peace treaty between India and Brazil was signed at that place by Gandhiji. It was nice to see India and Brazil be so attached to each other and being an ambassador of the country in Brazil, it makes me even more proud and happy to have come to Brazil. Moving on, we saw the theatre, an old church and also went to a Victorian styled restaurant to have some sweets. Later, we went to see the Maracana stadium! THE MARACANA STADIUM. We could not enter the stadium because of ongoing work for the 2014 World Cup (Maybe I shall enter the stadium in 2014 with 80,000 other people!) Then, we went to see a favela. As soon as I entered the favela, I remembered Mumbai. The exact same smell, the same things. I was back in India for a while. Every house or rather shack had a TV, a washing machine and a microwave. There were little children scampering around and old people just chilling. We went to an opening where three 'ripe' men came out without shirts, one with a coke in his hand, set-up a table and started playing cards. Pretty nice life, I thought to myself. That is Brazil for you.. No matter how bad the situation, these people always know how to make it better, how to enjoy it, get positives out of it. I, too have learned that now. A good thing to learn, isn't it? Then, we were going to a place called Pao de Açucar, which means Sugar loaf. It is at a height of about 2100 metres and you can see almost the whole city of Rio from there. I did not find that place VERY interesting.. It was just for the view. Dinner at a pizza place followed. The exchange students had planned a small party for a Finnish girl who was turning 18 tomorrow. We danced until 1:30 and then went to sleep.
4th and the last day in Rio already. THIS was the day I was waiting for. It was time to visit the most magnificent place in Rio. Christ the Redentor. My dream. We got out of our hotel and a brief bus journey took us to the place. We sat into a tram which would then take us to the statue. We reached there and everyone scattered around. I was on my own from here. I took the two escalators and I say the most grand, the most magnificent thing I had ever seen in my entire life. It did not seem like a statue anymore. It seemed like a real man. I just thought to myself, ' My God. This makes everything worth it. EVERYTHING. Right from filling in the application forms to going away from India to coming here. It was worth it.' Watching that thing from so near made me shiver. I could see the ENTIRE city of Rio from this place. Whatever the people do, wherever they go, whenever they need help... Jesus is watching. Literally. I thought of a man, about to commit suicide... He sees Jesus, with arms wide open and thinks to himself, ' No, this is not going to happen' His mind filled with peace, his heart full of hope, he starts his life all over again and ends up dying a happy man. Christ The Redentor is not merely statue... It's much more. He protects Rio de Janeiro. Later, we went to Ipanema beach to have some more fun and see the sun dying on Rio. I was in the water, watching the sun going down. Just relaxing my body.. Getting rid of all the pain, all the sadness and I was ready to be a good man after this trip. I am a changed man now.. I have evolved and I love it. Everything in me is changing for the better and I have this wonderful country to thank.

On a parting note, I feel that Rio de Janeiro and me are very similar. We have some wonderful things e.g Rio has Copacabana beach, I am a caring guy... Rio has Ipanema beach, I am fun-loving... Rio has the Christ, I am a peaceful soul... Rio has Maracana, I am a enthusiastic person. Yet, Rio has the favelas, a lot of drugs, corruption, robberies... Me? Haha.. I have my bad side too. 85 % is good but the remaining 15 % needs to be worked on... If the people of Rio can, why can't I? This, concludes my blog about the most beautiful country I have ever seen.

25 Things I Know Have Changed.

So, it's been 5 months since I came here.. 5 more months to go. This one, is a list of things that have changed in me in the 5 months I have been here. In no particular order, here goes.

1. I have become more responsible. Now, I know how to take care of myself and my routine.

2. I have improved in football. A LOT.

3. I have started listening to reggae and post rock.

4. I am a lot less shy now. I do not hesitate before starting a conversation.

5. I have become a jolly person. I smile and laugh a lot since coming here, don't know why!

6. I started blogging! Hehehe

7. My way of thinking has undergone a drastic change. 

8. I learnt that there is something positive in every situation.

9. I have learnt a new language and I'm getting better at it everyday!

10. Making friends has been the highlight of my exchange. I have friends from all over the world.

11. I have realized who my true friends are, back home.

12. I know how to prepare Stroganoff and Brigadeiro (Brazilian sweet)

13. I have woken up at 5 in the evening! The latest in India was 1, I think.

14. I have had a lot of time to myself and that has helped me so much... It has brought me closer to myself and now I know What I Am and What I Have To Be.

15. I have watched a lot of movies.

16. I have become very peaceful. I have not become angry in 5 months which can only be a good thing.

17. Of Course, I have learnt the value of things and you cannot take anything for granted because itis being given to you.

18. I now know what it is to miss people.

19. I have grown a lot physically and mentally. I have become taller, put on some weight, currently growing a beard (Like a Boss) Mentally, I have become stronger, healthier, peaceful and thoughtful.

20. I have become more caring and loving.

21. I can now balance between keeping quiet and talking. I know when I should shut up and when I should share my opinions.

22. I have certainly become a lot more emotional than I was before.

23. I respect each and every person more than I did.

24. I have a new found love called Brazil.

25. The bottomline of all this, is that I have matured a lot and I know it. That is the best part of all. :)

So, that's all for now. You will experience all these changes in 5 months time. See you soon.

Every Coin Has Two Sides.

I am almost half-way through my exchange program and it has been wonderful so far. Until now, I have been praising this beautiful country (I can't stop!) and how it has developed me as a person. But, as the title suggests, every coin has two sides. This got me thinking about the 'negative' effects Brasil has had on me.

The first change I have noticed in me is the increase in 'Chalta Hai' attitude. I say increase because I always was to that side and Brasil has increased that side in me. I have started taking things easy. That is not what an exchange student is supposed to gain. The reason is simple, in Brasil everything is smooth. There is a huge chance that I have mis-understood it. But, that's the way my brain has perceived it. For e.g. It's ok if you go late to your class in school. It's ok even if you stay outside for no reason, the principal passes by and does nothing. Secondly, there were times when I did not do what I was told to do like petty chores in the house. My mother did them for me and did not even say anything.
Also, I am losing my politeness which my parents always imbibed in me. In India, I involuntarily got up from my place when an elderly person had no place to sit. I had an experience, where I thought for a while if all the other kids are don't want to get up, why should I? (Talk about peer pressure!) But, my Indian roots removed that question in no time. Still, it took me seven seconds to get up whereas in India it would have taken me two. (So far, this is the only incident which occurred in regard to politeness) My respect for the female form has taken a new turn. In Brasil, there is absolutely no difference between female and male friends. NO difference. You can say whatever you want no matter what gender you are talking to. Again, my Indian conscience refrains me from doing that. Besides that, here, touching people is on a whole new level compared to India. A shake hand in India = A kiss in Brasil. That's the best way I can put it. Fortunately, I know what I'm doing in regard to this matter. In Rome, do as the Romans do. In India, do as the Indians do. That's what I'm going to keep in mind at all times.
Studies. I have not studied absolutely anything for the past 5 months, I mean from a textboox or that sort of study. When I get back to India, I'm going to be a Science student with a PCMB course. I'm starting to get a tad concerned about coping up with it. No athlete can start running without a proper warm-up and neither can a brain! I need to leave that topic aside for a bit. I have my own laptop with a super-fast internet in my room. Dream distraction, isn't it? There is always something to see on the internet, always something to download, always someone to chat with. It's not that I'm addicted to my laptop (Thank God!) Whenever somebody asks me if I want to hang out, get together and do something I never say no! I am an 'outdoor person'. I don't think I had ever stayed in a house 24 hours for two days in a row. Until now. Bad.
The most important change, which in other words is the worst change, is that my self-motivation is depleting each day of the holidays. Already, I had self-motivation the size of a skunk. Now, it's the size of a hamster. Three of the above factors have contributed to this. 'Chalta Hai' attitude, no studies, nothing to do(I know you will disagree on this but it is happening) and the laptop with super-fast internet in my room. I decide to do something and then just forget all about it and it doesn't even matter! Which is a bad thing although it makes me happy.

But, being in Brasil for 5 months, I will always look at the positive side. I have taken the first step towards recovery, that is, understanding the problem! So, to all you people who want to come to Brasil. The grass is not always greener on the other side. But still, It's pretty green here and I do not regret coming to Brasil. One of the best things that can happen to a person. :)

Another Brick In The Wall.

Today was a real revelation in 'My Life' you may say. I was preparing a CD for my Brazilian Mother with all types of Indian music as her Christmas gift. Youtube, Youtube to Mp3 convertor, me and a fast download speed started working in harmony (pun intended) to get that CD done. What followed was magic.

I started my Youtube search with Ajay-Atul. Found some of the best music which also depicts Indian culture quite well. No surprises, quite expected. I don't know what caught me but suddenly I turned to Indian Classical music. That's when I was absolutely astonished. We have the most peaceful music Ever. My first search took me to Anoushka Shankar playing the sitar. That's when I knew that my CD was going to be a great gift. Ustad Zakir Hussain, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Taufiq Qureshi, Amjad Ali Khan, Kishori Amonkar, Pt.Hariprasad Chaurasia, Shivkumar Sharma....... I did not stop! Listen, download. Listen, download. That's all I was doing. I was in some other world while doing it. Then, I turned to some fusion. Shakti, Prem Joshua, Baba, Advaita brought me back to earth with some real fusion. Where was all this before? Why wasn't I listening to this tuff before? I don't understand anything about 'Sur and Taal and Raagas and all those details'. But they often say, Music is a language which everybody understands. That is true.
I got my preferences of Indian Classical music as well. My favourite raaga is Hansadhwani, without a doubt. Also, I prefer instrumental music rather than vocals. (Maybe because I don't understand a thing about sur) I won't listen to Indian Classical all day. I know that. I am not a fan of Classical music as such. If given a choice between Indian Classical and Coldplay, I WILL choose Coldplay. But, If given a choice between Indian Classical and Heavy Metal, I will choose the former. Just because it is more peaceful than anything I have ever heard (and Brasilian life is all about peace). It tells stories about nature, about this wonderful world we live in, about the people we have around, about life, love and peace. All of this without words.
It's not only about the Classical range but also the culture our country has! Lavani, Gondhal, Dhol-Taasha are some of the 'genres' I have added in the CD. Just Maharashtrian. I am not very sure about adding Punjabi, Gujrathi, Rajasthani or even South Indian stuff. Ganpatichi Aarti commences the CD while Jana Gana Mana ends it.
Just as I thought that this was the end of my Musical day, there was more to follow. Just 2 days to Christmas. The church beckoned. There was a performance by the church orchestra. Might have been a 30-35 piece Orchestra. A 23 year old conductor began the proceedings. Violin, Cello, Double Bass, Trumpet, Tuba, Saxophone,  Drums, Piano, Xylophone, Harp... They had all the ingredients to put up a great show and put up a great show they did. This was the first time I ever heard a live harp and it was one of the best things my ears have perceived. By the way, the theme was the birth of Jesus Christ and the show was called, 'Who is the boy?'  The evening was a great one. I could not help myslef from smiling at the musical excellence I had witnessed. All's well that end's well. And hell yeah, All is well !

One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.  -Bob Marley.

 That sums up all I have written. :)

The Perfect Week.

    11-18 December. I experienced something which I was very lucky to experience and maybe will never experience in my life again. That 'something' is called 'The Perfect Week'. Everybody has had perfect days, two days, three days, max. 7 days of pure perfection is something to savour.

 *I'm trying to keep it as brief as possible, so I can fit the whole week into one post'

Pandharpur!

Fondue. So Fond of you! ;)

It all started on a Sunday. I was going to leave for a city called Campos do Jordao with my second host mother, my aunt and my Taiwanese brother. Fun times ahead, eh? There were. Half of the day went in travelling. We also stopped in the 'Pandharpur' of Catholics called Aparecida do Norte where they had an ENORMOUS church. We continued on our journey after having lunch at ADN. (Yes, I am lazy.) We reached CDJ (Lazy, again.) at about 5. Believe me, it is THE most beautiful place. Tucked in amidst mountains, temperature ranging from 15-20 degrees, houses designed as you saw in fairytales and there was a little train running through the town. What more could one ask for?! Nothing. But, there was more! The chocolates here come second only to Swiss ones. It was just heavenly. We sat down at a restauraunt, a street side restaurant for a little chat which lasted almost 2 hours! So many stories to be told! We went to the hotel to have dinner. The dinner was an UNFORGETTABLE one for me. Just because of two tiny details. The waiter gave me nine pieces of cutlery. NINE.4 Forks, 3 knives and 2 spoons. Secondly, when he lifted the lid off my plate, he said, 'Bon Apetite'. I could not stop myself from grinning that time. I mean, he said Bon Apetite! That made me feel so royal!! *Blush* The first day of my perfect week came to a peaceful end with a good nights sleep.

 

2nd day began with a quick breakfast and then we were off to Tarundu (I hope I remember the name properly). That place was a ranch where they had a lot of activities. I ended up doing Tirolesa from almost 150 metres high. Was scary as hell. Then, I did some jumping on the trampoline, ice skating, horse riding the orbitball (twice), ate french fries and drank a lot of water. Almost 6 hours of adventure filled activites. Doing the orbitball twice apparently was a mistake because I started feeling dizzy and uneasy later but a little nap brought me back to normal. Dinner and Sleep concluded the day.

Matter zhaala re!!

3rd day began with waking up late. Going for a drive to the highest point in Sao Paulo, then to the governor's house. Reached home at 4. My laptop wasn't back yet, so I watched some TV. Just chilled for the rest of the day.

4th day, I woke up really late. Ate. Went for a little walk.Roamed around a bit, listening to music. Feeling happy about myself. Reached home a tad late. Was fine though. Slept like a log.

5th day, Woke up late again. Had to go to football, got ready. Was the last day of this year. Played a game, had LOADS of fun. Got to know that the club had a party tomorrow. Bought new headphones and greeting card for christmas, roamed around a bit today too. Got home at 6. Prepared ham sandwiches with some grape juice when my parents arrived with Pastel (My favourite food in Brasil) and my laptop (My best friend in Brasil). No need to tell how the rest of my day went. (The answer is, Laptop)

With my American Dude

6th day. I woke up at 8 in the morning to attend the party of my football club. Oh My!! What a wonderful world this is. I went alone to a family party but ended up having loads of fun! I played football with unkown people and made friends. Those friends included 40 year olds as well. I then went to see the games of the 5-7 year old kids. Football games. They were superstars that day! Proper coaches, proper jerseys, parents shouting Go Go Go.. Kick, Pass, look there, look here, what are you doing?!... With all the energy they had. I was standin between the parents of Joao and some guy from 'M'. The parents of Joao, especially the mother cracked me up! She was like,'Go Joao, Go Joao' All the time! While shouting she suddenly stopped and asked here husband, 'Where is Joao?' Oh! There he is.. Go Joao Go Joao!! SO FUNNY! Joao's team managed to win and I was happy for Joao as well. *Smiles*. I reached home for lunch and in an hour had to go to A mexican girls house to hang out with the other exchange students who were visiting the city. We went to a park which had Hippo's, lions, panthers and such animals. I even saw a Tapir, a baby Hyena and an Anteater! We talked a lot, joked a lot, laughed a lot... Just had a good time. The three guys who had come from Sao Paulo were going to stay at my place. We got home at 12. Chatted for a little while and went to sleep really late.

7th and the final day. Woke up late. Naturally. Had lunch. Watched Liverpool win 2-0. I had to go to the graduation of my aunt which was a big event and the whole family from my mothers side was there! The ceremony was nice and later we went for a Barbeque. We went back home at 8. A little 'Thank You' to God and I was under my blanket in no time. What followed was a nice sleep.

    I call THIS 'My Perfect Week' because it was flawless on the important aspects of life.

Family Ties :)

    Friends. Check.

    Family. Check. 

    Football. Check.

    Fun. Check 

    Feeling good about myself. Check.

You don't need anything more to be perfect. Perfection is quite achievable. Another thing Brasil taught me. :)

Viva La Futébol.

A nice Saturday morning. Woke up at 6:30. Got ready and before I knew it, we were off to São Paulo. The group was full of 7-9 year old kids. I considered myself a volunteer ( though I really was not) We reached the museum at about 9. The museum was in a stadium called Pacaembu. It is the home ground of Corinthians. My first trip to a real football stadium. I was extremely excited, even more than the little kids with me but I was ‘too mature’  to show  it.

After completing the formalities we entered the museum. Official footballs used for the World Cups from 1970-2010 greeted us. Then, there was a 3D screen which had the great Pele welcoming us into the museum. The first exhibit was overwhelming. A dark room with  hanging glass screens with Brazilian greats on them. Garrincha, Pele, Socrates, Zico, Romario, Jairzinho. Wow. Impressed.  Later, there were kind of boxes in which you had to stand and could choose between some of the important moments of Brazilian football. E.g.  The Roberto Baggio penalty miss in 1994 with Brazilian commentary (It’s a whole new thing).  Then there were more boxes which were made like a radio and you could tune in to famous Brazilian commentators. Wow again.  

This next exhibit is my favourite of all time. Surely. A dark under-construction stadium with the smell of soil filled with screens. The  celebrations of the supporters. Makes you feel like you are in a real stadium. Hearing them chanting their songs, watching them lighting flares, screaming at the top of their voices made the hair on my arms stand. The vibrations sent shivers down my spine. I could have stayed in that room for the rest of  my life without getting bored. My utmost respect to the man who concieved the idea and a big hug to the man who created this thing. That room gave me the most amazing feeling of my life. It’s probably the only thing that can give me this feeling. I know it.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XDajXhGL_I&feature=relmfu (Imagine this in a drak room, with full bass, vibrations on your feet. What you can imagine is just the beginning of what I experienced.) Here is more. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXmB0xENsDo 

The following exhibit was all related to the World Cup. They had blocks with TV's on all sides. 360 Degrees. Each block was given two World Cups's. For e.g. 1970 and 1974 were in one block, 1978 and 1982 in another.. So on. I experienced an amusing experience at the 1982 World Cup block. Brasil needed 1 point to qualify for the Semi-Final's. They were playing against Italy.Now Italy had a striker named Paolo Rossi who was involved in drugs, mafia matters and all the wrong things before the World Cup. His selection for it was a shock to most people.. All of the people to be honest! This guy, Paolo Rossi pops up and scored thrice against Brasil. His first goals in the tournament. Final Score 3-2. Brasil out of the World Cup. Mind you, The Brasilian team of 1982 is regarded as one of the best teams to grace the football field. Now, a woman behind me randomly comes up and says, 'O esse filho da puta Paola Rossi né? Deveria ter morrido, Babaca' I was laughing SO hard on hearing that. The sentence translates as,' This son of a bitch, Paolo Rossi, isn't it? Should have died, asshole'. Now, leave all the abuses and stuff. The love for their team is what amazes me. I mean, A woman randomly walks up to you and abuses a guy. That's passion. Passion for football. Absolutely amazing.
Moving on, I watched a REAL football stadium for the first time. Estadio Pacaembu. The home stadium of Corinthians. (Who went on to become the champions this year) They were going to have the championship game the next day. If they had won or drawn against Palmeiras the next day, they are the champions and they did exactly that. Too bad. Nobody I know likes Corinthians. Me neither. The following activities were general fun. They had virtual football, then the info of ALL the teams in Brasil. All info that too. They also had a place where you shoot a penalty and they measure the speed of your kick. 88 kmph, I got. Not bad.

That was the last of it. At 11, we were out of the museum. Too bad we couldn't stay for longer. This is one of the places where I can spend a full day without getting bored. A musuem which I will never forget.           Viva La Futébol.

50 Things I learnt about Brasil and Brasilians.

So, It's already been three months. Seems like yesterday I was that scared little, curly-haired kid. It's been fun till now. Hope for better times ahead. This is my 'Observations and Conclusions' of Brasil in the 3 months I have been here.

This is just a random list. Not based on specific subjects and stuff.

1. To begin with, Brasilians are the most friendly people I have ever seen. People you have never seen before treat you like best friends.

2. Brasilians LOVE to eat and feed others.

3. Brasilians love sports. All kinds of sports and ,of course, football especially.

4. Special mention to my mother here who knew Zlatan Ibrahimovic was Swedish. She is almost 50. *Bows*

5. Brasilians are very patriotic.

6. They also like thteir meat a lot. All meals include some or the other type of meat.

7. Brasilian teenagers have no respect for girls. ( The ones that I have been with)

8. Brasilian girls need to have some more respect for themselves.

9. It's generally very hot here but it can rain anytime and then it's very cold.

10. The Barbeques are addictive.

11. If you want to hang out, the first place they suggest is the mall.

12. Brasil is very beautiful. May it be the cities or the outskirts.

13. They have almost NO English here. Just Portuguese.

14. Son of a Bitch is a really strong abuse here. (In portuguese, of course, which is Filho da Puta.)

15. Brasilians LOVE to party.

16. I was pretty disappointed by the music here. Not very good.

17. Students treat teachers as friends.

18. Girls will not hesitate to make the first move.

19. Brasilian women are overhyped. They are not THAT beautiful. With the clothes they wear any woman will look good. I prefer Indian girls to Brasilian.

20. Brasil is wonderful to walk around alone with a Mp3 player.

21. Brasil is not extremely unsafe. It's Ok.

22. Brasilian footballers are exactly what you have heard of them. They are crazy. ABSOLUTELY CRAZY.

23. Indian and Brasilian humour is almost the same.

24. Brasilians are very talkative as well.

25. There's a lot more to Brasil than Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

26. P.S. Rio de Janeiro means River of January.

27. They had a TV show which was about India.

28. They have a lot of unique foodstuffs like Pastel, Brigadeiro.etc. and a drink called Guarana.

29. The rivalry between two local football teams is dangerously high.

30. They play 'Futsal' more than actual 11 v 11 football.

31. The day in Brasil starts very early... At 7 most people are out of their homes.

32. Exams are very easy. Just a little worksheet. I don't know why they make such a big deal about it.

33. If you get a Brasilian angry, you have done something really bad.

34. Brasilians love to drink.

35. The bus system is very organized.

36. They have sex shops on the road.

37. Should have told this one a lot earlier! The general form of greeting women is a kiss on the cheek.

38. The general form of greeting a boy is a clap and a punch on the knuckles.

39. They have left-hand drive.

40.Brasilians are generally very happy people. They like to enjoy life rather than sulk about stuff.

41. Brasilians are also pretty sentimental. That's good, to be honest. You can talk to a friend about serious, deep stuff withoug being made fun of.

42. Brasilians are the most polite people ever

43. Brasilians will love you no matter how you are.

44. Brasil will treat you as it's own. This country has a vibe or rather an aura which makes you feel like her son.

45. Miracles happen in Brasil.

46. The colours of the sky are one of a kind.

47. Brasilians love their God.

48. Brasil is all about Peace and Love.

49. Quando você quer alguma coisa, todo o Universo conspira para ajudar você a conseguir isso. " - Paulo Coelho. Brasilian. One of the best thought ever.

50. Te Amo, Brasil. :)

So, That's it. 3 months. in 50 points. Seems easy. Believe me, it is not. Reading this is fun. Experiencing it... Orgasmic. Amen.