Uruguiana, Brazil, 25 Februaray 2025
It goes without saying that literally anything can serve as a cultural marker. In Brazil, one such marker I consider the artistry with which electricty is handled as the two pictures here illustrate.
Another is the cleanliness and the absence of it of public toilettes at busstations. In Rio Grande do Sul: The one of Santo Angelo that I most recently visited was in such a state that I immediately decided to forget my need to use it; The one in Santa Maria however was a model of cleanliness.
On the inside of my hotelroom in Santa Maria a note said: Atenção: Não colocar roupas para secar nas janelas (Attention: Do not use the windows to hang clothes to dry.) I was reminded of a similar note that I once encountered in Tapes: Por favor, não utilize a toalha de rosto ou de banho para limpar os sapátos (Please, do not use the face towels or the bath towels to clean your shoes). My inquiry revealed that this seemed to be a local custom.
One of the most indicative cultural markers is of course traffic. In Brazil, a zebra crossing is rarely respected, neither are speed limits. A former student of mine once told me that when in Canada, he waited at a zebra crossing when a car stopped. He didn´t trust what he saw and so he continued to wait until quite some cars were standing in line. So he finally decided to give it a try and ran quickly to the other side of the street.
My favourite Brazilian cultural markes is language. In Portuguese, for instance, you learn with the experience and not from it. Also, the most used expression is very probably pode ser (can be, could be, may be). To me, that means that nobody is really in charge. I find this a very realistic view of the world
Santo Angelo, Brazil, 26 February 2025
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