Manners in Brazil

What’s rude at home is apparently a-ok here (and in some cases vice versa)... we've already covered the "a-ok" hand symbol - considered rude here... 

Some of my other observations:

Things considered very rude in Brazil:

• Picking your teeth
• Touching food with your hands at any time
• Getting  "straight to the point" without warm-up chit-chat
• Dirty fingernails
• Eating in places not "designated" for eating
• Not lining up - I can't believe the order in which people line up to get on the BUS! So organized.
  

Things not considered rude in Brazil (in fact you see these things all the time):

• Picking your butt/nose/genatalia (the  Carioca  book calls it "testicular jiggling")
• Spitting on the street (I can’t tell you how many WOMEN I have seen do this, I am talking about little old ladies!)
• "Snortling" (the loud sound people make like sniffing but worse to clear the snot out of the back of their nose. Apparently not rude here)
• Being late
• Not calling if don't plan to show up for an appointment
• Frequent, long, public displays of affection
• Being direct when receiving services - even just how things are phrased - "I want" instead of "could I please have" etc.
• Not cleaning up after animals... if you catch my drift
  

Business/Cultural Differences and "Good to Know's"

• Avoid wearing green & yellow together as it's the color of the Brazilian flag?
• Purple flowers are used for funerals, so be careful in giving them as gifts
• Greetings (hello's and goodbye's) are much more lively

Other Differences:

• People are much "touchier" here, personal space does not really exist.  People stand very close to you on the street, when speaking to you, and are much more likely to touch your arm or back in conversation than in North America
• Friends and family are priority one.  I think we North Americans can learn from this!

Any additions in the comments section are appreciated as always!

 

 

Comments

[Diff_Cult]

"Not calling if don't plan to show up for an appointment" its ok just for close friends. Very offensive if the person is a stranger or more a stranger than a friend.

[DRL]

I agree, but yet it happens... a lot! Especially with tradespeople, etc. Or people are late without warning or explanation. I am learning to relax...

[Hellen Walker]

People are much tuchier? Personal boundaries don't exist? That's not true. They do exist, but they might be just less strict than where you come from.
That's called culture!

In Brazil it is quite common to kiss hello and goodbye, or gently touch a close friend as you talk to them or to get their attention, but there are also so many situations in which you would never do it, that I won't even list try them because I dont think that's possible.

As to saying please, your comment is not accurate, i'm affraid...

When you learn to speak Portuguese you will realize that in brazilian culture you can be polite just by using a different intonation to the phase, without actually saying the word please. (Which is not possible in English, or French and even Spanish... which are languages I speak).

Basically, there is 'kind' way of saying something that tells the listener that you are requesting/asking for something, rather than giving an order. I know it's a difficult concept to grasp. But it DOES exist.

Thanks for opening this spcace for discussion.
Hw.

[DRL]

Thanks for your comment, Hellen.

Ok maybe saying personal boundaries don't exist is an exaggeration but I do find people to be much "touchier" - in the way that they touch each other (and me) more than I am accustomed to in North America. Of course everything on this blog is just my perspective and personal experience.

Your comment about vocal intonations is very interesting to me, I truly think it is how we say things and not "what we say" that matters most. How many times have we heard someone be completely ungracious and try to get away with it by slapping an insincere please or thank you at the end, basically making them meaningless anyway? It does not make up for talking down to a person or being rude. I will certainly pay attention and watch for this Portuguese phenomenon you speak of! I think it could change the world...

Unfortunately I can still think of many instances since I've been here where people have just made demands of staff and help and been downright abusive (despite the fact that I am still learning Portuguese, these instances know no language barriers!)

[Ed]

Hi Hellen,

I have only been here a few weeks and I am not a world traveler by any stretch of the imagination, but I have spent plenty of time abroad.

You comment about the snorting or sniffing really cracked me up. My first day in the office here multiple people were doing just this. I thought everyone had a drug problem or serious sinus infections. I had never seen (or heard) anything like this anywhere in the world. Funny and gross at the same time.

Oh well we need to take to the good with the bed with trying to assimilate into other cultures I guess.

Ed

[DRL]

Hi Ed,
Glad you found it funny! I have often wondered if people can HEAR themselves...

You are right, we need to take the good with the different, because there are soooo many benefits to living in Brazil and being immersed in a new culture.

DRL

[Tel]

I am a brazilian living a US, long enough to have learned that "Snortling" is rude here. It is funny you wrote that because only after I moved to US I noticed that and I had this habit.
Yes, we are "touchier" than americans, I miss this a lot.
I agree completely with Hw about the way you pronounce things make a difference and you don't need to say please.
It is very interesting to see "gringoes" talking about cultural differences.
I like your blog.
Boa sorte e um abraço,

Tel

[DRL]

Thanks Tel! Anything you can clue us Gringo's in on that we are doing that grosses the brazilians out?