Whenever people in Brazil ask me where I am from I ask them where they THINK I am from. Most frequently they ask if I am Americano or Italiana... no neither I say. Sometimes they think I am French, Argentinian or even Portuguese (which as I found out is not as much of a compliment on my language skills as you'd think, as Portugual-Portuguese and Brazilian-Portuguese are different and people barely understand one another...)
No one ever guesses Canadian, but when I tell them that that is where I am from the reaction is generally the same: "Canada... Muito Friio!" (Very cold). To which I always reply, yes in the winter it is but in the summer it is warm just like in Brazil.
But, as I am finding out while experiencing a Canadian summer, I have been lying to the Brazilians by telling them this. I'm not afraid to admit that I am wrong, and apologize to anyone I may have mislead!
I feel sorry for people vacationing in Canada for the first time in the summer - who would know what to pack? Since I've been home I have experienced almost every type of weather except for snow (knock wood. It's not too late.) and my attire has ranged from bikinis to woolies with slippers. It seems a constant battle to either warm a house up or cool it down, not helped by the fact that the weather is sure to turn the next day... (in other words, do not turn the heat on).
Although Rio is a "climate" of extremes in almost every other way, it's nice to know that you can at least count on the weather... at least compared to here.
Not that I am complaining - I had longed to jump into a cold Canadian lake, and am enjoying the brisk mountain air on my face while it lasts.
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