Pera = pear in Portuguese.
But this post is not about fruit, rather about body types and body image.
You have to hand it to the Brazilians - to generalize, they are incredibly laid back and accepting people. Internationally, the women have the reputation of being the most beautiful in the world and TALL (??) In reality there are as many beautiful people here as there are elsewhere, and literally every one of our visitors is surprised to find that your average Brazilian woman is quite short, and pear shaped. Or should I say - Pear shaped & Proud of it!
Back home, being pear shaped is not something one strives for. (Most prefer an hourglass). It's not seen as being a desirable body type. Here, there are special exercises at the gym that women do to beef up their bums and thighs. Back home, a pear shaped woman would be encouraged to wear a-line skirts. Here they wear a little belt to accent their waist and upper body, and the most skin tight bottoms they can to make their bundas look even bigger. After over a year, I am still not quite used to it.
That said, I think the more accepting Brazilian attitude towards body image is refreshing and much healthier. If I could pass just one "Brazilian" lesson on to my little Brasileira (Canadoca), I hope that's it!
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