World Cup Watch: Brazil's Identity Crisis

The World Cup is 18 days away. I am giddy with excitement, exacerbated by successfully picking up my tickets on Friday and the fact that Brazil flags and bunting has started going up in shops and bars all over the city. Finally, the fever is creeping in. But it is far later than normal, I’m told. Usually, the decorations go up over a month before the World Cup’s opening and Brazilians throw themselves exuberantly into everything that it entails: parties, bank holidays and, fairly regularly, watching their country win. But this year has been different. Delays and overspending, two things that seem to happen at every major sporting event, have tarnished the build-up to what should be Brazil’s moment in the sun. But unlike other major sporting events, protests by the local people have overshadowed the preparations even more. I don’t know how much has been heard about them outside of Brazil, but here they are a really big deal.

A happy man with my World Cup tickets

The main reason for the protesting, as far as I’m aware, is that the government have spent billions of reais on the ‘Copa’. This is in a country where social inequality is huge, millions are in poverty and basic infrastructure can be painfully limited. However, you could arguably be forgiven for thinking that the Brazilian public might see past the problems for the reward of hosting the World Cup. I mean, Brazilians spend all day on the beach, watching football or partying, right?

That’s the thing, they don’t. It’s true that football and the beach are big parts of life in Rio de Janeiro, but far less than the British media might have you believe. I find it very interesting to see that all British advertising for the World Cup seems to be exclusively based in Rio, just one of 12 cities to be hosting matches during the tournament. It is true that Rio is the centre of the Brazilian stereotype and its picturesque landscape naturally makes it the most appealing place to visit. But this is a huge country and there is so much more to it, in terms of landscape and culture. In the next month or so I will be visiting other places, but I won’t be scratching the surface of what is on offer.

Someone who did ‘scratch the surface’ is Michael Palin, who wrote a book and made a television show about Brazil. It’s a good read and gives you a taste of the vast diversity in the country, but the picture it paints is very positive, conforming to the stereotype that everyone here is constantly delighted. I met Tim Vickery, the BBC’s South American football correspondent, who said that Palin’s book is now almost irrelevant because so much has changed in the couple of years since he wrote it. He would now have to focus much more on the social unrest, protests against the Copa and the government, as well as showing that not all Brazilians are ecstatic with their current state of affairs.

Palin's Brazilian experience

Vickery stated that there has never been a more fascinating time to be here. The country is changing before our eyes, as the people realise the power their voice can have. The general election takes place at the beginning of October and there is a definite possibility that the World Cup will influence its outcome. I believe there will be protests during the tournament; it will be unavoidable. For that reason, pressure will be on those election candidates to deliver what the people want, especially as the eyes of the world will be on Brazil.

Looking specifically at the World Cup protests, it is easy to see why people are so annoyed. The stadia have taken the brunt of the abuse. The enormous delays in construction as well as the deaths of several workers have attracted attention. And perhaps most irritatingly, these are all things that the government could have avoided. FIFA suggested 8-10 stadia for the tournament, but the Brazilian organisers decided to have 12 host cities, in order to spread the tournament around the country. Several cities, Manaus and Brasilia, for example, have no good club teams and it is unlikely that these will ever reach full capacity again, except perhaps if Brazil were to play a friendly there. As a result, no private companies have taken an interest in funding the projects, meaning that all of the money has come from the government and, therefore, the taxpayer’s pocket. Quite how FIFA agreed to this is beyond me.

A protestor burns a World Cup sticker book

Secondly, politicians and Ronaldo, the World Cup’s all-time top goal scorer and a member of the 2014 World Cup team, have been talking about “o jeitinho brasileiro”, which would translate as “the Brazilian way”. This refers to the act of getting things done, but in a far more relaxed manner and ‘leaving everything to the last minute’ kind of way. Holding “o jeitinho brasileiro” responsible for your arriving late to a party might be just about acceptable, but for the construction of 12 stadia, not to mention drastically improving public transport, airports, roads, hotels, public services and security, it is ludicrous, quite frankly.

If anything, what the situation has demonstrated to me is that England should be hosting another World Cup very soon. FIFA’s attempts to spread the World Cup to Asia and Africa are all well and good, but Japan, South Korea and South Africa are all dealing with the problem of stadia becoming ‘white elephants’. Brazil, even with its well-documented footballing traditions will probably face the same problems. The decision to award Qatar the 2022 World Cup was a disgrace, but the one saving grace is that the Qataris have enough money to throw at it, without feeling the wrath of the people. FIFA needs to give the tournament to countries with footballing tradition that are capable of managing it.

For Brazil, it remains to be seen how the Copa will pan out. Stadia should be full and the public will get behind it, but I am certain the ramifications of the protests will be felt. The country could even begin to show the world that life here it is not just a samba-fuelled, football, 24-hour beach party. Gone are the days where a World Cup win might make everyone forget about the social problems. Whatever happens, the tournament should throw up a few shocks.

Feed Me: Brazilian Cuisine

Food. Unlike anything else, it is the one part of your life that will inevitably change when living abroad. Theoretically, you could lock yourself in a room, ignore all other people and refuse to speak the language or experience the culture. The wonders of the Internet mean you could spend your time watching British television and talking with friends and relatives via Skype. As I’m sure you would agree, it would be a pathetic existence.

Food, however, is something that even the Internet cannot replace. Sure, I always take Marmite and Earl Grey tea bags with me, but am hard pushed to find the perfect butter and milk to complement them. It has been a year particularly lacking in good cheese and sausages, but filling my suitcase with Messrs Cathedral City Extra Mature and Cumberland Pork would have perhaps been misjudged. What this means of course, is that you must venture into local supermarkets and eateries in order to find food and stay alive. I am pleased to report that Brazil has some promising results.

Some English treats

The first thing to say about Brazilians’ attitude to food is that they like it; and then some. Portions are enormous. In the canteen at work, I receive double what I would expect to receive in England. Two large pieces of meat over a plateful of rice and beans with a smattering of salad on the side tends to be the order of the day. ‘All you can eat’ buffets and restaurants that serve by the kilo are everywhere. Given the quantity and variety of food on offer, these are extraordinarily good value as well.

Meat features heavily in these establishments, ranging from tender beef and grilled chicken to fried cod and shrimp. Rice is the carbohydrate of choice, comfortably preferred to either pasta or potatoes. Black or brown beans provide the sauce for what becomes a fairly enjoyable culinary treat. It is beans and meat that form the base of Brazil’s signature dish: the ‘feijoada’: a ‘black bean stew’ with various bits of beef and pork thrown in. Many people add ‘farofa’, a powdery substance, which has a similar flavour and texture to sawdust. It is the one culinary preference that has perplexed me. Nevertheless, from what I can tell, the ‘feijoada’ is enjoyed at lunchtime, mainly by the working class, presumably to replenish one’s strength.

the 'feijoada'

And if that isn’t enough to keep you going, you will struggle to avoid the temptation of the ‘salgado’. At open-fronted snack bars, called ‘lanchonetes’, which are all over the country, a large assortment of snack-sized nibbles drag you in from the street. The ‘coxinha’ is my favourite: some sort of fried dough, filled with chicken and catipury, a Brazilian creamy cheese. Heavenly would be a good way to describe these. They fill that hunger void magnificently, yet barely trouble your wallet. Other ‘salgados’ are similarly fantastic. There are cheese balls and calzone-type pastries as well as sweet variants, the ‘brigadeiro’ taking many of the sweet-toothed plaudits with its creamy melted chocolate surrounded by more chocolate.

a salgado selection

It would be a crime for me not to mention beverages. Fruit juices and coffee are naturally found in abundance. There are ‘normal’ fruits like pineapple, peach and mango; and then there are the weird ones: caju, guarana, jaboticaba and carambola to name but a few fruits that I have never seen or tasted before. Drinking the juice out of a coconut is another popular, refreshing alternative.

what are these things?

If it isn’t fruit, it’s coffee. Brazil produces considerably more coffee than any other country and there is definitely a coffee-drinking culture. But not the commercialised coffees that Starbucks and various other chains serve. Just a bog standard shot of coffee, which most Brazilians ruin (in my view) by adding unthinkable amounts of sugar or sweetener. But then, Brazil does also produces considerably more sugar than any other country. However, putting four teaspoons of sugar in an espresso can never be justifiable, no matter how much sugar you have. 

Of course, I don’t eat out every day. The supermarket provides most of the food I eat, but coxinhas and kilo restaurants are a nice treat. Meat is much cheaper over here, so homemade steaks are frequent. The heavy, flavoursome food on offer is mostly delicious, but can thwart all attempts to fine-tune the beach bod. Such are the problems I face…  

The Brazilian Booty

In these parts, the booty, or bottom if you will, is an art form. The thong bikini is one of the most important part of a Brazilian woman’s wardrobe. The ‘melons’ (melões), to use the local term, are the most desirable part of a woman’s body for many and as a result, it tends to be looked after with great care and attention by its owner. So I’m told. But don’t worry; despite the elevated status of female hindquarters, I shall be focusing on the body as a whole, irrespective of gender.

First things first, Rio’s beach culture plays a big role in sculpting the bodies of its inhabitants. Runners, cyclists, skateboarders and walkers are ever-present on the beachside cycle paths from dawn until after dusk. The heat, often sweltering, is hardly conducive to wearing clothes and these fitness-happy cariocas strip down to the bare minimum without a trace of embarrassment. Seeing a supermodel-esque female jogger overtaking an elderly gentleman, resplendent in speedos and a large belly overhang is wonderfully commonplace.

Ipanema beach

Outdoor gym equipment lines the beach as well. Occupied predominately by men, these areas are where Brazilians come to fine-tune their muscular definition, or perhaps to just show off how many pull-ups they can do. Needless to say, I have not yet attempted to compete. “If you’ve got it, flaunt it” seems to be a cariocan philosophy. Just as there is no shame in letting rolls of fat obscure the design on your swimming costume, there is no bitterness towards those who reveal their irresistibly toned, tanned bodies. And rightly so. After hours by the beach perfecting your body, you deserve some credit.

Making the most of the free gym

Of course, exercise can only get you so far. But fortunately, the Brazilians are also blessed with being beautiful. An extensive assortment of races has descended on Brazil over the centuries. This blend of races has created a formula, which produces magical results: a very attractive population. I don’t know the science behind this, but it does make a stroll along the beach more enjoyable. Brazilians, utterly devoid of self-consciousness, play football, volleyball, swim, drink beer and tan. Men, with shaven chests and impossibly ripped torsos, laugh and joke with women, wearing about enough material to cover my ear lobes and displaying enough cleavage to turn anyone’s head. It is an infectious atmosphere, exciting and cheerful, that captivates me and makes me thankful for the invention of tinted sunglasses. After all, the dangers of UV rays from a fierce Rio sun are not to be underestimated...

Despite the health conscious environment that is unavoidable in Rio, a large chunk of society is obese. It’s easy to see why: portion sizes. Now, I’m no stranger to large amounts of food, but even I have been impressed at the way Brazilians can load up their plates. It is true that a diet based largely on rice, beans and meat could be a contributing factor. Furthermore, being obese can have its perks. On the metro, signs instruct passengers to give up their seats to the elderly, the disabled, the pregnant and the obese. Obese people can also apply for special tickets at the World Cup.

Volleyball on Ipanema beach

The reason I chose to study Portuguese in the first place is debatable. I may tell myself that linguistic curiosity overcame me, but we all know that this Summer’s World Cup did not escape my notice. Or perhaps a subconscious part of my brain was drawn to Russia and Brazil for other reasons; reasons that can be explained by clicking on the following link:

Top 10 Countries With The Most Beautiful Women In The World

Beauty is subjective, but it’s clear that I’m prepared to follow the advice in this article. It’s just a shame that my incoherent attempts at flirting and a unfortunate tendency of meeting pretty ladies whilst munching on Tangy Cheese flavoured Doritos (it has now happened twice!) have rendered me a far from suitable candidate to tap into the quality on show.

Walking around topless is a luxury that I am beginning to get used to. As is wearing my speedos without drawing attention to myself or offending others. In Michael Palin’s book on Brazil, he commented that, despite an enormous gulf in wealth and class, men and women from opposite ends of the social ladder can enjoy the beach next to one another, in nothing but a pair of speedos or a bikini. The body transcends social class, bringing equality to the most Brazilian of pleasures: the beach. Being a part of this most carefree environment is thoroughly enjoyable.