10 Things Tourists Do That Can Seriously Annoy Brazilians

Hey there fellow travelers, Mark here with Walters World and today we're back in Brazil. And today we're going to talk about are things that tourists do when they come to Brazil that actually upset the locals here in Brazil. And the thing is that we have to realize is Brazilians, they're pretty chill, they're pretty relaxed and so it's kind of hard to really upset them. But there are some things that tourists do that they might not even realize they're doing that could upset the locals here in Brazil because you don't want to do that because the people here are awesome. And one of the things you might do that would kind of upset a local here is if you don't realize the hand signals here because, you know, in the U.S. you do this, it's like, hey, that's pretty good. Other places can be duds or whatever, but this or this in Brazil is actually worse than the middle finger. So anytime you want to say something is good, like, oh, the picanha is really good. No, no. Always do this. Always give a thumbs up, OK? Because that's one way you don't even realize that you're actually insulting people when you use the wrong hand sign, OK? Now, another really famous way that you can upset Brazilians is actually comparing Brazil and Argentina, but you put it where Argentina is actually better. Like, oh, Buenos Aires. Yeah, that's pretty nice. I mean, they probably have better jobs than in Sao Paulo. And yeah, it's probably more cultural than like Rio or something. Oh, no, they're not going to like that. And if you said like Maradona is better than Pele. Yeah, you might as well just start heading to the border because that's not going to go over because they only really have this rivalry with Argentina. They don't have it with really any of the other countries in South America. It's just really Argentina is the one that kind of that really kind of gets them, especially when you're talking about soccer, futebol, OK? And I think another way you can really upset a Brazilian is if you don't show the deference and respect to the Seleção. The Seleção is the national football team, the national soccer team, you know, five World Cubs. Pele was on there, Ronaldinho, O Gaucho, O Fenômeno, Ronaldo. There have been so many great players from Brazil and they love their national team. And if you diss the Seleção, that's not going to go over well. But there is one time you as a tourist can diss the Seleção. And that's when they crash out of a World Cup, because literally once Brazil crashed out of the World Cup, all the locals like, yeah, they suck. It's horrible. And everybody's like ripping stuff off the walls. Let's just get rid of this World Cup. They're out. We don't care anymore. But that is one thing, though, like leading up to the World Cup or any other kind. Yeah, don't don't talk bad about the national team, OK? And actually, this football is life here in Brazil. And I think another thing that you kind of might upset people is if you're wearing the wrong jersey. So you're going to be in Sao Paulo. Now, any self-respecting person will be a fan of Tricolore, the Sao Paulo football club. You'll see SPFC. You'll see it around town. Tricolore, like that's the really great team that's there. But there's some other kind of teams that are like Corinthians and Palmeiras. And if you have the wrong shirt on, a Palmeiras fan might get upset with you having a Sao Paulo shirt and a Sao Paulo fan might get upset with you, the Corinthians shirt. So if you're going to get your hat, you know, your bone, your bone, you know, whatever from we're from Sao Paulo team or you're going to your jersey. I would wait to use that and wear that until you get back home because we're in a round town that that could be something that you might cause a little dust up that you probably don't want to happen. And the thing is, I said football is life here, but there is actually one thing that actually ranks above football when it comes to entertainment in Brazil. And that's the telenovelas, the novellas, you know, like the soap operas here. I mean, if you make someone miss the novellas, they're not going to be very happy with you. I mean, this is how important the novellas are here. They actually start the soccer matches after the novellas. Like, no, no, gotta watch the novellas. Then soccer is allowed to be played, right? It can be shown. So make sure you're looking at your schedule when you're doing things. And speaking of schedule, that's another way you can upset your Brazilian friends. It's really showing up when they told you to be at their house. I know it sounds crazy. Like, dude, you told me to be here at eight. It's eight o'clock. I'm here. Why are you just getting in the shower? Because in Brazil, when people say, Hey, let's meet up at eight, that usually means we're going to meet up sometime around 10, because it is kind of a delay there. So as a tourist, if you actually come when they tell you to be there, like, Oh, let's meet at seven, let's meet at eight. And you're actually at their house. That's not good. Like, honestly, when I lived here, if I'd say let's meet at eight, I'll be getting into the shower at eight o'clock to meet them at like nine 3010. So just remember being on time is in cool and social situations in Brazil. Another thing that really does upset the locals when you do come here is you really think that Brazil is just Rio and like the Amazon and that's all that's there. It's like there's Christ the Redeemer and it goes straight into the Amazon rainforest. No, no, no, no, no. Rio is great. Amazon, the Amazon is great, but there's so many more parts of Brazil. Go to the colonial cities in Minas Gerais, going to Pantanal, where you actually see more animals than you would in the Amazons. Going up to Recife and Olinda up in the Northeast. There's so much more to this country than just Rio and the Amazon that you really have to understand why people get kind of upset. It's kind of like if you said to people in the US, oh, New York is the US is just New York and the Grand Canyon. There's nothing else there, right? No, there's so much more to it. Okay. So don't be small minded. Think, oh, it's just Rio and the Amazon and that's it. Okay. Now, another thing I think is really important for you to know is if you meet Brazilians, they will talk to you. They will get up in close and talk to you. But the thing is, they're going to share their opinions with you. Whether you think it's politically correct or not, they are going to share their opinions. And if you get upset with them sharing their opinions, they're not going to like that. Because the thing is, they want to share their opinions with you. Just talk. This is what I think about things. And they want you to share back. Okay. So if you don't share your opinions back or you look down at them for sharing their opinions, that's one thing that locals are like, dude, I'm just sharing some stuff with you. I'm just talking. What's the problem? And speaking of talking to them, I think another way that you can kind of upset the locals is if you start busting out your junior high Spanish. Look, it's Brazil. They speak Portuguese. It is a different language than Spanish. Yes, there are some similarities, but it's different. So if you come here and start saying, hola, como estas? Like, hey, tudo bem. That's what we say here. Everything good is tudo bem. All right. So just kind of stay away from the Spanish. I mean, you'll be able to read the menu if you speak Spanish, but try to do Portuguese. Obrigado is thank you. Por favor is please. Hola is hello. So yeah, I can see some similarities. But look, it's Portuguese here, not Spanish. So don't assume people understand you. And the thing is, one of the best parts of coming to Brazil is just how much fun the people are. And if you really want to kind of insult the locals here, just go be a... See? They're upset. And the thing is, when you come to Brazil, what you have to realize is the people are fantastic. They want to have a good time and they want to have a good time with you. They want to sit and have some xopinhos, you know, some little beers with you. They want to have some conchas with you, some pinga. They want to sit and chat and talk. Go to the rodizio and have all the meat ever. They want to have a good time. They want to dance. They want to sing. They want you to be with them. And if you want to upset a local, just go be a stick in the mud. You know, the people are like, I don't want it. I don't dance. I'm not going to dance. I'm not going to have a drink. I'm not going to go to the pool. I'm not going to go to the beach. Oh, why are you blah, blah, blah. Why is it more efficient here? What takes so long? Look, you have to realize this is the chill out kind of place. The people are really chilled out and you need to chill out too. Because if you are that stick in the mud, that's not going to go out and have fun. And you're not going to go do stuff. The locals here, you might not know it, but they're just going to kind of stop. They're going to basically ghost you. Okay. So when they ask you to do something, go do stuff with them because they are so much fun. Okay. And the thing is, I think it kind of goes along with this. This is one that I get really upset because I used to live in Brazil and I have family here. And, and I get upset when people really kind of think Brazil is some backwards, like jungle country. Like it's just Amazon and poverty and there's nothing else. And, and they come and they're like, Oh, we are so much better than you. We're from the United States. We are so much better or, or Europeans. Oh, we're from the Netherlands. We're from Germany. We're so much better than you. Like the people that look down on Brazilians, they don't like that. Nobody likes that. And I see that a lot with tourists when they come here, especially if I'm in Rio on the beaches, I see the tourists there getting their, their, you know, their coconut water and stuff. And they're having their beers like, Oh, well, la la la. Look, the people are fantastic. There's so much here. There's so much culture. There's so many museums here, universities, research, amazing people that if you kind of put it in this, like, Oh, it's a poverty stricken, whatever you're missing out. And I'm mad at you too, because that's not the way it is here in Brazil. It's a fantastic place. So don't be, don't be that stick of the mud, but also don't think Brazil is some like middle of nowhere, nothing. It's an amazing country with amazing food, amazing people, amazing, just fun times you're going to have when you're here. And then I still remember the one time my roommate, I was a Brazilian for a couple of years. And the one time my roommate really, really got mad at me. This is what I want to warn you at. And that is, um, when you don't let a Brazilian make your hot dog for you, look Brazilians, like, you know, like in the U S oh, people put off some ketchup or mustard on there, or in German, they might just have mustard or plain or, or someplace. Oh, I might put a little sauerkraut or maybe a little brat, like just a little bit of things that doesn't work that way here. Here in Brazil, it's like a whole meal on top of the hot dog. Like, yes, you'll have your sauces, your mullet, maybe some vegetable mustard or, or some relish, but then you're going to have some like, you know, peas on there and some, uh, uh, some like potato strings on top as well. I mean, it's literally like you need two hands. You're like, okay, how am I going to get all this all in without ruining my clothes? All right. So listen, if it's hot dog time, just let your local Brazilian friend make it for you. Cause otherwise they'll be like, what are you doing? Only putting ketchup on there. What is wrong with you? Because honestly, that was the one time one of my Brazilian friends really did get really bad at me. So I hope this helps, you know, some of the things that tourists might do when they come to Brazil to upset the locals. The thing is, Brazilians are amazing. You're not going to have problems when you're here. Even if you do these things, most people aren't going to say anything to you, but I want you to get to know the Brazilians more. I want you to make friends when you're here and not doing these things will get you on the path to making some really great Brazilian friends here in Brazil. Anyway, I wish you all the best. I'll say bye from here in Jureia, Fim do mundo, garraça do guape, in the Sao Paulo state of Brazil.