There is a period of time when I am 100% American. That time is first thing in the morning.
Brazilians are social creatures regardless of hour. They get all excited when they see other people, start to chat, and basically have a party over pão de queijo.
Take my son's 7:50am soccer class. That is an un-Godly hour for me to be at a child's practice, dressed, and socializing. You get 2 of the three, although today it was basically just one.
You see, I went out in a night shirt and yoga pants. In my defense, I wore a bra!
See this is another way I am American in the morning, I just don't care how I look. You see what you get. Not Brazilians. They don't even go to the gym without looking nice. If a Mom does show up in workout gear it's cute, matching, and definitely does not have coffee stains on it.
Mr. Rant met up with about 20 minutes into soccer practice due to a call of nature and us not wanting to be late. He approached me and offered me his sweater. I told him thanks but I wasn't cold, how sweet of him though! He said not because of weather but because my shirt isn't legally allowed out of the house, or shouldn't be anyway.
Brazilians.
And then we went to get an after soccer snack. All the parents stood around chatting and their kids snacking at the same table. It was all cute and nice. I, on the other hand, packed my kids up and headed out to the park. Sorry but I can only manage a small wave and a smile at 830am. And before 9am, I don't care about your weekend. No I do not want to hear the gossip. And if you try to touch me I may smack you.
The scary thing, I am the morning person in this house!
why 750 am? why cant they play soccer later like 9 or 10am?does he have energy to run so early?
ReplyDeleteBecause they have age groups. The 4yrs to 6yrs group is the first group and all practices end early.
ReplyDeleteHe is lazy to leave the house but once we are on the way there he gets all excited. And they all run around like crazy. Then we go straight to the park. We're home by 10am and they chill and play at home until lunch.
I wish I could do that :-)
ReplyDeleteI think if I ran at 7 am I would be napping around 10am hahahaha
you haven't changed...you were like this at two months old...except you didn't need a bra. Wait...
ReplyDeleteOh, Rachel. I understand you so well. I hate to dress up, especially in the morning, and it doesn't help that I'm a bit of a tomboy. I feel so pressured to look "good" living in Brazil, especially when I go shopping with my 16-year-old cousin, most of the time I look like her maid.
ReplyDeleteI'm all American in this sense, and that's one of the things I love about life in the US: the ability to go places dressed as you please without having everyone check you out and look down on you. Wish Brazilians would care less about looks, it's tiring.
Ha! You and Gil sound like twins!
ReplyDeleteHe is totally the "American" in everything you described and I am the Brazilian one on this subject :)
Ray
I remember during my teens waking up early on a weekend because I had decided to take up cycling along with a friend. I rode to to his house, which was at least 8 miles away yet still arrived before 10 am. Anyway once there he had to get some gear for the bike so I waited for him in his room. Once he returned I was fast asleep on his bed.
ReplyDeleteHe went cycling alone, his mom woke me up for lunch and I ate with his parents who, like me, hated mornings.
Peruvians are the same - they dress to the nines every time they step out the door. Since I work from home, I rarely wear anything except tees and sweat pants (unless it's warm, then tees and shorts). I go out to water the front yard like that, and the stares I get from passers-by are hilarious. I'm the neighborhood scandal. :D
ReplyDeletehahaha, Soooo true. But, hell, it's not just about mornings. Brazilians are always social, and there's no 'off' switch. God help the moody foreigner... Can't I just sometimes be a grouch?
ReplyDeleteI hear you. I drop my daughter off at school in the morning in a t-shirt and yoga pants and baseball cap - but in my defense I am about to take on some hill climbing as some morning exercise. But it is shocking to the school. At the bi-lingual school she used to go to, all the mothers would be there in the morning dropping their kids off and all decked out. I, again, dressed to go to the gym (not the Brazilian gym, I wasn't in a workout catsuit and fully bejeweled and made-up.) Sorry American, I know I'm giving my country a bad image - and I'm glad that my daughter is too young to be embarrassed by me yet.
ReplyDeletei's pão de queiJO :)
ReplyDeleteI'm brazilian but very awkward socially :/ I guess there's always the black sheep
Thanks for the correction! I always make that mistake!
ReplyDeleteWhat's the difficulty about picking up nice clothes while in a hurry ?
ReplyDeleteWhy should I have to?
ReplyDeleteGetting up in the morning and hearing stories about last night's TV show or an old mate back in RJ before I even get to brush my teeth...I thought my husband was one of a kind, but apparently not, it's much more serious than that!
ReplyDeleteWe have a 8 months old little half italian/half carioca, and I am seriously concerned about my sanity because he's also becoming veeeery noisy in the morning, and I just don't thing I could take two of them first thing in the morning!! Is there such thing as a carioca gene???