Qs about Brasilia

January 27, 2022 11:01 PM

I'm likely moving to Brasilia sometime in the near future to look after family. I've only been once or twice, when I was young, and I mainly stayed at home and rarely ventured out (I was easily overwhelmed by new things as a child), so I'm not overly familiar with the culture from an insider's perspective despite having family there. If there are any local mefites, I have a couple of questions about the culture there and what I might expect.

1) I have a few facial piercings and a full sleeve tattoo - will that be frowned upon anywhere/in any context?

2) As a vegetarian, what kind of restaurants should I look for or avoid (even just one veg option in an omni restaurant works for me)? My recollection of the food is that it was mainly meat and rice, but I don't know if it's become more vegetarian-friendly at all in the 25 years or so since I've been. I am reasonably fluent speaking wise so I'm not worried about asking about ingredients.

3) I'm a shy introvert that doesn't like to be touched, though I'm good with small talk and sounding excited and friendly when talking. From what I remember, everyone was quite touch-forward and quick to go for hugs and kisses. Has this aspect of society changed in any way, with COVID? Will I seem rude or standoffish if I'm not as automatically friendly as others in this way? Gone are the days when it's socially acceptable to hide behind my aunt when approached in this way...

TIA

posted by womb of things to be and tomb of things that were to Travel & Transportation (1 answer total)

Best answer: Ok, since this hasn't been answered I'll take a shot at it. Facial piercings and sleeve tattoos are not uncommon in Brasilia, but some (especially older people) in more "professional" or "fancy" settings may judge you for them. Maybe not so much as to "frown upon" them, even, just to not take you seriously or to be slightly afraid of you.

As a vegetarian in Brasilia you'll find plenty to eat. Comida por kilo/churrasco places have lots of great offerings and you just... don't take the meat! I've never had a problem being vegetarian in Brasilia or anywhere else in Brazil. Brazilians do eat lots of meat, but also beans (without meat if you're lucky) and rice, which are filling and delicious on their own. Also there's usually some Japanese restaurants where you can find plenty of vegetarian dishes and middle eastern places that have hummus, falafel, etc, and don't even serve meat.

I haven't been to Brazil since lockdown hit, so I can't speak to this. Brazilians as you know are quite touchy, but they have also been hit hard by the pandemic. I think they will be more understanding now if someone doesn't want a hug or beijinhos.
posted by stinker at 11:34 PM on January 28, 2022 [1 favorite]