Green, Yellow and Blue

Green, blue and yellow. The colours that form one of the most recognisable flags. Just by looking at it, you know it represents joy, laughter, freedom, and a good dose of food and football!

Brazil. 

My other half. 

I am both English and Brazilian. Although I was born and raised in the United Kingdom, the majority of my family is from the beautiful country of Brazil. For this reason, I have taken multiple trips to this tropical land, and I NEVER get bored with visiting. 

Travelling to Brazil will forever be a blessing for me. London to Brazil isn’t the cheapest thing in the world, so you best believe that, whenever my mum would tell us that we’re going on holiday there, I would be thrilled and probably let out a little scream.  The idea of seeing my cousins, aunties, uncles and my precious grandparents always gave me so much joy. 

Brazil is the largest country in South America and the only one to speak Portuguese rather than Spanish. It was originally inhabited by Indigenous people before Portuguese colonisation in the 1500s. The economy was dependent on sugar cane plantations and a massive gold rush in the 18th Century. To keep things running, slavery was implemented and, as a result, large numbers of African people were transported from, mostly, West Africa, to this growing nation. Brazil went from being colonised by the Portuguese, to a Kingdom with their first monarchy, then an Empire, declaring freedom from the Portuguese. By 1889, Brazil became a republic, and since the 1980s, it has been led by a modern democracy. 

The population of Brazil, as of May 2026, is approximately 213.5 to 223.6 million people! The largest city of Brazil, São Paulo, has over 12 million people alone and is the financial hub of Brazil.  This city just so happens to be where my family is from! The Brazilian population itself is filled with multiple cultures and nationalities from around the world. When you step into this country, you’ll find individuals from Portugal, Italy, Germany, Africa and even Japan! As a matter of fact, Brazil has the largest Japanese community outside of Japan. Even my neighbour is Japanese! And, the city of Salvador in Bahia, is known as 'The City of Africa’ as it has the largest African community outside of Africa. Further north has a more Indigenous community, whereas the south has a larger European population. I always call Brazil ‘The World in One Country’.

Due to the large area of land Brazil covers, the weather can range from tropical and equatorial in the north to temperate in the south, with a variety in temperature and humidity. This contributes greatly to agriculture as Brazil can have two to three harvests per year on the same plot of land, providing a constant flow of produce. In addition, because of this wide range of climate conditions, Brazil can produce a huge variety of produce, including tropical fruits and temperate grains, allowing for food and gastronomy to be widely explored and loved. (Maybe another time, I can go into more detail about some of the most iconic dishes in Brazil.)

In terms of entertainment, it’s probably safe to say that the most common activities are BBQs, dancing (especially Samba!) and the most globally recognised and associated one…football. It doesn’t matter how far you go, you hear the name ‘Brazil’, and you’re most likely thinking of ‘Jogo Bonito’ (‘play beautifully’ or ‘the beautiful game’ in this context). If there is one thing Brazilians know how to do, it is to have fun. No matter the weather or day, it’s always a good time for some joy and laughter. And this is probably my favourite thing about Brazil.

Brazil hasn’t always had it easy. Unfortunately, like many other countries, it has experienced its fair share of corruption and crime. However, despite the hardships, Brazilians have found a way to approach these challenges with a powerful wave of positivity. This right here is by far the best thing I have learned, and the part of the culture I value most whenever I think of this vibrant country. It carries great importance for me, as often I find it is a huge contrast to what I am used to in the United Kingdom. Not to speak ill of England, but many times I find that there is a sense of misery, hopelessness and a habit of complacency when things aren’t going well. Not to mention the inconsistency that is the British weather. Constantly being in that type of environment can have an unfortunate effect on the emotional health and mental well-being of individuals. To see how others are facing every season of life, from the lowest of the low, to the highest of the high, in a consistent, grateful and enjoyable manner is, quite simply, refreshing. It’s truly extraordinary and has opened my eyes as to how I can deal with the various battles that life can bring.

One of my favourite Brazilian songs at the moment is called 'Conselho’ by Almir Guineto. The word ‘conselho’ means advice. As the title suggests, this song is providing advice to the listener, telling them that they shouldn’t grieve when things are rough but rather be happy in order to take care of their heart. The song is a little bit richer than that, but that is the simplified version and the essence of the message. It’s a fun musical reminder that, regardless of the experiences of life, you’ll find people around you who love you and help bring joy to your life. I have attached a link below to the song with English subtitles, so I highly encourage you to take a listen! 

This leads us perfectly into the reason why I believe this mentality has been successfully adopted by the people of Brazil. 

Community. 

I cannot stress enough how important community is in Brazil. It could be your family, your neighbours, your village, church, school, sports team or even the people working in the shops that you see regularly. Brazilians are fantastic at befriending people. Even if you are a tourist, Brazilians are very happy to meet someone new and let you in to discover the natural beating rhythm of their way of living. A good word to use would be hospitable, as they are, overall, very loving people and like to make sure that their loved ones are well-taken care of. Yes, even the stray dog that wanders around every day. Again, not to sound like I am shaming the UK, but I have personally found it more challenging to find real communities where I know I can lean on the ones around me when I need it and vice versa. It could be me being naive, but sometimes I get the impression that many people, deep down, feel lonely in the UK. Thankfully, I have a wonderful church community, so it is a huge help, but on the flipside, when I was in University and joined my second class, I spent most of those three years alone. Imagine that! Three years of seeing the same people, yet feeling isolated and unable to connect. This is totally opposite to what I experienced in Brazil. 

For instance, my cousin and I decided to go out and play football not too far away from home. Not too long after starting, a group of young people, probably ranging from the ages of 9 to 17, boys and girls, came and wanted to join in. I must admit, I was terrified cause I have no clue how to play football and I had never played it with others before. However, they showed zero signs of judgment and evidently didn’t care as they continued to absolutely destroy me on the pitch (Though I am proud to say that I did score one goal! - Don’t ask me how). Even though I didn’t know half of what I was doing, it was an experience that I never want to forget. Heck, even a random dog came and joined in! 

Finishing off with a joyful memory, I will now bring this to a close. At the time I’m writing this, I have been living in Brazil for just over 8 months now. It has been a privilege to be able to have this opportunity and once again experience the joy I find whenever I come here. The most valuable thing I have taken so far is the lessons I’ve learnt along the way that I can apply to my life as a whole, so that, no matter where I live and what life may bring, I can hold my head high, have a happy heart and a cup of Guaraná in hand!

Love,

me. 🤍