Start with one part boyfriend already suffering from nerve wracked exhaustion; add three nearly sleepless plane trips: Madrid to Miami to Sao Paulo to Brasila for a total of 24 hours; stir in one lost bag containing almost all of his worldy possessions, add in 5 hours time difference in the wrong direction, mix thoroughly until completely exhausted; within several hours of getting off the plane, serve raw to his girlfriend's extended family and friends with a topping of almost no common language. Results may vary.
Even with this inauspicious start, I was welcomed by Patricia's family with an openess and warmth that was more than I ever expected. The Brasilian people are a warm and gregarious people in general and her family is especially so, making me feel like one of them. They struggled through language difficulties with patience and kindness. I struggled to stay upright and conscious as I was plied with wine and food until what was 8 am for me, when I retired to my own room with a private bath and balcony in her parents house. I was warned to lock my door for reasons I did not understand at that time. I was too tired to care.
It wasn't until morning that I found out why I was told to lock my door. It seems that in the Brazilian culture, they do not see privacy the same way Americans do. People feel free to wander into rooms as they wish, with only locked doors indicating a desire for privacy. Luckily, I didn't accidentally expose myself to the servants or family before I found this out.
I was thrilled that I managed to meet her family and friends without making a total fool of myself. I think so anyway, maybe they were just too polite to point it out, I don't know.
