Australians and Brazilians should be friends

Recently there has been a bit of tension between Australians and Brazilians. The Australian Olympic team were among the first countries to check out the new Athletes Village in Rio ahead of the Games starting next week - and they didn't like what they saw. 

Problems with electrical and plumbing meant that the Aussies who were supposed to move in Sunday didn't - instead moving to nearby hotels until the issues were resolved. The tension went even higher when the mayor of Rio, in an attempt to make light of the situation, told a press conference that the Australian team just needs to be given a kangaroo to be make the situation OK. 

Australia's team leader, Kitty Chiller, on the problems with the accomodation

While Australians generally have a good sense of humour and can laugh at ourselves about most things - you don't mess with our sport. Sport is like religion to us in Australia. Competing - and winning - on the world stage is very important to us. OK, its probably too important but I won't get into that now. The point is, preparation for our sporting teams is no laughing matter.

Fortunately, the problems that the Aussie team brought up have now been addressed, the athletes have begun moving into the Rio Athletes Village.

It got me thinking about the relationship between Australians and Brazilians though. While they're clearly two very different countries (seriously, why don't Brazilians like brunch?) there is a lot of common ground. From my personal experience there's a lot of reasons why people from both countries should get along.

Brazilians and Australians love the outdoors

Pretty much the first thing that people from other countries think of when they hear Australia or Brazil is the scenery. Both countries are well known for their beautiful beaches and people who love to spend time on those beaches. More than that though, both countries being so large mean that they have a huge range of natural features such as rain forests, mountains and beautiful coastline. 

People from both Australia and Brazil love to get out and spend time in the outdoors too. Whether its on the beach, or as is the case here in Porto Alegre, in a park, residents of both countries love to take advantage of the natural beauty.

Brazilians and Australians love a Barbeque

While the type of meat and the style of the barbeque might be different, the result is generally the same. Aussies love to get together on weekends and stand around the "barbie" with a few beers in the backyard, at the beach or in the local park. Brazilians, with their churrasco, are very similar although many buildings have their churrasco pit built in to a special room rather than in the backyard. 

Brazilians and Australians drink a lot of bad beer

While it is possible in both countries to find some good beer, the majority of beer consumed in both countries is awful. 

In Australia until less than 20 years ago, each state was dominated by one local beer producer which meant each brewery had its own little monopoly. While each brewery produced a few different brands, they were mostly the same week tasting lager that needs to be served very cold - so that you cant taste it. More recently the beer market in Australia has opened up, with breweries competing all over the country and craft breweries popping up everywhere. Despite this, the big brands such as VB, Tooheys, XXXX and Carlton still dominate. 

Here in Brazil there is a similar situation, though the craft beer market is considerably newer. Most of the big brands here are little more than frozen corn water and a served "estupidamente gelado" (stupidly cold) to ensure you can't taste it. In the last few years with the economy doing a bit better (er, when it was) a huge amount of craft breweries and brew pubs has opened up. Unfortunately they still need to import a lot of the ingredients, which means that, while you can get a good beer here, you'll be paying a lot more for it. Still worth it!

Brazilians and Australians love thongs

Brazil is the birthplace of the Havaianas - the simple rubber "flip flops" worn by beach bums around the world. With Australia sharing a similar love of the beach, we're also big fans of the pluggers. We may never get the level of passion they have for them here in Brazil - people often give their guests custom Havaianas at weddings in here - you'll be guaranteed to find someone wearing them anywhere you go in Australia.

In Australia we buck the trend and call them "thongs", rather than flip flops. I was going to change the heading of this section but realised that Brazilians beach bums of a different kind are also fans of thongs. 

Brazilians and Australians love sport

Like Australians, Brazilians love their sport. While they don't get behind as many types of sports as Australians do, those that they do support they are die-hards for. The sporting king here is obviously football, but there is big support for Volleyball too, and then anything else that you can turn into a beach sport - Beach football, beach volleyball, foot volley and even beach rugby!

As I said earlier, Australians take sport seriously. It's often said Aussies which watch two flies crawling up a wall if you could bet on it. We watch and play anything - Australian rules football, three kinds of rugby, actual football, cricket, basketball, swimming, sailing, cycling etc. During the Olympics we all pretend we also know about things like diving and gymnastics too.

So while Australians and Brazilians do have a lot of differences, there are a few things that mean Aussies and Brazilians are generally a good match for friendships (or even more!)

I hope all of the Australians and Brazilians (and everyone else) enjoy the Olympics and if you're going (like I am), take care and I hope you have fun. Just a week to go! 

10 Tips For People Coming to Brazil For The Olympic Games

The Olympics are coming!

After what seems like an eternity, the games are just a few weeks away. Is Brazil completely ready? Probably not! 

Is there a chance it can all turn into a giant nightmare? Speaking honestly, yes.

I think though in all likelihood it will be much like what happened with the World Cup two years ago. Things won't be perfect, but the games will go on. I have some advice for people that will be coming to Brazil for the first time for the Olympic Games.

I arrived in Brazil just before the start of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and had no idea what I was getting into. I've since returned and now lived here for nine months. While I don't live in Rio de Janeiro where the Olympics will take place, I do have a good idea of what it's like to arrive in Brazil for a big event and feeling a bit overwhelmed. 

1. Don't believe all of the doomsayers 

If you were to listen to the major news outlets of the world, Brazil currently resembles a mix between The Walking Dead, Mad Max and Venezuela. It certainly isn't as bad as all that.

While there are some real problems here and a fair bit of political and economic turmoil it isn't as bad as a lot of the reports have you believe. 

2. Be Safe

That being said, like any developing country, you have to make sure you take care when you're in Brazil. There are some parts of Rio (and every other city in Brazil) that are genuine no go zones, and theft and robberies are relatively common. 

The important thing is to remember to use your common sense and take notice of your surroundings. My advice is to take out good travel insurance and not put up a fight if you are robbed. 

3. Plan ahead – things will take time

Nothing in Brazil is ever quick, and it won't change just because the Olympics are here. Be prepared for long delays. Traffic, queuing to buy tickets or to get into stadiums or even waiting for food. Some of this will be because the infrastructure promised for the games won't be completed on time. But it is also just part of being Brazilian.

True to Brazilian style, the metro line connecting the Olympic District to Copacabana is set to open only days before the Games open.

Lateness is kind of a way of life here. For Brazilians, when you organise a time to meet, its really just a suggestion or a start point, not a strict time to meet. 

Just be prepared and be patient. 

4. See the rest of Rio

Aside from the beach volleyball which will be happening on the beautiful Copacabana beach, most of the events are happening away from the usual hot spots of Rio de Janeiro. 

While the focus of the games will be on the sporting events and the competitors, you should definitely spend a few days checking out the rest of the sights Rio has to offer. Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, Christ the Redeemer, the Sugar loaf, the Santa Teresa Neighbourhood and even downtown are definitely areas worth checking out. There are some good free walking tours that are always a good place to start.

5. Get out of Rio

Brazil is more than just Rio de Janeiro. While all of the events (aside from the Olympic Football) are based in Rio, if you've got some more time before or after the Olympics I would definitely recommend getting out of the city to see some of what the rest of Brazil has to offer. 

I had never heard of Porto Alegre before following the Australian Football team here in 2014 and now I live here. Cities like Fortaleza, Florianopolis, Parati, Manaus, Olinda, Recife and Salvador offer history, culture and beaches, while Foz do Iguacu has one o the most stunning natural wonders of the world. Brazil is a big country – try to see some of it!

6. Eat Churrasco

A lot of people have heard of “Brazilian BBQ”, known as Churrasco. The best stuff comes from here in Porto Alegre, but you'll definitely be able to to find some in Rio and other cities as well. It is a carnivores delight with beautifully seasoned meat cooked to perfection. If you're luck, you may be invited to a locals home to enjoy a private churrasco, otherwise look out for a restaurant run by “Gaúchos” (people from Porto Alegre) and you'll be on the right track!

7. Learn some Portuguese

Portuguese is a tough language to master. It looks like Spanish but sounds like Russian. 

I've been living in Brazil for nine months and I'm still barely more than a beginner, but you should definitely try to learn the basics. While there will be plenty of people available to speak English and other languages around Olympic venues, if you want to get away from that at all you'll find the levels of other languages drops off dramatically. 

And here's the thing, Brazilians love it when you try to speak Portuguese. So many people don't try – or speak Spanish to them because they think that is close enough. It isn't. You'll make local friends a lot quicker by trying to say at least something in the local tongue.

8. Stay away from the water

I'm actually genuinely surprised that they're allowing the sailing and rowing events to go ahead at the Olympic Games. The water is filthy. Its a shame too because Copacabana and Ipanema are two the most iconic beaches in the world, but you'll just need to settle for some sun bathing or beach volleyball – its just not worth going into the ocean.

In some Brazilian cities, like here in Porto Alegre, the water is actually safe to drink. Rio de Janeiro is not one of those cities. Buy bottled water and save yourself the hassle.

9. Don't come if you're pregnant

While the chances of getting the Zika virus are still pretty remote, the potential problems caused by it for new borns are just not worth taking the risk. Even if you're trying to get pregnant it is best to stay away. Even for men, current advice suggest you'll need to wait up to several months before thinking about fathering a child.

10. Have fun - you're in Rio de Janeiro! 

The Olympic Games brings people together from all over the world which can only ever be a good thing. You're there to watch the best athletes in the world as well as meet people from all over, so try not to get bogged down in the negatives. 


That isn't to say you should ignore the problems of the country, but by being respectful, spending your money wisely (buy from local shops and restaurants as much as possible as opposed to those affiliated with the giant corporations) and try to engage and try to engage with locals you can leave a positive mark.

Let the Games begin! 

The Olympic Flame Comes to Porto Alegre, Brazil

Brazil certainly has its problems at the moment. Between the political trouble, economic trouble, the zika virus and the mess that is their national football team, things haven't been going great for the country.

For the next couple of months the eyes of the world are going to be focused on Brazil even more than usual, with the Rio 2016 Olympics now less than a month away. Now these games could go either way. It could become a force to unite the country and push towards a great spectacle as it did in 2014 with the World Cup with similar dire warnings beforehand. Or, it could be a catalyst for the complete collapse of the country. More than likely it will be somewhere in the middle, with a half hearted effort to keep things together until the world moves on to something else – like the US elections.

As someone who loves big events, I'm choosing to see the coming Olympics optimistically, and was very excited by the Olympic Flame coming through Porto Alegre last Thursday. I'd missed out on a couple of attempts to see the Olympic flame in other countries in the past, so I wanted to make sure I made the most of this chance.

Along with a few thousand other people, we crammed into Parcão (Moinhos de Vento Park) to wait for the flame to arrive. And we waited, and we waited - true to Brazilian style. Even the Olympic flame, which had travelled all the way from Greece on a tight schedule, couldn't get Brazilians to make something run on time.

As is usual at these kinds of things a local politician got up and spoke about himself and all of his colleagues as if any of them had any real impact on what was happening on the day. And because it is Brazil, there was a small but spirited group of protesters, calling for the ousting of current 'caretaker' president, Temer. But even they got bored and left before the flame arrived.

Finally, after over two hours waiting, the flame arrived and it was chaos. The small security team were pretty over-matched by dozens of photographers and other spectators ignoring their instructions to stay back. This meant for the most part we could only see the top of the flame as it poked out the top of the media scrum. But it was there.

As the flame bearer began to re start the journey the craziness continued. Hundreds of people followed the runner along with a convoy of officials and runners in at least a dozen cars and buses.

While the scenes were very typical of Brazil – they love a street party here – it was good to feel that people were actually excited about flame and the Olympic Games it represents. At times it can feel like the negative can overpower the positive here, so its good to see at least I'm not the only one trying to enjoy this.

Bring on the Olympics! 

Why Don't Brazilians Like Brunch?

Where's The Brunch? 

I wrote a few weeks ago about how the cafe culture here in Porto Alegre is getting better and better all of the time. I've found a few cafes that I love and visit them very regularly to get my caffeine fix.

The situation isn't perfect though. While quality coffee is clearly one of the biggest factors in judging a cafe, it isn't the only one. One thing that seems to be lacking from Porto Alegre cafes is brunch.

Melbourne is Brunch King

Back in Melbourne, where great cafes are on almost every corner, a huge part of their business is made up of the weekend brunch crowd. There's nothing better than getting up late on a Saturday or (preferably) a Sunday and heading to your favourite cafe for some great coffee and a huge plate full of eggs, bacon, sausages, beans, potatoes and maybe some smashed avocado. I find it hard to go past eggs benedict if its on the menu.

It has become a ritual for many, commonly using it to 'debrief' the night before. Who did what with who? You said what? And what happened to Mike?

Sometimes you'll need a bit of 'hair of the dog' (for my Brazilian friends, this is when you need to drink some alcohol in the morning to make you feel better) with a Bloody Mary or a Mimosa. I've even been to a brunch which offers endless brunch sangria, which can turn your brunch into a full on bender.

Mostly though, you're there to get some good food and have a laugh about the night before. For a lot of people brunch in Melbourne is the best time to go to a restaurant.

Brazilians Don't Even Eat Breakfast

It isn't really a thing here in Brazil though. For that matter, neither is breakfast. Known as cafe da manha (literally, coffee of the morning) it is a bit of a non event here – especially if you're trying to find somewhere to eat out. Most Brazilians that I know barely eat anything in the morning. Maybe some juice or a piece of fruit. Many cafes here – even the good ones that I like – don't open until after a traditional breakfast time. Even those that are open early barely have more than some bread or granola for breakfast. If you're looking for something a bit more substantial, you're generally out of luck.

It might be because they tend to eat big lunches (often buffets with rice, beans, salad and steak) and dinners that they choose to forgo breakfast. A great big brunch on a weekend can mean you don't even need lunch, but it hasn't taken off here yet.

There Are Good Brunch Spots in Porto Alegre

That isn't to say it doesn't exist. So far we've found two cafes in Porto Alegre that offer brunch and they're both pretty good.

Eggs Benedict

The first one we found is Priscilla's Bakery (Rua Vasco da Gama 514). This place could fight right in to the Melbourne brunch scene with a huge list of brunch classics like waffles, pancakes, croque madame and eggs benedict. They also have a big range of cakes and pastries that you can have there or take away. On the day we went the service was a little slow, however the food was really good quality which always helps you forget your wait. The biggest problem with this place is that they're not open Sundays. While Saturday is a good brunch day, Sunday is the best and not opening Sundays is going to make it harder to make the brunch thing take off in Porto Alegre.

A Cruffin!

The other brunch spot we've tried so far is Ló Patisserie &Chocolaterie (Rua Vasco da Gama 915). Unlike Priscilla's, these guys are open on Sundays which is a massive plus. While they specialise in chocolates, cakes and pastries, they offer a brunch menu on weekends which revolves around the croissant. They have a number of croissants, including sweet and savoury options, and some that are even a combination of croissant and muffin – the cruffin! As well as being able to buy individual items, they have a few set menus which generally include a sweet and a savory item, a juice and a coffee. The food is absolutely delicious. The only downside is if you're feeling like something other than a croissant there isn't as much variety.

The search for the best brunch spot in Porto Alegre continues. My hope is one day Porto Alegre combines their love of the buffet livre with a new found love of brunch and creates brunch buffets!