Improving the World... One Interaction At A Time.
A Performers Guide to Cultural Interactions
By William Draven
As an actor at a major motion picture studio, and theme park in Hollywood, as well as a magician I frequently get the opportunity to entertain for from all over the world. A year ago or so a document was released within our entertainment department that outlined different countries, and some good information you can use to create meaningful, lasting encounters with their people.
I immediately saw the advantage of this information for the magician community because what are we if not entertainers? We can use just about any tool at our disposal to help create that one magic moment with our audience that can make it even that much more memorable. So I got permission to share the information with you. Of course this project will take some time to post up, so I'll be updating this based upon two factors. The first being how well received, and appreciated it is from you the community, and the second how relevant the community feels this information is as applied to their lives. That is to say if not encouraged, I won't keep it up. Otherwise, I'll post new threads titled: "Improving The World: {country name}" that that specific file relates to.
Without any further delay, I bring you our next country: Brazil
Country: Brazil
Continental Location: South America
What They Call Themselves: Brazilians
Primary Language: Portuguese
Prominent Cities: Brasilia [capital], Rio De Janiero, Sao Paulo.
Famous/Historical sites: Rio De Janiero’s big statue of an open-armed Jesus atop Corcovado Hill; Iguacu Falls (world famous water falls).
Currency: Real (pronounced hay-AHL)
Starter Phrases:
Hello: Ola
Hi: Oi
Good Morning: Bom Dia
Good Afternoon: Boa Tarde
Goodbye: Tchau (like the Italian “ciao”)
Thank you: Obrigado (masculine), or Obrigada (feminine)
You’re Welcome: De nada
Cultural Notes:
Prominent People/ Celebrities: Pele (All-time soccer legend); Gisele Bundchen (Supermodel; married to Tom Brady of the New England Patriots); Helio Castroneves (Indy 500 winning race car driver and winner of season 5 “Dancing with the Stars”); Joao Gilberto (musician, performed “Girl From Ipanema”); Antonio Carlos Jobim (Composer of “Girl From Ipanema”); Anderson Varejao (basketball player, Cleveland Cavaliers); Kaka (pronounced “cuh-KAH,” soccer, currently one of the highest paid athletes on planet Earth); Ronaldinho (soccer star).
-Portuguese is the native language in Brazil, since they were once part of the Portuguese Empire. Even though it was located outside of Europe. Rio de Janeiro was the capital of the Portuguese empire from 1808 to 1815. Brazil currently has 26 states.
-Brazil takes up nearly half the continent of South America, it is bordered to the East by the Atlantic Ocean.
-Most of the Amazon Rainforest is located in Brazil.
-The major public festival in Brazil is “Carnival”, a nationwide event that leads up to Lent. Imagine a weeklong Mardi Gras on a national scale.
-Brazil is a world power house in soccer (futebol). They have won the FIFA World Cup a record 5 times, most recently in 2002. They will host the event in 2014, a point of great national pride for the Brazilians.
-The Samba and Bossa Nova musical styles were born out of Brazilian culture.
-Rock in Rio! A Rolling Stones concert on the Copacabana beach in 2006 drew a staggering 1.5 million people. Woodstock only had an estimated 400,000.
-Churrasco is Brazilian barbecue.
What To Avoid:
Ethnically, Brazilians are not Hispanic. Nor do they speak Spanish.
The OK gesture (thumb and first finger touching in a circle) may have obscene connotations in Brazil.
A Performers Guide to Cultural Interactions
By William Draven
As an actor at a major motion picture studio, and theme park in Hollywood, as well as a magician I frequently get the opportunity to entertain for from all over the world. A year ago or so a document was released within our entertainment department that outlined different countries, and some good information you can use to create meaningful, lasting encounters with their people.
I immediately saw the advantage of this information for the magician community because what are we if not entertainers? We can use just about any tool at our disposal to help create that one magic moment with our audience that can make it even that much more memorable. So I got permission to share the information with you. Of course this project will take some time to post up, so I'll be updating this based upon two factors. The first being how well received, and appreciated it is from you the community, and the second how relevant the community feels this information is as applied to their lives. That is to say if not encouraged, I won't keep it up. Otherwise, I'll post new threads titled: "Improving The World: {country name}" that that specific file relates to.
Without any further delay, I bring you our next country: Brazil
Country: Brazil
Continental Location: South America
What They Call Themselves: Brazilians
Primary Language: Portuguese
Prominent Cities: Brasilia [capital], Rio De Janiero, Sao Paulo.
Famous/Historical sites: Rio De Janiero’s big statue of an open-armed Jesus atop Corcovado Hill; Iguacu Falls (world famous water falls).
Currency: Real (pronounced hay-AHL)
Starter Phrases:
Hello: Ola
Hi: Oi
Good Morning: Bom Dia
Good Afternoon: Boa Tarde
Goodbye: Tchau (like the Italian “ciao”)
Thank you: Obrigado (masculine), or Obrigada (feminine)
You’re Welcome: De nada
Cultural Notes:
Prominent People/ Celebrities: Pele (All-time soccer legend); Gisele Bundchen (Supermodel; married to Tom Brady of the New England Patriots); Helio Castroneves (Indy 500 winning race car driver and winner of season 5 “Dancing with the Stars”); Joao Gilberto (musician, performed “Girl From Ipanema”); Antonio Carlos Jobim (Composer of “Girl From Ipanema”); Anderson Varejao (basketball player, Cleveland Cavaliers); Kaka (pronounced “cuh-KAH,” soccer, currently one of the highest paid athletes on planet Earth); Ronaldinho (soccer star).
-Portuguese is the native language in Brazil, since they were once part of the Portuguese Empire. Even though it was located outside of Europe. Rio de Janeiro was the capital of the Portuguese empire from 1808 to 1815. Brazil currently has 26 states.
-Brazil takes up nearly half the continent of South America, it is bordered to the East by the Atlantic Ocean.
-Most of the Amazon Rainforest is located in Brazil.
-The major public festival in Brazil is “Carnival”, a nationwide event that leads up to Lent. Imagine a weeklong Mardi Gras on a national scale.
-Brazil is a world power house in soccer (futebol). They have won the FIFA World Cup a record 5 times, most recently in 2002. They will host the event in 2014, a point of great national pride for the Brazilians.
-The Samba and Bossa Nova musical styles were born out of Brazilian culture.
-Rock in Rio! A Rolling Stones concert on the Copacabana beach in 2006 drew a staggering 1.5 million people. Woodstock only had an estimated 400,000.
-Churrasco is Brazilian barbecue.
What To Avoid:
Ethnically, Brazilians are not Hispanic. Nor do they speak Spanish.
The OK gesture (thumb and first finger touching in a circle) may have obscene connotations in Brazil.
