Brazilian hygiene

Hi all,

Brazilians take their hygiene seriously. I was surprised to discover just how obsessive they can be.

As an example, I have students (as you may know, I am an English teacher) at Petrobras and also at Accenture. In the men’s room (and I assume the women’s as well), you’ll find dental floss dispensers on the wall. Accenture also provides a very large bottle of Listerine and little plastic cups.

After lunch, you will see folks lined up at the sinks, brushing away like your were in a college dorm or university barracks. And these guys don’t just brush – they BRUSH. They brush until they are all foamed up like Cajo. The standard procedure seems to be to brush, floss, and then brush again.

Sometimes the preoccupation with hygiene seems a bit odd to newbies here. For example, in any restaurant, from humble to elegant, you will find a toothpick dispenser on the table. It is acceptable practice here to pick your teeth after a meal – while covering you mouth with your free hand. While this practice is quite practical when you consider it a moment, it takes a bit of getting used to.

The preoccupation – oh, let’s just call it obsession – with hygiene isn’t limited to teeth. At the risk of oversharing, I’ve showered with some women here who take a really, really long time in the shower. OK, you say, that’s no surprise. No, I mean, a LONG time. They have to wash everything at twice, at a minimum.

Ron Martinez, in his excellent book “How to Say Anything in Portuguese” notes this obsession and says there is an expression for it (which of course I can’t find just now) which basically translates as “We’s poor but we’s clean.” An overt obsession with hygiene seems to be a way of saying “I’m as good as the next guy.”

So if you come here, and especially if you do business here, to mind your Ps and Qs. Carry a travel toothbrush with you, and after lunch, you can belly up to the sink with the rest of the gang and do some bonding.

Até mais, guys

John

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