When I think of San Paulo, I think of people. I think of people hustling to work on Paulista Avenue or crammed onto the metro, or people shopping for treasures in Vinte Cinco de Março or Liberdade. I think of people swirling on the dance floor of the clubs, especially those at the colorful forro halls. San Paulo is the biggest city I’ve ever visited but it is full of people who are diverse yet pleasant. One day, I was trying to shop in a small perfume/cosmetic shop. I was with my companion and neither of us spoke Portuguese. We had ventured into one of the little compact malls to find the best price on my favorite Brazilian brand Natura. Of course it was packed with shoppers and I was struggling through my Portuguese to ask some basic questions. A young man offered to translate and kindly spent 10 minutes getting the order from English to Portuguese. He got nothing from the translation except my profuse thanks. This generosity of spirit is typical of my experiences in Brazil and is the main reason (other than visiting my family, friends and students) that I love to return to Brazil.
Vocabulary
Hustling: Walking or working quickly, in a busy way.
Crammed/Packed: Crowded; many people in the same location.
Swirling: Moving in circles.
Ventured: Enter an unknown location.
Struggling: Doing something with difficulty.
Profuse: Strong, complete.
