Chapter 5 Stroll through Rio de Janeiro

It was five o'clock in the afternoon when I messaged Kang, Ye-Yun. I arranged to meet him at the hotel at seven and take him out for a good night out in Rio. As I approached the entrance, I could see from a distance - thank God - he wasn't wearing a suit, but rather engrossed in a book. I called out from the doorway, and he came over, looking serious. That night, I would have to make sure he knew and understood some Brazilian customs.

As he walked out through the glass door, I approached and gave him two kisses on the cheek. The redness on his face almost made me sit on the curb from laughing so hard.

"First thing, Uncle. In Brazil, we're warm and greet each other with kisses. That's the natural way here, and we don't worry too much about formalities, in interactions with non-elderly people."

"That's something peculiar."

"With time, you'll get used to it. Second thing: I have a Korean car, but it's nothing extravagant, and it's a bit compact. Get ready for a slightly tight space because I consider myself tall, but you're not just tall, you're very tall."

"I may be rich, but I'm not snobbish. And you're not tall, you're of average height."

"Good response! I believe, with your kindness, you meant to say that I'm 'short,' but using the term 'average' is more polite," I said with a slight smile. "And considering Brazilian standards, mom and dad weren't tall; I was born short. I could have looked like you, don't you agree? But that was not the case."

"And the third thing?" he asked, adjusting his seatbelt.

"Have you heard of samba, a typical Brazilian dance?"

"I've read a bit about it."

I chuckled softly.

"No matter how much you've read, it's not enough. You need to see, hear, and feel. Let's have dinner at a bar with a samba performance. Based on how you feel there, I'll decide whether I'll continue with you to South Korea, at least so you can meet Grandpa."

"What exactly do you mean by "doing well" there?"

"If you at least try to dance samba and don't turn red if any woman I introduce you to gives you two little kisses."

********

It was five o'clock in the afternoon when I messaged Kang, Ye-Yun. I arranged to meet him at the hotel at seven and take him out for a night out in Rio. As I approached the entrance, I could see from a distance - thank God - he wasn't wearing a suit, but rather engrossed in a book. I called out from the doorway, and he came over, looking serious. That night, I would have to make sure he knew and understood some Brazilian customs.

As he walked out through the glass door, I approached and gave him two kisses on the cheek. The redness on his face almost made me sit on the curb from laughing so hard.

"First thing, Uncle. In Brazil, we're warm and greet each other with kisses. That's the natural way here, and we don't worry too much about formalities, in interactions with non-elderly people."

"That's something peculiar."

"With time, you'll get used to it. Second thing: I have a Korean car, but it's nothing extravagant, and it's a bit compact. Get ready for a slightly tight space because I consider myself tall, but you're not just tall, you're very tall."

"I may be rich, but I'm not snobbish. And you're not tall, you're of average height."

"Good response! I believe, with your kindness, you meant to say that I'm 'short,' but using the term 'average' is more polite," And considering Brazilian standards, mom and dad weren't tall; I was born short. I could have looked like you, don't you agree? But that was not the case."

"And the third thing?" he asked, adjusting his seatbelt.

"Have you heard of samba, a typical Brazilian dance?"

"I've read a bit about it."

I chuckled softly.

"No matter how much you've read, it's not enough. You need to see, hear, and feel. Let's have dinner at a bar with a samba performance. Based on how you feel there, I'll decide whether I'll continue with you to South Korea, at least so you can meet Grandpa."

"What exactly do you mean by 'doing well' there?"

"If you at least try to dance samba and don't turn red if any woman I introduce you to gives you two little kisses."

At the bar, we sat at a corner table. I ordered fried feijoada balls, a Rio tradition, and handed the English menu to my uncle in case he wanted to order dinner.

"Min-Ji, explain to me, what is samba and where did it originate?"

"Well, here we go. You know that we had slavery of people from Africa that lasted more than 300 years?"

"Really, centuries." Looking at my phone, I was never an excellent student in history.

"Samba originated in Rio de Janeiro in the early 20th century. It's a distinctive musical genre, but it took hold mainly in Afro-Brazilian communities, meaning the direct descendants of the first slaves. Initially, it was a circle dance accompanied by the pulsating rhythm of batuque, those instruments on stage creating the characteristic percussive sounds. At first, it was a local rhythm, limited to this state, but with the emergence of samba schools, starting in 1930, it spread throughout Brazil."

"The instruments are quite different from what we know, at least for me."

"Percussion instruments are essential in samba school drum sections. We have pandeiros, surdos, tamborins, cuíca, agogô, and other components. The combination of these sounds is truly spectacular, at least in my opinion. It can make any Brazilian dance, and even foreigners can't resist. Those who visit Rio de Janeiro have a desire to attend a rehearsal or be in an environment like this, a bar of this kind where we are now. And, of course, at the height of Carnival, they want to witness the magnificent parades on the avenue, full of brightness, energy, and stunning floats. The musical group seems about to start. The samba group members are already settling in and adjusting their instruments precisely."

"Please don't force me to learn this today" - my uncle said with a pleading look.

"I was kidding, I would never do that. It's too much for a man I met wearing a suit and tie in 40-degree heat" - I said, teasing that uncle, who was once a stranger but whom I was already starting to like.

"We still have some time before it starts, so I believe we can talk about the colorful parades I saw on the internet. How did they originate?"