Every day when I get dressed, I'm preparing to be robbed. I own two wallets, one I like and the other I could care less about. I put money in the second one, just as much as I'll need. Even if I don't need money, I take some. Getting robbed with no money on me is the scenario I fear the most.
I carry my cell phone about half the time. My credit card only when I have specific plans to use it.
No watch. No accessories of any kind. Dani's engagement ring sees as much Brazilian sunlight as you reading this in the States.
When I ask Brazilians if they've ever been robbed I hear no. When I ask how many people they know in their lives that have been, I usually hear one or two. Probably not too different from what you would get in America.
Brazil is decidedly rougher, though, and any recent travel guide you read will give you similar instructions as my daily routine. I'll probably never get robbed here, but if I do, I'll be dressed for the part.
Other than the firmly clutched purses on women's shoulders, the fashion in Brazil is pretty relaxed and fun. Lots of bright colors and more skin showing than I've seen north of the Equator. The average guy is in shorts and short sleeves. The businessmen wear sleek pinstripes. Women's clothes are universally tight regardless of the occasion.
Flip flops. Sandals. Stilettos. In general, it's a country that doesn't wear a lot of socks.
I've gone shopping a few times at the flawless mall near our apartment. Coming from America, it's like going to a mall in a movie or a video game. Almost all the stores are Brazilian businesses that I've never seen before. It's like a parallel universe of shopping.
With converted American money, you'll do pretty well in a Brazilian mall. Their high-end chains run a little cheaper than back home. All the brands and styles are different than what I've seen before.
Buying American brands in Brazil is an express trip to the poor farm. For a pair of Levi jeans ("lev-ees") you're looking in the US $100-300 range. A regular pair of Nikes? US $200-400.
They love shirts with English text on them. Love them. Bring your t-shirts down and you'll blend right in.
I've never cared for shopping. I'm fully aware of my lack of fashion sense. Still, in Brazil, it's fun to roam this insulated planet of new clothing. My closet rack is expanding with roupa I know I can't find anywhere else and I like it.
Just as long as my clothes don't draw too much attention to me. I don't want that. Should the moment of truth ever arrive, I hope the robbers will only want the small stipend in my backup wallet, not the shirt off my back.
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