Brazillian women appear to smoke more than men
It appears that Brazilian women smoke and drink more than their men.
Although, this conclusion may not be based on statistical data, but from observation on the streets of some Brazilian cities, of every 10 women, eight will be smokers.
The cities are Curitiba, Cuiaba, Porto Alegre, Brasilia, Sao Paulo and Rio Janeiro.
They smoke cigarettes on the streets and drop the stubs at corners, which are in turn picked up by “junkies” who take hard drugs.
Women are seen at street bars drinking virtually at all times of the day, especially in the evenings.
However, the good thing about it is that the women are always in happy and revelling mood.
Consciousness of English language a major gain
There is one legacy the ongoing World Cup in Brazil will leave behind for Brazilians and indeed non English-speaking people when the competition is over by July 13.
It is more consciousness about learning the English language.
This is the conclusion of some Nigerian immigrants to Brazil.
They said prior to the World Cup, public announcements on the metro lines and generally in the underground train services were virtually in Portuguese.
They said the situation has changed with Brazil 2014.
A Sao Paulo-based Nigerian businessman, Chinedu Nwosu, said: “Before the start of the World Cup, the language of communication in Sao Paulo has been in Portuguese.
“The coming of many visitors from English-speaking countries may have compelled the authorities to introduce English in the announcement of stops in trains and buses.”
The News Agency of Nigeria observed at the World Cup that in many public institutions, shops, malls and hospitality spots, including hotels, attendants were struggling with the English language.
Indeed, an attendant in one of the hotels, simply known as Mariso, said the proprietor compelled her and other workers to go through a crash programme to learn basic English language.
Mariso said: “It was so serious that we were threatened with loss of jobs if we failed to learn the language.
“I felt bad then, but now I welcome the development because it has helped my desire to emigrate eventually to Canada.”
It is common at malls to see that many shops engage students of English language and those who could speak passable English as attendants.
This has brought more patronage to many retail outlets whose proprietors have now been smiling to the banks.
Nigerians are exceptions in credit cards transactions
Except for tourists and fans from some African countries, especially Nigeria, who still transacted business with raw cash, virtually all others relied on plastics – credit cards – for business transactions.
Cases of stealing of cash are far and between.
“There is nothing to steal from a man with just plastics,” a Nigerian, Chinedu Nwosu, said.
Nwosu noted that Nigeria needs to step up business transactions in cards, otherwise known as the cashless transaction.
It was part of the cashless policy, which was recently introduced across the country on July 1.
Nwosu added: “The world is leaving us behind.
“We should speed up to meet others.”
He added that the country’s leadership should do something about the electricity supply situation.
Brazilians enjoy free medicines
In Brazil, a nation generally classed as a Third World country with a reported high poverty rate, its citizens enjoy free drugs dispensing at its many public health care facilities.
Even at train stations, there are such outfits where citizens go to obtain prescription drugs free of charge.
The services are available to all, irrespective of immigration status.
But such drugs are obtained with doctors prescriptions.
“Here in Brazil, the health of all is important because sickness is a minus to the growth of the economy,” said Olajide Yusuf, a Nigerian businessman and Sao Paulo-based attorney-at-law.