Sayuri・Feijoada・Brazil

Name： Shimogaito Borges Cindy Sayuri

Faculty/Year ：1st year, Faculty of Science and Engineering

Hometown： Brazil

Hobbies and Interests: Loves to cook

Q: Please share with us about Brazil's uniqueness or special culture.

A: Brazil is a country with a lot of cultural diversity.

Brazil is a country with a lot of cultural diversity. There are people descended from various countries and this is what makes Brazil unique, our culture's formation is the great integration of many different cultures.

Q: How would you describe the personality of Brazilian people?

A: People are nice, warm-hearted, and friendly.

Brazilians would always greet people and say hello to everyone. If someone needs help, Brazilians would always try their best to help. If they are queuing in a line in a supermarket, they will make good use of the waiting time by starting a conversation with each other. Brazilians are nice and caring to old people and of course kids too.

Q: Please let us know Brazil's most interesting customs or cultures!

A: I live in Praia Grande city which Praia means beach, while Grande means big.

My house is just literally 10 minutes away from the beach! During the New Year festival, there would be festivals all around the beach area. The festival is very lively as everyone would be celebrating together with family and friends, the beach would be packed and crowded with people until sometimes it is hard to find any place for myself too (laugh). Sometimes it is quite dangerous because there are risks to be snatched, so please be careful and take good care of your personal belongings.

Q: What's your favourite national holiday or festival in Brazil?

A:My favourite festival would be the Big Cycle festival which is held in my city.

The local Brazilians love this cycling event that is held every year! It is being organized by A Tribuna which is the local news company. This event started 5 years ago with the goal of promoting better health fitness and greener transportation options! Besides, it's an encouraging match in which there's no competition for a winner! I have enjoyed this event so much where I have consequently participated for 3 years!

Q: What's your memories of this cuisine, Feijoada?

A: My love for this cuisine, Feijoada could be seen in the story I will share with you!

I have loved beans and Feijoada when I was younger. However, since beans are rich in iron and I have eaten a lot of it, it has reached a whole new level where I have been told by my doctor not to eat beans for a few months. This is because the amount of iron in my blood is too high. Since then, I have learned to eat the right amount of beans and control my diet to stay healthy!

Q: What were the biggest differences you felt between Brazil and Japan?

A: Soka University is like a bubble with much love and I am not sure about the environment outside Soka University.

The main difference I have noticed is the lesser amount of skin ship when we have greetings compared to Brazil. However, I like both cultures where you can enjoy the privacy in Japan and the passion of Brazilians!