Expert: Sandra - 7/8/2009

Question
hey, for a school project we have been assigned to find out things about what youth can do in brazil. all the stuff i can find on the net revolves around tourist youth. i want to know about Brazilian youth, can you help me?? thank you

Answer
Hey,
Brazilian young people like to play on their computers. The site Orkut is very popular to post photos and exchange messages. Although many kids do have their own computers, those kids who don't can go to the local 'LAN house' (a kind of internet cafe) to rent time on a computer pretty cheaply.

Depending on their socio-economic level, some kids may have a lot of adult responsibilities around the house and not many toys, and other kids may have maids and lots of after-school activities and homework. Although most schools, both public and private, are only half a day, the academic level in private schools is usually about a year ahead of the U.S.

Traditional holidays have activities that come along with them, and that kids participate in. For example, in June, many kids rehearse and dance Quadrilha (a type of square dance with rustic costumes, and with a funny story about a bride that is acted out), popular during the Festas Juninhas, the saints' feasts like Sao Joao.

Brazil has a lot of coastline, so many kids who live near the beach like to surf. It's warm in most of the country for a large part of the year, so everyone likes to swim, either in the ocean or at a pool.

Just as American girls of a certain age like to play with Barbies and other dolls, Brazilian girls do too. Older girls are into makeup and doing their nails, music, clothes and boys, just as in many other countries.

And of course, most boys, and many men, play soccer. Most neighborhoods have at least one field of some sort to play on. Pick-up games are almost always going on.

I hope that gives you an idea of what Brazilian youth spend their time doing.