Brazilians and Americans: An Introduction

In an effort understand the intricacies of the American culture, I'm starting a series of posts that will compare aspects of the American culture to the Brazilian culture. From age 5 to 13, I was an expatriate in São Paulo, Brazil. I moved here during the middle of my 8th grade year and cultural aspects of the U.S. continue to surprise, amaze and sometimes disappoint me. By comparing the different cultures, I hope both myself and the reader will come to better understand the personality of our nation and how the differences between the U.S. and Brazil show our high points and low points as a people.