At the past Rose Cafe, we had the pleasure of listening to Andre Simores talk about his home country of Brazil. Previously, my knowledge on the country was mostly comprised of the Amazon Rainforest, Rio Carnival, and their national soccer team. In Andre’s talk, however, I was introduced to a wide range of topics concerning Brazil that have perked my curiosity to learn more about this multifaceted country.

Andre started out the talk by giving us all a quick geography lesson. Through his presentation of the various landscapes found in Brazil via google images, I was surprised to see such a variety. From deserts to forest to their own version of the Everglades here in the United States, I don’t know why I never bothered to imagine anything other than a tropical environment, especially considering Brazil’s status as the 5th largest country in the world.

The talk then shifted to more specific topics, including the agriculture and educational system in Brazil. Some of the main exports Andre mentioned were raw sugar, soybeans, and poultry meat, which I found pretty surprising to note. Andre didn’t talk too much about the dairy industry that he is involved with, which I think would have been interesting to hear and compare to that of the United States. In regards to the education system, Andre noted how in Brazil, the top universities in the country were public institutions that only those that had the opportunity of attending a private preparatory school were able to go to. This type of system, sometimes completely opposite of the United States, tends to contributes to the unequal distribution of wealth in the country that Andre also spoke on.

Overall, it was a pleasure to attend this event. I came in not thinking of Brazil outside of the World Cup and came out with newfound knowledge and curiosity about this dynamic country.