Post by Brazil on Jan 7, 2013 16:58:43 GMT -5
((The character Luciano da Silva belongs to the latin-hetalia community, I’m merely using as a fan! The artwork used on the forum is drawn by yours truly, however. Thank you.))
Nation:
República Federativa do Brasil
Federative Republic of Brazil
Name:
Luciano da Silva
Gender:
Male
Appearance Age:
19 years old
Actual Age:
Since his “Discovery”: 512 years old
Since his Independence: 191 years old
Hair Color:
Black
Eye Color:
Brown
Height:
171cm
5’7”
Weight:
73kg
160 pounds
Appearance:
Luciano has a muscular built, result of his lively personality and passion for sports, especially football. He doesn’t like to stand still for too long, or work in a cramped office for hours to no end, so he’s always seen playing with his people or other nations — besides, he really wants to win the next cup, and the cup after, and on and on. Yet, he’s not all about football and capoeira, being a big fan of most sports, except perhaps that obscenity Alfred dares call ‘football’ and baseball, thanks to a rather traumatic experience with Venezuela. It’s slightly questionable, however, how he can keep a fit body eating like a bull, or perhaps, that’s what gives him the energy to keep going and, hey, keeping a strong economy also helps!
His hair is a mess, although sometimes, when he wants to impress, he’ll slick it back — and look ridiculous as he does so. It’s also very dark and matching his eyes, so brown that sometimes, you can barely see the pupils. He is always seen smiling, laid-back posture no matter the weather or political situation, humming a song wherever he goes. Luciano has a tanned skin too, a consequence of his country’s sun and all sorts of cultural heritage. In fact, it makes his face look quite funny: strong jaw and thick eyebrows with a roundish, large nose and chubby cheeks.
He never dresses up too formally either, usually seen with a loose cotton t-shirt, jeans or shorts and flip-flops. It depends a lot on where he is too, usually changing to boots and shirts, or even a suit if he’s in Brasília. He doesn’t have many winter clothes, and at the smallest sight of a chilly wind, he’s quick to put all sorts of coats and scarves on, setting his face to a permanent pout and crossed arms to match. Tucked under his shirt there’s a small crucifix he’s gotten from Portugal, a simple wooden one, that sometimes he forgets to wear, or forgets to hide — it’s not the only religion he has anyway.
Defining Features:
Luciano’s bright smile is the very first thing you should notice about him, followed by the thick eyebrows, a heritage from the commercial trades between England and Brazil during the younger’s Empire days — he blames it on Portugal, and his brilliant sense of friendship (sarcasm), but it’s mostly on good fun. The Brazilian will try to look cheerful no matter what, and it’s quite funny to notice that after you pause to look back on the nations that helped him become who he is with their immigrants.
He also has his share of scars, mostly due to environmental disasters. They’re mostly small, piled on his back as small burnt marks and faint lines hinting that, perhaps, he might’ve overdone digging metal, or an oil pipe caused him trouble. He bandages them, waves a hand because it’s never trouble (honestly, a fertile land blessed with no natural disasters! Nothing to worry here!) and hides his pain when they itch or scratch. If you listen closely, he can be heard muttering every spot that hurts, but Carajás, Cubatão, Goiânia or any of his place’s names have little to no meaning to any country besides himself. He likes to brag his hands aren’t as calloused as they were once, a lie, as the marks from hard labour are still there. He doesn’t like working in the fields, but work isn’t about fun, so he does what he has to.
There is, however, a thin line over his left thigh, the only thing he bothers with. He got it from the Cisplatine War, when Uruguay became his own independent country, and despite the fact both countries are good friends nowadays, Luciano is a bit bitter about it. He just misses the other, that stupid feeling of saudades Portugal won’t shut up about. Or maybe he’s sad about not managing to hold onto the land as his own, who knows? At least it didn’t end being a part of Argentina.
Personality:
Laid-back, cheerful and extroverted, Luciano is a relaxed type, rarely seen stressing over matters. However, there are times when he just lets himself be carried on by his own emotions and ends up saying more than he means. He loves meeting new people and communicating with them, sometimes going out of his way to help even, and if allowed to, he’ll ramble so much about so many different topics, it can be tiresome to the quieter ones — he’s that kind of person who will talk happily from weather to politics, and even about how annoying people who never shut up are, always with a cheerful grin.
He isn’t a big fan of conflicts, and mostly finds passive-aggressive solutions rather than openly going all-out on complaints, looking for a fight. He always tries to be diplomatic and fair concerning issues between Brazil and any other nations, but if push comes to shove, he’s not afraid to stir some uproar and drag attention upon his persona, and may even react worse than you’d expect him to. Still, Luciano tries not to overdo it, and he knows all it takes sometimes is a crack of knuckles to get his point across when it comes to more personal matters. His physical strength is rather known especially around South America.
Overall, he’s a friendly guy, and even when he becomes angry with someone, it never lasts long. Despite his short-temper, that changes as much as the seasons, the male has a bad memory, quickly getting pissed off at whatever offense is thrown at him but soon forgetting about everything. It’s not unusual for him to stop and go “Us, mad at each other? Since when?!” not even hours after a fight, which can be impossibly confusing to nations who aren’t used to the brunet. He doesn’t have much of a mind to think about money either, if his problems with inflation were anything to go by.
Always one up for entertainment, the Brazilian loves joking and fooling around, pranking innocent tourists in Rio or singing songs with ridiculous lyrics and catchy rhythms. He loves his dances, from funk to forró and samba, his soap operas — what, you think you have better telenovelas than him?! Poor soul… — and a good football match, especially against Argentina. He has a rather strange sense of humor though, always making fun of everything and everybody, which usually leads to him losing touch of when to stop and ending up making an offensive comment. He doesn’t mean it, though, and doesn’t take a joke as well as when he’s the one joking around, getting defensive rather quickly if he can’t think of an answer quick enough.
Still, under all that brightness and easy-going lifestyle, the Brazilian hides quite the inferiority complex. He never voices it out loud, instead rambling proudly about his traditions and making his history much grander than it really is, but to the nations who knows him better it’s very easy to spot when his smile reaches his eyes and when it doesn’t. He’s quick to judge himself far too harshly and to the point that he’s cruel, always comparing himself to others in a negative light and, unless things are top-notch perfect, then they’re hopelessly awful with no in-between. Voicing said insecurities is a completely different matter, to which he usually just waves a hand and, with a (forced) smile, says that everything is fine. And it is, period.
Likes:
Dislikes:
Fears:
Fun Facts:
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
1500 – Pedro Álvares Cabral settles in the coast of Brazil, where today’s known as Porto Seguro. The land, called Terra de Santa Cruz at first, doesn’t interest much save for the native trees of pau-brasil.
1534 – After the french invasions, a system of Captaincy is adopted to populate the land in the New World. Given the extension of each captaincy, as well as lack of funds and people, only two out of the fourteen ones are considered successful economically. Still, the lands keep invasions away.
1534 – Priests are sent to Brazil to convert the native Indians to Catholicism, under the Companhia de Jesus, founded by Santo Inácio de Loyola.
1548 – A governor-general is sent to better administrate the colony, and with it, a whole new administrative organization is set. The system works up to 1808, when the Portuguese Royal Family moves to Rio de Janeiro, and officially ends in 1821.
1549 – The city of Salvador, first capital of Brazil, is founded. It’s also when the colony begins to produce sugar cane, under the system of plantation. Tobacco and cotton are minor side-products. The sugar was one of the most successful economical activities during this period, granting wealth to Portugal, gold being the most successful one.
1549 – The first African slaves are sent to work in the sugar cane plantations in Brazil.
(1624-1654) – Dutch Invasions.
1709 – Discovery of gold happens around this year, with the expeditions (Bandeirantes) to the countryside of Brazil. The gold is found in the lands of Minas Gerais, and with it, a new system is set there with heavy taxation and commerce centered exclusively with Portugal.
1763 – The capital of the colony is transferred to Rio de Janeiro.
1789 – As the gold grows less plentiful, the taxes raise. The Minas Gerais’ Conspiracy (Conjuração Mineira) is a movement for independence based of the American Independence War, but unsuccessful. The leader, Tiradentes, is hanged 21 april 1792, setting the national holiday.
1798 – A similar revolt happens in Bahia (Conjuração Baiana), demanding Independence, but this time with a more popular presence than the one in Minas, done mostly by the scholars. It’s also unsuccessful.
1808 – The Napoleonic Wars force Portugal to transfer its royal family to Brazil, with the help of England. A series of reforms take place in Rio after that (Reformas Joaninas), with the creation of national banks, libraries, schools, etc.
1810 – A Treaty between Portugal and England (Abertura dos Portos às Nações Amigas) ends the monopoly the Portuguese had over the colony's trading, and thus, England can sell its industrialized products in Brazil freely now.
1815 – Brazil is now part of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and Algarves.
1817 – Pernambucan Revolt, another failed revolt for independence.
1820 – A revolt in Porto, Portugal, demands the royal family to return from Brazil, and accept the parliamentary monarchy as the new form of government.
1821 – The Cisplatine province (actual Uruguay) is annexed.
1821 – Portugal decides to turn Brazil into a colony again, ending the whole political structure of a kingdom Brazil had, and demands Pedro I to return. The letter arrives in Brazil in 1822, and he refuses to do as told (Dia do Fico) according to the people’s wishes.
7 September 1822 – Brazil declares himself independent from Portugal.
1824 – First Constitution is written.
1825 – Portugal finally recognizes Brazil as an independent country, under the payment of 2 million pounds as an indemnification.
1826 – Economic crisis
(1825-1828) – Cisplatine War
1830 – Liberal revolution against the Emperor’s rule. It's unsuccessful.
1831 – Pedro I abdicates the Brazilian throne in favour of his son, Pedro de Alcântara.
(1831-1840) – Period of Regency, as Pedro II was too young to rule. A time marked by separatist revolts, economical crisis and lack of stability.
(1835-1845) – Farroupilha Revolution, lead by Giuseppe Garibaldi and Bento Gonçalves. A similar revolt known as Cabanagem happens in Pará during the same period, and a third one happens in Salvador (Malês Revolt), all with the same goal: independence from the Empire.
1837 – Brazil begins to produce coffee, what would become an important product later on.
1840 – Pedro de Alcântara is crowned Pedro II, second emperor of Brazil, with 15 years old.
1845 – Aberdeen Act. England forbids the slave trade between Africa and America, under the punishment of seizure of the cargo and repression towards the country importing them.
1850 – Eusébio de Queirós Law abolishes the slave trade in Brazil, under pressure from England and the Aberdeen Act.
(1851-1852) – Platine Way
(1864-1870) – Paraguayan War
(1864-1865) – Uruguayan War
1870 – Immigrants from Europe begin to arrive in Brazil to work at the coffee plantations in considerable numbers.
1888 – Lei Áurea, or Golden Law, officially abolishes slavery in Brazil.
15 November 1889 – Marshal Deodoro da Fonseca declares the beginning of a Republic with a military coup d’état.
1889 – The royal family is banished from Brazil after the coup, and such decision is only revoked in 1920.
1891 – A new Constitution is written, nullifying the previous one. A new flag is also set, but the yellow and green from the Empire are kept.
(1894-1930) – Oligarchy Republic, also nicknamed as “café com leite” (coffee and milk) oligarchy. It defended the interests of, exclusively, the states of Minas Gerais and São Paulo, under an extra-official system of coronelismo, where the wealthy producers of coffee would pick the state governors, who’d pick the president, all under rigged elections.
1914 – Brazil declares neutrality in WWI, but eventually sides with the allies with a very minimal participation. Still, a seat in the Versailles Conference was granted.
3rd November 1930 – Getúlio Vargas takes the presidency after an armed revolution against the rigged elections and the oligarchies, with a coup d’état.
1934 – A new Constitution is written.
1935 – Intentona Comunista, a revolt against Vargas’ government, led by Carlos Prestes, a communist.
30 September 1937 – Plano Cohen, a device created by the Integralists claiming that the communists were planning a bigger attack than the previous, and were aiming for a coup.
10 November 1937 – Vargas declares the Estado Novo, a new regimen that was basically a dictatorship, under the pretext of defending Brazil from the communists. The elections are cancelled.
1937 – Another Constitution is written.
1939 – Brazil declares himself neutral in WWII.
1943 – Consolidation of Labor laws.
1942 – After much negotiation, Brazil sides with the Allies in WWII, after the USA compromises himself with financing the construction of CSN, a steel-maker company. In exchange, Brazil would allow the American to use the Aircraft bases in the Northeast.
1943 – A meeting between Roosevelt and Vargas sets the creation of FEB (Brazilian Expeditionary Force). Still, such was Brazil’s reluctance to actually join the war, a national joke was that it’d be easier for snakes to smoke than Brazil actually sending troops to Europe.
September 1944 – Brazil does send 25 thousand soldiers from FEB to fight in Italy, remaining there until the end of the conflict, in 1945. The company's mascot was, indeed, a snake smoking.
1945 - Brazil is one of the founders of UN.
29 October 1945 – Vargas is pressured to end the authoritarian government he’s set and, after the military depose him, formally renounces the presidency.
1945 – Eurico Gaspar Dutra is elected as president, officially ending the Vargas period.
1946 – Plot twist: yet another Constitution is written.
1950 – Brazil hosts its first World Cup, but loses to Uruguay, 1x0.
1953 – Petrobrás, Brazil’s largest oil company, is founded.
1954 – Getúlio Vargas, who’s elected as president after Dutra, commits suicide after a series of unfortunate events.
1960 – Juscelino Kubitschek inaugurates Brasília, the country’s new and current capital, built in 5 years.
1961 – The current president, Jânio Quadros, honors the revolutionary Che Guevara.
1963 – The vice president, João Goulart, takes the presidency after Jânio renounces. His plans for reforms in the plantations, education and health end up portraying him as ‘communist’.
31 March 1964 – A military coup d’état deposes João Goulart and installs the Military dictatorship in Brazil.
April 2nd, 1964 – The army takes control of Brazil’s most important cities. The USA, wary of Jango’s policies, supports the coup in a veiled operation.
1967 – The sixth Constitution is written.
1968 – The Institutional Act no.5, or AI-5, grants the military power to censor, kidnap, torture and kill. It also suspended the right to Habeas Corpus.
(1968-1974) – Lead years, the most repressive period: torture, exile, disappearances and heavy censorship.
1970 – Brazil wins the World Cup for the third time, which is used as propaganda after.
1973 – Period of intense economical growth, known as “Milagre Econômico”.
1975 – Operation Condor.
1977 – The journalist Vladimir Herzog is tortured and killed, stirring popular revolts against the dictatorship.
1978 – The AI-5 is revoked.
1979 – Amnesty Law. It's a contradictory document as it never punished the torturers for their crimes.
1982 – Malvinas War.
1984 – The “Diretas já” manifestation takes place in the whole country, for the return of the democracy. It was the biggest manifestation during the period, but it’s repressed and censored by Figueiredo.
1985 – The Military Dictatorship officially ends, and the elections in 1989 grant the presidency to a civilian again.
(1986-1989) – A series of economical measures is set to control the inflation, including the change of the national currency from Cruzeiro to Cruzado, and then Cruzado Novo.
1988 – The current ruling Constitution is written, nicknamed as "The Citizen"
1990 – Fernando Collor is elected, but deposed in 1992 after a corrupt government. Itamar Franco, his vice-president, rules in his place until 1994.
1991 – Treaty of Asunción and formation of Mercosul.
1994 – Plano Real sets the national currency from Cruzado Novo to Real, controlling the inflation.
1994 – The ALCA (Free Trade Area of the Americas) is proposed by the USA as an extension of NAFTA, but the opposition by the Latin Americans is too big for the project to ever work. It’s not been mentioned since 2005.
2001 – The term ‘BRIC’ is created by Jim O’Neill.
2004 – Brazil is back on exporting goods again, with a strong economy and stability.
2008 – The Amnesty Law is questioned by OAB and a revision of it is demanded to the Court, but it never happened.
2009 – The BRIC organizes its first meeting in Ekaterinburg. Since then, the meetings have been annual.
2010 – Brazil elects its first woman as a president, Dilma Rousseff.
The letter arrives somewhere around December, during the Christmas festivities, addressed to Luciano da Silva, just another Brazilian in the crowd. The sun outside shines bright, burning his eyes, and the heat makes his bones ache to the point the young man has to grab himself a chair, tugging his tie loose once his boss walks away from him. Luciano is surprised at first, he always is, yet instead of ripping the envelop open as he always does, he holds the paper gently between his fingers — calloused, trembling, with dried blood under his nails he can’t quite see, but he knows it’s there — and analyzes the stamp, the weight, and even the handwriting: firm, precise, but swift, as each letter curled into the other and the word ‘Street’ feels more like a drawing, even if the English surprises him at first.
But it shouldn’t, right? He’s caused it himself, or so his boss tells him as he orders the boy to sit down at the office and pay attention. He doesn’t, the words flowing like a breeze, and he’d rather not be there at all, just curled in a beach or laying down on the sand instead. He could be listening to the ocean, or Chico Buarque for all he cares, not… this. He’s never asked for it.
The letter goes on and Luciano smiles at his people and their humor. It’s from one of his musicians, a boy he saw grow up and learn to play the guitar clumsily, a boy he saw protest against the dictatorship even after he tried assuring the young musician the torture wasn’t there, it wouldn’t get them, an exiled man with nowhere to call home. It tells that the winter in London is rainy and bitter, and people don’t say, “How are you, dear?” right after “Good morning!” because no one cares how you feel or bothers pretending to. It says the summer in Paris, a beautiful and romantic city, has no birds or large ipê trees with their flowers covering the streets, or beautiful brunettes with a swivel of their hips as if they were dancing, not walking. Paris is nowhere near warm as his homeland, and at that, the brunet laughs a bit. He should rub it in Francis’ face, that no one can be quite happy and cheerful as him, no one offers coffee and no one can master a hug as warm as his, not even Spain.
The letter congratulates him on the cup coldly, it comments about Pelé with pride but reprimands him after for an idea that was his boss’, not his, never. The musician says football is about art not politics, and if he were in Brazil, he’d tug his ear harshly — but he isn’t even Brazilian anymore. Tears fill Luciano’s eyes before he can even notice what’s going on.
He’s never asked for this, this sick nationalism of “Love me or leave me”, that’s not him, it’s not fit for his ego because there’s a very arrogant bastard here, south of Equator, but it’s not him. He’s used to being the nation without memory, the different, the one messing up, not all this love and pride. He fails to understand when his boss tells him Brazil has no use for dissidents and communists — who even mentioned them?! Are they not all Brazilians, even the ones who look more like Japanese, or German, or African? They didn’t run to Argentina or Uruguay anymore, but to Europe, where they could dream of a large apartment in some tourist city, where they could flip their fingers and say the president sucked without disappearing after. They say dreams are all on the other side of the Atlantic, north of Equator, and heck if Luciano doesn’t buy it.
They say it’s working, that he’s supposed to let the cake grow before they all share it, and that was just a phase. He’s assured it’s a phase; it’d pass soon enough, quicker than a vaccine. He feels sick, and wonders what sort of cure is that, but his economy is indeed growing, he just won the cup and Alfred approves of him, whatever that means. He’s happy, but he can’t sing happy songs.
Outside, the sun is so bright, it reflects on the window and blinds him. He supposes it’s alright, his vision would come back soon, and he didn’t need to read more of that letter anyway. The paper is tossed aside as he stumbles out of the office, towards where he hopes it’s his room, and whatever else the letter says is lost to time. It probably was important, it’d open his eyes to the truth, but the sun got to him first. Not the guards, they weren’t there, and certainly not out to get him.
Name:
Gabriela
Age:
19
Fun Fact:
I actually am ridiculously guilty of loving mate to death… Sorry, Lu!
My Reflection
Nation:
República Federativa do Brasil
Federative Republic of Brazil
Name:
Luciano da Silva
Gender:
Male
Appearance Age:
19 years old
Actual Age:
Since his “Discovery”: 512 years old
Since his Independence: 191 years old
Appearance
Hair Color:
Black
Eye Color:
Brown
Height:
171cm
5’7”
Weight:
73kg
160 pounds
Appearance:
Luciano has a muscular built, result of his lively personality and passion for sports, especially football. He doesn’t like to stand still for too long, or work in a cramped office for hours to no end, so he’s always seen playing with his people or other nations — besides, he really wants to win the next cup, and the cup after, and on and on. Yet, he’s not all about football and capoeira, being a big fan of most sports, except perhaps that obscenity Alfred dares call ‘football’ and baseball, thanks to a rather traumatic experience with Venezuela. It’s slightly questionable, however, how he can keep a fit body eating like a bull, or perhaps, that’s what gives him the energy to keep going and, hey, keeping a strong economy also helps!
His hair is a mess, although sometimes, when he wants to impress, he’ll slick it back — and look ridiculous as he does so. It’s also very dark and matching his eyes, so brown that sometimes, you can barely see the pupils. He is always seen smiling, laid-back posture no matter the weather or political situation, humming a song wherever he goes. Luciano has a tanned skin too, a consequence of his country’s sun and all sorts of cultural heritage. In fact, it makes his face look quite funny: strong jaw and thick eyebrows with a roundish, large nose and chubby cheeks.
He never dresses up too formally either, usually seen with a loose cotton t-shirt, jeans or shorts and flip-flops. It depends a lot on where he is too, usually changing to boots and shirts, or even a suit if he’s in Brasília. He doesn’t have many winter clothes, and at the smallest sight of a chilly wind, he’s quick to put all sorts of coats and scarves on, setting his face to a permanent pout and crossed arms to match. Tucked under his shirt there’s a small crucifix he’s gotten from Portugal, a simple wooden one, that sometimes he forgets to wear, or forgets to hide — it’s not the only religion he has anyway.
Defining Features:
Luciano’s bright smile is the very first thing you should notice about him, followed by the thick eyebrows, a heritage from the commercial trades between England and Brazil during the younger’s Empire days — he blames it on Portugal, and his brilliant sense of friendship (sarcasm), but it’s mostly on good fun. The Brazilian will try to look cheerful no matter what, and it’s quite funny to notice that after you pause to look back on the nations that helped him become who he is with their immigrants.
He also has his share of scars, mostly due to environmental disasters. They’re mostly small, piled on his back as small burnt marks and faint lines hinting that, perhaps, he might’ve overdone digging metal, or an oil pipe caused him trouble. He bandages them, waves a hand because it’s never trouble (honestly, a fertile land blessed with no natural disasters! Nothing to worry here!) and hides his pain when they itch or scratch. If you listen closely, he can be heard muttering every spot that hurts, but Carajás, Cubatão, Goiânia or any of his place’s names have little to no meaning to any country besides himself. He likes to brag his hands aren’t as calloused as they were once, a lie, as the marks from hard labour are still there. He doesn’t like working in the fields, but work isn’t about fun, so he does what he has to.
There is, however, a thin line over his left thigh, the only thing he bothers with. He got it from the Cisplatine War, when Uruguay became his own independent country, and despite the fact both countries are good friends nowadays, Luciano is a bit bitter about it. He just misses the other, that stupid feeling of saudades Portugal won’t shut up about. Or maybe he’s sad about not managing to hold onto the land as his own, who knows? At least it didn’t end being a part of Argentina.
Who Am I?
Personality:
Laid-back, cheerful and extroverted, Luciano is a relaxed type, rarely seen stressing over matters. However, there are times when he just lets himself be carried on by his own emotions and ends up saying more than he means. He loves meeting new people and communicating with them, sometimes going out of his way to help even, and if allowed to, he’ll ramble so much about so many different topics, it can be tiresome to the quieter ones — he’s that kind of person who will talk happily from weather to politics, and even about how annoying people who never shut up are, always with a cheerful grin.
He isn’t a big fan of conflicts, and mostly finds passive-aggressive solutions rather than openly going all-out on complaints, looking for a fight. He always tries to be diplomatic and fair concerning issues between Brazil and any other nations, but if push comes to shove, he’s not afraid to stir some uproar and drag attention upon his persona, and may even react worse than you’d expect him to. Still, Luciano tries not to overdo it, and he knows all it takes sometimes is a crack of knuckles to get his point across when it comes to more personal matters. His physical strength is rather known especially around South America.
Overall, he’s a friendly guy, and even when he becomes angry with someone, it never lasts long. Despite his short-temper, that changes as much as the seasons, the male has a bad memory, quickly getting pissed off at whatever offense is thrown at him but soon forgetting about everything. It’s not unusual for him to stop and go “Us, mad at each other? Since when?!” not even hours after a fight, which can be impossibly confusing to nations who aren’t used to the brunet. He doesn’t have much of a mind to think about money either, if his problems with inflation were anything to go by.
Always one up for entertainment, the Brazilian loves joking and fooling around, pranking innocent tourists in Rio or singing songs with ridiculous lyrics and catchy rhythms. He loves his dances, from funk to forró and samba, his soap operas — what, you think you have better telenovelas than him?! Poor soul… — and a good football match, especially against Argentina. He has a rather strange sense of humor though, always making fun of everything and everybody, which usually leads to him losing touch of when to stop and ending up making an offensive comment. He doesn’t mean it, though, and doesn’t take a joke as well as when he’s the one joking around, getting defensive rather quickly if he can’t think of an answer quick enough.
Still, under all that brightness and easy-going lifestyle, the Brazilian hides quite the inferiority complex. He never voices it out loud, instead rambling proudly about his traditions and making his history much grander than it really is, but to the nations who knows him better it’s very easy to spot when his smile reaches his eyes and when it doesn’t. He’s quick to judge himself far too harshly and to the point that he’s cruel, always comparing himself to others in a negative light and, unless things are top-notch perfect, then they’re hopelessly awful with no in-between. Voicing said insecurities is a completely different matter, to which he usually just waves a hand and, with a (forced) smile, says that everything is fine. And it is, period.
Likes:
- Food — from Feijoada to pão-de-queijo, he loves eating good food in general, especially his own.
- Music, especially his samba
- Napping on his hammock — no, he’s not lazy. Yes, he’s only signing those papers after his nap, go away.
- Architecture — he likes drawing in general, but buildings and backgrounds are his one weakness
- Football
- Coffee — strong, pitch black. Sometimes, he stuffs with sugar, honey, Chantilly, cinnamon, anything. Sometimes, he takes it pure. It all depends on his mood.
- Simplicity
- Nature, from his rainforest to his sertão, although he wishes the rain could be more… diversified, and his people wouldn’t starve so much.
- Carnaval — and holidays in general. He has proposed to his boss that, since the World Cup is in 2014, and the Olympic games, 2016, they could just settle for 2015 as one big holiday, but all he got was a whack.
- His cultural diversity, and all that came with it.
Dislikes:
- Pessimism
- Arrogance
- Mate — or whatever is that stupid drink his neighbours drink… Fine, some of his people drink it too, but it's bitter and he's not used to drinking bitter stuff anymore.
- Hard labour
- Rules — He's used to a bizarre system of democracy where playing by the rules, sometimes, is the best way to end up with a serious problem instead of a solution, so he only follows them only when they fit his interests.
- Cold — which is anything below 20˚C, really.
- Losing, especially at football.
- Smoking – he’s done it once, and it was embarrassing. Nowadays, the smell just makes him twitch his nose in annoyance.
- Running out of black beans. Serious problem.
- Argentina
Fears:
- Another military dictatorship. He knows the chances are minimal, but any small censorship rubs him the wrong way.
- Disappearing as a country, should some of his states separate as they wish (...or wished?). He doesn’t fear disappearing over natural causes, being a vast territory after all, although global warming is there, and is an issue as any.
- It's not such much of a fear as a precaution, but he knows he has lots of drinking water and hey... It could end one day, huh? He fears when the day'll come when people might start declaring war against him for water, but he never voices it out-loud — it's a stupid fear, he likes to tell himself.
- A repeat of 1950 during the next world cup. Seriously, he doesn’t need to lose at home again, and who’d better to win it than himself? Obviously.
Fun Facts:
- Luciano loves giving nicknames to everyone he meets. It’s a way of being informal and friendly, as he isn’t very prone to treating people by their surnames. In fact, call him ‘da Silva’ or ‘Silva’ will get the opposite reaction of showing respect: he’ll think you’re being crude, and almost immediately ask what the hell he did wrong this time. Seriously, he remembers even his bosses by nicknames — what, Juscelino Kubitschek is an impossibly long name, so why not just JK?
- Because of the constant invasions during his colonial period, as well as the immigrations after and during WWII, he's learned to speak quite a handful of languages. Doesn't mean he's fluent, but he knows enough to keep a conversation and sometimes, he might remember even a few words in the most random idioms. He has quite the trouble with Spanish, however, which can be awful considering all his neighbours are Spanish-speakers. It's not that he dislikes it or anything (fine, maybe he never took any Spanish lessons seriously), but whenever he speaks it, it feels strange in his tongue, like a corrupted version of Portuguese. He can understand and read just fine, though, which is already a big help.
- He'll wear Argentina's football jersey before admitting the Brothers Wright did anything remotely close to flying. Honestly, it was just a long jump, they crashed after, and everybody knows the real father of aviation has one name: Alberto Santos Dumont. Oh, and a very imposing moustache too! C'mon, he flew the very first practical dirigible, and of course he invented the airplane too, 14-bis is there to prove it.
- He's very close to his brothers in Africa too, but Angola, Moçambique and Cape Verde are the ones he talks to the most. The slaves that were brought to Brazil during his childhood came from those places (but so from Congo, Zimbabwe, Ivory Coast and Nigeria, they just aren't his family) and also left their share of culture with the boy. Luciano remembers everything fondly, even if he did make a small mess out of what the africans from many different tribes taught him, pretty much inventing a new culture himself.
Strengths:
- Physical Strength
- Optimism — He's always thinking positive, and strongly believes things are never as bad as they seem so.
- Persistence — ever heard of the saying 'I'm Brazilian and I don't give up'? Although he says as a joke, he usually tends to get what he wants sooner or later, even if things do tend to come to him harder than the rest of the world has it.
- Charisma — His smile and sweet-talk can get him anything, even if to that he ends up telling a few white-lies. He's a good negotiator, but won't hold back his tongue to be polite either, should the need arise.
Weaknesses:
- An overly relaxed posture, borderlining laziness sometimes.
- Short temper, and the tendency to end up saying just what he doesn't mean to.
- His heavy sense of self-criticism, leading him to think too low of himself most of the times.
- Lack of Memory — He doesn't like to remember most things about his past, and doesn't value it much. What matters is the present, no? But sometimes history repeats itself, and that always gets to him.
My History
Colonial Period (1500-1822)
1500 – Pedro Álvares Cabral settles in the coast of Brazil, where today’s known as Porto Seguro. The land, called Terra de Santa Cruz at first, doesn’t interest much save for the native trees of pau-brasil.
1534 – After the french invasions, a system of Captaincy is adopted to populate the land in the New World. Given the extension of each captaincy, as well as lack of funds and people, only two out of the fourteen ones are considered successful economically. Still, the lands keep invasions away.
1534 – Priests are sent to Brazil to convert the native Indians to Catholicism, under the Companhia de Jesus, founded by Santo Inácio de Loyola.
1548 – A governor-general is sent to better administrate the colony, and with it, a whole new administrative organization is set. The system works up to 1808, when the Portuguese Royal Family moves to Rio de Janeiro, and officially ends in 1821.
1549 – The city of Salvador, first capital of Brazil, is founded. It’s also when the colony begins to produce sugar cane, under the system of plantation. Tobacco and cotton are minor side-products. The sugar was one of the most successful economical activities during this period, granting wealth to Portugal, gold being the most successful one.
1549 – The first African slaves are sent to work in the sugar cane plantations in Brazil.
(1624-1654) – Dutch Invasions.
1709 – Discovery of gold happens around this year, with the expeditions (Bandeirantes) to the countryside of Brazil. The gold is found in the lands of Minas Gerais, and with it, a new system is set there with heavy taxation and commerce centered exclusively with Portugal.
1763 – The capital of the colony is transferred to Rio de Janeiro.
1789 – As the gold grows less plentiful, the taxes raise. The Minas Gerais’ Conspiracy (Conjuração Mineira) is a movement for independence based of the American Independence War, but unsuccessful. The leader, Tiradentes, is hanged 21 april 1792, setting the national holiday.
1798 – A similar revolt happens in Bahia (Conjuração Baiana), demanding Independence, but this time with a more popular presence than the one in Minas, done mostly by the scholars. It’s also unsuccessful.
1808 – The Napoleonic Wars force Portugal to transfer its royal family to Brazil, with the help of England. A series of reforms take place in Rio after that (Reformas Joaninas), with the creation of national banks, libraries, schools, etc.
1810 – A Treaty between Portugal and England (Abertura dos Portos às Nações Amigas) ends the monopoly the Portuguese had over the colony's trading, and thus, England can sell its industrialized products in Brazil freely now.
1815 – Brazil is now part of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and Algarves.
1817 – Pernambucan Revolt, another failed revolt for independence.
1820 – A revolt in Porto, Portugal, demands the royal family to return from Brazil, and accept the parliamentary monarchy as the new form of government.
1821 – The Cisplatine province (actual Uruguay) is annexed.
1821 – Portugal decides to turn Brazil into a colony again, ending the whole political structure of a kingdom Brazil had, and demands Pedro I to return. The letter arrives in Brazil in 1822, and he refuses to do as told (Dia do Fico) according to the people’s wishes.
7 September 1822 – Brazil declares himself independent from Portugal.
The Empire of Brazil (1822-1889)
1824 – First Constitution is written.
1825 – Portugal finally recognizes Brazil as an independent country, under the payment of 2 million pounds as an indemnification.
1826 – Economic crisis
(1825-1828) – Cisplatine War
1830 – Liberal revolution against the Emperor’s rule. It's unsuccessful.
1831 – Pedro I abdicates the Brazilian throne in favour of his son, Pedro de Alcântara.
(1831-1840) – Period of Regency, as Pedro II was too young to rule. A time marked by separatist revolts, economical crisis and lack of stability.
(1835-1845) – Farroupilha Revolution, lead by Giuseppe Garibaldi and Bento Gonçalves. A similar revolt known as Cabanagem happens in Pará during the same period, and a third one happens in Salvador (Malês Revolt), all with the same goal: independence from the Empire.
1837 – Brazil begins to produce coffee, what would become an important product later on.
1840 – Pedro de Alcântara is crowned Pedro II, second emperor of Brazil, with 15 years old.
1845 – Aberdeen Act. England forbids the slave trade between Africa and America, under the punishment of seizure of the cargo and repression towards the country importing them.
1850 – Eusébio de Queirós Law abolishes the slave trade in Brazil, under pressure from England and the Aberdeen Act.
(1851-1852) – Platine Way
(1864-1870) – Paraguayan War
(1864-1865) – Uruguayan War
1870 – Immigrants from Europe begin to arrive in Brazil to work at the coffee plantations in considerable numbers.
1888 – Lei Áurea, or Golden Law, officially abolishes slavery in Brazil.
15 November 1889 – Marshal Deodoro da Fonseca declares the beginning of a Republic with a military coup d’état.
The Old Republic (1889-1930)
1889 – The royal family is banished from Brazil after the coup, and such decision is only revoked in 1920.
1891 – A new Constitution is written, nullifying the previous one. A new flag is also set, but the yellow and green from the Empire are kept.
(1894-1930) – Oligarchy Republic, also nicknamed as “café com leite” (coffee and milk) oligarchy. It defended the interests of, exclusively, the states of Minas Gerais and São Paulo, under an extra-official system of coronelismo, where the wealthy producers of coffee would pick the state governors, who’d pick the president, all under rigged elections.
1914 – Brazil declares neutrality in WWI, but eventually sides with the allies with a very minimal participation. Still, a seat in the Versailles Conference was granted.
3rd November 1930 – Getúlio Vargas takes the presidency after an armed revolution against the rigged elections and the oligarchies, with a coup d’état.
The Vargas Government (1930-1945)
1934 – A new Constitution is written.
1935 – Intentona Comunista, a revolt against Vargas’ government, led by Carlos Prestes, a communist.
30 September 1937 – Plano Cohen, a device created by the Integralists claiming that the communists were planning a bigger attack than the previous, and were aiming for a coup.
10 November 1937 – Vargas declares the Estado Novo, a new regimen that was basically a dictatorship, under the pretext of defending Brazil from the communists. The elections are cancelled.
1937 – Another Constitution is written.
1939 – Brazil declares himself neutral in WWII.
1943 – Consolidation of Labor laws.
1942 – After much negotiation, Brazil sides with the Allies in WWII, after the USA compromises himself with financing the construction of CSN, a steel-maker company. In exchange, Brazil would allow the American to use the Aircraft bases in the Northeast.
1943 – A meeting between Roosevelt and Vargas sets the creation of FEB (Brazilian Expeditionary Force). Still, such was Brazil’s reluctance to actually join the war, a national joke was that it’d be easier for snakes to smoke than Brazil actually sending troops to Europe.
September 1944 – Brazil does send 25 thousand soldiers from FEB to fight in Italy, remaining there until the end of the conflict, in 1945. The company's mascot was, indeed, a snake smoking.
1945 - Brazil is one of the founders of UN.
29 October 1945 – Vargas is pressured to end the authoritarian government he’s set and, after the military depose him, formally renounces the presidency.
The Second Republic (1945-1964)
1945 – Eurico Gaspar Dutra is elected as president, officially ending the Vargas period.
1946 – Plot twist: yet another Constitution is written.
1950 – Brazil hosts its first World Cup, but loses to Uruguay, 1x0.
1953 – Petrobrás, Brazil’s largest oil company, is founded.
1954 – Getúlio Vargas, who’s elected as president after Dutra, commits suicide after a series of unfortunate events.
1960 – Juscelino Kubitschek inaugurates Brasília, the country’s new and current capital, built in 5 years.
1961 – The current president, Jânio Quadros, honors the revolutionary Che Guevara.
1963 – The vice president, João Goulart, takes the presidency after Jânio renounces. His plans for reforms in the plantations, education and health end up portraying him as ‘communist’.
31 March 1964 – A military coup d’état deposes João Goulart and installs the Military dictatorship in Brazil.
The Military Dictatorship (1964-1985)
April 2nd, 1964 – The army takes control of Brazil’s most important cities. The USA, wary of Jango’s policies, supports the coup in a veiled operation.
1967 – The sixth Constitution is written.
1968 – The Institutional Act no.5, or AI-5, grants the military power to censor, kidnap, torture and kill. It also suspended the right to Habeas Corpus.
(1968-1974) – Lead years, the most repressive period: torture, exile, disappearances and heavy censorship.
1970 – Brazil wins the World Cup for the third time, which is used as propaganda after.
1973 – Period of intense economical growth, known as “Milagre Econômico”.
1975 – Operation Condor.
1977 – The journalist Vladimir Herzog is tortured and killed, stirring popular revolts against the dictatorship.
1978 – The AI-5 is revoked.
1979 – Amnesty Law. It's a contradictory document as it never punished the torturers for their crimes.
1982 – Malvinas War.
1984 – The “Diretas já” manifestation takes place in the whole country, for the return of the democracy. It was the biggest manifestation during the period, but it’s repressed and censored by Figueiredo.
1985 – The Military Dictatorship officially ends, and the elections in 1989 grant the presidency to a civilian again.
The New Republic (1985-present)
(1986-1989) – A series of economical measures is set to control the inflation, including the change of the national currency from Cruzeiro to Cruzado, and then Cruzado Novo.
1988 – The current ruling Constitution is written, nicknamed as "The Citizen"
1990 – Fernando Collor is elected, but deposed in 1992 after a corrupt government. Itamar Franco, his vice-president, rules in his place until 1994.
1991 – Treaty of Asunción and formation of Mercosul.
1994 – Plano Real sets the national currency from Cruzado Novo to Real, controlling the inflation.
1994 – The ALCA (Free Trade Area of the Americas) is proposed by the USA as an extension of NAFTA, but the opposition by the Latin Americans is too big for the project to ever work. It’s not been mentioned since 2005.
2001 – The term ‘BRIC’ is created by Jim O’Neill.
2004 – Brazil is back on exporting goods again, with a strong economy and stability.
2008 – The Amnesty Law is questioned by OAB and a revision of it is demanded to the Court, but it never happened.
2009 – The BRIC organizes its first meeting in Ekaterinburg. Since then, the meetings have been annual.
2010 – Brazil elects its first woman as a president, Dilma Rousseff.
Sample Post
13:45
December 21st, 1970
Palácio da Alvorada, Brasília, Brazil.
December 21st, 1970
Palácio da Alvorada, Brasília, Brazil.
The letter arrives somewhere around December, during the Christmas festivities, addressed to Luciano da Silva, just another Brazilian in the crowd. The sun outside shines bright, burning his eyes, and the heat makes his bones ache to the point the young man has to grab himself a chair, tugging his tie loose once his boss walks away from him. Luciano is surprised at first, he always is, yet instead of ripping the envelop open as he always does, he holds the paper gently between his fingers — calloused, trembling, with dried blood under his nails he can’t quite see, but he knows it’s there — and analyzes the stamp, the weight, and even the handwriting: firm, precise, but swift, as each letter curled into the other and the word ‘Street’ feels more like a drawing, even if the English surprises him at first.
But it shouldn’t, right? He’s caused it himself, or so his boss tells him as he orders the boy to sit down at the office and pay attention. He doesn’t, the words flowing like a breeze, and he’d rather not be there at all, just curled in a beach or laying down on the sand instead. He could be listening to the ocean, or Chico Buarque for all he cares, not… this. He’s never asked for it.
The letter goes on and Luciano smiles at his people and their humor. It’s from one of his musicians, a boy he saw grow up and learn to play the guitar clumsily, a boy he saw protest against the dictatorship even after he tried assuring the young musician the torture wasn’t there, it wouldn’t get them, an exiled man with nowhere to call home. It tells that the winter in London is rainy and bitter, and people don’t say, “How are you, dear?” right after “Good morning!” because no one cares how you feel or bothers pretending to. It says the summer in Paris, a beautiful and romantic city, has no birds or large ipê trees with their flowers covering the streets, or beautiful brunettes with a swivel of their hips as if they were dancing, not walking. Paris is nowhere near warm as his homeland, and at that, the brunet laughs a bit. He should rub it in Francis’ face, that no one can be quite happy and cheerful as him, no one offers coffee and no one can master a hug as warm as his, not even Spain.
The letter congratulates him on the cup coldly, it comments about Pelé with pride but reprimands him after for an idea that was his boss’, not his, never. The musician says football is about art not politics, and if he were in Brazil, he’d tug his ear harshly — but he isn’t even Brazilian anymore. Tears fill Luciano’s eyes before he can even notice what’s going on.
He’s never asked for this, this sick nationalism of “Love me or leave me”, that’s not him, it’s not fit for his ego because there’s a very arrogant bastard here, south of Equator, but it’s not him. He’s used to being the nation without memory, the different, the one messing up, not all this love and pride. He fails to understand when his boss tells him Brazil has no use for dissidents and communists — who even mentioned them?! Are they not all Brazilians, even the ones who look more like Japanese, or German, or African? They didn’t run to Argentina or Uruguay anymore, but to Europe, where they could dream of a large apartment in some tourist city, where they could flip their fingers and say the president sucked without disappearing after. They say dreams are all on the other side of the Atlantic, north of Equator, and heck if Luciano doesn’t buy it.
They say it’s working, that he’s supposed to let the cake grow before they all share it, and that was just a phase. He’s assured it’s a phase; it’d pass soon enough, quicker than a vaccine. He feels sick, and wonders what sort of cure is that, but his economy is indeed growing, he just won the cup and Alfred approves of him, whatever that means. He’s happy, but he can’t sing happy songs.
Outside, the sun is so bright, it reflects on the window and blinds him. He supposes it’s alright, his vision would come back soon, and he didn’t need to read more of that letter anyway. The paper is tossed aside as he stumbles out of the office, towards where he hopes it’s his room, and whatever else the letter says is lost to time. It probably was important, it’d open his eyes to the truth, but the sun got to him first. Not the guards, they weren’t there, and certainly not out to get him.
The Player
Name:
Gabriela
Age:
19
Fun Fact:
I actually am ridiculously guilty of loving mate to death… Sorry, Lu!
