Where is the most interesting place you have been to recently?
That would be Brazil. I went for the 2014 FIFA World Cup competition and I spent about five days there. I stayed in Sao Paulo.
Did you travel alone or with a group?
I travelled with my wife.
What was the first thing that struck you about the place?
I was surprised that Brazilians didn’t understand or speak English language. It was a big shock for me.
Did the places you visited while there share any similarities with Nigeria?
Some places in Brazil looked a bit like Nigeria, but Nigeria is a better place to be because you will find people who can, at least, speak Pidgin English. In Brazil, they don’t know how to converse in English. In order for me to be able to communicate with them, I always had to speak into my phone and an app on the phone would translate to a language understood by them. However, they have more beautiful places than Nigeria does.
What did you find particularly impressive about Brazil?
I visited where they do the Formula One car race. It was a unique experience for me, because I saw it live. The experience was different from watching the race on television. I visited the beach, and I also had to go to the police station at some point because I was looking for my passport. They could not speak English to me, and I had to wait till God provided an interpreter.
What was the highlight of your trip?
Aside from going to their mall, which was an awesome experience; the highlight was when we were rushing to the airport to go and watch a match. When we got there, Nigerians had already taken over the place. This made some of us not to go because we got there late, and some senators and commissioners who insisted on flying were already there.
How was the weather as of the time you visited?
The weather was relatively okay because it was more like summer; it wasn’t too cold. In Brazil, they like to stay under the sun. There were also lots of transgender people there; you won’t even be able to differentiate men from women.
Did you try any local food?
I tried their food but I did not enjoy it. We had to look for where we could get to eat Nigerian food like eba. The number of Igbo boys in the market was alarming, and we eventually ate fufu and okra soup.
Did you experience any culture shock?
I won’t say yes because their culture is not too odd. I have been to some North American countries where I experienced stranger cultures. It was just the language barrier that posed a problem. Then, when the World Cup was ongoing; whenever their home team won any match, there was free flow of enjoyment, and you could kiss anybody, or do anything you like. In fact, they are too corrupt in that country.
If you could import just one thing to Nigeria from that country, what would it be?
It would be Brazilian hair; they had it in surplus and their prices were good.
What can Nigeria learn from Brazil?
The country is suffering very well; they have their problems and we don’t have much to learn from them. They are only slightly different from third world countries, but their electricity is very stable. It’s a rough country too and there are lots of theft incidents. The only thing I enjoyed was the presence of well-dressed policemen, and one could approach them for anything. Unlike back here in Nigeria where you don’t find policemen except when they want to collect money from you.
Were the people friendly towards you?
Yes, they were very friendly and welcoming.
Did they know much about Nigeria?
Well, Nigeria wasn’t strange to them, especially to the traders. Nigerians come to buy things from them.
What would a first-time visitor find most striking about Brazil?
The fact that they don’t understand English. That should strike anybody because the first thing you want to do when you visit a place is to communicate. A first timer needs to be prepared. If I had known, I would have had my Google language translator and anything that would have helped me overcome the language barrier better.
How would you assess their entertainment industry, compared to Nigeria?
They like football a lot more than music or movies. But I know they like music too because everywhere was always lively and they like to party. They should be ahead of us in entertainment because of the constant electricity that they enjoy.
What’s the best travel advice you can give?
You should have lots of money with you, and have a backup plan; someone you can call when you run out of cash or you become stranded.
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