BRAZIL V MEXICO

Sure we think of Latin America as one big, happy family, but after living in Mexico the subtle differences start to become apparent. ie:

- in Brazil you can walk down the street in shorts without men having heart attacks

- even if they do look at you in Brazil, they hiss as a sign of appreciation far less often.

- often you're being ogled by someone you want to ogle back (in stark contrast to Mexico, where it's more likely you'll want to vomit back)

- in Brazil, it's two or three kisses on the cheek to say 'hi' and 'bye', in Mexico one suffices.

- in Mexico, if you sneeze in public eg on the bus, everyone in hearing range will say 'salud' (bless you). In Brazil, noone says anything.

- in Mexico, if you're in an eating establishment and someone leaves or enters, they will say 'provecho' (bon apetit) to everyone who's eating. In Brazil, noone says anything.

- in Brazil, there are people inside the ATMs. In Mexico, the ATMs are empty of people

- in Brazil, if someone asks you for spare change and you have it, you give it to them. In Mexico, you ignore them.

So, in a nutshell I think it would be fair to conclude that:

- Mexico is friendlier, except when it comes to the people who drew the short straw in life.

- Brazil is much better place to be a woman, on every level. Unless you happen to be the woman who was employed to sit in the ATM.

I'm serious. There was a whole wall of them, with one or two actually functioning. And as I went to take my receipt, I saw fingers pushing it out. Now that's what I call over-employment. You can't call it an automatic teller machine if it's actually a human teller machine.