Brazil and Body Image

Fernando de Noronha

For our honeymoon, we went to one of the most remote places on earth. Just to get there, it took five flights. We went to the northeast of Brazil, Jericoacoara and Fernando de Noronha, an island 217 miles away from the coast.

This was not my first time in the "pais tropical." The first time I went there was back in 2018, when I went for Rio’s Carnaval. Before attending carnaval, I could sense there were some stark differences between my hometown, San JosĂ©, Costa Rica and Brazil. For once, I felt like women in Brazil were very comfortable with their bodies. Maybe it was the lack of clothes I knew carnaval was notorious for or the dancers in Anitta’s videos. Once I visited, I realized I was not wrong but there was more than met the eye. 

My first day at Ipanema beach, everyone was wearing a thong. It didn’t matter whether you were a size 00 or 44, and that to me was liberating. All of a sudden, cellulite was everywhere. Not something to be ashamed of or concealed, but a REGULAR condition of the human body. The norm. 

How many of us feel that our backside is something to be ashamed of? According to our last design survey, more than 45% of us.

Contrary to popular belief that in Latin American countries big butts are celebrated, in San JosĂ©, Costa Rica the beauty standard when I was growing up was being skinny
 everywhere. I never fit that mold because I have, like Missy Elliot once said “thick legs” and a butt. And when you are 5 feet tall, it's noticeable. Growing up, I was always very self-aware of hiding what I had inherited from my mother’s mom. No tight pants, no short skirts. Aside from worrying about my cellulite, I also had to conceal the million and one mosquito bite scars that permanently live in my legs. 

Maria Luisa in Jericoacoara

In Brazil, I saw the ladies strutting what God gave them. In some cases it may have been what the surgeon gave them, but it didn’t matter. What mattered was the level of sensuality that permeated their gait. I decided to ask a Brazilian woman I met at carnaval what she thought about my hypothesis, did Brazilian women feel more comfortable with their bodies? She answered: “I dress like this,” pointing to her skimpy gold bikini, “for me.” “I want to feel sexy, not be sexy.” I don’t know about you, but I dress mostly for other women and working at an all-women co-working space, makes me think that I am not alone in this. Maybe I should start dressing up for myself...

Although Brazil is known for being the plastic surgery capital of the world, I found their approach to the body and appearance refreshing. When we stayed in an Instagram-friendly, but not guest friendly hotel, in Jericoacoara I felt like a minority. Most people there looked like TV stars. The second you left the hotel however, the same that I experienced at Ipanema beach happened again. People legitimately enjoying their holiday, fearlessly wearing the most skin revealing bathing suits. Not to say that in my hometown or in the east coast of the US, the beach is not enjoyed the same, but there is a level of freedom and relaxation that can only be attained with outside-of-the-comfort-zone exposure. Take it from me, who proudly wore a thong bottom and nothing else. 

To read more on body freedom, check this out.

Comments

  • Posted by Alanna Stan on

    The team finally gave me the news I had been expecting for after three restless nights of concern and anxiety. As soon as I received the email, I checked my wallet balance and saw that $619,212 USDT was there. That day was the most alive I’ve ever felt, as if WIZARD JAMES RECOVERY had given me a second lifeline. When I reflect on everything, I see that if I had followed my instincts, I could have avoided all of this. I wish I had heeded the advice to trust my instincts. I became interested in this binary options strategy last year since it offered low risk and consistent yet steady earnings. Something didn’t feel quite right; It felt a little strange, and I secretly questioned the opportunity, but since I mentioned “opportunity,” I chose to give it a try in the hopes that I would be persuaded. At the time, I had just received a small inheritance, which I felt should be put to good use. We began very modestly, which convinced me. Despite the modest profits, the business was stable as promised. I increased my investment to boost my returns because I thought I was in good hands. Everything changed when I decided it was time to withdraw money I had saved for a dream project because my balance had climbed dramatically four and a half months later. To my biggest surprise, it turned into one excuse after another, and when they had me paying endless fees at the withdrawal stage, I finally understood it was all a well-planned fraud. However, the harm was already done; I had fallen victim to an online fraud, and there didn’t seem to be much I could do about it. I felt powerless until a very close friend recommended that I seek assistance from WIZARD JAMES RECOVERY. I am grateful to him for this recommendation, as it was the catalyst for everything to happen. I also want to express my sincere gratitude to the team; you guys are really appreciated. Don’t give up on getting justice if you’re in that dark place; Contact information is provided at wizardjamesrecovery@usa.com.

  • Posted by Kelly Morgan on

    True hackers exit that can help you fix your score and provide a better results than you could have gotten on your owe. If you ever have the chance to use a credit repair service, for quick fix, use METRONET CREDIT SOLUTION, and see the difference in just 7-14days, live life of your dream. Contact them via email: metronetcreditsolution@gmail.com, to help you with everything about your credit score, credit card debts, loans or mortgage. They are the best have seen so far.

  • Posted by Ella Morrison on

    I was locked out of my Ledger wallet after a firmware update and in an instant, years of crypto investments were out of reach. My recovery phrase wasn’t working, Ledger support was unresponsive, and every online ‘solution’ led nowhere. I genuinely thought I had lost everything.

    Then I found SPYHOST CYBERSECURITY COMPANY and they changed everything. Their team immediately launched a firmware rollback protocol to restore the Ledger to a stable version. Then, using advanced memory snapshot analysis, they were able to extract fragments of cached seed data from previous device states which i didn’t even know was possible. Within 72 hours, my wallet was restored and every single coin was back in my control.

    These aren’t just tech experts, they’re digital rescue specialists. If you’re locked out, hacked, or scammed, I highly recommend SPYHOST CYBERSECURITY COMPANY. They’re professional, fast, and absolutely the best in the game. Don’t waste time or risk more loss. Instead, get in touch with SPYHOST . They saved my crypto, and they can save yours too. They can be reached out to through their official E-mail address which is (Spyhost@cyberdude.com)

Leave a comment