A big thanks to my friend Guilherme for helping me learn about the lives of kids here. His family lives in the south zone of the city, almost on the border. It's a far less hectic part of the city than where I live and similar to what I imagine life in Brooklyn to be like. Read on about his cousins Elton, 13 years old, Talita, 15, and siblings Vítor, 12, and Sofia, 8.
Elton likes coffee with cream and bread for breakfast, while Talita skips breakfast. Vítor eats Pão de Queijo (Brazilian cheese bread) for breakfast, and responded as if there were no other option. Sofia likes bread, eggs and tea in the morning. Everyone eats rice and beans for lunch with chicken, salad or beef. For dinner, rice and beans are still common, accompanied by combinations of pasta, steak salad and/or eggs.
Guilherme's family lives on a Quintal (keen-tau). In Brazil, a quintal is a large property consisting of various homes shared by the entire extended family. So your cousins and grandparents are probably your next door neighbors! The kids describe their home as large and beautiful, with each individual house having between three and four rooms total.
