Back from Brazil

I just got back from spring break in Lucas, Brazil yesterday morning and have not yet felt back to normal; nor will I for a few days I'm sure.

It was my first time leaving the country, so that in itself is a hard thing to digest for me. It was a week full of more education than vacation. I learned so much about the growing agriculture industry in the heart of Brazil and mind-blown by it's direct connection to Iowa. But one thing that was also startling were the thoughts I've been having about what it means to be an American. It seems no matter where we went, the US had so much of an influence and people who favored American things. In a way the pop culture and consumerism of our country is some sort of infection spreading. There are many Brazilian businesses and brands of goods in stores, but there are almost more American companies present. I was kind of disappointed to see a Nestle factory on the drive north from Cuiaba to Lucas, and how monstrous Coca Cola has become (it has purchases multiple kinds of Brazilian made raw sugar cane sodas and re-made them into high fructose and are now sold in their place).

I'm not sure what to think of all of this yet, but it was interesting to find out that a Brazilian beer company, Brahma, has just bought Budweiser. I'll have to look more into that, Brahma Chopp's is great beer.