Cultural Differences

I've really enjoyed watching the Olympics. It is a chance to take a deep interest in sports, including ones that I don't often follow.

For example I have really enjoyed watching Volleyball. In part because it is a fun sport, in part because Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh look hot in bikinis, and partly because my second home country (Brazil) is also really good in the sport.

While watching these matches I noticed an interesting difference in the countries' cultures. I've noticed this in other sports too. In the U.S. (and most other countries) the players have their family name on the back of their jerseys. But the Brazilians almost always have their first name on their Jersey. Sometimes it is even a nickname (unless they really have the names "ant" or "large fluffy/cuddly one"). The same is true on the soccer field. "Pele" is a nickname.

When I was in Brazil, someone once said that Americans hand a deeper intelectual awareness of their freedom, while Brazilians had a stronger emotional feel for their freedoms. I think in that culture it must seem ridiculously formal to write your family name on your shirt.

Or perhaps it is just that 90% of the contry has some form of dos Santos, da Silva, 0r Rodriguez in their last name.