Personal Narrative

Decent Essays

August 2014 was the coldest August I had ever experienced. The month was filled with blankets and heavy coats. Though usually Brazilian winters aren’t much different than American autumns, this one made everyone chilly. I was born and raised in the United States of America with my father, mother and younger brother. But my mother was born and raised in Curitiba, a city in Brazil. When my parents got married, they decided to live in the United States to raise their family. Despite that, I grew up with a part of Brazil in my heart. We visited Brazil many times throughout my childhood, but when I was at home, my mom brought Brazil to us through her cooking. My family loved sitting down to various Brazilian meals, many of which were rice, meat, …show more content…

We went to visit her family in Curitiba and some of her best friends in Sao Paulo. In Sao Paulo, we stayed at a Pastor’s house with his family. He had two younger daughters, Gabriella and Julia. Julia and I were the same age, so we got along easily. Over time, we became unquestionably close. One cool evening, her family decided to go out to dinner with some friends. I remember being in the car and Julia telling me about the restaurant we were headed to- little did I know it was an experience I would never forget. The restaurant served a variation of mainly one thing- pizza. How it was so different from North American pizza was what made it special to me. It was cooked and served as if it were a delicacy rather than a fast food. There was such a variety in what they put on the pizza- it was nothing like at home. She also told me about her best friends, whom I was going to meet at the restaurant. When I stepped into the restaurant, the smell of pizza overwhelmed me. Fresh baked dough, sauce, meats, and even sweetness. We sat down at a large table, saving seats next to us for Julia’s friends that were coming. The adults ordered a group meal, where the waiters would, in succession, bring out every kind of pizza that was cooked that night, to each of the tables, and whoever wanted some would take …show more content…

It had four different cheeses, one of which was an exclusive Brazilian cream cheese called “Requesa”. I followed Julia’s example and ate it with a fork and a knife. Thinking back, I can still remember admiring the gooey cheeses and soft doughy crust. More servers brought out more unique flavors of pizza, some of which were essentially just traditional dishes put on dough- including the dessert pizzas, which came later. The next pizza I tried was one with an orange sauce, rice, cheese, and chicken. I recognized it as a dish called Stroganoff. Part of what made the meal so memorable was a drink called Guarana. It came from South American fruits and was served as the most common drink in Brazil. Back home, the only places you could find it were at over-priced, far away international stores. So naturally, the whole time I was in Brazil I asked for it. Some of the other people at my table asked for drinks like Coke and Sprite, because Gruarana was nothing special to

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Personal Narrative