It’s funny how some people seem to be born at the wrong place in the world as if someone exchanged their destination tickets at the last minute by mistake just before they were to be born.

I have two friends that are the Most Brazilian Japanese I’ve ever met. They are more Brazilian than a lot of Brazilians I know. 

If you are in the Latin Dancing Scene in Sydney you will know them for sure…

Ami and Takashi are amazing dancers and they know more Latin dance styles and I do, I’ve seen them doing: zouk, salsa, bachata, cha‐cha, merengue, forró, samba, gafieira, maracatu, among some Brazilian dances I’ve never heard about! They were main dancers at the Ritmo, the Brazilian Festival from BraCCA last September, 2008.

Ritmo Brazilian Festival Darling Harbour

Ami & Takashi at Ritmo ‐ The Brazilian Festival at Darling Harbour that happens in September, usually.

I see them all around, at the Forró parties, all Salsa venues, Zouk Parties, Carnaval, Capoeira festivals and Brazilian nights in Manly, Step Up parties, Sunday’s at Martini Bar… Everywhere! 

As good and genuine Brazilians, they love beer, dancing, laughing, chatting, more beer, samba, churrasco, beer again, forró and feijoada. Ami’s birthday was not at a Japanese restaurant, it was at Braza’s a Brazilian “Churrascaria” place, a Brazilian barbecue: meet with salt. 

Ami told me that back in Japan she was more than once on top of the decorated trucks for the Japanese Carnaval, as a main samba dancer. I can well imagine!

When we meet we laugh as if it was the funniest thing that we are seeing each other again, we laugh as if it is the best thing in the world, we hug, kiss and we dance. 

They look so Brazilian! They may be from Japan but every time I see them they bring me a piece of my homeland to my heart.

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