I'll have that at room temperature please, with ice

Over the last few months, I have started feeling rather smug. People I know will call the office and ask for me. When I respond affirmatively that in fact, I am me, they launched into an astonished "Nossa Senhora da Virgen Maria, I was sure that you were Brazilian." Gushing, I remain impressed that I still manage to fit through the doorway. My non-work life has also been leading me to smugness, as people I meet will often ask me if I am from São Paulo, Curitiba or Porto Alegre -- all cities in southern Brazil where fair skin is more common -- as opposed to whether I am from Germany, the States, or Argentina. Somehow no one ever guesses Canada.... In any case, I am quite pleased that my Portuguese accent does not immediately betray my provenance.

Well, it was time for a reality check this week. I was having dinner with a friend and decided to order an orange juice. Wanting to ensure that it was fresh and not from a carton or can, I asked whether or not it was natural. The waiter replied that indeed it was. Confident that I was getting the real mccoy, I asked for a glass ... with ice. My dinner companion immediately started laughing and explained that natural in Brazil meant room temperature, whereas da fruta or from the fruit meant fresh. So there you have it. I ordered a room temperature drink with ice! At least it keeps me grounded!