Some Surprisingly Practical Innovations

My favourite innovation in Brazil is the individual beer bottle cooler. Here it is common to share a 600ml bottle between 2, 3 or 4 people, each with a small glass. To further avoid the beer getting warm (absolutely unacceptable here), beer is always served in an insulated beer holder. Here is the best part: to order another beer you simply remove the empty bottle from its cooling skin and leave it exposed on the table. Very quickly it will be replaced. No queues, no rounds, no fiddling with change. Drinking continues uninterrupted, as drinking should do.

It surprises me when I find practical solutions here. The ham and cheese sandwich here is omnipotent, forming an integral part of the diet in most households. As a result, there is a specifically designed Tupperware – shallow and with two independent sections, giving easy access to both ham and cheese and preserving them as well.

I also like the miniature wipers for kitchen tops. Kitchen tops are almost always made from marble, and with a thick, raised trim to prevent water dripping onto the floor. This way, you can be as reckless as you like with your dishwashing, and simply wipe the excess water back into the sink with the wiper.

Continuing the theme, houses here always have tile floors and skirting boards, and often the walls. Again, this means you can go wild when using water to clean the floor. There is always a drain in a corner to flush away the water. No carpets, no wood that can rot. Brazilian homes have a tendency to be very clean.

Instead of cardboard or plastic packaging, traditional wooden fruit boxes are used here to transport fruit and vegetables. And they are reused over and over – no needless waste. (We currently use some as a TV rack and bookcase).

I also like the shopping trolleys, short and two tiers. Very maneuverable in small spaces when ignorant people stand 4 abreast, each with trolleys, blocking the narrow aisle chatting away. They also take up little space in the inevitable, unmoving queues. It's a shame people leave them empty at the checkout in the way, or in the car park occupying a disabled or shaded space.

It’s normal to have pedestrian crossings across 3 lanes of one-way traffic. Apparently this is not taught in driving school, but it’s common practice for the driver to out on their hazard lights when they intend to stop for a pedestrian. This helps both the pedestrian to know he/she can cross, and the cars behind to know that they should slow down. This small piece of courtesy surprises me every time I see it, occurring as it does in an otherwise aggressive, selfish and reckless traffic culture.