this attitude is made possible by their remarkable ability to live in the present - by enjoying the moment with whomever they are with prevents being distracted or tied down by other people or commitments.

interestingly, the people of rio almost never refer to their friends as 'my friends', but if they are inviting someone along they will refer to 'a galera', meaning 'the gang', or 'the group' - this terminology reflects their vision of friendships not as a personal possession or belonging, but as a shared and communal body, not as a closed or fixed set of people, an entity that is open, inviting, and in flux.

to understand friendship in carioca culture is to understand the importance of a 'cold beer' - cariocas are obsessed, to a somewhat comical degree, with beer being cold - rightfully so, as it is a cardinal rule that beer must be served cold.  needless to say, the hot climate of rio de janeiro has created a collective desire for cool beverages.