the smile of a carioca is more than a pleasant, recurring feature of the rio landscape, it is a profoundly important part of local culture which reflects to a large degree the nature, the history, and social conventions of the people - the smile tends to be big, gleaming and warm, accompanied by glimmering eyes which seem to invite the recipient into their world.

it also has a care-free quality, seeming to say, 'everything is ok, everything has a bit of humor and joy in it' - it is embedded in the cultural fabric of the city, relating in large part to the historic struggles of the population.

cariocas have developed an amazing capacity to transform adversity into good humor, warmth, and positivity - it is very rare to hear the people of rio complain about their problems, whether family difficulties, rent, or traffic.