Mailing a letter is going by way of the dodo. If you are like me, you email just about everything. Sometimes, if it is not too urgent I will even email instead of calling on the phone. Especially if I have other things going on. Now emails are pretty impersonal. There is no "Dear so-and-so" for an opener or "sincerely" or "With Love" to close the note. You just write the person's name and close with yours. Or you are too lazy to finish your name and just close with your initial. That is how I usually do it. Until you email a Brazilian.
Now the Brazilian culture is very friendly, very open. You are constantly giving kisses and hugs. I like this. It makes you feel like part of a family. Well, Brazilian emails are just as friendly. Sometimes it opens with only my name, but others it is Querida (dear or darling) or Minha Amiga (my friend) in front of my name. But it is the closings that have thrown me. I got one the other day that said "Abs," as the closer. Were they trying to give me a hint? I know I am a little squishy, but really no need to be insulting. I get enough from my children about how they can manipulate my tummy to make it comfortable, but they can't do that to their dad's. Then I figured it out, Abs is an abbreviation for Abrazos - hugs. Okay, that is better. I like that. But then I got another. But this time the closer was "Bjs,". Hmm. Um, what? If you don't get that one, have someone younger explain it to you. Is this another hint? And it came from a woman just so you know. I thinking, what the heck? Then I figured it out. Bjs is short for Beijos - kisses. Okay that is better. But I guess it is pretty much the same thing.
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