Things that a Brazilian can learn in Singapore.

That Raffles is not a potato chip, but an Englishman who placed an island off the tip of Malaysia on the map of the British Empire. In return, it gave his name to one of the most charming hotels I know.

That the difference between British Airways and Singapore Airlines is much greater than the distance between São Paulo and Singapore.

That the tree in front of the window of my room at Raffles was a Frangipani, just like the one I have in front of my own house.

The pleasure of discussing good advertising with people who know how to create good advertising.

How to eat a curry with your hands.

That the English don't much like adjectives, while the Indians seem to love them.

How South Africans sell luxury automobiles.

How to appreciate something almost extinct because of the tyranny of political correctness and of false politeness: the transparency of thought of one of my favorite gurus in this profession.

That you can enjoy an excellent cup of coffee in the most unexpected of places in the city.

How marvelously well a white linen suit still photographs in an English Colonial-style hotel.

That while men invent new bullets every day, a woman invented Kevlar bulletproof vests.

How art direction in Singapore is enough to make any Brazilian art director 100% yellow and 90% Cyan with envy.

That you have to be careful with chickens, because most of them have bones.

How to get your jeans dirty in a karaoke bar.

That an Englishman can be really open-hearted.

And above all, that you only make friends when are ready to learn from them.