Kong was nine years old when his father told him they had to move to Brazil for two years.
Kong didn’t even know where Brazil was — only that it was very far away, and he would have to leave all his friends behind in Thailand.
The first month in Rio de Janeiro felt endless. His new school taught in Portuguese, a language Kong didn’t understand at all. He sat quietly in class with no one to talk to, ate lunch alone, and counted down the days until he could go home.
Then Carnival arrived.
The whole city burst into color. Music played everywhere. People wore dazzling costumes, colorful feathers, and glittering sequins.
Kong’s father took him out to watch the street parade. Kong stood wide-eyed, unable to look away.
“Having fun?” his father asked.
Kong nodded, though he wasn’t quite sure — he still felt strange and lonely.
Then, out of nowhere, a curly-haired boy with dark skin laughed and grabbed Kong’s hand. “Vem!” he said, pulling Kong into a group of kids dancing nearby.
Kong tried to say it was okay, he didn’t need to — but the words wouldn’t come out, and the boy wasn’t waiting anyway. He started swaying his hips, stepping left and right, glancing at Kong and nodding for him to join in.
Kong tried to copy him, clumsy at first. But the boy didn’t laugh at him — he just smiled and showed him again.
Slowly, Kong began to move with the rhythm. The boy shouted with delight and gave him a thumbs up.
“Isso! Muito bom!”
Kong didn’t know what it meant, but he knew it was a compliment. He smiled without even meaning to.
The boy pointed to his own chest. “Paulo.”
Kong nodded and pointed to himself. “Kong.”
Paulo repeated the name twice, mispronouncing it in a way that made them both laugh. Kong tried saying “Paulo” back, and Paulo laughed just the same.
The two of them danced together until the sky turned dark.
From that day on, Paulo and Kong played together every day, using gestures, drawings, and laughter as their shared language. Within two months, Kong could speak a little Portuguese, and Paulo had picked up a few words of Thai.
On the day Kong had to fly back to Thailand, Paulo came to see him off at the airport. Neither of them said much — they just hugged for a moment and waved goodbye.
Looking out the airplane window, Kong knew that from then on, whenever he heard the sound of samba music, he would remember that Carnival night and one of the best friends he ever made.
Fun facts about Brazil: Carnaval is the largest festival in Brazil and one of the biggest in the world, held before the Christian season of Lent. It features samba dancing, colorful parades, and elaborate costumes. Rio de Janeiro is famous for hosting the grandest Carnival celebration on Earth.
