Assimilation: when is enough enough?

TL; DR some thoughts on plugging in (or not) to the culture/society. All comments welcome!

How important to you is assimilation into Brazilian society? Do you even find yourself contemplating it? Is it self-imposed or something unconscious you don't even think about?

I think that explicitly pondering it might not be super-productive but find myself doing so. I think it occurs "naturally" by interactions with the adopted culture. There's a certain limit (which I believe I haven't yet met), that varies for each person, sort of broad levels like:

1. Basic practical: accomplishing basic necessities, common interactions to satisfy finding the bathroom, buying bread, adopting enough customs to just get by. A sufficient bare minimum.
2. Advanced: fully appreciating the customs such that it comes unconsciously, cogent contributions to conversations in an unforced way, and (as somebody here recently posted) comfortably knowing enough Portuguese to fully understand the Copa sportscasters. :-)

Assimilation really is a continuum, yes? I think I am somewhere between levels 1 and 2, getting closer to 2 (I think! maybe not :-).

Where might you be? What have you found in Brazilian society that has helped you (or not) assimilate into this place?

All thoughts welcome! I'd like to hear from you. Most if not all of you have been in Brazil much longer than I have... .

Cheers