The REAL Scoop On Brazil | No Punches Pulled

Read This Only If You Want The REAL Scoop On Brazil That You WON’T Find Anywhere Else!

Now that I've gotten your attention...

Below is advice from one dude to another.

I haven’t made any posts on this site for a while.  I’ve been pretty busy lately, traveling and living offline.  I needed to write this post though as I receive a ton of mail from different people asking a lot of similar questions.

 (if you want to hear this from a female's perspective check out my wife's post on her blog here)

First off, I just want to thank all the people who follow this blog as well as the new readers and even the folks who just found this site while looking for pictures of Brazilian women or some other Brazil-related topic.

Now that I have gotten that out of the way, the reason I wrote this post is to answer questions for anyone looking to move to Brazil (or any other 3^rd world country overseas).

Every week I receive emails from people who are intrigued by the possibility of living overseas, in particular in Brazil.  I’m cool with that as I can relate and understand where everyone is coming from.

To be honest after so many years of receiving these types of emails I am no longer motivated to answer this type of question over and over again so I am writing this post.  From now on I can refer people who are asking about moving to Brazil here and also to help people looking up this type of info online.

Interested in Living Abroad in Brazil?

One of the MAJOR traits shared by 90% of the people who contact me about moving to Brazil is that the person has NEVER visited the country before.  Some of the people have traveled outside of their country of birth but many have not done so before.

Here’s my advice.

If you are considering moving to a country such as Brazil you need to do a couple of things if you are serious.  You absolutely need to physically visit the country.  I cannot tell you if you will like living here and neither can anyone else.  Brazil is very different from countries like the USA in multiple different aspects.

HELLO BAHIA: QUESTION ABOUT WOMEN OF BRAZIL

I recently received an email from a brother interested in moving to Salvador, Bahia, Brasil part-time.  He asked some questions that I'm sure somebody else out there has as well.  This article covers a lot.  Dosen't matter what you are looking for in Brazil, booty, real estate deals, prices for rent, or if you are trying to find out how the women are down here.

Read on we may have answered some questions for you...

• Sent: Sat, March 19, 2011 6:09:14 PM

Subject: hello, bahia
 Hello, this might be a few stupid questions, but I wanted to know if women in salvador bahia are open to dateing dark skinned african american? Ive heard of latin american racism towards blacks, so I wanted to ask the question. Also I have an intenet business thats doing pretty good and im thinking of moving to salvador bahia six months out of the year. How is life in slavador? Is it expensive? thanks

WORLD TRAVELER: INTERVIEW WITH DJ ETC LIVE FROM BAHIA

An interview with DJ ETC live from Salvador, Bahia in Brazil. Listen to his parting take on the country and his advice for the Brothers and Sisters out there interested in widening their horizons and traveling abroad.

www.mooraboutbahia.com

www.bahiabraziltours.com

Random Traveller Stories: Brazil Through Foreign Eyes Pt 11

Brazil Through Foreign Eyes

March 24, 2008 Meet R Dub from the USA who has been fascinated with Brazil for several years and almost moved here. Read the following interview in which he tells us about some of his most memorable experiences from Brazil and gives some useful advice to newcomers. 1. Tell us a little about yourself, where are you from, what do you do etc.? I‘m the Program Director of Hot 92.3FM in Los Angeles and I also host and produce a syndicated "love songs and dedications" radio show called Sunday Nite Slow Jams that airs in 50 cities. I‘ve been doing radio since I was 15 years old - it is my passion (along with Brazil). I recently relocated to Los Angeles from Tucson, Arizona to run one of the biggest radio stations in the country. I was supposed to be living in Brazil right now... but that‘s another story, which I‘ll explain later... 2. When did you arrive in Brazil and what brought you here?

Random Traveller Stories: Brazil Through Foreign Eyes Pt 10

Brazil Through Foreign Eyes

Meet Eddie Soto, from the USA, who regularly travels to and from Brazil and other areas in South America with work. Read the following interview where he tells us about some of his most memorable experiences from Brazil and gives some useful advice to newcomers. 1. Tell us a little about yourself, where are you from, what do you do etc.? I am originally from new York City and my parents were from Puerto Rico. I studied here in the United Sates as well as in Central America. I have lived in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Venezuela, Colombia and Brazil. I am fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese. I did graduate work here in the USA and have a master‘s degree from Princeton. Presently I am an Associate Pastor in a Presbyterian Church in Tallahassee, Florida. Previous to this I taught in university level theological institutions in Guatemala, Venezuela and the city of Fortaleza in Brazil as well as in São Paulo City. Among my present duties I take groups from our church to different parts of the world to expose them to other cultures and expressions of the Christian faith. We have been to Costa Rica, Mexico, brazil and this year are planning a trip to Madagascar, Africa. 2. When did you arrive in Brazil and what brought you here?

Random Traveller Stories: Brazil Through Foreign Eyes Pt 7

Brazil Through Foreign Eyes

Meet Carmen Naidoo, from South Africa, who has been teaching English in Rio de Janeiro for the last few months. Read the following interview where she tells us about her most memorable experiences from Brazil and gives some useful advice to newcomers. 1. Tell us a little about yourself, where are you from, what do you do etc.? I´m a 27 year old South African from Cape Town and I have been travelling for the past 4 years. I´ve taught English in South Korea, worked and lived in London for two years and now I am here, hence I don´t actually have a real job as yet! LOL. But I graduated with Business Science Marketing in 2001. 2. When did you arrive in Brazil and what brought you here?

Random Traveller Stories: Brazil Through Foreign Eyes Pt 8

Brazil Through Foreign Eyes

Meet Priya Guyadeen, who was born in Guyana and moved to Canada followed by the USA. Priya has been travelling to Brazil for several years, and been here permanently since 2003. Read the following interview where she tells us about her most memorable experiences from Brazil and gives some useful advice to newcomers. 1. Tell us a little about yourself, where are you from, what do you do etc.? I was born in Guyana, South America (borders with Venezuela, Brazil, and Suriname). My parents emigrated to Canada, when I was a one and a half years old, and I grew up outside of Toronto. I moved to the US after college, and lived there for about 10 years, before moving to Brazil. I currently work for a US government contract research organization. We work with the public hospitals and reference center in Brazil, doing HIV/AIDs research. I am responsible for managing, and auditing our centers here to ensure that they are conducting clinical research, and collecting data according to international regulations and guidelines. 2. When did you arrive in Brazil and what brought you here?

Random Traveller Stories: Brazil Through Foreign Eyes Pt 9

Brazil Through Foreign Eyes

Meet Monde Ngqumeya, from Johannesburg, who stayed in Brazil with a host family. Read the following interview where he tells us about his most memorable experiences from Brazil and gives some useful advice to newcomers. 1. Tell us a little about yourself, where are you from, what do you do etc.? Am a Business Analyst for Vector Logistics Solutions in Johannesburg. I am 28 years old and a University of Johannesburg graduate with a business degree in Logistics and pursuing a Post grad qualification. I am from Kagiso a township near Johannesburg. Single, but a great uncle to my 3 nephews and nieces. 2. When did you arrive in Brazil and what brought you here?

Random Traveller Stories: Brazil Through Foreign Eyes Pt 6

Brazil Through Foreign Eyes

Meet Richard Gant, from the USA, who travels regularly to Brazil on business, and tries to spend as much time here as possible. Read the following interview where he tells us about his most memorable experiences from Brazil and gives some useful advice to newcomers.

1. Tell us a little about yourself, where are you from, what do you do etc.?

I have had a love for Brazil since I saw the movie Black Orpheus when I was a young boy in Seattle, Washington. Before I first arrived Brazilian music was my connection. Artists like Milton Nascimento, Gilberto Gil, Jorge Ben, Cateano Veloso, Flora Purim, Airto Moreira and many many artists who collaborated with American Jazz musicians. Even Sergio Mendes, when I was a kid. Today I work as a sports agent and operate a sports and entertainment marketing firm in the US. We have been expanding our business in Brazil. I have lived in New York City most of my adult life and now try to spend part of the year in Brazil. Mostly Rio de Janeiro. But as business is done in Såo Paulo one must go there.

2. When did you arrive in Brazil and what brought you here?

My first trip to Brazil was in 2003 and I spoke

Random Traveller Stories: Brazil Through Foreign Eyes Pt 5

Brazil Through Foreign Eyes

January 27, 2009

Meet Stephan Hughes who first travelled to Brazil in 1995, and subsequently moved to Brazil to live. Read the following interview in which he tells us about some of his most memorable experiences and gives some useful advice to newcomers.

1. Tell us a little about yourself, where are you from, what do you do etc.?

I'm from Trinidad and Tobago, a twin-island republic in the Caribbean. Like most gringoes in Brazil, I work with language teaching, translation and some simultaneous translation. But I spend most of my time teaching English.

2. When did you arrive in Brazil and what brought you here?

I got here for the first time in 1995 and spent a year in Brasilia. I returned home for 6 months then came to Rio de Janeiro to do a First Class degree in Letters/Humanities. Since then, I have also done an M.A. in Linguistics and several short graduate courses, apart from working with teaching.

3. What were you first impressions of Brazil?

They were the best possible. I came to soak up as much as possible of the culture and to blend with the people. What amazed me was the hospitality and the ease with which people welcomed me. People in Rio are easy conversationalists, in the space

Random Traveller Stories: Brazil Through Foreign Eyes Pt 4

Brazil Through Foreign Eyes

Meet Kyron Gibbs, who has worked with dance and theatre in Los Angeles, and has travelled many times to different areas of Brazil. Read the following interview where he tells us about his most memorable experiences from Brazil and gives some useful advice to newcomers.

1. Tell us a little about yourself, where are you from, what do you do etc.?

Hello I am a 28 year old black male from Los Angeles, California. I teach dance at an afterschool program. My students range from 7 years old to 11 years old. They‘re all girls.

I am also a working actor here in Los Angeles. I work for a interactive theatre company that tours local school and performs shows on sex, drugs, peer pressure and decision making

2. When did you arrive in Brazil and what brought you here?

I arrived in Brazil for the first time in October of 2003, I was invited by two of my friends. I didnt know anything about Brazil. My two older friends are in their mid forties. since I haven‘t gone outside of the united states I thought that this trip would be nice.

3. What were you first impressions of Brazil?

My first impression of brazil was that the people were very friendly and very helpful even though they did not know me personally. The culture was very diverse and I saw many people from various backgrounds, African, Japanese, and Indian. All of these

Random Traveller Stories: Brazil Through Foreign Eyes Pt 3

Brazil Through Foreign Eyes

Meet Lee Gordon, from the USA, who has travelled to Brazil many times, as well as meeting his wife there. Read the following interview where he tells us about his most memorable experiences from Brazil and gives some useful advice to newcomers.

1. Tell us a little about yourself, where are you from, what do you do etc.?

I'm American, born in Seattle, Washington, where I live currently with my wife, Eloisa and our 15-month old daughter, Isabella. Eloisa is Carioca from Ilha do Governador, and Isabella became a dual citizen a month after she was born last year. I've also lived in Northern California two separate times. My family is creole, originally from Louisiana.

Originally, my field was biotechnology, where I spent over fifteen years. Now, I have started a company with some partners, one of whom is Cabo Verdeano. We're launching our empire!

My long-term goal is to one day live in Brazil with business in Brazil, the US, Dubai, and other international locations.

2. When did you arrive in Brazil and what brought you here?

In college, I was a world-class sprinter, and traveled internationally. My friends also competed in international track meets, and had wonderful things to say about Brazil. I was

Random Traveller Stories: Brazil Through Foreign Eyes Pt 2

Brazil Through Foreign Eyes

Meet Atlanta Foresyth, from the USA, who has travelled to Brazil many times, works with Brazilian music, and is opening a pousada in Brazil. Read the following interview where she tells us about her most memorable experiences from Brazil and gives some useful advice to newcomers.

1. Tell us a little about yourself, where are you from, what do you do etc.?

I'm a vocalist, dancer and actress currently living in New York, but slowly making the move to Brazil. I grew up in a small town in northwest Florida, and my mother is a Cape Verdean American, so I always felt a strong connection with Brazilians and Brazil. Many people aren't aware that Cape Verde even exists, so I've always told people that my heritage is Brazilian. I've never been to Cape Verde and I travel to Brazil about twice a year.

Here in New York, I work with an ensemble of dancers called Brasilierando (the act of being Brazilian), DJs who love Brazilian music or Brazilian musicians. In Brazil, I'm opening a pousada.

2. When did you arrive in Brazil and what brought you here?

I first came to Brazil in 2002, a few months after Sept 11 happened in New York City. I was in the building, and after a few months of just feeling disconnected to all the things I thought meant so much (work, money, the city), I escaped to the beaches of Rio and Salvador to re-evaluate my life.

3. What were you first impressions of Brazil?

I knew of the beauty, but actually seeing it with my own eyes was an experience that chokes me up, even now. During my first flight, descending through the mountains and clouds in Rio, I cried because it felt like I was coming home. The poverty is staggering, even compared to the homeless problem we have here in New York City, but the spirit

Random Traveller Stories: Brazil Through Foreign Eyes Pt 1

Brazil Through Foreign Eyes

August 24, 2007

Meet Adrian Woods, from the USA, who has travelled to Brazil and the rest of Central and South America several times. Read the following interview where he tells us about some of his most memorable experiences from Brazil and gives some useful advice to newcomers.

1. Tell us a little about yourself, where are you from, what do you do etc.?

I'm originally from Berkeley, California, USA. I've just returned to California after spending almost two years living in Rio de Janeiro teaching English.

2. When did you arrive in Brazil and what brought you here?

This last trip was my third to Brazil. I first came to Brazil back in April, 1995. I was traveling all over Central and South America and stayed in Salvador, Bahia for 5 months and Sao Paulo for one month.

What originally attracted me to Brazil and Brazilian culture was going to

BRAZIL: THE UK VOTE

Brazil: The UK Vote

By Mark Hillary March 8, 2011 I just moved from London to Brazil at the end of last year. I‘ve managed to negotiate my way through the various cartorios to the point where I now have my permanent residency stamp, my CPF card, and my first bank account. Not bad going for the first few weeks of the year. But one thing eludes me, my right to vote back in the UK. I downloaded the forms I need from the Electoral Commission website. That‘s all easy enough. But I need a witness to watch over me as I sign the documents and that person has to be a British passport holder. Suddenly I realised that I don‘t know a single British person in São Paulo.

BRAZIL: EXPAT SALARY PURCHASING POWER PARITY

Brazil: Expatriate Salary Purchasing Power Parity

By Jim Shattuck April 15, 2011 Let me start out by saying that I am neither an economist nor a human resources professional. I'm sharing here some information I have learned from mining the depths of Google, trying to stitch it all together into a coherent post. Learning about the comparative realities of living here or in the USA (I'm sticking to just one country for simplicity's sake) is both fun for the expat ("I knew I wasn't crazy - that shit is expensive!") and cautionary for the lovebirds contemplating a move figuring it will all work out somehow (goddess bless them!). The first thing to understand is that economies are different on many different levels: the price of things, the salaries people can earn, the taxes one pays, the non-cash (and deferred cash) benefits people earn over time, how value depreciates over time, how the banking and credit systems operate, what services are provided by the government, etc. In the case of Brazil and the USA - believe me - they are two different worlds that do not easily equate/translate. Most travelers think in terms of the currency exchange rate: "Oh Brazil will be an affordable vacation destination; the exchange rate is in our favor, unlike London (for example)." Which may well be true, but moving here to live, work and retire is another matter altogether. For the new resident, the impulse is to do a quick calculation in your head converting currencies to decide if something is expensive or not. But currency exchange rates give misleading

RAISING AMERICAN CHILDREN IN BRAZIL

Here is a story that I came across.  Something that I can relate to, except my wife and I are both American but nevertheless we are raising our children in Brazil.  Enjoy

Raising American Children in Brazil

By David Persons February 15, 2011   Back in the USA my wife (Brazilian) and I never really gave much thought to raising our family in Brazil, since we were well established there, but late 2006 as we felt the crisis coming we started to discuss the possibilities of international relocation. Since the US economy was heading towards a collapse and by mid 2007 we had made the final decision to relocate to Brazil after carefully considering the alternatives... By relocating we would be able to maintain a similar quality of life and continue private schooling for our children, which was and has always been our priority from the beginning. We then made the "Move" internationally, we loaded up our house into a container and shipped it out. In 45 days our home would arrive so we had

HOW TO SUCEED IN NEW LIFE ABROAD

Why Expats Fail to Make a Go of a New Life Abroad

By Susan Beverley / Escape From America Magazine

Most Common Reasons Why Expats Fail to Make a Go of a New Life Abroad

Escaping from the dull drudgery of our everyday lives is a dream increasingly shared by individuals from across the world.  It seems we all believe to some degree that the grass probably could be greener elsewhere!  New horizons beckon and suggest adventure and excitement, and so for many people the dream of moving abroad slowly but surely becomes a reality.

The chance to change our lives is a thrilling challenge, and the act of making a go of it abroad can lead to all sorts of new opportunities; however, for some people becoming an expatriate and an international citizen is not all it’s cracked up to be.

You definitely need a certain something to embrace the expatriate lifestyle in all its glory, but why do some people love living abroad whilst others return home with their tail between their legs?  Is it a case of integration issues or culture shock?  Is expat flu a reality rather than a myth, or are the problems that force expatriates to repatriate purely money orientated?

In this report we’re going to take a look at the most common reasons why expats fail to make a go of a new life abroad – so that you can protect against the same issues and mistakes.