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life in brazil

 
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guneshli



Joined: 02 Sep 2004
Posts: 4
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Mon Oct 18, 2004 9:06 am    Post subject: life in brazil Reply with quote

I have a TEFL and a few years experience, in England, Istanbul and Im currently teaching in Japan. I have wanted to teach in Brazil for years, but Im a bit nervous.
Here in rural Japan, I can stager home on my own at 4am (not that I do this a lot but I can), cycle about with my hand bag full of dosh in my bike basket, gazing at the sunset, and I often forget to lock my front door!
I think Ive gone a bit soft! Rolling Eyes
I know that as soon as I leave Japan I will have to sharpen up.
Will I be able to cope? Or will I be a goner?
I stick out like a sore thumb as Im tall, blonde, female and very pastey!
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mouji



Joined: 21 Sep 2004
Posts: 5
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Tue Nov 09, 2004 8:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

konnchi wa and bom dia

im in the same situation.... rural Japan can be very dangerous, in that, once you leave, you have been set up to be mugged in most parts of the world!

I have a few Brazilian friends from university that I will visit & stay with, so I feel a bit safer.

As well, you can set up a PEN FRIEND exchange through www.epals.com so that you can meet some teachers and maybe become friends (Brazilians are the friendliest peoples next to New Zealanders, Scots and Italians i think!)

My plan is to save money in Nippon, then just volunteer at schools (maybe the school that i have the epals exchange with, as the teachers sound excited about it, and I already know some of the kids) while learning Portugese, Capoeira and Bahian cooking...beleza!!

so save your yen, organise a school exchange and find out about the Landless Peasant Movement (Porto Alegre World Social Forum and Salvador Carnaval!!)

peace and good vibes
mouji[/img]
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fragganika



Joined: 12 Dec 2004
Posts: 60
Location: North American

PostPosted: Sun Dec 12, 2004 11:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

About being blonde - if you end up in the south of Sao Paulo state or further down, you'll see more than half of the people looking a lot like you. I lived near Sorocaba, outside Sao Paulo city, and I never stuck out once I got a little tan.

My Brazilian boyfriend says he can tell a Brazilian blonde from a foreign one because the Brazilian blonde is more "burnt"... but I think he's full of b.s. Wink

About being tough - The average Brazilian in really kind and friendly. However, the economic system of the country makes for exploitative and shamelessly shady business practices. (See my post about my greedy, scamming bosses at Wizard Boituva and my inattentive sponsors at IICA if you wanna know more about this.)
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Deconstructor



Joined: 30 Dec 2003
Posts: 775
Location: Montreal

PostPosted: Sat Jan 08, 2005 5:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just got back from Brazil. I was there for a few weeks living with my in-laws. Working in Brazil is not a problem for me because my wife is Brazilian, but if you don't have such connection to the country, it is next to impossible to get a job there. Even if you did get a job, language schools do not pay well by Western standards; you have to teach universities to make a decent living and in order to get a job like that, you have to have M.A. in English, education or linguistics.

My Brazilian wife had told me a lot about her country, but I had to witness it myself. Brazil is truly a great country where I tasted some of the best foods and visited some of the best beaches anywhere in the world and I've been around. Brazilians are friendly and easy to get along with.

Brazil has the potential to be one of the most liveable countries in the world IF they could only minimize the appalling disparity between the rich and the poor. I witnessed the most horrifying living conditions in Sao Paulo amidst the high-rises of Microsoft, Citibank and Hilton. People in the Favelas lived on a banana a day and dreamed of becoming soccer stars. For them this was the only way out, which is obviously a no way out. Every middle classer avoided these areas or drove by really fast not even stopping at red lights especially at night. This brings me to my next point.

While much has been made of the crime in Sao Paulo, the only way to really understand it is to live there for a while. No one is going to kill you and/or rob you as soon as you stick your nose out of your widow. To be safe you need to understand your environment and take proper precautions. This is the case wherever you go. I felt safe in Sao Paulo except at nights on empty streets. Otherwise I had the time of my life.
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guneshli



Joined: 02 Sep 2004
Posts: 4
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Fri Mar 04, 2005 6:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very Happy
thanks very much for all the info. Hahaha! Im Scottish too!
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Tiger Beer



Joined: 08 Feb 2003
Posts: 778
Location: Hong Kong

PostPosted: Wed Mar 09, 2005 2:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Deconstructor wrote:
I just got back from Brazil. I was there for a few weeks living with my in-laws. Working in Brazil is not a problem for me because my wife is Brazilian, but if you don't have such connection to the country, it is next to impossible to get a job there. Even if you did get a job, language schools do not pay well by Western standards; you have to teach universities to make a decent living and in order to get a job like that, you have to have M.A. in English, education or linguistics.

My Brazilian wife had told me a lot about her country, but I had to witness it myself. Brazil is truly a great country where I tasted some of the best foods and visited some of the best beaches anywhere in the world and I've been around. Brazilians are friendly and easy to get along with.

Brazil has the potential to be one of the most liveable countries in the world IF they could only minimize the appalling disparity between the rich and the poor. I witnessed the most horrifying living conditions in Sao Paulo amidst the high-rises of Microsoft, Citibank and Hilton. People in the Favelas lived on a banana a day and dreamed of becoming soccer stars. For them this was the only way out, which is obviously a no way out. Every middle classer avoided these areas or drove by really fast not even stopping at red lights especially at night. This brings me to my next point.

While much has been made of the crime in Sao Paulo, the only way to really understand it is to live there for a while. No one is going to kill you and/or rob you as soon as you stick your nose out of your widow. To be safe you need to understand your environment and take proper precautions. This is the case wherever you go. I felt safe in Sao Paulo except at nights on empty streets. Otherwise I had the time of my life.

Pretty much spot-on correct.

I spent six months in Brazil in 1997/8. I lived in Sao Paulo. Fortunately I lived very close to Jardins.. which was safe. I stumbled home many nights at 3am.. plus a lot of people were also partying - the well off. It was fine there. But much of the rest of Sao Paulo I didn't feel comfortable at all! Particularly the central downtown.. and not even the Liberdade area -- the Japanese area. (Too many people lurking around there of the stranger variety - and not the Japanese!)

All that being said.. my first time in Brazil was after living in Korea (which is very similar to Japan in the safety realms of never worrying about anything). Believe me, as soon as you get to Brazil, your awareness levels will kick-in again, and you will be alright! Just watch yourself, its really not all that different from being in the U.S.

There are plenty of places in San Francisco for example that I wouldn't want to walk around at night.. same with most U.S. cities.. Brazil is just an extension of that. Incredible country! But that massive disparity of wealth is out of control.. and definetely something to be aware about at all times while there. You'll probably be fine, but you'll have to learn where to go and where not to go (just like the U.S.)
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Rice Paddy Daddy



Joined: 11 Jul 2004
Posts: 425
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2005 7:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

lookin' good - B is where it's at!
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gtidey



Joined: 18 May 2004
Posts: 93

PostPosted: Wed Mar 16, 2005 12:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

bunda gira.

mas alguem visitaste florianapolis?

stou interessado de movendo ali
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samizinha



Joined: 12 May 2005
Posts: 174
Location: Vacalandia

PostPosted: Fri Jun 24, 2005 6:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

eu vivi bem pertinho de Floripa, e foi la todas as veses que podia!
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islanddreamer



Joined: 22 Oct 2004
Posts: 28

PostPosted: Sat Jun 25, 2005 12:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm blonde, and a Scot....and lived in Brazil for four years. We spent two of those years in the Northeast (Natal and environs) and two in either Sao Paulo city or state. So we moved around a bit. In fact we lived in the heart of SP (Largo de Arouche, for those who know) for about eight months. I got obsessed with the stray cats in Praca de Republica and used to go down there nearly every evening and give food etc. to the cats, while the bums and the drugpushers looked on. I never had any trouble though.

We also lived near Sorocaba for about eighteen months, and although there were bullet holes in our local supermarket doors, I never felt particulary nervous or threatened.

The Northeast was incredibly relaxed and I felt perfectly safe. We lived in three different locations, one of which was a beach house, and one of which was in the centre of Natal. No problems.

I don't think Sao Paulo is a particulary safe city, but as another poster said, nor is Los Angeles, New York, even London. You just have to keep a low profile and be streetsmart. And even Edinburgh has its problems! Smile
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sheena maclean



Joined: 22 Nov 2004
Posts: 165
Location: Glasgow, Scotland-missing BsAs but loving Glasgow

PostPosted: Thu Aug 04, 2005 1:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes I know this is the Brazil thread but I just want to echo the impression of Scots being the friendliest in the world!! hear hear!! But maybe I'm biased!!
cherrio the noo!!!
Sheena
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