Living Abroad in Brazil: The Land of Samba

You Get What You Give

Article and photos by John Clites

At the Sao Luis Festas Juninas in Brazil.

I had already visited Brazil 13 or 14 times before moving here in 2008. You would assume that I genuinely knew the country and its people. I certainly thought so.

But I was decidedly mistaken.

Arriving in Rio de Janeiro at the end of 2008, I was immediately confronted that my Portuguese could have been better. The carioca accent of Rio, peppered liberally with slang and an overabundance of sh sounds, was initially daunting. I'd visited Rio for brief stretches before but stayed with English-speaking friends. Now, I was on my own and struggling a bit.

Finding Permanent Lodging in Brazil

My first challenge was to find lodging. I found permanent quarters sharing an apartment in Ipanema with a Brazilian who'd lived in the U.S. for years and spoke excellent English. Cristiano was quite easygoing. He also became the author of a guidebook called Rio for Partiers and knew Rio inside and out. An American named Chris soon joined us in the apartment. We three got along very well.

But I'd been lucky. I arrived on October 31st. Had I come just a couple of weeks later, finding a room would have been much more problematic as Rio's high season was fast approaching. I'd slipped in just in time.

Finding a Job and Getting Settled in Brazil

Though I conquered the matter of finding living quarters, I encountered some difficulties getting started teaching English, which I'd chosen as my new career. Oh, I found students, teaching my first class my second week in Rio. But no sooner had I become settled than Christmas and New Year's arrived, followed by Carnaval. My teaching schedule was light, and I struggled financially until March when I soon learned the year actually begins in Brazil.

Despite the initial financial struggles, I managed and really began to enjoy my new home. I exercised a lot because I had plenty of free time in my schedule. Unable to afford a gym membership in pricey Ipanema, I ran along the beach and used the rustic outdoor gym near Arpoador Beach, which Chris nicknamed "The Flintstones' Gym." Barbells sported blocks of concrete on either end rather than iron plates. It was Spartan but functional. Chris and I improved our Portuguese chatting with the locals, who soon accepted us into their group.

Arpoador Beach and "The Flintstones’ Gym."

On Tuesday and Thursday mornings, there was (still is) a farmers' market across the street from the apartment at Praça General Osório. I loaded up on enough vegetables for mere pocket change to last days. Chris and I worked out hard and ate well, sautéing vegetables and chicken. I got very lean and healthy.

The farmer’s market in Rio.

Things were going well socially, too. Cristiano seemed to know everyone. He introduced me to an American woman named Taylor, who had a comfortable job as a liaison between the U.S. and Brazilian navies. She also had an apartment strategically located right on Ipanema Beach. Every Tuesday night was Pizza Night at Taylor’s. I met some locals there and several other expats. It was an eclectic and fun group.

Ipanema Beach from Taylor's apartment.

After Carnaval, I quickly built up my student base, improving my financial situation. I was introduced to a Brazilian woman who quickly became my girlfriend. I hadn't really suffered much from culture shock. All seemed to be going well.

Coping When Times Were Tough

But at about the 8-month mark, I was hit from several directions. My stepfather, whom I was very close to, passed away, and I was unable to return to the U.S. in time for the service. My girlfriend revealed that she just wanted to leave Brazil, and as I planned to stay, she was moving on. Chris took a job in Brasilia, and a series of random roommates followed. Then Taylor was called back to the U.S. Pizza Night was no more, and the group drifted apart.

That was the nadir of my time here in Brazil. It would have been easy to say, "Well, I tried," and return to the U.S. But I'd come to Brazil intending to make a go of it and refused to quit. Perhaps it's the Scottish blood from my mother's side, but I can be decidedly stubborn.

And I'm glad that I persisted. Fast-forwarding through the years, I obtained provisional residency. I tried living in a small town, and while overall, I can't say that year was a success, it led me to teach English classes online and writing, which are my primary sources of income today. I was granted permanent residency. I moved to a lovely little town in the South of Brazil. Things are going well. I have no regrets.

Advice from an Expat in Brazil

I am now closing in on 6½ years here in Brazil. As a long-term expat, what advice could I offer someone considering a stint in another country? Here are some lessons learned in the School of Hard Knocks:

• If you aren’t sure whether to go abroad, I ask you: Why not give it a shot? You can always go back home. You don’t have to make a long-term commitment as I have done. Even a summer abroad can teach you a lot. Learn a language. Grow in self-confidence. Add an interesting bullet point to your resume.
  
  
• Have a plan. I know that must sound inane because it's just so basic. But you'd be surprised how many foreigners I've met here in Brazil either came with no real idea of what they would do here, came as tourists liked it, and just stayed on, doing whatever presented itself. I'm not saying this approach can't work out, but most of us operate better when prepared.
  
  
• Give some serious thought as to what time of year you arrive — which I neglected to do. We tend to be overly focused on our own situations: "Well," you think, "I'll go once I've sold the car and saved $3,000." We may forget that our destination country is humming along, oblivious to our planned arrival. If, for example, you arrive in Rio in February or France in August, you are likely to have difficulty finding a place to stay.
  
  
• Have a financial cushion saved up. I recommend having enough for two months unless you have a firm job lined up in advance or are pre-paying, as you might for a volunteer or study program. You don't have to take all your savings with you; you need access to it. These days, that's generally easy via ATMs, though you may be charged a service fee for each withdrawal. Look into the Schwab High-Yield Investor Account, which allows you to withdraw money from any bank's ATM and reimburses you for any service charges incurred at month-end.
  
  
• Estimate your expenses. How? First, list out the basics (rent, food, transportation, pocket money, etc.). Then, use articles from Transitions Abroad and websites like Numbeo and TEFL.com to estimate monthly amounts for each line item. Be sure to add 15% or so for contingency.
  
  
• Dive in and learn the language! And there is absolutely no reason to wait until you arrive in your new country to begin. Today, there is a range of options available to you. Go to your local bookstore or to Amazon.com. Find someone in your hometown who can teach you. Are you strapped for cash, saving up that financial cushion I recommended? Then, search for online forums where you can find someone with whom to practice. An excellent strategy is to swap English lessons for lessons in the language of your destination. You can, of course, also use this strategy once you arrive in your host country.

• Ah, that word "host." I shouldn't have to say this; from experience, I know that I must: Please remember that being in a host country means you are a guest there. Making disparaging remarks, however innocent or offhand they may seem to you, can be hurtful in a couple of ways. First, such statements tend to encourage negative, elitist thinking on your part. And such comments aren't likely to win you any friends. So avoid saying things like, "Well, let me tell you how we do it back in the U.S." Reverse the roles, and you'll immediately see just how offensive such comments are.
  
  This doesn't mean you won't want to make such comments sometimes. Even today, I still hate that I can't flush toilet paper. (It goes into a little waste basket beside the toilet.) I just don't complain about it. After all, when in Rome…
  
  
• In general, try to roll with the punches. Your attitude can be either your greatest asset or your most significant liability. The choice is yours. You'll fare much better if you can see each day or challenge as a mini-adventure. And remember: What is genuinely frustrating or aggravating today will make a great story to tell tomorrow.
  
  
• The longer you are abroad, the more likely you are to hit a rough patch. Simply knowing this may help you somewhat to absorb what comes. It's also helpful to have a support network. I recommend cultivating not only local friends but also other foreigners. Locals can help you learn the language and navigate the vagaries of the local culture and bureaucracy. Expats, particularly those who've been in the country awhile, can often understand better your frustration that you're missing the NCAA tournament because the website blocked you due to being outside the U.S.
  
  
• Stay in touch with home.I'm middle-aged now, but I still call Mom frequently. It's partly for me. But it's also for her. Your family will worry. That's the nature of family. Staying in touch also means checking the news back home occasionally (as negative as it might be). You might also maintain ties to home by hunting down a way to watch the NCAAs online by disguising your IP address or by splurging once in a while on a ridiculously priced jar of peanut butter.
  
  
• I reminded you that you would be a guest in your host country previously. You'll be more than that. You'll be a representative of your home country and of foreigners in general. So if you scream loudly in a hotel lobby, "Doesn't anyone here speak English?!" obviously, you will leave a bitter taste in the mouths of all around you. (I actually witnessed such an outburst once.)
  
  
• Extending a little kindness, doing more than you need to, can work wonders. Sometimes, it's a little thing: Could you offer some advice about English immersion programs in the U.S.? Do you have a real estate contact in South Florida? When you next visit the U.S., could you bring back some Victoria's Secret Fantasies® hydrating lotion? Sometimes, the requests will be easy to field. Sometimes, they'll be more involved. Sometimes, you won't be able to resolve the matter. But do TRY. Even if you are not ultimately successful, just making a bit of an effort will be appreciated.

To end my reflections, please allow me to offer you just a few more bits of advice:

• Try to explore your host country if time and money allow. Even a tiny country can be diverse. Make weekend forays, or take time to explore at the beginning or end of your stay. I can't tell you how often in Rio I heard expats preparing to return home say things like, "I wish I'd seen Iguaçu Falls," or "I really wanted to visit Fernando de Noronha." Don't return home full of regrets. Make the most of your time abroad.
  
  
• My final piece of advice is this: Have faith in yourself. You can do this. Tens of thousands travel, study, work, and live abroad yearly. You can be one of them. Will you face difficulties? Almost certainly. Isn't that one of the reasons to go overseas? To encounter and surmount challenges? To grow? If it helps, when facing a significant problem, I like to ask myself a couple of things:

  1) What have I faced in the past that was worse?
  
  2) What would Marty (my stepfather) do? Just insert the name of someone you admire and respect.

You may find these two little questions helpful as well.

One of my favorite authors is Mark Twain. He left us with many memorable quotes, and I leave you now with my favorite:

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

Hang gliding — spread your wings.

John Clites is a U.S. citizen who first visited Brazil in 1993. He immediately fell in love with the country’s incredible natural beauty and its warm, welcoming people. John traveled Brazil extensively before finally giving up his career in software to move to Rio de Janeiro in 2008. John now has permanent resident status.

John divides his time between teaching English, writing about Brazil. He recently published a book, entitled Live Well in Rio de Janeiro: The Untourist Guide, which is available on Amazon. In his free time, he enjoys photography and hiking.

John started teaching online in 2012, and now teaches exclusively online, as it provides him great freedom to pick up and go when the urge overtakes him.

For readers who are interested in following in John's footsteps, he has created a comprehensive online course, “Teaching English in Brazil.”