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Brazil Through Foreign Eyes
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December 1, 2009
Meet Mary de Camargo who moved to Brazil over a year ago, and is thoroughly enjoying her time here. Read the following interview in which she tells us about some of her 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.?
My Name is Mary, I am 42 yrs old, I have 15 years experience in import export and 8 years in real estate. I grew up in Jacksonville Florida and lived there my whole life until moving to Brazil. The last 8 years of my life I managed a large apartment complex where I met people from Brazil that chose to call Florida home. I did not know the language but had to be patient to help them. I made several friends and loved the culture that I saw in their lifestyles. I am a giving and loving person. I always put other peoples needs before my own.
2. When did you arrive in Brazil and what brought you here?
I met a man in Jacksonville from Brazil, he told me he was there to study and would one day return to Brazil. I fell in love with him, he brought me here 3 years ago to see if I could call this my home. I knew I could so 1 year and 4 months ago waaaaallllllaaaa here I am.
3. What were you first impressions of Brazil?
The first place I saw was Sao Paulo, Sao Bernando was my home for 1 year. Downtown was hectic I thought - full of people and a strong smell of some gas I think, it burnt my eyes at first. It seemed like New York but with more people. It was more modern than I would have imagined it would be. My neighborhood in Sao Bernando do Campo was Hollywood, and it was pretty. I think Brazil's roads are cleaner than the USA, and the houses are pretty with all the tile and marble. It was weird that they all had big gates, almost like Miami. Everywhere I went on the bus people would help me even when it was hard speaking the language. Strangers don‘t wave like I am used to, but everyone is friendly. People dress very well in Brazil the clothes are nicer than I see in the USA even, and even at the grocery women are all dressed up. If they are big or little they try to look their best. I live in Aracutuba now, which is a paradise for me. I am not saying that Brazil is not modern because it is, the malls in Brazil are the prettiest I have seen, but the lifestyle in Brazil brings me back to when I was in my teens. The customer service. I could go on and on.
4. What do you miss most about home?
To be honest the food. Its not hamburgers and hot dogs, Its the huge variety of foods that we have. When I grew up we ate a lot of rice and beans but later in life that changed. I think in Brazil variety of food is not really important. I cook a lot of different foods but have a hard time finding things I am used to buying at the grocery store. And of course the most important is My family. My son has been here twice and loves it, hopefully he will move here soon.
5. What has been your most frustrating experience in Brazil?
Not being able to drive. The language was a barrier but I speak a few others so I am quick to catch on. Second, my career. I tried to get a job with Mearsk or another transportation company and was not successful. I was a General Mgr for years and miss the corporate world. Now I am a teacher at CCAA.
6. What has been your most memorable experience in Brazil (specific incident)?
My husband's mother and his family giving me love like I never had. I could have said the beautiful places I have been like Recife, but the most memorable is just the love from his family. So different to the USA.
7. What do you most like about Brazil (in general)?
I feel safer here, I sleep better at night. I know it's bad here but I feel a lot safer. And of course I love my house, its beautiful, and my city is the best. My husband being happy to be home and his family happy that we are here. My new friends that will give you the last bit of food they have. TRUE FRIENDS.
8. What is your favorite restaurant/place to hang out here?
Gosh I like Federal, the chicken is great and the garlic sauce is to die for.
9. Do you have any funny stories/incidents to tell about your time in Brazil?
Gosh this is a hard one, I am always finding myself laughing about things.
10. What difference between your homeland and Brazil do you find most striking?
First the good differences: The customer service is really good here, going out, pumping gas, etc. people take care of you.
Secondly the bad differences: The cost of living in Brazil is so so so high. It's hard to purchase things. My husband just bought a car for R$70,000. In the USA it's R$20,000, and when people say the dollar is double it's R$40,000. Well that would be true if we made US dollars here, so the cost of living here is very high. For a person to have half the material that a middle class person in the USA does, you need to be well off here. I thought it was because things were imported, but I worked in shipping for 15 years and most things are imported. So that part confuses me.
11. How is your Portuguese coming along? What words do you find most difficult to pronounce/remember or are there any words that you regularly confuse?
I speak pretty well I would say, I am able to communicate with everyone. However verbs are hard for me, like saying I will go, will you come, she went etc. Of course Americans cant speak perfect English either.
12. What advice do you have for newcomers to Brazil?
Learn some of the language. If moving, make sure you search for employment before choosing to live here. Realize that the car and material you have in the USA will be harder to have here unless you bring it via ship. The lifestyle here and the love from the people can make up for material possessions, Americans love material possessions, not because we are rich, but because its easy for us to buy. You can be a middle or lower class person and drive a new BMW. I would give up any material in the world to have half the love I feel that my husband's family have given to us. Thank God my husband has a really great job here so we are blessed to have both.
13. What are some things that you would recommend for a visitor to do in São Paulo (or anywhere else in Brazil)?
Well the night life is awesome if you are a club person. I am not, but it's awesome based on what my son says. Campos do Jordao, which is close to Sao Paulo. It was very cold there and looked like Switzerland, and recommend it. Gosh there are lots of pretty places to camp. The zoo. Shopping is fun because there are so many places. The beach in Rio, waterfalls. BBQs are fun for people who love to eat tons of meat.
I have my CPF now, I am very happy to live in this country and call it my home. Americans think of Brazil as being a little on the poorer side, with beautiful people and beaches. Well we were wrong, about the poorer side at least, there are many successful people in this country, and family love would make anyone from the USA want to live here. And one more thing, the children are the most beautiful people I have ever seen.
Are you a foreigner who has lived in, or is living or travelling in Brazil? Are you a Brazilian who has a lot of contact with foreigners and/or lived outside of Brazil? Are you interested in telling your story? If you would like to volunteer for our interview series, or if you would like to recommend someone, please send a blank email to gringoes@gringoes.com with "Interview" in the subject. We will send you the interview questions by return email.
To read previous interviews in the Brazil Through Foreign Eyes series click below:
Brendan Fryer - UK
Aaron Sundquist - USA
Jay Bauman - USA
Alan Williams - USA
Derek Booth - UK
Jim Shattuck - USA
Ruby Souza - Hawaii
Stephan Hughes - Trinidad and Tobago
Louis van der Wiele - Holland
Drew Glaser - USA
Barry Elliott - Canada
Joel Barsky - USA
David Drummond - Canada
Liam Porisse - France
Jim Kelley - USA
Max Ray - USA
Jeremy Clark - Canada
Don Fredrick - USA
Jase Ramsey - USA
Ben Pearce - UK
Nitai Panchmatia - India
Johnnie Kashat - USA
Jeni Bonorino - USA
Eric Jones - USA
Bill Martin - UK
Bernard Morris - USA
John Graves - USA
Deepak Sapra - India
Alison McGowan - UK
Brent Gregory - USA
R Dub - USA
Tara Bianca - USA
Jack Hurley - USA
James Woodward - Canada
Tony O‘Sullivan - Ireland
Anna Belavina - Russia
Jim Kirby - USA
Linda Halverstadt - USA
Michelle Monteiro - USA
Chris Mensah - UK
David Sundin - USA
Stephanie Glennon - USA
Julien Porisse - France
Hans Keeling - USA
Jim Adams - USA
Richard Murison - USA
Will Periam - UK
Jan Sandbert - Sweden
Jim Jones - USA
Mike Stricklin - USA
Edward Gowing - Australia
Adrian Woods - USA
Kevin Raub - USA
Pierpaolo Ciarcianelli - Italy
Zachary Heilman - USA
David Johnson - Bermuda
Cipriana Leme - Argentina
Timothy Bell - USA
Patti Beckert - USA
Timothy Bell - USA
Paul James - USA
David McLoughlin - Ireland
Pat Moraes - USA
Richard Dougherty - USA
James Weeds - USA
Tom Sluberski - USA
Peter Kefalas - USA
Sylvie Campbell - UK
Kathleen Haynes - USA
Matt Bowlby - USA
Alan Longbottom - UK
Eric Karukin - USA
Eddie Soto - USA
Kieran Gartlan - Ireland
Bryan Thomas Scmidt - USA
Emile Myburgh - South Africa
Bob Chapman - USA
David Barnes - USA
John Milan - USA
Chris Coates - UK
Matthew Ward - UK
Allison Glick - USA
Drake Smith - USA
Jim Jones - USA
Philip Wigan - UK
Atlanta Foresyth - USA
Lee Gordon - USA
Carmen Naidoo - South Africa
Lee Safian - USA
Laurie Carneiro - USA
Dana De Lise - USA
Richard Gant - USA
Robin Hoffman - USA
Wayne Wright - UK
Walt Kirspel - USA
Priya Guyadeen - Guyana
Caitlin McQuilling - USA
Nicole Rombach - Holland
Steven Engler - Canada
Richard Conti - USA
Zak Burkons - USA
Ann White - USA
Monde Ngqumeya - South Africa
Johnny Sweeney - USA
David Harty - Canada
Bill McCrossen - USA
Peter Berner - Switzerland/Brazil
Ethan Munson - USA
Solveig Skadhauge - Denmark
Sean McGown - USA
Condrad Downes - UK
Jennifer Silva - Australian
Justin Mounts - USA
Elliott Zussman - USA
Jonathan Abernathy - USA
Steve Koenig - USA
Kyron Gibbs - USA
Stephanie Early - USA
Martin Raw - UK
Sean Coady - UK
Hugo Delgado - Mexico
Sean Terrillon - Canada
Jessie Simon - USA
Michael Meehan - USA
Thales Panagides - Cyprus
Tammy Montagna - USA
Samantha Tennant - England
Ron Finely - United States
Bob Duprez - United States
Peter Baines - England
Youssef Bouguerra - Tunisia
Van Wallach - USA
Lesley Cushing - England
Alexander von Brincken - Germany
Hank Avellar - USA
Ed Catchpole - England
Penny Freeland - England
Yasemin de Pinto - Turkey
Amy Williams Lima - USA
John Naumann - England
Marsye Schouella - Eygpt
Rita Shannon Koeser - USA
John Fitzpatrick - Scotland
Liam Gallagher - Northern Ireland
Lorelei Jones - England
Adam Glensy - England
Tommie C.B. DeAssis - Japan
Aaron Day - Canada
Graham Debney - New Zealand
Silke Tina Tischendorf - Germany
Tanya Keshavjee Macedo - Canada
Frank de Meijer - Holland
Carl Emberson - Australia
Kim Buarque - Wales
Damiano Pak - South Korea
Jonas Helding - Denmark
Pari Seeber - Iran
John Milton - England
Ken Marshall - Australia
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12/1/2010
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