Originally posted by hpeak13 SB: why do you think living in Brazil is a "challenge" and "difficult"? You mentioned two hopefully isolated incidents..... Do you base your statements on them?

1. Maybe your situation has been different. From the very beginning, someone called the PF have have me deported. When they showed up at my door, they discovered that I had been married for a while. Just the fact that someone called is what pisses me off. Some old guy here told me a long time ago that many people don't want to see you happy. They will do anything to see you unhappy. At least in my personal life, I think these people have given up.

2. With the entrapment situation, I don't doubt it that someone either wanted to embarrass me publically or make a name for themselves. Water under the bridge because I stay far away from either end of the spectrum now. I like the middle where there are no problems.

3. Then of course we have my wife's businesses. Sellers trying to do golpes, employees lying. Local government and functionaries trying to make everything difficult and expensive. I think they have also given up. This is a "short" incident, but sooo many things happened over the course of a couple of years that I had to deal with...

So yeah, I think that Brazil has been a challenge. These are 3 seperate incidents where most people would have said "WTF" and gone to another country. I see so many people on these sites that ask about getting jobs, thinking Brazil is this happy-go-lucky place. Maybe for a tourist. But when you really "get into local things", you will see your share of despicable behavior.

For us, the only way that we will ever be treated as real Brazilians is if we speak with NO ACCENT and we laugh at SBT TV jokes. You may be treated well, the same, or worse a long the way. The point is we are still different in their eyes, and usually treated as such.

Edited by Amsterdam - 27 August 2012 at 23:07

Originally posted by Grads Yes, anyone can be targeted as a victim in Brasil - gringos and natives alike. After living here many years, I've found that the biggest threat to my person has come from traffic. People have driven cars on the side walk almost running me over; cars have come out of nowhere to almost kill me in cross walks; people have perilously cut me off in traffic, and trucks with no brains have given little room for narrow escapes; bicycles and motos contramao have brushed me recklessly.  Yikes! Although assalts, shootings and kidnappings make all the big news and certainly warrent caution, it is the traffic situations which I find most threatening on a day to day basis. They are ever looming and show no bias to one's nationality.

About the traffic. That's what happened to me. So I got a motorcycle license and 2 wheel transport. If I'm going to get hit, I might as well have it happen the lazy way where I'm not actually walking. I almost got whacked yesterday by someone trying to overtake another car on a narrow road. Good thing I was towards the right hand side of the lane.

I seriously cannot understand Brazilians sometimes. They wait in line at banks for hours but if they have a car going slower in front of them (excercising caution), they want to pass them at all costs.

Chaotic.. I guess that's Brazil. Where I live there's not too much violent crime, but everything else will kill ya.

The worst drivers in SP are women in their 4x4's

Originally posted by richsa05 The worst drivers anywhere are women

fixed for ya.