So, three months in Brazil has chewed me up and spit me out!

My Brazilian wife can't even take it here, it was actually her idea to leave and it took me no time to say, "Okay, when can we go?"

First off the job market here is not very good at all...we have been here for three months and it seems that was just when the economy here was starting to cool off. The income you need here to have a good life, in our opinion, is going to be hard to achieve.

The main thing is that the people, as nice and friendly as I have seen, for the most part do not care if their beautiful country ever changes or improves. It is this attitude that makes it the hardest and most frustrating for us here. So many things can be easily improved and actually done cheaper at the same time and it just won't happen. Why? Well, it's because the way that they are doing it, is they way they have always done it and no one wants anything to change.

To top it all of the level of corruption and incompetence in the government and police of all levels is scary.

In my opinion, Brazil will never get out of the third world. While the major cities my grow along with the middle class (which by the way is defined by making more than R$12-1300 per month ~ or in the ballpark)

We started off our stay in a small town in the interior of SP state with my wife's parents for 5 weeks. We then spent 3 weeks in Rio de Janerio with my brother in law. We then drove to Natal from Rio. Stayed south of Natal for one month arrived back in Rio yesterday. My flight is booked and I am leaving for Canada tomorrow. I CAN NOT WAIT!

We did our research, we talked to several people, read many online articles, looked and several job related sites and decided it was worth a shot, that is why we came here, to try. We could have stayed longer and we could have got teaching jobs and scraped by and used up our life savings while creating a huge gap in our professional employment history. However, we chose to cut and run.

I know that for many of you Brazil is the best place you have ever lived and others it is a better alternative to were last. But for many people, it is not. I think it is dirty, run down, stinky, dangerous and the way people drive is amazing. Here in Rio was crazy...but the BR-101 from Rio to Natal was some of the craziest driving I have ever seen. I have been all over Canada, at least half of the states in the USA, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Scotland and have never, ever seen anything like it anywhere. Not even close. The number of times we were close to a head-on collision was in the 8 to 10 range, the near misses we seen were countless; quite literally dozens upon dozens. I am not sure if it's because everyone has a saying about God or Jesus on their vehicle that they think that they are invincible or what. The passing up hill on a curve with a double solid yellow line seems like more of a challenge that a warning to most here. Of course the fact that no one really moves out of the way of ambulances with the sirens blaring is a good indication that people care less about others than they do about the precious spot in traffic that they claimed by cutting off many others. We had to slam on our brakes and head for the ditch on multiple occasions. We were almost side swiped countless times by the idiots trying to pass up hill only to find out that they can't and just come back to the right lane without a look or a horn or anything.

Well, that is my rant for now. I was venting my frustrations and telling my story, do not take any of this personal or attack me for anything I have said. I believe I have seen Brazil, the real Brazil, not the touristic areas or the affluent areas alone. We seen some things that bring tears to your eyes. Left us wondering how people can live like this and why people do not push for change. It is terrible to see people settling for the life they have and with no hope for the future generations.

Espirit - Glad I am not the only one who sees Brazil like this!

The thing is, I would go to Eastern Africa over Brazil any day. If it were up to me I would never come back to Brazil, but the wife's family will make that next to impossible. Another thing about Africa, since you made the comparison, I don't recall call ever running in to anyone that could not speak English; the best part, I never seen one English School!! The obvious contrast to Brazil were there are 2 English Schools on every block and only two people I have encountered in here in Brazil could have a halfass conversation in English.

Also, just to note, I spent the first 20 years of my life in a small rural farm town in Canada, population 500. I am far from a dazzling first-world urbanite. I spend most of my holidays in hostels or tents and have never had a taste for the finer things in life.

I do understand the initial draw to Brazil and I wish everyone all of the success in the world that choose to stay here. I hope you are all able to stay and live comfortable, productive lives.

Edited by StevieC - 04 July 2012 at 14:32

I really had to stop comparing Brazil to the US

beautiful. i was lucky that I did that pretty much when I got here. although i do think it is ok to compare a bit, i think problems for my arise when/if i expect brazil to be like the us.

Exactly. When I do catch myself comparing I try to go both ways. Example: sometimes I worry about the violence here. Is Vitoria dangerous compared to Boston? You betcha. But compared to Johannesburg its a fart in a hurricane. Mindgames like that always help me feel better and just enjoy where I am for what it is. *shrug*

...and something I didnt quite catch the first time reading your posts, Stevie, was the English thing. The lack of English has never bothered me or struck me as odd, because, ya know...its a Portuguese speakig country and why should they? Those 2 English schools on every block without producing any proficient English speakers is just good old fashioned job security for lots of us gringoes lol

Originally posted by Capybara ...and something I didnt quite catch the first time reading your posts, Stevie, was the English thing. The lack of English has never bothered me or struck me as odd, because, ya know...its a Portuguese speakig country and why should they? Those 2 English schools on every block without producing any proficient English speakers is just good old fashioned job security for lots of us gringoes lol

The point there I was trying to make is the drive to succeed, to better oneself, to realize there is a huge global economy that wants to do business with Brazil and there would be so much opportunity for intelligent bi or multi-lingual people. Again, seeing people that think everything is good enough because it's always been like this or that is not how the human race has evolved. Striving to make a better life for yourself or the future generations is how the world has the technology, advancements and societies it has today.

Of course I don't think people here should speak English just because I do. I think the fact that they all want to say they study English but never learn it speaks volumes for the people and the society.