Daily Life in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Deep Thoughts

Around a patio table earlier tonight in Ipanema (did anyone see the beautiful moon over Vidigal tonight? Amazing), we were talking about the use of fireworks in Rio... and how prevalent it is. And how none of us could think of a single place to buy fireworks. Anyone??

The Big Survey

I admit it, I've peeked. At the responses to my 2009 Survey of Rio Expats, even though the survey is not officially over. Thanks very much to everyone who has participated so far. You've inspired, entertained, validated and in a couple of cases reprimanded me! I appreciate all of the responses and can't wait to share them with you soon. Much like everything in Rio, I find there's very little "happy medium" - people either love it here or, er... don't.

For those Rio expats and former Rio expats (if you lived here in the past year or so) who have not yet had a chance to fill out the survey, I'm keeping it open until the end of the month in hopes of getting a few more responses. I'll start sharing the results in December. Click here to access the survey.

BIG DAY

My five month long fight with the federal police ordeal to get Canadoca's passport has come to an end!!!!!

Recent Inquiries & Responses: 4

Question:

I am coming to Rio for a law school study abroad program for one month.  The program is putting is up in Copacabana in Post 5 somewhat close to the Cantagalo Subway station.  However, everything I read about copacabana says it is incredibly dangerous for foreigners and it is really not a question of if you get mugged but when.  Do you have any specific knowledge about the Post 5 area of copacabana and how safe it is?  I will of course take all precautions necesarry not to become a victim but I am quite worried.  Also, my girlfriend will be with me with me and she likes to run.  Is it safe for her to run alone in the mornings along the beach?  Will it be okay for her to wander around alone at all during the day?  Any specific advice on how to protect ourselves while in Rio?

My Response:

When I first arrived in Rio, I walked from Ipanema/Leblon to Copacabana and back four days per week (to school and back). Never once did I have an issue, but often times I was concerned for my safety/creeped out by certain people.  I suggest sticking to the beach street as much as possible.
I feel that if you take strides to blend in, you can easily live in this area without issue. However, I also hear stories about people being mugged in Copa within 3 hours of arriving from the airport, and so will you (hear of such things). Sometimes it is luck of the draw, but I have been fortunate to have good experiences, as have most of the expats I know here.

I feel it would be perfectly safe for your girlfriend to run along the beach path in the morning, this is a highly populated area and there are tourist police everywhere. It is actually very safe to walk around on the beach street at night as well (but don't go down to the water itself at night).  There is a market set up on the beach street every night and as a result, lots of people. Meaningm, safer. As I mentioned, I walked in this area almost every day, alone, when I first moved to Rio and did not have a problem and so I hope she will not, either.

To give you some specific advice:
1) Try to dress like a local. This means for your girlfriend - actually wearing jewellery (just not expensive jewellery).
2) I think body language is the biggest giveaway when it comes to identifying tourists. Try and look as though you know where you are going (even if you don't), and try to master the "blank stare" most people have on their faces at all times.  I think that many times people are targeted because they are gawking at everything - obvious tourists. To be fair, there is a lot to gawk at here...
3) Don't carry a lot of bags around at any times. This includes groceries. Locals do not do this, they have them delivered. Unless it is just a couple of bags, have them delivered as to not stand out.
4) Vary routines (especially her, with being alone during the day).
5) Always, always, always comply if you are robbed. Do not resist!! This is the only way to be safe.
6) VERY IMPORTANT: Familiarize yourselves IMMEDIATELY as to where the favelas are in your neighbourhood (there are a few) and steer clear of them).

I find the zona sul easy to navigate - being that there are so many landmarks, etc. which is good.

So, whaddya wanna know?

I seem to have a number of new readers lately- welcome!

A project I've been talking about doing for a long time and have finally started is a survey of Rio's expat community. The point? To help out those looking to move to Brazil or those interested in expat life here. The survey is almost ready but before I add the link/send it out to my contacts, last chance to let me know what you'd like me to ask the group, in case there's anything I am missing. Leave your questions as comments to this post or email me. I plan to get the survey out in the next week or so.

Recent Inquiries & Responses: 3

This is part of a new series in which I am posting excerpts from reader emails and my responses in hopes of helping more people who may have the same questions or concerns.

I received an email from a Brazilian living in Canada recently:

Question:

I will be on my way to Rio, to visit family, next month. I'm going with my spouse ... and I am kind of freaking out. I have been here for so long, I am terrified of all the violence, and high rate of car accidents and things like that. It's all just so different here! I actually don't think twice about going out with my digital camera, iPod and cell phone... whereas I wouldn't dream of doing it in Brazil (granted I haven't been there in nearly 3 years... but still).

Now I am sure I am amping it all up... I did live there for 20 years and was never even mugged... but still! Heh. I was just wondering if you had any thoughts on that, as a foreigner in Rio. I can't talk to my relatives or friends about that as they just wouldn't understand why I'm so scared. So yeah...

My Response:

I just flew back to Rio from Canada myself. I understand how you feel, and had a lot of the same feelings myself coming back this time, especially with having a daughter now, but I think when you arrive you will feel okay. I understand not wanting to talk to your relatives/family about it as they could take it the wrong way.  Just be sure to take precautions - and walk around like you own the place - I think body language is a huge thing! Also remember that much of the violence is segregated into the favelas, which is not the case withgang violence in other cities! You have to remember that things can happen no matter where you are in the world, so we always need to be careful but to try to live without too much fear.  I hope this helps?

Recent Inquiries & Resposes: 1

I've been getting more and more emails from people coming to Rio. Which I figure is good because a lot of people have just LEFT US! We should be recruiting!

I figure if one person asks a question, the answer may be beneficial to others too. Since I am heading out on holidays I figured I would use some of these as easy blog posts over the next couple of weeks (sorry, I am getting worse with the upkeep of this blog by the day!

Question 1:

Now you are a mum, do you feel safe going about your daily business with your baby? We have an 18 month old, and that is my one concern. I’d be grateful if you could give me any insight into this.

My Response:

There is a baby & toddler group here in Rio that is organized through the INC (though you don't need to be a member!).

I feel pretty safe going about daily business with my baby, on foot, within Ipanema and Leblon. We get out everyday and so far have done so without incident. I do not like to travel with her in a car as carjackings are frequent, so I avoid this whenever possible. I do not drive with her alone under any circumstances, and someone is always in the back seat with her in case there is a need to get out of the car in a hurry. Enough said...

Something I think would be more challenging for you is that your child is mobile... traffic is crazy here and I already dread taking her out in the streets when one step (or slip) in the wrong direction could be very bad! You will sure have to be careful!

My Guestbook - Part 11 - The Finale - Recommendations for Other Visitors

The final question of the survey: Any recommendations or words of wisdom for future guests?

My Bridesmaid & her Boyfriend: Oh this is simple.....GO TO RIO!

My Mother-in-law: Perhaps to learn a few extra Portuguese words to help with their travels.Thank you so very much, Mr. DRL, DRL, and our grandbaby, for a wonderful holiday!

Engaged Couple Friends: Try to avoid the Citibank bank machines - we paid a fortune there - they convert your withdrawal into USD first and then into Canadian. We did better at HSBC and even at a bank machine we had never heard of before in Buzios. And, buy stronger sunscreen then you would normally use. I don't know if its the closeness to the equator, but we burned way more than we do somewhere like Mexico, on a comparably hot day.

My Dad: Take some time to review the language, simple words/sentences.  Bring along a dictionary and sunscreen.  Make sure you do your share and more as the parents to be will need the extra sleep.  Can you believe how much company they are having????  Crazyyyyyyyyyyy!!

My Guestbook - Part 7 - Would You Come Back?

Part 7 of a series of questions I asked my guests after they left Brazil.
Question 7: Do you plan to return? And if so, what would you like to do in Brazil next time?

My Mom: I am booking for June, (DRL comment: mom has already been back since the survey was made!) will spend lots of time holding the baby, will go to Sugarloaf.

My Bridesmaid & her Boyfriend: We would like to return, but it all depends on timing and the thousand other vacations we would like to take in the next couple of years!

If we came back, we'd like to see Paraty, Iguazu Falls in Argentina and MORE SUN!!  Haha, we just had bad luck.  Apparently it was nice before and after we were there!

My Mother-in-law: Would be nice... We would love to see the heritage buildings in Salvadore, the Amazon River, there are semi-plans to meet at Machu Picu in Peru....who of your readers will grant us an unlimited supply of funds, please?

Engaged Couple Friends: There are lots of amazing-sounding places we'd love to see in Brazil, and the rest of South America . . . I'm sure by the time we hear about the rest of the DRLS' visitors' trips, we'll be wanting to go back to do everything they did!

My Dad: Would love to go back and take (my partner) this time, otherwise I'm sure Uncle will be game again....

My Guestbook - Part 4 - All about the Brazilians

Question 4 on the DRL visitor survey: What was your impression of the Brazilian people?

My Mom:  I found the Brazilian people friendly and cooperative with the communication barrier, they like to talk to you whether you could understand them or not.

My Bridesmaid & Her Boyfriend: I found some to be very friendly and really try to communicate with us even with the language barrier, but others didn't want to even try to understand us.  We had really nice cab drivers the whole time though! That was a relief.

My Mother-in-law: Certainly noticed the difference in driving habits between the hired drivers and taxi drivers!  And now that Mr. DRL drives like a Brazilian, new shocks are needed for his vehicle!  Something to do with flying off speed bumps....

Engaged Couple Friends: It was hard to get an impression, because of the language difference. They certainly don't go out of their way to communicate with you. It really is true that they have absolutely no self-consciousness when it comes to their beach-wear! That speaks a little to the overall bravado of the people. But, the people in the stores and the vendors on the beach for the most part weren't pushy, while I had expected they would be for some reason.

My Dad: I feel sorry for the poor, lots of poverty.  They were not overly courteous on the streets, cutting you off, etc.

Signs of the times?

Or... the economic downturn? I am often asked how the downturn is affecting Brazil. I am not really sure, my opinion changes constantly, but on a consumer's-view level, lately I've observed things like:

Less crowded restaurants. We walked right into Sushi Leblon on Saturday night. At about 8:30. Seriously. Nice patio table.

Closed-down restaurants. Barra Downtown Shopping - wow there are a lot of empty storefronts that used to be restaurants. Scary. But I hate to break it to you - here in Leblon, Haagen Dazs is gone too. Not that I'd been there more than once, but it was nice to know it was there if I needed it...

Closed down clothing stores. This is sort of akin to Starbucks closing 600 locations in the US. Some businesses oversaturate w/number of locations. LIke one on every block or corner. Take the store Eclectic here in Rio for example. Everywhere. So a couple of locations closed down. They probably should have. Efficiency, people!

Super-crowded Movie Store. People focusing on less-expensive forms of Saturday night entertainment.

All is not lost, there are still new businesses opening up here in Leblon, I will introduce a couple of them in the next few days.

My Guestbook - Part 3 - Let's Talk Safety

Part III of a series on how my guests responded to a little survey I gave them after their time in Brazil...

The third question in the survey:

Did you feel nervous or afraid for your safety at all? If so, in what situations?

My Mom: I was probably the most nervous and hot:) when we were walking in Lapa and trying to find the steps.

[DRL's note: I try to make my tours of Centro & area "authentic"... meaning that I take different routes every time and without fail I lose my way for a short period of time each time.  You know, as though my guests were wandering it on their own! This time, it was really hot and we walked from the cathedral to the steps in Lapa, after a taxi driver told us it was too close to drive us... I don't think we took the most "express' route and it took about 40 minutes in scorching heat. My mom has since told me that she does NOT want her grandchild going there (we passed some sketchiness on the way!)].

My Bridesmaid & her Boyfriend: For the most part we felt pretty safe.  We just kept our wits about us and if something didn't feel right, we just went the other way.  There were only a couple of times that I felt a little threatened.  One being on the last day...it was an overcast day so hardly anybody was at the beach and 2 very young girls started following us.  I saw them and turned around to face them and pointed right through them saying "look at the waves" and they hesitated and then took off.

My Mother-in-law: Not so much, certainly due to the forewarning (didn't wear jewellry) and organization of DRL on our expeditions.  Without the Portuguese expertise of Mr. DRL and DRL, I think we may have felt more nervous.

Engaged Couple Friends: No, we didn't (except for that one crazy cab driver who pulled out to the oncoming lane to pass some cars!). Our tour guides definitely steered us straight!We were certainly aware of the danger though, and very thankful that we weren't staying in hotels in Rio or relying on public transportation and maps to figure out our own way. Thanks guys! You made this trip so much easier! We have been spoiled for our next trip.

My Dad:  A bit uncomfortable in Buzios in the wee hours when walking back to our accommodation.   Encountered a group of 10 guys walking towards us and made a quick 180 and ran like hell once we were around the corner. Would not have been out like that in Rio.  Also both of us had our credit cards compromised which was surprising since mine had the new microchip technology.   My brother and I stuck out like a sore thumb....whitest guys in town and definitely looked like tourists...

Survey says...

I would like to do an informal survey of expats here in Rio, to provide some info and insight and different perspective to the blog. Recently I made a page on the blog about things that were hard to find in Rio and it seemed to be a hit, the expats I knew were willing to share trade secrets which was great.

If you are an expat living in Rio and interested in participating, either send me your email address to dailyriolife at gmail dot com, or in the comments section of this post. If you are an expat in Rio I am already in touch with, I already plan to send the survey to you once I get it all figured out ;)

All others: what are you interested in learning about expats in Rio? What questions would you like answered? Leave your suggestions for survey content in the comments section.

Thanks!

Dengue Fever in Brazil

Just as a sidenote, most of my guests who have visited travel doctors back home were advised to get Yellow Fever vaccinations to visit Rio, something that is NOT actually required!

It's Dengue season again - Expat American Living in Brazil has a travel alert/update on the situation - check it out here.

Luckily Rio is not yet affected.  Thank goodness for me because pregnant women's oxygen-rich blood is apparently a magnet for mosquitoes!

DIY Travel and Brazilian sales tactics...

As I mentioned in a recent post, I was quite irritated by the "service" I received from a local travel agent. I was trying to book a multi-destination trip (babymoon) for us, and enlisted his help, which ended up being a fairly pointless endeavor. Why?

In the end, he quoted me US $6,266 for a trip that is sub-par to what I just booked myself for US $2,490.  Ummmm yeah that is a US $3,776 difference, not to mention the waste of time in even dealing with him!

Let it also be known that my booking includes very nice hotels in prime areas. His didn't. Unbelievable.

As an aside - I got a smoking good deal on our multidestination flight with TAM, even better than what was quoted to me on Kayak.com. All I did was phone TAM and book it that way. Just FYI.

It sometimes seems to me as though "sales people" be it travel agents, real estate agents, retail shop girls, etc. take a very different approach to their job than what I am used to back home. Sales tactics back home: listen to the customer and find out their needs, then recommend products.  Here I don't see much regard for what I as a customer want.  If I don't know what I want, that's one thing.   But here are some examples of such situations I have found irritating over the past year:

• The travel agent mentioned above - instead of looking into any of the 10 or so small, private, spa-like boutique hotels we requested and had already researched and provide us with rates, took it upon himself to only give us one rate - and choose a huge chain hotel for us. In other words, the exact opposite of what we were looking for. When I asked why, he said because it was not as far from the airport as the hotels we'd chosen.  We were well aware of this fact when we requested the hotels - rather than simply asking us, he simply assumed.  And paid no attention whatsoever to the type and calibre of hotels we had originally requested.
• While looking for an apartment, the real estate agent takes us to apartment after apartment with neither outside space/veranda nor view (we specifically requested that we wanted at least one or the other).  When after several places like this I finally commented on this to him, he looked at me incredulously and said "but this place is great, it has 4 parking spaces."  I informed him that we did not have a car.
• While shopping for appliances there was an attempt to talk me into buying a refrigerator I did not want, with features I found useless...
• Anytime I go into a clothing store, hideous clothing items are offered to me that are completely opposite of what I am looking at/wearing.  Like I am talking lime green sports bras, and oh my favorite! Crop tops.  I am in my third trimester, folks...

I don't find that a lot of sales people take the time to read the customer, do the homework, or anticipate needs. It honestly feels like they are just trying to get rid of whatever inventory is getting old, whichever hotel rooms offer the highest commission for them, etc... but maybe I am wrong!

Can anyone comment on how sales people are trained here in Brazil?  What are some of the fundamentals?  How do they differ from North America?  Are there some philosophies?

Ask the reader

What does one wear to the Sambodromo for Carnaval if one were, say... quite pregnant and going to be sitting in a box?

Passports and Babies...

At the event we attended on Thursday night, we spoke at length with a woman from the Canadian Consulate. It turns out she will be the one we need to speak with once our baby is born, about getting our baby its Canadian citizenship and passport.

We had been planning to take the little one on a vacation to Canada once it turned 3 months old (the most widely-recommended youngest-safe-to-fly-a-newborn-14-hours age I can seem to find) to meet our families. 

We assumed (why oh why would we? I know, I know) that we could initially just get our baby a Brazilian passport and a visa to enter Canada. We were wrong. We will need for the baby to already at that point carry both Brazilian and Canadian passports.  Apparently Brazil will not let the baby out without a Brazilian, and Canada will not let the baby in without a Canadian. I specifically asked about the "visa" to visit Canada with option on a Brazilian passport but was assured we'd be denied.

Once the time comes I will of course keep you all posted on how long this in fact will actually take. I am keeping my fingers crossed that our child gets to meet its family before its first birthday ;)

Feedback: I am very interested in any of your comments as always, but specifically would find comments on experiences with first long-haul travel with babies helpful, as well as any experiences anyone might have with how long this passport issue has taken in the past if you've had to do it.

Skating in Barra?

Although we'd shopped at Barra Gardens before, and heard of this legendary ice rink in Rio de Janeiro, we hadn't yet seen it for ourselves.  Two weekends ago, we headed to Barra to do some errands and made a quick pit-stop, as we wanted to see ice skating in Rio for ourselves!

We immediately felt right at home when we saw the Vancouver Canucks jersey in some advertising on the wall...
Mr. DRL had been excited about the prospect of perhaps picking up a game or two of pickup beer-league hockey here in Rio.  However, when we saw the PILLARS in the middle of the rink, we were both less enthused about this concept...
  I mean, look what happened to poor Frosty's face...

There were a number of Brazilian adults & children out there having the time of their lives on that half-melted ice in their plastic skates, many wearing outfits I'd not ever seen in an ice arena, such as dresses and tank tops! What a great way to cool off on a hot day. But now we know... yes, there is skating in Rio.  There is an arena.  Just in case anyone else was wondering...

Photographer, anyone?

Here I go asking for help again...
My husband and I love photography and since moving to Rio have been talking about having a "lifestyle" shoot done of the two of us, featuring some of Rio's incredibly picturesque locales. Now that I am expecting, the timing (and excuse) is perfect for doing a maternity shoot.  Now just one issue... getting a photographer.

I've done a bit of internet research but haven't found anything I'm loving yet... can anyone recommend a good portrait photographer in Rio and if so do you have a website for them so I can see some of their work?

Thanks...

Porcao is the place for kids

Having visitors with two young children has opened my eyes in many ways to what life is like in Brazil with kids. More specifically, how kids are received here. It's much better than in North America, I'll tell you that!

For example, here, walking into a fine dining restaurant with two kids under three - no one flinches. My girlfriend who is visiting and I find this so funny because back home there is a chain called "Earl's" which fancies itself to be upscale but in reality it's just a place to grab a bite. At the location we would go to, they really don't cater to kids, it's impossible to get a booster seat even, and the official "line" of the restaurant is that it's not as though they don't like kids, they just don't do anything for them. O---kay.

Then there's Brazil....
We've taken the kids to Carlota and Sawasdee in Leblon and were treated exactly as we would have been without the kids.

We took them to Porcao and my goodness it is a parent's paradise...
The servers (all male) were all over the kids, lifting the 2 yr old in and out of the highchair, feeding the baby her bottle (see photo below). In fact at one point when the baby had less than oh, six or so, adoring (all male) admirers doting on her she pitched a fit. Pretty funny!

I like how men feel more comfortable to reach out to kids here. I think in North American society there is such concern about pedophiles that it has made men scared to even show that they like little kids in a lot of places. For example, men won't come up to strangers with babies to say hi to the baby, whereas here you can't go anywhere without it happening. Some people may find this creepy, I find it helpful even! It's help keeping the kids entertained!

Here are some photos of Porcao...

More notes on Porcao - the servers also cut up the meat for the two year old, and there is a supervised play area where people can drop their kids off... WOW.

Yuck

Ok here is a very not fun post...
I need some help - does anyone know who to call about MOLD? I just love publicly declaring this... there have been a couple of items around our house that have gone moldy recently and being that we are hypochondriacs, we want to get someone in to do a thorough inspection of our furniture etc. and also a deep cleaning/inspection of our AC units to ensure we are not blowing mold spores throughout the house... any recommendations? These are the days when you just love there not being a yellow pages here in Brazil!

I must say though it makes this less embarassing because it seems that everyone around here has issues with one little nasty invader or another. If it's not mold, it's termites, or ants, or cockroaches, or worse!

Tipping/Gratuity/Gorjeta for Christmas

I have heard a bunch of different information on this topic from different people so I thought I'd throw it out there for discussion, help & advice... What is customary in Brazil when it comes to Christmas tipping or gifts?

For example for...

• Your hairdresser (assuming you had one in Brazil. I don't.)
• Your maid or empregada or fauxineira
• Your doorman or porteira
• Your nanny or baba
• Your Portuguese teacher or professora portuguese
• Your yoga instructor
• Your kid's Capoiera instructor...
• Your secretary (clearly this is more of a bonus or gift situation than "tip" but you get the idea)

What I've heard:

• Brazilians don't tip these people
• Brazilians provide these people with a "13th salary" (or extra month's wages) this time of year

See why I am confused?

I look forward to your comments and I will post again soon letting you know what we did with ours, just for interest's sake.

Screens - HELP!

Ok I occasionally frequently ask my readers for help. Today is one of those days.

There are several windows in my apartment which are welded open. (Note to potential psycho's out there or the overprotective mom types: there's no way anyone could possibly fit through these windows, be they welded open or not!)

Being that:

• dengue season could be upon us again in a few months
• I have some little visitors coming over the holidays (a 2 yr old & a baby - can't wait!)
• Apparently pregnant women are mosquito magnets because of the additional oxygen running through our veins (we may not all eat for two but apparently we breathe for two...)
• My mom is coming for Christmas and she keeps asking me about this...

I think I need to have some screens installed on these key windows.  Pretty much everyone I've asked about this looks at me as though I am nuts. Anyone have an idea of where to start?

To All of Those...

...Who find me by looking for a place to rent a cell phone in Rio: try presscell.com apparently they will even deliver to your hotel. Maybe I should have tried this option, huh?

...Who were on my blog because they were hunting for a place to have Thanksgiving dinner in Rio - I tried checking out a few places for you, but no luck.  There are turkeys at Sendas in the frozen food section, hopefully your hotels have ovens? Yeah, maybe not...

...Who find me by looking for places to go for live music in Rio - how the heck did you end up here? Try this link to Gringo-Rio's site where you will find a great listing (which is what I use when I want to know the same thing).

...Who arrive here because they have googled "hot brazilian bunda" or bunda of the day or hot brazilian girl... best of luck to you, best of luck.

...Who keep checking my blog just to find out what the heck my announcement is? Sorry, you will have to wait a few more days (December 1st!) but I like that it keeps you coming back!

 

What Our Visitors Buy

What do our visitors typically buy as souvenirs/mementos/additions to their wardrobes/gifts for friends and family, while in Brazil? This post could also be titled "good buys in Brazil"...

1) The number one item, hands down, would be Havaianas. Everybody buys them. I spend a lot of time frantically texting and emailing people back home for their shoe sizes while standing in Centro with my guests while they shop and try to figure out their girlfriends/wives/daughter in laws'/sister's/brother's shoe sizes.
We have had visitors leave with more than 25 pairs. Below are the acquisition of a recent Casa DRL guest...
What's the big draw for Havaiana's here? Well they are quite a bit cheaper than back home. For plain jane Havaiana's in Canada you generally pay $20-$25.  Here, the plain jane ones are $R10 in Centro (which is about $6.50 Canadian). There are much "fancier" designs available here, as you can see, and besides people love to say that they were purchased in Brazil!

2) Shoes & Purses. As I may have mentioned before, shoes in Brazil are, in my opinion, are a great price for excellent quality shoes.  Wide variety of styles and colors, very funky and unique styles. Although I don't have photos of shoes my visitors bought (as in the case of the Havaiana's, above), here are a bunch I've purchased in Brazil. Yes, I realize these photos are already on the blog in different places.

3) Swimwear
Biquini's & Sungas... gotta do it. With a lot of the styles at places like BlueMan, they are easily enough worn back home as well. Here is a selection of swimwear I've purchased in Brazil...

4) Jewellery
Be it handmade wooden jewellery, strands of beads, cascading earrings with semiprecious stones (there is an amazing kiosk in the Ipanema 2000 "mall" on V. de. Piraja in Ipanema with tons of beautiful sets of these), or some serious bling from Amsterdam Sauer or H. Stern, Brazil is a fantastic place to buy amazing, unique jewellery!

5) Clothing
Everyone asks me about the clothing shopping here and to be honest, I find it hit-and-miss. If you are looking for something specific, forget it! But if you come here with an open mind and don't need anything per se, clothing shoppping in Rio can be a lot of fun.  Items I don't recommend buying: for women - bras (weird weird sizing...) and business clothes (generally of pretty poor quality - but men's are much better).

6) Coasters
Seems silly & simple but there are some beautiful stone coasters here - like little works of art in fact- we started buying them for hostess gifts for friends & family back home when my husband started working down here, they come in a wide array of colors and are just gorgeous and very unique.

7) Art
The Hippie Fair & Copacabana Art Markets (are there other regular ones we should be frequenting? Let me know!) make some great sales thanks to our guests - art is incredibly unique and cheap here in Brazil.  Most mounted canvases can be removed and rolled up (you just have it re-stretched and mounted upon returning home).

8) Books
After trying to capture as much of this fantastically picturesque city, many of us have not quite admitted defeat but enlisted the help of a coffee table/photo book to remind of the bluer than blue skies and mountains that emerge straight out of the ocean. Also a popular read with our guests: How to Be a Carioca.

9) Cachaca!
Enough said.

10) Funky cooking stuff
Like this beautiful limestone and copper fondue pot (they also have pizza stones - Santa Teresa shops) or a wooden mortar and pestle set for making caiprhinhas with the cachaca you already bought...

I would also like to divulge that guests purchased 12 sparkly wigs, 12 pairs of light-up sunglasses a six pack of Guarana, and two pirate hats. But I am not saying who's who...

Optometrist in Rio?

I think I should have gone to the eye doctor while home this summer... anyone know of a good optometrist in Rio? Preferably in Zona Sul?  If possible, who speaks English (sometimes it really just is better to speak English in my case...)

Expat Kids in Brazil

Disclaimer - no, I am not a mom.  I realize I don't fully understand what it's like to have kids of my own.  I promise to read this again someday if I do. I love kids, respect parents for doing a great job (and one hard job!). Ok? End of Disclaimer.

I get a lot of hits from people looking for info on moving to Brazil with kids.  While I can't say that I have done this myself, I do have a few observations which I will share.

• There seems to be a lot of support for expat moms - including quite the dynamic toddler group that meets at least once a week in a different locale for the moms to talk and the kids to play.
• Brazilians love kids and their reactions to kids are priceless.
• Kids seem to get sick a lot here. I realize this is the case everywhere having several friends with kids back home.  Especially toddlers, which makes sense as many of the kids I know were moved here when they were a year old or less, and kids immune systems generally aren't developed until age 2.  They are exposed to things here they and their parents were not necessarily exposed to where they lived before.  Just an observation, but most of the kids I know in the 2-3 year range here have incessant hacking coughs most of the time (and their parents worry because they have had them for months).  I wonder if it is the case as much with kids who are conceived/carried/nursed here in Brazil, if they have different antibodies... just a theory/question...
• There are wonderful places to take children such as the Jardim Botanico, Parque Lage, the zoo, the beach, out walking. Oh and of course all the little snack & juice shops, kids love those. Malls and public places cater to children in ways I am not accustomed to in North America.
• I have yet to see a "kid on a leash" in Brazil - which is refreshing because when I was in Banff, Alberta, Canada, just over a week ago, I saw a mother with a kid on a leash and the kid literally tripped on a curb and fell on his face because his mother pulled on the leash not really watching what he was doing.
• Kids pick up the language quickly and often end up teaching their parents.  It's also cute to see the little ones asking for agua. 
• What would scare me the most as a parent if I lived here would be kidnapping or carjacking.  Because it is pretty much impossible for a kid to get themselves out of a carseat in a carjacking scenario.  Not to scare people, but rather to inform, as this is a potential hazard of living in Rio with kids.
• Every parent whose children attends the American School in Gavea says their kids LOVE school here much more than ever before.  This applies to the littlies and teens alike.
• Expat moms seem to be much more involved than a lot of the Brazilian moms in my neighbourhood - most of the Brazilians with children have a "Baba" or nanny, easily spotted as they are dressed all in white.  Most of the expats seem to be relishing in the fact that they have a great excuse to stay home and have quality time with their children.

Mom's? Anything you can add to help inform people with children who are trying to make the decision of whether or not to come and live in Rio? What is easy, what's hard?

Futebol in Canada

When we were leaving Canada (we flew out of Calgary), we saw a team of female Brazilian futebol players (in full uniform with Petrobras across the back) in the airport.  They also  had a Flamengo emblem on their pants. We saw who we assumed to be the same team again in Rio but think they flew through New York (we flew through Houston).

I have tried to do a bit of research to find out what they might have been doing there and where they played but to no avail... anyone know?

Most FAQ's

While back home... in order of popularity.

1) How is Brazil?
Um, what?  It's... good?  We quickly started getting cheeky:  Well it's the fifth largest country on earth in terms of both landmass and population, tropical climate.  Portuguese speaking.  Boasts nearly 7,500 km of coastline, and some of the world's most beautiful beaches.  Politically, it is starting to experience some stability, the world's tenth largest economy and blah blah blah investment grade... Oh you mean how are WE doing in Brazil, well why didn't you just say so?  Anything else maybe a bit more specific you'd like to know?

2) How do you like Brazil?
A complicated question to answer so we detailed all the things we like and what we find challenging.  Read enough of the blog and you will get the picture as to what some of these things in each category are!

3) What do you do all day?
Please see various earlier blog entries on this subject ;) 
And yes, that is also what I told some of the people who asked!

4) What is the cost of living like in Brazil?
It depends... food is incredibly cheap, rent is incredibly high.  Which is immediately followed up by the question, well, ballpark number, how much is your rent? Which we soon discovered is not a good question to respond to because people will immediately assume the wrong thing/think we are crazy/think we are millionaires - just uncomfortable all around - so we quickly revised our answer to be: "Well, it's the fourth most expensive city in all of the America's in terms of cost of living, and they take everything into consideration when calculating that number, like food and availability of goods, many of which are really cheap." If they pressed further we would say, "Think... London."

5) Do you feel safe there?
I feel pretty safe most of the time in Rio but that is probably because I do things much differently than I do in Canada - I seldom carry a purse, often drive in armoured cars, and am very aware of my surroundings everywhere I go and stick to fairly safe areas.  We also live in the neighbourhood with the highest quality of life index in all of South America.

6) So, do you think you'll have kids while you are still down there?
No, my motto is if I can't wear my wedding ring then it's not safe enough for me to have a baby there.  It's one thing for us to be there, another to consider children.  Besides we want to live closer to family at that point in our life!

7) What do you miss most about home?
Family & Friends.  Cheddar.  Mexican Food.  Sephora and favorite clothing stores.

   

Massages in Rio

I have not taken a lot of time to check my stats lately but was just noticing that a lot of people have been hitting my "massage malfunction" post which means they are probably looking for places to get massages in Rio. 

There are a number of massage therapists set up right on Ipanema/Copacabana beaches.  So it's not hard to find one once you get to Rio.  There are also a lot of massage therapists in hotels and I must say that when I came to Rio as a tourist I had what I thought at that moment was the best massage I'd ever had immediately upon arriving at the JW Marriott in Copacabana.  It was probably just an "excellent" massage with amazing timing (right after I got off the plane) set up by my wonderful now-husband but I'd go back... and I think I should soon!  So check that out...

I also have a contact name of a massage therapist who I'd like to try out soon so stay tuned for my review!

Eating out in Rio

Some of our friends who were living in Rio and recently left, said "All we do in Rio is eat!" And it's easy to do so... with so many different restaurants, and "rodizio" (all you can eat) everything, some of the best beef on the planet, fresh delicious veggies, and tropical fruits and desserts to die for... yeah the food is good.

Older guidebooks to Rio reveal how Rio's current culinary status somewhat new... they are of another opinion, saying the food is bland and there is not much variety.  This is evidence of Rio's move towards "gastronomia" /gourmet foods.  Just in the past few years with the booming economy have the "muito chique" restaurants moved in.  With Rio's European influence, many are amazing.

With currencies changing faster than ever (the real hit 1.55 yesterday... yikes) eating out in Rio is not as reasonable as it was, say, a year ago.  Bloomberg published an article last week about the expensive meals available on Rua Barao da Torre (home to restaurants such as Satyricon - also known locally as Madonna's favorite place to eat in Rio - although when I went I could not figure out what exactly Madge would have ordered - everything was incredibly rich... )

If you are visiting Rio, here are the must-eats...

1) Churrascaria (brazilian steakhouse - all you can eat... the best beef ever.  If you don't like red meat, Marius has a seafood option).

2) Kilo restaurants - cheap, fast, easy and lots of healthy options. It's basically a buffet where your food is weighed before you pay.

3) Acai and Sucos - try as many types of juice as you can at the suco stands, and throw in a couple of salgadinhos or small savory pastries for good measure.

4) Portuguese food - a lot of fish, a lot of hard boiled eggs... great for protein lovers...

5) Feijoada! Traditional Brazilian beans & rice.  I make my own and will post my secrets soon.... if you are looking for uber authentic, go to a little boteco in Copacabana where if you are lucky you will find a chicken foot in your beans and they will not even charge extra for that... other, slightly less "authentic" versions available elsewhere as well!

6) Ice cream or sorvete ... delicious!

Asian Food Anyone?

Finding specific groceries and cooking ingredients in Rio de Janeiro can be difficult at times.  In fact, the way I cook has completely changed since arriving here.  In some ways we eat much healthier, with the amazing fresh fruit and vegetables available.

I had pretty much given up on the idea of making my own thai here - which at home I make quite frequently - but then I heard about Mercearia Mei-Jo Ltda, which is a grocery store in Flamengo (Praia de Botafogo) specializing in Asian foods.  If you are looking for Thai, Japanese or Chinese food ingredients here in Rio, this is the place to go! Hooray!!

Rua Marques de Abrantes, 219.   Telephone: 2551-3051

Ants Begone

Handy dandy little tip from the Canarioca... ANT BLOCKS - made by kaplas, Formigastop, producto extraordinaire, available at Multicoisas, which by the way is a GEM of a little store with locations all over Brazil, for all the little things a house needs. 

I bought two and have scarcely seen an ant since.  I like the idea of using something other than chemicals in my house to keep the bugs away.

As a side note my mother just about had a heart attack when I told her about the windows-welded-open-but-we-don't-have-screens situation and she claims she will bring me some screens when she visits next winter...

The Corporation

Let me help you decipher what your perk-laden, high rolling expat compensation package really means...

Countless times since we have arrived I've been a bit envious of the wives of fellows working for big multinational corporations here in Brazil.  Why? It seemed to me that these wives had endless resources at their disposal, not to mention an automatic, prepackaged group of new best friends (a.k.a. all the other "expat wives" or "trailing spouses"). 

Never having been a fan of big companies in the first place, I've since re-evaluated this situation for myself and am not as jealous anymore.  (Except of course when I think about how my internet is not hooked up and how if my husband worked for a huge company they'd have a person whose whole job it was to make sure that this was taken care of for me.)

With the perks come disadvantages.  Below are the details.  (This post is really not Brazil-specific, much of this applies to ex-pats and their spouses working anywhere in the world.)

 

Supposed perk: "Safety" Training and "Cultural Awareness" Training.
Actual downside: Basically it sounds like they brainwash scare the s*%# out of these people upon arrival so that they deem themselves completely helpless and therefore are totally fine with all the restrictions they are about to put on them (see below... )

Although I admit I would not mind some self defense classes...

Supposed perk:  Company-owned car and full time driver.
Actual downside: The driver tends to be a company employee.  Meaning that his loyalty is always to his boss, the company (don't bite the hand that feeds!), which means that he has been specifically instructed on where he is and is not to take his passengers, which in a nutshell means that said expat wife's freedom is limited. As in: the driver dictates where they can and cannot go. For real.

IF the company allows its employees to drive these company-owned vehicles on occasion/weekends (and some do not!), rest assured the built-in GPS will monitor every place they go.  One woman told me a story about how her husband's colleagues all watched on a computer as they got lost and went in circles on a recent excursion. Privacy?  What's that?

(This brings up yet another reason I had pangs of envy - people at this company have time to fool around and do stuff like that? My husband has been working like a dog since we arrived.)

I have also talked to numerous people who said the company does not allow them to take taxi's or buses. 
Most of the women I speak with who have full time drivers find that they are constantly waiting around for their drivers to pick them up (taking away the "convenience" factor significantly).   

Supposed perk: Lots of time off to do what one pleases since the company won't employ them or help them get a work visa so that they can work elsewhere (see more on this below).
Actual downside: Forget the idea of volunteering or giving back, the company will deem most worthwhile volunteer opportunities as "too dangerous" and forbid them.

Supposed perk:  A big group of new best friends aka the expat wives.
Actual downside: Now that the company controls one's whole existence (see above) it will also be the topic of one's entire social life. 

The worst of all, inspiring this rant in the first place...
Many of the bigger companies will not help the trailing spouse acquire a working visa.  In fact, we have some friends who recently left Brazil to seek greener pastures where both of them could work for the same company (before moving to Rio, they had both worked for the company that brought them to Brazil for over a decade.  Only he was placed in a job when they moved here. Nice.) - not because they necessarily wanted to leave Brazil, but because of this and several other controls the company imposed on them which they did not feel the need to adjust to. 

On the visa issue:
There is no way I would have wanted to be working the last three months, getting ourselves set up here has really been a full time job and I have been grateful that I did not have to work during this period of time. 

That said, for a company to bring a family or couple to a foreign country and not provide the trailing spouse with the resources to acquire a working visa is absolutely a form of control in my opinion.  Most of these women are told that they "can't" get a working visa (as in, that it is not possible).  As far as I know, this is not true.

Disclaimer: I have been told that I eventually will get a working visa if I want one.  I do not know if the same rules apply for American citizens as Canadian citizens?

To me, failing to help the trailing spouse obtain a work permit seems tactical on the company's part, much like encouraging employees to get mortgages or fancy cars, knowing they will be trapped into working forever to pay them off.   Common sense, on the company's part.  A single income family man will feel much more obligation to fulfill his employer's every whim to support his family. Not cool for the company to manipulate/create this situation for its employee.

Apparently, from a worldwide perspective, more opportunities are being created for trailing spouses. According to an article in the International Herald Tribune, legal barriers to working abroad are falling:

"France last year was the latest government to allow family members of multinational employees and skilled workers to take a job without obtaining a separate permit. Other countries - the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Argentina, Singapore and the United States - have also loosened restrictions."

The article also said that as more women enter the work force, more couples are refusing international assignments abroad if a spouse's job can't be transferred.

Companies addressing this issue have the right idea, long term.  Why? According to the article and several surveys, spousal dissatisfaction is the number one reason for assignment failure abroad.

My final comments on the issue...
Visa issues aside, I realize that many of these restrictions and controls are put into place for legal reasons and for the intended safety of the employees and their families.  Some of these policies are put into place after an unfortunate incident occurs, and are meant to protect people. However, it seems to have gotten a little out of control with some companies and is majorly interfering with the international experience some of these people are having.  Believe me there have been times I wished there was someone, anyone, more concerned for my safety (as I wandered around on multiple occasions, lost, on foot, without even a cell phone, or a bank card that worked in this country, or having anyone who had a clue where I was... ) but my point is that even without these things, absolutely nothing bad has happened to me. 

Not all big multinationals operating in Brazil impose such restrictions on employees.  Large oil companies seem to have the most "policies" in place, but then the employees of large oil companies are probably the biggest targets as well.  Our closest friends here in Brazil are here with a large multinational (not an oil and gas company) and have virtually no lifestyle restrictions.  Nor do we, in our case it's because the company we are here with is too small to have any such policies in place (which has worked out well for us).

I figure that if I had children I would feel completely differently about this issue! I would want the armoured car, the driver who refuses to drive anywhere unsafe, the whole nine yards. 

In closing, I just don't like the idea of a company controlling every aspect of its employee's life.  Moving abroad makes everything revolve around "the company" enough, and I think some of these "perks" should be optional.

O Medico

I had my first experience with the Brazilian healthcare system today and so long as they did not misdiagnose me, (time will tell - I don't want to jinx myself!) I am thoroughly impressed! The doctor spoke English, was incredibly thorough and attentive, and it the office was nicer than any doctor's office I've seen in Canada.  Yes, some things were a bit old (he used a glass thermometer to take my temperature) but it's all part of the experience!  I also was at a hospital in Gavea for some tests today and it was the nicest hospital I've ever seen.

So if you are considering moving here and are hesitating because of concerns about access to decent healthcare, don't hesitate at all!

One thing that was weird for this "Canuck" though was paying for it all!  I am not used to pulling out my wallet at the doctor's office back in Canada. Although I do at the naturopath, massage therapist, chiro, etc....

Furniture Shopping in Rio de Janeiro

Buying furniture for your home in Rio can be a real run-around if you don't know where to go. 
Fortunately for you, I just went through this all and am happy to share some of my favorite finds and best bets.  I plan on launching a full page on this topic along with full reviews of stores, but in the meantime here is a starting point for you.

Barra is probably the best place to start, where you will find:

Casa Shopping
Higher-end stuff, great restaurants and a bunch of ideas. Located very close to Barra Shopping. Some stores with less expensive furnishings include Celine and Guimar.

Casa Show
Located on the main drag in Barra, less high-end stuff, more "down to business" but a lot of stuff overall.

Wal-Mart
Not great for furniture but there are cleaning supplies, kitchen stuff, BBQ supplies, etc.

Leroy Merlin
All the hardware/garden stuff you could want.  Located beside Casa Shopping. Leroy Merlin, Avenida Ayrton Senna, 2000, Barra, 3987-7100

Rio Design and Barra Gardens also have stores with home stuff, not so much furniture as decorative.  There is also a Rio Design in Leblon.

Copacabana
I was pleasantly surprised at how many great spots there were in Copacabana.  Mostly along Barata Ribeiro, check out stores such as Adorno (70) and a bunch of bed shops, further down there are a couple of antique places too.
Along Nosso Senhora de Copacabana also find Mosaic.

Tok & Stok
Located in Botafogo, Copacabana and Barra, good for all those little household things you will need...

Centro
Although they are few and far between, I was able to find two great furniture stores in Centro, one is called Studio Carioca and it is located about two blocks from Avenida Rio Branco on Buenos Aires. I am still trying to track the other one down so I can return there, and will include it on the "page" when I get it together.

Jardim Botanico
Fernando Jaeger is a beautiful store.  If you don't speak Portuguese, there is a lovely girl named Milena who works there who speaks perfect English.
Although it is all custom stuff, it is really not that expensive. There is also a neat little home accessory store around the corner. (It's on a one-way, just turn right and it's right there).

Curtains, etc.
I am still looking for a few "ready-made" curtains as I can't justify doing custom ones throughout a home we won't live in for long.  There are some great spots in Leblon, however, try Art & Pano on the main drag in Leblon. If anyone knows where I can buy some great ready-made curtains let me know.

Cost of furnishings:
We managed to furnish an about-200-square-meter apartment (about 2,000 square feet) for about $25,000 US.  So we were budgeting pretty hard but I am pretty happy with how it's looking (photos coming soon).

Portuguese 101 in the furniture department:

Furniture: Moveis
Delivery: Integra
Window: Janela
Bed: Cama
Couch/Sofa: Sofa
Chair: Cadeira
Closet: Armarios
Plate: Prato
Pillow: Almofada or Travessero
Curtains: Cortina

Manners in Brazil

What’s rude at home is apparently a-ok here (and in some cases vice versa)... we've already covered the "a-ok" hand symbol - considered rude here... 

Some of my other observations:

Things considered very rude in Brazil:

• Picking your teeth
• Touching food with your hands at any time
• Getting  "straight to the point" without warm-up chit-chat
• Dirty fingernails
• Eating in places not "designated" for eating
• Not lining up - I can't believe the order in which people line up to get on the BUS! So organized.
  

Things not considered rude in Brazil (in fact you see these things all the time):

• Picking your butt/nose/genatalia (the  Carioca  book calls it "testicular jiggling")
• Spitting on the street (I can’t tell you how many WOMEN I have seen do this, I am talking about little old ladies!)
• "Snortling" (the loud sound people make like sniffing but worse to clear the snot out of the back of their nose. Apparently not rude here)
• Being late
• Not calling if don't plan to show up for an appointment
• Frequent, long, public displays of affection
• Being direct when receiving services - even just how things are phrased - "I want" instead of "could I please have" etc.
• Not cleaning up after animals... if you catch my drift
  

Business/Cultural Differences and "Good to Know's"

• Avoid wearing green & yellow together as it's the color of the Brazilian flag?
• Purple flowers are used for funerals, so be careful in giving them as gifts
• Greetings (hello's and goodbye's) are much more lively

Other Differences:

• People are much "touchier" here, personal space does not really exist.  People stand very close to you on the street, when speaking to you, and are much more likely to touch your arm or back in conversation than in North America
• Friends and family are priority one.  I think we North Americans can learn from this!

Any additions in the comments section are appreciated as always!

 

 

Finding a Country Club in Rio de Janeiro

Country Clubs of Rio de Janeiro

We spent a good chunk of time checking out potential country and leisure clubs in Rio upon our arrival. 
Hopefully my synopsis of what we found will help some of you!

Remember: Many of these clubs have packages for foreigners living in Rio for a few years.  Also, negotiate - the transfer/initiation fees can be waived and monthly dues can be negotiated.

Have fun!

(In Alphabetical Order)

Clube dos Caicaras
Upside: Beautiful pools, facilities and tennis courts.
Downside: expensive, and you have to buy a share to get in.
Details
Initiation fee: R$20,000 transfer fee + R$80,000 per share (which you could sell if you wanted to) plus monthly fees.
Address:  Av. Epitácio Pessoa - Lagoa
Web site: http://www.caicaras.com.brh
Swimming: YES - Beautiful pools
Yoga: Not that I could find...
Tennis: YES
Fitness Classes: YES
Spa: Not that I could find...
Childcare: Not that I could find...

Club Navale
Although we did find a 'contact of a contact' who could provide us with the requisite referral at Club Naval, we ended up choosing another club before we had an opportunity to tour it.
But it seemed great!
Details
Monthly/annual dues: R$190 plus an initiation fee plus fees for dependants/spouses.
Address: Av. Borges de Medeiros 2364 (Located on the Lagoa)
Web site: http://www.piraque.org.br/default.asp
Phone Number: (21) 3077-6000
Swimming: YES
Yoga: Not that I could find...
Tennis: YES
Fitness Classes:
Spa: Not that I could find...
Childcare: Not that I could find...
Social: Happy hours, churrascarias, socials, artists, cinema, teatro

Estacao do Corpo
Upside: Beautiful facility, personal trainers, classes, good vibe. But, not so much of a club as a glorified gym, although according to the New York Times, "This may be the greatest gym on earth"...
Downside: No tennis or formal social activities.
Details
Annual dues:  Approximately  R$3,500 per person per year including initiation fee. 
Address: Av Borges de Medeiros, 1426, Lagoa
Web site: http://www.estacaodocorpo.com.br
Phone Number: (21) 2108-3902
Swimming: Yes
Yoga: Yes
Tennis: NO
Fitness Classes: Yes
Spa: Yes
Childcare: Yes

Flamengo Clube
Upside: Lots of huge pools, great for swimming.  Super cheap.
Downside: Outdated, crowded, not very nice.
Details
Monthly dues: About R$200 per person
Swimming: YES
Yoga: Not that I could find...
Tennis: NO

LOB
This club is tennis-only. But a good complement to a place like Estacao do Corpo or a gym like Proforma which do not have tennis.
Details
Monthly/annual dues:  Honestly it is confusing to me... check out the site!
Address:  Rua Stefan Zweig, 290 Laranjeiras
Web site: www.lob.com.br
Phone Number: (21) 2225-0329

Paissandu Atletico Clube
Upside: Cheap by Rio Country Club Standards, and easy to get in.
Downside: We did not really like this club.  The pool and facilities were quite outdated and the workout rooms as well.  It seems like it's an escape from apartment living for people with kids, an opportunity to get some green space and that's about it. They were serving a Sunday brunch when we toured it and it did not look too appetizing either... But I think my opinion would probably be different if I had kids. It just did not really appeal to our demographic.
Details
Initiation fee:  R$20,000
Monthly/annual dues: $R225 per month + R25 per dependant
Web site: http://www.paissandu.net/
Phone Number: (21) 2512-8858
Facilities: Squash Courts, Games Room, Lawn Bowling. 
Swimming: YES
Yoga: Not that I could find...
Tennis: YES
Fitness Classes: Not that I could find...
Spa: Massage, etc.
Childcare: YES

Rio de Janeiro Country Club
Located in Ipanema on the beach front on the corner of Henrique Dumont... Despite our efforts (ok not much effort, just stopped in one day) we needed a referral to even get a tour of this club.

Book: "How to Be A Carioca"

How to be a Carioca

I just picked this one up at the suggestion of a few of my classmates at the Portuguese school I'm attending.  It seems like the guide I wish I'd found before moving here!  Everything from beach etiquette to definitions which will make arrival in Rio go more smoothly. Cute with funny illustrations.  I found it to be a bit critical of the food in Rio though - there are some amazing restaurants here. (I really need to update that section of the site I am falling desperately behind!)

Futebol?

If you are coming to Brazil, taking in a futebol game is a must. As I mentioned in my previous entry about our experience at Maracana, the energy is amazing, inspiring, indescribable.  Sergio keeps a fantastic blog which is essentially a schedule of all games happening at Maracana - which should make planning your time in Rio much easier. Check him out!

What's Up With Concert Listings?

I would love to have a section on here with concert listings to share with you but I can't seem to find a reliable source for concert listings.  The one site I found about a month ago that seemed credible with good listings was promoting a Justin Timberlake concert, which is apparently not happening.  Don't toy with me, people!  Cariocas - where can I find concert listings?  My guests might want to plan a trip from North America around such an event! According to the same site, Queen is playing on Copacabana beach on Nov. 30- is this true? Does anyone know?

www.last.fm

Globo is reporting that Madonna may be coming in early December...!

Holidays in Brazil (Feriados)

Today is a holiday in Rio de Janeiro state.  But not in Sao Paulo apparently... Although I will not make the mistake of trying to drive back to Rio on the last day of a long weekend again, for vacation planning purposes I was happy to get a hold of a calendar of Brazil's statutory holidays, hope this comes in handy for you as well.

Gourmet Chocolate in Brazil

There are many delicious desserts to indulge in here in Brazil. I like dessert as much as the next person but also can be satisfied with yogurt, frozen blended fruit (yay for acai in Brazil), or a small piece of good quality chocolate for dessert. So I try to have all three on hand at all times.

I have not been blown away by the options for “gourmet, designer-style” chocolate in Brazil so far. I like the dark variety with as little added as possible. I am allergic to all types of nuts, limiting my chocolate options. I tried two of the local favorites, Kopenhagen and Cacau Noir. I am not impressed with Kopenhagen at all, finding it to be waxy in texture and very bitter (I do like dark chocolate usually but found this especially bitter). My husband was not impressed either, he kept exclaiming: “This has got to be baking chocolate…”  all the while I insisted it was not (believe me, especially considering the price, it is not baking chocolate!), thinking maybe it never really stood a chance though every time I saw a store I would start singing the Jeff Foxworthy Copenhagen (as in chewing tobacco) song that my best friend growing up's little brother was obsessed with... chocolate... chewing tobacco... yuck!

Faring better in our taste test was the Cacau Noir brand, but still I find it waxy. I think it might be the climate, perhaps more additives (such as wax!) are added to make it more relisient to the heat/keep it from melting too easily. Not sure, but whatever the purpose I don’t like it. Texture is important, people!

Still searching for that chocolate fix, and open to suggestions! (If I must try more chocolate for the purpose of research, I will do it, to demonstrate my dedication to this blog.)

Expat Integration – Breaking the Ice (Or MELTING it, Brazil-style)

Is it easy to meet people in Brazil?

In my experience, yes and no.

I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how easy it has been to meet people since we’ve been here, we have been living in Brazil just 6 weeks, and already met many people we’ve become fast friends with (as it is even easier to do so far from home) and for that I am very grateful. How? Through “referrals” through other people (you should meet my friend or friend’s friend or my inlaws’ best friend’s daughter who lives in Rio…), and Portuguese classes. Hooray for group language classes!

There are many ex-pat groups in Rio, however I have not taken part in any activities yet… frankly it doesn’t seem like many of them have a lot going on that interests me. If I am wrong I will happily eat my words on this one, and I do plan to check these organizations out.  I should not say I have not been to anything though, I attended one event recently through “Meetup” and although there was one legitimate other expat couple there, it was mostly well-meaning Brazilians with the intention of meeting foreigners in an effort to promote their real estate endeavours. Not a bad idea I guess, but it wasn’t quite what I had in mind… If some of these other clubs don’t work out, I think we need to start our own expat group for young & fun expats in Rio.  (We are on the very young end for expats as I understand…)

That said, we did not come to Brazil to hang out exclusively with ex-pats! We are here to appreciate a new culture and become immersed in it. Even though it is comfortable and fun to socialize in our own language and be with people we have much in common with, we want to meet some Brazilian friends (our expat friends will not be offended by this, they all want to meet some Brazilians too).  Meeting Brazilians seems to be even harder than getting the expats together. Once the language barrier becomes less of an issue I am sure this will change but right now I am a bit intimidated by it. Another factor that does not help – my husband does not wish to socialize much with people from work, he prefers to keep that part of his life separate (he works too much as it is so I am happy there is not much overflow into our time).  But then how do we meet other young professionals?

For those of you who have moved to Brazil (and Brazilians of course) how did you break the ice with the Brazilians, so to speak?

Thank you!

Thank you for all of your comments in the past week, I am glad to know a little about the perspectives of my readers.  And glad to know someone is reading! I am certainly NO EXPERT EXPAT - yet anyway - so appreciate all of your tips, hints, corrections, questions and suggestions.
Saude!

Learning Portuguese

More "Frequently Asked Questions" being addressed. Our language skills.

Learning Brazilian Portuguese is difficult, although we both learned French in school growing up, which helps. Being completely immersed in a new language can be frustrating and isolating, but overall is a humbling experience that I hope will build character.

Those Brazilians talk damn fast though.  Especially considering how slowly everything else moves around here...

 

Some interesting little Portuguese tidbits:

 

Saude: (Sa-oo-d-jee) Means "cheers" - and I just learned is also used in place of "bless you" when someone sneezes.

Cola: means GLUE in Portuguese. As an anti-pop-person I got a kick out of this one.

 

Portuguese seems to be a highly "emotional" language, when I say that I mean that it seems to personify many things and make them emotional.  For example agitado (like agitated) is used to describe a city as "busy" - just an initial impression from someone who is learning.

 

Classes:
I am currently enrolled with Portuguese classes with IBEU, which I highly recommend.  I actually could not find many small classes of people learning introductory Portuguese in Rio, surprisingly.  Class sizes are small (about 5 students) which allows for a decent amount of interaction while still maintaining a great deal of one-on-one attention. So far we have covered topics such as the alphabet, basic greetings, food/eating out/shopping, items and rooms in the home, furniture, numbers, telling time, basic sentences, about 50 verbs, members of the family, etc. 

 

What I enjoy about the classes:

- Interaction with other students.

- Variety, the instructor uses a variety of examples and media to keep us interested.

- Feeling like I improve every day.

 

Check out their web site for more information, link above.

 

The Authentic Brazilian Brazilian Wax

If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me: "So do you plan to get a Brazilian Bikini Wax once you move?" I didn't have the heart to let most of them know that the I'd (faithfully for 4+ years) been there and done that long before ever dreaming of going to Brazil.  In fact, at one point, I thought the Brazilian wax might be the closest to Brazil I'd ever get.  So, language barrier and all, I was not all that nervous to get my first actually-in-Brazil-Brazilian-wax. It was not all that different from back home although the person I went to used the "hard" type of wax, which hardens on its own and does not require a cloth or paper strip to remove, new for me.  I must say she did an excellent job and what we did manage to communicate with one another was that she was shocked by how calm I was (in taking the pain), "Moito tranquilo, senhora!"  I just the idea of not being completely clear on what was expected (language barrier!) was scarier than actually being waxed but, hey it all went well.  I am sorry this post is so uneventful, but having an exciting story about this topic is not exactly something to brag about if you know what I mean.  And yes, with the biquinis here, the wax is mandatory... although apparently leg hair removal is completely optional.  Yesterday I was flipping through a Brazilian magazine and noticed a photo of a woman whose leg hair was not only apparent but long and glistening... this I do not understand.  

 

Here in Brazil, waxing is referred to as depilacao, and there are places absolutely everywhere, once I find a favorite I will post some recommendations.

Ideas for Keeping in Touch With Loved Ones Back Home

Making the decision to move abroad is tough.  Most difficult of course is leaving loved ones behind.  In this day and age, there is no excuse for not staying in touch, but we all know how relationships can change when a great deal of time passes without much contact. Friendships in particular. Generally, when you are "the one who moved" you are expected to make more effort to maintain relationships with those you left behind. I doubt that rule is written anywhere else but it is a reality. 

 

To attempt to maintain my social life and friendships back home, in addition to this blog, I keep another more personal blog for friends and family to know exactly what we are up to down here, send various emails, facebook messages, and chat via Skype.

Before we left, I found a bunch of beautiful stationary, cards, postcards and Tickelopes (see funny foam envelopes in the photo - yes, these are mailed as-is!) and wrote messages to our friends and family back home.  I focused mostly on close friends and the kids in our life.  For the kids, I wrote silly little stories, for our friends, birthday and anniversary messages, when are you coming to visit messages, we miss you already messages. I addressed them, stamped them, and batched them into bimonthly piles which my sister now mails out for me twice a month, and our friends (and our nephew, the recipient of the most mail-outs by far) know we love them and are thinking of them from afar.  We are now continuing this with sending occasional postcards, but we are not sure how long they take to deliver so this has been a good way to start.

 

Other things we've done so far (we only left a month ago) include sending flowers, etc. for special occasions.

 

I would love to hear ideas from other expats of unique, creative ideas of how to keep in touch with loved ones back home. It is important to me to remind the important people in our lives that they are in our thoughts even though we are away.

 

On being an expat and away from friends and family: It certainly takes more effort to keep in touch with everyone, but at least you always feel as though you have something interesting to tell them when you do connect!

More "glad I brought..."

I will continue to add to the what to bring if you are moving to Rio de Janeiro list as I think of and discover new things.

... Band-Aids

With a dengue fever outbreak in Rio, and no repellent available, I am grateful to have brought my own. Somehow they managed to make the "family friendly" kind I bought smell like watermelon too which is not terrible (better than "Deep Woods" I suppose.)

A couple of items on the Dengue outbreak: it's getting pretty bad. The Brazilian authorities are now calling it an epidemic. We have heard of affluent people living in areas not majorly affected having gone to private hospitals for treatment only to be turned away or misdiagnosed and die within days.  There have been at least 55,000 cases in Brazil this year and has killed 67 in Rio de Janeiro with another 50 some suspected deaths from Dengue.  Dengue hemorrhagic fever causes internal and external bleeding and is almost always fatal if untreated. It does not sound like a very good way to go...

According to the papers, hospital waits range from eight to 28 hours in some places.

Symptoms include: high fever, severe headache, backache, joint pains and eye pain, nausea, vomiting, and a rash.  There is no vaccine.

Filling that Apartamento

Once you find an apartment in Brazil, a chore within itself, take time to congratulate yourself.  If you managed to find an apartment where you do not need to provide any light fixtures, door handles or external walls, tonight, drink as many as you want!  If you found one with appliances too, or decent furnishings, you'd best go buy a lottery ticket because it's clearly your lucky day.

The furnishing phase... I just started on this task so I am no expert yet, but I can tell you from my adventure so far that according to most places I've been it will take at least 30 days to get a couch delivered if it is being manufactured (and most places don't keep much inventory), beds can be close to the same amount of time, depending on the bed.  It's best to start early!

When we decided to move to Rio I envisioned some sort of brightly stuccoed apartamento building with lots of character and ornate yet fun, rustic furnishings inside.  With the building - no such luck, it is very modern and plain (a good canvas, you could say, and I am pleased with it nonetheless).  Most of the furnishings I have seen so far, too, are modern and plain. So, I am looking for some furnishings to liven the place up a bit.  I know that there are Brazilians reading this blog... any suggestions??  I am looking for furniture stores "off the beaten path" a bit. Furnishings with character.

Some key words in Portuguese for apartamento furniture shopping in Brazil:

Furniture: Moveis
Desk: Mesa
Couch/Sofa: Sofa
Refrigerator: Jeladero
Chair: Cadeira
Door: Porta
Bed: Cama (a note on this - pronounce sizes queenie and kingie.  Single = de solteio)
Oven/Stove: Fogao
Blinds: Persiana
Curtains: Cortina
Shelves: Prateleiras

Happy Hunting!