20 Things you MUST know before moving to Brazil

“Brazil is not for beginners” – Tom Jobin.

I’m starting my not-so-short article quoting someone I barely even know, but found it on Google and thought it's going to be pretty cool to start my article with, because I’m not sure how many countries you need to visit before you end up living in Brazil. It can leave a first-time visitor feeling pretty overwhelmed, disoriented or amazingly well and happy, there is no in-between.

Courtesy of Google images

2017 was the year I made up my mind I’d be spending "an important amount of time" in Brazil. Since I am a graduated English student with a master degree between her hands, finding a job as an English teacher in Brazil was a piece of cake; I had always been fascinated by Brazil, the plan had always been to live there for a bit, I didn’t think twice, I applied, I got the job in late September, and I have pretty much dropped everything to move to an area in the South of Brazil called Maringà.

Maringà by night Courtesy of aberturasimples.com.br

When you hear the word Brazil, most people would think about : Football, drop-dead gorgeous women, Carnival, coffee, Cachaça and Samba.

Those who are a bit more familiar with the country also know that it’s one of the fastest growing economies, as well as one of the world’s emerging global powers.

I’m spending almost all of my time in Maringà, so, unfortunately, I can only speak to my experience here, and I imagine some of these things may be quite different in other regions.

So, without further ado, here are some of the universal things I wish I'd known before moving to the land of breakfast cake, beautiful views, and delicious cheesy bread :

1. Learn Portuguese :

It’s almost impossible to get by in Brazil without knowing Portuguese. We all know that Brazilians speak Portuguese, but what we don’t know that it is legitimately the ONLY language they speak with. In most parts of the world, you can manage quite well without knowing the local language, or at least with a few basic words and phrases. However, if you plan to move to Brazil without knowing Portuguese, you’re in for an extremely difficult time.

2. Most of Brazilians don’t speak Spanish :

While Spanish and Portuguese are structurally quite similar, there are enough differences between the two that you can’t -just- magically understand Brazilians if you speak Spanish. If you’re fortunate enough (like Me!) to have studied Spanish in high school, then it will make learning and improving your Portuguese much easier, as long as you constantly remind yourself that they are different and until you start getting so used to Portuguese, you start speaking Portuñol instead!

3. Funk, Sertanejo, and Brazilian Rock; Familiarize Yourself with Brazilian Music :

“Music makes you lose control” – that was (and still is) my motto in life. Learning new music is one of my favorite parts of traveling. Brazilian music is so incredibly varied that even experts can't possibly know all of it. Whenever I go out and a popular song comes on, every single person starts singing along. Sometimes I wish I’d spent a bit more time brushing up on my popular Brazilian music so I wouldn’t look like a lost foreigner. (so much for my Gringo status)

4. There is more to Brazil than Rio de Janeiro :

(Seriously people, enough with the Rio obsession) It’s a common misconception to think Rio is the capital of Brazil and that it’s the metaphorical centre of the country. As a matter of fact, Brasilia is the capital, and it is as amazing as Rio de Janeiro. The north of the Brazil has been largely influenced by African cultures and is filled with natural attractions; the south is defined by its European heritage; and in between this all are forests, wetlands, national parks, vibrant cities, various religions and countless music genres.

5. They don’t dance Samba on the street, they don’t kill one another because they’re bored, and they don’t carry guns whenever they go :

Brazil is linked to the famous stereotype that when it’s not struggling with violence and crime, it’s all about samba dancing and partying.

Truth to be told, the country does have high levels of crime, but tourist spots and different cities tend to be very safe and most people go about their day-to-day lives without encountering any problems. I have been living in Maringà for 5 months and I usually finish work at 9 PM, I have never seen or encountered anything bad. Maringà is -actually- one of the safest cities in Brazil, and I have never seen people dancing samba while I was walking down the street (when it’s not Carnival anyway)

6. Rice and Beans are not complete without Farofa :

Remember these names; you’re going to eat them a LOT in Brazil. After getting used to the Brazilian life, it’s hard to imagine replacing this combination with anything else. You will also learn to love farofa; fried cassava flour occasionally mixed with eggs and bacon. The taste alone isn’t especially exciting, but when you stop eating it, you’ll miss the extra texture and flavor it brings to all your food.

7. You will have to be patient :

Brazil is wonderful; its bureaucracy not so much. Things such as visas, or starting a business require mountains of paperwork that has to go through a labyrinth of processes. It will get you to a point where you want to ‘scream and shout and let it all out’, but please have some patience, things take time –more than usual- in Brazil.

8. Being late isn’t a big deal :

Brazilians are always late. If you have a party that starts at 8 PM, most people will arrive at 10, and this is considered perfectly normal. Brazilians love to do everything with passion; working with passion, cooking with passion and getting ready with passion they tend to forget the time. So, don’t worry about being late, you’ll eventually feel a sense of freedom when you lose those rigid time constraints and learn that sometimes, arriving on time doesn’t always have to be a priority. (Only if you’re a German, then you have to smash your clock before coming to Brazil.)

9. Be emotional. Be more open about your feelings :

Brazilians are –beautifully- emotional people, they don’t think twice about telling someone how they are feeling. Something that people from other cultures and backgrounds may be more inclined to bottle up. If a Brazilian likes or loves you, you’ll know about it. They also tend to seek out the positive in any bad situation. You’ll never see them angry, mad, or irritated about anything. It’s a life-changing lesson when these characteristics start rubbing off on you.

10. PDA – Public Display of AFFECTION :

On the bus, on the metro, in elevators, in the park, at the bar, or while casually walking down the street, public displays of affection are perfectly normal and people couldn’t care less about them in Brazil. For foreigners, however, this is something that’s hard not to notice, especially when you’re standing next to a romantic couple in the line at the supermarket. You might not feel comfortable doing it yourself, but after a few months in Brazil, you won’t even notice other people’s displays of affection, and you’re going to be the one kissing your partner anywhere you’d like without caring about anything around.

11. Professional life - Personal life balance is important :

The approach to work is to do it and do VERY it well, yet as soon as it’s time to go home, there is no waiting around. It’s straight to the beach, to the gym, to the park to go running, or to the bar to enjoy a few beers with friends.

12. Some of them are married, others are in serious relationships :

Well.. It is true, if you’re looking for love, and also planning to live in Brazil, then you have come to the wrong neighborhood sweetheart. Most of Brazilians are either married or in serious relationships, and once they’re in a relationship, they tend to get devoted and would put their heads in the game, 100%.

(Proof: all of my co-workers are either married or in serious relationships, and I have worked in 3 different companies so far.)

13. Brazil is not the place to go to save money :

As most Tunisians would go abroad to “ikawwan rouhou”, Brazil is not the perfect destination to save that money. Since 2008 the prices have increased by about 140%, and it’s getting expensive day by day.

14. Brazilian life? Expensive. Brazilian food? Cheap.

Good news! You can get amazing fruits and vegetables very cheaply. Supermercados are within five block of where you will plan to live.

15. Free public health :

Well, there’s not much to say. You can go to the private hospitals which are very expensive or the public hospitals which are much cheaper but are –a little bit- lower quality. In Brazil they have health posts which are free to everyone even foreigners. Just grab your passport, Google translate, and you’re good to go!

16. Brazilians Are very Funny :

This is no surprise, but I had to see it with my own eyes, how brutally sarcastic Brazilians can be. Whether it's my neighbor cheerfully singing about Brazil's traumatic 7-1 loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup, or people making street art featuring the face of a politician, Brazilian humor is sharp and ruthless.

17. Bugs won’t kill you; you’re FAR away from the Amazonas :

It's important to take health and safety concerns seriously, but not to the point of letting fear ruin your trip. I haven’t seen any dangerous mosquitoes at all. So, don’t take zillions of sprays and save the space in your suitcase for something that would actually be useful.

18. Your perspective of distance will change :

Moving from one city to another in Tunisia is usually quick and easy. A one-hour car ride can leave you in a different city. However, the sheer scale of Brazil is huge. Try going on road trips in Brazil, the distance becomes relative and long flights / car rides increasingly become a norm.

19. BRAZILIANS LOVE TALKING :

Brazilians adore talking; they can talk about everything, anything, anywhere, anyhow. They tend to be welcoming and open to strangers, and are great makers of small talk. For people coming from countries where this is less common, seeing this interaction between strangers is eye-opening and can change the way you interact with new people. This is a positive thing to have in your life, the more talkative you become the more self-confidence you’ll have.

20. It’s all about the smile :

I think 80% of Brazilians had braces, or still wearing them. They are quite obsessed with their smiles, hence teeth. I think they own the world’s largest oral care markets, with people investing time and money on getting their teeth gleaming. Almost everyone in Brazil brings a toothbrush, and toothpaste with them everywhere they go and they brush their teeth at work after lunch.

BONUS : Holidays, holidays and more holidays

Brazilians have 30 days of paid vacation, and more than 10 days of national holidays a year. How do you feel about that?

There is a lot more that should be considered when moving abroad, but these considerations tend to make the biggest impact in people’s lives and experiences. I hope you found them useful.

(more to come, soon.)