Welcome to Brazil!
I am an American Astronomy professor from Wyoming who has moved to Porto Alegre, Brazil to do research with collaborators. I am also a published science fiction novelist. I blog at www.mikebrotherton.com about science and science fiction. Here I will blog about being an American learning to live in Brazil and other issues involving long-term international travel.
I’ve traveled to Brazil a number of times before, but never for the long-term. I’ll be posting about visas, atms, shopping malls, movie theaters, cell phones, skype, slingboxes, apartments, flats, buses, taxis, fashion, weather, and more. I’ll try to stay practical and give first-hand information whenever possible.
I already have some other posts on my other blog pertinent to this topic:
Learning a Language with Rosetta Stone. Here I discuss using this popular software to learn Portuguese and compare it to Pimsleur lessons. I’ll have more posts about learning Portuguese in different ways in the near future.
Crime in Brazil. A couple of incidents from a trip in May. I’ll discuss this one in the near future, too, with tips on how to avoid it. Mostly common sense, but some specific examples of crimes here, too, from talking with my friends here.
Please be encouraged to comment and ask questions if I haven’t been clear enough. I’m hoping this will be a handy resource for people. I benefited a lot from talking with other Americans who have lived here and abroad in other places.
Please enjoy, and welcome to Brazil!
Tags: crime, personal, portuguese
September 15th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
How long are you planning to be there? How’s life in the southern hemisphere? I think you are there, anyways. Is the coriolis effect real?
September 15th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
I plan to live here until I have to start teaching again in Wyoming, which is in late August 2009, so about a year. I’ll be back in the states a few weeks this year (getting my visa straightened out for one thing) and will also spend 6-8 weeks in China next spring.
Even though it’s winter here in southern Brazil, it’s been nicer than it has been back in Wyoming, I’m told. And I’ll start checking out all the toilets I can find so I can collect empirical evidence concerning the Coriolis effect!
September 16th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Hi Mike!
I look forward to reading your posts. I’ve always wanted to travel to Brazil and will be sure to reference your blog whenever I’m in need of resourceful tips. It’ll probably be at least a year or so before I’m able to make it down there. I just started a travel blog with a few friends, mainly about sharing personal stories with hints of useful information along the way. If you’re interested in checking it out, the title is “3 Troopin’ Travelers”. Enjoy your adventure in the southern hemisphere!
-Suz, a.k.a. Lil’ Boozie
September 21st, 2008 at 7:48 am
[...] An American professor from Wyoming, USA has moved to Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. Very good blog for anyone getting ready to make a move to Brazil on their own. His entries cover all the steps for setting up life and “Living in Brazil“. [...]
September 28th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
reading another blog (expatbrazil) and clicked to you. welcome to Brasil - don’t get confused by the Rosemary title - she is another American friend now getting ready to move to Portugal and I have taken over her blog.
October 1st, 2008 at 9:10 am
http://www.astrosurf.com/diniz
Had to hunt this address down, Diniz is a friend and neighbor in Nava Friburgo. He has made a set up at home that gets very good (to my untrained eye) photos. Check out his sight.
October 7th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
I am considering moving to Brasil. I am a realtor and Mortgage broker, my wife is from Nova Friburgo and I have some peole now interested in purchasing land in brasil as an investment.
I will be meeting with them in a couple of weeks and suggesting that they buy land near a beach like Rio Das Ostras and build apartments there. I know someone that has done this several times and primarily rents them to workers for Petrobras since it is only 30 +- minutes away.
How can I get info on what is required for American investors to purchase and build there?
October 7th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Hey, great to meet u!!
I need ur help!!
i get a job offer from Porto Alegre, Brazil.
The wages is USD600. (not included accomodation)
Can i survive with that amount?
Urgent here..
Hope u can help me..
Thx..
October 8th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
Ng, sorry to be slow to reply. It’s possible, sim, especially with the improved exchange rate (which could go back down as fast, of course). If this is above and beyond accommodation, you can do it. Bus is R$2.10. You can eat a meal for under R$10 if you keep it simple. You won’t have a lot extra, but the park is free, and loads of people go there for fun.
October 8th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Keith, I don’t know what you need to know. Perhaps someone else can chime in? What I’ve heard is that it’s difficult for individual Americans here to get involved financially with big projects because of local corruption and politics.
October 24th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
hi, my husband is from brazil and now we have to move there, due to immigration problems. I am scared to move there, so I was wondering if you can tell me how brazil people treat white american people?
October 27th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Erin, I’ll reply in length with a new post today, but briefly, they’ll treat you just fine.
December 29th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
Hi.
I´m so glad a friend of mine told me about your blog. I´m Brazilian, and I went to US 2 years ago. My travel took 6 months and I wrote everything about that experience in my blog. So I realized I would love to find a blog about the opposite situation: an American living in Brazil, in my city, Porto Alegre. I´m glad I found it!
January 24th, 2009 at 8:48 am
Hi! I found your blog a while ago and have been meaning to write. Where in Wyo are you from? I’m originally from Sheridan. I live in Minas now (by way of 16 years on NYC). I’ve been married to a Brazilian for the last 8 years and in such funny small world coincidences, my brother-in-law and his family relocated to Wyo in 2007 when he was offered a job as a mathematics professor at the U in Laramie. Is that where you will return to teach? It’s nice to keep up with your blog - and so odd that there are two bloggers from Wyoming living in Brazil! (Or is it?…)
January 24th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
I’m an astronomy prof at UW and will be returning in the fall. It is a small world sometimes. Welcome!
July 24th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
Hi, I am from Denver and have been living in Porto Alegre since Feb 2008. I also lived in Brasilia from 2002 til 2006. My cousin was the president of U of Wyo in the 70s…! I would be happy to join in the blog about the many adventures of living in Brazil….!!n
July 24th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Hi Ed,
Cool to have you here. My time is now short in Brazil as I have to return to Wyoming to teach next month, but I’ll update as thoughts occur to me.
Cheers,
Mike