Brazil Through Foreign Eyes

Here are 13 questions from an on-line interview called "Brazil Through Foreign Eyes"; one that I found at Gringoes.com.  I thought I'd post the questions (only a teeny bit modified) that are asked, along with my responses. I answered them based on where I first arrived in Brazil, my initial impressions, and what I remember from being in Brazil from 2002-2007.

1. Tell us a little about yourself, where are you from, what do you do, etc?

I'm originally from upstate New York, but I've been living in central Florida for almost 6 years now. I'm a high school English teacher and have been teaching for 7 years. My first year teaching was in Manaus, Amazonas and we're now moving back to Brazil because I got a job as a 9th grade English teacher at an international bilingual school.

2. When did you arrive in Brazil and what brought you here?

I first arrived in Brazil in 2002 while I was studying abroad in Uruguay. I had been interested in Portuguese and Brazil for a couple of years, and was taking a Portuguese language class at the university in Montevideo and really wanted to "try out" the language I had used. A friend and I took a weekend trip to Porto Alegre to visit the country and practice speaking Portuguese.

3. What were your first impressions of Brazil?

My first impression of Brazil was that it was green. I remember visiting a fair in Porto Alegre in the middle of a green field. I also noticed the vast difference in the color of mate (chimarrão in Portuguese) which was a much brighter color than that drunk in Uruguay. The weather was also warmer than the winter I had been experiencing in Montevideo for the past few months. The food was delicious and the museums were nice to visit. It also rained nonstop for 3 days.

4. What do you miss most about home?

When I'm abroad I miss my family and friends, of course. I also miss superficial things like TV shows (Oprah), peanut butter, and American stores in shopping malls. I prefer to buy pants/jeans and shoes/sneakers in the U.S.

5. What has been your most frustrating experience in Brazil?

The most frustrating memory that I have from Brazil was getting my ID card while living in Manaus. I had initially taken the completed forms to get my internship visa to the consulate in NYC when applying for the visa. However, when I got to the consulate, I was told that I needed to fill out another application (which of course was the same thing). I did so in a hurry and I did not write out my parents' middle names (I wrote the initials). I had no idea this was such an error. Fast forward a couple of months to my arrival in Brazil....the federal police in Manaus were not accepting of my deletion on the application and they sent me on a trip to the local "American representative" who made me write out my own statement that said who my parents are. He signed in and I took it back to the Federal Police. That was pointless, a waste of time, and a crock of sh*t since I'm the one who wrote the statement for someone else to sign and be considered an official document.

6. What has been your most memorable experience in Brazil?

When I met and fell in love with my husband.

7. What do you most like about Brazil?

This is a hard question because I like so much. I like the affection of Brazilian people, I love the fruits, the healthy lifestyle, the laid back attitudes, the diversity and beauty of the landscape....

8. What is your favorite restaurant/place to hang out?

I didn't visit many restaurants when I lived in Manaus, but I did enjoy going out for late night snacks of tacaca, x-tudos, and other local foods with friends and family. I also really liked going out to drink guarana with açaí and granola. Ponta Negra is a beautiful area to visit in Manaus and I spent many an evening and night there with E and friends.

9. Do you have any funny stories/incidents to tell about your time in Brazil?

The funniest memory that comes to mind is when I adamantely told my best friend in Brazil that I would never fall in love, let alone marry, a Brazilian man.

10. What difference between your homeland and Brazil do you find most striking?

I'd say that Americans are too stressed, overworked, and don't know how to have a good time at a cheap price like Brazilians do.

11. How is your Portuguese coming along? What words do you find most difficult to pronounce/remember or are there any words that you regularly confuse?

Although I'm fluent in Portuguese, I still need to think twice at times when speaking due to the lack of gender in English and the complex grammatical rules in Portuguese.

12. What advice do you have for newcomers to Brazil?

Enjoy your stay because you'll have a great time! With that being said, I haven't been to Brazil since 2007 so I can only advice on what I know. I'd advice people not to be afraid of experiencing something new and to be open and ready for a good time. Take advantage of everything that's a novelty and different!

13. What are some things that you would recommend for a visitor to do in Brazil?

I'd recommend visiting the Amazon because there is nothing like it (just take a look at all of my posts on Manaus). You also can't visit Brazil without seeing Christ the Redeemer and the Sugar Loaf.